The life and work of Daniel Loomis Valenza

Watch a conversation about the life and work of Daniel Loomis Valenza, hosted by the University of New Hampshire Museum of Art, in conjunction with their exhibition, “Daniel Loomis Valenza: Designer, Craftsman, Artist.”

Director Kristina Durocher and R & Company’s James Zemaitis discussed the work of this important maker and longtime UNH professor whose oeuvre includes wood furniture, paintings, small sculpted wood objects, and assemblages. Special attention was paid to Valenza's woodworks of the 1960s and their place in American studio furniture history alongside Tage Frid, Wendell Castle, Jon Brooks, Walker Weed, and other masters. Valenza was included in OBJECTS: USA and works from his El Salvador series are featured in OBJECTS: USA 2020.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Kristina Durocher Since 2011, Durocher has directed the Museum of Art at UNH, which collects and preserves works of art, and executes exhibitions and programs. Durocher’s curatorial program comprises one-person and group thematic exhibitions that support student learning and faculty instruction and facilitate teaching through art as a primary source for academic and social engagement. She is a member of the board of directors of the New England Museum Association and has served as the New England regional representative for the Association of Academic Museum and Galleries since 2015.

James Zemaitis is Director of Museum Relations at R & Company in New York. He specializes in American and European historical design and has curated exhibitions at the gallery ranging from British plywood of the 1930s to American studio furniture of the 1960s. Most recently, he collaborated with Glenn Adamson on Objects: USA 2020, a major exhibition and publication that pairs a new generation of design artists with a selection of object makers featured in the seminal 1969 exhibition. The catalog was published this past November by Monacelli Press, and the exhibition, which opened on February 16, will run through July 31.