Restored Art Treasures To Be Unveiled At Local WI Museum By Green Bay De Pere Antiquarian Society

Oct. 8, 2010 - PRLog -- The Green Bay & De Pere Antiquarian Society, in partnership with the Neville Public Museum of Brown County (both located in Green Bay, Wisconsin), will unveil two historic art treasures at a Private Donor Reception and Press Conference sponsored by Associated Bank on Friday, October 8 from 5:30-7:30pm at the Neville Public Museum.

The unveiling will take place at 6:30pm, following a power point presentation by Art Conservator, Anton Rajer, in the Neville Public Museum Theater in Green Bay.

The Portrait of “Rufus B. Kellogg” and the “The Prodigal Son” (aka "Hospitality") work will be unveiled for the first time to the public since their restoration by "Art Doctor" Tony Rajer.  To learn more about the paintings and restoration process, see http://www.antiquariansocietygbdp.org/restoring_art_36.html.

The two paintings and a variety of other cultural treasures were purchased by the Green Bay De Pere Antiquarian Society in 2007 for $1.2 million dollars from the Brown County Library with the help of the community wide “Save Our Cultural Heritage Campaign”.  The Campaign and purchase allowed the local Antiquarian Society to save and restore the paintings and many other artifacts for the community, including a rare, autographed photograph of Abraham Lincoln, Presidential letters, artwork, textiles, sculptures, artifacts and paintings.  These items will be added to its existing art collections.

It is already known that the Kellogg painting was done in 1887 in Paris, France, by George Peter Alexander Healy.  Rufus B. Kellogg is Wisconsin icon and community leader.  After the unveiling, this painting will be on loan to the Associated Bank (originally, "Kellogg National Bank") in its downtown Green Bay bank office lobby.

Unlike the Kellogg portrait, the origins of The Prodigal Son painting, and how it arrived in Green Bay, have remained a mystery until recently.  It has been discovered that the painting is approximately 250 years old, and its origins will now be revealed to the international art world and public.

At the unveiling, the Green Bay De Pere Antiquarian Society Research Committee, with assistance from international scholars, will, for the first time, reveal the artist of our painting “Hospitality/The Prodigal Son” and its correct name. This revelation will be of great interest to the international art world.

Although the unveiling is limited to private donors, a press conference will follow, and the exciting news will be released to the public and art world for the first time.

After the unveiling, The Prodigal Son painting will be on exhibit at the Neville Public Museum through January 9, 2011.

Learn more about these significant projects, other artifacts and art work purchased by the Antiquarian Society, and about the work of the Green Bay & De Pere Antiquarian Society at its website: http://www.antiquariansocietygbdp.org/restoring_art_36.html.

Some of the items from its collection have been loaned to Younkers museum, and the Smithsonian has also asked for some images to use as teaching aids.

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About The Green Bay & De Pere Antiquarian Society - http://www.antiquariansocietygbdp.org:

Founded in 1923, the Green Bay & De Pere Antiquarian Society is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. A small group of women dedicated to the history of Brown County, Wisconsin, its artifacts and early buildings, founded the group in order to preserve local history. Since its inception, the Society's policy has been to purchase, restore and loan artifacts to various organizations for display, use and/or storage.

Purchases and restoration projects have been made possible by private donors, afternoon teas, various fund raising campaigns, and an Annual Holiday & Antique Show & Sale held in the Green Bay, Wisconsin area.

The Society has also gifted, through a Grant Program, over $500,000 to local historical organizations. For more information, please visit our website.