ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA — On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of The State Hermitage Museum, Dan Dailey installed his Byzantine Sconces on November 27 – 30, 2014 for the exhibition “Gifts from America” which opened December 2 and runs through March 8, 2015. The sconces were made in 2002 for Restaurant Daniel in New York City. Daniel Boulud has now donated them to The State Hermitage Museum permanent collection.
“Working with the museum curators, installation team, electricians, architects and engineers was an unusual way to become familiar with the Russian people and with the Hermitage Museum, as we pursued the common goal of setting up my works in the exhibition. Museums have long been a source of inspiration for my art, and the fabulous collection of this museum has made a profound impression. I can’t tell yet how I will react, but the historical overview and the quality of works in the museum led me to inspect many of them in detail. In time this influence will be reflected in my thoughts and drawings, then new work.” —Dan Dailey
The exhibition was conceived by Helen Drutt English and curated by Matthew Drutt. They worked for two years to produce the “Gifts from America” exhibition, overseeing all aspects of production from the checklist of works, including crating, shipping, and set-up in the museum. The exhibition reflects Helen’s preferences, which are based on more than fifty years of scholarship and direct communication with the artists whose works are included.