Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/895657
46 November 2 • 2017 jn A displayed ceramic bowl, complet- ed by a woman who escaped the Nazis, inspired a decades-long ceramics collection that has enriched the holdings of two museums. The piece, by Lucie Rie, who moved to England when Austria was being overtaken, was shown at a Boston gal- lery in 1984 and caught the eye of Sidney Swidler as he was out for a stroll. Swidler, then a former Detroiter and now returned to the metro area, was so impressed with the piece, already sold but not yet delivered, that he looked for other ceramics to enhance his home. That interest grew to a collection of more than 1,200 works, many donated to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento and others recently gifted to the Flint Institute of Arts (FIA), where 50 of 112 pieces will be on display through March 18 in an exhibit titled "The Art of Containment: Vessels from the Sidney Swidler Collection." The exhibit inaugurates the Ann K. Walch-Chan Gallery following a month- long closure at the museum. The display will be joined by "Size Matters: Big & Small Works from the FIA Collection," which explores artistic scale, and "The Eccentric Vision of William Stolpin," which presents a varied approach to printmaking. "The bowl by Lucie Rie was strikingly beautiful," recalls Swidler, a retired archi- tect soon to celebrate his 90th birthday. "At that time, she was one of the most famous Western potters in the world. She died in the 1990s, and prices for her work have skyrocketed. "Within a week of seeing that bowl, I went out and bought a bowl by a Boston potter. I kept on buying without realizing I was becoming a collector." Although most of the ceramics given to Flint are by American-born art- ists, such as a cup and saucer by Chris Arensdorf, there is some representation of international heritage — as examples, a vase by David Pellerin from Canada and a jar by Akira Satake from Japan. "I have collected what I find beautiful, and I don't let too many outside opinions affect me," Swidler explains. "My tastes have changed, but I still love some of the older pieces that I don't have anymore. "Although I do discuss pottery and am affected by that in some way, I've had very few regrets. There are no more than a half-dozen pieces I regret having bought." Swidler, who graduated from Central High School, majored in English at Wayne State University before earning an architectural degree from North Carolina State University. His career focused on contemporary designs and brought him into the realm of both homes and massive projects, such as the Verrazano Narrows Bridge that goes across New York Harbor. "I gave 800 pieces to the Crocker Museum in 2009 because I was getting on in years," says Swidler, who moved to Bloomfield Hills to be near relatives. "I chose the Crocker because administra- tors met my requirements. "The museum published a beautiful, coffee-table catalog with a hard cover and everything in color. I've talked to many young potters out of school, and they told me a number of ceramic schools use it as a textbook. It has 800 pictures of a wide variety of pots." Swidler's requirements, also met in Art Of Containment e x h i b i t arts&life 46 November 2 • 2017 jn ce th to ov ler Sw no im bu ot m th an In 11 M Co Sw W lon wi Sm wh Ec wh A local collector of ceramic vessels donates pieces to the FIA — where a portion is now on display. SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER details "The Art of Containment: Vessels from the Sidney Swidler Collection" will be on view through March 18 at the Flint Institute of Arts. $5-$7 Sundays-Fridays; free Saturdays; free every day for those 12 and younger. (810) 234-1695; flintarts.org. LEFT: William Kidd, Crusty Vessel, 2003, earthenware. TOP: Brett Freund, Gem Pot, 2015, porcelain.