Stark Museum to host Lunch and Look

The Stark Museum of Art will feature a presentation on Charles Marion Russell by Museum Director Sarah Boehme from 12:10 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, called Lunch and Look: Revealing Charlie Russell will take place at the Education Center located at 812 Green Avenue across from the Stark Museum of Art. Box lunches are available for pre-order for those planning to attend. To order a box lunch and reserve a seat, call 409.886.ARTS (2787), ext 13, by April 4 before 5 p.m.

In this lunch program, Boehme will give a presentation on Charles Marion Russell’s unique wax sculptures and the role of research in preserving them.

Boehme will discuss Russell as an artist, particularly his personal approach to creating three-dimensional work. She will draw upon research presented in her essay “Charles Marion Russell: Waxing Creative” in the publication Shaping the West: American Sculptors of the 19th Century, published by the Denver Art Museum.

After the presentation, Boehme will be available for a book signing of Shaping the West, which can be purchased at the museum store. Participants can also visit the museum to see the Russell works of art on view.

Charles M. Russell (1864 - 1926) was an artist of the American West.

Russell created more than 4,000 works of art, and is known for his paintings and sculptures of cowboys, Indians and wildlife of the Western United States. In addition, Russell was a prolific letter writer, storyteller and author. He was affectionately known as the “cowboy artist” because he had worked as a cowboy before turning to art full time. He used his experiences to recreate scenes of the cowboy culture through his art and stories.

“In my presentation I will explore a little-known aspect of his art-his wax sculptures. It is a fascinating story that shows how Russell’s sculpture has been misrepresented in the past. After his death, many of these sculptures were altered by collectors who sought to profit from them. I will show how the sculptures were restored to the way Russell originally intended,” commented Boehme.

More information on the program, including the box lunch menu, can be found on the Museum’s web site, http://www.starkmuseum.org under Education, Programs, Lunch and Look. This event has limited seating, and orders must be placed in advance. The Star and Crescent Moon Café of Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center will bring lunches to the Education Center to distribute to attendees. The Museum will provide complimentary coffee and will hold a door prize drawing for those in attendance.

In addition to Boehme’s presentation on Russell, playwright and actor Jim Crump will briefly comment on his research in creating the play Charlie Russell’s Recollection of the Old West.

On Thursday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m., Lutcher Theater will present the national premiere of Charlie Russell’s Recollection of the Old West. Prior to the performance, the public is invited to the Stark Museum from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for a Root Beer Reception and a Gallery Spotlight on Russell’s works on display at the Museum. Spotlights will take place at 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The reception and spotlight at the museum are free to the public. Tickets for Charlie Russell’s Recollection of the Old West are $25 for adults and $15 for students and can be purchased at http://www.lutcher.org or by calling the Lutcher Theater box office at 886.5535. Lutcher Theater is located at 707 Main in Orange, Texas.

Located at 712 Green Avenue in Orange, Texas, the Stark Museum of Art is open to the public from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. Group tours are available by appointment.

For more information call 409.886.ARTS (2787) or visit www.starkmuseum.org.