Noted Conservator to Lead Gallery Talk and Workshop on Textiles at the Neuberger Museum of Art

Photo caption: Textile conservator Tatiana Verdon.

Textile conservator Tatiana Verdon will lead an inspiring gallery walk and talk, then a workshop about the textiles on view at the Neuberger Museum of Art in the exhibition Kuba Textiles: Geometry in Form, Space, and Time, on Sunday, April 12 at 2 pm.

This program is a dream come true for all those who admire the extraordinary needlework and weaving produced by men and women in the Kuba region of what is today the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Embellished with patterns and motifs that are bold and intricate, irregular and ordered, and whether woven, dyed, embroidered or appliquéd, one will gain a true appreciation of the Kuba artisans who created the complex and colorful textiles that inspired the work of Gustav Klimt and other artists. Ms. Verdon will provide a handout on these techniques, then work with those on the tour in a hands-on workshop where they will have the opportunity to create their own embroidery and pile-cut appliqué (which is how velvet and corduroy are made), using raffia and thread. The program, “Prestige, Identity and Power in Early Kuba Garments: Gallery Talk and Participatory Embroidery, with textiles conservator Tatiana Verdon” begins at 2 pm and is free with Museum admission.

Tatiana Verdon’s areas of expertise include tapestries, costumes, and archeological, ethnographic and other textiles. With a childhood spent in Rio de Janeiro, Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, and St. Petersburg, Russia and elsewhere, Ms. Verdon developed a passion for textiles, feathers, shells, beads at a very young age. She earned her BA from Wellesley College, and began practicing art conservation in 2009, apprenticing at the Textile Laboratory at The Cathedral St John the Divine in New York, while earning an M.A. in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice from the Fashion Institute of Technology. In 2011, she was awarded an internship in conservation in the Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and Americas at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She was the recipient of a prestigious 2011-2012 Kress Conservation Fellowship at the Textile Laboratory at The Cathedral St John the Divine. She is a frequent lecturer and educator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Cloisters. Recently, she was hired as an educator for the “How Did They Do That” series on the topic of Andean feather work. In 2011, she established Conservation Atelier Verdon.

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The Neuberger Museum of Art is an integral part of Purchase College, State University of New York. The Museum is supported in part by the State University of New York. Support for the Museum’s collection, exhibitions, publications, and education programs is provided by grants from public and private agencies, individual contributions, and the Friends of the Neuberger Museum of Art’s members and Board.

The Museum is located at 735 Anderson Hill Road in Purchase, N.Y. (Westchester)

914-251-6100

www.neuberger.org

Museum Hours

Tuesday through Sunday, 12 noon to 5 pm

Closed Mondays and major holidays

Group tours by appointment only on Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 am to 12 noon

For persons with special needs, designated parking is available at the south end

of the Museum building. Call ahead for wheelchair accommodations.

Walk-in Public Tours

Tuesday–Friday, Gallery Talk, 1 pm

Sunday, Topic Tour, 2 pm

Sunday, Gallery Talk, 3 pm

Gallery talks offer fresh insights into the Museum’s special exhibitions and permanent collection, while Topic Tours explore different aspects of the permanent collection.

Museum Store

Open during Museum hours. The store features a broad selection of art books,

art cards, handcrafted jewelry, children’s items and one-of-a-kind limited edition gifts.

Admission

$5.00 General Public

$3.00 Seniors

Free admission for Museum members, children 12 and under, and Purchase College students, faculty, and staff

Directions

The Neuberger Museum of Art is easily accessible by car or bus, and may also be reached by Metro-North. By car: From the North or South - take the Hutchinson River Parkway to Exit 28. Head north on Lincoln Avenue to Anderson Hill Road. Turn right onto Anderson Hill Road. Left at first traffic light into Purchase College campus. From 684 - take Exit 2 South on Route 120 to Anderson Hill Road. Turn left onto Anderson Hill to 2nd traffic light. Turn left at Purchase College campus. From the East - take Route 287 (Cross Westchester Expressway) to Exit 8E. Take second left over Expressway onto Anderson Hill Road. Follow signs to SUNY Purchase.

Handicap Parking

On the Purchase College campus, park in Parking Lot #1 and proceed to the underpass at the Performing Arts Center. The handicap elevator is located across from the entrance to the Performing Arts Center. Take the elevator to the second level, then exit to the left. The entrance to the