By John Olbrantz
Book Description
Although the Hallie Ford Museum of Art is among the youngest academic museums of art on the West Coast, its history can be traced back to the founding of Willamette University in 1842. Over the past two centuries, a number of colorful characters have played important roles in its growth and development, from Methodist missionaries, early art teachers, German spies, French generals, and RAF pilots to gifted scholars, talented artists, eccentric collectors, visionary donors, and a dedicated, hardworking staff. For the first time, its history and story is told in a forthcoming book, The Hallie Ford Museum of Art: A History, by founding director John Olbrantz.
In his lively text, Olbrantz recounts the early history of Willamette; the collectors, benefactors, artists, and donors who played a pivotal role in the Hallie Ford Museum of Art’s development; the dazzling array of temporary exhibitions presented over the past three decades; the innovative education programs that have brought some of the foremost scholars, artists, writers, and performers from throughout the United States and Canada to campus to lecture, teach, inspire, and entertain; its facility, operations, and the remarkable staff who have made it happen; and its prospects for the future. The 184-page book includes informative endnotes, a brief chronology, a selected bibliography for further reading, and 208 color and black and white illustrations.
Author Biography
John Olbrantz is Director Emeritus of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. A specialist in ancient and American art, he is particularly interested in Roman art, the history of archaeology, American art, and the history of museums. Over the years, he has written about the art and architecture of Roman Britain, ancient glass, Roman mosaics from Syria, the history of American Egyptology, the American discovery of the ancient Near East, and the nineteenth century Scottish artist and traveler David Roberts.
Product Details:
- Publisher: Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University
- Distributor: Oregon State University Press
- Publication Date: September 1, 2026
- Language: English
- Hardcover: 184 pages, 208 color and black and white illustrations
- ISBN: 9781930957916
- Dimensions: 9 x 11 inches
- Retail Price: $50
- Softcover: 184 pages, 208 color and black and white illustrations
- ISBN: 9781930957923
- Dimensions: 9 x 11 inches
- Retail Price: $25
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