Meet the Board:
Steven O’Banion
Steven is the Director of Conservation, Glenstone Museum
Acknowledgements
Glenstone is built on the unceded lands of the Piscataway and Nacotchtank Anacostans. We would like to acknowledge these communities as the traditional caretakers of this land and pay our respects to their descendants as well as their past, present, and future elders.
Glenstone is built on the unceded lands of the Piscataway and Nacotchtank Anacostans. We would like to acknowledge these communities as the traditional caretakers of this land and pay our respects to their descendants as well as their past, present, and future elders.
What is your favorite object, room, or place (on the grounds) at Winterthur and why?
My favorite object at Winterthur is the brass chandelier that I treated as my lacquer project. While other students were coating salvers or tankards of rudimentary forms, I wondered how I ended up with a mid-18th century light fixture with scrolling arabesques of English or Northern European origins.
Did your years at Winterthur feel long or short? Tell us why.
In the moment, three years seemed like a lifetime, as I was eager to plow ahead and start my career. The hours spent studying, researching, and writing were balanced with field trips that could have been inspired by Miss Frizzle’s Magic School Bus. In hindsight, I wish I could go back and experience the program all over again, savoring the crafting assignments and camaraderie with my peers.
Give me a funny anecdote or memorable moment from your days as a Fellow.
I’ve always been a fan of Martha Stewart. I appreciate the way her sense of humor is a byproduct of her veneer of properness. Imagine how excited I was to learn that Tom Savage, then Winterthur’s Director of Museum Affairs, invited Martha to be the keynote speaker at the Annual Delaware Antiques Show. There was no question, I needed to meet Martha. I put on my best blazer and polished my shoes and camped out at the Antiques Show in anticipation of her arrival. I’ll never forget the moment I saw her, looking beautiful as ever in a relaxed but chic brown dress and signature buttery blond bob. After lurking behind her and observing her infatuation with weathered planter urns, I mustered the courage to introduce myself. Burned in my mind is the memory of the day I met Martha.