Museletter IGNITE your curiosity. DISCOVER your story. AUGUST 2018 Discovering Elsie Palmer
DISCOVERING ELSIE PALMER John Singer Sargent’s spellbinding portrait of Elsie Palmer recently returned home to Colorado Springs from Ightham Mote, a medieval manor house near Sevenoaks, in Kent, England. The painting has been on loan to Ightham Mote, which now belongs to the National Trust of Britain, but was once the residence of Queen Palmer and her daughters in the 1880s. In honor of Elsie’s return, CSPM is participating in an exhibit titled, P.S. I Love You: A Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer at the Fine Arts Center to highlight the history of the painting and of the Palmer family. Several dozen artifacts from CSPM’s collections were loaned to the FAC for the exhibition including diaries, photographs, historic clothing and the Palmer family’s Steinway piano. John Singer Sargent’s striking painting of Elsie Palmer known simply as A Portrait or more contemporarily Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer has perplexed audiences from the time it first appeared at the New Gallery, London in 1891. Owned by the family for decades, the painting was later acquired by the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center in 1969. The Palmer family met John Singer Sargent through a wide circle of artistic & literary luminaries they befriended in England when Queen and her daughters moved abroad in the mid-1880s. Sargent, an artist renowned for his skill and speed in creating provocative likenesses of his sitters, struggled with capturing seventeen year old Elsie Palmer. He met with Elsie at the family’s home, Ightham Mote on October 31, 1889 to begin her portrait. It took the painter more than a year to capture the essence of a teenager in metamorphosis. Working alternately at his Tite Street studio in Chelsea, and visits to the Mote, the painter and sitter formed an unlikely friendship. In the end he remained unsatisfied with his work. Writing to Elsie, “…I want to do something more to your portrait, so won’t you wait … to have it photographed?” Sargent never defined the term “something more” and his work on the painting ceased soon thereafter. Photos from the collections of the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Elsie Palmer, Oak Cottage 1895 ON THE COVER: John Singer Sargent American (1856-1925) Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer (A Lady in White) 1889-1890 Oil on canvas Collection of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College Funds acquired through public subscription and Debutante Ball Purchase Funds, FA1969.3 MUSELETTER AUGUST 2018| PG 2 To learn more about the story behind the portrait join CSPM and FAC for the Discovering Elsie Palmer Program Series on September 14 & 15. Details can be found under Upcoming Events. Dorothy Palmer Marjorie Palmer
Gift of History Breakfast Thursday, August 23 UPCOMING EVENTS August & September 2018 7:30 am – 8:30 am (Doors open at 7 am) Antlers Hotel RSVP – 719- 385-5990 or email LJames@springsgov.com Children’s History Hour - Hooray for Colorado! Saturday, August 25 10:30 am – 11:30 am Families are invited to the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum for a history adventure, normally on the third Wednesday and last Saturday of each month! Children ages 3-6 will enjoy story time, a family-friendly exhibit tour, and crafts and activities. We explore a new theme each month! Reservations Required – 719- 385-5990 or visit www.cspm.org $3 Suggested Donation per Child, Free for Members Discovering Elsie Palmer Program Series - Presented by CSPM and FAC Art & Book Talk with Donna Lucey At the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W Dale St Friday, September 14 5:30-6:30pm Join Donna M. Lucey, author of Sargent’s Women, in a conversation about Elsie Palmer and other subjects of portraits by John Singer Sargent. Drinks and appetizers will be served starting at 5 p.m. Reservations Required – Visit: www.csfineartscenter.org Free and Open to the Public Donna Lucey Discovering Elsie Palmer Panel Discussion At the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, 215 S Tejon St Saturday, September 15 2:00-3:00pm Join author Donna Lucey and local panelists for a fascinating discussion exploring the life and times of Elsie Palmer. Reservations Required – 719-385-5990 or visit: www.cspm.org $5 Suggested Donation, Free for Members Prior reading of Donna Lucey’s book, Sargent’s Women: Four Lives Behind the Canvas is recommended but not required; the book is available for sale in the FAC Museum Shop and CSPM Museum Store. MUSEUM STORE “Everybody Welcome” by Kathleen Esmiol and Fannie May Duncan is back in print, and the store is restocked! While you are checking out the store, pick up a bag of mouthwatering Honey caramels from Queen Bee Gardens. Honey just makes one smile! MUSELETTER AUGUST 2018| PG 3
MUSEUM SPOTLIGHT! Welcome to CSPM Judy Zezula, Marketing Coordinator A native of Colorado Springs, Judy’s 25+ year marketing career served independent banking in the Colorado Springs region where she managed marketing planning, advertising, communications, and community events for a local independent banking organization. She firmly believes in the value of investing in her community and supporting local non-profit organizations. It is that type of investment that is a large part of Judy’s passion, so when she had the opportunity to become part of CSPM to utilize her marketing skills to help promote CSPM and build these connections, she was thrilled. Judy attended the University of Colorado where she studied business management and marketing and is a graduate of the American Banking Association’s School of Bank Marketing. She serves as a member of Partners In Housing’s event planning committee and supports several community organizations through her volunteer efforts. Ralph Collins, Facilities Technician II Ralph’s experience working in facilities maintenance, management, and planning for more than 18 years enables him to work hands-on in maintaining and making repairs to the museum. Additional responsibilities include day to day operations, as well as project management. Originally from New Jersey, Ralph spent the past nine years in Colorado, followed by 18 years in Florida, before returning to Colorado in 2018. Ralph attended Burlington County Community College in New Jersey, and in his spare time for the community, Ralph supports Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care and the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak region. Partner Spotlight MUSELETTER AUGUST 2018 | PG 4
2018 marks eight years for CSPM’s Junior Docent program! Each May, local students entering grades 6-12 go through an application process that includes a letter of recommendation and an interview with our museum staff. This summer 24 outstanding students were selected representing 19 different schools and six school districts. The 2018 class welcomed 14 returning students and 10 new additions. 15 groups from local day camps, daycares and playgroups visited the museum to participate in CSPM’s programs. In the Sensing History program, the Junior Docents mastered five stations – relating to the five senses and craft activities as the children rotated around the museum using their senses to explore regional history. The museum’s weekly programs, for Weekend Warm-Up and the Children’s History Hour, were also supported. When not guiding groups or leading activities for families, the Junior Docents interpreted at exhibit stations for walk-in guests where they were trained not only to share information but also to use historical artifacts to help the visitors connect with the local history. Thank you Junior Docents-2018 Program! The Junior Docents program helps build confidence, develop public speaking skills, and teaches them how to share regional history engagingly. Linnea, an 11th grader, reflected on her summer, “Being a Junior Docent you have a chance to supply the general public with historical information and maintain our city and state’s history. We are all a part of our Colorado Springs’ culture, so for the museum to be a relatable space for everyone is key. The Junior Docent program has helped Aspen & Jessica lending help with a project me personally. I’m more confident in my speech, and I am able to appreciate the experience of working with all kinds of individuals.” Linnea, Junior Docent We are extremely grateful for the Junior Docents. The program’s success attributes to their volunteering to serve. This summer, they clocked-in more than 930 hours! Please join us in thanking these incredible young people and wish them well as they start a new school year! MUSELETTER AUGUST 2018 | PG 5
More than 1,600 visitors came to the museum on a beautiful summer day to enjoy CSPM’s 6th Annual Colorado Grown Festival celebrating our history & heritage! It was complete with food trucks, live music, Colorado’s 142nd Birthday celebration, local history exhibits, and many familyfriendly activities both inside and out. Thank you to everyone who made the day such a success! Interactive Farm Animal Experience by Wishing Star Farms Free Concert by Wirewood Station Family-Friendly Soda Garden by Field House Brewing Company, Peaks n Pines and Cerberus Brewing Company Local Food Trucks - Bison Brothers Food Truck, High Grade Foods, and the Springs Cupcake Truck Colorado’s 142nd Birthday Cake Celebration Free Photo Booth Historic Games C.S. Fire Department Fire Truck PikeRide Bike Share Kids’ Craft Station Face Painting Piecing Partners Quilt Guild Colorado Vintage Baseball Association Money Museum Public Archaeology MUSELETTER AUGUST 2018 | PG 6
CSPM HAPPENINGS Colorado Grown Family Fun Day July 28, 2018 MUSELETTER AUGUST 2018 | PG 7
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