Who was Thomas J. Scott?

The first selection for this year’s Sporting Bibliophile’s Book Club is Horse by Geraldine Brooks. I can’t tell you how many times each of us on staff heard, “Have you read Horse?!” Therefore, it was a no-brainer for the 2023 line-up. At the heart of the book is the fictionalized account of Lexington, that, for […]

Basset Hounds, From St. Hubert to Columbo

As I mentioned in my gallery talk a few weeks ago, whenever an exhibition of loaned paintings arrives, NSLM staff always picks a few favorites. This is always difficult because it is like asking someone to name his or her favorite child. All the artwork is beautiful and meaningful but ultimately, there are a couple […]

A Prize fighter, a Game Chicken, and a Giant walk into a bar…

The Intro Gallery of A Decade Afield displays artwork amassed during the pre-Museum days. It includes charcoal drawings by Edward Troye, bronzes by Carroll Bassett, a pastel of Harry Worcester Smith, and a portrait by Benjamin Marshall of John Gully. Who the heck is John Gully? Why should he be included amongst such company and […]

Sneak Peek: A Decade Afield

As you know by now, the Museum is in the middle of a month-long closure in preparation for A Decade Afield: Celebrating 10 Years of the NSLM’s Museum. The anniversary exhibition explores the evolution of the Museum’s collections not just in the last ten years of its formal existence but including the 60+ years beforehand […]

What’s in a weathervane?

In 1999, NSLM was the recipient of a very generous bequest from Paul Mellon which included 11 weathervanes that are now scattered between the Museum and Library buildings. They have been previously written about, but having recently completed an inventory of them, I would like to highlight them again. Last fall, the American Folk Art […]

Women artists at the NSLM

The world of Art and Artists has notoriously belonged to men, and sporting art is no different. Despite this, there are women artists who have made a name for themselves across the genre and movement spectrum. At the NSLM, there are over 1,300 objects in the collection; that includes paintings, works on paper, sculptures, trophies, […]

Coming soon: Behind the scenes and on display

If you visit the Museum in the next few days, you’ll notice that we’re in a state of fluctuation that is pretty typical for this time of year. Tucker Smith: A Celebration of Nature closed on August 22 and was one of the largest exhibitions held here, taking up six galleries. The next exhibition, 2020 […]

Never Have I Ever…Ridden a Horse (as an adult)

I am, what could be called, “indoorsy.” I am most content curling up with a book, writing away, or trying out new recipes. So when Marketing & Communications Manager Cynthia Kurtz offered to take me riding, I paused. A very slight pause because, since working at NSLM, I have been eager to try the sporting […]

The Mental Rolodex of Art

There’s a lot happening right now. Currently on view is Tucker Smith: A Celebration of Nature and upcoming is Field Notes | Walter Matia. In between the two was a mini reveal which you may have seen on social media two weeks ago. We recently received a donation of two large equine sculptures by artist […]

Dear Diary: You say Goodbye, I say Hello.

My feet are killing me. I’m tired. I subjected Art Handler Alex to various podcasts and audiobooks. And I’m running out of black leggings to wear. But I love it. Exhibition change-out is my favorite time of year and the past four weeks have been particularly exciting. Artist Jamie Wyeth generously allowed us to enjoy […]