ART DAY (Part 1) - TAFT MUSEUM OF ART, CINCINNATI, OHIO

Lunch at the Taft Museum while my patient friend, Sharon, holds up her Romare Bearden exhibition catalog. 
She's getting used to my cries of "Wait - this will make a great blog photo!" during our excursions.

The day we had planned to drive to the city for an art day dawned rainy and miserable - so the collective decision was made to do it another day and stay in and paint instead (not a bad day after all!).

The next day dawned bright, blue and sunshine-y and off we went!

Our first stop was the Woman’s Art Club “Barn” to see Nancy Nordloh Neville’s student show. Nancy is a well known regional artist whose paintings project a loose, washy style and her work is always very fresh. While it looks like she paints loose, she actually paints very tight in some areas to define edges, but the way in which she handles the paint gives it that loose quality. While her students’ work represents Nancy’s style, you can see how each of these budding artists is beginning to develop their own style.

Then it was on to our main target - the Taft Museum of Art in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio – and we arrived just in time for lunch! (Surprising how that happened, eh?). There is something about having lunch in a cultured atmosphere – hushed voices, the clink of silverware on china with food served elegantly - that makes you feel like a real lady! (Even though you are wearing jeans!)

This museum is housed in the former home of a series of the City’s founders, beginning with Martin Baum, Cincinnati’s first millionaire, who built the house in 1820.

The next owner was Nicholas Longworth who occupied the home from 1829 until his death in 1863. During his life, Mr. Longworth owned much of the area that is now Mt. Adams and Hyde Park. He was quite an art patron, and he commissioned Robert S. Duncanson, an African American artist, to paint landscape murals in the foyer of his home. At some point those murals were covered with wallpaper (what a travesty!) but were discovered and uncovered during a renovation, and they once again showcase the entry foyer and hallway of this proud old house.

The third owner of the home was iron magnate David Sinton who lived there with his daughter, Anna and her husband, Charles Phelps Taft (older half-brother of President William Howard Taft). Following Sinton’s death, Anna and Charles assembled a collection of fine and decorative arts. In 1927 the Tafts bequeathed their home and collection to the people of Cincinnati. Following Charles’ death in 1929 and Anna in 1931 the Taft Museum opened to the public in 1932.

The museum has an attached garage for convenience and is free to the public on Sundays. A hearty “thank you” to all of the philanthropic individuals who have made that possible.

To be continued . . . . .