Planning and Managing an Exhibition Programme

Baltimore
3ural venue for
ia,13th to 'l8th
in the western
two years.
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the present author's curatorial interest,as a Bfzantinist, in exploring through exhibitions
the art of medieval Orthodoxy (Byzantine silver in 1986 and icons in 1988, medieval
Russian art in all media in 1992, and Armenian manuscripts in 1994), and finally
the director's conviction,which was fully vindicated,that such an exhibition would have
substantial appeal for Baltimore's largeAfrican-American community. We were all pleased
and proud when the leaders of this community stepped forward to underwrite this
project by matching a challenge Srant from a local bank
The unanticipated opportunity to turn something temporary into something permanent
presented itself in 1995, when a major private collection of Ethiopian art was put up for sale.
First on the scene, I was fortunate in securing all the best pieces, including a very rare vellum
liturgical fan that had been part of the original exhibition of 1993.
Hearing about this initiative, a second major private collector contacted me to offer the
Walters additional work of top quality. By the end of that year, our museum could boast of
a collection of nearly two dozen first-rate Ethiopian works of art in all media, ranging from
the 13th to the lgth century.This acquisition, which came at a cost just a fraction of what
one would pay for equivalent pieces from medievaltaly or Bfzantium, constitutes the finest
such collection outside ofAddisAbaba.lt is,in effecga miniature versionof AfriconZon,installed
permanently at the Walters,
The museum was packed with African-Americans - and public officials from throughout
Maryland - at our new collection's inaugural opening in the summer of 1996. Since then our
Ethiopian holdings have grown through gifts from private collectors who have become aware
of our interest in this important category of African art, and through the purchase in 1998 of
a major 16th-century Ethiopian manuscript of the Gospels from a London dealer. (l should
note that all our acquisitions have complied with the UNESCO Convention on Cultural
Property of 197Q.)
20, w.850,
rut its tour, and
r English of this
-provoking was
: historical and
were explored.
ence of specific
hese included:
ion of Ethiopian
In October 2001 theWaltersArt Gallery reopens its ancient and medieval galleries after more
than three years of renovation.These installations are completely new. At the centre of the
floor devoted to the Middle Ages we are situating our Ethiopian collection, binding together
the arts of medieval Orthodoxy.
Significantly, this new permanent collection gallery has been underwritten and named by an
African-American member of our board and his wife, who is a member of our African-
American Steering Committee.This is the largest such gift to a Baltimore cultural institution
from our local African-American community. Moreoven a leading Ethiopian businesswoman
has contributed substantially to the publication of a general-audience catalogue of these
holdings that will be published to mark the gallery's 2001 opening.
Looking towards the future, we plan eventually to offer our Ethiopian holdings and catalogue
for temporary exhibition at another museum, in exchange for a collection of works from a
region and period that lies outside the scope of theWalters' permanent collection holdings.
So the productive cycle of temporary exhibitions and permanent collection display continues.
PLANNING AND MANAGING AN EXHIBITION PROGRAMME 789