A Life in Art and Museum Leadership
Thomas Scharman Buechner was a painter and a prominent museum professional. Born in Manhattan, he was raised in Bronxville, New York, and attended the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. Following his service in the United States Navy, which included a training program at Princeton University, he spent time in Puerto Rico to learn Spanish. His formal artistic training took him to the Art Students League of New York, the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and under M.M. van Dantzig in Amsterdam.
His professional journey was deeply intertwined with the world of fine arts and glass. He served as an assistant manager at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and later became the founding director of the Corning Museum of Glass. At the age of 33, he was named the director of the Brooklyn Museum, where he worked to upgrade display standards and rescue sculptures by Daniel Chester French. He also served as the president of the Steuben Glass division for Corning Glass.
Artistic Works and Legacy
In his later years, after retiring from Corning in 1987, Buechner devoted his time to painting. One notable work from this period is a full-length portrait of Alice Tully, commissioned for her 85th birthday, which is displayed in the foyer of Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. His catalog includes works such as:
He passed away in Corning, New York.
