BOARD OF TRUSTEES
F. X. Matt III, Chair
Christian Heilmann, Vice-Chair
Dietra Harvey, Secretary
Vige Barrie
Rev. Sharon Baugh
Dr. Steven J. Brown
William C. Craine
Emma Golden
Robert Knight
Betty Krulik
Mark Levitt
C. Sonia Martinez
Laura Tansey Wetzel
Richard Griffith, Trustee Emeritus
John B. Stetson, Trustee Emeritus
Anna D’Ambrosio, President and CEO
Dear Munson community,
Welcome to Munson! Our new name and brand identity represent nearly five years of conversations with members and community, focus groups, surveys, data analysis, and many, many meetings. As Munson, we honor more than 100 years of changing lives through the arts, and we embrace a bolder future.
The new brand is one of the outcomes of our 2019 strategic plan, and more dynamic changes lie ahead. A recently completed campus master plan envisions new, engaging spaces in the Museum, expanding and enlivening green spaces, clearly identifying our campus, and upgrading studios and classrooms. All of these developments will enable us to serve our entire community for generations to come.
Our founding family believed in the importance of a civic institution that makes art-based experiences accessible to everyone. They could hardly have envisioned how fully Munson has enhanced that legacy. In a hundred years, we have grown from four buildings to a diverse, 25-building campus, and from serving thousands to tens of thousands each year. Through all of this growth, one thing has remained, and will remain, constant — our mission to transform lives through the arts.
None of these accomplishments are meaningful without our community. It is each of you who has enthusiastically supported and sustained us for more than a century. Thank you for your support of Munson. With you, we ignite wonder and enrich our community.
Anna Tobin D’Ambrosio, President and CEO
FRIDAY, MARCH 31 TO APRIL 2
Art in Bloom
10:30 to 11 a.m., Museum of Art
Art in Bloom will present vibrant, locally-produced floral creations inspired by works of art in the Museum of Art’s collection. View exceptional floral creations in the Museum’s galleries and enjoy special events and programs. Celebrate spring with this colorful, juried exhibition of floral designs by regional florists and design professionals.
$5 General Admission | Free for Members
SATURDAY, APRIL 1
Keyboard Conversations: Chopin and Grieg – A Musical Kinship
7:30 p.m., Museum of Art, Sinnott Family-Bank of Utica Auditorium
Join internationally-renowned pianist Jeffrey Siegel as he explores the connections between works of Frederic Chopin and Edvard Grieg before playing each piece in its entirety. Both composers had the rare ability to write immediately engaging short pieces, which are sure to be crowd pleasers.
$38 General Admission | $33 Members
Keyboard Conversations are sponsored by Dr. Cynthia Parlato, Dr. Douglas Hurd and Dr. Lorna W. Grant.
2021 Jury and People's Choice, Best Creative, Julie Young$26 General Admission | $22 Members
The Met: Live in HD is sponsored at Munson by Elizabeth R. Lemieux, Ph.D.
SATURDAY, APRIL 1
Met: Live in HD Verdi's Falstaff
12:30 p.m., Museum of Art, Sinnott Family-Bank of Utica Auditorium
Baritone Michael Volle stars as the caddish knight Falstaff, gleefully tormented by a trio of clever women who deliver his comeuppance, in Verdi’s glorious Shakespearean comedy. Maestro Daniele Rustioni takes the podium to oversee a brilliant ensemble cast that features sopranos Hera Hyesang Park and Ailyn Pérez, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano, contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux, tenor Bogdan Volkov, and baritone Christopher Maltman.
SATURDAY, APRIL 15
Met Live: Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier Noon, Museum of Art, Sinnott Family-Bank of Utica Auditorium
A dream cast assembles for Strauss’s grand Viennese comedy, with soprano Lise Davidsen as the aristocratic Marschallin and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as her lover, Octavian. Soprano Erin Morley appears as Sophie, the beautiful younger woman who steals her heart.
SATURDAY, APRIL 29
Met Live: Terence Blanchard / Libretto by Michael Cristofer’s Champion
12:55 p.m., Museum of Art, Sinnott Family-Bank of Utica Auditorium
Six-time Grammy Award-winning composer Terence Blanchard brings his first opera to the Met since “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” premiered with the company to universal acclaim in 2021.
SATURDAYS, APRIL 1, 8, 15, 29
Art and Yoga
10:30 a.m., Museum of Art
Our long-running wellness series features a 15-minute gallery talk followed by an hour yoga session. All levels welcome. Bring your own mat.
$15 General Admission | $10 Members
FRIDAY, APRIL 7
PrattMWP First-Year Exhibition: Opening Reception
3 to 5 p.m., Museum of Art, PrattMWP Gallery
View artwork created by talented first-year students from PrattMWP in a juried multimedia exhibition. This free exhibition is open April 7 to 30.
FRIDAY, APRIL 15
PrattMWP Sophomore Exhibition Opens Museum of Art, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Support graduating PrattMWP sophomores in their final exhibition before heading to the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. The exhibition is in the Museum of Art on view through May 10.
Julian Yazijian, PrattMWP First-Year, optical mixture, 2022
Jonathan Cales, PrattMWP Sophomore, I Miss U, digital illustration
THURSDAY, APRIL 13
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Museum of Art Free
Explore the intersection of science and comedy with a performance at 11 a.m. — “Look Out! Science is Coming!” — and a workshop at 1 p.m., both by Doktor Kaboom! Kids and families may also enjoy crafts and other activities during this recurring event held during school breaks.
The Film Series is generously sponsored by M&T Bank.
April
Wednesdays and Fridays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sinnott Family–Bank of Utica Auditorium
Enjoy new foreign, independent, and award-winning films each week.
$9 General Admission | $7 Members
Multi-film discounted passes are available.
At Munson, we create transformational arts experiences that cultivate curiosity and creativity, enlighten, educate, and inspire.
Why are you changing the name?
Our vision, mission, and commitment to the community remain unchanged. However, with a name that was 10 syllables and hyphenated, very few people called the organization by its full name or understood the larger organization behind it. Our acronym, MWPAI, was a mouthful, hard-to-remember, and confusing for those not “in-theknow.” A new identity and a strong, memorable name will clarify that we are a multifaceted arts organization.
Why Munson? What about representing all three generations of the founding family?
Munson honors our history and launches us into the future. We are acknowledging the more than 100-year legacy by focusing on “Munson,” the family name that runs through all three generations of our founding family, from Alfred Munson to Helen Munson Williams to Rachel Munson Williams Proctor.
Helen Munson provided the spark that ultimately led to the founding of the organization. She was the first generation of Utica-born family members, a savvy businesswoman, and an active art collector who instilled in her daughters a dedication to philanthropy and an appreciation for culture and the role of the arts in a community.
The family will continue to be honored at the Museum. The Founders’ Galleries and Fountain Elms share the family history and portraits; their collection, referred to as “the Proctor
Collection,” remains central to the Museum’s holdings; and in 2022 the Museum established the Helen Munson Williams Acquisition Fund.
How did you develop the new name and visual identity?
This change is the culmination of more than five years of conversations — including focus groups in 2018 and 2022, public digital surveys, staff input, conversations with regional and national colleagues, board of trustee agendas, and many meetings.
We interviewed 13 prestigious national branding firms, and chose to work with Order from Brooklyn. This creative firm extensively researched the organization and our vision, our strategic plan, and what the organization means to the community.
The new name is a part of our five-year strategic plan that emphasizes Munson’s role as a proud, active cultural leader in the greater Utica community and a welcoming arts destination. We are looking forward to making improvements to our 25-building campus, such as more neighborhood green spaces, a redeveloped interactive family gallery in the Museum, and updates to our classrooms and teaching studios. We are in the beginning stages of these projects, and have initial plans that we’re excited to share in the months ahead.
During the development of Munson’s new visual language and identity, Brooklyn-based Order, design firm made an unsuspecting discovery: the typography on the office doors, hallway signs, bathrooms, and fire extinguishers in the Philip Johnson-designed Museum of Art was created by the young graphic designer Elaine Lustig Cohen. Cohen’s contribution to the building’s signage produced a distinctive typographic voice, which has remained in its original state.
Elaine Firstenberg married graphic designer Alvin Lustig and worked in his office as an assistant until his death in 1955. At the time, her husband was collaborating with architect Philip Johnson on the landmark Seagram Building in New York. Johnson expected the Lustig office to fulfill its contract despite his untimely death, so Elaine rolled up her sleeves and delivered the job, launching her illustrious graphic design career in one bold move.
In 1956, she married publisher Arthur Cohen and expanded her horizons with projects all over the world, becoming a prolific painter, book designer, and textile artist. Cohen’s original designs for Munson-Williams-Proctor and her inspiration for our new brand will continue to inspire new generations at Munson.
When Brooklyn design firm Order crafted Munson’s new brand identity, they reviewed an archive of Museum publications. The vibrant paper and ink selections for issues of past Bulletins provided direct inspiration for the organization’s new color palette.
These vibrant pairings from the 1940s through 1970s created the basis for the way the colors are used together in the Munson brand today. You may have noticed the use of black, white and color in this edition of the Bulletin — expect to see more of this in our publications and in signage around campus.
JUNE 23 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 17
A captivating new exhibition explores the allure of athletic attire in Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960, which opens with a Members-only preview on June 22.
Sporting Fashion is the first exhibition to explore the evolution of women’s sporting attire in fashion over this 160-year period. The exhibition also highlights the lives and accomplishments of 16 storied women in sports.
Many thanks to exhibition sponsors
Elizabeth R. Lemieux, Ph.D., Joseph Abraham, and Cheryl and Fred Haritatos.
This exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles.
Further sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact John Murphy, Director of Development for details at 315-797-0000 ext. 2297.
Museum of Art volunteers will be giving presentations to various community groups in the region, including the following.
APRIL 18 | Cooperstown Library
2 p.m., Village Library of Cooperstown, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown, NY
APRIL 20 | Foothill Fiber Arts Guild
10 a.m., Kirkland Library, 55 College St., Clinton, NY
APRIL 22 | Waterville Historical Society
1 p.m., 220 E. Main St., Waterville, NY
MAY 3 | Dodge Pratt Northam Arts Institute
6:30 p.m., Erwin Library, 104 Schuyler St, Boonville, NY
MAY 6 | Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts
1 p.m., Little Falls Library, 401 Canal Place, Little Falls, NY
MAY 7 | Dolgeville Public Library
2 p.m., 24 Main St., Dolgeville, NY
MAY 15 | New Hartford Public Library
6:30 p.m., Oxford Rd., New Hartford, NY
Cheerleading Uniform, 1950s. Photo: Brian Davis, © FIDM Museum, Courtesy American Federation of ArtsAdmission to the Museum of Art is free for all except when noted for special events and exhibitons.
Through April 23
Museum of Art Special Exhibitions Gallery
Munson-Williams opens the vaults to present rare works in photography from its collection in InSight, an exhibition that examines contemporary life through the lens of history, nature, portraiture, and photojournalism. InSight features recent additions to the collection that capture the excitement of big-league sports, the poignancy of children, the quiet beauty of the environment, and the raw emotion of world events.
The powerful, dramatic six-part portfolio by Dread Scott, Slave Rebellion Reenactment Performance Stills (2020), will be seen for the first time at Munson alongside the work of renowned photographers Tommy Brown, Donna Ferrato, Ralph Gibson, and William Wegman, among many others. Free.
PrattMWP First-Year Exhibition
April 7 to 30
Museum of Art, PrattMWP Gallery
View artwork created by talented first-year students from PrattMWP in a juried multimedia exhibition. This free exhibition is open April 7 to 30.
PrattMWP Sophomore Exhibition
April 15 to May 10
Museum of Art
Support graduating PrattMWP sophomores in their final exhibition before heading to the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. The exhibition is on view Apri 15 through May 10.
Walter Iooss, Jr., American (born 1943), Michael Jordan, Highland Park, IL, 1992, archival pigment print, 24 x 20 in., Gift of Gabriel Loiczly, 2021.4.5
Robin Theriault, PrattMWP Sophomore, Male Figure
Ken Marchione has been a vital member of the leadership team at PrattMWP. Over the years he has consistently served as an instructor of painting, as chair of academic affairs, as acting dean, and as a trusted advisor of both students and fellow instructors. Ken’s commitment to PrattMWP goes beyond teaching and administration.
In 2022, Ken and Judy Marchione established the John and Anna-Mae Marchione Scholarship in honor of Ken’s parents. John, who immigrated to the U.S. shortly after WWII, was a talented artist who made his living in manufacturing. Anna-Mae also worked in that industry. Both worked to support their family, and their support included Ken’s lifelong passion for fine arts. Ken and Judy take special pleasure in the knowledge that this new fund establishes his parents’ legacy in supporting many future generations of artists.
Scholarship funds are vital to PrattMWP students’ ability to pursue their degrees. Scholarships are also in place for community arts classes, and the need for both programs continues to grow.
To discuss how you can make an impact in student outcomes at Munson, contact John Murphy, Director of Development, at 315-797-0000, ext. 2297
Museum of Art
Tues. – Sat., 10
Performing Arts Ticket Office
to 5
Mon. – Fri., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Doors open one hour before performances and 30 minutes before films. Phone: 315-797-0055 or 1-800-754-0797
School of Art Offices
Mon. – Fri., 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Art Research Library
Mon. – Thur., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat., noon to 5 p.m.; and Sun., 3 – 8 p.m.
