Gunston Hall (1755-1759) in northern Virginia celebrates its annual Decorative Arts Symposium on November 4. Déjà vu: France in the Chesapeake examines the influence of French decorative arts in the area. The speakers will be Peter Kenny (The Metropolitan Museum of Art), Susan Stein (Monticello), Scott Berg (George Mason University) and Ghenete Zelleke (Art Institute of Chicago). MORE INFORMATION As American's severed ties to England in the revolutionary era, they forged stronger relationships with France through commerce, travel, and cultural exchange. The actions of George Mason IV, and the design of his house, Gunston Hall, confirms the presence of French influence in late eighteenth-century Virginia. The symposium will explore French design, architecture and decorative arts during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Ghenete Zelleke will present French ceramics to illustrate the changing face of design. Peter Kenny will consider French émigré cabinetmaker Honore Lannuier's oeuvre as a means for examining Parisian-influenced furniture produced in the United States. Scott Berg will explore Charles Pierre L'Enfant's design for the Nation's capital by drawing parallels to its French prototypes. Susan Stein will focus on Thomas Jefferson's importance as a conduit for French thought and decorative arts. An examination of period French books in the Library will augment these lectures. To learn more about Gunston Hall, local architecture and decorative arts, join us on November 4th. $95-General $80-Gunston Hall Members Schedule 8:30 Registration 9:30 Welcome, David L. Reese, Director; Introduction, Caroline M. Riley, Curator 9:45 Susan R. Stein, "L'Hôtel" Monticello: Signs of France in Jefferson's Virginia 10:30 Break 11:00 Ghenete Zelleke, The History of Collecting French porcelain at the Art Institute of Chicago 11:45 Questions for Morning Speakers 12:00 Caroline M. Riley, French Influence at Gunston Hall 12:15 Lunch, Tour of mansion, Exploring French books and cuisine 1:45 Peter Kenny, Honore Lannuier, Cabinet Maker From Paris 2:30 Scott W. Berg, L'Enfant's Washington: European Antecedents and American Iconography 3:15 Questions for afternoon speakers Speakers Scott W. Berg is a professor of nonfiction writing at George Mason University, a regular contributor to the Washington Post, and the author of Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C. He holds a BA in Architecture from the University of Minnesota, an MA in English from Miami University of Ohio, and an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University. Peter M. Kenny is the Ruth Bigelow Wriston Curator and Administrator for the American Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In that role, he was recently a part of the team to renovate and reinstall the American Wing. He has published extensively in journals such as American Furniture and The Magazine Antiques. Mr. Kenny has co-authored Honoreì Lannuier, cabinet maker from Paris and American Kasten. Currently, he is exploring the furniture of another influential New York cabinetmaker, Duncan Phyfe (1758-1854). Susan R. Stein is the Richard Gilder Senior Curator and Vice President of Museum Programs at Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. For nearly 25 years she has studied Thomas Jefferson and Monticello where she has been involved in the restoration, furnishing, and interpretation of this World Heritage Site. Ms. Stein's research interests involve domestic life and material culture at Monticello, especially the decorative arts and art acquired by Jefferson in France. She directed the interpretive elements of the new Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center at Monticello-four exhibitions and the film, Thomas Jefferson's World. Current projects include the restoration and interpretation of the dependencies, the upper floors, and Mulberry Row. Ghenete Zelleke is the Samuel and M. Patricia Grober Curator of European Decorative Arts at The Art Institute of Chicago. In 2008, she reinterpreted and reinstalled the European Decorative Arts collection in its new galleries. Ms. Zelleke has published in the journal Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies and she authored From Chantilly to SeÌvres : French porcelain and the dukes of Richmond. Additionally, she co-authored Objects of Desire: Victorian Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, David Adler, Architect and Against the Grain: Bentwood furniture from the collection of Fern and Manfred Steinfeld. Caroline M. Riley Curator Gunston Hall 10709 Gunston Road Mason Neck, VA, 22079 [log in to unmask] (703) 550-9220 (ext. 238) ========================================================= 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).