Spirit of Bethlehem: The Boehm Porcelain Nativity

(ORANGE, TX) – The Stark Museum of Art celebrates the holiday season with an encore exhibit of Spirit of Bethlehem: The Boehm Porcelain Nativity. The exhibit will be on view in the Museum’s Lobby beginning on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 and continuing through January 5, 2019.

Spirit of Bethlehem tells the Christmas story through the figures of a sixteen-piece Nativity scene in white bisque porcelain.

Boehm Porcelain (founded in 1950) produced the set of figurines in the years 1979-1983.

Centuries of tradition inspired the artisans of the Boehm studios.

They followed the Biblical accounts enriched by medieval stories in designing the porcelain sculptures.

The set includes the Christian Holy Family and those gathered at the manger such as angels, shepherds, kings, townspeople, and animals.

The works of Edward Marshall Boehm (1913-1969), founder of Boehm Porcelain, also gave inspiration to the project.

Boehm established the firm’s identity with his naturalistically modeled birds in porcelain, but he also made works with religious subjects.

Spirit of Bethlehemis a gift to the Stark Museum from the estates of David and Sara Lindsey, 2016. “We invite the public to make a visit to the Museum as part of their holiday experience. Over the past several years, the Museum has had a tradition of holiday exhibits. This year the Museum is bringing back this beautifully crafted Nativity scene. Boehm Porcelain is noted for excellent design. The white surface, highlighted with gold on the three Kings, creates an aura of elegance,” commented Sarah Boehme, Museum curator.

Visitors to the Museum can also see examples of other works by Edward Marshall Boehm and Boehm Porcelain. Hallway 1 in the Museum features an exhibit of Boehm birds such as Stonechats with Blackberry and Bramble andRacquet-Tailed Hummingbirds with Hibiscus.

Admission to the Stark Museum of Art is free.

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About the Stark Museum of Art

The Stark Museum of Art houses one of the nation's most significant collections of American Western art and is located in the heart of downtown historic Orange, Texas. Paintings, sculpture, prints and rare books interpret the West from 19th century frontier artists to the 20th century artistic colonies in New Mexico and focus on the stunning land, dramatic people and diverse wildlife of the American West. The Museum features artists such as Frederic Remington, John James Audubon, John Mix Stanley, and Charles Marion Russell. Also featured is a significant collection of American Indian objects, including baskets, pottery, clothing and jewelry.

Stark Museum of Art is located at 712 Green Avenue in Orange, Texas, and is open Tuesday - Saturday, 9:00 a.m.

- 5:00 p.m.

Free Admission.

Closed for the Holidays on December 24, 2018 and will re-open on January 2, 2019.

For more information, visit starkmuseum.org.