The Collectors’ Quest Will Focus On More Than A Dozen Collections

The upcoming exhibition at the Clarinda Carnegie Art Museum should whet the appetites of those who enjoy collecting or simply remembering objects from bygone days.

The Collectors’ Quest will focus on more than a dozen collections accumulated by Karen and Robert Duncan, from exceptional Japanese bamboo and contemporary baskets to a charming assortment of pie birds (gadgets designed to keep pie crusts flaky and fillings from running over).

The exhibition will open Sun., Nov. 22, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

There are stories for every grouping. Karen’s mother, Dorothy Kent, initiated the epergne and pie bird collections. Robert loves acquiring extraordinary ties, shoes, glasses, and hats . . . and his enjoyment of a great martini stimulated the assortment of cocktail shakers and glasses.

Karen has amassed Steuben hand coolers, cast-iron banks and Japanese Sumida Gawa Pottery.
She has also developed collections for other people, such as brass lady bells for her granddaughter, Summers, and vintage samplers for George Neubert’s Flatwater Folk Art Museum in Brownville, Neb.

Other collections simply appeared over time. The Duncans didn’t set out to accumulate a collection of chairs. They simply liked beautifully designed, quirky and sculptural chairs. Outstanding examples include functional designs by Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and artworks by Roy Lichtenstein, Isamu Noguchi, Scott Burton, Arman and George Segal.

The public is invited to the Nov. 22 opening and to visit any Wednesday or Sunday between 1
p.m. and 4 p.m. There is no admission fee.

The Clarinda Carnegie Art Museum’s mission is to enrich the region through educational programming and premier art exhibitions, to celebrate the historical significance of the Clarinda Carnegie Library building and to make the museum available to the community as a cultural & educational resource.