Dorothy Brush "Random Thoughts" Published April 3, 2002

Our backyard is full of exhibitions

Spring and the open road beckons. This would be a fine time to head west to see some really extraordinary exhibitions practically in our backyard.

Opryland was chosen to debut The John F. Kennedy Presidential Exhibition, "Let Us Begin," the words JFK spoke in his inaugural speech.

More than 300 intimate and rare pieces are on display, from now until May 27, depicting the journey of the 35th president's short life. They are all part of the private collection of Robert White, who began collecting Kennedy artifacts in his youth. He has more than 50,000 items in all.

The hours at the Ryman A Exhibit Hall are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Saturday. General admission is $15.95 plus tax for adults and $10.95 plus tax for children ages 4-11. A self-guided audio tour tapes are available for $5.

Also in Nashville at The Frist Center from April 12-July 7, many of the treasures from the Forbes Magazine Collection are being showcased. There are 40 works from Faberge which include some of the Imperial Easter eggs made for Russia's royal family. Other magnificent pieces created by the master jeweler are picture frames, jewelry and ornamental and sculptural silver. Admission for those 18 and younger is free, for seniors and college students $4.50 and others $6.50. For information on hours, call (615) 244-3340.

Memphis, too, has an even larger exhibition of Russian splendor. The world premiere of "Czars: 400 Years of Imperial Grandeur" will be at the Pyramid from April 15-Sept. 15. Here you will see 250 rare objects from the years when czars ruled. Half of these pieces came from the Kremlin Armory and have never been abroad, and some were never even been displayed in the 20th century.

This exhibition is the largest that has ever been sent abroad. The staging in the galleries for these rare objects has been done to give the visitor the feeling of being inside the Kremlin. Russian religious culture is reflected in two of the galleries. There are artifacts of the Orthodox church, icons, vestments and more.

Two Faberge eggs carrying a fabulous historical value are displayed. The Tercentenary Egg, created in 1913 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, is one. The other is the last egg created by Faberge. It is made of steel and marked "Nicholas II taking command of the Russian troops in 1916."

The exhibit is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Admission is $13 for adults and $6 for seniors older than 60 and children. For more information call 1-800-263-6744, or you can log on to www.wonders.org.

If these two shows featured nothing but a few Faberge Easter eggs, it would still be a rare opportunity. Later this month in New York City, Christie's will auction off what is considered the rarest and most expensive Imperial egg. The Winter Egg was done for Czar Nicholas II's mother and presented to her on Easter in 1913. Fashioned from carved rock crystal and 3,000 diamonds and rose-cut diamonds, it has the Faberge surprise inside, a basket of spring flowers all done with jewels. In 1994, this egg brought $5.6 million, which was a world auction record. Experts are watching and wondering if this year that record will be broken.

From American history to a long-gone time of the Soviet Union, you have the opportunity to view treasures from the past in real time. You may never get to Boston to visit the Kennedy Presidential Museum or to the Hermitage in Leningrad or the Kremlin Museum in Moscow, but you can experience a mini-tour of what these places offer - right here in Tennessee.

· · ·
Dorothy Copus Brush is a Fairfield Glade resident and Crossville Chronicle staffwriter whose column is published each Wednesday.