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{{Short description|American artist and museum director (1926–2010)}} |
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'''Thomas Scharman Buechner''' (pronounced BEAK-ner; September 25, 1926 – June 13, 2010) was an |
'''Thomas Scharman Buechner''' (pronounced BEAK-ner; September 25, 1926 – June 13, 2010) was an artist who turned to working at museums. After working for New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, he became the founding director of the [[Corning Museum of Glass]], and later director of the [[Brooklyn Museum]], where he oversaw a major transformation in its operation and displays, before returning to Corning. |
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==Early life and education== |
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Buechner was born in [[Manhattan]] on September 25, 1926. He was raised in [[Bronxville, New York]] and attended the [[Lawrenceville School]] in [[Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey]]. After completing high school he was assigned to attend a training program at [[Princeton University]] as part of his service in the [[United States Navy]]. After completing his military service he spent a year working for the [[Puerto Rico]] tourism board so that he could learn the [[Spanish language]]. He came back to New York City, working as a night elevator operator at the [[Plaza Hotel]] while he studied at the [[Art Students League of New York]].<ref name=NYTObit/> He studied at the [[École des Beaux-Arts]] in Paris and under M.M. van Dantzig in [[Amsterdam]].<ref name=Profile>[http://www.tombuechner.com/biography.html Thomas S. Buechner profile], personal website. Accessed June 19, 2010.</ref> |
Buechner was born in [[Manhattan]] on September 25, 1926. He was raised in [[Bronxville, New York]] and attended the [[Lawrenceville School]] in [[Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey]]. After completing high school, he was assigned to attend a training program at [[Princeton University]] as part of his service in the [[United States Navy]]. After completing his military service he spent a year working for the [[Puerto Rico]] tourism board so that he could learn the [[Spanish language]]. He came back to New York City, working as a night elevator operator at the [[Plaza Hotel]] while he studied at the [[Art Students League of New York]].<ref name=NYTObit/> He studied at the [[École des Beaux-Arts]] in Paris and under M.M. van Dantzig in [[Amsterdam]].<ref name=Profile>[http://www.tombuechner.com/biography.html Thomas S. Buechner profile], personal website. Accessed June 19, 2010.</ref> |
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==Professional career== |
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| ⚫ | In 1951, he was named as the founding director of the [[Corning Museum of Glass]] in [[Corning (city), New York|Corning, New York]] which he created as a place where historic and modern glass works were displayed. Many of the exhibits he developed went on tour to other museums around the country. He established the ''[[Journal of Glass Studies]]'', which covers the history of glassmaking to the mid-20th century and ''[[New Glass Review]]'', "an annual survey of glass in contemporary art, architecture, craft, and design".<ref name=NYTObit/><ref>[http://www.cmog.org/dynamic.aspx?id=274 ''Journal of Glass Studies''], [[Corning Museum of Glass]]. Accessed June 19, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.cmog.org/dynamic.aspx?id=272 ''New Glass Review''], [[Corning Museum of Glass]]. Accessed June 19, 2010.</ref> |
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After studying painting in Europe, Buechner returned to the United States and took a position as an assistant manager at the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] as a way to have a career in art without being an artist.<ref name=NYTObit>Grimes, William. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/arts/design/18buechner.html "Thomas S. Buechner, Former Director of Brooklyn Museum, Dies at 83"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 17, 2010. Accessed June 19, 2010.</ref> |
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| ⚫ | In 1951, aged 25, he was named as the founding director of the [[Corning Museum of Glass]] in [[Corning (city), New York|Corning, New York]] which he created as a place where historic and modern glass works were displayed. Many of the exhibits he developed went on tour to other museums around the country. He also established the peer-reviewed ''[[Journal of Glass Studies]]'', which covers the history of glassmaking to the mid-20th century, and ''[[New Glass Review]]'', "an annual survey of glass in contemporary art, architecture, craft, and design".<ref name=NYTObit/><ref>[http://www.cmog.org/dynamic.aspx?id=274 ''Journal of Glass Studies''], [[Corning Museum of Glass]]. Accessed June 19, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.cmog.org/dynamic.aspx?id=272 ''New Glass Review''], [[Corning Museum of Glass]]. Accessed June 19, 2010.</ref> |
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| ⚫ | He was named as director of the [[Brooklyn Museum]] in 1960, making him, at 33, one of the youngest |
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| ⚫ | He was named as director of the [[Brooklyn Museum]] in 1960, making him, at 33, one of the youngest directors of a prominent museum in the country.<ref name=NYTObit/><ref>Staff. [https://www.nytimes.com/1960/04/29/archives/new-director-is-named-by-brooklyn-museum.html "New Director Is Named By Brooklyn Museum"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', April 29, 1960. Accessed June 19, 2010.</ref> There he oversaw a program in which the museum's storage and display standards were upgraded, and many of the thousand works that had been languishing in storage were placed on view to the public. A sculpture garden he created displayed such items as capitals from [[Louis Sullivan]]'s [[Bayard-Condict Building]]. He rescued sculptures by [[Daniel Chester French]] representing Brooklyn and Manhattan which had sat at the Brooklyn plaza of the [[Manhattan Bridge]] and that were removed as part of construction on the bridge's approaches, and placed them at the entrance to the museum.<ref name=NYTObit/><ref>Buechner, Thomas S. [http://www.nationalsculpture.org/sr_back_issues/detail.cfm?issue_id=19643 "Successful Relocation of Important Sculpture"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926234206/http://www.nationalsculpture.org/sr_back_issues/detail.cfm?issue_id=19643 |date=2011-09-26 }}, ''[[Sculpture Review]]'', Summer 1964. Accessed June 19, 2010.</ref> Buechner requested that the city give the sculptures to the museum after they were threatened with destruction as part of a project to connect the bridge to expressways on either side of the [[East River]].<ref>Staff. [https://www.nytimes.com/1961/06/02/archives/museum-makes-bid-for-art-at-bridge.html "MUSEUM MAKES BID FOR ART AT BRIDGE"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 2, 1961. Accessed June 19, 2010.</ref> |
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He was hired by [[Corning Glass]] in 1971, where he served as president of the firm's [[Steuben Glass]] division from 1973 to 1982, and headed the Glass Museum there from 1973 to 1980. |
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==Later life and legacy== |
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| ⚫ | He retired from Corning in 1987 and devoted his time to painting, including a portrait of [[Alice Tully]] that is on display in the foyer of [[Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts|Lincoln Center's]] [[Alice Tully Hall]].<ref name=NYTObit/> Lincoln Center had commissioned Buechner to paint the full-length portrait in honor of Tully's 85th birthday.<ref>Kozinn, Allan. [https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/11/obituaries/alice-tully-is-dead-at-91-lifelong-patron-of-the-arts.html "Alice Tully Is Dead at 91; Lifelong Patron of the Arts"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 11, 1993. Accessed June 19, 2010.</ref> |
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Buechner died of [[lymphoma]] at age 83 on June 13, 2010, in his home in Corning, New York. He was survived by his wife, the former Mary Hawkins, as well as by a daughter, two sons and seven grandchildren.<ref name=NYTObit/> |
Buechner died of [[lymphoma]] at age 83 on June 13, 2010, in his home in Corning, New York. He was survived by his wife, the former Mary Hawkins, as well as by a daughter, two sons and seven grandchildren.<ref name=NYTObit/> |
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Buechner was second cousin of the writer [[William Zinsser]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/two-men-and-a-portrait-151215221/|title=Two Men and a Portrait|first=William|last=Zinsser|website=Smithsonian Magazine}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:1926 births]] |
[[Category:1926 births]] |
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[[Category:Directors of museums in the United States]] |
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[[Category:Princeton University alumni]] |
[[Category:Princeton University alumni]] |
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[[Category:American alumni of the École des Beaux-Arts]] |
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[[Category:Directors of museums in the United States]] |
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[[Category:People associated with the Corning Museum of Glass]] |
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Latest revision as of 03:04, 22 December 2023
Thomas Scharman Buechner (pronounced BEAK-ner; September 25, 1926 – June 13, 2010) was an artist who turned to working at museums. After working for New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, he became the founding director of the Corning Museum of Glass, and later director of the Brooklyn Museum, where he oversaw a major transformation in its operation and displays, before returning to Corning.
Early life and education
[edit]Buechner was born in Manhattan on September 25, 1926. He was raised in Bronxville, New York and attended the Lawrenceville School in Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey. After completing high school, he was assigned to attend a training program at Princeton University as part of his service in the United States Navy. After completing his military service he spent a year working for the Puerto Rico tourism board so that he could learn the Spanish language. He came back to New York City, working as a night elevator operator at the Plaza Hotel while he studied at the Art Students League of New York.[1] He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and under M.M. van Dantzig in Amsterdam.[2]
Professional career
[edit]After studying painting in Europe, Buechner returned to the United States and took a position as an assistant manager at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a way to have a career in art without being an artist.[1]
In 1951, aged 25, he was named as the founding director of the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York which he created as a place where historic and modern glass works were displayed. Many of the exhibits he developed went on tour to other museums around the country. He also established the peer-reviewed Journal of Glass Studies, which covers the history of glassmaking to the mid-20th century, and New Glass Review, "an annual survey of glass in contemporary art, architecture, craft, and design".[1][3][4]
He was named as director of the Brooklyn Museum in 1960, making him, at 33, one of the youngest directors of a prominent museum in the country.[1][5] There he oversaw a program in which the museum's storage and display standards were upgraded, and many of the thousand works that had been languishing in storage were placed on view to the public. A sculpture garden he created displayed such items as capitals from Louis Sullivan's Bayard-Condict Building. He rescued sculptures by Daniel Chester French representing Brooklyn and Manhattan which had sat at the Brooklyn plaza of the Manhattan Bridge and that were removed as part of construction on the bridge's approaches, and placed them at the entrance to the museum.[1][6] Buechner requested that the city give the sculptures to the museum after they were threatened with destruction as part of a project to connect the bridge to expressways on either side of the East River.[7]
He was hired by Corning Glass in 1971, where he served as president of the firm's Steuben Glass division from 1973 to 1982, and headed the Glass Museum there from 1973 to 1980.
Later life and legacy
[edit]He retired from Corning in 1987 and devoted his time to painting, including a portrait of Alice Tully that is on display in the foyer of Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall.[1] Lincoln Center had commissioned Buechner to paint the full-length portrait in honor of Tully's 85th birthday.[8]
Buechner died of lymphoma at age 83 on June 13, 2010, in his home in Corning, New York. He was survived by his wife, the former Mary Hawkins, as well as by a daughter, two sons and seven grandchildren.[1]
Buechner was second cousin of the writer William Zinsser.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Grimes, William. "Thomas S. Buechner, Former Director of Brooklyn Museum, Dies at 83", The New York Times, June 17, 2010. Accessed June 19, 2010.
- ^ Thomas S. Buechner profile, personal website. Accessed June 19, 2010.
- ^ Journal of Glass Studies, Corning Museum of Glass. Accessed June 19, 2010.
- ^ New Glass Review, Corning Museum of Glass. Accessed June 19, 2010.
- ^ Staff. "New Director Is Named By Brooklyn Museum", The New York Times, April 29, 1960. Accessed June 19, 2010.
- ^ Buechner, Thomas S. "Successful Relocation of Important Sculpture" Archived 2011-09-26 at the Wayback Machine, Sculpture Review, Summer 1964. Accessed June 19, 2010.
- ^ Staff. "MUSEUM MAKES BID FOR ART AT BRIDGE", The New York Times, June 2, 1961. Accessed June 19, 2010.
- ^ Kozinn, Allan. "Alice Tully Is Dead at 91; Lifelong Patron of the Arts", The New York Times, December 11, 1993. Accessed June 19, 2010.
- ^ Zinsser, William. "Two Men and a Portrait". Smithsonian Magazine.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1926 births
- People from Bronxville, New York
- Art Students League of New York alumni
- Princeton University alumni
- American alumni of the École des Beaux-Arts
- Directors of museums in the United States
- People associated with the Corning Museum of Glass
- People from Corning, New York
- 2010 deaths
- Deaths from lymphoma in New York (state)