Press Room

April 1, 2006

For Immediate Release

Hillwood Library Awarded IPAM Grant

Hillwood Museum & Gardens is pleased to announce it was one of seventeen museums awarded an International Partnership Among Museums (IPAM) grant during their 2005-2007 cycle.  The IPAM program is administered by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and funded by the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).  IPAM enables American museums to advance their mission by carrying out collaborative projects with partner institutions abroad, and Hillwood is delighted to be working with The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. 

Hillwood’s art librarian Kristen Regina is partnering with Olga Kudryavtseva, Senior Art Researcher of The State Russian Museum Art Library.  The IPAM grant funds six weeks of research travel for each librarian to the other’s institution.  During their travels the librarians will perform the research necessary to create a Web-exhibition and corresponding brochure on the traditions of imperial Russian illustrated art books and journals, within the broader context of imperial Russian culture.  The institutions will focus their research on fine bindings; techniques used to create illustrations; themes represented in the illustrations; artists who created the original images and the plates; and the publishers, patrons, and imperial family connections related to these publications. 

The art libraries of each institution are uniquely positioned to work together on this project.  The Hillwood art library is a highly focused library supporting research on the museum’s collection of imperial Russian and eighteenth-century French decorative arts. The library contains over 25,000 items, including rare imperial publications as well as books with fine bindings, lavish illustrations, and imperial connections.  The State Russian Museum’s art library is also a working library whose holdings include 160,000 items, including a rare book collection of 5,000 volumes relating to the imperial period.  Its collection includes books published prior to 1825, illustrated by famous artists, and inscribed by Russian artists, prominent collectors, art historians and other notable Russian historical and cultural figures.  The State Russian Museum, founded in 1895 by Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918), is the largest museum of Russian art in the world.  Located near Nevsky Prospect in St. Petersburg, it is housed in the former palace of Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich (1798-1849).

Hillwood was the Washington residence of Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887–1973), cereal heiress, collector, and philanthropist. Mrs. Post collected throughout her life, emphasizing the finest French and Russian objects. She assembled the largest collection of Russian imperial art outside of Russia, as well as a magnificent collection of eighteenth-century French decorative arts. Notable objects include imperial Fabergé Easter eggs, jeweled chalices and icons, Sèvres porcelain, and Beauvais tapestries. Hillwood rests on twenty-five acres, including twelve acres of formal gardens.

For media inquiries, please call Jennifer Yeager at 202-243-3918 or email at jyeager@hillwoodmuseum.org; for inquiries regarding the IPAM grant and Hillwood's Library call Kristen Regina at 202-243-3943 or email at kregina@hillwoodmuseum.org. 

All general inquiries can call 202-686-8500.  Hillwood Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008.

4155 Linnean Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
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