Exhibit of vintage purses is a show for ‘little pieces of art’
ATHENS, Ga. — For an accessory trusted with transporting such crucial items as money, credit cards, phones and car keys, the purse is often the one unceremoniously hung on door handles or across the backs of chairs, set in restroom floors or shoved under a car seat. Not exactly the most dignified treatment given the importance of the contents.
Now through June 4, the Lyndon House Arts Center in Athens Georgia is playing host to “Carried Away,” an exhibit of 67 purses from the personal collection of longtime Athens resident Tatiana Veneruso, who also serves as the public art coordinator for Athens-Clarke County.
Originally from Savannah, Veneruso’s interest in fashion accessories began in early childhood by playing dress-up with hats, shoes and handbags that belonged to her mother, Nancy, great grandmother and great aunt. Veneruso told the Athens Banner-Herald that pretending to be a Disney princess was never the goal.
“My mom was an interior designer and was always very fashionable, and I wanted to be just like her,” said Veneruso. “My grandmother and great-grandmother were really put-together ladies as well. Our family didn’t have much money, but we always looked like we did.”
Many of the items in “Carried Away” were handed down over generations, gifted to Veneruso by family members who appreciated her interest in fashion heirlooms. Some date back as early as the 1920s and 1930s, and Veneruso has vivid memories of playing with them when she was little.
Veneruso’s vintage collection began in high school, followed on through college and continued when she moved to Athens in 2006, where she spent a decade as an art professional curating galleries and setting up exhibits.
For the past five years, Veneruso has been a project manager for public art displays and installations around town.
“These purses are little pieces of art,” said Veneruso. “They’re like sculptures, and each one has a story to go with it. I can tell you where I bought them and when and gauge how old they are by what trends were popular at different times. In general, the older pieces are made of better quality materials.”
With more than 100 purses, clutches, wristlets and evening bags in her home collection, Veneruso’s choices for the Lyndon House exhibit were based on variety of shape and overall visual appeal.
When it came to displaying
present-day items, Veneruso picked one-ofa-kind or limited edition designs purchased from the artists who made them.
One of the purses, a tan handbag with a pair of red needlepoint roses sewn into the side, was stolen from Veneruso in the 1990s when she dropped it in a parking lot in order to catch a loose Pomeranian before it ran out into the street. The bag was gone when she returned, but she received a phone call days later from the person who found it, albeit with no cash inside.
Though “Carried Away” is free and open for public view right inside the museum’s entrance, Veneruso smiled and laughed when asked if any of the purses would be available for sale should any visiting patrons make an offer.
“Some are family heirlooms that I couldn’t part with,” said Veneruso. “My intention isn’t to sell any of the other ones, but for the right price I wouldn’t rule it out.”*