WHO AND WHAT: Wayne State University’s Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute and the Friends of the Freer House are hosting a special lecture by James C. Steward. This talk will examine the influence of Detroit art patron and collector Charles Lang Freer on the building of art collections for the University of Michigan in the first years of the twentieth century, including his influence on the development of early display practices. While Freer's role in building what became the Freer Art Gallery in Washington, D.C. is well known, his wide-ranging impact on the art world of his time is less so. From his renowned collecting activities in Asian art, to his impact on the careers of major American artists of his own day (especially James McNeill Whistler, with whom he shared a legendary correspondence), to his role in shaping the tastes of a generation of American art collectors and acting as counselor to leaders in higher education, Freer’s legacy is diverse and lasting. On the occasion of the ongoing expansion of the University’s Museum of Art, this talk will explore an important era in collections building and display at the University of Michigan and the many ways in which Freer's lasting legacy will again be visible when the Museum reopens in 2009.

WHEN AND WHERE: The event will be held on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. at the Charles Lang Freer House, located at 71 East Ferry Street in Detroit.

REGISTRATION: Admission is complimentary for members of the Friends of the Freer House. A donation of $5 is suggested for non-members. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (313) 872-1790

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: James Steward has been, since 1998, director of the University of Michigan Museum of Art. He is also professor in the Department of Art History and in the School of Art and Design. Steward holds a Ph.D. in the History of Art from Trinity College, Oxford University. He has authored and edited many significant books on art and is currently writing a volume on the place of modern-day museums in American life. Steward has curated numerous exhibitions and is the recipient of multiple national and international awards.

ORGANIZATION: The Friends of the Freer House is a membership group devoted to raising public awareness of the history of Charles Lang Freer and support for the preservation and restoration of the C.L. Freer House. It is affiliated with the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute of Wayne State University.