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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

MORRIS MUSEUM ANNOUNCES TEAPOT EXHIBIT

Teapots by Design: From the Collection of Unjeria C. Jackson, M.D.

carvdivorytpotWHEN: January 20–April 3, 2011; Wednes-day, Friday and Saturday, 11 AM to 5 PM; Thursday, 11 AM to 8 PM; and Sunday, 1-5 PM
WHERE:
Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road (at the corner of Columbia Turnpike) in Morristown
ADMISSION: $10 for adults and $7 for children, students and senior citizens. Admission is free for museum members and is free to the public every Thursday 5–8 PM
For more information, call 973.971.3700, or visit www.morrismuseum.org.

From teapots to tea leaf readings, visit the Morris Museum this winter to experience the warmth and beauty of tea. Over 150 teapots from the collection of Mendham, NJ resident Unjeria C. Jackson, MD, will be on view, ranging from classic Chinese styles to elegant Victorian designs to sleek contemporary versions in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and materials.

Listed below are special programs celebrating tea and its influences on culture scheduled at the Morris Museum this winter.

Opening reception
Thursday, January  20 | 6:30–9:00 PM | Tickets $15 | Call 973.971.3718
Enjoy tea-infused vodka and light refresh-ments at this private preview, and meet tea-pot collector Unjeria C. Jackson, MD., who will also be signing copies of her book, Teapots by Design.

Taking Tea: An Evening of British and American Culture
Thursday, February 3 | 5:30–7:00 PM | Fee: $20 | Call 973.971.3718
Join Karen Ann Kurlander, Morris County Historical Society, for an enlightening discussion on the impact ‘taking tea’ has had on British and American culture. The origins of afternoon tea, tea etiquette, and the role of tea in expanding women’s rights are a few topics that will be examined. Tea and traditional refreshments will be served.
Pre-registration is required; please call 973.971.3718 to reserve your space.

Tot Tour—Teapots
Friday, February 18 | 10 AM | Free with museum admission
This program is for very young children, ages 2-5, and their caregivers. Participants will go on a scavenger hunt to learn about different kinds of teapots, and then play a Victorian children’s game. Pre-registration is not required.

Collector’s Afternoon Tea
Sunday, February 27 | 12–1 PM | Free with museum admission
Take tea and sample traditional tea refreshments during this special afternoon with teapot collector Unjeria C. Jackson, MD. Dr. Jackson will talk about tea history and social traditions. Pre-registration is required to reserve your space; please call 973.971.3718.

Tea and the Reading of Tea Leaves
Saturday, March 26 | 1–2:30 PM | Fee: $20 | Call 973.971.3718

Judith Krall-Russo, food historian and tea specialist, will lead this fun and informative workshop. Discover the history of this ancient beverage and why it is so well loved. Participants will learn how to ‘read’ tea leaves and the meaning behind various symbols. Please bring your own teacup for tea leaf readings. Pre-registration is required.

About the exhibition: Exploring the everyday object of a teapot makes the exhibition accessible and invites visitors to experience teapots on different levels (function, design, material, craft), and to recall favorite ‘tea memories’. Organized into seven sections, the exhibition features fine china; porcelain and stoneware; blue and white and white with accents of gold and silver; metal; musical and whimsical; miniatures and contemporary hand-crafted pieces.

About the collector: Unjeria C. Jackson, MD, began collecting teapots in 1994 when she was buying antique furniture for her home. Her collection has since expanded to over 1,400 teapots.  Teapots by Design at the Morris Museum represents the first time Dr. Jackson’s teapots have been exhibited to the public and she anticipates that this exhibition will provide an opportunity for new audiences to appreciate the beauty and artistic value of teapots.

Dr. Jackson is the author of the book Teapots by Design: A Collectors’ Catalogue (Schiffer Publishing, 2006), which includes 450 teapots from her collection, and for which she took all of the photographs. The catalogue is available for purchase in the Museum Shop.

An avid tea drinker, Dr. Jackson uses many of the pots in her collection for brewing tea, although some are decorative works of art not intended for use. Dr. Jackson grew up in a family of tea drinkers in New Orleans, a city renowned for its signature blend of coffee with chicory. She continued the practice of “taking tea” through college and medical school, and today she enjoys using her teapot collection to prepare a range of different types of teas. Current favorites include whole leaf Yunnan and English Breakfast teas.

Unjeria C. Jackson, MD recently retired from an ob/gyn medical practice with a subspecialty in maternal fetal medicine; she was affiliated with Morristown Memorial Hospital for 19 years. Dr. Jackson lives in Mendham, NJ, with her husband Larry Thompson and their daughters.

About the Morris Museum: The Morris Museum explores and celebrates the arts, sciences, history and theater through exhibitions, educational programs, performing arts and special events. Founded in 1913, the museum serves over 200,000 adults and children each year.  This exhibition was made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; the F.M. Kirby Foundation and private donations.