Museum of Art kicks off busy spring, summer seasons with exhibitions, festivals

BUSINESS SIPS & BITES HAPPENINGS SIGHTS ARTIST 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

By JESSE CHAMBERS

The 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” will be on view in the Pizitz Galleries from March 19 through Jan. 15, 2023.

“Visitors are going to love ‘Expanding Darshan’ because of the bold imagery, vibrant colors and the fascinating details within the portraits,” Boehm said.” The contemporary photography of Hindu deities is juxtaposed with ancient sculpture of the same subject matter from our collection.”

Works of art from India, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand are used to explore the little-known temporal and regional expansiveness of the Indic world.

“It’s interesting to see how artists’ expression of these deities has changed over hundreds of years — or just how much has stayed the same,” Boehm said.

The exhibition uses Sharma’s photo-based works to explore the most significant deities in the Hindu pantheon and their contemporary relevance in art and faith.

But it also provides viewers a gateway to the concept of darshan: to see and be seen by the divine.

THROWING COLORS

The focus on India continues March 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. with the 11th annual Holi Festival, the Indian celebration of color.

A part of the BMA’s quarterly Heritage Festivals series, the Holi Festival — presented with the Indian Cultural Society — will include Indian dance, live music, food, henna, art-making activities and gallery exploration.

At the end of the event, guests gather outside in the museum’s parking lot for the day’s highlight, the throwing of powdered colors to welcome the spring.

The next event in the series — the African Heritage Festival — will be in July (date TBA). Inspired by the museum's collection of African art, the festival will offer food, live music and other performances rooted in the cultures of the African diaspora.

THE ATHLETE’S IMAGE

The BMA will present an intriguing exhibition that shows the influence of games and athletic competition on ancient and contemporary art.

“Ways of Seeing: Sports and Games” opens in the Bohorfoush Gallery on Tuesday, May 10, and remains on display through May 2023.

Drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, “Ways of Seeing” shows that while images of athletes and games have influenced artistic practices around the world, art has also shaped the popular image of the athlete. Sunday, June 10-12.

Fashion Week seeks to cultivate, connect and showcase the artistic community in the Magic City.

The event also seeks to help develop emerging designers while fostering engagement with community partners to use fashion as a vehicle for change.

Colorful portraits of deities in the Hindu pantheon by widely acclaimed Indian photographer Manjari Sharma, part of the “Expanding Darshan” exhibition opening at the Birmingham Museum of Art in March.

ART AND POP COLLIDE

The BMA’s bimonthly Art After 5 series features casual evenings of art, drinks, music and maker activities, and is described as a place where art and pop culture collide.

On Friday, April 1, from 5-9 p.m., Art After 5 will return with a throwback theme inspired by the classic 1980’s TV sitcom, “A Different World.”

On Friday, June 3, from 5-9 p.m., the series will celebrate Gay Pride Month with a colorful evening of Pride-themed performances and making.

ART ON THE WALLS

“Wall to Wall: Rico Gaston” will be installed in the museum’s lobby beginning Friday, July 15, and will remain on display through July 2023.

The second artist in the “Wall to Wall” series, the Brooklyn, New York-based Gaston does painting, video, sculpture and installations.

Gaston will transform the lobby walls with a colorful, life-size image of an iconic Birmingham figure and an abstract composition.

He’ll also be on hand to take part in the opening of the exhibition.

Born in Augusta, Georgia, Gaston grew up in southern California and received his MFA from Yale School of Art in 1991.

His work combines abstract patterns with vibrant colors and comments on key moments in Black culture and history.

In 2019, for example, he unveiled a series of portraits of eight key figures in the history of the New York City borough of the Bronx in a subway station.

The glass mosaic murals, titled “Beacons,” depict such figures as novelist James Baldwin, poet Maya Angelou and baseball great Reggie Jackson.

Culturetype.com called the portraits “powerful” and “radiating.”

ART ON THE ROCKS

Not only will the BMA unveil “Wall to Wall: Rico Gaston” on March 15, but that Friday night will also see the return of one of Birmingham’s most popular summer events.

For the first time since 2019 — before the pandemic — the BMA will present Art on the Rocks.

Art on the Rocks will feature DJs, live music and signature cocktails.

Attendees will also be invited to paint alongside Gaston in the museum lobby to help complete his “Wall to Wall” installation.

“One of the things that has kept Art on the Rocks events so exciting in recent years has been the interactive community mural element of the event,” Boehm said. “The energy between the artist and participants working together to make a large-scale mural come to be in just a couple of hours is really thrilling.”

This will be a fitting activity for Gaston, who seeks to use community engagement to bring the energy from the civil rights movement into the present.

“To have an artist like Rico Gaston elevates that experience even more because his work is so powerful and will speak specifically to Birmingham’s history,” Boehm said.

Art on the Rocks has been part of the museum’s summer schedule for more than 15 years, she said.

The event “continues to inspire and entertain new audiences while bringing back visitors who were around for the very first events,” Boehm said.

“The formula is simple,” she said. “We bring the best of Birmingham’s creative community together to celebrate art and culture in the Magic City.”

The start time of the event is still to be determined, but it will likely take place from 7-11 p.m.

There will be an admission charge for Art on the Rocks.

FACES

OTHER ACTIVITIES

The BMA will continue to offer its long-popular ArtBreak series on Wednesdays at noon — part of its “Wednesdays at the BMA” programming.

ArtBreak consists of 30-minute tours, lectures and gallery talks featuring BMA educators and art experts. The events give art lovers the change to delve more deeply into the museum’s collections.

On March 16, ArtBreak will feature Meghan McCollum of Blank Space, a women-led public art organization in Birmingham. She’ll talk to Hallie Ringle, the museum’s contemporary art curator, about the “Wall to Wall” mural series.

On March 30, ArtBreak will feature a tour of “Expanding Darshan” led by Katherine Anne Paul, the museum’s Asian art curator.

The Art in Conversation series provides a casual setting for speakers. On Wednesday, March 2, from 11 a.m. to noon, James Williams — director of design and technology at the BMA — will discuss how we communicate within the museum beyond the art in our galleries. He’ll examine the function of design, how inherent biases influence the process of design and what that means for museums.

The Highlights Tours are provided by BMA staff and feature new perspectives on the collections. On Sunday, March 27, at 2 p.m., Angela May — the museum’s assistant director of learning and engagement — will lead a tour called “Goddesses around the Globe.”

COPING WITH COVID

Due to the pandemic, the BMA requires all visitors wear masks indoors.

The museum is also maintaining 75% capacity. Fortunately, distancing is relatively easy because the BMA measures about 150,000 square feet, Boehm said.

“We have plenty of space,” she said.

For more information about exhibitions and programming, call 205-254-2565 or go to artsbma.org.

Dates and details of programs are subject to change due to the pandemic.

As days turn warmer, it’s time to start thinking about summertime at last, and no summer is complete without a camp experience. Peruse our guide to learn more about which programs best fit your child’s personality, interest, age and availability. No matter which you choose, it’s time to jump in for fun and adventure this summer.

FIND SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT THE ALTAMONT SCHOOL

Summer is the perfect time to try something new, dive deeper into a current interest, fine tune math and English skills or fulfill required courses in a more relaxed environment.

Altamont offers a wide array of quality classes, taught by our outstanding faculty, that are both educational and fun. Altamont’s program is open to rising 3rd through 12th graders.

Register at summerataltamont.org. ► Rising 3rd-8th Graders: Summer camp for rising 3rd-8th grade students includes English and math enrichment classes. ► ACT Prep: This two-week course taught by a certified instructor will focus on improving performance on every aspect of the test including material content and test-taking strategies. Students will have a chance to take two complete ACTs in test settings. ► Credit Courses: High school credit courses for rising 9th-12th grade students include Honors Geometry, Public Speaking and Honors Ancient and Medieval Civilizations. ► Basketball Camps: From beginner to college hopeful, Altamont’s basketball camps provide serious skills building. Camps are open to rising 1st grade through 12th grade students.

Summer at Altamont 2022

Day Camps | Credit Courses Grades 3-12 | June & July Registration & Information: summerataltamont.org

The Altamont School is one of the nation’s premier independent schools for students in grades 5-12.

BUSINESS SIPS & BITES HAPPENINGS SIGHTS ARTIST FACES

NECK OF THE WOODS DISCOVER

Pink reeds line a trail at Railroad Park that a group of walkers use at sunset. Photo courtesy of Freshwater Land Trust.

HELLO FRESH AIR

COVER: Our Spring Recreation Guide highlights city’s top spots to exercise, enjoy nature

By JESSE CHAMBERS

The official arrival of spring — always a happy occasion — occurs this year on March 20.

However, the coming of spring in 2022 dovetails almost exactly with the second anniversary of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

At press time, health officials are saying that the surge in the Omicron variant appears to be nearly over, and people can only hope that we’re near the end of a long, tiring struggle.

At least the coming of spring will allow people to get outside and enjoy nature.

Of course, this is a natural urge even in a normal year as warmer weather beckons.

“You hear the birds singing, you see the butterflies,” said Stanley Robinson, public relations coordinator for Birmingham Parks and Recreation. “Everything is coming into bloom. It’s life-affirming just to get out and take deep breaths.”

“We always look forward to spring as the mountain breaks out of dormancy into a lush, verdant park vibrant with guests from all over Jefferson County,” said T.C. McLemore, Red Mountain Park executive director.

Outdoor recreation has some profound benefits, not all of them physical, said Carolyn Buck, director of the Red Rock Trail System at Freshwater Land Trust.

“Generally, in pandemic or non-pandemic times, outdoor recreation is a wonderful way to get some much needed respite from everyday life,” she said. “Outdoor recreation is a great way to take care of your physical and mental health.”

The great outdoors is also a place where you can have far fewer concerns about exposure to COVID-19.

“Especially during pandemic restrictions, it has been a huge benefit for residents to have safe options to get some much needed time in nature,” Buck said.

“The past two years has illustrated that outdoor recreation is a beneficial and necessary component of a healthy and vibrant community,” McLemore said.

Many people in the Birmingham area have turned to outdoor recreation the last two years as a means of escape from the virus.

Most of the facility administrators we spoke to in 2021 and again this year cited an overall growth in visitors at their facilities since the pandemic began.

The ever-popular Railroad Park downtown has seen strong attendance, said Camille Spratling, executive director of Railroad Park Foundation.

In 2019, 514,000 people visited Railroad Park, but in 2020 that number was more than 560,000, Spratling told Iron City Ink last year.

And the park had more than 500,000 visitors again in 2021, she said recently.

McLemore said that RMP got a big boost in visitors during the first year of the pandemic. “The park has never been busier,” he said in 2020.

Attendance at RMP was down a bit in 2021, however.

“We saw a record number of visitors in 2020 at 150,000,” McLemore said. “2021 was more of a typical year at the park with about 120,000.”

The number of people using the city parks in Birmingham “really ticked up” the first year of the pandemic, Robinson said in 2021.

And use of the parks has remained high, with many people who began outdoor exercise routines in 2020 or 2021 making those routines a permanent part of their lives, Robinson said this year.

“They enjoyed it and have continued to do that,” he said.

McLemore has noticed a similar phenomenon at RMP.

“I have met several new park regulars and people who have permanently changed their recreation habits to get them outdoors more often,” he said.

More people seems to be using walking trails in the Birmingham area, including the trail at East Lake Park and the Vulcan and Rotary trails, Robinson said.

“Anyplace you see a trail you see an uptick in the numbers,” Robinson said.

Buck said that, while the FWLT does not have a way to precisely measure trail usage, it seems to be up.

“We have heard that our trail system has been heavily used, with many citing the trail as their saving grace in the time of

Steven Thompson plays a round of disc golf with friends at George Ward Park. Photo by Erin Nelson.

COVID,” she said.

Birmingham residents also really enjoy and value their parks and green spaces, Robinson said.

“They take pride and great ownership of them, as well,” he said. “When we have volunteer events, they really turn out. The parks are places they can call theirs and have time with family and friends.”

Birmingham nature lovers certainly have a strong array of outdoor recreation options in the area, all of which are easily and quickly accessible to city dwellers.

The city is “richly resourced” with trails and parks, and “should certainly be proud of its greenspace offerings,” McLemore said.

Our Facilities Guide below lists some of the most prominent recreation venues in the area.

BIRMINGHAM PARKS AND RECREATION

The following are some of the highlights among the facilities maintained by Birmingham Parks and Recreation. Most city recreation facilities are open with some restrictions related to COVID-19. For example, visitors are required to wear masks indoors, and indoor facilities are being operated at 75% capacity. Water fountains are also turned off. However, the city is carrying on with much of its programming, including senior activities and youth sports. For details, call 205254-2391 or go to birminghamal.gov/ parks-and-recreation/parks. ► East Lake Park, 8101 Fourth Ave. N., is a 100-acre park with a 45-acre lake stocked with catfish, bass and bream and surrounded by a 1-mile walking track. Adjacent to the park are public ballfields, tennis courts, a playground and a swimming pool. There’s an island in the lake where herons, ducks, hawks and other birds gather. Robinson calls the park “a quiet of oasis right in the city.” ► George Ward Park, 1901 Green Springs Ave. S., is a 100-acre recreational venue that features a disc golf course, baseball fields and picnic facilities, as well as a dog park. “There’s also lots of open space if you just want to walk and get some exercise, Robinson said. ► Crestwood Park, 5400 Crestwood Blvd., offers a playing field with bleachers and a field house, a jogging track, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a barbecue pit and a picnic shelter. ► Highland Park Golf Course, 3300 Highland Ave., is an 18-hole, par-70 course measuring 5,801 yards. “Highland is a short course, but it’s beautiful and has great views of the city,” Robinson said. It is also “extremely well-maintained,” he said. For information, call 205-322-1902 or go to highlandparkgolf.com. ► Roebuck Golf Course, 8920 Roebuck Blvd., is 18-hole, par-71 course, measuring

Jamie Nobles, the conservation director at Ruffner Mountain, collects nandina berries as part of the invasive species removal along the trails. The nandina berry contains cyanide and other alkaloids that produce highly toxic hydrogen cyanide that is poisonous to all animals.

6,509 yards from the longest tees. “It’s a great course,” Robinson said. “It’s very walkable. You have a lot of flat area, so if you’re not hitting the ball straight you can recover.” The facility is dubbed “Rogusta” by the course regulars, Robinson said. “There’s a really friendly, community vibe,” he said. For information, call 205-836-7318. ► Tennis is available at several locations, including George Ward Park and Ensley Park, located at 2800 Avenue K. One highlight is the Highland Park Tennis Center, located above the golf course at 3300 Highland Ave. The facility has two hard courts and 10 clay courts — the only clay courts in Birmingham, Robinson said. For details, call 205-251-1965 or go to academytennis.com.

AREA FACILITIES

► Once the site of iron ore mining, Red Mountain Park, 2011 Frankfurt Drive, is now a 1,500-acre urban green space, one of the largest in the country. It offers more than 15 miles of trails, two city overlooks, the 6-acre off-leash Remy’s Dog Park and other amenities. Formore information, call 205-202-6043. redmountainpark.org ► A 19-acre green space in downtown Birmingham, Railroad Park is on First Avenue South between 14th Street and 18th Street. Often called “Birmingham’s Living Room,” Railroad Park offers a number of opportunities for recreation. There are several walking and running trails, including the Magic City Loop (3/4 mile), Rail Trail (1/3 mile), Powell Avenue Promenade (1/3 mile) and Limestone Trace (1/2 mile). There is also outdoor gym equipment and a designated area for skateboarders. For more

FACES

Hikers begin their journey on the Quarry Trail as they hike Ruffner Mountain in February. Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve offers 14 miles of trails and is a protected area for thousands of species of native plants. Photos by Erin Nelson.

information visit railroadpark.org or call 205-521-9933. ► An urban nature preserve in South East Lake with more than 1,000 acres, Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve offers 14 miles of trails and is a protected area for thousands of species of native plants. Ruffner’s trails are open Tuesday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., from November through February, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., from March to October. Due to the pandemic, the facility’s Nature Center remains closed. Visitors who are non-members must purchase a $5 parking permit via the Parkmobile app or from a vending machine at the pavilion near the South East Lake entrance. For more information, call 205-833-8264 or go to ruffnermountain.org. ► Developed by Freshwater Land Trust, the ever-growing Red Rock Trail System is an ongoing effort to develop a 750-mile network of greenway trails and on-street walking and cycling paths in Jefferson County over the next couple of decades. There are currently 125 miles of greenways and bike lanes in the system, Buck said. For a guide to signature trails less traveled, accessible trails and an interactive map of the system, go to freshwaterlandtrust.org/ find-a-trail. ► The Kiwanis Vulcan Trail, 1701 Valley View Drive, is a 2.2-mile trail that stretches from the Vulcan Trail parking lot on Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard at the northside of Vulcan Park & Museum all the way to Green Springs Highway. The mostly flat trail, which opened in 2018, is open from sunrise until sunset to walkers, runners, cyclists and dogs on leashes. For more information visit freshwaterlandtrust. org/2018/03/kiwanis-vulcan-trail or call 205-251-0032. ► Rotary Trail, First Avenue South, downtown, is a pedestrian greenway with a unique setting — the railroad cut running along the middle of First Avenue South between 20th Street South and 24th Street South. It is part of the 2-mile-long Jones Valley Trail, another piece of the Red Rock Ridge & Valley Trail System that provides a continuous path from Railroad Park to Avondale. For more information visit facebook.com/rotarytrail or call 205-251-1995.

ADDITIONAL OUTDOOR OPTIONS

► Magic City residents in search of an easy stroll in beautiful, calming surroundings shouldn’t overlook the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 2612 Lane Park Road. In addition to an indoor conservatory, the gardens — covering 67.5 acres — offer numerous outdoor attractions. The gardens have “miles of walking paths that provide a wonderful vantage point for exploring, imagining and dreaming,” Mindy Keyes Black, director of communications and marketing for Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, told Iron City Ink in 2021. “For so many in our community, the gardens provide a peaceful and calm respite.” For more information, call 205414-3950 or go to bbgardens.org. ► You may not immediately think of the Birmingham Zoo, 2630 Cahaba Road, when you think of exercise or outdoor recreation, but it’s a great place to get out of the house during the pandemic. Covering about 122 acres, the zoo has both indoor facilities and outdoor areas where guests can socially distance while getting exercise and fresh air. For more information, call 205-879-0409 or go to birminghamzoo.com.