For decades, a self-admittedly “quirky obsession” has compelled well-known and beloved food writer Kathleen Thompson Hill, to seek out and comb through the back roads of California amassing a unique, one-of-a-kind collection of the tools and ephemera of our kitchens. Individually and collectively, the collection pays homage and respect to the evolution of design, beauty and utility of each and every gadget used to create masterpieces of culinary delight.
From a two-century-old, hand-held wooden juicer to an equally old English cheese grater, her collection includes an abundance of culinary ephemera as diverse as restaurant menus and matchbooks to advertisements, food pamphlets, signs and food labels—all objects that provoke and evoke their own story reminding us of a simpler time in the world’s perpetually evolving attempts to speed up and improve food preparation.
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art is honored to present Kitchen Memories: The Kathleen Thompson Hill Culinary Collection, September 7–December 1, 2013. The Sonoma culinary community is at the top of the field of innovative, healthful and creative cuisine. “This exhibition will be both a nostalgic journey into our kitchen memories as well as an education about the excellent design of historic and contemporary culinary tools.” says Kate Eilertsen, Director and Chief Curator for the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art.
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The kitchen for many is the heart of the home, with the gadgets hung on walls and hidden in drawers contributing to the full warmth associated with this part of our homes. The tools in hand and the sustenance they deliciously provide on family tables, along with the memories they evoke are represented in The Kathleen Thompson Hill Culinary Collection. Through this exhibition everyone can remember and reminisce about their personal scenery, scents, smiles and stories of the kitchen.
Food has always been a subject of great fascination for artists. Contemporary artists Wayne Thiebaud and Joseph Goldyne skillfully capture the intrinsic beauty and essence of food. These paintings and prints by Thiebaud and Goldyne will highlight the playful aspects of food, as we know it today. Six colorful paintings of cakes, candy and other fanciful food images by Thiebaud, will be seen alongside Goldyne’s series of “sandwich” paintings. This petite but powerful exhibition will highlight Kitchen Memories: the Kathleen Thompson Hill Culinary Collection exhibition of kitchen utensils from our past to the present.
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Complementing the exhibitions will be a series of cooking programs, films and interactive projects for people of all ages.
About Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
