Regency
By Louise Irvine The Georgian and Regency eras were periods of elegant refinement with fabulous fashions and décor made famous by Bridgerton, the popular historical romance on Netflix TV. Movies inspired by Jane Austen’s novels also conjure up the style and social life of the Regency period in the early
Feelies
By Louise Irvine The first Artist Showcase exhibition at WMODA featured Rose Cabat’s porcelain “Feelies” to celebrate her 100th birthday on June 27th, 2014. At that time, Rose was the oldest practicing ceramic artist in America and she was still working at her potter’s wheel. She passed away in 2015
Genius in Glass
By Louise Irvine Glass is one of the world's oldest materials created by humans and it has been used to make art for millennia. The ancient Egyptians made colored glass beads for jewelry and the Romans developed hollow molded glass vessels. Glass blowing was first practiced in the 1st century
The Lion King
By Louise Irvine One of the most challenging works of art to relocate to the new WMODA in Hollywood was our monumental Royal Doulton terracotta lion. It was modeled by John Broad at the Lambeth Studio in 1904 and the clay sculpture was cut into two parts to be fired
An Ardmore Love Affair
By Louise Irvine Arthur Wiener, the founder of WMODA, loves Ardmore Ceramic Art and has a vast collection at the museum which we are currently resetting. In recent years, he has also fallen in love with Ardmore Design and purchased sofas and love seats for the collection. We can’t wait
Cleopatra
By Louise Irvine Ancient Egypt inspired the Art Deco Day celebration in Florida this year during the World Congress. Not surprisingly, there were many reincarnations of Egyptian pharaohs including Cleopatra and Tutankhamun. The discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922 led to an Egyptomania craze during the Art Deco era.
National Volunteers Month
There are lots of funny “three men” jokes including how many it takes to change a lightbulb! However, at WMODA we are very grateful to the three men who have volunteered at the museum throughout our massive moving project. George Hawthorn, Julio “Flipper” Difilippo, and Alain Montour have been stalwart
A Win Win Situation
By Louise Irvine Statuary porcelain became a phenomenal success in the Victorian art world thanks to the popularity of lotteries. The first art unions in Britain were formed in the 1830s to promote the fine arts. Members paid a subscription and participated in an annual lottery to win contemporary works
Maharaja Vase on the Move
By Louise Irvine The world’s largest Doulton vase has been on the move again! Visitors to WMODA in Dania Beach will remember the monumental vase decorated with a profusion of exotic blooms in the reception area. Now, the giant vase has been reassembled in the entrance of the new museum
The Lure of Limited Editions
By Louise Irvine A limited edition work of art is restricted to the number of copies created and Royal Doulton produced some of the earliest ceramic art editions during the 1930s. Discerning collectors who could not afford to buy originals could patronize artists and acquire signed works of art. Limited