ONEXHIBIT
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts | Spring 2019
Our Mission
The mission of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art of the highest quality for the enrichment, enlightenment, and enjoyment of its public.
Board of Trustees Pete Knight
Cathy Martin
David Chandler
Mary Stowers Dunn
Barrett Austin Cedric Bradford Karen J. Campbell Cassandra Cavness Ginny Cumbus Camille Finley William R. Ford Jason Goodson Myrtle Goore Lucy Martin Jackson
Derek Johnson Rhon Jones Barbara Larson Rosetta R. Ledyard Allison Muhlendorf Mary Lil Owens Catherine S. Porter Kerry Powell Susan Yvette Price Sheron Rose
Bob Runkle Kathy Sawyer Adam Schloss Mark Snead Barbara W. Thompson Melissa Tubbs Griffith Waller Janet Waller Kelli Wise
Mr. James L. Sabel* Mr. Philip T. Murkett, Jr. Mrs. Vaughan Hill Robison* Mr. D. Phillips Carr* Mr. James M. Scott Mrs. Laura C. Luckett Mrs. Peggy M. Mussafer Mrs. Caroline B. Novak Mr. John Walter Stowers* Mrs. Winifred Stakely Mrs. Camille Elebash-Hill
Mr. Philip A. Sellers* Mr. Carlton “Carl” Barker Mrs. Margaret Lowder Laurie Jean Weil, D.V.M. Mr. Gordon Martin Mrs. Patricia Pinchback Mrs. Polly Hardegree Mr. Barrie H. Harmon III Mr. Roger Spain
President Treasurer
Vice President
Leslie Sanders
Immediate Past President
Secretary
Past Presidents
2 | Mission and Board of Trustees
Mrs. Harry S. Houghton* Judge Walter B. Jones* Mrs. H. Files Crenshaw, Sr.* Mrs. Houghton Smith* Mrs. Price C. McLemore* Mrs. William J. Mahoney, Jr.* Mrs. William B. Goodwyn* Mr. Frederick Gunster* Mr. Douglas G. Jackson* Mrs. Robert S. Weil* Mrs. Valerie Wilkerson
* Deceased
Cover: Margaret M. Law (American, 1871–1956), Feeding Chickens, 1915, oil on canvas, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of the artist, 1950.7
Visit Us
Admission and Hours
Free admission and ample parking. The Museum’s galleries, Caddell Sculpture Garden, Parker Terrace, Café, and Store are closed Mondays, Independence, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Days.
Galleries, Caddell Sculpture Garden, and Parker Terrace Tue–Sat, 10am–5pm Thu, 10am–9pm Sun, Noon to 5pm 334.625.4333
ArtWorks
Café M
Museum Store
Tue–Sat, 10am–5pm Sun, Noon to 5pm
Tue–Sat, 11am–2pm Lunch
Tue–Sat, 11am–4pm Sun, Noon to 4pm
334.625.4365
334.625.4339
334.625.4337
Location
Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park One Museum Drive Montgomery, AL 36117
Online and Social Media @MontgomeryMFA
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Visit mmfa.org for more information about the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts’ collection, exhibitions, events, programs, amenities, and accessibility.
Members
Thank you to our many members. Your membership helps to support our permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, and over 1,000 educational experiences each year. Become a member or renew today at mmfa.org.
Corporate Partners
The Museum salutes its partners who provide critical support for acquisitions, exhibitions, and educational programs. To learn how you can support the Museum, contact the Development Department at 334.625.4344. Sustaining Guarantor Alabama Power Foundation
Poarch Band of Creek Indians
Guarantor Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, LLC
Sponsor The Colonial Company
Jackson Thornton
Rheem Manufacturing Company
Dreamland Bar-B-Que
Max Credit Union
Jack Ingram Motors and Mercedes Benz USA, Inc
Merrill Lynch
ServisFirst Bank of Montgomery
Adams Drugs
Cooperative
Synovus
BB&T
Raymond James and Associates Inc
Trustmark
Associate
Hans Heating and Air MMFA Junior Executive Board Oakworth Capital Bank PowerSouth Energy
Renasant Bank
UAB School of Medicine – Montgomery Campus
River Bank and Trust
Warren Averett
Stifel
Welch Hornsby Investment Advisors
Government and Foundations
Government and foundation grants provide critical funds for operations and educational programs.
4 | Thank You
Government
Alabama State Council on the Arts City of Montgomery Montgomery County Commission
Foundations
ALFA Foundation
The Daniel Foundation
BBVA Compass Foundation
Wells Fargo Foundation
Central Alabama Community Foundation
Foreword
Dear Museum Community,
Shakespeare famously observed in The Tempest, “What’s past is prologue,” and that phrase certainly resonates here at the Museum this spring. The upcoming Montgomery Art Guild exhibition hearkens back to the Museum’s earliest days, when a group of local artists, led by J. Kelly Fitzpatrick, formed the Alabama Art League and mounted an exhibition at the Women’s (now Huntingdon) College. That exhibition’s warm reception enabled Fitzpatrick and friends to realize their dream of establishing a permanent space devoted to the display of Alabama artists. This new institution, located in downtown Montgomery at the corner of High and Lawrence streets, became the first fine arts museum in Alabama and celebrated its grand opening on November 9, 1930. Since 1960, the Museum has been home to the biennial exhibition of works by some of the area’s most talented artists through the Montgomery Art Guild’s Museum Exhibition series. We welcome them back for the forty-third time this year! While the group of artists of the 1930s focused on creating a place for exhibiting art, Kelly Fitzpatrick was also an outstanding art educator and established the Montgomery Museum Art School. That same desire to develop art skills and appreciation informs all of the modern-day programs offered at the MMFA. The Museum program dedicated to the very spirit of art making—curiosity, creativity, and wonder—is the springtime festival we call Flimp. This May 4, we invite you to join us for our Flimp Festival, a newly re-imagined event to be held for the first time in the Museum’s beautiful Caddell Sculpture Garden. We can think of no better setting for “budding artists” than this magnificent Garden, devoted to the wonders of both nature and of art.
Angie Dodson Director
Pete Knight President, Board of Trustees
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The original intentions of our founders—to exhibit and instruct—continue to inspire and inform every action and activity here at the Museum. As the vernal equinox approaches, we hope you’ll join us for these and all the other wonderful happenings at the Museum this spring.
Gifts from Mark and Amy Johnson
6 | Collection Spotlight
Sometimes the work you leave behind means the most over time.
In January of this year, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts received as gifts three works of art that were part of the collection of the Museum’s Director Emeritus, Mark Johnson, and his wife, Amy Johnson. Mark spent most of his 23 years as Director of the Museum strategizing the refinement and expansion of the Museum’s permanent collection. Much of this involved the Museum’s use of endowed funds to purchase American historical paintings and sculpture (thanks to the generous bequest of Ida Belle Young) or Old Master prints (equally generously funded through the Weil Print Endowment). While he enjoyed the excitement that went along with these searches and purchases, he was personally devoted to more modern works of art, and particularly Studio Art glass and contemporary ceramics. Mark made many friends among the artists in these media, and he valued them as people as well as the art that they made. The first gift, an intricate and exuberant ceramic platter by Viola Frey, Halo of Possessions, 1994, is currently on view in the exhibition About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture. Frey (American, 1933–2004) had an incredible influence on the
Above: Ginny Ruffner (American, born 1952), A Not So Still Life, 2000, lampworked glass and mixed media, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of Mark and Amy Johnson, 2019.3.2 Right: Ginny Ruffner (American, born 1952), Learning to Cat Paddle, 1994, lampworked glass and mixed media, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of Mark and Amy Johnson, 2019.3.3
Also included in the gift are two sculptures in glass by Seattle-based artist Ginny Ruffner (American, born 1952) that showcase her exceptional creativity and lampworking skills: Learning to Cat Paddle, 1994, and A Not So Still Life, 2000. Ruffner’s works combine her skills as a painter with her training as a flame worker in glass. Her sophisticated, whimsical, and narrative sculptures function as a canvas for her thoughts and dreams as seen in Learning to Cat Paddle. Sharing its title with an award-winning, full-length documentary about Ruffner, A Not So Still Life was featured in the exhibition Creativity: The Flowering Tornado, which the Museum organized and toured in 2003.
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The Museum family takes great pride in the work that Mark and Amy invested in the MMFA and in its success over his long tenure. We are tremendously grateful that they have entrusted these outstanding works of art that meant so much to them to our permanent collection.
Collection Spotlight
trajectory of figurative ceramics in this country. Her bold and colorful platters such as Halo of Possessions were inspired by found materials gathered from junkyards and flea markets. Casting these objects in clay, Frey assembled them into rich, expressionistic, textural platters that become tableaux of our cultural lives.
April 2 TUE 2pm
• Arts for Autism
3 WED Noon
• Artful Yoga*
4pm
• Muses
4 THU 2:30pm
• Earth’s Heart
5:30pm
• Film: Downtown 81
5 FRI 1pm
• Homeschool Jewelry Workshop
6 SAT 1pm
• Native American Family Day
7 SUN 2pm
• Gallery Talk: Signs and Symbols
8 MON
12 FRI 1pm
1 WED • Homeschool Jewelry Workshop
5:30pm • Adult Botanical Drawing
14 SUN 2pm
• Second Sundays
7:30pm 10:30am
• Tales for Tots
11am
• Tales for Tots
Noon
• Artful Yoga*
1pm
• See Me
4pm
• Muses
Noon
• Artist in Action
2:30pm
• Earth’s Heart
5:30pm
• Last Call: About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture
6pm
• ArtTalk
4pm
19 FRI
u
1pm
• Muses
20 SAT
Ekphrasis: A Piece of the World: A Novel
11 THU 8:30am
u
2:30pm
• Earth’s Heart
3:30pm
• Young Artists
Collectors Society
3 FRI • Chalk Art
4 SAT
17 WED
• Art of Baking Puppet Show
Noon
• Earth’s Heart
• Film: Ruben Brandt, Collector
10:45am
10 WED
2 THU
15 MON
• Divine Lunch
• Art of Baking Puppet Show
• Muses
8am
11am
10:30am
4pm
9:30am • Adult Botanical Drawing
18 THU
• Art of Baking Puppet Show
• Artful Yoga*
2:30pm
• Art of Baking Puppet Show
9:30am
Noon
13 SAT
9:30am
9 TUE
8 | Calendar
May
1pm
• Homeschool Jewelry Workshop
• Flimp Festival
5 SUN 3pm
• Film: Art & Mind
8 WED Noon u Ekphrasis: Thieves of Baghdad: One Marine’s Passion to Recover the World’s Greatest Stolen Treasures 4pm
• Muses
9 THU • Highlight Tours
24 WED 4pm
10am
• Muses
2:30pm
• Earth’s Heart
3:30pm
• Young Artists
12 SUN 2pm
25 THU
5:30pm • Adult Botanical Drawing
2:30pm
• Earth’s Heart
5:30pm • Film: Inside Out: The People’s Art Project
3:30pm
• Young Artists
4:30pm
• Art Ed Central
6:30pm
• Poetry Slam
• Second Sundays
15 WED 10:30am
• Tales for Tots
11am
• Tales for Tots
Noon
• Artful Yoga*
1pm
• See Me
4pm
• Muses
16 THU 2:30pm
• Earth’s Heart
SAT 1
1pm
SAT 15 1pm
18 SAT
• Highlight Tours
TUE 18 • Highlight Tours
Noon
2:30pm
• Earth’s Heart
3:30pm
• Young Artists
WED 19
6pm
• ArtTalk
23 THU
30 THU 2:30pm
Calendar
June
• Earth’s Heart
31 FRI 5:30pm u 43 Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition Opening rd
10am
• Juror’s Critique with David Reyes
SUN 2 2pm
10:30am
• Tales for Tots
11am
• Tales for Tots
Noon
• Artful Yoga*
1pm
• See Me
THU 20 2:30pm
• Artist Talk with Richard Mills
MON 3
• Short Course: The Portrait—Stories of the Sitter
• Earth’s Heart
MON 24 8:30am
• Summer Camp
• Summer Camp
TUE 25
8:30am
• Summer Camp
WED 26
Noon
• Short Course: The Portrait—Stories of the Sitter
8:30am
8:30am
• Summer Camp
8:30am
• Summer Camp
2:30pm
• Earth’s Heart
Noon
• Artful Yoga*
8:30am
TUE 4
WED 5
THU 6 8:30am
• Summer Camp
2:30pm
• Earth’s Heart
5:30pm
• Film: Georgia O’Keeffe
FRI 7 8:30am
8:30am
• Summer Camp • Summer Camp
THU 27
5:30pm • Last Call: 43rd Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition 6pm
• ArtTalk
FRI 28 8:30am
• Summer Camp
• Summer Camp
SUN 9 2pm
• Second Sundays
TUE 11 • Short Course: The Portrait—Stories of the Sitter
THU 13 2:30pm
• Earth’s Heart
• • • • •
Fee • Members Only u *Artful Yoga is free for Museum Members
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Noon
Family Youth and Teens Young Adults Adults All Ages
Signs and Symbols: Christian Iconography in Old Master Prints Through May 12, 2019 Weil Graphic Arts Study Center
This exhibition examines how specific Christian motifs in Western works of art were used symbolically to signify information about an event or person in a historical context.
Related Program Gallery Talk, p. 28
About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture Through May 12, 2019 Atrium, Blackmon, Goldman, Richard, and Rushton Stakely Galleries Each of the 41 emerging, mid-career, and master artists in About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture uses the figure as a vehicle to explore various cultural and social issues or purely to delight in the human form. Revealing the depth and power of contemporary figurative ceramics currently in America, this exhibition is a celebration, one past due, of the creative and artistic triumphs of artists working in this field.
Related Program Last Call, p. 29
Lead Sponsor Ted Rowland Sponsors
Peggy and Maurice Mussafer
Second Sight: Women Artists of the South
10 | Current Exhibitions
Through May 19, 2019 Folmar and Newman Galleries
The Museum holds a number of works by women artists, and particularly those from the American South. This exhibition highlights the works of these women, some who were academically trained, as well as those that came to their art practice more informally. Many of these women’s works date from the 20th and early 21st century, and their art is now taking its place in the larger modern art world.
Through June 2, 2019 Hughes, Williamson, and Wilson Galleries
Working with serial imagery, both Josef Albers (American, born Germany, 1888–1976) and Donald Judd (American, 1928–1994) created works that explore variations on color and form. With a great awareness of and respect for each other’s work, they both approached geometric shapes formally in order to explore the inherent aspects of any artwork: form, structure, and color.
Bouke de Vries: War and Pieces Through June 2, 2019 Weil Atrium
Current Exhibitions
Josef Albers / Donald Judd: Thematic Variations
London-based, Dutch artist Bouke de Vries (born 1960) created an elaborate installation inspired by 18th-century sugar tablescapes. Presented as a grand banquet similar to those held on the eves of combat, War and Pieces (2012) features six battle scenes coalescing in a mushroom cloud centerpiece. De Vries created something new out of destruction, symbolically bringing renewal from the ravages of war.
Art in the Garden: The Inaugural Sculpture Garden Installation Through Spring 2020 Caddell Sculpture Garden
Related Programs
Flimp Festival, p. 20 Adult Studio, p. 22 Camp, p. 22
Tales for Tots, p. 24
Art Ed Central, p. 31
Second Sunday, p. 34
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Designed to highlight the cyclical progression of nature, the John and Joyce Caddell Sculpture Garden’s inaugural installation features the work of internationally distinguished artists as well as work by Alabama natives.
Pairs and Partners: Portals June 1 through August 4, 2019 Weil Graphic Arts Study Center
This spring the Museum will mount another in the series of exhibitions we call Pairs and Partners, which allows us to exhibit works of art on paper from our permanent collection while providing unique interpretations in the Weil Graphic Arts Study Center. This 2019 iteration is titled Portals and will focus on works of art that suggest the concept of transition from one space, or state, to another. The idea of the portal is specifically tied to the concepts of position, space, and time; artists may exploit those references to encourage the viewer to assess how concepts or objects can convey a sense of physical or psychological passage.
12 | Upcoming Exhibitions
With each Pairs and Partners exhibition, the Museum asks “guest curators” to collaborate with our Museum curators to pick objects that exemplify the topic and then write about those objects in that light. Curators Margaret Lynne Ausfeld and Jennifer Jankauskas will add their pairs and interpretations along with our “guest curators” for this installation: Angie Dodson, Director; Jeff Dutton, Caddell Sculpture Garden Superintendent; Sarah Elizabeth Kelly, Assistant Registrar; and Alice Novak, Curator of Education. Each participant will pick two works from the collection to compare and contrast, highlighting the way in which those works demonstrate the concept of transitions.
Top right: René Magritte (Belgian, 1898–1967), L’Oeil, 1968, color aquatint on paper, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Walter Padow, 1971.16 Bottom right: John L. Moore (American, born 1939), Austin, 1993, color lithograph on paper, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of Jane Farver, 1995.3
Upcoming Exhibitions
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43rd Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition June 1 through July 21, 2019 Atrium, Blackmon, Goldman, Richard, Rushton Stakely, and Weil Galleries The Museum has partnered with the Montgomery Art Guild (MAG) to present a biennial exhibition of contemporary regional art in its galleries since 1960. We are pleased to welcome the art and artists of the forty-third exhibition to the Museum this summer. The exhibition typically contains an exciting variety of media, subjects, and themes, representing the “best of the best” artists within our River Region. The juror for this forty-third edition of the Guild’s Museum show is David Reyes, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at the Huntsville Museum of Art.
Related Programs Last Call, p. 29
Reception, p. 33
Gallery Talk, p. 33 Lead Sponsor
Laura and Barrie Harmon Sponsors
Synovus Bank
Margaret and Jimmy Lowder
County Commissioner Dan Harris, Montgomery County Commission
Montgomery Art Guild Featured Artist: Richard Mills June 1 through July 21, 2019 Folmar and Newman Galleries
14 | Upcoming Exhibitions
The featured artist for this year’s Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition is Richard Mills, now retired from a 30-year career as an instructor in the Department of Art at Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM).
Related Program Gallery Talk, p. 33
Right: Richard Mills (American, born 1946), Fire, Ice, and Stuff, 2017, watercolor, gouache, and embedded collage on illustration board, Lent by the artist
Upcoming Exhibitions
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Ben Shahn: Selections from For the Sake of a Single Verse June 8 through August 11, 2019 Hughes and Wilson Galleries
Painter, photographer, and printmaker Ben Shahn (American, born Lithuania, 1898–1969), often used his art as a form of social commentary. Extensively trained in lithography, his narrative works are defined by his use of line. One of the last projects completed by Shahn before his death is the portfolio of lithographs, For the Sake of a Single Verse..., 1968 (commonly known as The Rilke Portfolio). Each of the 23 prints Shahn created illustrates a particular phrase in one of his favorite passages from Rainer Maria Rilke’s autobiographical novel, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge.
16 | Upcoming Exhibitions
As seen in the selection on view, Shahn often distorted scale and perspective in his spare compositions that focus on either the landscape or universal human actions, interactions, or emotions.
Ben Shahn (American, born Lithuania, 1898–1969), The Gestures of the Little Flowers, 1968, from the portfolio, For the Sake of a Single Verse... (The Rilke Portfolio), color lithograph on paper, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of Lawrence A. Fleischman, 1993.7.10.1 © Estate of Ben Shahn / VAGA
Upcoming Exhibitions
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Current Exhibition
The ArtWorks Gallery is devoted to temporary exhibitions of student art inspired by work on view elsewhere in the Museum.
Art of Our Own Through May 13, 2019 ArtWorks Gallery Art of Our Own, an exhibition of student art, honors the creative growth of fifth-grade students from Wares Ferry Road Elementary School who have enjoyed their third consecutive year of weekly art classes taught by Museum professionals. In a new twist for the Learning Through Art Program, the students themselves curated art of their own, so be sure to check out this innovative exhibition before it’s off the walls!
ArtWorks Gallery Lead Sponsors
Upcoming Exhibitions
Throughout the year, the Museum juries and hosts themed shows with guidelines that encourage teachers to develop related lesson plans. To learn more about upcoming exhibitions of student art and how to enter, please visit mmfa.org/student-artwork/.
Growing Stronger Together
18 | Student Exhibitions
May 18 through August 4, 2019 ArtWorks Gallery Celebrating the sixth year of the Museum’s partnership with Wares Ferry Road Elementary School, G rowing Stronger Togethershowcases one work of art from every third and fourth grader who participated in Learning Through Art this year. All works are inspired by pieces from the Museum’s collection and range from original paintings and vibrant collages to impressively constructed sculptures. Top right: LaAiricah Bradley, Wares Ferry third-grader, Untitled, 2018, mixed media on paper Bottom right: Leonard Koscianski (American, born 1952), Red Fish, 1990, oil on canvas, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Association Purchase, 1991.17
Student Exhibitions
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Flimp Festival Sat, May 4; 10am–2pm
The Flimp Festival is the Museum’s free annual public celebration of imagination, humor, and creativity. Meant to bring out the artist in all of us, Flimp nourishes our creative side and provides inspiration to make this world a more colorful place to live. Come spend a whimsical and wonderful Saturday at the Museum! In the event of rain, some activities may be canceled. Art Activities Beaded Garden Art Bird Feeders Clay Sculptures Flimp Garden Houses Flower Color Wheels Flower Prints Leaf Rubbing Painted Balloons Pinwheels Spoon Chimes Sun Catchers Yarn Sculpture Chalk Art Kids Chalk Area Featured Chalk Artist 100+ Chalk Art Masterpieces Activities and Games ArtWorks
20 | Program Spotlight
Bubbles Station Kid Color Zone (designed for children under 4) Treasure Hunt Yard Games: Connect Four, Jenga, and Cornhole
Music and Entertainment
Related Exhibition
Beatin’ Path Rhythm Events, Dave Holland
Related Program
Booker T. Washington Magnet High School student performances featuring music, dance, and theatre Partners Abrakadoodle, Face Painting Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Photobooth Christen Napp, Potter E.A.T. South, Sustainable Gardening Montgomery Zoo Food Vendors Frios Gourmet Pops Little Donkey Mexican Restaurant That’s My Dog
Art in the Garden, p. 11 Chalk Competition Registration, p. 36 Lead Sponsor
Program Spotlight
What is a Flimp?
Left: Geneva Mercer (American, 1889–1984), Flimp Fountain, 1937, bronze, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of the Alabama Department of Archives and History by transfer; Gift of the artist, 1987.2.1
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A Flimp is a flower imp. The word was invented by Geneva Mercer when she sculpted flower imps to cover her Flimp Fountain (1937), which is part of the Museum’s permanent collection. Flower imps, related to elves, fairies, and wood sprites, are little capricious characters who live in gardens and are responsible for the strange and wonderful things that happen there.
Studio Classes
All materials provided unless otherwise noted. For questions or to register, please contact Brandy Morrison at bmorrison@mmfa.org or 334.625.4365.
Young Artists Ages 3 to 5
Homeschool Jewelry Workshop
Botanical Drawing for Adults
Sign up your budding artist for this fun and energetic class. Each class will focus on a different art-making technique that is sure to engage your child while learning art basics and honing fine motor skills.
Ages 12 to 18
Ages 14 and Older
Led by local artist Tabitha Maples, students will learn the basics of jewelry making, creating at least two finished pieces. Space is limited; register now!
Discover the beauty of spring’s light in the Caddell Sculpture Garden. Participants will explore sketching with pencils and completing works with colored pencils or watercolor paints.
Thu, Apr 11, 25; May 9, and 23 3:30–4:15pm $15 CLASS $45 SERIES Kaci Norman
Fri, Apr 5 and 12 1–4pm Fri, Apr 19 1–5pm
$125 SERIES Tabitha Maples
Thu, Apr 11 5:30–7:30pm
Sat, Apr 13 9:30–11:30am
$25 SERIES Laura Bocquin
Summer Camp
22 | Programs | Studio Classes
The end of the school year means another year of summer camps at Museum! Whether your child already has a love of art or is just getting started, everyone will enjoy a week of art-making.
In the Garden
Local Landscapes
Camp Times
Ages 6 to 13
Ages 6 to 13
Campers will create beautiful artwork in our new outdoor studio in the Caddell Sculpture Garden.
Inspired by our regional landscape, campers will experiment with a variety of materials and techniques to create Alabama inspired artworks.
Morning Session: 8:30am to Noon
Jun 3–7
$160 HALF-DAY $250 FULL-DAY
Jun 24–28
$160 HALF-DAY $250 FULL-DAY
Afternoon Session: 1–4:30pm
Early drop-off and late pick-up are available– please inquire during the registration process. To register, contact Brandy Morrison at bmorrison@mmfa.org or 334.625.4365.
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Youth and Family Earth’s Heart ART & CULTURE Every Thursday at 2:30pm Ages 2 to 5 Take an adventure with ArtWorks Educator Kelly Bazan and discover the arts of Greece in April, Thailand in May, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in June. During this free program, young learners will master simple greetings, have fun comparing visual arts, and groove to traditional music of the different countries, and create a make-and-take art activity.
Family Art Affair ART MAKING Sun, Apr 14, May 12, and Jun 9; 2–4pm All Ages This popular family program is moving to the second Sunday of every month. For more details, see theSecond Sunday description on page 34 of this OnExhibit.
Tales for Tots STORYTELLING
24 | Programs | Youth and Family
Ages 2 to 5 Children and their caregivers are invited for a story and craft in the galleries. No reservations required. Wed, Apr 17; 10:30am and 11am Explore shapes and colors with Shapes by George Siede and Donna Preis. Wed, May 15; 10:30am and 11am Get to know Isbelle,the bronze horse by artist Deborah Butterfield and listen to a story about aBig Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. Wed, Jun 19; 10:30am and 11am Use your imagination as we look at landscapes and hear a story about a funny little hummingbird in Little Green by Keith Baker.
Related Exhibition
Art in the Garden, p. 11
Programs | Youth and Family
Arts for Autism SPECIAL NEEDS Tue, Apr 2; 2–4:30pm All Ages April is Autism Awareness Month, and the Museum is planning to join in the celebration by kicking off the month with a free event designed to honor those among us on the spectrum, as well as their families. Please join us for fun activities throughout the Museum including make-and-take art projects, Ask Me docents, and dancing in front of the Tannenbaum screen.
See Me: Exploring Abstractions SPECIAL NEEDS Wed, Apr 17, May 15, and Jun 19; 1pm Above: Coming soon to ArtWorks is a new sensory corner meant to be enjoyed by individuals of all abilities. First to arrive is a new interactive sparkle box, pictured above, that dances with light as it responds to your touch—bringing surprise, discovery, and delight. As the year progresses, we will add several more hands on experiences allowing visitors to explore unique textures and sounds.
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Ages 6 and Older Led by ArtWorks Educator Kelly Bazan, individuals with special needs will explore abstract works in the galleries and then create mixed-media abstract artwork. This program is free; however, registration is required. To register, contact Brandy Morrison at bmorrison@mmfa.org or 334.625.4365.
The Art of Baking 26 | Programs | Youth and Family
PUPPET SHOW Tue, Apr 9; 9:30am and 10:45am Wed, Apr 10; 9:30am and 10:45am Ages 3 to 6 Children are engaged as they visit a bakery run by colorful animals from different parts of the world. The characters teach children about the importance of working together to turn the bakery’s yummy treats into art using color, shape, and line. Shows are free and open to the public; however, reservations are required. Contact Jill Byrd at 334.625.4359 or tours@mmfa.orgfor more information.
Programs | Teens
Teens Muses TEEN ENGAGEMENT Wed, Apr 3, 10, 17, 24; May 1, 8, and 15; 4pm Grades 7 through 12 The Muses is a teen arts council that enjoys creative experiences and collaborates to help shape the Museum’s teen program offerings and more. This quarter, the Muses will enjoy studio activities and films and start planning for fall 2019 teen programs before taking the summer off. Registration required; contact Elisabeth Palmer at epalmer@mmfa.org or 334.625.4362.
Poetry Slam POETRY Registration Deadline: Thu, Apr 18 Event: Thu, Apr 25; 6:30pm Ages 12 to 18 In partnership with youth-mentoring organization That’s My Child, spoken-word poets are invited to register to participate in the Museum’s first open poetry slam. Poets will perform onstage following National Poetry Slam rules. Each participant’s submission poem, which will be performed in the first round, must be inspired by a work in the Museum’s collection. Participants should be prepared to perform three additional pieces should they advance in the competition.
Partner
Audience discretion is advised. Some material may not be suitable for all audiences. For more information and to register, visit mmfa.org/poetry-slam.
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Adults Downtown 81 FILM Thu, Apr 4; 5:30pm Unrated Starring the then-unknown artist JeanMichel Basquiat (1960–1988), D owntown 81 offers a rare real-life snapshot of an ultra-hip subculture of post-punk era Manhattan during 1980–1981. The film also features Village artists such as James Chance, Amos Poe, Walter Steding, and Tav Falco. Discussion to be led by a curator following film. Popcorn and refreshments are available.
Signs and Symbols GALLERY TALK Sun, Apr 7; 2pm Senior Curator Margaret Lynne Ausfeld will define iconography as it is utilized in the study of art history. She will discuss how Christian motifs are utilized within the prints included in the exhibition Signs and Symbols: Christian Iconography in Old Master Prints on view in the Weil Graphics Arts Study Center.
Related Exhibition Signs and Symbols, p. 10
Artful Yoga MOVEMENT Wed, Apr 3, 17; May 1, 15; and Jun 5 and 19; Noon
28 | Programs | Adults
$10 per class Free for Museum members! Ages 16 and Older Come experience a yoga class inspired and surrounded by works of art and engage in a practice that centers around balance, focus, and strength. This class is suitable for all levels; beginners are welcome. Guests are reminded to arrive early, bring their yoga mats, and wear comfortable clothing. Register for classes online at mmfa.org/artful-yoga/.
Right: Installation of Sergei Isupov’s Exhale (2016) in the 2019 exhibition About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.
Programs | Adults
Last Call ART & CONVERSATION Thu, Apr 18 and Jun 27; 5:30pm
About Face, p. 10
43rd Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition, p. 14 Sponsors
County Commission Vice Chairman Ronda Walker Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, LLC Vintage Year
Jackson Thornton Troy University
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Ages 21 and Older Join the Museum’s Junior Executive Board for Last Call, an opportunity to socialize with young professionals. We invite you to come and take a final look at the exhibitions About Face in April and the 43rd Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition in June while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and an open bar.
Related Exhibition
Ekphrasis BOOK CLUB Wed, Apr 10 and May 8; Noon Ekphrasis is a monthly book club devoted to the history of art featuring works of fiction and non-fiction. Upcoming titles include A Piece of the Worldand T hieves of Baghdad: One Marine’s Passion to Recover the World’s Greatest Stolen Treasures. To pre-order a lunch, contact Brandy Morrison at bmorrison@mmfa.org or 334.625.4365.
Memb ers Only
Inside Out: The People’s Art Project FILM Thu, Apr 11; 5:30pm Unrated This film helps set the stage for Inside Out: We are the Dream, the first project from Montgomery’s Art Project. It will be a people’s art project made by and for the people of Montgomery, created and documented in conjunction with French artist JR’s project Inside Out, a global participatory art project. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with JR’s team.
Partners
ArtTalk CRITIQUE Thu, Apr 18, May 23, and Jun 27; 6–8pm
30 | Programs | Adults
$40 series of nine meetings $5 drop-in fee for single meetings Museum and MAG members enjoy 25% off! Ages 21 and Older All art lovers are welcome to join the discussion! Artists may bring one work of art apiece to share with the group, but being a working artist is not required to attend. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and refreshments are served, while wine and beer are available for purchase if desired. To register, contact Brandy Morrison at bmorrison@mmfa.org or 334.625.4365.
Partner
Programs | Adults
Ruben Brandt, Collector FILM Mon, Apr 15; 7:30pm $8 per ticket This event will take place at the Capri Theatre Enjoy the Hungarian animated film Ruben Brandt in which a famous psychotherapist conducts art heists, stealing from the most famous museums in the world in order to alleviate his nightmares. Curator of Education Alice Novak will offer a brief introduction to the works of art featured in the movie.
Art Ed Central TEACHER WORKSHOP Thu, Apr 25; 4:30–6pm The final meeting of this school year welcomes local art teachers into the Museum’s Caddell Sculpture Garden to explore sculpture in the Garden then create sculptures of their own in the outdoor studio. To register and receive more information, contact Brandy Morrison at bmorrison@mmfa.org or 334.625.4365.
Related Exhibition
Art in the Garden, p. 11 Partner
Art & Mind FILM Sun, May 5; 3pm $8 per ticket This event will take place at the Capri Theatre
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Curator of Education Alice Novak will offer a brief introduction to the film Art & Mind, “a journey into art, madness and the unconscious,” contextualizing the work of the visionary artists featured in the film. Those also represented in the Museum’s collection include Francisco do Goya, William Blake, and Salvador Dali.
The Portrait—Stories of the Sitter 32 | Programs | Adults
SHORT COURSE Tue, Jun 4, 11, and 18; Noon Educators Alice Novak and Elisabeth Palmer will lead discussions on select portraits in the Museum’s permanent and temporary galleries, delving deeper into the portrait’s history and the sitter’s story. Robert Henri (American, 1865–1929), Young Chevass (Mary Ann Cafferty), 1925, oil on canvas, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Association Purchase, 1961.30
RECEPTION Fri, May 31; 5:30–7:30pm
Memb ers Only
Join fellow Museum and Montgomery Art Guild members for a reception for the opening of the 43rd Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition. Meet and mingle with the artists while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.
Related Exhibition 43rd Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition, p. 14
Juror’s Critique GALLERY TALK Sat, Jun 1; 10am Hear from juror David Reyes, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at the Huntsville Museum of Art, about the works of art by local artists on view in the 43rd Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition.Examine how the artists’ choices shaped the works that were ultimately chosen to be included in the exhibition and receive rewards.
Programs | Adults
43rd Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition
Related Exhibition 43rd Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition, p. 14
Artist Talk with Richard Mills GALLERY TALK Sun, Jun 2; 2pm Hear from Montgomery Art Guild Featured Artist Richard Mills about his career as an artist and teacher and the lessons and travels that influenced his watercolor paintings on view in the 43rd Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition.
Related Exhibition 43rd Montgomery Art Guild Museum Exhibition, p. 14
Georgia O’Keeffe FILM Thu, Jun 6; 5:30pm mmfa.org | 33
Not Rated Joan Allen stars a s artist Georgia O’Keeffe in this biopic that looks at O’Keeffe’s tumultuous love affair with New York-based photographer Alfred Stieglitz (Jeremy Irons). Discussion to be led by a curator following film. Popcorn and refreshments are available.
Second Sundays
Some things are better together! Family Art Affair, Jazz Jams, and our popular docent-led Sunday tours are moving to theSecond Sundayof every month. Bring the whole family for this multifaceted Museum experience. Drop in anytime between 2 and 4pm for these free programs.
Family Art Affair ART MAKING Sun, Apr 14; 2–4pm Join us in the Caddell Sculpture Garden and find inspiration in the sculptural works of Joe Minter. Known for using found objects, Minter gives new life to old pieces. Visitors are invited to create their own artworks using recycled materials.
Related Exhibition
Art in the Garden, p. 11
Sun, May 12; 2–4pm Folk art and self-taught artists often use materials and inspiration that surround them. Learn, listen, and create using your imagination just like the artists in our collection. Sun, Jun 9; 2–4pm Alabama offers a variety of different landscapes: from the coastal beaches to the pine forests, there is something for everyone. Join us as we celebrate Alabama the Beautiful.
Jazz Jams MUSIC Sun, Apr 14, May 12, and Jun 9; 2pm
34 | Programs | All Ages
Enjoy a lively afternoon of jazz performed by local musicians. For up to date information about performers, visit mmfa.org/jazz-jams
Sponsor
Talking Points TOUR Sun, Apr 14, May 12, and Jun 9; 2–4pm Learn more about your Museum! Docents lead you in exploring the artistic treasures on view during these free, half-hour tours. Tours will begin every 20 minutes in the Museum’s lobby.
Bottom right: Installation of Sergei Isupov’s Yes, No; No, Yes (Da Hem; Hem, Da) (2016) in the 2019 exhibition About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.
Programs | All Ages
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All Ages Highlight Tours TOUR Sat, Apr 20, May 18, and Jun 15; 1pm Join one of our docents on a special tour of the Museum collection highlighting some of the treasures on view. These free tours are offered on the third Saturday of every month; meet in the Museum’s lobby.
Poetry Slam POETRY Thu, Apr 25; 6:30pm In partnership with youth-mentoring organization That’s My Child, spoken-word poets will be performing on the Museum’s stage. Montgomery’s own Jonathon “jpdapoet” Peterson will serve as emcee for the evening. Everyone is welcome to support these young poets.
Partner
Audience discretion is advised. Some material may not be suitable for all audiences.
Chalk Art Competition
36 | Programs | All Ages
Fri, May 3; 8am–6pm Registration Deadline: April 12 Calling all chalk artists! This year’s contest challenges artists to celebrate the Caddell Sculpture Garden. All artists are welcome to register. The Museum provides all materials, and no outside materials will be allowed. The competition will be juried by local celebrity judges. For more information and to register, visit mmfa.org/flimpfestival/. Support Chalk Art Help forge great memories for individual artists and teams by donating $100 to sponsor a chalk square. For more information, contact Alice Novak at anovak@mmfa.org or 334.625.4361.
Related Program
Flimp Festival, p. 20
Special Events
Native American Family Day Sat, Apr 6; 1–4pm
All Ages This free spring event celebrates the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and their heritage. Join us for an afternoon of art-making activities, traditional dance performances, tribal drumming, and artisans demonstrating their skills.
Sponsor
Divine Lunch
Thu, Apr 18; 11am–2pm $20 per person Additional glasses of wine for $8 Ages 21 and Older Gather your friends or business colleagues and enjoy a delightful three-course menu paired with great wine samples. View the complete menu at mmfa.org/cafe-m.
Partner
Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling Café M at 334.625.4339.
Artist in Action
All Ages See local artist Alisa Koch, who is known for her minimalist landscapes done with a palette knife. Items will also be available for purchase in the Museum Store.
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Thu, Apr 18; Noon to 2pm
Museum Staff Administration Angie Dodson Director
Curatorial
Education
Maintenance
Senior Curator
Curator of Education
Building Maintenance Supervisor
Margaret Lynne Ausfeld Jennifer Jankauskas, Ph.D. Curator
Pam Bransford Registrar
Sarah Elizabeth Kelly Assistant Registrar
Sarah Graves, Ph.D.
Alice Novak
Kaci Norman
Assistant Curator of Education, Youth and Family Programs
Elisabeth Palmer
Assistant Curator of Education, Docent and Adult Programs
Laura Bocquin
Service Maintenance Staff Kristen Albright Douglas Beachem Walter Johnson Jeff Dutton
Sculpture Garden Superintendent
Collections Information Specialist
Assistant Curator of Education, Community Outreach
Brad Echols
Kelly Bazan
Andrew Pashoian
Jill Byrd
Tour Coordinator
Security Officers
Alice Carter
Brandy Morrison
Zackery Allen Ryan Baugh Adam Blythe Irease Bowman Ritchie Burdette Daniel Chaney Willia Flanning Christine Hall Charles Harris, Jr. Dwayne Lacy Evelyn Pettis Rickie Posey Wilma Robinson Kevin Wallace
Preparator/Designer Assistant Preparator Librarian
Development Kecia Kelso
Development Assistant
Aaron Ganey
Special Events Coordinator
Communications
ArtWorks Educator
Education Assistant
Meg Hall
Volunteer Coordinator
Operations
Steve Shuemake
Assistant Director for Operations
Janet Carroll Accountant
Cynthia Milledge
Vernell Watts
Stephen Hayes
Museum Store
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Digital Media Manager
Receptionist
Ward Chesser Associate
Melan Clinton Associate
Cecilia Moore Associate
38 | Staff
Percy Bowman
Security
Ken Nielsen
Chief of Security
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The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, a department of the City of Montgomery, is supported by funds from the City of Montgomery, with support from the Montgomery County Commission and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Association. Programs are made possible, in part, by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Learn more on page 20. Sponsored by MAX Credit Union.
Saturday, May 4; 10am–2pm
Flimp Festival
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts One Museum Drive, Montgomery, AL 36117 mmfa.org | @MontgomeryMFA Montgomery, AL Permit No. 101
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