To The Leader

The Stark Museum of Art celebrates the holiday season with an encore exhibit of Spirit of Bethlehem:  The Boehm Porcelain Nativity.  The exhibit will be on view in the Museum’s Lobby through January 5, 2019.

Spirit of Bethlehem tells the Christmas story through the figures of a sixteen-piece Nativity scene in white bisque porcelain.  Boehm Porcelain (founded in 1950) produced the set of figurines in the years 1979-1983.    Centuries of tradition inspired the artisans of the Boehm studios.  They followed the Biblical accounts enriched by medieval stories in designing the porcelain sculptures.  The set includes the Christian Holy Family and those gathered at the manger such as angels, shepherds, kings, townspeople, and animals.  The works of Edward Marshall Boehm (1913-1969), founder of Boehm Porcelain, also gave inspiration to the project.   Boehm established the firm’s identity with his naturalistically modeled birds in porcelain, but he also made works with religious subjects.

Spirit of Bethlehem is a gift to the Stark Museum from the estates of David and Sara Lindsey, 2016.

“We invite the public to make a visit to the Museum as part of their holiday experience.  Over the past several years, the Museum has had a tradition of holiday exhibits.  This year the Museum is bringing back this beautifully crafted Nativity scene.  Boehm Porcelain is noted for excellent design.  The white surface, highlighted with gold on the three Kings, creates an aura of elegance,” commented Sarah Boehme, Museum curator.

Visitors to the Museum can also see examples of other works by Edward Marshall Boehm and Boehm Porcelain. Hallway 1 in the Museum features an exhibit of Boehm birds such as Stonechats with Blackberry and Bramble and Racquet-Tailed Hummingbirds with Hibiscus.

Admission to the Stark Museum of Art is free.