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IRONCITY.INK
SIPS & BITES
HAPPENINGS
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IRON CITY INK
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MARCH 2022
FACES
NECK OF THE WOODS
DISCOVER
Museum goers enjoy one of the popular Art on the Rocks events at the Birmingham Museum of Art in 2019. The popular Friday night event series will return to the BMA on July 15 for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Photos courtesy of Birmingham Museum of Art.
A time to celebrate the arts
Birmingham Museum of Art kicks off busy spring, summer seasons with exhibitions, festivals
T
By JESSE CHAMBERS
he Birmingham Museum of Art, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2021, possesses one of the finest collections in the Southeast. There are more than 27,000 objects at the BMA from almost every historical period and a wide variety of cultures, including Asian, European, American, African, Pre-Columbian and Native American. Best of all, the BMA — unlike many large museums — does not charge admission, though donations are requested. And the month of March is a perfect time to visit. The museum is kicking off the spring in a big way with a numerous exhibitions and
special events. It promises to be a special season. Adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic, the BMA slowly reincorporated in-person events during the fall of 2021. But beginning in the spring, the museum will present a full slate of programming and exhibitions. “For the first time since the pandemic began, we are thrilled to present a full slate of in-person programs and exhibitions for the spring and summer season, offering our visitors a deeper level of engagement and connection through art and culture,” said Graham C. Boettcher, the director of the BMA, in a news release. “The arts are thriving in Birmingham, and we are ready to celebrate,” Boettcher said. The following is a complete rundown
of the many exhibitions, performance and other special events the BMA has planned for Magic City art lovers.
THE (SPRING) REFRAME
Described by the BMA as a community celebration, The (Spring) Reframe event kicks off the spring season on Friday, March 18, from 5-9 p.m. The event is designed to highlight recently opened exhibitions as well as the museum’s permanent collections. “The Reframe is a new concept that is essentially a big open house and a chance to invite the community in to see everything that’s new and fresh at the BMA,” Cate Boehm, the museum’s director of marketing and communications, told Iron City Ink. Attendees will be the first to see
“Expanding Darshan: Manjari Sharma, To See and Be Seen,” an exhibition that opens Saturday, March 19. The show explores nine Hindu deities by blending vibrant, colorful contemporary pieces by Manjari Shama — a photographer and rising global art star from India — with ancient Indic art from the museum’s permanent collection. “We will also be celebrating fresh installations in many of our other galleries,” Boehm said. The (Spring) Reframe will feature a lecture by Sharma, as well as pop-up performances, live music and other activities in galleries throughout the facility. Registration is required for attendees.
TO SEE AND BE SEEN
“Expanding Darshan: Manjari Sharma,
