THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS
By David Whitehouse
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 0810967103


The Corning Museum opened in 1951 with a collection of around 2,000 select pieces celebrating the art of glass making. Today it boasts over 35,000 objects, many donated from private collections, as well as a library of nearly 70,000 volumes on the history of glass. David Whitehouse has assembled a gorgeous display of over 200 items in this newest publication, featuring the museum, subtitled "A Decade of Glass Collecting, 1990-1999." While it focuses on the most recent acquisitions, the pieces represent the finest in glass work from the first century BC to the present.

Examples of blown, etched, enameled, and cut glass from all over the world adorn the pages. You'll find Venetian glassware, Osler chandeliers, Steuben vases, and Saint-Louis paperweights. There are elaborately jeweled bags, stained glass windows, amazing sculptures, and ironically, a set of the original Pyrex bakeware like Grandma used to have (which has become a "collectible").

Although the museum is dedicated to acquiring an outstanding representation of all forms of glass artistry --- it is, in fact, the most prestigious collection in the world --- it also serves an educational function with it's studio designed to teach students the art. And in an expanded vision that will continue into the new century, the Corning Museum has opened an Innovation Center to highlight the scientific and technological advances in glass making and the variety of uses for glass in our world today.

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SISTER WENDY'S AMERICAN COLLECTION
By Sister Wendy Beckett
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060195568


Already considered one of the world's most beloved art critics, Sister Wendy has won even more accolades for her popular art series on PBS. In her newest book, she takes us on a visual tour of six major US art museums, highlighting some of her favorite works of art. With a witty and insightful narrative, we're given a brief background of the relevant artists, an education on techniques, a focus on details, and some history behind the creations themselves. Far from a dry, documentary-style presentation, Sister Wendy punctuates her tour with bits of wisdom and humor, as in the commentary regarding a finely crafted chest of drawers by John Cogswell:

"I take pleasure in the thought that this aloof, glowing piece of furniture presided over the revels of a group of 18th-century college students."

Included in the 250 illustrations are paintings, sculptures, furniture, ceramics, and more, representing the finest pieces of art from the museums of New York, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Fort Worth, and Los Angeles. SISTER WENDY'S AMERICAN COLLECTION is soon to be aired as a PBS miniseries.

MODERN CONTEMPORARY ART
By Kirk Varnedoe, Paola Antonelli, Joshua Siegel
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 0810962144


The Museum of Modern Art in New York City has always been a beacon to those interested in contemporary and experimental art. The millions of visitors who flock to MoMA have witnessed the museum's collection of early modern art, but have yet to see its extensive holdings in the contemporary collection --- until now. With the publication of this book, for the first time art aficionados will be able to see the breadth and scope of MoMA's post 1980s collection. The beautifully illustrated book is filled with more than 700 illustrations, 600 in full color. An eclectic blend of artists are included such as Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Jasper Jones, Damien Hirst, Kiki Smith, Ed Ruscha, among many others.

HEARST CASTLE: The Biography of a Country House
By Victoria Kastner
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 0810934159

The first full view of the Hearst house in this beautiful volume makes it appear to be floating on clouds of fantasy, and indeed, this opulent mansion has long been the subject of mystery and legend. But contrary to the dark, foreboding edifice portrayed in Citizen Kane, Hearst Castle is one of the most preeminent pieces of architecture of the 20th century. A 28-year collaboration between William Randolph Hearst and the architect Julie Morgan, it was opened to the public in 1958 and has been preserved for posterity as the Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument, drawing enormous crowds of visitors each year.

Kastner has chronicled the history of this 165-room home and the legendary Hearst family through extensive research drawn from the reminiscences of the Castle's celebrated guests to the vast correspondence that passed between Hearst and Morgan during the construction process. The eccentricities of Hearst unfold in the intriguing narration illustrated with nearly 260 historic photos, architectural sketches, and full color plates of the castle and the surrounding 250,000-acre estate.

The grandeur of its design often reflects almost comical contradictions. For example, Hearst's extensive art collection continuously outgrew its accommodations, resulting in inconveniences like guestrooms without any closet space. Hearst, himself, was a puzzling mix of aristocrat and commoner. While he might spend a fortune having the grounds planted with flowers overnight to surprise his guests with in the morning, his extravagant dining table might have a row of ordinary Heinz ketchup bottles marching down its length.

The mythical Hollywood parties; the wealth of eclectic art; the continuous evolution of design; the gorgeous vistas populated by lions, gazelles, monkeys, and macaws --- it isn't hard to understand why the magnificent Hearst Castle captured the imagination of the American public and has continued to do so for nearly a century.