June 2011

Florence Museum in Florence, SC, Offers Textiles from Van Dam Collection

The Florence Museum in Florence, NC, will present the exhibit, The Van Dam Collection of Rare Textiles, on view from June 10 through Aug. 21, 2011. A reception will be held on June 10, from 7-9pm.

The Florence Museum is pleased to announce this summer’s signature exhibit, The Van Dam Collection of Rare Textiles. This will be the first public showing of a recently acquired donation of textiles from the private collection of Andy and Linda Van Dam of Camden, SC.

The Van Dams have been traveling and collecting for over forty years and not just textiles. They are currently planning to renovate their arts and antiques store in downtown Camden and convert it into a museum focusing on paintings.

“We first met the Van Dams last year. We heard about their collection of ethnographic art and took a day trip to go meet them and see the shop,” said museum curator Stephen Motte. “We were unprepared for the scope and quality of what we were about to see. It defied all typical expectations of what one would consider antiques. It was essentially a museum that gave you the option of buying the art.” That first meeting transformed into a long term relationship and project to amplify the Florence Museum’s pre-existing collection of ethnographic arts.

The exhibit will feature functional, ritual and decorative textiles from West Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, all of which were donated by the Van Dams from their personal collection. It will also include several rare objects from West Africa, on loan for the duration of the show.

The Florence Museum has a rich heritage of documenting the history of the Pee Dee & surrounding communities. Our home’s history includes various cultures, their influences and contributions to the world. We believe these contributions provide us with a fascinating narrative that many people have yet to hear. Our goal is for this history to be documented and heard so that future generations can continue to benefit just as we have.

The exhibit will be accompanied by a color catalog.

For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, contact the Museum by calling 843/662-3351 or visit (www.florencemuseum.org).

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