PROVINCETOWN, Mass. – Provincetown Art Association and Museum will present an exhibition of work from the private collection of James R. Bakker in “Art and Craft: Made in Provincetown.” This exhibition will be on view at PAAM May 10-June 23, with a free opening reception on Friday, May 10 at 7 p.m. and a Fredi Schiff Levin lecture with Bakker on Tuesday, May 28 at 7 p.m.
On the occasion of “Art and Craft: Made in Provincetown,” James R. Bakker has selected an eclectic body of work representative of his passion for all facets of the arts. His collection has amassed over decades, guided by his keen eye and lifelong commitment to arts, antiques, and the creative process.
“With over 200 Provincetown artists represented in my collection, the most difficult task was narrowing down the selection of works to be included in this exhibition to only 60. … My intention is to continue to gift works [to PAAM] during my lifetime that will enhance the permanent collection and inspire other collectors to do the same as we move forward toward our PAAM Centennial celebration in 2014,” Bakker writes in the forthcoming exhibition catalog.
This exhibition features selected works from Bakker’s private collection, along with works he has gifted to PAAM’s permanent collection. Spanning the century of eclectic creative output by both history and contemporary artists of outer Cape Cod, these paintings and prints are of celebrated Provincetown artists-including artist-couples Charles Hawthorne and Marion Hawthorne; Oliver Chaffee and Ada Gilmore; and the luminous work of E. Ambrose Webster, Edwin Dickinson and Agnes Weinrich—juxtaposed with modern, contemporary and decorative arts: including a Nancy Whorf embellished corner cabinet; a Jim Manning tall clock; a bar by Jackson Lambert; decorative art by Peter Hunt; a Blanche Lazzell decorated box; a hand-printed textile by Bertha Ried; blocks and prints by Ferol Sibley Warthen, Angele Myrer, Kathryn Smith, and Barbara Stoughton; a book of woodblock prints by Philippe and Kim Villard; an artist book by Lynn Stanley; and a sculpture by Hugo Porcaro.
The exhibition, which opens on Bakker’s 60th birthday, will be a celebration of his work, life, and contributions to PAAM and Provincetown’s arts community. PAAM Executive Director Christine McCarthy writes: “To say that Jim Bakker is devoted is an understatement as he demonstrates an incomparable capacity to collaborate and contribute, especially to PAAM.”
Bakker opened the doors to his first antiques shop at the age of 15. He was an exhibitor at major antiques and art fairs throughout the country. Bakker has had galleries in Littleton, Boston, Provincetown and Cambridge. Bakker is an auctioneer, private art dealer, appraiser, consultant and independent curator specializing in American paintings and prints. He is a member of the Antiques Dealers’ Association of America. Bakker graduated from Phillips Academy at Andover and attended Harvard University where he developed an interest in the fine arts. Bakker is a trustee and past president of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, former executive director of the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum, vice-chair of the Town of Provincetown Art Commission and the president of the Cape and Islands Historical Association.
For many years, Bakker specialized in the discovery and sale of furniture and pottery of the American Arts and Crafts Movement. Together with Arts and Crafts historian and scholar Robert Edwards, Bakker mounted an important exhibition, “Arcady to Byrdcliffe: The Whiteheads’ Circle of Artists,” featuring important furniture and related objects at his Newbury Street gallery in 1999.
For more information, call 508-487-1750 or visit www.paam.org.
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