David P. Becker's Passion for Prints

"The Reader" 1892 lithograph by Odilon Redon

This is Gallery Talk WMPG's window into the world of art w/host Lars

David Becker is a Bowdoin College Grad, Trustee and advocate.  His philanthropy was generous and vision profound.  While at Bowdoin he made it a personal quest to expand the Museums holdings of original print art and also helped in visioning the expansion of the Museum building to it's current layout.  David passed away in 2010, a  loss to family and community.  As to his wishes he bequeathed his personal print art collection to the university, over 1500 print art pieces.  The current exhibit at the Bowdoin Art Museum is titled Printmaking ABC in memorium to David Becker.  It honors the print as a vehicle of communication and is a thin cross section of the vast collection that Becker so dedicated his being to. 

L.Baskin Hiroshima man

David saw art and particularly print art as perhaps the greatest form of communication, a great resource for teaching any variety of subjects.  He understood the effect of art on idea & ideals. His passion has almost obsession as he was driven to increase print resources and saw the influence of art as a vehicle to inoculate the student with ideas and to invigorate thought.  The elegant beauty of Becker's vision is these ideas spawn by art would be carried by students to peer groups and as they graduated out into the world.    If asked could the power of the print influence the future in a positive way?  Becker most certainly would resound yes!

Bowdoin college's seventh president William Dewitt Hyde penned an iconic description of Bowdoin's liberal arts education, he called it the “The Offer of the College,”  The “Offer” eloquently describes the aspirations of education as presented to the students:

The Chapel on Bowdoin's Central Quad

TO BE AT HOME in all lands and all ages;
To count Nature a familiar acquaintance,
And Art an intimate friend;
To gain a standard for the appreciation of others’ work
And the criticism of your own;
To carry the keys of the world’s library in your pocket,
And feel its resources behind you in whatever task you undertake;
To make hosts of friends...
Who are to be leaders in all walks of life;
To lose yourself in generous enthusiasms
And cooperate with others for common ends —
This is the offer of the college for the best four years of your life.

I didn't know David Becker personally, what I do know is that I count 
myself fortunate to have the opportunity to experience the treasures of his
 vision and carry away with me more than I started with. 

   Why go see Printmaking ABC In Memoriam  David P. Becker

  at Bowdoin College's Museum of Art?

Go because your good mind needs good art! 

The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community.  The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine
90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/

The Printmaking ABC exhibition is showing 
through March 24, 2013

Bowdoin College Museum of Art
9400 College St, Brunswick, Maine

Museum Hours

Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Closed on Mondays and national holidays.
The Bowdoin College Museum of Art is open to the public free of charge, although donations are welcome. The Museum is wheelchair accessible through the Pavilion entrance. Bowdoin College Museum of Art is a member of The Maine Art Museum Trail