Bring your family to the Taft home to celebrate the holidays
Posted On: 11.10.2009
A Cincinnati holiday favorite returns during Antique Christmas at the Taft Museum of Art. Guests can celebrate the festive season with friends and loved ones, while they experience the wonder and joy of vintage decorations throughout the Tafts’ home.
Old-fashioned Christmas decorations, from a number of private collectors in the area, will adorn the galleries of the Taft Museum of Art during the holiday season. A variety of rarely displayed objects and toys created during the years that the former house was inhabited (1820–1931) will grace its halls and rooms. Notably, German feather trees made of wire and goose feathers will be trimmed with ornaments made in America or imported here from around the world. Festive greenery will deck the halls and exterior of the house, and the Dining Room will be set for the holidays with sparkling china, crystal, and silver. The exterior of the historic house will be festooned with garlands and wreaths from Frontgate.
With a number of programs and events, including talks with the collectors, and a performance by May Festival Youth Chorus, the Taft is the perfect family destination during the holidays.
Antique Christmas events:
Thursday, December 3, 5-8 p.m.
Antique Christmas Celebration
Celebrate the holidays with friends and family by visiting the Taft Museum of Art for Antique Christmas. During this special evening, enjoy carols around the piano, gift-making, and holiday treats. Visit
for more information.
Friday, December 4, 1:30 p.m.
Gallery Talk: Antique Christmas
Join Stewart and Kathy Gregory for a look at the vintage ornaments and decorations of Antique Christmas. The speakers are avid collectors of antique Christmas decorations, members of the Golden Glow of Christmas Past, and lenders to this exhibition. Free with Museum admission. Reservations required, call (513) 684-4515 or
Sunday, December 6, 2 p.m.
Concert: May Festival Youth Chorus
Join the May Festival Youth Chorus for a performance of holiday songs, choral selections, and solo repertoire. This concert is FREE, no reservations are taken. For more information call (513) 684-4515 or visit
.
Friday, December 11, 12-2 p.m.
Vintage Christmas Show and Tell
Enjoy lunch and a talk on collectible Christmas ornaments and decorations by Antique Christmas collectors Stewart “Greg” Gregory and James Thomas, who will bring examples from their collections to show and discuss. After lunch, participants may show objects from their own collections (limit three per person). The speakers will offer their thoughts on the items, and participants may share their knowledge or the stories associated with them as well. Cost is $15 for members; $20 for nonmembers (includes Museum admission) Advance paid registration required, call (513) 684-4515 or
.
Friday, December 18, 1:30 p.m.
Gallery Talk: Antique Christmas
Join Stewart and Kathy Gregory for a look at the vintage ornaments and decorations of Antique Christmas. The speakers are avid collectors of antique Christmas decorations, members of the Golden Glow of Christmas Past, and lenders to this exhibition. Free with Museum admission. Reservations required, call (513) 684-4515 or
.
Sunday, December20, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
ArtReach: The Fantastic Toy Shoppe
Experience the hustle and bustle of the holiday season as the owners of a small toy shop struggle to make ends meet and pay their rent. When a mysterious but poor gentleman arrives in search of a special toy, the kindness of the toymaker sparks a series of magical events. Songs and fantasy celebrate the holiday spirit and the joy of giving. Performances are FREE for members, $4 for non-members, with admission charged to visit galleries. Reservations are required. Call (513) 684-4524 or order online at www.taftmuseum.org/familiescreate.htm
.
This display of holiday décor and postcards coincides with the Taft’s exhibition of Drawn by New York: Drawings and Watercolors from the New-York Historical Society. The works in Drawn by New York, which range from the 1600s to the present, explore not only art but American history as well.
