Academics
Private School Arts Program
Alexandra Alevizatos Kirtley ’83 Brings History to Present Day with Art Exhibit at PMA
“Always look up in Europe” was advice given to Alexandra Alevizatos Kirtley ‘83 by longtime Calvert School art teacher, Mrs. Virginia Keene , who captivated students with early forays into art history. Like generations of students who lay on the bright orange and green cushions in the library, Mrs. Kirtley has fond memories of being transported around the world with the stories that the art told. Her parents took her brother Chris ’76, her sister Dolly ’80, and her on trips to Europe at a young age—and not only was she sure to take Mrs. Keene’s recommendation about Europe’s ceilings, but she also recognized art from those lessons. After Calvert, Mrs. Kirtley graduated from Roland Park Country School, where an art history class with Elana Vikan set her on her career path. A healthy dose of further education in art history in college and graduate school and more travel lead her to a curatorial post at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where she has enjoyed an accomplished 15-year (and counting) career as The Montgomery-Garvan Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA).
Mrs. Keene’s art class coupled with Calvert’s geography and history curriculum—starting with Hillyer’s history of the world in Ninth Age—laid the foundation for Mrs. Kirtley. She learned that art history connects many disciplines, and to this day, Mrs. Kirtley carries with her Calvert School skills. Without her strong grammar and writing skills, along with her public speaking abilities, she would not be able to convey effectively what she is sharing with the public in presentations (she lectures around the country and abroad) and written scholarship (she is the author of numerous books and articles). When installing in galleries at the PMA, she chooses works of art that tell a story visually—just like Mrs. Keene did with the slides. One of Mrs. Kirtley’s favorite Calvert memories (outside of the lifelong friendships she developed) includes drawing freehand maps in geography lessons, part of the strong roots so characteristic in a Calvert education.
Mrs. Kirtley brings the art of the classical revival in early 19th century America to the present day in her current exhibition, Classical Splendor: Painted Furniture for a Grand Philadelphia House. This acclaimed exhibition , which runs from September 3 to January 1, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), showcases a sumptuously painted and gilded set of furniture (including this country’s earliest Klismos chairs) designed by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe in 1808 for the Philadelphia house of William and Mary Waln. B. Henry Latrobe was a well-known architect and some of his most celebrated (and extant) works include Baltimore’s own Basilica (the first Roman Catholic Church in America) as well as parts of the United States Capitol. Latrobe’s ties to the Baltimore-area still run deep in present day. Latrobe’s sons and grandsons carried on his legacy, becoming civil engineers and a noted lawyer and civil activist. Latrobe Park located in South Baltimore is named after his grandson, Charles Hazlehurst Latrobe.
If you would like to see Mrs. Kirtley’s exhibition with fellow Calvert alumni, please join us for a regional alumni event in October, which will take place at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For more information on the alumni event, please contact Carly Slagel.
For information on the exhibition or the exhibition catalogue (published by PMA and Yale University Press), visit www.philamuseum.org
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Mrs. Kirtley brings the art of the classical revival in early 19th century America to the present day in her current exhibition, Classical Splendor: Painted Furniture for a Grand Philadelphia House. This acclaimed exhibition , which runs from September 3 to January 1, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), showcases a sumptuously painted and gilded set of furniture (including this country’s earliest Klismos chairs) designed by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe in 1808 for the Philadelphia house of William and Mary Waln. B. Henry Latrobe was a well-known architect and some of his most celebrated (and extant) works include Baltimore’s own Basilica (the first Roman Catholic Church in America) as well as parts of the United States Capitol. Latrobe’s ties to the Baltimore-area still run deep in present day. Latrobe’s sons and grandsons carried on his legacy, becoming civil engineers and a noted lawyer and civil activist. Latrobe Park located in South Baltimore is named after his grandson, Charles Hazlehurst Latrobe.
Henry Latrobe’s furniture for the Walns transformed Philadelphia’s, and even America’s, interpretation of classical art. “Mrs. Waln’s dressing room was more like an apartment in an Eastern fairy tale, than a Phila parlor”, wrote Rebecca Gratz. With such a rich history, an affinity for classical art, and pushing the boundaries of the times along with local ties, it is easy to see why Mrs. Kirtley has spent countless hours researching and writing about such a spectacular set of furniture for her current exhibit.
Curating a large exhibition at one of the country’s largest art museums is no easy task. Mrs. Kirtley has spent years shaping the exhibition with intense research, while conservator Peggy A. Olley treated the furniture’s painted and gilded surfaces. In addition to her work on Classical Splendor, Mrs. Kirtley is also writing a catalogue of the early American furniture at the PMA, which will be published in 2020. Mrs. Kirtley’s passion for art history allows her to tell these stories and share her wealth of knowledge with the public. Calvert School provided Alexandra with her curiosity in art history; her passion and drive allowed her to become a master in the field.
If you would like to see Mrs. Kirtley’s exhibition with fellow Calvert alumni, please join us for a regional alumni event in October, which will take place at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For more information on the alumni event, please contact Carly Slagel.
For information on the exhibition or the exhibition catalogue (published by PMA and Yale University Press), visit www.philamuseum.org
Calvert School is a coed independent lower and middle school.
