NMFmagazine Vo l u m e 1 | F a l l 2 0 1 4
National Monuments Foundation
Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting — an interview with Duncan Sandys — Former Lord Mayor of Westminster and Winston Churchill’s great grandson
Historic Mims Park to Break Ground in 2015
New membership program at the National Monuments Foundation
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President’s Note Dear Friends of the Foundation, As we welcome cooler weather, the National Monuments Foundation is looking forward to a very exciting season. This Fall, we are thrilled to invite you to help us celebrate the life and work of Sir Winston Churchill as an artist. Together with the Churchill family, we’ve put together the largest U.S. exhibition of Churchill’s work since the 1965 World’s Fair in New York. Our show, which also commemorates 2014 as the 50th anniversary of Churchill’s death, opens at the Millennium Gate Museum in Atlanta on October 3, 2014 and will continue through February 1, 2015. I hope Churchill’s beautiful paintings will provide you with exciting new insight into the mind and life of one of the world’s greatest leaders. In January we will celebrate Sir Winston Churchill’s birthday with a dinner on the grounds of the Millennium Gate Museum—we hope you’ll join us for a lovely evening of good conversation, fellowship, and great art. Spring 2015 will herald groundbreaking at our rebuilding of Mims Park in Atlanta’s historic Vine City neighborhood. Vine City, as many of you probably know, was once a vibrant community, with the former Mims Park at its center. However, the old Mims Park was converted into the campus of a school, and Vine City itself has fallen into disrepair. We believe that the key to restoring the neighborhood to its former glory is to restore its central
park. The National Monuments Foundation/ Historic Mims Park, in close cooperation with the residents of Vine City, Mayor Kasim Reed, and the City Council will begin the $9 million Phase One of the Historic Mims Park project in early spring 2015. We are all tremendously excited about the park, and we look forward to sharing updates with you as progress continues. Also, this season, don’t forget to register for our biennial Middelthon-Candler Gala, which we will host in the fall of 2015. It’s never too early to plan ahead, and tables fill up rapidly. Thank you for your interest in the National Monuments Foundation; I look forward to seeing you soon!
Rodney Mims Cook, Jr.
President of the National Monuments Foundation
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FALL 2014
Table of Contents
President’s Note
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NMF at a Glance
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Mims Park Project
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The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill’s & painting
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Middelthon-Candler Gala 2015
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2014 Sponsors
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...Did you know The Millennium Gate Museum has an exhibition gallery dedicated to the Bodmer-Hanna Papyri? The Bodmer-Hanna Papyri are the oldest known texts of the Gospels of Luke and John. The Bodmer Foundation, which originally owned the papyri, put 53 leaves up for auction, causing great concern among religious scholars. Georgia’s own Frank Hanna, III purchased the papyri and donated them to the Vatican library to prevent the priceless collection from becoming scattered. Come learn more at the Gate!
VISIT US ONLINE www.thenmf.org www.thegateatlanta.com www.churchill-atlanta.com 12
International Affairs at a glance: what’s happening at the NMF
2014: Winston Churchill’s Paintings at the Millennium Gate Museum A landmark show of Sir Winston Churchill’s paintings opens at The Gate October 3, 2014 — February 1, 2015.
2015: Historic Mims Park 2014: 40-Year Anniversary of Georgia’s Friendship with Japan In March of 2014, the Millennium Gate Museum celebrated the 40 year anniversary of Georgia’s consular relations with Japan. Consul General Kazuo Sunaga, members of the Fickling Family, and the Georgia General Assembly participated in the ceremonial planting of 40 Somei-Yoshino cherry trees to commemorate the friendship in the museums park, the final tree being dedicated to Neva Fickling. 3
NMF to break ground at Historic Mims Park in Spring 2015!
2015: Nobel Peace Summit Comes to Atlanta Atlanta will host the 2015 Nobel Peace Summit. This is a great honor: only 1 other US city, Chicago, has been chosen to host the Summit in its entire history. Rodney Mims Cook Jr., founder of the NMF, is on the host committee, and the Foundation looks forward to helping make the Nobel Peace Summit in Atlanta a great success.
Register for the 2015 Middelthon-Candler Gala Don’t forget to register for the MiddelthonCandler Gala at The Gate! This exciting gala only happens every other year, and tables fill up fast! We’ll be awarding the Peace, Justice, and Millenium Gate prizes. (p. 11)
Come visit The Gate
New Membership Program! The Millennium Gate Museum is now sponsoring a tiered membership program, with options for every level of involvement! Sustaining Memberships include a ticket to the biennial Middelthon-Candler Gala at The Gate. See page 12 for more information.
All proceeds from admission ($10/$12) go directly to benefit the NMF’s philanthropic work. Hours: M-Sat: 10am-5pm. Sun: 12-5pm
Sir Winston Churchill Birthday Gala The NMF will be hosting a dinner in January 2015 to celebrate Sir Winston Churchill, in conjunction with The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill and the Pussuit of Painting currently on display at The Gate through February 1, 2015. See insert for details!
come join us! ways to support the NMF’s work 4
Mims Park 2015: Revitalizing Vine City Vine City, a historic Atlanta neighborhood nestled between the Beltline and the Georgia Dome, was once a thriving, diverse community, and home to many of Atlanta’s great civil rights leaders. They include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Ralph David Abernathy, The Honorable Julian Bond, and The Honorable Maynard Jackson. At the heart of Vine City was Mims Park, a 16 acre greenspace conceived by Atlanta’s Mayor Livingston Mims, and designed by the renowned Olmsted Brothers. Since the 1960s, both the neighborhood and the park have fallen into decline. Today, Mims Park is a campus for a school, and many of Vine City’s homes stand empty. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, and the residents of Vine City believe that the key to revitalizing this dynamic and historic neighborhood is re-
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building Mims Park. This project is being spearheaded by Rodney Mims Cook, Jr. and the National Monuments Foundation/Historic Mims Park. The rebuilding will replicate the Olmsted Brothers’ design on the grounds of the former Wachendorff Nursery, one block away from the original Mims Park site. The new park will be developed in three phases, with the $9 million Phase 1 beginning in 2015. Among the features planned for the new Mims Park is a sculpture by noted artist Edwina Sandys, who is a granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill. The Peace-Henge will add vibrancy to the park, and will be an enduring legacy of the Churchill family in Georgia.
Features of Mims Park Olmsted Brothers Landscape Design: The Olmsted Brothers, perhaps the most important landscape design firm in U.S. history, designed the plan for the original Mims Park. There are very few Olmsted-designed spaces in the South: Historic Mims Park will bring the beauty of this design back to life in Atlanta’s Vine City. Landscape design for Mims Park, adapted to fit the Wachendorff property
Soil Remediation: Phase I will include soil remediation to prepare for a Phase II urban farm, and to improve the ecology of the area.
Statuary : Phases I , II, and III will include installation of numerous free-standing artworks, including a sculpture by Edwina Sandys, Sir Winston Churchill’s grand-daughter. Other monuments will commemorate some of Georgia’s important historical figures, including Dr. Martin Luther King, among others. An 80 foot Peace Column, topped by a statue of Chief Tomochichi, will be accessible via elevator and will provide visitors with panoramic views of the park and the Atlanta skyline.
PHASE ONE: Infrastructure Will include soil remediation, grading, installation of the Olmstead plan, walkways, and water features.
PHASE TWO: Farm & Statuary Will include installation of the urban farm, and major statuary.
PHASE THREE: Peace Pantheon Returning Proctor Creek to the Surface: As part of the work in Phase I, Proctor Creek will be returned to the surface of the park.
Will include installation of the 80 foot Peace Column & Tomochichi statue.
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7 Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images, 1944
TheArt of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting Sir Winston Churchill
was not only a great world leader and a Nobel Prize-winning author, he was also an accomplished amateur painter, which he stated provided him stability and peace during some of his most difficult years. This exhibition, the largest U.S. show of Churchill’s work since 1965, examines the role painting played in Churchill’s life as a wartime leader. Painting gave Churchill relief from the nearly unbearable stress he was under: as art historian Ernst Gombrich said, “his [Churchill’s] painting may have saved Western civilization”. The exhibition seeks to explore this connection, tracing the co-evolution of Churchill’s painting and his career. The Millennium Gate Museum, working closely with the Churchill family, and with collectors around the world, have assembled a wide selection of Churchill’s 500 plus paintings. These paintings not only give insight into Churchill’s vision as a painter, but also allow visitors to travel around the world; Churchill took his painting materials with him nearly everywhere he went, and painted on-site in locations ranging from his country home at Chartwell to the desert sands of Marrakech. A portion of the exhibit will visit 7 cities in Georgia beyond Atlanta, further showcasing the ties between Georgia and the Churchill family.
CITY
DATES
LaGrange
Aug 2– Aug 10
Sea Island
Aug 15– Aug 19
Columbus
Sep 4-Sep 16
Macon
Sep 19-Sep 26
Atlanta
Oct 3-Feb 1 2015
Rome
Feb 13-Mar 15
Athens
Apr 1 -Apr 20
Savannah
Apr 22-Jul 26
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“The Tower at Katoubia Mosque”. oil on canvas. 1943
The painting pictured above is the centerpiece of our narrative. It was executed after a critical 1943 meeting between Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, the meeting that confirmed their allied commitment to the D-Day initiative. After the meeting, which took place in Casablanca, Morocco, Churchill took Roosevelt to one of his favorite locations: Marrakech, where he had painted 7 years prior. They watched the sunset over the Atlas Mountains. The next dayChurchill painted the landscape, and gifted it to Roosevelt, further cementing their important friendship. We express our special thanks to the lenders, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
OPENING at the MILLENNIUM GATE MUSEUM:
OCTOBER 3, 2014 The exhibition will be up through February 1, 2015
www.Churchill-Atlanta.com 7
HOURS:
Mon-Sat: 10am-5pm, Sunday: 12pm-5pm 8
The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting
The Churchill Family and Georgia A relationship going back nearly 300 years. Even before the Colony of Georgia was established in 1733, the Churchill family had already influenced its eventual founder, James Oglethorpe. As an aide-decamp, Oglethorpe learned military strategy and tactics from John Churchill, the future 1st Duke of Marlborough, and Prince Eugene of Savoy. At [John] Churchill’s recommendation, Oglethorpe served under Savoy in the 1716-1718 Austro-Turkish war. His distinguished wartime service helped persuade England’s King George II that Oglethorpe was fit to lead the expedition that established the Georgia Colony, a critical tactical move intended to contain the Spanish forces in Florida.
Two hundred years later, in February 1932, John Churchill’s descendant Winston Churchill visited Atlanta with his daughter Diana as part of a multi-state lecture tour. He stayed at the Biltmore Hotel and spoke at both the now-demolished Wesley Memorial Chapel and at a Georgia Tech ROTC parade on Grant Field. Later, in 1943, Churchill’s daughter Mary visited the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) at Fort Oglethorpe to show support for the World War II training program. In 1944, Mart Bailey, a member of Georgia’s Callaway family taught Churchill how to fire a Tommy Gun before a shooting challenge with General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Churchill returned to Georgia in 1946 with his wife Clementine, visiting Savannah and continuing on to vacation in Florida before ending in Fulton, Missouri, where he delivered his famous Iron Curtain speech.
Georgia has continued to play an important role for the Churchill family. In 1949, Sir Winston’s daughter, the actress Sarah Churchill, appeared in The Philadelphia Story at Atlanta’s Penthouse Theatre atop the Ansley Hotel (later the Dinkler Plaza). Following the show’s closing, Sarah traveled to Sea Island, Georgia, where she married her fiancé, Antony Beauchamp. Most recently, Churchill’s great-grandson, Duncan Sandys, married Mary Brown Brewer of Macon, Georgia, also at Sea Island, and they now live in Atlanta with their son, Julian. 9
Churchill giving a speech at Georgia Tech’s Grant Field
Sites on the Georgia Preview Tour of The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting
The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting
An Interview with Duncan Sandys Winston Churchill’s great grandson, former mayor of Westminster, and Atlanta resident
Duncan Sandys is the great-grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, and has been a key collaborator on “The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting” at the Millennium Gate Museum. We had a chance to interview him about his thoughts on the exhibition, and on his memories about growing up in the Churchill family. Millennium Gate Museum (MG): So, Duncan, we’re very excited to have you with us today, and to have had so much of your help on this exhibition. Can you tell our readers a little bit about how the exhibition came about? Duncan Sandys (DS): Certainly. The exhibition has been a really exciting project—I think it’s going to be a landmark show. It sort of came about by chance: Rodney [Mims Cook, Jr.], your founder, happened to know Lady Henrietta SpencerChurchill, my cousin, who introduced us. While we were talking, the concept for The Art of Diplomacy just came up naturally and Rodney was looking for an idea for a major exhibition at the Gate. He was intrigued by my family’s significant collection of Churchill’s paintings. We also realized that January 2015 was going to mark the 50th anniversary of Winston’s passing, and so this exhibition just seemed like the perfect idea.
DS: We’re going to be exhibiting many pieces that haven’t been shown before, so that’s different. But the really important difference is our angle on the paintings: we worked with you [the Gate] to do a lot of research, both about Churchill and his relationship to painting, and about the Churchill family’s relationship with Georgia. We found that the Churchills have been involved with Georgia in varying capacities for about 300 years: Winston’s ancestor, the first Duke of Marlborough, for instance, gave James Oglethorpe [founder of the Colony of Georgia] an early opportunity in his military career. During our research we also learned that painting had been even more important for Winston’s career as a statesman than previous shows had suggested: based on his writings, we think his work as a painter had a lot to do with his ability to handle the incredible stress he was under. It also seems to have given him a kind of space of mental clarity in which to reason through decisions. He also drew parallels between fighting battles and making paintings: in some ways they seemed very similar to him. So the show tries to highlight those ideas. MG: Great. Could you tell us a little bit about your experience as Winston Churchill’s great-grandson? Did you ever meet him? What was he like? DS: I never met him but my father was the eldest grandchild and was [age] 28 when Churchill died. He shared many family stories over the years. I was born several years after his death but have known others who knew him. From what I have been told, it is clear to me that he was a warm and loving family man – and thoughtful of others. I am very proud of my family history and have had opportunities to experience some unique occasions, and to meet some interesting people. My heritage, of course, partly shapes who I am but I also see it as important to plough one’s own furrow in life. MG: That makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to tell us a little bit about the show, and about your experiences. DS: My pleasure. I hope everyone enjoys seeing the show as much as we enjoyed preparing it.
MG: We think so, too. Now, there have been a number of other exhibitions of Winston Churchill’s paintings, the largest being the 1998 Sotheby’s show in London. The last show in the U.S. that was this big was in 1965. How is this show different? Is it any different?
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Middelthon-Candler Gala: Fall 2015 About the Gala The Middelthon-Candler Gala is a biennial celebration and fundraiser hosted by the National Monuments Foundation at the Millenium Gate Museum. The 2015 Middelthon-Candler Gala will raise funds for the NMF/HMP’s new Mims Park Project, and will announce the recipients of the 2015 MiddelthonCandler Justice, Peace, and Millennium Gate Prizes.
About the Middelthon-CandlerPrizes The Middelthon-Candler Prizes were created with the Millennium Gate Museum in 2009. Matthew Middelthon, a descendant of Coca-Cola founder Asa G. Candler, established the MiddelthonCandler Millennium Gate, Peace and Justice Prizes to continue the family’s extraordinary stewardship of the city of Atlanta.
Middelthon-Candler Prize Winners, 2013 Kasim Reed
Monica Pearson
Jeff Sprecher & Kelly Loeffler
Justice Prize
Peace Prize
Millennium Gate Prize
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed for his stewardship of the city and the state, but particularly for his support of the NMF’s plans for rebuilding Historic Mims Park, which will positively impact the redevelopment of the West End 11
Legendary WSB-TV anchor Monica Pearson for her long-time dedication to bringing communities together and raising community awareness of issues that impact everyone—from children to the elderly.
Kelly Loeffler and Jeff Sprecher of ICE (Intercontinental Exchange) for their visionary business leadership and commitment to building community and the economic future of Atlanta.
Membership and Gala Tickets
The Millennium Gate Museum is pleased to announce a three-tiered membership program, beginning October 6, 2014. We’d love to have you as a member! As part of our program, you’ll get free entry to the Millennium Gate Museum every day we’re open, a subscription to NMFmagazine, invitations to special, members-only events, and more! You’ll also be making an important contribution to the museum’s mission of promoting the arts and history throughout Georgia.
Sustaining
Family/Dual
Individual
- 1 ticket to the MiddelthonCandler Gala (a $500 value)
- 2 yearly passes to the Gate
- 1 yearly pass to the Gate
- 4 one-time-use tickets to the Gate
- 2 one-time-use tickets to the Gate
- NMFmagazine subscription
- NMFmagazine subscription
- Invitation to members-only events
- Invitation to members-only events
$ 90
$ 55
- 2 annual passes to the Gate - 10 one-time use tickets to the Gate - NMFmagazine subscription - Invitation to ALL members -only events - Early-bird sign-up for events
$450
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Sponsors The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting Level
Sponsor
Chartwell
SecurAmerica
Hoe Farm
Synovus
Blenheim
Raymond James · Google
Downing Street
The Peyton Anderson Foundation · Cindy & William Voyles · Fuller E. Callaway Foundation · The Cloister Sea Island · PNC Bank
Chequers
Susan & Jeff Cimbalo, · Berry College · Novare Group · Arby’s · Waffle House · Warren P. and Ava F. Sewell Foundation · Macon Bibb County · KPMG
Admiralty House
Columbus State University · Rome, Georgia · TSYS · Hutchinson Traylor Insurance · Lyons & Kate Brewer Family · The Castle at Fort Peace · Peachtree Tents · Jerry Dilts Catering
Hyde Park Gate
Aimee & Tom Chubb III · Jackie & John Coleman · Frances & Michael Flock · Pamela & Neville Isdell · Jeannie & Charles Smith ·Jenny & Robert Copeland · Beverly Bremer Silvershop · Ellen & Bob Harris · Newtown Macon · Aflac ·William B. Turner · Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley · Pat Daniel & Stephen Hodges · Tommy’s Barbershop · Piedmont Private Equity ·Nicole & Wesley Smith · Dexter Jordan · Marion Worthen · Smith & Howard PC
Special Thanks The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill and the Pursuit of Painting Blenheim Palace Archives · The Churchill Centre, Chicago · The Churchill Archives Centre at the University of Cambridge, UK · The Churchill War Rooms, London·The Winston Churchill Society of Georgia · Hills & Dales Estate, LaGrange· W.C. Bradley Museum · The Hay House Museum · Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation · The Martha Berry Museum, Berry College · University of Georgia Libraries · Telfair Museums · Anonymous Atlanta History Center · The Belle W. Baruch Foundation · Lucy & Henry Billingsley · Chequers Trust · The Churchill Family Collection · The Harlan Crow Library · Dallas Museum of Art · Mr. & Mrs. William Clark Durant III · Eisenhower National Historic Site, Gettysburg, PA · Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene, KS · Dr. & Mrs. Edward C. Floyd · Mr. Don Foss· Georgia Institute of Technology · Getty Images · Ms. Heather Henderson · Mr. Richard Mahoney · National Churchill Museum, Fulton, MO · National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Canberra, Australia · The Estate of Yousuf Karsh · Dr. E. Conyers O’ Bryan, Jr. · Estate of Oscar Nemon · Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie · Mr. & Mrs. Tony Rea · Ms. Edwina Sandys · The Family of the late Julian Sandys · University of South Carolina Libraries · VanDerKloot Film & Television · Senator & Mrs. John W. Warner ·The Cloister, Sea Island, GA · The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Atlanta · Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, GA
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Sponsors 40 Years: Celebrating the Friendship between Georgia and Japan Level
Sponsor
Platinum
Delta Airlines
Gold
Aflac · The Fickling Family · Finnegan, Henderson et al. · Miura Boiler North America ·TOTO USA Inc · YKK Corporation of America
Silver
Colin Brady · Fifth Third Bank · Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, PC
Bronze
Leslie Petter
Special Thanks 40 Years: Celebrating the Friendship between Georgia and Japan AnimeZing · Atlanta Coi Club · Atlanta Council on International Relations ·Atlanta Judo Midtown ·Atlanta Okinawwa Kenjin Kai · Atlantic Station · CBRE ·Colin S. Brady, OBE, & Susan Brady · Four Seasons Landscaping ·Georgia Council for International Visitors · Global Atlanta · Horino Shodo School of Japanese Calligraphy · Ikeabana International Atlanta Chapter · Japan America Society of Georgia · Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Georgia · Konnichiwa Club · Nakato Japanese Restaurant · Northside Neighbor · Origami Christmas Trees & More · Perspective 31 Photography ·Rita Thompson · Sapporo · Washi Accents ·Wes Powell Films · World Affairs Council of Atlanta
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Printed Courtesy
National Monuments Foundation — 395 17th St NW Atlanta GA — (404) 881-0900 — www.TheGateAtlanta.com