Gifts That Keep Giving

25th-anniversary exhibit highlights diverse collection of gifts

January 20, 2009

Portrait of Powhatan Ellis (1853) by 19th-century painter Thomas Sully is one of the works on display in the new Trout Gallery exhibit.

The new exhibit 25th Anniversary: Recent Gifts to The Trout Gallery is a celebration of its 25-year history and a tribute to those who have helped build the gallery's remarkable 6,000-piece permanent art collection.

The exhibit highlights more than 50 art pieces from the collection.

Works include Reclining Nude (1950), an abstract bronze statuette by influential 20th-century sculptor Henry Moore and Portrait of Powhatan Ellis (1853), an oil painting by celebrated 19th-century painter Thomas Sully. (Interestingly, Ellis, a senator and Supreme Court justice who served in the administrations of two U.S. presidents, attended Dickinson in 1809 and 1810.)

The pieces span several centuries in art history and vary greatly in subject, style and tone.

Twentieth-century architectural support poles from a ceremonial house in New Guinea, which symbolize the spirits of village ancestors, offer a sense of drama to the exhibit, and Portrait of Slater Clay, painted in approximately 1759 by John Hesselius, brings a finely rendered view of colonial America. A moody black-and-white photo of the Chrysler Building imparts a stylish portrait of vintage New York, while striking ceremonial masks give insight into West African culture.

Phillip Earenfight, Trout Gallery director, hopes that as visitors walk through the exhibit, they will appreciate "just how far [the gallery] has come in 25 years" as an increasingly vibrant and visible presence in the Dickinson community.

He also hopes that they will accept his message of gratitude.

"Thanks to everyone—donors, the college administration, staff, faculty, alumni—for 25 years of support," he says.

The exhibit runs Tuesdays through Saturdays from Jan. 23 to July 11. An opening reception will be held on Jan. 23 from 5 to 7 p.m.