Thanks to an enduring passion for art, Jennifer Schooley played an integral part in forming our thriving community of art enthusiasts in the early 2000’s. Today, Jennifer serves as the Chair of the Canvas Advisory Board.
Why Canvas? Ms. Schooley explains, “Canvas members range from people whose curiosity about art is just beginning to people who have had a lifetime passion. This collection of people interacting together allows us all to grow. A newcomer’s comment may provoke a long-time art enthusiast to question their own perspective, allowing them both to develop a greater understanding of an artist’s motives or style.”
Canvas was the brainchild of former VMFA Director Michael Brand and his wife, Tina, who realized that the museum needed to address the interests of people in their 30’s and 40’s who were deeply interested in art and wanted something more than mere social programming. The group was initially called the Gallery Society, but soon changed its name to Canvas, an acronym for “ContemporarieS for Art iN VirginiA.” Through the years, membership has steadily increased as a result of highly successful programs such as artist’s talks, curator and scholar lectures, and private tours of corporate and personal collections.
Access to a collector’s art is one of the highlights of Ms. Schooley’s Canvas experience. A visit to the home of John and Julia Curtis in Williamsburg in 2002 was particularly memorable. After a short ride on a charter bus and a talk by John and Julia, the group was free to peruse the couple’s collection of Chinese porcelains and ceramics spanning several dynasties. “For me, this event really showed what a lifetime of collecting can create. It wasn’t necessarily about the specific style or period–although the pieces from the Han and Tang dynasties were unforgettable–but more the personal passion that these collectors demonstrated.”
Recently, the Canvas group had the pleasure of spending an evening in the amazing home of Ivan P. Jecklin, a member of VMFA’s Board of Trustees, and Allison P. Weinstein, both passionate collectors of contemporary photography. Ms. Schooley says, “I observed a number of guests who had never seen a collection of this caliber. I enjoyed watching the way people reacted to the art, particularly because I favor contemporary art myself. As with a dry red wine, some people have to grow to like it; but in this case there was an instant attraction.”
Ms. Schooley says that her professional life is enriched by art. As a trusts and estates lawyer, she has to be able to see and understand human relationships, feelings and emotions, in addition to knowing and advising on the law. In her mind, art is one of the most tangible, lasting expressions of that human emotion, and the relationships we have between one another and our society. Observing and analyzing art is another avenue to becoming a better counselor. She laughs as she says, “But I have to be satisfied with observing and appreciating it, because I certainly lack the talent to become a professional artist!”
To learn more about Canvas, please contact Sarah Hendricks at sarah.hendricks@vmfa.museum.