You are the Curator!

Imagine you are collecting pieces of art for your museum collection. Consider the meaning the piece will have within your collection and to your audience. Select the piece of your choosing, and explain why you have decided to collect this piece.

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* 1. These two works feature contemporary cityscapes but with contrasting techniques and applications. Which of the two would best represent your collection? Tell us more about what you think in the "Comment Box"!

Top: Childe Hassam (American, 1859 - 1935); Brooklyn Bridge in Winter, c. 1904; oil on canvas; Museum purchase, 1907.2

Bottom: Andrée Ruellan (American, 1905 - 2006); Savannah, c. 1942; oil on canvas; Museum purchase, 1998.8

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* 2. Comment Box

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* 3. These are both examples of gelatin silver prints taken in the mid-20th century. Take in the subject matter. Which photograph would best reflect your museum’s collection? Tell us more about what you think in the "Comment Box"!

Top: Helen Levitt (American, 1913–2009); New York, c. 1940; Gelatin silver print; Gift of Mrs. Robert O. Levitt, 2002.3.1

Bottom: Bruce Davidson (American, born 1933); Untitled, Brooklyn Gang series, c. 1959; Mid-vintage gelatin silver print; Gift of an anonymous donor, 2018.16.18

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* 4. Comment Box

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* 5. Both of these paintings feature flags and were produced in the same era but with very different artistic approaches. The work on the left, an American Impressionist painting, was created in response to events leading up to World War I, while the piece on the right depicts, through bold, gestural brushstrokes, a gathering for WWI veterans. Select which of the two would best represent your collection. Tell us more about what you think in the "Comment Box"!

Top: Childe Hassam (American, 1859–1935); Avenue of the Allies, c. 1917; Oil on canvas; Bequest of Mrs. Elizabeth Millar Bullard, 1942.11

Bottom: Theresa Bernstein (American, 1890–2002); Fair on Hawthorne Inn Lawn, c. 1918; Oil on board; Museum purchase with funds provided by the Gari Melchers Collectors’ Society, 2019.33

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* 6. Comment Box

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* 7. These works reflect differing approaches to sculpture making. The work on the left is a more traditional bronze head bust, while the piece on the right is a self-taught woodcarving of Harriet Tubman. Select which of the two would best represent your collection. Tell us more about what you think in the "Comment Box"!

Top: Augusta Savage (American, 1892–1962); Gwendolyn Knight, c. 1937; Bronze; Gift of the Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art, 2003.18

Bottom: Vernon Edwards (American, 1940–1999); Harriet Tubman, c. 1982; Mahogany and paint; Museum purchase, 1997.22.1

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* 8. Comment Box

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