facet
Cut & Paste
Deborah Roberts
Calendar of Events
www.georgiamuseum.org
Autumn 2019
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from the
director Director
Department of Publications Hillary Brown Board of Advisors B. Heyward Allen Jr.*
Candice Lawrence
Rinne Allen
Design
Amalia K. Amaki**
The Adsmith
June M. Ball Linda N. Beard Karen L. Benson** Fred D. Bentley Sr.* Richard E. Berkowitz Sally Bradley Jeanne L. Berry Devereux C. Burch* Robert E. Burton** Debra C. Callaway** Shannon I. Candler* Faye S. Chambers Harvey J. Coleman Sharon Cooper James Cunningham
s
Director William Underwood Eiland
everal weeks ago, in anticipation of a lecture I was to give, I asked our Pierre Daura Curator of European Art Nelda Damiano and her student Emily Claire DuVall to help identify a saint in our 14th-century Kress painting by Simone dei Crocefissi. This panel is an example of what is called gold-ground painting, popular during the early days of the Italian Renaissance and the waning of the Medieval period. The tradition emphasizes stylized figuration and shallow picture planes, all the more necessary to stress the immediacy, the mystery, the spirituality, the urgency, if you will, of the holy image, in this case that of the Virgin and Child surrounded by St. Peter, St. John the Baptist, St. Jerome and the one I failed to identify.
Martha Randolph Daura***
Howard F. Elkins Todd Emily Phoebe Forio*** John M. Greene** Helen C. Griffith** Barbara Guillaume Judith F. Hernstadt
Georgia Museum of Art
Marion E. Jarrell**
University of Georgia
Jane Compton Johnson*
90 Carlton Street
George-Ann Knox* Shell H. Knox* Andrew Littlejohn
Athens, GA 30602-1502 www.georgiamuseum.org Admission: Free
Mark G. McConnell Marilyn M. McMullan Marilyn D. McNeely
706.542.4662
Ibby Mills
Fax: 706.542.1051
C.L. Morehead Jr.*
Exhibition Line: 706.542.3254
Carl. W. Mullis III* Betty R. Myrtle**
HOURS
Gloria E. Norris***
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and
Deborah L. O’Kain Randall S. Ott
Saturday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Gordhan L. Patel, chair
Thursday: 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
Janet W. Patterson
Sunday: 1–5 p.m.
Christopher R. Peterson Kathy B. Prescott
Callan Steinmann and her corps of educators and docents interpret such scholarship to a lay public as they train students at the University of Georgia in museum standards and best practices. We have just added to this talented group of curators Jeffrey Richmond-Moll, and I hope you all will have the chance to welcome him to Athens. He is already hard at work on American paintings, and, in fact, he is presenting two papers at peer professional conferences in the first months of his tenure here.
georgiamuseum.org/blog
James B. Fleece
David Mulkey
Other curators are working on similar questions about pictures or objects in their realms. For example, Dale Couch is preparing for this fall’s major exhibition and catalogue on the material arts of Georgia, and Shawnya Harris is pursuing her research for a monographic catalogue on the career of Emma Amos (due in 2021). Asen Kirin is acting as curator of works never seen before at the museum, the Coptic art of Egypt, Eritrea and Ethiopia where early Christians created, in stone and cloth, proof of their intense spirituality.
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Judith A. Ellis
David W. Matheny, chair-elect
Thus, Emily found that the scholar Perri Lee Roberts had already identified the figure as St. Paul due to the overlarge sword he holds and the Bible he cradles in the crook of his arm. Now, we are trying to ascertain the figure assumed to be St. Joseph, who stands on the plinth supporting the Virgin’s throne.
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Sally Dorsey**
D. Hamilton Magill
The point of this explanation of regrettable lack of knowledge or imagination is to illustrate the role of the curator at the museum. Curators perform the research, interpret the iconography, place the image in its context and disseminate knowledge about that image to other scholars as well as to the general public.
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Martha T. Dinos** Annie Laurie Dodd***
Closed Mondays. Museum Shop closes
Bill Prokasy*
15 minutes prior. (Museum members
Rowland A. Radford Jr.*
receive 10% off all regularly priced
Annemarie S. Reynolds***
items.)
Margaret A. Rolando* Julie M. Roth Alan F. Rothschild* Jan E. Roush Bert Russo Sarah P. Sams**
Mission Statement
D. Jack Sawyer Jr.*
The Georgia Museum of Art shares the
Helen H. Scheidt**
mission of the University of Georgia to
Henry C. Schwob** Mr. Ronald K. Shelp
support and to promote teaching,
Margaret R. Spalding
research and service. Specifically, as a
Dudley R. Stevens
repository and educational instrument of
Carolyn Tanner**
the visual arts, the museum exists to
Anne Wall Thomas*** Brenda A. Thompson, immediate past chair
collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret significant works of art.
William E. Torres C. Noel Wadsworth* Carol V. Winthrop
Georgia Museum of Art facet | Autumn 2019
The curatorial eye, the judgment and creativity of these faculty members at the University of Georgia are essential to our goals in educating our academic and our lay publics, of course, but they are also necessary to the ongoing visual and cultural education of students, of faculty and staff, and of our audiences.
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While our curators are invaluable to the operation of the museum, they serve as only one important piece of the puzzle. The organization of our registrars, the outreach of communications, the support of development and special events, the keen eye of our installers and the coordination of our business office all come together to ensure that our museum continues to succeed in our mission. The staff at the museum truly form the lifeblood of this institution.
William Underwood Eiland, Director
Gregory Ann Woodruff
Partial support for the exhibitions and programs Ex-Officio
at the Georgia Museum of Art is provided by the
Lacy Middlebrooks Camp
Georgia Council for the Arts through the
Linda C. Chesnut
appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly.
William Underwood Eiland
The Georgia Council for the Arts also receives
Chris Garvin
support from its partner agency, the National
S. Jack Hu
Endowment for the Arts. Individuals, foundations
Kelly Kerner Marisa Anne Pagnattaro
and corporations provide additional museum support through their gifts to the University of Georgia Foundation. The Georgia Museum of Art
*Lifetime member
is ADA compliant; the M. Smith Griffith
**Emeritus member
Auditorium is equipped for deaf and hard-of-
***Honorary member
hearing visitors.
contents contents 4
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Exhibitions
New Acquisitions
Cut and Paste
Camera Roll
Exhibitions
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A New Chair and a Chair Reborn: Collection Developments in the Decorative Arts Department
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Changes in the Samuel H. Kress Gallery
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Cut and Paste
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Publication Spotlight: “Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi”
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Calendar
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Museum Notes
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Gifts
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In the Shop
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Camera Roll
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On the big cover:
On the small cover:
Elbert County, Georgia, area
Mary Lee Bendolph
Chair, ca. 1780 – 1820
Grandma Strips (detail), 2009
Unidentified woods (possibly walnut, ash or mulberry)
Cotton
37 1/4 x 18 1/2 x 14 inches
75 x 77 inches
Collection of Fred and Beth Mercier
Collection of Mary Lee Bendolph, courtesy of Rubin Bendolph Jr.
The University of Georgia does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or military service in its administrations of educational policies, programs or activities; its admissions policies; scholarship and loan programs; athletic or other Universityadministered programs; or employment. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the Equal Opportunity Office Fax 706-542-2822. https://eoo.uga.edu/
www.georgiamuseum.org
119 Holmes-Hunter Academic Building, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602. Telephone 706-542-7912 (V/TDD).
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Georgia Museum of Art facet | Autumn 2018
exhibi EXHIBITIONS
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Possibly Athens, Georgia Fancy chair with rockers, ca. 1840 – 80 Unidentified woods 30 x 16 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches Collection of Fred and Beth Mercier
itions ITIONS
Material Georgia 1733 – 1900: Two Decades of Scholarship November 19, 2019 – March 15, 2020 This exhibition will review 20 years of scholarly activity at the Henry D. Green Center for the Study of the Decorative Arts. To celebrate those years, it both surveys the field and finds critical points for expansion of the study of Georgia material culture through the lens of different methods in the decorative arts, focusing on the 18th and 19th centuries. The next increment, planned for 2022, will address the 20th century to the present. “Material Georgia” will include numerous examples of furniture, textiles, pottery, basketry and paintings, borrowed from public and private collections and including many masterpieces. It will present both a synthesis of Green Center work and new research, as well as pointing the way for future research in Georgia-related decorative arts. It will be accompanied by a book published by the museum with contributions from many authors. Curator: Dale L. Couch, curator of decorative arts Galleries: Philip Henry Alston Jr. and Virginia and Alfred Kennedy Galleries Sponsors: Forward Arts Foundation, the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation, Georgia Humanities, the W. Newton Morris Charitable Foundation and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art
Unidentified maker Walton County, Georgia Chest, ca. 1825 – 50 Yellow pine 27 x 42 1/2 x 19 3/4 inches The Miller Collection
www.georgiamuseum.org
North Georgia, possibly Nacoochee Valley, chest with inlay, ca. 1805–25. Mahogany veneer, possibly walnut, and light wood inlay and yellow pine, 40 1/2 x 38 1/2 x 20 3/4 inches. Private collection, promised bequest to Georgia Museum of Art.
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ex io n s EX hibit HIBITIONS Mary Lee Bendolph: Quilted Memories October 5 – December 29, 2019 This exhibition features quilts created by artist Mary Lee Bendolph spanning three decades. Bendolph worked in textile-related fields until 1992, when she retired and had more time to devote to quilting. The artist, who is from Gee’s Bend, Alabama, comes from a family with generations of talented quilt makers. She learned to quilt from her mother, who helped launch the Freedom Quilting Bee during the 1960s. Bendolph was one of many members of the Gee’s Bend community to accompany Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his march at Camden, Alabama (across the river from Gee’s Bend), in 1965. Inspired by King’s activism, she became involved with local voting rights demonstrations. Following the death of her husband and her retirement in 1992, she began devoting more time to quilt making, producing hundreds of colorful, geometric designs linked to family memories, local architecture and images from daily life using her preferred materials of family clothing scraps over newer cloth. Curator: Shawnya Harris, Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art Galleries: Lamar Dodd, Boone and George-Ann Knox I, Rachel Cosby Conway, Alfred Heber Holbrook and Charles B. Presley Family Galleries Sponsors: The W. Newton Morris Charitable Foundation and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art
Master, Pupil, Follower: 16th- to 18th-Century Italian Works on Paper December 21, 2019 – March 8, 2020 This exhibition showcases approximately 30 drawings and prints dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries and drawn from the collections of Giuliano Ceseri of Lafayette, Louisiana, the Georgia Museum of Art and the Jeffrey Horvitz Collection. Curators selected drawings and prints to represent specific artistic styles and Italian regional schools. An examination of the drawings has revealed some previously erroneous assumptions. In a few cases, new attributions have resulted; in others, authorship remains unresolved. The museum will publish a fully illustrated exhibition catalogue containing this scholarship and publishing important drawings by Giulio Romano, Claudio Ridolfi, Palma il Giovane and Guercino for the first time. Other artists include Giulio Benso, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, Salvatore Rosa and followers of Veronese and Tintoretto. Curators: Robert Randolf Coleman, professor emeritus, Renaissance and Baroque art history, University of Notre Dame; Nelda Damiano, Pierre Daura Curator of European Art, Georgia Museum of Art; and Benedetta Spadaccini, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milano Gallery: Boone and George-Ann Knox Gallery II Sponsors: The W. Newton Morris Charitable Foundation and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art Follower of Paolo Veronese (Italian, 1528 – 1588) Virgin and Child in glory with Sts. John the Baptist, Catherine, Elisabeth, Sebastian, Francis and Peter Pen, brown ink and wash, white heightening on faded blue paper 15 15/16 x 9 3/4 inches Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Extended loan from the collection of Giuliano Ceseri GMOA 1999.6E
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Mary Lee Bendolph Dashiki, 2003 Cotton 90 x 97 inches Collection of Mary Lee Bendolph, courtesy of Rubin Bendolph Jr.
Before the War: Photographs of Syria by Peter Aaron August 31 – December 1, 2019 In 2009, Peter Aaron traveled with his family to Syria. Aaron spent his trip photographing city streets and sites in and around Syria, such as the desert city of Palmyra or Krak des Chevaliers, the largest fortified castle built by the crusaders. Two years after his trip, civil war broke out in Syria, and since then, many of the monuments in these photographs have been destroyed. This exhibition includes images from Aaron’s book “Syria: Before the Deluge,” which contains photographs from his trip. Curator: UGA student Ashlyn Davis, with Annelies Mondi, deputy director Gallery: Boone and George-Ann Knox Gallery II Sponsors: The W. Newton Morris Charitable Foundation and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art
Rachel Whiteread September 7, 2019 – March 8, 2020
Rachel Whiteread (English, b. 1963), untitled sculptures. Portland, Ancaster, Blue Forest Dean and Exhill stone. Courtesy of Gagosian.
don’ iss DON’Tt m MISS Out of the Darkness Through October 27
Color, Form and Light: Objects from the Permanent Collection Through October 13
Five cast-stone sculptures by Rachel Whiteread
on paper by Whiteread and related artists from
reinterpret the artist’s earlier resin castings
its collections that will be on display inside, in
of the space beneath chairs. The works are
the galleries on the second floor. These works
arranged in a table setting, reinforcing their
provide additional context to Whiteread’s work.
domestic nature and origins. Variations in the stone type and surface textures of each piece
Curator: Annelies Mondi, deputy director
make use of changes in outdoor lighting over
Gallery: Jane and Harry Willson Sculpture
the course of a day. All loans are courtesy of
Garden
Gagosian. The museum has also selected works
www.georgiamuseum.org
Top to bottom: Peter Aaron, Tetrapylon, Palmyra, 2009; Assad Pasha Khan, Damascus, 2009; and Church of St. Simeon Stylites, 2009.
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new
acquisitions A New Chair and a Chair Reborn: Collection Developments in the Decorative Arts Department
The decorative arts collection continues to be enriched by generous gifts from kind and long-standing donors.
A
n object that has long figured into the history of Georgia chairmaking is the Windsor chair depicted below. This chair is from the same shop as the armchair in our collection purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Levon Register. These chairs are almost certainly by the same hand, executed in roughly the same period in Athens. A broader group of these chairs with the characteristic flat top rail is known throughout the state. Students in Athens may have bought chairs while here and later taken them home. This side chair, a gift of Lucy Rowland, had the most detailed Athens provenance of any of these objects and is valuable both as an expression of rare Windsor style in Georgia and for its historical evidence. Undoubtedly, it will prove to be a valuable tool in understanding this key group of early Georgia furniture. We hope to exhibit and interpret this chair in a future exhibition — tentatively titled “Back to Athens” — which will focus on art and craft that left this community. In this case, the chair is an Athenian object that did not leave Athens but is key to under-
standing many seating examples that did leave and wound up throughout Georgia. Conservation of an object that allows for our full appreciation of it is similar to accession of a new work. One object in our collection that has languished in a lackluster condition is an extremely important federal armchair that descended in the Huger family (above). Although much of its existence has been in Georgia, it was likely made in Charleston, South Carolina. In fact, this chair, or one from the same set, was published incidentally in “Dwelling Houses of Charleston” in 1909. These chairs and a few others like them are visually close to New York examples, but nuances suggest Charleston manufacture, such as a British stance created by distinctly shorter arms. When southern objects resemble the products of northeastern centers, people tend to assume influence from the
Unidentified maker (active Charleston, South Carolina) Arm chair, ca. 1795 – 1805 Mahogany, ash and yellow pine and upholstery materials Museum purchase with funds provided by Harry and Caroline Gilham; Conservation funds provided by the collections committee of the Board of Advisors in 2019 GMOA 2012.428
Northeast, but British influences directly planted themselves in Charleston at the same time as parts north. Parallel developments of style can appear quite related because they share prototypes. That observation does not take away from the fact that Charleston seating includes much stylistic influence coming from New York and other northern cities.
This side chair, a gift of Lucy Rowland, had the most detailed Athens provenance of any of these objects and is valuable both as an expression of rare Windsor style in Georgia and for its historical evidence.
Unidentified maker (active Athens, Georgia) Windsor side chair, ca. 1800 – 30 Possibly hickory, ash and soft maple Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Gift of Lucy Minogue Rowland GMOA 2019.97
Whether made in the North, made by a British immigrant or made by a New York migrant, the chair has been present in our region for two centuries and has conditioned southern aesthetic. Unfortunately, its full aesthetic impact has been limited due to overstuffed upholstery and modern fabric design. Conservator Walt Mullins removed the late intrusions and restored the lines of the chair. All carving is now observable, and the tight federal lines of the piece are enhanced by the restoration of the original brass tack patterns. It is common to see these chairs in museums and private collections upholstered in horsehair. Former Green Center intern Joseph Litts conducted research and recommended the beautiful green fabric used here in order to suggest the cosmopolitan choices for upholstery that Charlestonians could employ. The use of a fabric with slightly more Continental connotations applied to a purely British design is intended to suggest the manifold cultural sources affecting the complex city of Charleston. This conservational effort has essentially regifted the object in a form that is both aesthetically satisfying and educational. This “gift” was made with funds provided by the collections committee of the museum’s Board of Advisors, and it is a gift that will endure for many generations. A permanent credit line for that committee’s generosity will be appended to our labels and captions for this chair. We are grateful to Lucy Rowland and to the collections committee of the board for their support and loyalty.
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Dale L. Couch Curator of decorative arts
samuel Samuel h H.. Kress kress Gallery gallery
changes in the
If you’ve been to the museum lately, you may have noticed some changes in the Samuel H. Kress Gallery, which houses our collection of Italian Renaissance and baroque paintings. In addition to a new coat of paint (in “plum brown”), the gallery currently has on display six large paintings on loan from Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery, currently closed for expansion. During this time, it’s making its collection available to other museums around the country, including ours. “Drama and Devotion in Baroque Rome” is a 10-month exhibition of works that show the influence of Caravaggio. In early-17th-century Rome, painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571 – 1610) sparked an artistic revolution in the Eternal City. Painters from all corners of Europe traveled to Rome to see his work and emulate his contrast of light and dark, dramatic staging and striking realism. Caravaggio’s shocking style drew a huge following and completely altered the Italian baroque period. “Drama and Devotion in Baroque Rome” celebrates Caravaggio and offers a unique opportunity for the public to view works from an important period in art that is not much represented in the museum’s permanent collection. The highlight of this exhibition is “Christ on the Cross” by Peter Paul Rubens, a Flemish artist who spent eight years in Italy. Although he only worked for about 15 years and produced roughly 70 paintings in that time, Caravaggio remains one of the most influential figures in Western art. Many of his trademark techniques can be clearly seen in the work of artists with work on display, such as stark contrast of light and dark, unsettling realism, use of live models, dramatic staging and vigorous modeling. His paintings of religious scenes depict traditional figures in a more contemporary, humanistic and emotional state, inspiring introspection. He also created secular compositions of card sharps, musicians and fortune tellers that are more playful.
Painters from all corners of Europe traveled to Rome to see his work and emulate his contrast of light and dark, dramatic staging and striking realism. Other artists in the exhibition are Giovanni Lanfranco, Simon Vouet, Trophime Bigot, Orazio Gentileschi and Abraham Janssens. Their diversity of origin shows how broadly Caravaggio’s influence affected the baroque period, as artists from all over Europe came to view his work in Rome. Caravaggio did not have pupils of his own, but his art was made so accessible through church displays that numerous painters were able to study and copy it.
Andrea Beatriz Giordano Communications Intern Peter Paul Rubens (b. Siegen, 1577; d. Antwerp, 1640) Christ on the Cross, ca. 1610 Oil on panel 45 x 30 3/4 inches Museum and Gallery at Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC
Simon Vouet (Paris, 1590 – 1649) Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist, 1614–27 Oil on canvas 39 x 29 1/8 inches Museum and Gallery at Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC
www.georgiamuseum.org
Select works from the museum’s Kress Study Collection remain on view. “Drama and Devotion in Baroque Rome” will be followed by other longterm exhibitions borrowing works from the Museum and Gallery.
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paste cut and and paste The state of Georgia has long been known for its five P’s in agriculture (poultry, peaches, peanuts, pecans and paper) but only one of these has attracted a wide array of Georgia
Dunphy traveled around the state to select contemporary
artists. Organized by the Georgia Museum of Art at the
artists for the exhibition, which examines ways in which
University of Georgia and Athens’ Lyndon House Arts Center,
working artists manipulate paper to create remarkable and
the exhibition “Cut and Paste: Works of Paper” is traveling the
varied works of art. From detailed hand cutting to mark
state of Georgia featuring 11 Georgia artists, each of whom
making, draping and folding, casting and silhouettes, both
works in paper.
wall-bound and sculptural reliefs consider current possibilities of paper and highlight artists using these magical techniques.
“Cut and Paste” is part of “Highlighting
She says, “My hope is that all enjoy the awe and amazement
Contemporary Art in Georgia,” a triennial series
of the world of works on paper as well as the wonderful talents
of traveling exhibitions that began with “Pushing the Press: Printmaking in the South” in 2016. Each exhibition is organized by the Georgia Museum of Art and the Lyndon House and made available at minimal cost to
Artists with work in “Cut and Paste” include: Steven L. Anderson, Jerushia Graham, Matt Haffner, Elizabeth Lide and
interested venues in metropolitan areas big and small across
Lucha Rodriguez, of Atlanta; Betsy Cain,
the state, in keeping with the University of Georgia’s statewide
of Savannah; Imi Hwangbo and Samuel
public outreach mission. Curator Didi Dunphy, who is the
Stabler, of Athens; Hannah Israel, of
program supervisor at the Lyndon House, assembled both exhibitions, with assistance from museum staff. An accomplished artist, Dunphy received a master of fine arts degree from San Francisco Art Institute in the contemporary arts and has had exhibitions in major venues. She is a former visiting scholar and professor in the contemporary and digital media arts at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, UGA; serves as gallery director at the Hotel Indigo-Athens and Indigo’s Matt Haffner Fallen God – Dunks, 2015 Cardboard 7 1/4 x 4 1/2 x 11 3/4 inches (each shoe) Courtesy of whitespace Gallery, Atlanta
living in the state of Georgia.”
GlassCube project space; and is a guest curator for the Albany Museum of Art, Albany, Georgia. She is a member of Americans for the Arts, the American Alliance of Museums and the College Art Association and has served on a number of advisory panels for Georgia Council for the Arts.
Columbus; Teresa Bramlette Reeves, of Kennesaw; and Kalina Wińska, of Valdosta. The exhibition opened at the Lyndon House, in Athens, where it ran June 1 – July 27. It then traveled to the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, where it is on view through November 14. It will then go to the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Macon, Georgia, December 5, 2019 – February 14, 2020; the Albany Museum of Art, Albany, Georgia, February 27 – June 27, 2020; and Telfair Museum of Art’s Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah, Georgia, August 1, 2020 – February 21, 2021.
The 10th Henry D. Green
symposium symposium of the the decorative arts arts decorative January 30 – February 1, 2020 Georgia Matters: Celebrating Two Decades of Scholarship to be held at the UGA Hotel and Conference Center In conjunction with the exhibitions: Material Georgia 1733 – 1900: Two Decades of Scholarship (November 16, 2019 – March 15, 2020) Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection (February 1 – May 10, 2020)
KEYNOTE: Thursday, January 30 Daniel Ackermann (sponsored by Georgia Humanities) SYMPOSIUM: Friday and Saturday, January 31 and February 1 LEAD SPONSOR: Forward Arts Foundation
Save the date and get on our mailing list: 706.542.4199 or gmoa@uga.edu
Putnam County, Georgia, work table, 1820–40. Mahogany with poplar and yellow pine secondary with bone button inlays, 29 x 22 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches. Finch Collection.
ppuubli catio n blication sspotlight p o t li ght “Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi”
Want your own copy? You can buy “Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi” in the Museum Shop for $40 ($36 current members).
Our respective directors, William Underwood Eiland and Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, are the only two people we know of who can match one another for energy level and their ability to spur on their staff to achieve big goals. But finding a project to collaborate on other than a loan here and there took some time. The publication of “Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi” was just that project. Spelman’s museum had organized the exhibition of the same name in the spring of 2018, which was a great success, borrowing from about 50 lenders across the country. Roberts’ career was taking off around the same time, and her complex, nuanced works that combine collage and painting found an appreciative audience in Atlanta. The show’s supporters, however, wanted more. Specifically, they wanted the chance to extend its reach through a full exhibition catalogue. Brownlee knew that the
Georgia Museum of Art had a history of publications that were strong in both design and content, and she called us to consult. It quickly became clear that putting out a book together was the project that we had been looking for. Brownlee and project coordinator Theo Tyson identified guest authors Erin J. Gilbert, Kirsten Pai Buick and Antwaun Sargent, each of whom wrote an essay from an academic perspective, examining Roberts’ use of serigraphs and collage, her focus on childhood and her text-based works. Valerie Cassel Oliver provided an interview with Roberts in which the two women discuss Roberts’ career and life. Franklin Sirmans and Beverly Guy-Sheftall provided a postscript and a coda to the text, and Mary Schmidt Campbell, president of Spelman, wrote a foreword. Brownlee herself wrote about the genesis of the exhibition and how Roberts’ career has changed and evolved since then. Every work
in the exhibition (80-plus) receives a full-page, full-color illustration. Arranged both chronologically and thematically, they show an artist in her prime examining and working out different ideas, sometimes picking them up years later and doing something new with old techniques. Designer Roy Brooks, of Fold Four, who previously worked with the Georgia Museum of Art on projects including “Richard Hunt: Synthesis” and “Cercle et Carré and the International Spirit of Abstract Art,” took inspiration from Roberts’ use of paper as a medium. His design is both as bold and as subtle as Roberts’ work. This project was an exciting one for both museums, and the book made its debut in London at Stephen Friedman Gallery, with the opening of Roberts’ exhibition there. We have been busy taking pre-orders for several months, and it has been selling briskly. It not only helps diversify our publishing list, but it helps us pursue the university’s goal of statewide outreach and collaboration with other institutions, both public and private. We hope it is only the first of a long series of books we can produce together.
www.georgiamuseum.org
The Georgia Museum of Art and the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, in Atlanta, have long had a great relationship, as two fiercely academic institutions in the Deep South.
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cCal e n dDAarR A LEN OCTOBER october Sun
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Special Events Quilting Demonstration with Mary Lee Bendolph and Quilters of Gee’s Bend Friday, October 4, 11 a.m. Join Mary Lee Bendolph, quiltmakers and residents of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, for a special program featuring quilting demonstrations, singing and more.
90 Carlton: Autumn Friday, October 4, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
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Students from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music will perform a program of music designed and conducted by David Stanley, master’s student in conducting at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Alongside Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring,” the program includes music by African American composers, exploring the intersection of rural regional identity and race.
The Georgia Museum of Art, the Lamar Dodd School of Art, Lyndon House Arts Center, Glass Cube & Gallery@Hotel IndigoAthens, Ciné, the Classic Center and ATHICA will be open from 6 until 9 p.m. to showcase their visual-arts programming. Full schedules at 3Thurs.org.
Music Performance: “Color and Contrast: Music of the Roman School of Composers” Friday, November 8, 4 p.m. What did the music of Caravaggio’s Rome sound like? How might we connect his audacious use of light and shadow to the music of the time? This program will feature works by the Roman School of Composers and the composers who influenced them, performed by student musicians at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music with commentary by Dr. Peter Van Zandt Lane.
Student Night Thursday, November 14, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Join the Georgia Museum of Art Student Association for a night of music, food, fun and themed activities to celebrate the latest exhibitions. Student Night is generously sponsored by the UGA Parents Leadership Council.
Make It an Evening Thursday, November 14, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
December November
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Music Performance: “Appalachian Spring: Music Exploring Regional Identity and Race” Sunday, October 13, 3 p.m.
Third Thursday Thursday, October 17, November 21 and December 19, 6 – 9 p.m.
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The Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art present a reception featuring the autumn exhibitions. Enjoy light refreshments, door prizes and “Ask the Experts” from 7 to 8 p.m. Event partners: Athens Printing Company, Barron’s Rental Center, Epting Events, Guide 2 Athens, Perryander Studio and Terrapin Beer Company. Free for current members. $10 for Friends of the Museum and Friend + Supporters. $15 for Not Yet Friends. RSVP to gmoarsvp@uga.edu or by calling 706.542.4199. To expedite check-in, register online at bit.ly/90c-autumn2019.
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Enjoy coffee, dessert and a gallery tour at the museum prior to the performance in Hodgson Hall by Daniel Hope and Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Jittery Joe’s Coffee and Cecilia Villaveces’ cakes. Purchase tickets for the performance at pac.uga.edu.
4’33” Spotlight on Arts Scholarship Competition Poster Exhibits: On view November 6 – 12 Thesis Competition: Tuesday, November 12, 7 – 8:30 p.m. This competition highlights scholarly research by UGA students about any art form and provides an opportunity for them to present their research to the university community.
Book and Frame Sale December 3 – 6, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Come shop for your loved ones at the museum’s annual holiday book and frame sale, featuring new and used publications in all genres. We take credit cards. If you have books you’d like to donate, please contact us at 706.542.4662.
Make It an Evening Thursday, December 5, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Schedule a Visit to the Georgia Museum of Art To schedule a class visit or student assignment at the Georgia Museum of Art, please call us at 706.542.4662 at least two weeks prior to the visit. Scheduling in advance enables us to prepare for your visit, whether it is a self-guided tour led by an instructor, a docent-led tour or students coming on their own to complete an assignment.
Events marked with a red dot
are part of the
2019 Spotlight on the Arts festival.
Enjoy coffee, dessert and a gallery tour at the museum prior to the performance in Hodgson Hall of Danú: An Emerald Isle Christmas. Jittery Joe’s Coffee and Cecilia Villaveces’ cakes. Purchase tickets for the performance at pac.uga.edu.
Collectors Holiday Party Sunday, December 8, 6 p.m. Join the Collectors for their annual holiday party, at the home of Susan Hable (of Hable Construction Design Studio) and Peter Smith. $65 per person / $120 per couple. Attendance is open to all Collectors of the museum. Contact the membership office at jointhe museum@uga.edu or 706.542.0830 to join, upgrade your museum membership or become a Collector and register for the event.
Gallery Talk: “Before the War: Photographs of Syria by Peter Aaron” Thursday, October 3, 2 p.m. Join photographer Peter Aaron and William U. Eiland, museum director, for a gallery talk in the exhibition.
Film Screening and Panel Discussion: Mary Lee Bendolph and the Quilters of Gee’s Bend Friday, October 4, 3:30 p.m. Join us for a screening of “While I Yet Live,” a short documentary directed by Maris Curran (and produced by Curran and Jon Coplon) that explores the captivating work of five acclaimed African American quilters from Gee’s Bend, (2018, 14 min.). Following the screening, the museum will present a panel discussion focusing on the intersections of quilting, craft and African American culture featuring quiltmakers from Gee’s Bend.
Panel Discussion: Perspectives on Syria Thursday, October 10, 2 p.m. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition “Before the War: Photographs of Syria by Peter Aaron,” this panel of scholars and experts will examine a range of issues related to the destruction of cultural heritage sites in the ongoing Syrian Civil War. Panelists include Tess Davis, lawyer, archaeologist and executive director of the Antiquities Coalition; John Stephenson, associate professor of art history at Appalachian State University; and Alan Godlas, associate professor and graduate coordinator in the department of religion and co-director of the Arabic major at UGA. Moderated by James Reap, J.D., professor and graduate coordinator of the master of historic preservation program, UGA.
Faculty Perspectives: Elena Bianchelli Tuesday, October 15, 2 p.m. Elena Bianchelli, senior lecturer in the department of classics, will give a gallery talk in the exhibition “Storytelling in Renaissance Maiolica.”
Lecture: Gavin Pretor-Pinney Thursday, October 17, 5:30 p.m. In his talk, “Cloudspotting For Beginners,” Gavin PretorPinney, founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, takes you on an illustrated tour of the sky. He shows how to recognize many of the varied and beautiful cloud formations, including how various cloud types appear in works of art in the museum’s permanent collection.
Holbrook Lecture: Alvia Wardlaw Thursday, November 7, 5:30 p.m. Alvia J. Wardlaw, director/curator of the University Museum at Texas Southern University and professor of art history, will deliver the lecture “All of One Piece: The Life and Art of Mary Lee Bendolph.” Wardlaw has mentored countless students of color to pursue careers in the museum field ranging from curatorial to conservation positions. As curator of modern and contemporary art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for 22 years, she organized over 75 exhibitions on African and African American art.
Drop in and explore “Mary Lee Bendolph: Quilted Memories.” This free after school program offers “choose your own adventure”–style gallery activities, art projects and games that explore a different gallery each month. Art Cart (After Class) is a program that the entire family can enjoy at their own pace.
Family Day: Abstract and Contemporary Saturday, October 26, 10 a.m. – noon
Family Programs Family Day programs are sponsored by Heyward Allen Motor Co., Inc., Heyward Allen Toyota and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art.
Toddler Tuesday: Light and Shadows Tuesday, October 1, 10 a.m. Join us for a tour, storytime in the galleries and an art activity just for the little ones aged 18 months to 3 years. Inspired by the installation “Drama and Devotion in Baroque Rome” the program will explore the drama of light and shadows in paintings from the Baroque period. Space is limited; please email madison.hogan@uga.edu or call 706.542.4883 to reserve a spot.
Gallery Lab: “Color, Form and Light” Tuesday, October 1, 2 p.m. Join us for a special interactive gallery program featuring close looking, conversation and more. Led by Callan Steinmann, curator of education and Sage Kincaid, associate curator of education.
Explore exciting abstract and contemporary art from the museum’s permanent collection, participate in fun gallery activities and create your own abstract art on a miniature canvas (easel included!) in the Michael and Mary Erlanger Studio Classroom.
Tour at Two: Highlights from the Permanent Collection Tuesdays October 8, 22 and 29; November 26; December 10 and 17, 2 p.m.
Toddler Tuesday: Piece by Piece Tuesday, November 5, 10 a.m.
Tour at Two: “Mary Lee Bendolph: Quilted Memories” Tuesday, November 5, 2 p.m.
Inspired by the exhibition “Mary Lee Bendolph: Quilted Memories,” the program will explore how shapes and patterns create quilts. Space is limited; please email madison.hogan@uga.edu or call 706.542.4883 after October 1 to reserve a spot.
Art Cart (After Class) Wednesday, November 6, 3 – 4:30 p.m. Drop in and explore the museum’s Renaissance and Baroque galleries.
Family Day: Mary Lee Bendolph: Quilted Memories Saturday, November 16, 10 a.m. – noon Learn about the rich history and artistry of Mary Lee Bendolph, a quiltmaker from Gee’s Bend, in an exhibition of her work. Join in fun gallery activities, make your own modern “quilted” collage inspired by Bendolph’s quilts in the Michael and Mary Erlanger Studio Classroom, and check out a quilting demonstration and quilting activities led by Brown Sugar Stitchers Quilt Guild of Atlanta.
Toddler Tuesday: Holiday Celebration Tuesday, December 10, 10 a.m. Inspired by the exhibition “Material Georgia 1733 – 1900: Two Decades of Scholarship,” the program will celebrate the holidays. Space is limited; please email madison.hogan@uga.edu or call 706.542.4883 after November 1 to reserve a spot.
Family Day: Home for the Holidays Saturday, December 14, 10 a.m. – noon Explore decorative arts from Georgia in the exhibition “Material Georgia 1733 – 1900: Two Decades of Scholarship,” sing holiday favorites with the Meridian Women’s Choir and make your own holiday-inspired work of art in the Michael and Mary Erlanger Studio Classroom. Light holiday treats and refreshments will be provided.
Art Cart (After Class) Wednesday, December 18, 3 – 4:30 p.m. Drop in and explore “Material Georgia 1733 – 1900: Two Decades of Scholarship.”
Faculty Perspectives: Jennifer Crenshaw Tuesday, November 19, 2 p.m. Join Jennifer Crenshaw, assistant professor of art and area chair for fabric design, for a special gallery talk in the exhibition “Mary Lee Bendolph: Quilted Memories.”
Tours
Art Cart (After Class) Wednesday, October 16, 3 – 4:30 p.m.
Films “Quiltmakers of Gee’s Bend” Thursday, October 24, 7 p.m. This Emmy-winning documentary tells the story of a group of internationally acclaimed African American quiltmakers from Gee’s Bend, Alabama. It examines the extraordinary lives, inspirations and history of these artists and follows them on a touching bus journey to see their quilts exhibited at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Presented in conjunction with “Mary Lee Bendolph: Quilted Memories.” 2004, NR, 60 min.
“The Road to Palmyra” Thursday, November 21, 7 p.m. A documentary in which BBC television presenter Dan Cruickshank and British photojournalist Don McCullin travel to Palmyra to learn about damage inflicted upon the ancient Syrian city by the Islamic State. 2018, NR, 59 min. With an introduction and gallery tour led by Ashlyn Parker Davis, art history graduate student and Daura Center intern.
Films are generously sponsored by
Led by docents.
Shawnya Harris, Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, will lead a tour of the exhibition.
Tour at Two: “Drama and Devotion in Baroque Rome” Tuesday, November 12, 2 p.m. Join Nelda Damiano, Pierre Daura Curator of European Art, for a tour.
Tour at Two: “Material Georgia 1733 – 1900: Two Decades of Scholarship” Tuesday, December 3, 2 p.m. Dale Couch, curator of decorative arts, will lead a special tour of the exhibition.
Sunday Spotlight Tour: Highlights from the Permanent Collection Sundays October 6, November 17 and December 8, 3 p.m. Led by docents.
Workshops & Classes Yoga in the Galleries Thursdays October 17, November 21 and December 19, 6 p.m. Join us for a yoga class surrounded by works of art in the galleries. Led by instructors from Five Points Yoga, this program is free and open to both beginner and experienced yogis. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis; tickets are available at the front desk starting at 5:15. Yoga mats provided.
Morning Mindfulness Friday, October 11 and 25; November 8 and 22, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. The Georgia Museum of Art invites you into the galleries to participate in free guided mindfulness meditation sessions, held every other Friday during the school year. Sessions include a variety of instructor-led meditation, movement and mindfulness techniques. No experience or special clothing is necessary. Meditation pillows and stools are provided. Reservations are encouraged; please call 706.542.4883 or email madison.hogan@uga.edu to reserve a spot.
Teen Studio: “My Way” Quilts Thursday, November 14, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Teens ages 13 – 18 are invited to this studio-based workshop led by local artist and educator Kristen Bach. Teens will explore the innovative and abstract quilts by Mary Lee Bendolph, a quiltmaker from Gee’s Bend. Teens will then adapt and expand what they have learned to create their own work of art in Michael and Mary Erlanger Studio Classroom. Includes a pizza dinner. This program is free, but space is limited. Please email madison.hogan@uga.edu or call 706.542.4883 to reserve a spot.
Quiltmaking Workshop Saturday, December 7, 2 – 4 p.m. Led by quilter and fiber artist Debra Steinmann, this two-hour workshop will introduce participants to the basics of designing, piecing and finishing a quilt. A $20 materials fee covers all supplies needed, and each attendee will leave with their own small quilted wall hanging. Open to all levels of experience. Registration is required. Please call 706.542.4883 or email madison.hogan@uga.edu to reserve a spot.
www.georgiamuseum.org
Lectures & Gallery Talks
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museum notes MUSEUM NOTES
gifts gifts The Georgia Museum of Art received the following gifts between April 1 and June 30, 2019: In honor of Richard and Lynn Berkowitz by Michael and Rose Haber In memory of W. Clay Adamson Jeffrey Richmond-Moll
by William Underwood Eiland
museum changes
In honor of Richard and Lynn Berkowitz
The Museum Café closed at the end of the summer but we now have coffee, cold drinks and snacks available in the Museum Shop. Our gallery guides and security staff were kind enough to brew coffee and provide it in the lobby at no charge on weekdays in the interim.
STAFF NOTES
by William Wansley In memory of Elaine Carleton by William Underwood Eiland
Jeffrey Richmond-Moll joined the museum as curator of American art effective August 5. Richmond-Moll finished his PhD in art history from the University of Delaware. He received a master’s in art history from the University of Delaware, a graduate certificate in Christian studies from Westminster Theological Seminary and his undergraduate degree in art and archaeology from Princeton University, with a certificate in American studies.
Brumley, Brian and Kimberly Cain, Keith and Louise Calhoun,
Security supervisor Craig Brown retired after 11 years at the Georgia Museum of Art but has returned in a part-time capacity. LeAnne Hilliard, previously a gallery guide at the museum, has been hired for that position.
The Museum Shop is always proud to offer our visitors a wide selection of regionally sourced gifts. This is especially true during the holidays, when our shelves hold unique finds created across the Southeast. From jewelry and home decor to specialty tea blends, you’re sure to find ideal hostess gifts, stocking stuffers and keepsakes for everyone on your list. As always, every purchase goes to support museum programming.
Elmwood Inn Fine Teas (Danville, Kentucky) Farmer’s Market loose tea - $11.95
Georgia Museum of Art facet | Summer 2019
In honor of Stevi Smith Wansley and Elizabeth Dunn Wansley
Penske McCormack has been hired as assistant registrar for the Parker Collection. McCormack interned with the registrars and the museum’s department of communications over several years and received their undergraduate degree in art history from UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art.
in in the the shop shop
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by Robert and Marcy Nader
Loretta Eby (Watkinsville, Georgia) blown-glass vase - $88
The Greenbriar (Watkinsville, Georgia) glazed pottery luminaria - $34.95
Anne Vaughan Designs (Floyd, Virginia) coral, apatite, jade, citrine, spinel and amber necklace and earrings - $120 & $50
In memory of Frances Burdell Satterfield by Craig and Diana Barrow, Dudley and Madeline Bowen, Frank Laura Edwards, Felton Jenkins Conservation & Education Fund, Thomas and Emily Followill, Helen Marshall, Sudy Leavy, Carl and Kathy Pennington, William Smith, Lindsay and Nancy Thomas In memory of Louise Dunn Gibson Wansley by William Wansley
ca meera c am r a rrol o lll For more photos, visit us on Flickr, Facebook or Instagram.
Museum Mix
Art Heist at the Museum
90 Carlton
www.georgiamuseum.org
Family Day
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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA 90 Carlton Street Athens, Georgia 30602-1502 www.georgiamuseum.org
autumn 2019
Material Georgia
Quilted Memories
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New Acquisitions
Georgia Museum of Art facet | Summer 2018
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