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It’s a Man’s World: The Collections of the Male Garretts

Location: Evergreen Museum and Library
Dates: November 1, 2008–March 31, 2009

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Description

This exhibition was curated by Matt Turtoro ’10, the second recipient of the Evergreen Museum and Library Student Curator Internship. It examined the collecting activities of three generations of men in the Garrett family, who owned and resided in Evergreen House, the Italianate mansion on North Charles Street that now belongs to Johns Hopkins. Turtoro studied the museum’s collections and archives, and scattered the resulting installations throughout the house. One room featured an unusual map of all the countries visited by John Work Garrett, Jr., during his lifetime: the map was painted on a floorcloth by Turtoro, with the assistance of Homewood House Manager Mary Plumber. Other sections of the exhibition highlighted the Garretts’ interest in coins, prints, and East Asian decorative arts, and exhibit artifacts from their travels and correspondence. 

This curatorial experience allowed Matt to blend his fascination with history and the arts, to do in-depth research into the sources available at Evergreen, and to interpret them in an imaginative and engaging way for the public. 

Watch the video on YouTube