On Tuesday, April 30, Rago Auctions hosts Director and CEO of Woodmere Art Museum, Dr. William R. Valerio, as he delivers a presentation titled “A Museum Grows in Philadelphia: Woodmere’s Collection from the 1890s to Today.”
This talk will explore the origins of Woodmere Art Museum and its founder, Charles Knox Smith, a city leader and industrialist who purchased the original Woodmere estate in 1898. Smith opened the doors of the museum to the public in 1910, with the intent to share with his fellow Philadelphians the profound spiritual connection he experienced through art. Dr. Valerio’s presentation will trace the history of growth in the Woodmere’s collection through the decades, discuss the institution’s current criteria for acquisition, and explore how the institution is shaping an experience it believes matters to its community.
The auction house opens on Tuesday, April 30 at noon. A wine and cheese reception begins at 5 pm. The presentation will begin at 6 pm.
