EXCERPTS ON THE OPEN HOUSE FROM "A HISTORY OF THE STUART SOCIETY"

Presented by Susan Hicks at the General Membership Meeting on December 2, 2021.  

Each year since 1971 , hundreds of men ,women and children enjoy the traditional Christmas Time Open house in the Museum's festively decorated galleries.

1971:  FIRST OPEN HOUSE AT CHRISTMAS TIME.  The Society starts the popular Christmas Open House for the public. It is designed as a public awareness of the Museum.

1981: To eliminate the problem of falling needles, the Society gives the Museum a large artificial tree for use in the Great Hall.  Individual Society members purchase hand-crafted Italian Renaissance angles, replicas of those used at the Metropolitan Museum, to decorate the new tree.  The tree with its bevy of angles is enhanced by clusters of bright ribbons and is a focal point in  the Great Hall. The number of visitors to the Christmas Open House continues to grow.

1984: A CRECHE.  The Society presents the Museum with a beautiful nativity scene matching the Renaissance angels. It is to be displayed at the Christmas Open House and throughout the holiday season.

1985: Live trees in the galleries augment the display in the Great hall. They are decorated in the style of various countries and hostesses wear ethnic costumes as they serve the traditional home-made cookies to the largest attendance on record.

1986: Channel 13 TV films the new tree for its 5:00 PM news.

1987: Construction on the new building begins in December but it does not deter the throngs of visitors who enjoy the music, the famous cookies and the welcome by the hostesses who wear charming handmade costumes appropriate to the Colonial theme.

1989-90: The Christmas Open House for the public draws more and more visitors. It is interesting to note the this gracious event, established years ago , has been adopted by other city museums and galleries. With special transportation provided, the public can now enjoy several open houses on the same day.

2003-4: 12 Provisionals helped decorate the newly  lighted tree with the new baroque angels in the Great hall, also helped provide food for the annual Christmas party, the only event to which the public is admitted to the Museum free of charge.

 2021: This past Monday 8 Provisionals along with the Provisional Chair, Mary Jane, decorated the tree. Tonight (Thursday) is the Holiday Open House, 50 years after the first one in 1971.