The Walters Art Museum Receives Endowment Gift from The Boshell Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2020

Contact: Gabriella Souza, Communications Manager
[email protected], (410) 547-9000, ext. 277

BALTIMORE, MD—The Walters Art Museum is pleased to announce an endowment gift of $500,000 from The Boshell Foundation, which funds a popular lecture series on topics in ancient art and architecture, now in its third year.

“The Boshell Foundation has been a tremendous supporter of the Walters and true partner in the pursuit of the museum’s goals of education, open access, and engaging the public in fascinating and innovative scholarship,” said Julia Marciari-Alexander, Andrea B. and John H. Laporte Director. “We are deeply thankful for their generous endowment gift and look forward to the lectures it will provide in years to come.”

Since 2017, the Boshell Lecture Series has invited internationally-recognized authors, archeologists, and historians to present free lectures at the Walters on topics related to the museum’s encyclopedic collection. The Boshell Foundation, based in Texas, has philanthropic pursuits that include providing funding for lectures series at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Dallas Museum of Art. They have supported lectures at the Walters since 2004.

“The Boshell Lecture Series allows visitors to connect some of the oldest works in our collection to current topics related to their lives,” said Amanda Kodeck, Ruth R. Marder Director of Education and Public Programs. “The Boshell Foundation gives our visitors the opportunity to hear from experts working at the forefront of their fields on topics ranging from ancient Roman cuisine to the evolution of art of the Ancient Americas. We are thrilled to continue this partnership.”

This spring, the Walters will host this latest installment of the Boshell Lecture Series:

How Many Noses Can One Face Have?
Sunday, April 19, 2–3:30 p.m.
Throughout history, people have restored and repaired objects. In the 18th to mid-19th centuries, for instance, it was common practice to replace the lost arms, legs, and noses of ancient marble sculptures. The impact of this work on our understanding of ancient objects has only recently become the subject of scholarly focus. Using technical evidence gleaned from case studies of restored sculptures, conservation researcher Jerry Podany will examine how changing tastes have influenced the modes and extent of restoration and our perceptions of ancient sculpture. The lecture will be followed by a public reception.

ABOUT THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM
The Walters Art Museum, located in Baltimore’s historic Mount Vernon Cultural District at North Charles and Centre Streets, is free for all. The collections include Egyptian and Greek art from the ancient world, medieval art and manuscripts, Asian art, Islamic art, 19th-century French paintings, Renaissance and Baroque art, jewelry and decorative arts and much more. At the time of his death in 1931, museum founder Henry Walters left his entire collection of art to the city of Baltimore.

VISITOR INFORMATION
Admission to the museum is free. The Walters Art Museum is located at 600 N. Charles St., north of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. For general museum information, call 410-547-9000 or visit thewalters.org.

Free admission to the Walters Art Museum is made possible through the combined generosity of individual members and donors, foundations, corporations, and grants from the City of Baltimore, Maryland State Arts Council, Citizens of Baltimore County, and Howard County Government and Howard County Arts Council.

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