For years a dark and somewhat dilapidated painting of Mary Lyon, Mount Holyoke's founder, hung in the library, but no one knew much about it. One day, on a tour with his daughter, an art conservator saw it. Concerned about its condition, he wrote to museum curator Wendy Watson, suggesting that "the J[oseph] G[oodhue] Chandler portrait" might be worth her notice." Says Watson, "Until then, no one had ever suggested that it could be a Chandler. Some serious research suggests that the painting, though unsigned, quite likely is by Chandler. But more important, it may be the only painting from life of Mary Lyon." With this exciting news came a reality check. Certainly the painting was worth conserving, but how would the museum afford it? "It seemed like a small miracle" remembers director Marianne Doezema, "when, almost on cue, Mary Ann Searles Weiss '63 from the Cincinnati alumnae club called." Weiss explains. "Last July we realized that our club treasury held more than we needed to operate-our modest dues had added up to about $2,000. While discussing a gift to the college, Carolyn Steidle Clodfelter '59 and Lucille Mandalian Blocksom '49 reflected on how our most successful meetings had involved viewing exhibitions at local museums. And several of us were impressed by Mount Holyoke's renovated and expanded museum. Our club's affinity for art and love of Mount Holyoke led us to designate the gift to the art museum. Weiss's longtime acquaintance Compton Allyn, an avid member of the museum's Art Advisory Board (and whose late wife was Elizabeth Peirce Allyn '51), put her in touch with Doezema. "Wonderfully responsive, she made several enticing suggestions of specific needs. The conservation of the Mary Lyon portrait particularly captured our interest, even though we couldn't fully fund it at the time. Since then the club has asked for additional contributions, and we have met our mark."
|
