Of Accidental Origin Curatorial Statement

Of Accidental Origin 

Saltonstall House Curatorial Project, 2017-2018 

Fueled by Art Advisory Board meetings, Art Department consultations, and unanimous votes, Lamont Gallery director, John Wharton, drafted an argument for the sale of the permanent collection in 1977.  From its  beginnings, the Lamont Gallery was meant to serve the community through hosting educational, traveling exhibitions.  Collecting and maintaining artwork was not in the mission statement, but yet, in 1977, Mr. Wharton found himself with an unwieldy, unorganized collection.  

Then comprised mostly of 18th century British prints and paintings, Mr. Wharton believed that collection was too specific, and perhaps, “too overwhelming” for high school students to “explore as thoroughly as it demands.” The majority of the collection did not leave its basement storage due to the belief that the collection was “too random and disjointed to contribute shows to the Lamont Gallery which might have general educational value.”

 He thought that the collection could “be used for instruction and placed on permanent exhibition,” but “[the] Academy, however, probably for pragmatic financial reasons, did not see the possibility of providing space, personnel, and budget to match those objectives.” Therefore, without the personnel and budget to maintain the permanent collection, it “remained in the limbo of storage,” according to Mr. Wharton. The collection, was largely neglected not out of spite, but because of the unmanageable and disorganized challenge it became.

Although presently it may be, as Mr. Wharton described it in 1977, “for the most part, of accidental origin,” the collection is a valuable teaching device today, as it has proven with this student-run exhibition, ironically titled, Of Accidental Origin. Interested in the Lamont Gallery’s collection of art, a team of a students have embarked on this project to curate a show from the permanent collection.  Sifting through the collection and its oddities, students discovered objects of intrigue— from Indonesian swords, ceremonial masks from Cameroon, to prints by Miró and Hiroshige.  Through their research, they attempted to answer questions like, What is this? Where does this come from? Why does the Lamont Gallery have this? What does it mean to have this? These talented students include: Jacob ’19, Maya ’18, Ellie ’18, Gabby ’18, Charles ’18, Magisha ’18, Alexandra ’19, Belle ’18, Tara ’19, Wendi ’18,  Kofi ’17, Craig ’17, Honor ’17, Brandon ’17, and Robyn ’17.

Disjointed and random in nature, the collection provides a diverse look at the gallery’s past collecting patterns; it’s a nucleus for critical thinking and problem solving.  Since the Lamont Gallery archive offers little insight to the objects’ provenance, the students utilized the research tactics they have learned at the Harkness table for a real-world, fact finding endeavor.  Instead of learning from a finished product, like an educational exhibition as Mr. Wharton hoped for, the students were able to actively learn from the curatorial process. 

Since most of the planning for Of Accidental Origin occurred outside of a classroom and in the students’ free time, it seems only fitting that the exhibition take place outside of the Lamont Gallery.  A space for 

campus-wide afternoon teas and a haven of alumni and Trustee meetings, Principal MacFarlane’s Dining Room in Saltonstall House is one of the most public, yet private rooms on the Phillips Exeter Academy campus.  From seclusion to showcase, the collection will be on view in the dining room for those who are united by their 

connection to Exeter, but diverse in their ages, backgrounds, and points of view.  

Visitors are invited to reflect on this facet of Exeter’s history and to see the collection, no longer stuck behind storage, revitalized with life and educational purpose. 

Wharton's original letter from 1977, arguing for the sale of the permanent collection.