As the National Sporting Library & Museum opens its highly anticipated exhibition, "A Sporting Vision: The Paul Mellon Collection of British Sporting Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts," sporting art lovers and local equestrians enjoyed a most informative Coffee with the Curator, Dr. Colleen Yarger, Curatorial Research Specialist and Curatorial Assistant for the Paul Mellon Collections at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Before the tour, excited guests enjoyed a delectable selection of croissants and muffins, and freshly brewed coffee.

Curators know intimately the collection about which they speak, and Dr. Yarger was undeniably filled with joy and enthusiasm as she talked about her "many favorites" throughout the exhibition rooms, sharing interesting bits of information while answering questions. Surrounded by the works of George Stubbs, Alfred Munnings, Benjamin Marshall, and so many other great painters, the exhibition is simply breathtaking. It is a "needs two visits at least to take it all in".

Rarely, if ever, does the collection travel. VMFA exhibition room renovations prompted the question of "what do we do with, and where to house these works?" The natural answer was to go on tour, and the NSLM was the tour's first destination.

Hosting the second "Coffee with the Curator" during this exhibition will be the NSLM's George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator of Art, Claudia Pfeiffer, to be held Saturday, May 19, 10-11:30 am. It was recently announced that Pfeiffer has been invited to attend the Attingham Trust Study Programme in England on The Horse and The Country House.

Adding to the milestone of such a prestigious exhibition, the NSLM's Clarice & Robert H. Smith Educator, Anne Marie Paquette, has been nominated for the Virginia Association of Museums' Museum Educator of the Year. Frances Monroe, Membership & Events Manager, has been awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Richmond's Institute on Philanthropy. The recent exhibition catalogue for The Horse In Ancient Greek Art has been nominated for the American Horse Publications' Equine Media Awards. Facets of this museum's gems continue to sparkle.

An auspicious beginning to the year, indeed, for the NSLM. "A Sporting Vision" runs through July 22. In September, the NSLM will present "Sidesaddle, 1690-1935," an exhibition surely to generate immense interest among the ladies who ride aside here in Middleburg and around the world. Years of research for this exhibition culminate in a new catalogue with original scholarship on this style of riding that has seen renewed interest in recent years.

The NSLM is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. For more information, visit www.NationalSporting.org