AMA | WINTER 2017 | DEC/JAN/FEB
SAYING GOODBYE TO 2018
The year 2018 ended in delectable fashion with Chef Laura Piovesana’s entry in the Albany Museum of Art’s Fine Art of Dining Culinary Series, Felice Anno Nuovo on Dec 29 at the AMA. Earlier in December, art met literature with the announcement of the winners in the AMA’s annual A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words competition.
ON THE COVER | On the front: Mike Landers, Technicolor Squares #4, assorted Lego blocks
BECOME A
EMBER!
Our membership program is of vital importance in our efforts to keep our doors open and maintain our status of FREE admission.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ripley Bell , Jr., President Jack Davis, Vice President Scott Marcus, Treasurer Alfreda Sheppard, Secretary Honorable Leslie J. Abrams Bruce Campbell Staci Willson Jim Womack Angie Barber Mallory Black Jessica Castle Cathy Darby Rosemary Hamburger Sherrer Hester Jeanette Hoopes Mike Leach Becca Lynn Michael Mallard Milan Patel Herbert Phipps Jr. Kirk Rouse Cynthia Sudderth Marsha Taylor Chazz Williams Selena Wingfield LIFE TRUSTEES Sylvia Berry Stephen Hinton Bee McCormack MUSEUM STAFF Paula Williams, Executive Director Chloe Hinton, Education and Programming Jim Hendricks, Marketing Randi Hooks, Facilities Manager Didi Dunphy, Guest Curator Annie Vanoteghem, Education INTERNS Camille Floyd Armon Garner
All Members Receive the following benefits • AMA Member’s welcome packet with AMA membership card • Priority Invitations to all exhibition opening receptions • Invitations to all AMA events, including fundraisers, lectures, trips and performances • Discounts on selected museum camps, programs and classes • Participation in the Southeastern Reciprocal Membership Program (SERM), which includes free admission and discounts at over 200 museums throughout the Southeast • Discounts on birthday parties • Subscription to the AMArt Quarterly magazine • 10% Off in Regional Artists Sales Gallery MEMBERSHIP LEVELS We now offer the option of a monthly bank draft for all member levels. Rather than paying one single payment, smaller increments will be automatically withdrawn with no hassle for our members. Student - FREE All Membership privileges of Family/Individual/Military level Family/Individual/Military - $75 or 6.25/month Discounts on select museum camps and programs; Invitations to openings, special events and fundraisers; Participation in Southeastern Reciprocal Membership Program; Discounts on Birthday Parties; 10% discount at The Lamp Shade on Dawson Road. Supporting - $100 or $8.33/month All membership privileges of Family/Individual level; Participation in the North American Reciprocal Museum Program with benefits from 800 museums across the U.S. Patron - $250 or $20.83/month All membership privileges of Family/Individual level; Honor Listing in AMA Lobby: Participation in the North American Reciprocal Museum Program; Invitation to the annual Patron Party; 10% discount on museum facility rentals, including the Harry and Jane Willson Auditorium Benefactor - $500 or $41.67/month All membership privileges of Patron Membership level; Honor Listing in AMA lobby; 25% discount on museum facility rental, including the Harry and Jane Willson Auditorium Collector’s Circle - $1,000 or $83.33/month All membership privileges of Benefactor level; Honor Listing in AMA lobby; Invitation to the Annual Collector’s Circle Dinner; Invitations to events at private residences; Behind-the-scenes-tours; Travel opportunities, plus 10% of your membership is applied to our acquisition fund Please visit us online at www.albanymuseum.com/join or contact membership@albanymuseum.com or 229.439.8400 to become an AMA member today! LOCATION: 311 Meadowlark Drive, Albany, GA 31707 | 229.439.8900 HOURS: Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Saturday noon - 5 p.m. Sunday 1 - 4 p.m. | Closed Major Holidays
albanymuseum.com
FREE ADMISSION
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ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
FROM THE DIRECTOR Perhaps the most wonderful attribute of art is that it ignores attempts to impose artificial conditions upon it. Can it be beautiful? Of course it can. But a piece of art also tells a story, one that is revealed as layers are pulled back. It causes us to engage in introspection, to look at the world from a new perspective. Art does this on many levels.
Paula Bacon Williams Executive Director
Consider two exhibitions that are underway at the AMA as spring arrives. Look closely at our East Gallery exhibit, Stack: Lego Works. Did you play with Legos as a child? Do your children or grandchildren play with these brightly colored, interconnecting plastic pieces? On the surface, they seem to be locked into a box of sorts—a child’s toy box. In the hands of Mike Landers, however, they are transformed into abstract art, intricate weaves and geometric designs that rival other mediums. The pieces interlock, but in their transformation, they refuse to be locked down by a preconceived notion of what their purpose should be. We are challenged to rethink long-held beliefs about these objects. Sometimes pulling back layers is challenging. Masud Olufani’s artwork in Memory and Meaning, on exhibition in the Haley Gallery, forces us to reconsider things we believe. His sculpture and multimedia works require us to investigate parts of ourselves and our community in ways that can be uncomfortable. Artists for centuries have spoken out in the political arena, and Olufani’s work is politically charged. There is no question about that. His work deeply explores language and historical events that deal primarily with the African diasporic experience. As a result, any discomfort felt is far outweighed by the benefit of the internal growth that is seeded. We also invite you to attend a special artist’s session on April 30 with Masud Olufani and Southwest Georgia resident Jimmie Gardner, who can relate first-hand to Olufani’s work after serving 27 years of an unwarranted prison term. It will be an unforgettable conversation. I hope you’ll visit these exhibits, as well as ones that will open this spring featuring works by Zipporah Thompson and Jerushia Graham. You can find out more about these two artists in this magazine, along with a plethora of information about our busy spring schedule for children and adults that includes a unique March 9 road excursion for Collector’s Circle members. (Take a look at the itinerary. It’s worth upgrading your membership just for this experience!) Spend some quality time at the AMA this spring, and help us build a stronger community through art.
ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
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COLLECTOR’S CIRCLE A unique road trip is set for Saturday, March 9, 2019 for Albany Museum of Art Collector’s Circle members. The all-day excursion includes an exclusive guided tour of Pasaquan, a tour of the new Bo Bartlett Center at Columbus State University Campus with an opportunity to meet the artist, Bo Bartlett, and an intimate look at the Columbus Museum. “Our Collector’s Circle members support the Albany Museum of Art at that level because of their deep love for art and the museum,” AMA Executive Director Paula Williams said. “This trip to Columbus and Buena Vista offers them incredible access that few visitors to these venues have an opportunity to experience, providing them with insights that enhance their knowledge of and appreciation for art. It’s a special way for the AMA to say thank you for that strong support.” “We are thrilled that Columbus Museum Director Marianne Richter will lead the group on a special guided tour of the museum’s permanent collection, as well as provide behind the scenes access that is unavailable to the public,” Williams said. The Columbus Museum’s collection of fine and decorative art is a record of the changing artistic tastes of American culture from Colonial times to the present. The collection includes portraits, still lifes, everyday scenes and landscapes, as well as furniture and other decorative art. A succession of galleries highlight particular time periods in American art history. These are interspersed with galleries that focus on a particular style, theme or artist. Pasaquan, located on seven acres near Buena Vista, is the art site established by eccentric self-taught artist Eddie Owens Martin (1908-86). The son of Marion County sharecroppers, Martin moved to New York City and, after a decade there, began calling himself St. EOM. He returned to Georgia and his home county, where he began building Pasaquan in the mid-1950s. There he created the six-building compound of colorful buildings connected by painted concrete walls, many of which feature scriptural elements. More than 2,000 pieces of his artwork—paintings, sculptures and drawings—are housed at the art site that he bequeathed to the Marion County Historical
Pasaquan, located on seven acres near Buena Vista, is the art site established by eccentric self-taught artist Eddie Owens Martin (1908-86).
Society. The society formed the Pasaquan Preservation Society to oversee the art site and the placement of his work in various museums, including the AMA and the High Museum in Atlanta. Columbus artist Bo Bartlett is an American realist with a modernist vision. His paintings are within the tradition of American realism as defined by artists such as Thomas Eakins and Andrew Wyeth. Like these artists, Bartlett looks at America's land and people to describe the beauty he finds in everyday life. His paintings celebrate the underlying epic nature of the commonplace and the personal significance of the extraordinary. The Bo Bartlett Center at Columbus State University opened on January 2018. Bartlett is currently working from both Columbus, Georgia and Wheaton Island, Maine. Collector’s Circle members will meet a chartered bus at 8 am at the AMA for the drive up to Columbus. The bus should return to the AMA around 7 pm. Lunch, snacks and all admission fees will be provided on the trip. This excursion is a benefit of Collector’s Circle membership with no additional fee. If you are interested in joining or upgrading your membership to be a part of this adventure in art, call the museum at 229.439.8400.
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A L B A N Y M U S E U M O F A R T | FA L L 2 0 1 8
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: PUDDIN’ BASS Margaret “Puddin’” Bass has long been known for her volunteer work in the Albany community. Now, she is taking on a volunteer position that is critically important to the Albany Museum of Art as chairperson of the museum’s major annual fundraiser—the Art Ball. After the combined economic impact of Hurricane Michael and the record-long partial federal government shutdown led AMA officials to postpone this year’s Art Ball, Bass has been working diligently to make Art Ball 2020—scheduled for Feb 15—the most successful one ever. “The Art Museum is one place in the community where I have not volunteered as much as other places, so I was thrilled to be asked,” Bass said. “I enjoy volunteering. It brings joy to me to give back to our community.
Margaret “Puddin’” Bass
“This is our home. You give back to places that you enjoy and love. My children (Talley and Patrick) grew up here, and why wouldn’t I do my best to facilitate functions that will give back to the community for the next generations? I want these facilities to be available if Talley and Patrick were to want to come back and raise families here. It would hurt my heart to say, ‘Once there was an art museum here and it was wonderful, but it’s not here anymore.’ I want it to continue to exist for our community and its residents.” A graduate of the University of Georgia, Bass was a child-life specialist at Egleston Hospital before moving in 1995 to Albany. With no similar position available in Albany, she has focused on community volunteer work for organizations that has included Girls Inc., the Mistletoe Market, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and an earlier iteration of the AMA Contemporaries. “When I’m asked, I do my best to participate, hoping that someone would do the same for me on an organization I was working on,” she said. She said regular meetings have already begun in preparation for Art Ball 2020, and that planning is progressing well. “Having 12 months helps tremendously,” she said. “It’s never too early to prepare. It gives us more time to incorporate new ideas that are brought to the table. “I’m looking forward to the (Art Ball 2020) evening and, in the spirit of volunteerism, if anyone wants to raise their hand, we’d love to have your help!”
ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
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TRUSTEE SPOTLIGHT: MALLORY BLACK Mallory Black, communications and public relations manager for CNI Ag Independent Retailers in Leesburg, has served on the Albany Museum of Art Board of Trustees since 2015. She has a bachelor of science from the University of Georgia in agribusiness/agricultural business operations. Black is chair of the museum’s new major fall fundraiser festival, AMA ChalkFest. When she was asked to serve on the AMA Board, Black was initially hesitant because she “didn’t know that much about art.” She overcame that reluctance after talking with Board members and friends. “I realized it’s not just about your knowledge of art,” she said. “It’s about connecting the community with art, and it’s that fact that art encompasses many aspects of life. It’s more than just paint on canvas. I was excited to spread that word and really get involved in the community.” That community involvement reached a crescendo last Sept 22 when AMA ChalkFest came to life on the 100 block of Pine Avenue. The chalk art and craft brew festival was an all-around success, with a dozen professional chalk artists, 15 craft brewers, three bands and an estimated crowd of 3,000. Black is again chairing the committee for ChalkFest, which returns this year on Saturday, Oct 5. “We’re in the pre-planning stages for our second ChalkFest,” she said. “We had a really successful first year. We learned a lot and we’re hoping to place into motion the things we can do better. We hope to make it even more inviting to the community, involve more people and grow it. We want to grow it each year.“ Black said her group is already busy organizing committees for the festival and securing sponsorships. ChalkFest proved to be popular with children and youth. Black said she saw something similar with the first event she worked with for the AMA. “Touch a Truck was eye-opening to me,” she said. “We had an overwhelming response from children, and with the children come the parents and their friends. It was really a blessing for me to be a part of that.” Black said she’s looking forward to what’s ahead for the AMA.
Mallory Black, left, presents chalk artist Heather Cap her award for winning the professional category at the 2018 AMA ChalkFest. Black is again the volunteer chairperson for the fall AMA fundraiser festival, which will be held Oct 5.
“The museum does a really nice job of connecting all aspects of the community—every different interest,” she said. “It does a really good job with all the programs and outreach, also the events. It’s not tailored to one group. We try to reach out to the whole community and invite them in. I’m glad to be a part and look forward to what our museum holds for the community in the future.”
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ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
JERUSHIA GRAHAM: UNDERCURRENTS East Gallery | April 18 – June 15, 2019 The term Undercurrents—an underlying feeling that runs contrary to prevailing culture or the flow of deep water that moves in a different direction than water at the surface—aptly fits printmaker and fiber artist Jerushia Graham’s exhibition that opens April 18 and continues through June 15 in the Albany Museum of Art’s East Gallery. “The prints, papercuts and fabric pieces that make up Undercurrents explore the discontent, unrest and tension felt by many in an increasingly polarized society,” Graham said. That polarization comes in many forms, she says. “A widening socio-economic divide, daily injustices perpetrated towards anyone who is perceived as ‘other,’ and the continued struggle for gender equality fuel frustrations that lie just beneath the surface of our daily interactions,” Graham said. “Undercurrents expresses this slow-burning unrest and an uneasiness about the future.” Jerushia Graham, Keep Your Head Up 1
Graham, based in Atlanta, is the museum coordinator for the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. She earned an MFA in Book Arts/Printmaking from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pa., and BFA degrees in Fabric Design and Printmaking from the University of Georgia in Athens. Today, Graham exhibits both nationally and internationally. She was previously the education director for Atlanta Printmakers Studio, and has served as an arts professor for Kennesaw State University, the University of West Georgia, and the Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur. Graham developed arts programming for The Hudgens Center for Art & Learning in Duluth, Ga.; Spelman College Museum of Fine Art; The African American Museum of Philadelphia; the Fabric Workshop & Museum; Spiral Q Puppet Theater, and numerous community arts centers. She has also produced curatorial projects for the Zora Neale Hurston Museum in Eatonville, Fla., and The Hudgens Center. Graham notes that she is interested in nurturing socially-minded introspection through her artwork and in building welcoming collaborative arts experiences.
Jerushia Graham, Keep Your Head Up 2
This exhibit is curated by Didi Dunphy.
ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
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ZIPPORAH THOMPSON: GHOST YONDER MOONSCAPE West Gallery | March 7 - June 15, 2019 Undefined shapes allow the examination of “hidden mysteries of dream worlds, the unknown, and the unconscious” in the work of Zipporah Camille Thompson, a visual artist and sculptor based in Atlanta. Thompson’s exhibition Ghost Yonder Moonscape opens March 7 in the Albany Museum of Art’s West Gallery and continues through June 15. “Foraging for materials around me, I am drawn to collecting fragments and objects, and assembling them to recreate the whole,” Thompson said. “Artifacts of the arcane fuse together past, present and future. “The collagist, patchwork nature of my practice is an effort to reconstruct narrative, to recollect wilderness, to reconnect with the physical landscape, and to rekindle ties to the ancestors.” Zipporah Thompson, Summoning the Storm, 2018, found denim, bleach, linen, cotton, dye, paint, stoneware, glazes, toy tiger, tassel, antlers, woven
Thompson says she explores ritual and alchemical transformations via the unknown and through universals. The metamorphosed, shapeshifters and hybrid landscapes reflect various archaeological, psychological and ecological affinities, as well as a personal investigation of self and otherness, she said. “Wild, handwoven textiles, fired clay, paper pulp, and handspun cord, meet found detritus, heated plastic, and roadside remnants,” she said. “ The work activates the imagination of the viewer in the participatory search for meaning and purpose in my work.” Thompson earned her MFA from the University of Georgia and her BFA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her work has been featured in Sculpture Magazine, Art Papers and others. She has shown at the Zuckerman Museum of Art in Atlanta, Trestle Gallery in Brooklyn, Rogue Space in Chelsea, Gallery 400 in Chicago, and Whitespace Gallery in Atlanta. Her work also is included in numerous private collections.
Zipporah Thompson, La Nube (The Cloud), 2018, stoneware, glazes, oxides, antlers, luster, sequins, rope
She is a 2016 Artadia (Atlanta) Finalist, a recipient of the Zenobia Scholarship Award for residency at the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine, a 2018 NCECA Multicultural Fellow, and a 2018 Idea Capital grant recipient. She is currently a selected artist for The Creatives Program, with studio residency at The Goat Farm Arts Center in Atlanta. This exhibit is curated by Didi Dunphy.
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ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS MEMORY AND MEANING Works by Masud Olufani Haley Gallery | Through June 15
Sculptor and multimedia artist Masud Olufani discusses his piece Tight Packers with Albany Museum of Art staff. His exhibition Memory and Meaning continues at the AMA through June 15, 2019.
Exibitions curated by Didi Dunphy.
Masud Olufani’s thought-provoking exhibition is a visual exploration and excavation of language and historical events that deal particularly with the African diasporic experience. “I don’t want anybody to leave neutral,” says the sculptor and multimedia artist whose studio is at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. “I’d like for them to make a decision about what they’re seeing. Ultimately, I hope it sparks reflection and conversation that people can take beyond the interior museum space and carry into their communities and reflect on ways perhaps they can address some of the inequities in their communities.” Olufani notes that his work is complex. “I’m trying to think of any growth experience I’ve ever had that was 100% comfortable,” he said. “I can’t think of one.”
STACK: LEGO WORKS Works by Mike Landers East Gallery | Through April 13
Mike Landers works Mini-Stripes #3, 32 Colors and Measuring Stick #1-#4 are part of his Stack: Lego Works exhibit that continues through March 30, 2019, in the East Gallery of the AMA.
Children are intimately familiar with Legos, a creative toy that their parents also enjoyed in their own childhood years. Mike Landers, an Athens photographer and designer, began using Legos to create abstract works of art in 2012. “I have worked to create more complex designs, starting with my multicolor ‘sticks’ and moving toward the large-scale ‘paintings.’” He also creates intricate textile weavings and geometric designs with the small plastic blocks. Landers will be at the AMA on Saturday, March 16, for LegoFamily Day, which is 10 am-noon.
ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
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KIWANIS YOUTH ART SHOW AND AWARDS CEREMONY Sunday, March 17 | 2-4 pm For 39 years the Kiwanis Club of Dougherty County has annually provided students in Dougherty and Lee counties with the opportunity to demonstrate their artistic talents. High school participants will receive ribbons for first, second and third place and best of show at the awards ceremony set for 2-4 pm on Sunday, March 17 at the AMA’s Willson Auditorium. That also will be the opening day for the annual exhibition of the students’ work in the AMA auditorium. The show continues through March 31. The top-placing artwork in each grade will be entered in the Georgia District of Kiwanis Art Showcase.
Baylee Purvis poses with her Best of Show first-place entry, A Portrait In String, in the Kiwanis Club of Dougherty County Student Art Contest in 2018. The 2019 winners will be announced Sunday, March 17 at the AMA.
CONGRESSIONAL ART AWARDS EXHIBITION April 16-18 | Willson Auditorium • April 18 | Awards Ceremony Congressman Sanford Bishop is inviting high school students who reside in the Second Congressional District of Georgia to participate in the 38th annual Congressional Art Competition. “The Congressional Art Competition showcases our youth’s exceptional creativity and imagination on a platform the entire nation can enjoy, educating others on the importance of art and encouraging our young artists to explore their own potential,” Congressman Bishop said. All submissions from students in the district will be on display April 16-18 in the Willson Auditorium at the Albany Museum of Art. All participants and their families are invited to attend a reception on Thursday, April 18 in the auditorium and a winner will be announced.
Kenneth Cutts, district congressional aide of Congressman Sanford Bishop, presents 2018 Second Congressional District winner Gerald Corker of Cairo his award. The 2019 competition winner will be announced April 18 at the AMA.
The winner will have his or her artwork, along with artwork by winners from other participating congressional districts, displayed for one year in the Cannon Tunnel, a busy underground walkway to the U.S. Capitol from the House office buildings. The winner will have the unique opportunity to join Congressman Bishop at the 2019 national awards reception in Washington, D.C. The AMA offers a purchase award tothe winning artist and provides lodging expenses for a parent to accompany the winner to the nation’s capital for the awards reception. Details on the 2019 competition can be found at the Congressional Institute’s website, conginst.org, or by contacting Congressman Bishop’s office.
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229.439.8400
SPECIAL RATE ON SUNDAYS 25% off AMA rentals
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Zipporah Thompson, La Sombra (The Shadow, The Shade), 2018, stoneware, glazes, luster, plastic, tape April papercut image
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Mike Landers, Colors and Measuring Stick #1-#4 are part of his Stack: Lego Works
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ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | SPRING 2019
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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Jasper Johns born 1930
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ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
SUPPER SERIES: SPRING FÊTE April 13 | 6 pm There’s a freshness to spring that is unequaled by any other season, and that essence will be celebrated in Spring Fête, the next event in the AMA Fine Art of Dining Culinary Series IV. The chef has made her mark in Atlanta though Home of Craig and Jessica Castle. her name is familiar to those in Albany— Highland Bakery CEO Stacey Eames. Spring Fête will be held at the home of Craig and Jessica Castle, which, with its beautiful architecture and grounds, will be the perfect venue for a spectacular spring tribute. The chairs of the AMA Supper Series Committee say the dinner will bring the flavor of springtime to the table. “Spring is such a beautiful time when it comes to fresh, bright ingredients,” Committee Co-Chair Staci Willson said. Committee Chair Kirk Rouse agreed. “With the new spring season comes new birth,” he said. “We’re seeing everything get green again, and we’re transitioning from root vegetables to a wide array of fresh, delicate spring produce that’s just emerging.” Rouse says that essence will be captured by Eames, who founded her Highland Bakery in the historic location of the original Highland Bakery from the Great Depression era. Her father, the late Paul Eames, was a minor league baseball player and coach who,
with her mother and grandmother, ran the Hit and Run Restaurant. Her brother Glen, also a former baseball coach, has a restaurant and food truck in Albany. “I knew her when she was a young girl in Albany and I’ve followed her career over the years,” Rouse said. “She’s successful and a native of Albany who has a long family history in the food world. I try to go by her restaurant every time I’m in Atlanta.” The location of the dinner makes the experience unique. The Castles’ home was built in 1950 by Spencer Walden and designed by architect Richard Richards. Beautifully situated on five acres, it is well known for its marvelous gardens. Walden was famous locally for his camellias, and cultivated his own varieties. After the residence was sold in 2001 and left in disarray in 2007, it was saved and carefully renovated by the Waldens’ daughter, Gayle Chapman, and her cousin Emily Jean McAfee. The Castles have called it home for the past five years, and Craig Castle continues to nurture the beautiful garden. Tickets for the dinner are $175 for AMA members and $200 for future members. Contact 229.439.8400 to reserve your seat at this intimate dinner.
SAVE THE DATE Midsummer Night’s Supper July 18 | 6 pm Homes of Alex and Staci Willson and Joe and Annabelle Stubbs
ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
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PATRONS PARTY March 14 | 6 pm We especially appreciate the support of our Patron, Benefactor and Collector’s Circle members who are instrumental in helping fund Albany Museum of Art programs and outreach. These memberships also help the AMA provide free admission to area residents, exposing them to world-class art. If you have an active AMA membership at the Patron, Benefactor or Collector’s Circle level, we hope you will join us at 6 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2019 for the AMA Patrons Party. The event, which will include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, will be at the home of Museum Director Paula Williams. This event is a benefit of membership. There is no cost to attend, but we ask that you RSVP to rsvp@albanymuseum.com or by calling 229.439.8400.
AMA CONTEMPORARIES PRESENT AN EVENING OF WINE AND JAZZ April 25 | 7-9 pm What has become one of the leading events for young professionals in Albany and Southwest Georgia, the AMA Contemporaries will host An Evening of Wine and Jazz 7-9 pm on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Guests can sample wines from different distributors, listen to New Orleans style jazz performed by Southern Art Music Ensemble, watch as artists sketch during the event, and enjoy delicious snacks from local artisans. There will be a blind tasting and opportunities to learn about the different flavor profiles. Contemporaries members get in free. If you’re not a Contemporary yet, it’s easy to join! AMA members and new members at the $75 or higher level can join by adding $15 per adult on the membership. Tickets for non-members are $30 each. Contact 229.439.8400.
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ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
FIBER ART CLASS
BECOME AN AMA DOCENT
April 13 | 10 am-3 pm
March 6 | 4-5:30 pm
Get in on one of the hottest fiber trends and learn to make your very own custom woven wall hanging at this beginning weaving class. Utilizing found materials, we’ll experiment with the basic weaving processes to create a fun, one-of-a-kind wall hanging. Let your creativity flow and enjoy the flexible process of this fun craft. Some materials are included, so there will be lots of fun fibers to choose from. Please feel free to bring any special yarn or fabric you may want to use in your own wall hanging. There will be a lunch break during the workshop. Cost: $65 for AMA members or $75 for future members
Would you like to learn more about art or improve your interpretation skills? Do you love engaging in thoughtful conversations and meeting new people? The AMA is looking for volunteers interested in becoming docents. As a volunteer docent, you will have the unique opportunity to access collection information, attend museum lectures and certain programs free of charge, and enjoy private tours with visiting artists and curators. Training begins March 6 from 4-5:30 pm. If you would like to know more about this important program, contact the AMA at 229.439.8400 or email Annie Vanoteghem at docents@albanymuseum.com.
GEORGIA MUSEUM EDUCATORS MEETING April 19 Museum educators from across the state will meet at the Albany Museum of Art to discuss Museum Education Program Recovery After a Natural Disaster. AMA Director of Education Chloe Hinton along with the Director of Museums from Thronateeska Heritage Center Hannabeth Hembree and Malloree Lanier from the Flint Riverquarium will lead a discussion on how they worked together to create programming after the tornadoes of January 2017 during the period the AMA was without functional space. This meeting allows other museum professionals from across the state to learn from their peers and tour the Albany Museum of Art.
ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
ON THE KNIFE’S EDGE: PAPERCUT WORKSHOP April 20 | 10 am-noon
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AMA ART LOVERS BOOK CLUB May 21 | 6 pm Join AMA staff and fellow book lovers as we read and discuss books related to art, artists and art museums. The AMA Book Club is an informal group and you do not have to attend every meeting. Beginning May 21, 2019, the club will meet at 6 pm on the third Tuesday every other month at the AMA’s Willson Auditorium. Meeting bimonthly will give you time to read and flexibility in your schedule. You may even have time to read the book twice! Participants are expected to purchase their own copies of the selected titles. Please RSVP for the club meetings you want to attend so we can prepare the meeting space. Feel free to make suggestions for future “reads” throughout the year. They may appear in the following year’s schedule. Our first selection is I am Madame X by Gioia Diliberto. Paula Williams will lead the discussion on May 21.
Jerushia Graham, A Thousand Cuts
Learn basic techniques for papercuts with paper artist Jerushia Graham. Participants, who must be 18 or older, will be guided through the process of designing and cutting their own papercuts. Undercurrents, Graham’s April 18-June 15 exhibition for the Albany Museum, features large-scale papercuts, along with fabric works and prints. She will also provide a guided tour of her exhibition. Call the AMA at 229.439.8400 to reserve a spot. The cost is $25 for AMA members and $30 for future members.
On July 15, K.K. Snyder will lead discussion on Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. The Sept 17 selection, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, will be led by Candace Franklin. Upcoming selections planned for club meetings include The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton, An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro, and I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevi. Contact Chloe Hinton at 229.439.8400 or email bookclub@albanymuseum.com to RSVP!
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ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
MARCH IS NATIONAL YOUTH ART MONTH Youth art month is a nationwide initiative to promote art and art education. Student exhibitions, public artworks, art festivals, and school events raise awareness and support of the visual arts to local and state education officials, business and community leaders, and state and federal legislators. During this month-long celebration of student art, the Hodges Regional Artist Sales Gallery will become the Hodges Youth Art Sales Gallery, featuring the work of students ages 5-18. By purchasing the work of these budding artists, you will boost their confidence and foster their natural talents. If your child would like to participate, please submit images of their work to chloe.hinton@albanymuseum.com.
LEGO FAMILY FUN DAY Saturday, March 16 | 10 am-noon The Albany Museum of Art and the Albany Recreation and Parks Department are celebrating spring! Join us for art projects and outdoor games from 10 am-noon on Saturday, March 16. Parents and kids will have a special opportunity to meet Mike Landers, the artist behind the exhibition Stack: Lego Worksand talk with him about his art and Legos. Are you a master builder who wants to share your favorite model with other enthusiasts? Bring your model to the event to talk shop. Have you ever thought about creating an artwork from Legos without using a design kit? Challenge your creativity and bring us your artwork made using Legos. Will it be a sculpture? A collage? Painting? We can’t wait to see what you can come up with! All ages welcome. The first 100 kids through the door each get a pair of wearable Lego glasses! Lego Family Fun Day is free and open to the public.
The first 100 kids who come to Lego Family Fun Day 10 am-noon March 16 at the Albany Museum of Art will receive free wearable Lego glasses.
TODDLER TAKEOVER
HOMESCHOOL DAY
March 5 | April 2 | May 7
March 14 | April 11 | May 9
Designed for children ages 15 months through 3 years with their caregivers, Toddler Takeover conducted 10:30-11 am on first Tuesdays engages children’s creativity and incorporates monthly themes with related artwork, art-making activities, stories and tours.
Set for 11 am-12:30 pm on the second Thursday of each month, each Homeschool Day focuses on specific curriculum concurring with the current AMA exhibitions. The program is geared toward children K5-5th grade.
Toddler Takeover is sibling friendly, so bring the whole gang!
Cost: AMA members, $5; future members, $10
Cost: AMA members, free; future members, $5 NOTE: Toddler Takeover will take a summer break starting in June and return in September.
NOTE: Homeschool Day will take a summer break starting in June and return in September.
ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
SPRING BREAK STAYCATION March 25-29 | April 2-4 Looking for some stay-at-home fun this Spring Break? We’ll be creating in the classroom each day from 9 am-4 pm. Led by professional teaching artists and art teachers, Spring break Staycation brings a new opportunity for young artists to explore art activities in a variety of media and get inspired in the museum’s galleries, especially Mike Landers’ Stack: Lego Works. Half-day sessions are available. Please pack your child’s lunch if they are coming for the full day. Early drop-off and late pick-up will be available for free. Cost: Weeklong full-day for March 25-29 is $135 for AMA members and $170 for future members. Weeklong half-day is $85 for members or $100 for future members. Per-day campers both weeks are $35 for members and $45 for future members. Contact us at 229.439.8400 for registration information.
SUMMER CAMP DATES June 3-7; June 10-14; June 17-21; June 24-28, and July 8-12. Summer’s coming up quickly. Keep these dates in mind for our summer camps, which will have exciting different session for K4-middle school campers. We’ll have the schedule firmed up soon, but kids will be able to sign up for animation, robotics, clay, painting, culinary arts, and crafts. Details will be updated at albanymuseum.com/summer-camps and on the AMA Facebook page as soon as they become available. You also may contact us at 229.439.8400.
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ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PAULA WILLIAMS TO RETIRE Paula Bacon Williams, who led the Albany Museum of Art through its restoration after the devastating January 2017 storm damage that forced the museum to close for nearly nine months, announced in late January that she is retiring as executive director of the museum. Her retirement is effective June 30, 2019. “It really was not an easy decision,” Williams said. “I want to enjoy life while I can. This will give me more opportunities to do things I haven’t had time for and to spend time with family. “Also, it’s a good transitional time for the museum. We’re fiscally strong. We’ve added excellent programming. We have strengthened our focus and commitment to serve our community and region.” Board of Trustees member Kirk Rouse, who was board chairman when Williams was appointed executive director, said, “I’ve served on several boards, but I’ve never served with an executive director who was more committed to the mission of an organization than Paula. “It’s clear that she has a true passion for what she does. Also, she’s all about inclusion. She made the museum more of a community organization than it ever was before. We will miss her. Paula has had a positive impact on the community for many years. She has always been a strong advocate for Albany and for the museum.” R. Ripley Bell, Jr., chairman of the AMA Board of Trustees, said, “Paula has been an excellent executive director. She is leaving the museum on solid financial footing and with programming into the future. We wish her the best of luck in the future.”
This is Williams’ second time leading the AMA. She rejoined the museum as executive director in 2014. She previously served as executive director in 1990-93 after being promoted from the position as director of marketing and volunteer services that she held 1987-90. “When I came back to the museum, I never considered it to be a long-term situation,” Williams said. “I also never in a million years thought we’d have two tornadoes (Jan 2 and 22, 2017) and a hurricane (Michael on Oct 10, 2018) to deal with. But I learned a great deal and embraced the challenges.” In her first stint as executive director, Williams led the museum to accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, a mark held by only 3% of museums nationwide. The museum takes great pride that it is a
ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
well-managed system that operates with distinction, serving as a national model by meeting the highest standards of the museum field. Williams said one of the reasons she is comfortable with her decision is that she has assembled a quality team at the AMA. “We have a top-notch staff at the museum,” she said. “I am confident in their ability to continue moving the AMA forward.” She said she is also grateful for the financial support the AMA has gotten from the community, corporations and foundations, especially the James M. Barnett, Jr. Foundation, the W.B. Haley Foundation, the Frances Bunzl Foundation and the Ralph Hodges Trust. It takes strong staff and financial support for the museum to build community through art, both in the galleries and in the classroom. “Our exhibition schedule and educational programming have been robust,” she said. “We have been building on our successes, and I think things are moving in the right direction.” That is being done with thought-provoking exhibitions, educational programming and events such as Courageous Conversations, which encourages discussion about race, and opportunities for the community to participate in artist workshops and lectures. “We’re talking about things that we haven’t always been able to talk about,” Williams said. “We are showing more exhibitions in which artists make social commentary. That enables the museum to present conversations based on those exhibitions. We’ve pushed some boundaries, which I’m proud of. And I hope to continue to do so.” Williams reflected on the January 2017 storms, which severely damaged the museum building as they caused widespread devastation in Albany and Southwest Georgia. “Looking back at the first moments with the first tornado and the destruction that followed, it was the most stressful time, but also one that provided inspiration as people rose to the occasion,” she said. Museum staff, trustees, volunteers and conservators were called in to work quickly to secure the museum’s
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permanent collection and the artwork on exhibition in the AMA galleries. Thankfully, none of the art was lost or destroyed. One silver lining from the ordeal was the AMA’s permanent collection was assessed and restored by trained conservators. After months of repairs, on Aug 24, 2017, the AMA reopened its three first-floor galleries, auditorium, children’s area and classroom, and resumed a full schedule of exhibitions and programming. “Strength came from the storm,” Williams said. The event also afforded AMA officials the opportunity to explore a possible move to a downtown location. “Moving downtown was not an option before that,” she said. “While that effort has run into some unfortunate roadblocks, the museum will continue to look at directions for the future that will best allow the AMA to fulfill its mission and its strong commitment to our community and region.” Establishing a new fall downtown Albany festival, AMA ChalkFest, was an achievement Williams said she is proud of. The first ChalkFest brought 11 professional chalk artists and thousands of visitors to downtown Albany last September for a daytime street festival filled with art, music and food. The second ChalkFest is scheduled for Saturday, Oct 5, 2019. “We researched ChalkFest for three years before we found the right time to launch it,” she said. “A large part of what made the timing and the festival work was finding the perfect chairperson, Mallory Black, who is a member of the Board of Trustees. Her tireless work and leadership took it off the drawing board and onto Pine Avenue.” Asked about what she was proudest of accomplishing during her second tenure as executive director of the museum, Williams said, “I think it’s getting the museum back on an even keel, expanding our membership and public support, getting strong policies and procedures in place, and helping the Trustees build the best board possible. I personally feel we have the best board in town. We are also grateful for so many who have stepped up and supported the museum during my tenure.”
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ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART | Spring 2019
A CONVERSATION WITH MASUD OLUFANI Sculptor and multimedia artist Masud Olufani will be at the Albany Museum of Art on April 30, 2019 to discuss his work and his exhibition Memory and Meaning. The event is free and open to the public. Olufani, whose work includes exploration of the African-American experience with the U.S. justice system, will be joined by Jimmie Gardner of Dawson. Gardner regained his freedom in 2016 after serving 27 years in the West Virginia prison system for crimes he did not commit. “I usually speak off the cuff,” Olufani said. “Naturally, there will be some dialogue about my work as it relates to the title of the show. It’ll be about the resiliency of the human spirit as it transcends the challenges facing humanity. I imagine that will be part of the conversation.” Olufani said he tries not to overplan his talks “because there’s energy I pick up on and I have a sense of where the conversation is going.”
Sculptor and multimedia artist Masud Olufani discusses his work Pipleline with Albany Museum of Art staff. Pipeline focuses on the high rate of expulsion of African-American students and how that marginalizes their place in society. Olufani’s exhibition Memory and Meaning continues in the Haley Gallery through June 15.
Memory and Meaning continues in the Haley Gallery through June 15.
SAVE THE DATE!
AMA ChalkFest
returns Oct 5, 2019
ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART |
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The AMA gratefully acknowledges the following friends for their contributions | July-September, 2018 FOUNDATIONS
END OF YEAR GIVING
MATCHING GIFTS
W.B. Haley Foundation Herbert and Marian Haley Foundation The James Barnett, Jr. Foundation The McCormack Foundation PPC Foundation Sarah R. Wetherbee Charitable Trust
Thomas and Nancy Chambless GFWC Albay Woman’s Club Joseph and Amy Dent Joseph H. Davenport Edwin and Beth Flournoy Fred Fussell William and Joanna Hancock Amy Jones Jo Elliott Jones and Nancy Presley Robert and Ruth Krywicki Joseph and Annabelle Stubbs Webb Properties Lawrence and Beverly Willson
Watson Spence
INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS Dunn and Nealy Stapleton
LEGACIES AND BEqUESTS Jo Jones in Honor of Amy Jones and the late Chuck Jones
NEW AND RENEWING MEMBERS The AMA is proud to recognize our new and renewing members | July-September, 2018 COLLECTOR’S CIRCLE ($1,000) Dr. and Mrs. John M. Dixon Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Prchal Mr. and Mrs. Mike Wetherbee Dr. and Mrs. Timothy C. Williams Drs. Joyce and Mark Shoemaker Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Sudderth
BENEFACTOR ($500) Mrs. Joyce Barlow Mr. and Mrs. Skeebo Hancock Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Stubbs
PATRON ($250) Mr. and Mrs. Bill Bates, Jr. Ms. Mallory Black Mr. and Mrs. William H. Buntin Mrs. Lynda Campbell Mr. and Mrs. Luke Flatt Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Fuller Hon. and Mrs. Loring A. Gray Mr. and Mrs. Hal Gurley Ms. Suzann Hagins Drs. Russell Jones and Deborah Marks-Jones Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Lee IV
Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Lindsey Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Prchal Mr. and Mrs. James E. Reynolds Mr. and Mrs. Dunn Stapleton Mr. and Mrs. Victor Sullivan Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Toholsky Ms. Laurie Wedel Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Willis Mr. and Mrs. Doug Wilson
SUPPORTING ($100) Mr. and Mrs. Reid Garland Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Graham Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Herrick Mr. and Mrs. Bob Langstaff Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Morris Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Jake Reese Mr. and Mrs. Fred Sharpe Mr. and Mrs. Randall E. Wages
FAMILY/INDIVIDUAL/ MILITARY ($75) Mr. and Mrs. Bob Aderhold Mr. and Mrs. Seth Bigelow Mr. and Mrs. Alan Bitterman Ms. Alison Bueschen
Mr. Derek Bittner and Mrs. Veronica Bustos Mr. and Mrs. Kenny Hynote Ms. Ouitia Malone Mr. and Mrs. Jack Owens Mr. and Mrs. Steven Pruitt Mr. and Mrs. Jay Sharpe Mr. Clark Stallings Mr. and Mrs. John M. Stephenson Mr. and Mrs. Wiley Wilson Ms. Linda Hodge Mr. and Mrs. John McDuffie STUDENT (FREE WITH VALID ID) Heaven Benoit-Felder Immense Benoit-Felder Kennedy Patrick Antionette Shannon Aja Walker Treyvon Wimberly
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ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART
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