The Board of Trustees of the Museum of Russian Icons has announced the death of founder Gordon B. Lankton.
After opening a branch of his plastics manufacturing company in Moscow in 1992, he came to appreciate Russian culture, particularly the icon, the emblematic sacred art form stemming from the Byzantine traditions of the Russian Orthodox Christian faith.
Gordon founded the Museum of Russian Icons in 2006. From his early days as a Boy Scout collecting pennies, Gordon was a studious and passionate collector. Whether it was icons, African sculpture, World War I and II posters, or die-cast model cars, Gordon tirelessly pursued not only the objects, but also information about their origins and the artists who created them.
Lankton leaves behind a storied legacy as an investor in his community, innovative leader and storied collector.
“Gordon was a natural-born leader,” said the Museum of Russian Icons executive director, Kent dur Russell, in a statement. “He was infectiously enthusiastic, a pragmatic visionary, and an inspiration to his community and to the over 20,000 employees of his plastics company Nypro, Inc.”
Born in Illinois in 1931, Lankton graduated from Cornell University with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1954. President of the school’s student government, Lankton traveled as a delegate to an international student council conference in Japan, a trip believed to have sparked his love for adventures abroad, according to the museum.
Russian Icon is happy to share the news that a new retrospective exhibition of Alexander Gassel’s artworks is now on view at the Museum of Russian Icons.
New York, NY (PRUnderground) March 8th, 2021
The online gallery Russian Icon is happy to share the news that a new retrospective exhibition of Alexander Gassel’s contemporary artworks is now on view at the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, MA.
The Museum of Russian Icons pays homage to Russian culture by collecting and preserving Russian icons and religious artifacts. Its collection is one of the largest outside of Russia and the largest in North America. The Museum offers a unique insight into Russian art, history, and culture by displaying collections related to the Orthodox art tradition.
CLINTON/WEST BOYLSTON - Gordon Lankton has been called the savior of Clinton and an icon.
Lankton has been a larger-than-life character for as long as most Clintonians can remember. He is the outsider who loved this community like a native and became accepted as one of them (something that longtime residents understand since it is hard to be accepted as a Clintonian if you were not born here).
He grew Nypro into an international plastics firm, turned his hobby of collecting Russian iconography into an internationally-recognized museum located in the center of Clinton and has been credited with the idea that became Clinton Parks and Recreation.
Miniature Masterpieces Inspired by Iconography
Russian lacquerware is an artform born of tradition and beauty
Russian lacquerware developed in rural villages and formed a legacy of artists adapting local traditions to a new artistic medium.
The ornate papier-mâché treasures are decorated with detailed paintings of folk stories and fairy tales. Then they are lacquered and polished to a high sheen, giving them a charming, lifelike glow.
The Museum of Russian Icons has opened an exhibition showcasing over 100 of these colorful gems: “Miniature Masterpieces: Russian Lacquer Boxes.” It’s open until March 28.
The art of Russian lacquer ranks among Russia’s most beautiful artistic achievements of the 20th century. It’s a medium rooted in the religious art of icon painting, according to the museum’s website. Before the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, many icon painters were employed creating beautiful religious works for churches and private homes.