1. art and entertainment
2. shows and events
3. exhibition

MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
ANNUAL
REPORT
2 014
Thousands of visitors enjoyed the
extraordinary exhibition The Tsars’
Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian
Decorative Arts Under the Romanovs,
that was on view from late
March through May.
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
VISION
The Museum of Russian Icons enhances relations between Russia and the United States
through the medium of art, especially Russian icons.
Музей Русских Икон укрепляет отношения между Россией и США
через посредство искусства, особенно искусство русских икон.
MISSION
The Museum of Russian Icons inspires the appreciation and study of Russian culture by collecting and exhibiting
icons and related objects; igniting the interest of national and international audiences; and offering interactive
educational programs. The Museum serves as a leading center for research and scholarship through the Center for
Icon Studies and other institutional collaborations.
Музей Русских Икон вдохновляет местных и международных посетителей на изучение и преклонение перед
русской культурой через коллекционирование и показ икон и связанных с ними произведений искусства, и через
организацию интерактивных образовательных программ. Центр Изучения Икон и сотрудничество с другими
организациями позволили Музею стать ведущим исследовательским центром в этой области.
Approved by the Board of Trustees, March 27, 2013
FOUNDER’S MESSAGE
When we opened a small Russian icon exhibition at Nypro
in 2005, we had only 300 icons. We showed employees and
guests a selection of 40 icons for about a year in a room off the
main lobby of Nypro Mold. My purpose was to see how people
would react to this unusual art form. When my friends and
associates came in and reacted positively to the show, I became
confident that a museum could work. When the perfect
building on Clinton Central Park became available, we jumped
at the chance to buy it as the Museum of Russian Icons.
That was the humble beginning of this venture. I have no
regrets. In 2014, over 15,000 visitors came from Clinton and
throughout New England and the world to see this collection.
Visitors rave about the beauty of the icons and the amazing
building that houses them. In addition to the icons themselves,
a wide variety of programs engage the public’s attention.
Egg decorating in the Ukrainian style, kids’ programs of all
sorts, film series, and lectures all contribute to presenting to
American audiences the great variety and depth of the Russian
culture. We are lucky to have cordial relationships with the
Russian cultural agencies and they remain friends even when
political differences make the news. We work hard to create a
place where people of different backgrounds and opinions can
come to understand each other. I think that we are succeeding
in creating a small oasis of mutual understanding and
cooperation that over time will grow in importance.
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
Apart from our regular schedule
of temporary exhibitions, visitors
can now see more than 300 icons
on display, and we own more
than 1,000. We welcome scholars
and collectors to look at icons
in our storage and we lend to
other museums from these large
collection reserves. In 2014 we
loaned Harvard University an
important reliquary icon for an
exhibition concerned with
anatomy.
Founder Gordon Lankton
with Prof. Sheila Puffer at
the Nightingale Ball.
The Museum has become a destination for anyone truly
interested in this sacred art form. Again and again, Russian
authorities, museum professionals, and curators call this
collection the finest outside Russia. I am proud to have founded
this museum that has become such an active part of Clinton’s
civic life and is increasingly recognized internationally. In
eight short years, the Museum of Russian Icons has grown
from a small room at Nypro into a recognized national and
international institution.
Gordon B. Lankton, Founder
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MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
CEO/CURATOR’S REPORT
This year was an extraordinary one for temporary
exhibitions and reinstallations of the permanent collection.
We saw three great shows in 2014 that certainly encouraged
increased attendance and return visits from faithful friends.
While many of the images seemed exotic, many of ordinary
life and landscapes reminiscent of our American West
demonstrated just how much we share in common with the
Russians.
Tsars Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative
Arts Under The Romanovs was a blockbuster. Who wouldn’t
love to see such a range of magnificent objects de luxe from
the Imperial Court? Dinner plates from the Romanov
family’s yacht and palaces, delicate glassware, and Fabergé
gold cigarette cases made for a sumptuous display that was
evocative and extravagant. The exhibition also included
delicate icons and Easter eggs attesting to the commitment to
the Orthodox faith within the Imperial court.
The Museum’s permanent collection is always evolving. Gifts
and judicious acquisitions from our founder Gordon Lankton
amplify the already enormous collection now numbering more
than 1,000 objects. Last fall, we installed the meticulously
painted miniature calendar icons that were commissioned
from one of the princes of Stroganov in the mid 1600s. This
set of small-scale, double-sided calendar icons, or minyeias, is
very rare. Each side represents a month and depicts selected
saints for each day, according to the saints’ feast days. Most of
the panels include more than 30 figures; some of the painting
appears to have been done using a single hair of a brush. The
jewel-like colors and minute detail are considered typical of the
School of Stroganov style, which is highly prized by collectors
and museums around the world. This set was most recently
offered at a public sale at MacDougall’s Auction in 2009. After
that, they entered a private collection in New York from where
the Museum acquired them. This is one of the most important
donations that Gordon Lankton has made to the Museum of
Russian Icons.
In stark contrast to this royal splendor, Darker Shades of
Red: Soviet Propaganda Art from the Cold War Era exhibited
Soviet period propaganda posters celebrating the geopolitical,
agricultural, athletic and social achievements of the Soviet
system. The Museum was happy to present to our visitors a
glimpse into the Russian society of this period, which had
been largely hidden during the many decades of the Cold
War. Our visitors were surprised at the vehemence of the
anti-American feelings expressed in the popular and widely
distributed posters. At the same time, posters applauding the
athletic victories and agricultural achievements of collective
farming were delightful and fascinating. Many of the basic
images in the posters reflected an understanding of the icon.
For example, the traditional form of the Mother of God icon
was used in Soviet celebrations of women farmers and posters
encouraging motherhood. The icon is never very far away in
any Russian visual art form.
In a departure from our usual interest in the painted art
form, we showed a large selection of contemporary Siberian
photography in Siberia Imagined and Reimagined. Many
of the images were subversive, depicting subjects that were
probably not entirely sanctioned by Soviet authorities, such
as scenes from women’s prisons and parades of followers of
obscure religious sects. A favorite of the visitors was a photo
of bathing beauties in bikinis in the snow by a frozen river.
There were many beautiful images of landscapes depicting
the empty wilderness of the vast Siberian territories and
fascinating portraits of ordinary citizens at play and at work.
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Kent Russell, CEO and Curator
One of the more popular posters in the Darker Shades of Red: Soviet Propaganda Art from the Cold War, “The Sky of the Motherland Call Us.” The
exhibition from the Hollingsworth Collection opened June 14
and remained on view through August 30, 2014.
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
2014 HIGHLIGHTS
■ The Museum announced the acquisition of an
extraordinary set of 10 double-sided minyeias, or calendar
icons. The tablets were commissioned by Dimitry
Andreevich, a member of the Stroganov Family, in the mid17th century. The icons depict saints and feasts on either
side of the tablets on four rows, following the order of their
commemoration in the minyeia, or the book containing
the sequence of veneration of the saints for every day and
month of the year. They would have been used in one of the
churches that Andreevich built in various regions of Russia.
Together, the tablets depict well over 1,000 saints, who have
been researched and identified in a project led by Professor
Raoul Smith, the Museum’s Research Fellow. The minyeias
were installed in a custom-designed double-sided case in the
Museum’s South Gallery. An iPad interactive that will enable
visitors to view information and a detailed image about each
individual saint will be forthcoming in 2015.
■ For eight weeks in the fall of 2014, with support from
Gordon Lankton and the Museum of Russian Icons, 11
students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) traveled
to Russia and worked in the Moscow Study Center under
WPI’s International and Global Studies Division. Projects
included working with the Financial University to enable
long-distance collaborations across multiple time zones for
Russian scholars in the social sciences; working with Deloitte
CIS and Ernst & Young, Russia to identify the best practices
for recruitment and retention for the consulting and auditing
firms; and energy audit and developing strategies to improve
sustainable practices at the Radisson Hotel, Slayanskaya.
Guided by Center Director and Museum of Russian Icons
trustee Svetlana Nikitina, who served as project advisor, teams
of students undertook hands-on collaborative projects in
partnerships with the Russian students who acted as research
counterparts as well as translators and cultural guides.
This collaboration broke cultural stereotypes, forged strong
friendships, and strengthened the spirit of good will between
the two countries, reflecting the mission of the Museum of
Russian Icons. Students visited the Museum collection before
their departure for cultural orientation, and both Mr. Lankton
and Mr. Russell attended the students’ project presentations
at WPI. As part of their Russian experience, the students
toured St. Petersburg and the ancient cities of Vladimir,
Suzdal, and Bogolubovo on the Golden Ring and visited many
monasteries, churches and museums.
(2014 HIGHLIGHTS continued on p.4)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute students at the Moscow Study Center
under WPI’s International and Global Studies Division
2014 MUSEUM STATISTICS
15,793 Total Admissions
554 New or Renewed Museum Members
$52,056
$26,015 Membership Income
Admissions + Group Tour Revenue
$22,604 Donations
$31,511 Programs Income
$110,119 Museum Shop & Tea Room Sales
$12,931 Rental Events Income
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
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MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
(2014 HIGHLIGHTS continued)
■ The Museum launched its free smartphone app through
OnSpotStory. Visitors can access the app by scanning a QR
code or through the OnSpotStory website. The app includes
audio, text, and photographs about many of the icons in the
collection. As with our handheld audio wand, information is
available in five languages: English, Russian, French, Spanish,
and Portuguese. Content will continue to be added over time.
S
]
■ In October, Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, US
Representative for Massachusetts’s 3rd Congressional
District, visited the Museum as part of her Creative Economy
Tour. She was accompanied by State Representative Harold P.
Naugton, Jr., and State Senator Jennifer L. Flanagan.
Visitors can use their
smartphones to access a
wealth of information about
the Museum collection. Try
it by scanning the QR code
to the left!
■ The Museum, along with Old Sturbridge Village and
Tower Hill Botanic Garden, partnered with the Worcester
Cultural Coalition’s WOO Card program in a marketing
initiative designed to raise awareness of the WOO Card and
its reach beyond the city of Worcester to other communities
in Worcester County. As part of this program, all Museum
of Russian Icons members received free WOO Cards, and
new members will continue to receive them while supplies
last. The Museum also participated in a WOOphoria event at
Crompton Collective in Worcester.
■ The Museum launched an ongoing film series, selected by
Programs Manager Randi Kelly. The series includes ticketed
feature films as well as the opportunity to see, on the large
screen, a selection of our films that are shown on the monitors
in the galleries.
Feature Film Series, Happy People: A Year in the Taiga
In 2014, the Museum began to offer all members a WOO Card to
use for discounts at multiple venues in Worcester County.
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■ Museum Business Manager Jenny Delorey McNamara
forged a partnership with “Discover Clinton,” the town’s
merchants’ association, for a wide variety of events
throughout the year, including the Sidewalk Sales Day, the
annual Halloween Walk, and Shop Local Day.
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
(2014 HIGHLIGHTS continued)
■ In the Russian Tea Room, two small wall cases were
removed and replaced with a floor-to-ceiling wall display
for Founder Gordon Lankton’s personal collection of
matryoshkas to enhance the Tea Room’s atmosphere. A glass
shelf was installed to better display the Museum’s collection
of samovars and provide more counter space for product.
Administrative Manager Jocelyn Willis, added 17 new vendors
including Côté Musées, Creative Dreamer, G. DeBrekht
Artistic Studios, Great Take Television Ltd, In the Loft, Liliana
International, Prestel, Search Press, and Travel Video. The
Museum Shop also opened a retail account with Kusmi Tea to
offer for sale the specialty tea blends available in the Russian
Tea Room. The Museum Shop also donated merchandise to 78
non-profit organizations for use in fund-raising events, raffles,
and auctions.
■ The Museum has expanded its rental program by
hiring Events Manager Amy Budge to promote the Museum
as a world-class venue for corporate dinners, parties, wedding
receptions, and more. 2014 brought the creation of a rentals
brochure and an ambitious marketing plan. Rates were
increased to make the Museum a viable competitor in the
rentals market. This year the Museum hosted 40 rental events
with a total of nearly 1,200 guests in attendance.
The Russian Tea Room
In January, the Museum’s Russian Tea Room discontinued
Sandwich Saturdays. While many visitors appreciated this
amenity, providing such a highly perishable item was not
financially sustainable in the long term. Happily, 2014 saw
the opening of several new restaurants in Clinton, further
expanding lunch options for our visitors.
A continuing challenge for the Tea Room is the variable
availability of products from Russia, which has required
some product substitutions to maintain our commitment
to authentic Russian food items. Visitor feedback about the
Tea Room remains extremely positive as a place to recharge
during a visit, sample Russian products, and use our free
WiFi for work or study.
■ The Museum Shop, managed by Visitor Service and
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
The Museum’s flexible spaces accommodate a wide range of events.
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MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
(2014 HIGHLIGHTS continued)
■ The Museum held Explore Siberia! Family Day on
November 15. Program highlights included a presentation
about tigers by a staff educator from Zoo New England and
a performance of traditional Russian songs, dances, and
games by the Ivolga folk group. Other activities included craft
projects, cookie decorating, and a toy drive. The Museum was
pleased to once again partner with the New England chapter
of FRUA (Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption,
including Neighboring Countries), which co-sponsored the
Ivolga performance.
■ The Museum participated in the Blue Star Museums
program, a collaboration among the National Endowment
for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense,
and more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free
admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and
their families, including National Guard and Reserve, from
Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Ivolga folk group performed on November 15 at Family Day.
■ The Prosopon School of Iconology hosted its sixth annual
intensive icon writing workshop in August, taught by world
renowned iconographer and instructor Vladislav Andrejev.
Saint Benedict Abbey in Harvard, MA, once again assisted
by making rooms available for the instructor and students.
The course sold out with 20 participants from throughout the
New England and Mid-Atlantic regions.
This majestic Siberian tiger, on loan to the Museum from the
EcoTarium, greeted visitors to the Siberia Imagined and Reimagined
exhibition of Russian photography on view from September 13, 2014
through January 10, 2015.
Left: Vladislav Andrejev and assistant Lynette Hull.
Greater
6 Worcester Community Foundation • 2009 ANNUAL REPORT
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
2014 ACQUISITIONS
61 icons and artifacts were added to the Museum’s collection
One view of the two-sided August icon, circa 1600
Saint Andrei Rublev, 2010, by Alyona Knyazeva
2014.1.1 Two-Sided Minyeia (October), circa 1660
2014.1.2 Two-Sided Minyeia (November), circa 1660
2014.1.3 Two-Sided Minyeia (December), circa 1660
2014.1.4 Two-Sided Minyeia (February), circa 1660
2014.1.5 Two-Sided Minyeia (April), circa 1660
2014.1.6 Two-Sided Minyeia (May), circa 1660
2014.1.7 Two-Sided Minyeia (June), circa 1660
2014.1.8 Two-Sided Minyeia (July), circa 1660
2014.1.9 Two-Sided Minyeia (August), circa 1660
2014.2Crucifix
2014.3.1 Mother of God of the Sign, 19th Century
2014.3.2 Christ of the Stern Eye, circa 1700
2014.3.3 Saint Nicholas the Wonder Worker, 17th Century
2014.3.4 Saint Paraskeva, 16th Century
2014.3.5 Resurrection and Descent with Feasts, 19th Century
2014.3.6 Saint Nicholas of Mozhaisk with Scenes, 19th Century
2014.3.7 Mother of God Bogolyubskaya, 17th Century
2014.3.8 Icon in Four Registers, 19th Century
2014.3.9 The Transfiguration of Christ, 17th Century
2014.3.10 Mother of God Strastnaya, 18th Century
2014.3.11 Mother of God Smolenskaya, 18th Century
2014.3.12 Mother of God Smolenskaya, 18th Century
2014.4.1 Alyona Knyazeva, Christ Enthroned, 2010
2014.4.2 Alyona Knyazeva, Saint Andrei Rublev, 2010
2014.4.3 Alyona Knyazeva, Mother of God Umilinya, 2010
2014.4.4 Alyona Knyazeva. Saint Paraskeva, 2010
2014.4.5 Alyona Knyazeva, Mother of God Umilinya, 2010
2014.4.6 Alyona Knyazeva, Mother of God of the Sign, 2010
2014.4.7 Alyona Knyazeva, Mother of God of the
Never Fading Flower, 2010
2014.4.8 Alyona Knyazeva, Image Not Made By Hands, 2010
2014.4.9 Alyona Knyazeva, Saint Paraskeva, 2010
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
2014.5.1 Lampada, 19th Century
2014.5.2 Triptych with Feasts, circa 1950
2014.5.3 The Nativity of Christ, circa 1500
2014.5.4 Resurrection and Descent with Feasts, circa 1600
2014.5.5 The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, circa 1880
2014.5.6 Image Not Made By Hands, circa 1550
2014.5.7 Dormition of the Mother of God, circa 1650
2014.6.1 Procession over the Tana Sea, 20th Century
2014.6.3Crucifix
2014.6.5 Procession over the Tana Sea, 20th Century
2014.6.6 King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, 20th Century
2014.6.7 King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, 20th Century
2014.7.1 Cross with Archangel Michael and
Saint Gabra Manfas Queddus, 19th Century
2014.7.2 Mother of God with a Priest, 18th Century
2014.7.3 Two-Sided Diptych, 20th Century
2014.7.4 Raising of Lazarus, 18th Century
2014.7.5 Multiplication of the Bread,18th Century
2014.8 Four-Panel Folding Icon with Scenes from Festivals, circa 1700
2014.9.1Cross
2014.9.2Cross
2014.9.3Cross
2014.9.4Cross
2014.9.5Cross
2014.10a Triptych with Feasts, 19th Century
2014.11.1 Alyona Knyazeva, Replica of 1390, John the Baptist, 2014
2014.11.2 Alyona Knyazeva, Replica of 12th Century Archangel Gabriel, 2014
2014.11.3 Alyona Knyazeva, Replica of 16th Century Saint Paraskeva, 2014
2014.12 Carved Icon with Selected Saints, circa 1600
2014.13.1 Two-Sided Diptych with Selected Feasts and Saints, 19th Century
2014.13.2 Triptych with Selected Feasts and Saints, 19th Century
7
Greater
8 Worcester Community Foundation • 2009 ANNUAL REPORT
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
At Clinton’s annual town celebration,
Olde Home Day, “Night at the Museum”
brought visitors to participate in the
diverse activites and introduce the
Museum to those who had never
seen the collection.
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
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MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS
Secret Symbolism: Decoding Color in Russian Icons
On view January 7 through March 1, 2014
Secret Symbolism featured works from the Museum’s
permanent collection in an exploration of the symbolic
meaning of colors in Russian icons. In the gallery, icons
were arranged in groupings according to the predominant
and most significant color: white, gold, blue, green, red,
dark blue, and black. The icons ranged from the 15th to
19th centuries from different regions and painting schools;
their juxtaposition showed a remarkable consistency in the
symbolic use of color. Curated by Registrar Laura GarrityArquitt with assistance from interns from the 2013 summer
class: Jack Bavaro, Emily Doucette, Devin McFadden, and
Bernadette Stadler.
The Tsars’ Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian
Decorative Arts Under the Romanovs
On view March 27 through May 24, 2014
This exhibition highlighted two centuries of decorative arts
under the Romanovs, from the time of Peter the Great in
the early 18th century to that of Nicholas II in the early 20th
century. Many of the more than 230 exhibited objects—made
of porcelain, glass, enamel, silver gilt, and other alluring
materials—were designed for public or private use by the
tsars or other Romanovs. Others illustrate the styles that were
prominent during their reigns. Developed from the Kathleen
Durdin Collection and organized by the Muscarelle Museum
of Art at the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg,
Virginia, in collaboration with International Arts & Artists,
Washington, D.C.
Darker Shades of Red: Soviet Propaganda Art from the Cold
War Era from the Hollingsworth Collection
On view June 14 through August 30, 2014
Darker Shades of Red offered a rare opportunity to revisit and
analyze the Cold War period through the exploration of the
Soviet Union’s official brand. Strikingly graphic and explicit
in its socialist message, the collection revealed the economic,
social and political ideology of the Soviet Union from the
mid 1940s to 1990. The objects were drawn from the private
collection of Gary Hollingsworth, a Florida art restorer who
traveled extensively in the former Soviet Union. The exhibit
included 55 original Soviet posters, with translations, and
assorted ephemera like medals and orders, statuettes, and
factory banners. Jaanis Kaps provided additional objects.
Greater
10 Worcester Community Foundation • 2009 ANNUAL REPORT
Siberia Imagined and Reimagined
On view September 13, 2014, through January 10, 2015
This exhibition brought photographs of Siberia by Russian
photographers to the American public for the first time.
Depicting subjects ranging from the everyday to the bizarre,
the more than 100 stunning photographs spanned more than
130 years, beginning with the late 19th century and continuing
to the present. The work by more than 50 photographers
featured rural and urban scenes, landscapes, native peoples,
agriculture and industry, Russian frontier settlements,
the Gulag, religion, and the everyday lives of Siberians.
Contributions by the State Historical Museum, the Moscow
Literature Museum, and other museums in Russia deepened
the story by offering revealing glimpses into Siberia’s past. The
exhibition was organized by the Foundation for International
Arts and Education, a nonprofit committed to promoting
cultural exchange among museums in the United States and
the countries of Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia. A
mounted specimen of an Amur (Siberian) tiger was generously
loaned by the EcoTarium in Worcester and served as a focal
point of the exhibition. The publication Siberia In the Eyes
of Russian Photographers, edited by curator and author Leah
Bendavid-Val, accompanied the exhibition.
OBJECT LOANS
Harvard University’s Collection of Historic Scientific Instruments
borrowed four objects from the Museum’s collection for the
exhibition Body of Knowledge, A History of Anatomy {in 3 Parts},
which was on view from March 6 through December 5, 2014
2011.89a Selected Saints with Relics 19th Century
2011.89b Oklad for 2011.89a, 19thCentury
2012.23 Reliquary with Crucifix and Unknown Saints
13th-14th Century
2012.6 Reliquary with Crucifix and the Mother of God
9th-11th Century
Reliquary with Crucifix and
Unknown Saints
13th-14th Century
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
CENTER FOR ICON STUDIES (CIS)
The Journal of Icon Studies received five papers this year,
and three were accepted for publication. The first was by
Diana Dukhanova, a graduate student in Slavic Studies
at Brown University, on the Ladder of Divine Ascent of St.
John Climacus (with an excursus on the paleography of the
Lankton Codex) and its use in monastic life from its writing
in the 7th century to contemporary monastic practice. The
second, by Stephanie Rumpza, formerly of the University of
Chicago and currently at Boston College, discusses the views
of the contemporary French philosopher and theologian
Jean-Luc Marion on icons and those of the Byzantine Saint
John Damascene against iconoclasm. The third paper was
by Dmitri Antonov, a professor at the University of the
Humanities in Moscow (who gave a talk at the Museum’s
2013 ASEEES panel and also spoke here in April 2014).
Antonov specializes in the representation of demons in
Russian illustrated manuscripts and icons, and on the
representation of Judas in icons.
The Center’s involvement in outside activities included
the selection of objects for our exhibition featuring icons
from the British Museum and the co-hosting of the 9th
International Conference on Iconology, which will take
place in June 2015. We also visited the exhibit of Father
Paul Horvatz’s collection of Russian icons at the Knights of
Columbus Museum in Hartford in January.
Prof. Raoul Smith represented the Museum at a symposium on
religious art at Brown University in February. He also attended
a talk by Nancy Shevchenko at the Hellenic College in Brookline
on a Byzantine fresco in Turkey. Dr. Shevchenko is the former
President of the Byzantine Society of North America, is on our
Editorial Board, and will deliver a keynote speech (along with
Engelina Smirnova) at the IKON Conference.
Prof. Smith conducted his third trip to Turkey in May,
visiting Byzantine churches and monasteries, museums, the
Greek island of Patmos, and the cave where John dictated his
Revelations to his assistant Prochorus.
Visitors to CIS this year included Marina Vicelja of
the University of Rijeka, Croatia, the organizer of the
International Conference on Iconology; Mark Pearson, a
photographer of icons in the Balkans and Turkey; and E.
Wayles Brown, Professor of Linguistics and of Slavic Studies
at Cornell.
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
DOCENTS, VOLUNTEERS AND INTERNS
T he Museum of Russian Icons is pleased to recognize and
thank the individuals who generously donate their time.
Museum docent Barbara Blankenship leads a tour.
DOCENTS
Trent Alexopoulos
Manuela Bartiromo
Barbara Blankenship
Karen Brouillette
B.J. Capalbo
Joyce Carpenter-Henderson
Larissa Dyan
James Flynn
Joanne Gavin
Mary Hunt
Billie Keese
Patricia Kerrigan
Anna Korkhin
Sandra Larson
Elaine Luzzetti
Greta Magenis
Svitlana Malykhina
Norman Meiklejohn
Joan Michalski
Art Norman
Ellen Philbin
Michael Popik
Carole Saal
Dennis Sardella
Maria Trout
Joan Wash
VOLUNTEERS
Alexandria Delorey
Nancy-Lee Lashua
Sau-Mei Leung
Nicole Melone
Nydia B. Moser
Elizabeth Neuman
Helen O’Donnell
Brian Rivas
Professor Raoul Smith, Research Fellow
Clinton High School EXCEL Club
INTERNS
Kyle Anderson
Maegan Boutot
Alyssa Boyle
Alex Eliopouolos
Chloe Geshwind
Connor Kilian
Kiana Nedele
Daniel Schlather
Samantha Thomson
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MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
2014 MUSEUM MEMBERSHIP
The Museum staff and board are grateful for the generosity of our members for both their financial contributions and for their
support of the Museum’s mission and programs. The Museum greatly values members in all categories—Individual, Family, Student
and Senior—and would especially like to recognize our Philanthropic Level Members:
• Museum Members: 554
• Institutional or Corporate Memberships at $1,000-$5,000: 14
• Complimentary Memberships for Volunteers: 29
• Philanthropic Memberships: 79
• Individual, Family, Student and Senior Citizen Memberships: 456
Corporate Leaders
TH Smith Building, Mr. & Mrs. Ted & Joyce Smith
Clinton Savings Bank, Mr. Leonard Anctil, Treasurer
Platinum
Dr. Frank A. Brand
Mr. and Mrs. Warner S. Fletcher
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon B. Lankton
Mr. Frederick C. Brose & Ms. Janice E. Seymour
Mr. & Mrs. David and Sharon Stadtherr
Gold
Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Huntoon
Mr. & Mrs. Kent Russell
Silver
Mr. Terry Baurley
Dr. Elaine F. Davies
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Dearborn
Mr. & Mrs. David Durrant
Mr. William Flynn
Mr. Lane W. Goss
Mr. & Ms. Mark & Elise Forbes Seeley
Bronze
Ms. Leslie Alexander & Mr. Bruce Hewson
Mr. Wagdy Anis
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Baker
Mrs. Michelle Banton
Ms. Margarita Baranano
Dr. Barbara A. Beall-Fofana
Mr. Craig Bencsics
Mr. & Mrs. Mark W. Bloom
Mr. & Mrs. John & Eileen Boyd
Ms. J. Elizabeth Burbank
Ms. Anne Butterfield
Mrs. Anne T. Buttrick
Mr. Robert Cable
Ms. Valentine Callahan
Mr. Ed Clark
Ms. Demetra Cohen
Ms. Katherine Cranson
Ms. Eileen deCastro
Mr. & Ms. Frank & Elaine Doherty
Rev. Henry A. Donoghue
Mr. Kevin Dumais & Mr. Charles Kloter
Mrs. Mary J. Dunn
Ms. Marsha Durniak
Rev. James B. Flynn
Mr. & Ms. John and Patricia Folcarelli
Mr. James Fraser
Mr. & Mrs. David and Joanne Gavin
The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool
Mr. & Mrs. Aaron and Beverly Goodale
Ms. Marcia Grimes
Mr. & Mrs. David & Martha Hannan
Ms. Frannie Hodge
Dr. William Kyros
Ms. Sandra B. Larson
Ms. Julie Liese and Mr. Arthur Rugg
Ms. Janet Lovejoy
Ms. Catherine M. Lynch
Mrs. & Mr. Susan and Edward Lynch
Ms. Christie Lyons & Mr. Luther Otto
Mr. & Mrs. Peter & Cecily Marshall
Mr. & Ms. Wayne & Christina McDonald
Mr. William J. McGurk
Ms. Joanna Meek
Fr. Norman Meiklejohn
Ms. Louis D. Morgenstern
Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Nydia B. Moser
Mr. & Mrs. Richard & Catherine Nucci
Greater
12 Worcester Community Foundation • 2009 ANNUAL REPORT
Bronze (continued)
Mr. William O’Brien & Mr. Donald Reinecker Ms.
Helen O’Donnell
Dr. Mathew Panagiotu
Ms. Barbara Pantos
Ms. Elaine Patrinos
Mr. Frank L. Reis, Jr.
Ms. Carmen Rickenback
Mr. Angelo Sabatalo
Mr. Douglas Skillins
Dr. Richard Soley & Dr. Isabel Szabo
Mr. & Ms. Scott V. & Mary L. Street
Mr. Jerome E. Tallan
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald & Kathleen Thompson
Mrs. Faith Trueax
Ms. Deborah Tymkowiche
Mr. Eric van Leeuwen
Ms. Christine Visminas
Mr. Richard Whitten
Ms. Anna Winestein
Ms. Joanne Wuschke
Mrs. Peter Wyatt
Mr. & Mrs. Constantino Zapantis
Institutional
Berlin Public Library
Bigelow Free Public Library
Bolton Public Library
Boylston Public Library
Clinton Rotary Club
Conant Free Public Library
Harvard Public Library
Hudson Public Library
Leominster Public Library
Perkins School
Tewksbury Public Library
Thayer Memorial Library
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
GRANTS
MARKETING, ADVERTISING AND PR
■ The Museum received support from the Highland Street
Foundation to participate in Free Fun Fridays, a statewide
summer program over a 10-week period that allows more
than 60 museums and cultural organizations to open their
doors with free admission to all visitors for one Friday. On
August 15, our Free Fun Friday, the Museum welcomed
nearly 500 visitors.
■ Museum exhibitions, programs, classes, rentals and Shop
were promoted in 30 e-blasts sent to more than 4,433 contacts
(8.1% increase over last year), including media, Museum
members, churches, private schools, libraries and professors/
academics. These e-blasts were augmented with 107 print
ads placed in various publications to promote exhibitions,
special events, and Museum Shop sales. 27 online digital
banner and leader-board ads also promoted Museum events.
Underwriting spots on WBUR, WGBH, WCRB and WICN
radio stations featured Museum exhibitions.
■ The Nypro Foundation gave $5,000 to the Museum in
support of educational programming.
■ More than 30 online and social media campaigns
promoted special events and exhibitions on Facebook,
ArtsBoston.com, Twitter, Boston.com, BostonMoms.com,
Massvacation.com (Massachusetts Office of Travel and
Tourism), Social Web, Google Adwords, and WhoFish.com.
The Museum Facebook account has more than 4,750 page
“likes” and we have established a Pinterest account with
promising results.
■ 25,000 rack cards with general information about the
Museum were produced and distributed via CTM Media
Group across New England and New York.
Two volunteers from the EXCEL Club at Clinton High School
helped Museum staff on Free Fun Fridays.
AWARDS
■ Museum of Russian Icons Founder Gordon Lankton
was honored at the Ballets Russes Arts Initiative annual
fundraiser, the Nightingale Ball, on November 22 at the
Algonquin Club of Boston. Lankton was lauded for his
commitment and contributions to the cross-cultural
relationship between the United States and Russia, and his
appreciation of the art and history of Russian icons.
■ The Museum received a 2014 TripAdvisor.com Certificate
of Excellence, the highest award any public or private venue
can receive from the popular review site.
■ The Museum was voted “Best Museum/Attraction” in
The Item’s “Best of 2014 Readers Poll.”
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
■ PR induced articles and “mentions” of Museum events
appeared in the following media outlets: Antiques and the
Arts Weekly, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Boston Globe,
The Item, Concord Journal, MetroWest Daily News, Sentinel
and Enterprise, Worcester Magazine, Harvard Magazine,
The Arts Fuse, GoLocal Worcester, The Sun Chronicle, Lowell
Sun, MassLive.com and Where Traveler. The approximate
retail value of these PR feature acquisitions was $78,600.
■ Several direct mail pieces—invitations to exhibition
openings, newsletters and postcards—were produced and
mailed to our members and segmented lists of variousinterest constituents. A downloadable PDF of the Museum’s
newsletter was made available on the Museum’s website.
■ In 2013, the Museum offered patrons the choice of
“opting out” of printed mailings in favor of electronic
delivery. Printed materials proved to be highly valued by our
members; therefore, in 2014 we returned to scheduled direct
print mail to augment digital contact alternatives.
13
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
2014 PROGRAMS
JANUARY
No programs
2014 Museum Visitation by Month
FEBRUARY
Saturday, February 1: Concert:
“Favorite Music of the Romanov Dynasty” with Georges
Devdariani, clarinet, and Maria Lyudko, soprano
Friday, February 7: Take It to the Curator
MARCH
Saturday, March 15: Concert: “Four Centuries of Piano” with
Constantine Finehouse
Friday, March 21 & Saturday, March 22: Workshops:
Pysanky Ukrainian Easter Egg Decorating
Thursday, March 27: Members’ Opening of Tsars’ Cabinet and
“Jewels of the Romanovs” lecture with Nicholas Nicholson
An example of an egg
from the Pysanky
Ukrainian Easter Egg
Decorating
Workshop
APRIL
Friday, April 4: Take It to the Curator
Friday, April 4 & Saturday, April 5: Workshops:
Opening of Darker Shades of Red:
Pysanky Ukranian Easter Egg Decorating
Soviet Propaganda Poster Art from the Cold War Era
Saturday, April 12: Introduction to Zentangle with Karen Keene
Saturday, April 26: Traditional Russian Tea with Larissa Dyan JUNE
Friday, June 6: Take it to the Curator
Thursday, June 12:
MAY
Members’ Opening: Darker Shades of Red
Saturday, May 3 & Thursday, May 8:
Feature Film and discussion: “Russian Ark”
Saturday, May 17: Concert:
“From Moscow to Tin Pan Alley” with Benjamin Sears &
Cynthia Mork, vocals; Bradford Conner, piano; and Nathan
Kimball, cello
Thursday, May 22 & Saturday, May 24:
Gallery Talk: Farewell to Tsars’ Cabinet with Registrar Laura
Garrity-Arquitt
Thursday, May 22: Clinton Middle School Art Open House
Greater
14 Worcester Community Foundation • 2009 ANNUAL REPORT
JULY
Thursday, July 17 & Saturday, July 19:
Gallery Film in the Auditorium: “The Return of the Icon”
Thursday, July 24: Lecture:
“Cold War New England: How One Region Fought to
Keep the Cold War From Getting Hot” with Eamon
McCarthy Earls
Monday, July 28 through Saturday, August 2:
Prosopon School of Iconology
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
2014 PROGRAMS
AUGUST
Friday, August 1: Take It to the Curator
Thursday, August 7 & Saturday, August 9:
Film and Discussion: “The Red Menace: American Cold
War Propaganda Shorts”
Friday, August 15:
Free Fun Fridays sponsored by the Highland Street Foundation
Thursday, August 21 & Saturday, August 23:
Gallery Film in Auditorium: “The Return of the Icon”
Saturday, August 30:
Gallery Talk with Registrar Laura Garrity-Arquitt:
Farewell to Darker Shades of Red
SEPTEMBER
Saturday, September 13: Introduction to Zentangle
Tuesday, September 16:
Online presentation with Collette Vacations regarding
the Museum sponsored tour with Collette Travel,
“Classical Turkey.”
Thursday, September 25 & Saturday, September 27:
Gallery Film in Auditorium: “Rails Across Russia”
Docent Elaine Luzzetti at Family Day: Explore Siberia!
NOVEMBER
Friday, November 7 & Saturday, November 8:
Workshops: Ukrainian Snowflake Eggs
Saturday, November 15: Family Day: Explore Siberia!
Saturday, November 29: Members’ Reception and
Book Signing with Leah Bendavid-Val
DECEMBER
Zentagle workshops with instructor Karen Keene are popular.
OCTOBER
Thursday, October 2:
Concert: “Russians in America,” with Arkady Beletsky,
cello, and Marianna Rashkovetsky, piano
Friday, October 3: Take It to the Curator
Thursday, October 9:
Gallery Film in Auditorium: “Rails Across Russia”
Saturday, October 18: Traditional Russian Tea
Thursday, October 23 & Saturday, October 25:
Feature Film: “Happy People: A Year in the Taiga”
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
Thursday, December 4 & Saturday, December 6:
Gallery Film in Auditorium: “Holy Russia Celebrates the
Festival of Christmas”
Friday, December 5: Take It to the Curator
Thursday, December 11:
Two Documentary Films: “And the Beggar’s Opera Again”
& “Who Is Václav Havel” sponsed by Ballets Russes
Arts Initiative
Saturday, December 13:
Concert: St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble
Thursday, December 18 & Saturday, December 20:
Gallery Film in Auditorium: “Holy Russia Celebrates the
Festival of Christmas”
15
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
EDUCATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS
Assumption College
Bishop Feehan High School
Blake Middle School
Clark University
Clinton Public Schools
College of the Holy Cross
Columbia University
Fitchburg State University
Gordon College
Green Hill Community College
Harvard University
Merrimack College
Middlesex Community College
Moscow State University
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Preschool
Our Lady Queen of Saints
The Dr. Franklin Perkins School
Providence College
Saint John’s High School (Shrewsbury)
Thomas Moore College
Tolland High School
Tufts University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Wellesley College
Various home school organizations
Alliance for Children
St. John the Guardian of Our Lady ArtSpan Lexington
Catholic Church
Ballets Russes Arts Initiative
Strand Theatre
Bigelow Free Public Library
Tewksbury Library
Church of the Good Shepherd
Wachusett Reservoir Art Path
Clinton Boy Scouts
WHEAT Community Connections
Clinton Cub Scouts
WOO Card
Clinton Community and
Worcester Cultural Coalition
Economic Development Office
Zaytoons Restaurant
Clinton High School National Honors Society
Zoo New England
Clinton Historical Society
Various senior citizen centers
Clinton Olde Home Day
and retirement homes
Clinton Rotary Club
Clinton Senior Center
Cornell Club of Boston
Discover Clinton
EcoTarium
Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption (FRUA)
First Night Worcester
The Item
MetroWest Visitors Bureau
Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce
Nypro Foundation and Nypro Inc.
The Old Timer Restaurant
St. George Greek Orthodox Church (New Britain, CT)
MUSEUM STAFF
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Julie Barrows
Amy Budge
Maribeth Côté
Laura Garrity-Arquitt
Alexander Gassel
Lise Graham
Randi Kelly
Dianne Mather
Jenny Delorey McNamara
Libbie Rowell
Kent Russell
Jocelyn Willis
Tara Young
OFFICERS
Gordon B. Lankton, President and Founder
Kent Russell, CEO and Curator
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Richard Dearborn
Ruah Donnelly
Gordon B. Lankton, President
Susan Lankton-Rivas
Eric A. Lowrey
Svetlana Nikitina
Kent Russell, Chief Executive Officer
Tara Young, Deputy Director
Greater
16 Worcester Community Foundation • 2009 ANNUAL REPORT
The Museum of Russian Icons is a 501(c)(3) charitable
organization. For financial or other information on the
Museum, please contact:
Kent Russell, Museum CEO and Curator
Museum of Russian Icons
203 Union Street, Clinton, Massachusetts 01510
United States of America
Telephone (978) 598-5000 x12
[email protected]
Please consider becoming a member or donating to the
Museum of Russian Icons. Your donations are tax deductible
to the extent allowable by the IRS. Information is available
on our website: www.museumofrussianicons.org.
© 2015 Museum of Russian Icons, Clinton, MA 01510, USA
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS • 2014 ANNUAL REPORT
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
Museum of Russian Icons
CEO and Curator, Kent Russell
INDEX
Vision and Mission Statements, Founder’s Message
1
CEO/Curator Report
2
Highlights, Statistics
3
Acquisitions
7
Exhibitions, Object Loans
8
Center for Icon Studies, Volunteers
9
Members
10
Grants, Awards, Marketing
11
Programs & Activities
12
Collaborations, Staff, Officers, Board of Trustees
14
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Copywriter: Tara Young
Photos: Dany Pelletier, Museum staff
Editors: Jenny McNamara, Ingrid Mach, Linda Chadwick
Graphic Design: Atomic Design, Rob Zeleniak
All images copyright Museum of Russian Icons
203 Union Street, Clinton, Massachusetts 01510
Cover: WPI’s Moscow Study Center group, Fall 2014.
Back Cover: Docent Svitlana Malykhina views The Tsars’
Cabinet exhibition in 2014.
The Museum developed the “Kid’s Corner”
to engage children in the arts at an early age.
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
ANNUAL
REPORT
2 014
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
203 Union Street . Clinton . Massachusetts 01510
978-598-5000
Published March 2015
www.museumofrussianicons.org