LY N D O N Vol 4 #2
H O U S E
A R T S
C E N T E R
N E W S L E T T E R
A FACILITY OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY LEISURE SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Fall/Winter 2008/2009
Lyndon House and GMOA Collaborate
Biggest Award and a Scottish Festival Too!
By Jenny Williams
By Claire Benson, LHAC Director
Many patrons of the Lyndon House Arts Center also frequent the Georgia Museum of Art, which will be closing for approximately two years for expansion and renovation. And, since the announcement of the Georgia Museum of Art’s closing, its staff has continuously fielded one question: What will the staff of the Museum do while it is closed? One logical answer was to turn to the Museum’s partners in the Athens art scene, the Lyndon House Arts Center.
You remember in the last newsletter, I reported to you that we were writing a nomination for the National Dorothy Mullen Arts and Humanities Award. We not only accomplished that task, but we won the award. It is the second national award we have won. The first being the Highsmith Award from the American Library Association which was presented to ACC Library last year.
The Museum will break ground in March of 2009 and is scheduled to reopen in early 2011. During that time the museum’s staff plans to bring GMOA programs and exhibitions to various venues around the state and country. In July of Photo: Shannon Williams this past summer, the staff of the Museum and that of the Lyndon House came together to discuss the LHAC being one of these venues. After a great brainstorming session, it was decided that the museum and the LHAC would collaborate on a number of events over the course of the museum’s closing. On February 22, 2009, the museum will host one of its “After Hours” events at the LHAC in celebration and in support of the LHAC Annual Juried Exhibition. The Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art will host this event in conjunction with the Lyndon House Arts Foundation in an effort to bring the two groups together in one fabulous afternoon affair. Membership promotions for both groups will be offered, giving patrons the opportunity to become involved in both organizations. (continued on page 10)
Both awards are for our three-year partnership program with the library: Bridging the Gap Family to Family; Athenian – Mexican Cultural Exchange and Learning. The program was made possible by a $260,000 National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Nancy Lukasiewicz and I went to Baltimore in October to receive the award where we were honored at a reception and were presented the award the next morning in front of an audience of 3000 people. We shared the stage with keynote speaker Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Forging ahead with our next projects, we have added a wonderful event for January 24, just before Juried Exhibition time. The Thistle and Kudzu Scottish Society of Athens wrote an event proposal that we just could not turn down. We are joining in partnership with them and ACC Library to present Athens’ first Scottish Festival. We will immerse ourselves in the culture of Scotland for a (continued on page 5)
ArtiFacts Staff Editor Madeline Darnell Graphic Designer Van Burns Writers Pamela Adkins-Ramey Claire Benson Celia Brooks Madeline Darnell Nancy Lukasiewicz Caroline Self Dale Wechsler Jenny Williams Photography Shannon Williams
Buzz Ward gives children printmaking experience with Antique typesetting blocks at the 2008 Harvest Festival