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Located in East Fayetteville 2630 E Citizens Dr. #7 (479) 957-9300 wolfpackhearing.com Our patients succeed. You will, too! Best BestNWA.com of Northwest Arkansas the JUNE 2-8, 2019 WHAT'S UP! 5 Four Minutes, Four Questions Casey Seamans, FSRAM BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette T he newest exhibit open for viewing at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum has something for everyone, says Casey Seamans, gallery manager — and that includes people who don't know anything about porcelain sculpture. The Dr. William E. Knight Porcelain Gallery, unveiled May 2, brings together "history: the history of the porcelain collection and the history of [American sculptor Edward Marshall] Boehm; the artistic process: the painstaking process that is used to create just one small, flawless piece of porcelain from cast to firing; beauty: whether it's the sweet little birds, the delicate flowers or the bold 'Treasures of Tutankhamun,' it is all beautiful — stunning actually," Seamans says. And "there is also a sitting area with books about Boehm and porcelain art located right inside the gallery for visitors to enjoy — and I hope they will." The exhibit began as the personal collection of William Knight, who was an orthopedic doctor, world traveler and photographer. In 1975, he and his wife donated 11 pieces to the Fort Smith Art Center, the forerunner of FSRAM, and continued to add pieces for a total of 77. Now, the whole collection numbers 131, 117 of them created by Boehm. Seamans answered these questions about the new permanent exhibit. Q. What made the new gallery possible both financially and space wise? A. While the museum has been located at its new location at 1601 Rogers Ave. for about seven years now, the porcelain had to stay behind in the Vaughan-Schaap house until an appropriate gallery could be funded. We had numerous generous donors send funding for the project, but it was the donation of Linda Udouj that pushed us over our goal. The full name of the gallery will now be "Dr. W.E. Knight Porcelain Gallery, In Memory of Dr. Henry Udouj." Dr. Udouj loved art, and Mrs. Udouj thought this would be a wonderful way to honor his memory. Q. How were the decisions made about the best way to show off the porcelain? A. It was decided early on that glass cabinets with glass shelving would be used. The porcelain would be easier to view, and also easier to light. There are a lot of birds in the collection, and the decision was made to group them by class — birds of prey, song birds, shore birds, etc. Not only did it seem to make more sense, but it naturally caused the birds to be grouped by color (happy coincidence). Song birds are more colorful as they spend time around flowers, shore birds are more brown/gray as they are ground- dwelling birds, etc. Q. Was this your introduction to porcelain sculpture? A. This was very much my introduction to porcelain art. Once the decision was made by the director and board to begin fundraising for the relocation of the porcelain collection, I read everything I could get my hands on about porcelain and specifically Edward Marshall Boehm. While the original Boehm Showroom in Trenton, N.J., is now owned by the Museum of American Porcelain Art, they were still extremely helpful at offering the best way to transport and the best way to clean the porcelain. Q. What makes this collection worth seeing? A. In my opinion, one thing that makes this collection worth seeing is the sheer volume of work. Of the 131 pieces in the collection, 117 are Boehm, making it the largest collection of Boehm Porcelain on display in the state. The gallery also has pieces by Cybis, Royal Doulton, Goebel and Ispanky. The second thing that makes this collection worth seeing is the details — the teeny, tiny details in each piece that actually make you stop and wonder, "Are you sure that's not real?" 4X4 Courtesy Photo Edward Marshall Boehm — pronounced "Beam" — opened Boehm Studios in 1950 and within a year, his work had made its way into the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Of the 131 pieces of porcelain now on display in a new gallery at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, 117 are Boehm, making it the largest collection of Boehm porcelain on display in the state. Each piece of porcelain art took months to perfect, following a 2,000-year porcelain making tradition that originated in China. FAQ Dr. William E. Knight Porcelain Gallery WHEN — 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday WHERE — Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, 1601 Rogers Ave., Fort Smith COST — General admission is always free INFO — 784-2787, fsram.org