Bulletin May/June 2021
Emma Amos: Color Odyssey June 19 – September 12
MAY & JUNE EVENTS S IG N U P F OR UP DATES Join our mailing list to receive updates and announcements for future programs by contacting John Murphy at jdmurphy@mwpai.edu.
May May 1 Saturday
Art and Yoga 10:30 a.m. Virtual or in person*
May 5 Wednesday
Film Series 2 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
May 6 Thursday
Virtual Presentation Richard Friedberg in Conversation with art curator Patterson Sims 6:00 p.m. Virtual*
May 7 Friday
May 14 Friday
Film Series 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
May 15 Saturday
Art and Yoga 10:30 a.m. Virtual or in person*
May 19 Wednesday
Film Series 2 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
May 21 Friday
Film Series 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
Film Series 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
May 22 Saturday
May 8 Saturday
May 26 Wednesday
Exhibition opening Community Arts Education On view through June 17 PrattMWP Gallery, Fountain Elms
May 28 Friday
Art and Yoga 10:30 a.m. Virtual or in person*
May 12 Wednesday
Film Series 2 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
Art and Yoga 10:30 a.m. Virtual or in person* Film Series 2 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium Film Series 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
For information on the Munson-Williams Film Series, please visit mwpai.org/film, or phone 315-797-0055 and press 3.
May 29 Saturday
Art and Yoga 10:30 a.m. Virtual or in person*
June June 2 Wednesday
Film Series 2 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
June 4 Friday
June 16 Wednesday
Film Series 2 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
June 18 Friday
Film Series 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
June 19 Saturday
Exhibition opening Emma Amos: Color Odyssey On view through September 12
Film Series 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
June 20 Sunday
June 5 Saturday
June 23 Wednesday
Art and Yoga 10:30 a.m. Virtual or in person*
June 9 Wednesday
Film Series 2 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
June 11 Friday
Juneteenth Weekend Celebration 2 to 4 p.m. Museum of Art Film Series 2 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
June 25 Friday
Film Series 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
Film Series 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
June 26 Saturday
June 12 Saturday
June 30 Wednesday
Art and Yoga 10:30 a.m. Virtual or in person*
Art and Yoga 10:30 a.m. Virtual or in person* Film Series 2 p.m. Sinnott Family - Bank of Utica Auditorium
* Registration for these virtual events is required by contacting the Ticket Office at 315-797-0055. A link to access the program will be emailed to you after registering. In-person classes may be postponed depending on New York State guidelines. Front Cover: Emma Amos, (American, 1937-2020), Targets (detail), 1992, acrylic on canvas with handwoven fabric and African fabric borders, 57 x 73 1/2 inches. Amos Family, courtesy RYAN LEE Gallery
Above: Emma Amos, (American, 1937-2020), Baby (detail), 1966, oil on canvas, 45 x 50 1/8 inches. Whitney Museum of American Art/Studio Museum in Harlem. Purchased jointly by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, with funds from the Painting and Sculpture Committee; and the Studio Museum in Harlem, Museum purchase with funds provided by Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee, 2019.1a-b
Retrospective Showcases Works by Trailblazing Artist Emma Amos: Color Odyssey June 19 through September 12 Bold mixed-media paintings by a trailblazing artist who challenged society regarding race, gender, and privilege will be showcased in Emma Amos: Color Odyssey, on view June 19 through September 12. This major retrospective of the artist’s distinguished six-decade career features more than 60 artworks Amos created from 1958 to 2015. From her earliest paintings, such as the Museum of Art’s Godzilla, (1966) Amos created colorful figurative compositions that present a layered understanding of what it meant to be a woman and an artist
Emma Amos (American, 1937-2020), Godzilla, 1966, oil on canvas, 50 x 46 in., MWPAI Museum purchase, 2016.5
of color during the Civil Rights and the Feminist Movements. Amos’s artistic vision was wide and rich. For her subject matter, she drew upon personal stories, popular culture, and a deep understanding of art and history. Her paintings, drawings, and prints include joy-filled celebrations of athleticism, loving portrayals of family and friends, and searing commentary on the legacy of racism in the United States.
and studied with renowned weaver Dorothy Liebes. She was the youngest and only female member of Spiral, a group of African American artists that included Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, and Hale Woodruff, who organized in the mid-1960s to discuss race, identity, and artistic practice. In 1980 Amos joined the faculty at the Mason Gross School of Art, Rutgers University, and eventually became Chair of the Department of Visual Arts. Her art is included
Amos was born in Atlanta in 1937 during the Jim Crow era, but she highlighted the Black community’s aspirations to excellence, “It
in numerous major museum collections. Later in her life, Amos revealed she was a member of the Guerrilla Girls, a group of anonymous women artists advocating for parity in the art world.
is important to me to
point out that both of
my college-educated
parents had fathers
who were born slaves.
This was a good reason
for my brother, Larry,
and me to believe that
we had to continue to
excel, as our family had
done under much more
difficult circumstances.”
Amos attended Antioch
College, Yellow Springs,
Public programs for Emma Amos: Color Odyssey have been
OH; the Central School
generously sponsored by Elizabeth R. Lemieux, Ph.D.
of Art, London, England;
Emma Amos: Color Odyssey is organized by the Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia, and is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Georgia. Munson-Williams is one of only three venues for this national touring exhibition. Admission for Emma Amos: Color Odyssey: MWPAI members free
General public $12
SNAP/EBT cardholders free
Full-time students $6
Children 12 and younger free
Reciprocal museum & NARM members $10
Emma Amos (American, 1937-2020), Tight Rope, New York University; 1994, acrylic on linen with African fabric borders, 82 x 58 inches, Courtesy of RYAN LEE Gallery, New York
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Museum of Art More Than a Tweet: Birds, Art and Culture
I never for a day “gave up listening to the songs of our birds, or watching their peculiar habits, or delineating them in the best way I could.
Where Art and Ornithology Meet Art and ornithology combine in the works of John James Audubon, whose works are featured in the exhibition, More Than a Tweet: Birds, Art, and Culture. Audubon’s studies helped him prepare for Birds of
”
America, a multivolume assemblage of 435 enormous color plates depicting life-sized birds. The compendium defined the scientific
JOHN JAMES AUDUBON
study of birds and reveals how intertwined the arts and the natural sciences were in Audubon’s time. In these smaller studies of birds, Audubon combined the 18th-century technique of naturalists, including showing a bird in profile, with artistic innovations that synthesized graphite, watercolor, and pastel. Audubon’s project relied on the division of labor in America. Gentleman scientists helped with research. Indigenous people collected specimens and supplied information on bird behavior; teenage boys were studio assistants; and women and family members often painted the flora, fauna, or landscape backgrounds as well as took notes and rough sketches on expeditions. Moreover, the labor of Audubon’s enslaved people at his farm, house, kitchen garden, and timber mill, likely afforded him the opportunity to pursue his love of birds that ultimately culminated in Birds of America.
John James Audubon (American, 1785–1851), Blue Jay, 1811, pastel, watercolor, and pencil on paper, 17 ½ x 12 1/4 in., Museum Purchase, 62.48
More Than a Tweet: Birds, Art, and Culture is on view through August 1.
Recent Acquisition Spotlight
a distinctive granular surface texture—all
The Vase with Three Ancient Masks and Laurels (Vase
place of honor in museums in the future, has
Trois Masques Antiques Lauriers by Francois-Emile
reached the height of his artistic mastery.”
reminiscent of ancient glass. One reviewer, writing in 1923 about Dėcorchemont’s work, observed, “The artist, whose pieces will be in a
Decorchemont is a recent addition to the decorative
François-Émile Dėcorchemont (French, 1880–1970), Vase with Three Ancient Masks and Laurels (Vase trois masques antiques lauriers), c. 1912–17, pâtesde-verre glass, h: 9 ¼ in. x diam: 2 7/8 in. (23.5 x 7.1 cm), Gift of Audrey Friedman and Haim Manishevitz, 2021.1 4
arts collection at Munson-Williams. A sculptor’s son,
This exceptional example of Dėcorchemont’s work is
Dėcorchemont began his career as a painter and
the gift of Audrey Friedman and Haim Manishevitz,
ceramicist. His fine art training can be seen not only
owners of Primavera Gallery in New York, Friedman
in references to classical antiquity in this vase
and Manishevitz have often stopped in Utica on
designed in 1912 but in the sculptural quality
trips to the Adirondacks to see the collection and
of his modeling and painterly use of color. To
exhibitions at the Munson-Williams Museum of Art.
achieve such a luminous effect, Dėcorchemont
Their generous donation of Vase with Three Ancient
mastered the technique of pâte-de-verre, literally
Masks adds a rare masterwork to the permanent
meaning glass paste, in which he combined
collection by one of the most important glass
multi-colored glass powders with a binder to
artists of the 20th century and greatly enhances
form a thick dough-like consistency, which he
our understanding of the relationship between
then pressed into a mold and fired in a kiln. This
painting, sculpture, and decorative art.
process produced an opaque, yet translucent glass that allowed for subtle shades of color and
Stephen Harrison Deputy Director, Museum of Art
Ju neteenth
A
W E E K E N D C E L E B R AT I O N
A JUNETEENTH WEEKEND CELEBRATION Sunday, June 20, 2 to 4 p.m. Museum of Art Join us for live music, craft kits for kids, and new summer exhibitions Emma Amos: Color Odyssey Call & Response: Collecting African American Art
Exhibition Focuses on Collections Call & Response: Collecting African American Art June 19 through November 28, 2021 Call & Response pulls the curtain back on how the Museum builds its collection, in this case, acquiring works by Black artists created the past 30 years. In assessing the potential addition of a work of art, Museum staff ask how a new piece will enrich the Museum’s existing holdings. Call & Response, therefore, is primarily a show about making connections between works of art and the artists who created them. The paintings, sculptures, and works on paper are installed in the gallery as if in conversation with each other. Connections in Call & Response include expanding our understanding of how materials have been used by 20th-century artists. The Museum, for example, acquired The Letter (1951) shortly after artist David Bob Thompson (American, 1937-66), Stagedoom, 1962, gouache and charcoal on paper, 21 3/8 x 18 ¼ in., Museum purchase with funds given by Kay WalkingStick, 96.31
Smith created it. Smith (1906-1965), who is white, revolutionized how we think about sculpture, from an object in space to “drawing in space” with welded metal. A generation later, Melvin Edwards (born 1937) welds a variety of materials that are symbolic of the African American experience into Lynch Fragments; the Museum acquired four pieces in the 1990s. Similarly, connections can be found between artists and their subject matter, such as scenes of everyday life, which are also known as “genre” subjects. The Museum owns any number of such paintings and works on paper by European and white American artists but had none by African Americans until it acquired graphic arts by Tom Miller and William E. Smith. Throughout the show, one can also find works of art installed together that speak to similar interests, such as Romare Bearden’s traditional collage, Before the Dark (1971) and Lorna Simpson’s collage-like conceptual photography of Counting (1991). Artists in the exhibition include Jean-Michel Basquiat, Norman Lewis, Alison Saar, Betye Saar, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, and many others. Call & Response includes commentary by seven community contributors who developed a collection of responses via a multi-media app, using music, personal history, and comparative works of art.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960-88), untitled, 1982, crayon on paper, 29 7/8 x 22 in., Bequest of James H. Duffy, 2019.11.2
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Museum of Art Museum of Art Events ART AND YOGA: FOR MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT Virtual and In Person All levels | Saturdays, 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and June 5, 12, 26 May/June Session (eight classes): $55 Munson-Williams members; $80 general public Any six classes: $45 Munson-Williams members, $65 general public Drop-in fee per class: $10 Munson-Williams members, $15 general public Register at 315-797-0055. For virtual attendees, a link to access the class(es) will be emailed to you after registering.* Experience Art and Yoga at home or in person at the Museum. Classes are limited in size; in person yoga safety protocols include a 10-foot distance between mats and masks must be worn at all times. The Museum class will be streamed via Zoom for those who wish to experience the class from home. Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Mary Murray leads a discussion of artwork in the collection, followed by a short poem, and one hour of yoga with certified instructor Jeri George. Participants at all levels of ability are welcome. *In-person yoga may be postponed depending on New York State guidelines.
JOIN RICHARD FRIEDBERG IN CONVERSATION WITH ART CURATOR PATTERSON SIMS Virtual Event Thursday, May 6, at 6 p.m. Tickets $10 MWPAI members, $15 general public Phone 315-797-0055 to purchase tickets and receive a link to access the program. Richard Friedberg and Patterson Sims will review some of the topics covered in their interview featured in the catalog for the exhibition, Terrible Beauty: Richard Friedberg Sculpture, and will expand upon Patterson Sims, Photo by Lally Homans
Richard Friedberg
the artist’s response to this survey of his recent monumental sculptures and long association with the Utica region.
Art Story VIRTUAL
VIRTUAL ART STORY Join us this spring for a virtual presentation of Art Story! Contact us for a prerecorded session that includes two interactive book readings and a look at art in the Museum's collection. Contact Museum Educator Jennifer Lorenz Badua at 315-797-0000, ext. 2146, or at jlorenzbadua@mwpai.edu.
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Development
Renew Your Membership or Make a Donation Today! Every contribution helps Munson-Williams build a stronger community, improve quality of life, and provide art experiences across our region. When you donate to the Annual Fund, renew your membership, and give the gift of membership, you contribute to wonderful programming throughout the year. Your support brings exciting exhibitions, performances, films, and Community Arts Education workshops and classes. You may donate or renew online at mwpai.org/support or by contacting John Murphy at 315-797-0000, ext. 2297. Donors like you make all of these programs possible. We are deeply grateful for your support!
John Murphy Named Director of Development and Donor Relations John Murphy of Clinton
to the arts, combined with years of development and business
has been named Director
experience, makes him a perfect fit for the Institute."
of Development and Donor Relations for
Mr. Murphy has a lifetime of involvement in the arts. He has
Munson-Williams.
been a member of Munson-Williams for nearly 15 years and
Mr. Murphy was previously
since 2018. He is a member of the B# Music Club and has worked
Director of Milestone
with the Players of Utica and the Clinton Symphony Orchestra of
Reunions for Hamilton
the Mohawk Valley. “I am excited to join an excellent group of
has served on the Institute’s Performing Arts Advisory Committee
College, where he had secured nearly $10 million in outright gifts
professionals at Munson-Williams, in a role that marries my
and pledges for the College’s current campaign and more than
life-long love of the arts and my 25 years’ experience in
$16 million in declared estate gift intentions. During his 23-year
advancement,” he said. “Munson-Williams is a tremendous
tenure he facilitated scores of new scholarship gifts and worked
asset to the region, and I look forward to facilitating our
with hundreds of dedicated alumni donors and volunteers.
continued success and growth as we begin our second
MWPAI President and CEO Anna D’Ambrosio said Mr. Murphy was
century as the premier cultural center for the Mohawk Valley.”
selected after a national search. "We are delighted to have John
Mr. Murphy holds a Master of Music in voice and opera from
become part of the Munson-Williams staff,” she said. “His dedication
Northwestern University School of Music, Evanston, IL, and a Bachelor of Arts from Hamilton College, Clinton, NY.
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School of Art and PrattMWP Satisfy Your Summer Creative Cravings Here or at Home Registration is now open for School of Art summer classes beginning July 12 and running through mid-August. Join us in the classroom, in nature, or study art from home with in-person and online classes and workshops this summer. Adult courses are offered in four- to six-week sessions, one or two nights a week. We are excited to announce the return of classes for kids! For kids and teens, build your own summer program week by week. Choose from one or two-week daily classes in drawing, painting, sculpture, and clay.
IN-PERSON CLASSES: All ages In-person classes are still at reduced capacity in the studios and follow social distancing guidelines.
ONLINE CLASSES: Ages 6 and up More than weekly instruction, online classes allow kids, teens, and adults to receive additional personalized feedback through email between class sessions. Kids will enjoy quick sessions with all of the materials included.
HYBRID ART CLASSES: Offerings for Ages 18 and Up These courses meet in person exclusively outside or under open air coverings. If weather prohibits meeting in person, make-up classes or virtual sessions will be scheduled.
Registration is open now. For full class details, instructor profiles, and need-based scholarship information, please visit register.mwpai.org or call 315-797-8260 today.
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COMMUNITY ARTS EXHIBITION Saturday, May 8 through Thursday, June 17 Enjoy works by the talented students in the School of Art Community Art Education program in this multimedia presentation.
Larraine McNulty, Portofino Boats, 2020, oil on canvas
Francia Reed, Night Train, 2020. digital photography
UPCOMING EXHIBITION: LOCAL ARTIST SHOWCASE MARY GIEHL AND MARC-ANTHONY POLIZZI Friday, July 2 through Thursday, August 5 Installation artist Marc-Anthony Polizzi, Utica, and multi-media artist Mary Giehl, Syracuse, present their work in this exciting exhibition.
Marc-Anthony Polizzi, Just Smile, 2013, mixed media
Mary Giehl, Dancing Neurons, 2019, glass beads, silk organza, velvet
The PrattMWP Gallery is located in Fountain Elms | Free and Open to the Public Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Saturday | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
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Enhance your visit! Spring Sales Blossom at the Museum Shop! Mother’s Day Special Sale Tuesday, April 27 through Sunday, May 9 Modgy expandable vases, jar openers, trivets, silicone coasters with art reproduction images, and David Howell & Co. beautiful floral earrings designed and made in the USA 20% off (30% for members). Visit the Museum Shop for many more Mother’s Day gift ideas that moms will surely love.
Emma Amos: Color Odyssey exhibition opens June 19. The Museum Shop has hardcover copies of the exhibition catalog available for $40.
Museum Shop Hours Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 315-797-0000 ext. 2155
Flora and Fauna in the Library Enjoy some of the many books about birds, art, and culture at the Art Reference Library. The Library is open for borrowing year-round. Contact-free curbside pickups and returns are also available. Contact the Library at Library@mwpai.edu or call 315-797-0000, ext. 2123. Visit mwpai.org/visit/library
Terrace Café is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are welcome 315-797-0000 ext. 2212 10
MUNSON-WILLIAMS-PROCTOR ARTS INSTITUTE BOARD OF TRUSTEES William C. Craine, Chair F. X. Matt, III, Vice-Chair Robert Knight, Secretary
Christian Heilmann Betty Krulik Mark Levitt C. Sonia Martinez
Rev. Sharon Baugh Dr. Steven J. Brown Michael D. Cominsky Emma Golden Donna Harkavy Dietra Harvey
Richard Griffith, Trustee Emeritus John B. Stetson, Trustee Emeritus Anna D’Ambrosio, President & CEO
In Memoriam The Museum mourns the recent loss of two dedicated, long-term,
and plainspoken manner complemented her keen wit. She was
and well-loved members of the docent corps. Robbie Trosset served
instrumental in developing a tour together with several other
as a docent for 22 years, during which she led more than 400 tours
docents that addressed various environmental issues illustrated
serving 4,000 adults and children. Robbie was studious and thoughtful
through works of art in the Museum’s collection.
and had a soft-spoken but deliberate manner as a tour leader. In 2002 Robbie bravely volunteered to become one of only five trailblazing
We all miss Robbie and Cynthia and are so grateful to them and their families for sharing their time and skills with us to make the Museum
docents to learn what was at the time an unconventional touring
a welcoming place of learning for our visitors. We are also grateful to
technique called Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS). VTS has since become ubiquitous in museums and schools.
our current docents and others who have made donations to the
Cynthia Barns devoted 25 years to the Museum as a docent, at times
their memory through a donation to Munson-Williams, please visit the
delivering an impressive number of tours in a single year. Cynthia
MWPAI website and click on the blue “Donate Now” button, or contact
guided 600 tours of 6,000 adults and children in addition to serving on
John Murphy at jdmurphy@mwpai.edu, or 315-797-0000, ext. 2297.
Museum in memory of Robbie and Cynthia. If you would like to honor
the Docent Advisory Committee for four years. Cynthia’s no-nonsense
MUNSON-WILLIAMS-PROCTOR ARTS INSTITUTE INFORMATION AND HOURS Hours Museum of Art including Fountain Elms: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m. Performing Arts Ticket Office: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., one hour before performances and 30 minutes before films. Phone: 797-0055 or 1-800-754-0797 PrattMWP Gallery: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m. Museum Shop Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m. School of Art Offices: Mon.-Fri. 8:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Art Research Library: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. Noon-5 p.m. For information, call (315) 797-0000 (Voice and TDD)
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute is a fine arts center serving diverse audiences through three program divisions—Museum of Art, Performing Arts, and School of Art. The Institute also offers an Art Library, an active membership program, a Museum Shop, and outstanding rental facilities ideal for public programs and private events. Munson-Williams receives funding from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
The following areas are accessible to the physically challenged: Museum of Art Galleries, Auditorium, and Sculpture Court, Art Odyssey: Interactive Gallery, Museum Shop, Art Library, Performing Arts Office, School of Art Gallery, Studio D, and the Pottery Studio, the Academic Center, and Student Center.
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PrattMWP
COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
310 G E N E S E E S T R E E T U T I C A, N E W YO R K 13502 315.797.0000 mwpai.org
Arts Festival returns July 27 through August 1 Entries for the Sidewalk Art Show will be accepted Friday, July 9, and Saturday, July 10. An entry form is available at mwpai.org