The Rahr-West Art Museum is proud to present a celebratory exhibit and programming for the 50th Anniversary of the Art of Tablesettings Exhibit.
In 1974, Museum patron Mrs. Ruth West began the annual exhibit with support of The Little Gallery, then titled Still Life and Tablesettings and has been featured annually since. The exhibit has its roots in similar functions hosted by garden clubs with strict rules about placement, theme, and the number of objects on the table. Mrs. West felt these restrictions limited creativity and suggested to the board of directors that the Museum host an exhibit without such restraints on creativity. She was shot down. In 1987 she was quoted in the Herald Times Reporter saying, “The men on the board just guffawed. It wasn’t until I became chairman of the board that I dared try out the idea.”
In exhibit, held on the first floor of the Vilas-Rahr Mansion with 22 participants, was met with rave reviews, despite its short run over just a weekend. Visitor demand soon earned the exhibition a permanent place on the annual exhibit calendar.
Since 1974 over 2300 tables have been created for the annual art of tablesettings exhibit at the Rahr-West Art Museum. This year, to honor all of the tablesetters and volunteers that have contributed to the exhibit, the Museum will have over 45 freshly designed tables, three recreations of Mrs. West’s tables, a special memory book, and an exhibit of ephemera from years past, a special lecture with Don Cisler, and a drop-in tour where this year’s designers will share the stories behind their tables.
Exhibit Dates: October 4—November 3, 2024
Art of Conversation with Don Cisler: Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 at 1:00pm
Don Cisler, longtime gardener at West of the Lake Gardens will talk about Ruth West and the history of the West of the Lake Gardens.
Drop-in Tour: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, 2:00pm.
The exhibit and programming are free and open to the public. Find hours and visitor information at rahrwestartmuseum.org. The Rahr-West Art Museum is a department of the City of Manitowoc.
1980 Still Life and Table Setting Exhibit
A Touch of Ludwig table design from the 1974 exhibit, by Jeanne Censky with a still life by Mary West. This painting is now in the Rahr-West Art museum permanent collection.