"Only in men's imagination does every truth find an effective and undeniable existence. Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art as of life."

"A Personal Record," by Joseph Conrad

Life-lines: Foundation Grants to Museums

Foundation grants contribute greatly to the well-being and growth of museum collections throughout the United States. The Amarillo Museum of Art has recently received a $62,000.00 grant from the Amarillo Area Foundation to complete the second phase of the conversion of the Museum's third floor to the permanent installation of the Dr. and Mrs. William T. Price Asian Art Gallery and the Asian Art Research Galleries.

The first phase was an 18 month long project that provided for the upgrading of the existing collection's vault furniture, storage, shelving, and conservation capability. It further upgraded the adjacent lower lab space to a vault annex that provides for temporary exhibition storage and the permanent collection preparatory area (matting and framing).

The second phase will provide for an Assistant Curator of Asian Art to oversee research, conservation, exhibition preparation, and coordinate publication activities related to the Price Collection. In addition, the grant will provide funding for equipment related to the substantial photography needs of the collection.

Following the upgrade of the vault areas to meet existing needs and to provide for future gifts, the placement for expert staff to oversee the collection, documentation and registration and outfitting a photo lab, the museum will be positioned to accept, process and prepare for the exhibition of the Price Collection.

The final third phase component will provide for the services of an exhibition designer who will prepare plans and budgets for the conversion of the Museum's third floor into the Dr. and Mrs. William T. Price Asian Art Galleries.

The Price Collection currently is focused on Japanese prints spanning a two hundred and fifty year period beginning in 1650 and continuing through 1900. Other objects gifted recently include a group of sculpture pieces from the various Asian locales, representing the time periods of 2nd century AD, 9th century AD, 11th-12th century AD and 19th century AD The Southeast Asian areas represented by these sculptures are primarily Buddhist and Hindu in content, with objects from Burma, India, Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, and Nepal. In addition to sculpture and prints, a group of oriental tcxtilcs (rugs) has been gifted representing 19th century Afghan and Turkish prayer rugs and Kilims. Future additions will broaden and provide depth to the collection.

Price Collection Background

The collection is well known and respected by art auction house experts, and has been visited by the premier museum curators and scholars in the country. In the area of textiles, Dr. Price has served on the National Textile Museum's Board of Trustees in Washington, D.C. and is internationally recognized as a collector of discerning taste and scholarship. In the area of Southeast Asian sculpture, request for loans from his collection to major American museums are a commonplace occurrence.

Dr. and Mrs. Price's Collection of Southeast Asian sculpture is comprehensive in terms of country and era. The collection represents 17 centuries, featuring works ranging from 2nd century through the 19th century, with a particularly strong group of works from India and Cambodia. The Price Collection spans the entire Edo period of Japanese printmaking, covering 250 years. The textile holdings are among the best in the United States, representing all Middle Eastern production areas including Turkey, Persia (Iran), Afghanistan, Anatolia, and an internationally ranked collection of Caucasian rugs from Russia.

Copyright © 1998, The Amarillo Museum of Art. All rights reserved.