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ART OF ILLINOIS 1 ART OF ILLINOIS AN EXHIBITION OF FINE AND DECORATIVE ARTS PRESENTED IN THE PEOPLE’S HOUSE the illinois governor’ s mansion springfield, il EST. 1855 FEATURING WORKS BY CENTURIES OF ARTISTS AND CRAFTSPEOPLE FROM THE FINE STATE OF ILLINOIS 2 table of contents Foreword 6 Diana Rauner, First Lady of Illinois Introduction 8 John H. Bryan, Jr., Joseph P. Gromacki, and Leslie S. Hindman Beautiful and Useful: Decorative Arts of Illinois 12 Sharon S. Darling , co-curator Decorative Arts 20 Artland Illinois: a brief introduction 96 Wendy Greenhouse , co-curator Fine Arts 106 4 5 Foreword Welcome to the Illinois Governor’s Mansion: The People’s House Art and architecture are mirrors. They reflect not only our past but also our With this recent renovation, the goal was more expansive. We wanted to bring Illinois into evolution to today and tomorrow. With the openings of Art of Illinois and the reimagined the home in ways that had not been envisioned in past renovations. We saw the Mansion as Illinois Governor’s Mansion, we have a unique opportunity to engage with the people and both residence and symbol, the latter of Illinois statesmanship, inclusion, and hospitality. places that mightily influenced the Illinois we have become and aspire to be. The Mansion, of course, will continue to be the home of the state’s chief executive, but now its look is both stately as befits Illinois’ heritage and—in keeping with the irrepressible The Governor’s Mansion, built in 1855, has been witness to the state’s—and some of the midwestern openness of our citizens—richly inviting. nation’s—most transformative events. From this home, our governors fought to free slaves, unshackle laborers, deploy troops for the great wars, lift families from the ravages of the The 2018 Mansion is surrounded by a majestic landscape that frames the striking sight of the Great Depression, and guide a fragile world at the onset of the Nuclear Age. structure. Its interior now accommodates a mission of history, education, and appreciation. There are public spaces for visitors to gather and learn from period art and exhibits once Art of Illinois, the first exhibition to be featured in the Mansion’s newly defined public spaces, featured in the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. There is space to showcase Illinois fine captures some of these transformations as well. The 93 magnificent pieces on display—from and decorative arts and a Visitors Center. Trained docents help elevate the experience for the masterful hands of Illinois artisans, craftspeople, sculptors, and painters—deliver both our visitors seven days a week. For the first time, the Mansion is ADA accessible. historical insight and cultural wonder. That they arrive at this 200th birthday moment for the state is a fitting start to the next life of a home that, in its newest iteration, earns its This work could not have been completed without the tireless efforts of the Illinois Governor’s place among Illinois Historic Places as The People’s House. In use for more than 160 years, Mansion Association and the blue-ribbon group of men and women who lent their expertise the Illinois Governor’s Mansion is the third oldest continuously occupied state executive and their love of Illinois to the project. We owe each one our gratitude for their enthusiastic mansion in the United States. Just as they do with all things, time and use would take its embrace of our mission and their unrelenting zeal to achieve it. toll periodically on the Mansion. The need for repairs most often spearheaded renovation. Finally, it has to be noted that this milestone in the history of the Mansion has been reached And such was the case in 2015 when Governor Rauner and I came to Springfield. without using taxpayer dollars. Nearly $15 million was raised from private sources to pay for By then, nearly 40 long years had passed since Governor Richard Ogilvie and his wife, the renovation. First Lady Dorothy Ogilvie, charged James T. Hickey and Lowell Anderson of the Illinois My husband and I made a promise to update the Mansion and return it to the people of State Historical Library with overseeing a $3 million effort to renovate the Mansion. Their Illinois as a cultural and civic treasure. The reopening is a promise kept to the citizens of challenge was to preserve features from the original 1850s architecture and its antique the state, the culmination of a tremendous effort to restore the residence to serve its true decorated interior. Thanks to that effort, the Mansion entered the National Register of purpose as.. .The People’s House. Historic Places in 1976. DIANA RAUNER First Lady of Illinois Chair, Illinois Governor’s Mansion Association 6 7 Introduction This exhibition catalogue depicts artistic works, including paintings, sculptures, and Museum of Art at Valparaiso University, DePaul Art Museum, Illinois State Museum, and decorative arts objects, the earliest created more than 750 years ago, the most recent in 2016, the Union League Club of Chicago. and all presented in 2018 at the Illinois Governor’s Mansion in Springfield. As part of the The curator for the decorative arts portion of this exhibition is Sharon S. Darling who is celebration of the Illinois Bicentennial, these exhibited artworks, defined as “Art of Illinois,” currently an independent decorative arts historian living in St. Charles, Illinois, with a have been installed for public viewing to coincide with the opening of the newly renovated special expertise in Chicago’s decorative art and industrial history. Governor’s Mansion. Sharon Darling has previously served as curator of decorative and industrial arts at the The exhibition contains 27 paintings, 7 pieces of sculpture, and 59 works of functional and Chicago History Museum and as the director of the Motorola Museum. She has produced beautiful decorative arts, many of which have a special connection to the history of the numerous books, essays, and exhibitions on Chicago furniture, metalware, art pottery, and Governor’s Mansion and its occupants over the years. Of the 93 objects in the exhibition, Arts and Crafts jewelry. 71 of them are loaned for the exhibition by public museums and private collectors located in The designer of our exhibition is John Vinci, a renowned Chicago architect and preserva- Illinois; whereas, 22 of the works are the property of the State of Illinois. tionist. Throughout his extraordinary career, John Vinci has been the designer for more than The idea for this exhibition evolved from State of Illinois First Lady Diana Rauner’s decision 50 major museum exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago and other prominent museums to renovate and reimagine the primary purpose of the Illinois Governor’s Mansion. Under throughout the United States. her leadership, the Illinois Governor’s Mansion Association and its fine and decorative The Governor’s Mansion of the State of Illinois is now 133 years old. Throughout its history, arts committee then determined that the aim of this renovation would be to enhance the the Mansion has been primarily known as the residence of the family of the state’s governor experience of the Mansion’s visitors, and thus inspire and educate our visitors about the and as a venue for ceremonial events. In its new 2018 version, the Mansion has been historical and artistic accomplishments of the people of Illinois. transformed into a place that truly celebrates our most enduring legacies, art and art history. We truly believe that art holds the power to motivate and inspire its audiences and transform It is surely noteworthy that this exhibition, Art of Illinois, is likely the first ever such public the world in which we live in a positive way. It is our hope that, through this celebration of presentation of historical art identified with the state of Illinois. With that thought in mind, the artistic achievement of artists and artisans of Illinois, visitors will leave feeling a sense we sincerely hope that this landmark exhibition records a time when the display of Illinois of civic pride in our state and its people. art became a defining feature of the Illinois Governor’s Mansion and a high point of civic To produce this exhibition, we are especially honored to have enlisted three remarkably pride for the citizens of Illinois. accomplished and talented individuals as the curators and designer of Art of Illinois. JOHN H. BRYAN, JR., To serve as the curator of the fine art portion of this exhibition, we are pleased to have JOSEPH P. GROMACKI, AND Dr. Wendy Greenhouse, a Chicago-area independent art historian who specializes in LESLIE S. HINDMAN American art of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She has widely published, lectured, and curated exhibitions on the art and artists of Chicago, at area institutions including the Chicago History Museum, The Terra Museum of American Art, the Brauer 8 9 SHARON S. DARLING Beautiful and Useful: Decorative Arts of Illinois On January 10, 1856, when Joel A. Matteson, Illinois’ tenth governor, hosted his Mine District around Galena, redware was soon replaced by the more durable stoneware, which was first official reception in the newly completed Governor’s Mansion, guests were served on stronger and had a density that required no glaze to be waterproof. High quality stoneware clay, found porcelain imported from Europe, in rooms furnished with sofas, chairs, and gilt-framed in west-central Illinois in a belt that stretched from Rock Island to Alton, was the source for potteries mirrors shipped from New York or Boston. Nonetheless, the Illinois State Journal noted, “some operated in Brown, Scott, Greene, and Madison counties. very handsome extension tables, and bureaus, &c.