Current and upcoming exhibitions, events
and professional opportunities

For DAS events, go to: https://www.decartssociety.org/upcoming-programs.

Events

These events close between issues of the DAS newsletter and are listed by closing dates.

To confirm whether exhibitions will be held as scheduled or for access to virtual versions, check the websites of museums and galleries before planning to visit in person.

Online Lecture Invitation:

The Royal Pavilion at Brighton: A Regency Palace of Color and Sensation
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. Eastern time

Join the Cooper Hewitt (New York, NY) for this illustrated talk by curator and scholar Alexandra Loske
about the Royal Pavilion at Brighton (England).

First constructed as a royal residence for King George IV, then Prince of Wales, the Royal Pavilion was remodeled by John Nash with interiors by Frederick Crace and Robert Jones between 1815 and 1822. Cooper Hewitt is home to many of Crace’s original drawings for the pavilion, which feature fanciful representations of Chinese culture, design and people. Loske will discuss the pavilion’s interiors as a late example of British neoclassical chinoiserie, while investigating how the idea of China and chinoiserie designs evolved from the 18th to the early 19th century. 
Jamie Kwan, Cooper Hewitt’s assistant curator of drawings, prints and graphic design, will moderate the talk.

“The Royal Pavilion at Brighton: A Regency Palace of Color and Sensation” is the second talk in a three-part series exploring a selection of chinoiserie-related materials from the museum’s department of Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design. The final session, on November 12, will feature an exploration of the broader cultural context of chinoiserie and its influence on European decorative arts in the 18th and 19th centuries. 

SPEAKERS

Alexandra Loske, FSA is a British-German art historian and writer, and curator of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. She has published widely about color, including Colour: A Visual History (Tate); A Cultural History of Color in the Age of Industry (Bloomsbury); The Book of Colour Concepts (Taschen); Abstract Visions of Colour, the first monograph about Miss Gartside; and The Artist’s Palette (Thames & Hudson). In 2025, she published The Royal Pavilion, Brighton: A Regency Palace of Colour and Sensation with Yale University Press.
 
Jamie Kwan is the assistant curator of drawings, prints and graphic design at Cooper Hewitt. Previously, Kwan was the associate curator at the Wende Museum (Culver City, CA), an institution focused on the Cold War. She has also held positions at the Morgan Library & Museum, J. Paul Getty Museum, Huntington Library, and Getty Research Institute.  

The event is free; advanced registration is required. To register for this free online program, click here.

Since this lecture is hosted by outside organization, the Decorative Arts Society, Inc. will not be able to troubleshoot any access-related issues at the time of the event. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Changes may occur in the program beyond the control of the Decorative Arts Society, Inc.

A Hidden Gem: Tiffany Interiors of the Historic Sawyer Home 

Virtual tour

Wednesday, October 29, 2025
6:30–7:30 p.m. EDT | 5:30–6:30 p.m. CDT
Online event. All are welcome.

Click here to register. 

Did you know there is a Tiffany Studios-decorated house in Oshkosh, Wisconsin? Typically known for lumber, trucks and overalls, Oshkosh also boasts the Historic Sawyer Home, one of only a few surviving residences with commissioned interior design by Tiffany Studios, and the only such example that is currently open to the public. 

On October 29, Oshkosh Public Museum director Anna Cannizzo and assistant director/chief curator Emily Rock will present a virtual conversation about this Tiffany gem. 

Built by Edgar and Mary Sawyer in 1908, the residence became the Oshkosh Public Museum in 1924 and continues to interpret Tiffany’s artistic legacy. Among the Sawyer Home’s Tiffany treasures are two leaded-glass windows attributed to designer Agnes Northrup, original lighting fixtures, wall coverings and carved woodwork. The presenters will take viewers room by room, describing the original decorative features and how they relate to Tiffany’s design philosophy. Time for discussion and questions will follow the presentation.

This online event is open to all. Registration is $10, which includes access to the real-time event, as well as a recording of it for later viewing.

register here

DAS to present awards on November 4 in NYC

ª The Decorative Arts Society (DAS) will present its 2025 Robert C. Smith Award and Charles F. Montgomery Prize and Award on November 4, 2025, at the Explorers Club in New York City. Special Service to the Profession awards will also be presented.

The Robert C. Smith Award recognizes the best journal article or essay from an exhibition catalogue or book published on the decorative arts in the previous year. For recognition this year, the article or essay must be in English and have been published for the first time in 2024. Both debut and seasoned authors are welcome to submit for the award. This award is in memory of Dr. Robert C. Smith, who taught the art and architecture of the United States, Spain, Portugal and South America at the University of Pennsylvania. The award follows in the tradition he established for clearly presented, original and innovative research.

The DAS presents the Charles F. Montgomery Award to the scholar(s) whose first major publication in the field of American decorative arts is judged to be the most outstanding work published in the previous year. The Charles F. Montgomery Prize is given to the most distinguished contribution to the study of American decorative arts published in the English language by a North American scholar(s) in the previous year. These awards are in memory of Charles F. Montgomery, who was a director of the Winterthur Museum, Library and Garden; curator of the Garvan and related collections at the Yale University Art Gallery; and a professor of the history of art at Yale University — an inspirational teacher, creative curator and eminent scholar.

For further details about submitting works published in 20245 for the next Montgomery Prize and Award, contact Remi Dyll, committee chair, at rdyll@mfah.org. For Smith Award submission information, contact Ann Glasscock, committee chair, at aglasscock@taftmuseum.org.

The DAS presented its awards and prize for 2023 publications in the decorative arts on November 12, 2024, in New York City. Details are in the fall 2024 DAS newsletter.

Exhibitions

A Celebration of Tapestries: Honoring Audrey Moore
Damascus Fiber Arts School & Willamette Tapestry Weavers
Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum
La Conner, WA 
Through November 9, 2025

For more than 50 years, before she died in 2020, artist and teacher Audrey Moore inspired generations of tapestry weavers at the Damascus Fiber Arts School (Portland, OR, area). This exhibition showcases tapestry weavings made by Moore, as well as a group of her students. Students of Moore’s present their tapestry weavings in honor of her life and legacy, and as an expression of their appreciation. 

Scenic Vistas: Landscape as Culture in Early New York 
Boscobel House and Gardens
Garrison, NY
https://www.boscobel.org
Through November 16, 2025

Scenic Vistas: Landscape as Culture in Early New York explores how landscape depictions shaped domestic life, design and identity in New York before the rise of the Hudson River School in the mid-19th century. Scenic Vistas brings together pre-1850s decorative arts alongside contemporary works to reveal the enduring role of the Hudson Valley’s landscapes in art and culture. Objects on display include ceramics, furniture, wallpaper and textiles by artists living and working in the Hudson Valley.

A highlight is a rare set of maple side chairs from circa 1815, each with a scenic painted back, now undergoing restoration after being crushed in Boscobel’s April 2024 ceiling collapse.

Contemporary artists in dialogue with these historic objects include Kat Howard, Betsy Jacks and James McElhinney, with new commissions by Alison McNulty and Jean-Marc Sovak.

Porcelain Garden: Vladimir Kanevsky at The Frick Collection
Frick Collection
New York, NY
www.frick.org
Through November 17, 2025

Coinciding with the reopening of its newly renovated and enhanced home, the Frick Collection presents a series of commissioned works by Vladimir Kanevsky (b. 1951, Ukraine), who is known for his life-like porcelain flowers. His creations are meant to evoke the live bouquets displayed throughout the museum when it first opened to the public in 1935.

Opportunities

Let the DAS know of employment openings, grants and related opportunities in the decorative arts. Send such information to newsletter@DecArtsSociety.org for publication here or in our newsletter, as appropriate.

Curator, DAR Museum

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is seeking an experienced, strategic, and organized museum professional to join the staff. The Curator position will work with museum leadership to develop and implement the strategic and scholarly direction of exhibitions, gallery interpretation and collection growth. A successful candidate will be able to apply their expertise and knowledge to strengthen and preserve museum holdings and strive to expand awareness of the museum through thoughtful exhibit planning.

The DAR Museum, located in the DAR’s Headquarters, collects, preserves and interprets objects used and created in American homes before 1840, using the lens of the varied interpretations of home to inspire conversations about the diverse American experience and encouraging people to discover common ground.

Essential Functions:

• Research and catalogue museum objects with an eye toward conversation and rehousing as needed and recommend objects for deaccession when necessary.

• Propose and develop exhibition ideas, working with museum leadership to establish long-term exhibition schedules and budgets.

• Oversee paintings, prints, textiles, and costumes displayed in period rooms, exhibits, and museum programs.

• Develop content for exhibitions using museum collections or loans, prepare exhibition checklist and script, and assist with installation as needed.

• Recruit, supervise, and mentor guest curators, scholarly consultants, emerging scholars, and graduate students for special exhibitions.

• Undertake a collections survey to identify strengths and areas for potential development. This position will also make conservation recommendations as needed.

• Share research by publishing, presenting at conferences, gallery talks, and lectures, and works across the DAR to communicate new research.

• Represents the museum at lectures and symposiums; present aspects of the collection to visitors, students, or DAR members.

Reports to: Museum Director and Chief Curator

Work Schedule: This is a full-time position, with some limited telework options available. 

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree, with graduate level courses in American studies, American art, historic costume, U.S. history, and/or textile sciences.

• Minimum of five years’ curatorial experience working in a museum, historic house, or similar cultural heritage institution.

• Thorough knowledge of early American decorative arts and material culture of the 18th and 19th centuries, with a specialization in paintings, prints, and/or historic textiles and costumes.

• Demonstrated record of research and scholarship, with proven experience organizing exhibitions and producing publications of high quality in a museum, academic institution, or equivalent.

• Excellent computer and organizational skills, and familiarity with museum collection database software such as ReDiscovery/Proficio.

• Strong oral communication skills, including interpersonal skills, public speaking, and ability to compellingly communicate the museum’s mission, vision, and programs to a diversity of audiences.

• Project management and organizational skills with demonstrated ability to establish and communicate priorities.

• Strategic thinking with an eye toward mission alignment, impact, and financial sustainability.

• Able to handle objects, books and other collections — some physical exertion.

Pay and Perks:

• Hiring annual salary range is between $65,000 to $75,000, with the final determination based upon the candidate's overall experience.

• Both paid vacation and paid sick leave, up to 12 days each for the 1st year of employment and observe 14 holidays.

• Medical/Rx, dental, and vision benefits.

• Employer-paid life insurance/AD&D and long-term disability insurance.

• Flexible spending accounts (health and dependent care).

• HSA with employer contribution if enrolled in the HDHP option.

• 403(b) retirement plan with fully vested employer match.

• Free tickets to Constitution Hall events.

To be considered, submit application materials using this link: https://www.applicantpro.com/openings/dar/jobs/3853593-406236

From Golden Age to Global Stage: Treasures of the Low Countries
Study Trip Abroad
Decorative Arts Trust
March 8–16 and 21–29, 2026
Optional extension to Maastricht and Tefaf
March 16–21, 2026
https://decorativeartstrust.org

Registration is open for the Decorative Arts Trust’s 2026 tour of the Netherlands and Flanders, with opportunities to take in decorative arts and architectural achievements from the Medieval to the Art Nouveau in Amsterdam, the Hague, Bruges and Brussels. An extension to Maastricht is timed to take advantage of the European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), where exclusive dealer-led tours present fine art, antiques and design. Highlights include privileged access to private collections and curator-led experiences in museums and historic houses. 

Details and online registration: https://decorativeartstrust.org/low-countries-2026/ or call 610-627-4970.

The Summer Schools of the Victorian Society in America (VSA), the only national nonprofit organization dedicated to the historic preservation, protection, understanding, education and enjoyment of 19th-century heritage, have been offered based in Newport, RI, and London, England, for almost 50 years. Programming addresses 19th- and early 20th-century architecture, design and the arts. More recently, the VSA also launched a third summer program based in Chicago, which focuses on the American roots of Modernism. The summer programs are open to graduate students, academics, architects and enthusiasts. Full and partial scholarships are available for all three programs. 

For more information about the summer programs and online applications, go to at https://victoriansociety.org/summer-schools/. Application materials for the summer of 2026 will be due in the spring.

Past special invitations for DAS contributors

• In May 2023, DAS contributors were invited to an online presentation about Multiple Affinities: Art Botany in British Design Reform: 1835–1870 by Sarah Alford, assistant professor in craft history and theory at the Alberta University of the Arts (Canada). The program was presented by the Canadian Society of Decorative Arts/Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs (CSDA).

The program was part of the CSDA Sundays: The Expert Series — Multiple Affinities: Art Botany.

• In January 2023, DAS contributors received a special invitation to join The Antique in Print: The Classical Past and the Visual Arts in the Long 18th Century, a free online lecture hosted by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (New York, NY). Dr. Adriano Aymonino explored how the print culture of the “long 18th century” shaped the visual and allegorical language of Neoclassicism and placed Michel Angelo Pergolesi’s drawings and prints (Designs for Various Ornaments, 1777–1801) in context. Dr. Julia Siemon, curator of the Cooper Hewitt’s Mr. Pergolesi’s Curious Things: Ornament in 18th Century Britain, provided a brief overview of the exhibition.

• Contributors to the DAS were invited to explore the history and legacy of the Gorham Manufacturing Company by viewing the premiere of Chasing Silver: The Story of Gorham, a three-part documentary series from Rhode Island PBS Original (WSBE). The series aired in May 2021.

For more about the series, go to:
https://www.ripbs.org/blogs/bird-wire/chasing-silver-the-story-of-gorham/

Use this link for a livestream after each broadcast:
watch.ripbs.org/livestream or http://bit.ly/ChasingSilverVOD

• The DAS appreciates recent invitations from the UK Decorative Arts Society for our contributors to benefit from several online presentations:

√ Sarah Nichols presented “Glass: Venice, Venini and America.” She organized an exhibition about the relationship between Murano and America when she was chief curator and curator of decorative arts at the Carnegie Museum of Art (Pittsburgh, PA).

√ Matthew Winterbottom, curator of decorative arts and sculpture at the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, UK), presented “The Colour Revolution: Art, Design, and Fashion in Victorian Britain.”

• Caitlin Condell, associate curator and head of the Department of Drawings, Prints and Graphic Design at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (New York, NY), and DAS former Program chair Emily M. Orr, assistant curator of modern and contemporary American design at Cooper Hewitt, presented “Underground Modernist: E. McKnight Kauffer.”

Known as the “poster king,” Kauffer was a pioneer of commercial art who integrated avant-garde style into modern life. While living in England between the two World Wars, Kauffer produced radical posters; a wide range of book covers, rugs, theatrical productions; and more. He continued his work in New York from 1940 until his death in 1954. The lecture provided a behind-the-scenes look at a newly released monograph and forthcoming exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum surveying Kauffer’s work.