Why not think about heading to Orange, Texas? There's so much that they offer there. The City of Orange, Texas is located in the southeast corner of Texas on the west bank of the Sabine River that separates the states of Texas and Louisiana. Beautiful scenes and lots of fun, family friendly activities.
One of the great and many places to visit while in Orange, Texas is The Stark Museum of Art. The Stark Museum of Art has one of the nation’s most significant collections of American Western art.
A little history. The Stark Museum of Art was a vision of H.J. Lutcher Stark and his mother, Miriam Lutcher Stark. They were enthusiastic collectors of art, furniture and decorative items from around the world with a particular interest in nature and art depicting the American West. Then then decided one day to display the works of art they had collected in a museum.
The collection began accumilating in the late 1920s and early 30s as a collection of American Indian objects from New Mexico were purchased. From 1944 to 1962 Lutcher Stark and his wife traveled annually to meet with new artists and continue to grow their collection of American Western Art.
In the 1950s the collection was expended with a rare five-volume set of John James Audubon's Birds of America as well as letters and first edition copies of publications by Audubon. They also collected pocelain birds and flowers and a series of Steuben Glass pieces including a complete set of The United States in Crystal. Starks also added 230 works by Paul Kane which was the last major purchase for the collection.
The Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation was founded in 1961 by him and his wife to enrich the qulity of life in Southeast Texas through education and the arts. The Stark Museum of Art opened in November 1978 and continues to acquire new pieces to this day.
The collections now at the Stark Museum of Art include:
- A Western Art collection conveys the artistic interpretation of the western region over two centuries.
- An American Indian Art which consists of objects created by members of the tribes of the Great Plains, Southwest, Eastern Woodlands and Northwest Coast. The collection includes excellent examples of Plains clothing, body ornaments, and bead work, such as elaborately beaded moccasins.
- A Decorative Arts collection featured of primarily glass and porcelain works.
- Rare Books and Manuscripts, the collection includes The Birds of America by naturalist John James Audubon.
To learn more about Orange, Texas feel free to visit the website to find more things to do and more about the city as well.
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