On Friday, February 11, Class XII women came together for a pre-Valentine’s lunch at Eagle Creek Country Club. In addition to enjoying a wonderful lunch and catching up with each other, we had the extraordinary opportunity to tour the private art gallery of Dr. Sheldon and Irma Gilgore. Mrs. Gilgore was our tour guide and made each painting and sculpture come alive with her knowledge of the artist and how she and her husband came to acquire the pieces of art.
The Director of the Palm Beach Art Fair, Dr. Mezzatesta, wrote “the Gilgore’s collection of Italian 19th and early 20th century painting and sculpture is the absolute finest in private hands in America.” This one of a kind private museum is dedicated to the 19th Century Italian artist, Antonio Mancini (1852-1950), and his contemporaries–Vincenzo Gemito, Medardo Rosso, Adolfo Wildt and Paolo Troubetzkoy. Very shortly, 80 Mancini pieces will be shipped to the Wal-Raf Museum in Cologne, Germany for a three month exhibit. The collection will then move to Switzerland for another three months. Both shows are in honor of Irma Gilgore’s late husband Sheldon.
We all came away with a sense of awe that such a wonderful collection exists here. It was especially interesting to listen to Mrs. Gilgore explain the artists’ intentions and how many of the works changed throughout an artists’ life. It was truly an exceptional afternoon. Many thanks to Irene Heaim and her team for arranging lunch and this private tour.
2/18/11