The Enchanted Art: A Legacy in Russian Lacquer The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) is pleased to present the traveling exhibition ³The Enchanted Art: A Legacy in Russian Lacquer.² This exhibition, featuring 65 lacquer boxes and objects from the Museum¹s permanent collection, explores the unique Russian art of miniature painting on papier-mâché, an art form that dates back to the eighteenth century. Richly detailed, carefully crafted and colorful, the lacquer miniatures of this exhibition reveal the distinct styles and techniques that developed in family workshops and passed down through generations of master craftsmen in four villages: Fedoskino, Kholui, Mstera and Palekh. Initially flourishing in the village of Fedoskino, Russian lacquer miniature production spread after the 1917 Revolution and collapse of imperial Russia. With religion deemed ³the opiate of the masses², churches were closed by the new Soviet State. Icon painting‹a centuries-old, deeply rooted craft in the villages of Kholui, Mstera and Palekh‹was banned. Nevertheless, artists found a clever solution to channel their artistic spirit: painting on papier-mâché miniatures. While the subject matter and materials were new, the essence and communicative power of the art remained. Abiding by political directives, artists depicted Œsocially significant¹ subjects such as portraits of political leaders, social and economic achievements of the USSR and industrial landscapes in their lacquer art. Yet they also stretched political prescription in masterful miniatures depicting fairy tales, literary works, historical events, and episodes from everyday life. Ultimately, the state¹s active support of the arts helped ensure the evolution of a modern canon of Russian lacquer painting, where each village¹s artistic style formed and emerged as a recognizable and distinct school. The exhibition includes extensive didactics as well as a section that illustrates traditional processes, tools and materials used in the production of this intricate art form. Installation photos of the exhibition are available on TMORA¹s FTP site at <http://ftp2.tmora.org <http://ftp2.tmora.org/> > (Username: traveling; Password: exhibits). Didactics are available upon request. For more information and exhibition availability, contact Lana Gendlin Brooks, Director of Operations, at The Museum of Russian Art, 5500 Stevens Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55419, <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > or <www.tmora.org <http://www.tmora.org/> > or 612-821-9045. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).