Travel through time and explore two centuries of American creativity
May 30, 2023 — JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens welcomes home to the Jacksonville area selections from the American art Collection of Diane DeMell Jacobsen. On view at the Museum from June 9 through September 24, 2023, American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection features 100 objects showcasing American creativity spanning the last two centuries. Visitors will enjoy landscape paintings depicting the United States from coast to coast, as well as still lifes and scenes that tell stories of American life.
Philanthropist Dr. Diane DeMell Jacobsen, a Ponte Vedra resident and life-long art enthusiast, built the collection with her late husband Tom Jacobsen with the intention to preserve American heritage for future generations. Through the sharing of her collection with the Jacksonville community and beyond, Dr. Jacobsen hopes that viewing the collection will be a transformative and encouraging experience for everyone who visits the Museum. Though many objects from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection have been on view at other museums, ranging from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, American Made is the first exhibition featuring a comprehensive collection of works. Visitors to the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens will have the opportunity to see masterpieces by artists from the Colonial-era such as Sarah Miriam Peale and Benjamin West to the 20th and 21st centuries by masters like Elizabeth Catlett and John Marin. There is something for every visitor to enjoy including the sweeping landscapes of Thomas Cole, Jasper Francis Copsey and more.
"Dr. Jacobsen has thoughtfully and carefully amassed an impressive collection that captures the breadth and dynamism of American artistic production,” said Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D., the George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs Director and CEO of the Museum. “American Made exemplifies her keen eye, highlights her informed understanding, and, moreover, offers an extensive examination of American art from the past two centuries.”
American Made was curated by Todd Herman, Ph.D., President and CEO of The Mint Museum; Kevin Sharp, Director of the Dixon Gallery and Gardens; and Jonathan Stuhlman, Ph.D., Senior Curator of American Art at The Mint Museum; with contributions by William Keyse Rudolph, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Curatorial Affairs at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Photography for the catalogue, American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection, is generously funded by the Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992.
The national tour of American Made is made possible by Bonhams, Christie’s, Doyle, Heather James Fine Art, Schoelkopf Gallery, and Sotheby’s.
The Museum relies on generous support from individuals, corporations, and foundations in order to realize its unique mission and serve as a vibrant cultural resource. Support is provided by Exhibition Season Presenters: City of Jacksonville, Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, Ronald and Karen Rettner; Exhibition Lead Sponsors: State of Florida, The Robert D. Davis Family Endowment, The Schultz Family Endowment; Celebrated Sponsor: The Van Vleck Family; and Exhibition Sponsors: Director’s Circle Donors at the Cummer Museum.
Highlighted Related Programming and Events:
The Red-Haired Beauty: Private Art, Public Art, and Access to Beauty in American Society with Scott Brown, Ph.D., Professor of Art History, UNF
June 13 | 7 to 8 p.m. | Virtual and Free | Registration required
Lecture with Diane Jacobsen, Ph.D.: An American Made Collector’s Story June 20 | 7 to 8 p.m. | Free | Registration required
Artist Meet & Greet and Demonstration with Gail Beveridge
June 23 | 5 to 7:30 p.m. | Free | Registration required
Afternoon Tea, American-Style
September 17 | paid ticket and pre-registration required.
To register for programming or events, visit cummermuseum.org/events. For more information about the Museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions, visit cummermuseum.org/visit/art.
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About the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens:
For more than 60 years, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens has been committed to engaging and inspiring through the arts, gardens, and education. A permanent collection of more than 5,000 objects and historically significant gardens on a riverfront campus offers nearly 140,000 visitors a truly unique experience on the First Coast each year. Nationally recognized education programs serve adults and children of all abilities. The Museum is committed to ensuring that diversity and inclusion are woven into the fabric of its exhibitions, programs, and offerings. For further information, including hours, visit www.cummermuseum.org.