An imaginary tour through the houses and offices of Cincinnati's most prominent private art collectors might turn up some familiar names: Henry Farny, Frank Duveneck, Jim Dine, Rookwood Pottery.

Chaim Soutine's 'View of Ceret' was a gift from the Sara Lee Corp. | ZOOM |

        Judging by the themes of some recent museum exhibitions, Cincinnati's taste in art is limited to a small number of favorite sons and daughters.

        Actually, local interests are as individual and diverse as art itself. This is proved by Cincinnati Art Museum's Treasures for a Queen: A Millennium Gift to Cincinnati. A show of recent gifts and bequests that spans time periods and categories, it is a portrait of an adventurous and broad-minded group of collectors as well as a tribute to their generosity.

        Although museums get some funding for acquisitions, its collections are filled mostly with the gifts of individuals, one work at a time. Treasures for a Queen is essentially a snapshot of the ongoing formation of the museum's holdings at one given moment.

        The show tells the story of collecting — how art makes its way from auction block or gallery, is filtered through the sensibilities of individuals who own and live with it and eventually hangs on a museum wall.

        Accompanying each work is a quote from the donor describing the details of the purchase as well as the personal relationship formed between collector and artwork.

Consulting curators

        Motivation to collect takes many forms. Some collectors have an aesthetic interest in one piece and get a thrill out of living with it every day. Others take a more scholarly approach, trying to gather a representative sample of one artist, time period or category. Still others simply love to acquire, always thinking about the next new addition.

        The museum staff often has a hand in this process. Someone interested in a particular work might ask an expert about its importance and value. In this way, curators get to know what is around and can draw on this mental image database when putting exhibits together and trying to add to the museum's permanent holdings.

        Curators sometimes take an even more active role, notifying collectors of available works that might be of interest to both parties. Longtime CAM curator of photography Dennis Kiel tells of advising collector Carl Jacobs of an Eliot Porter exhibit in New York. Mr. Jacobs purchased Porter's photo “Glen Canyon” and recently bequeathed it to the museum. p> A series of moments

        Treasures for a Queen was conceived two years ago by CAM curator Anita Ellis and spearheaded by Dr. George Rieveschl with his gift of the superb Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painting “Dodo with a Large Fan.”

        This major work, a first of its kind at the museum, created an incentive for others to follow suit. Dozens of people with known collections were contacted about participating. Others, hearing of the show, offered to give.

        Originally formulated as a small exhibit of about 20 works, it ended up at more than 100, including paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, decorative arts and couture clothing.

        Unlike thematic shows that reflect the interests of one artist or curator, Treasures for a Queen is diverse, seeming more like an informal conversation than a lecture. The viewer moves from work to work, entering the mind of each collector through the accompanying quotes.

        Each piece will have its own function at the museum. Some, like the Kirchner and Chaim Soutine's “View of Ceret,” given by the Sara Lee Corp., are unique to the CAM and will form the basis of a new category within its holdings.

        Others are examples of a new medium or time period for an artist already represented. Eric Fischl's print “Untitled (Beach)” complements his painting owned by the museum. Jasper Johns' lithograph “Between the Clock and the Bed” rounds out the CAM's holdings of this artist with a late work.

        The museum will present gallery talks on specific areas by curators each Wednesday during the exhibition. In addition, Thomas Hoving, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, will present a lecture on collectors and their relationship to museums on July 19.

        Made from so many different sources, Treasures for a Queen doesn't hold together like most exhibits, and it isn't meant to. It is a series of moments, some of greater interest than others depending on one's taste.

        This variety is nicely managed by a sensitive installation that allows individual works to stand alone without clashing with one another. The show can be appreciated one work at a time, much as they were collected.

        Treasures for a Queen, Cincinnati Art Museum, Eden Park, through Sept. 2. 721-2787.

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