The Society of Gilders, in partnership with the city of Pontiac, IL will hold the grand opening of The Museum of the Gilding Arts Saturday, June 6th at 11:00 am at 217 N. Mill St. in downtown Pontiac, IL.
The Museum of the Gilding Arts is a one-of-a-kind museum dedicated to the art of gilding and the history of gold beating. The museum includes displays on "What is Gilding?", "How Gold Leaf is made", "Where do you see gilding?", and "How to gild." Also featured is a recreation of the M. Swift & Sons factory, a gold leaf manufacturing company founded in Hartford, CT in 1887. The museum currently has a gallery exhibit of works of art by members of The Society of Gilders as well as an interactive piece that allows visitors to try their hand at gilding.
Naomi Lipsky, President of the Society of Gilders, remarked, "By creating the Museum of the Gilding Arts, we have not only saved a vital remnant of gilding history, the Swift gold-beating factory, from extinction, but we are opening a window into the gilding arts for all the public to see." Part of the mission of The Society of Gilders is sharing the knowledge of gilding with the public and passing their techniques along, unlike guilds of the past that historically guarded their secrets. The Museum of the Gilding Arts helps to even further their mission.
As part of the day's festivities, Dr. Francis Lestingi, member of The Society of Gilders and calligrapher, fontographer, sign artist, and professor emeritus of physics and history of science at the State University College at Buffalo, NY will give a lecture entitled, "Why We Love Gold" at 1:00 pm on the 2nd Floor of the Historic Livingston County Courthouse. This lecture is open to the general public and is free of charge.
Gold has been used for commerce, decoration and adornment since the beginning of recorded history. The treasures of the pyramids reveal a very sophisticated understanding of how to prepare and apply gold leaf, and the gold on tomb walls and sarcophagi is as bright and gleaming as it was when first applied several thousand years ago. Gilders of today are still using some of these same methods and the Society of Gilders, established in 1986, strives to keep the tradition of gilding alive and pass along the knowledge of the art form to others.
For more information about the art of gilding, gold leaf and more, visit SocietyofGilders.org. To plan your trip to The Museum of the Gilding Arts, contact the City of Pontiac Tourism Department at (815) 844-5847 or VisitPontiac.org.
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