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
Summer brings sunshine, warmth, and endless possibilities. Utica comes alive with events throughout the community, a highlight being Munson’s annual Arts Festival.
With artwork by regional artists, family events, live music, and classic cars filling our grounds, the Arts Festival has been a beloved community tradition in the Mohawk Valley for 84 years. The first event took place in the summer of 1939, more than 20 years before the construction of the Museum of Art building and only three years after we opened to the public. A signature event, the Arts Festival engages all of our staff, and invites everyone in our community.
Thanks to an ingenious design by Museum of Art Technician Ben Garlington, this year we will present the Sidewalk Art Show under a tent. This is a return to the 1959 Sidewalk Art Show installation design and will allow us to show more artwork while protecting it and visitors from the elements. No more closing the show because of rain!
This year the Arts Festival will begin with the popular Munson Car Show on Sunday, July 23, and close with a day of family-friendly activities and an evening community dance party on Saturday, July 29. The eight-day event will also feature perennial favorites such as Steamrollin’ Prints, extended hours at the Museum of Art, daily live music, and artist demonstrations. I hope to see you there!
In addition to celebrating the season with the Arts Festival, we are presenting the stunning summer exhibition Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 More than 60 historic ensembles of women’s sporting attire representing the evolution of women’s role in society adorn two of the largest galleries in the Museum. See gorgeous outerwear by designers such as Chanel and Balenciaga, as well as women’s entry into male-dominated activities like flying and motorcycling. It’s an impressive collection, dynamically installed.
A full slate of art classes begins in July, offering community members a chance to try something new and rediscover the joy of creativity. Classes bring together diverse individuals with a variety of skill levels, fostering a sense of camaraderie and connection. Munson classes have given me and my family an opportunity to spend a few hours a week doing something completely different from our day-to-day experiences. I encourage you to give it a try yourself–you may be surprised.
Community is why Munson is here, and we are truly grateful for your support and engagement. Thank you for being a part of Munson.
See you soon,
Anna Tobin D’Ambrosio President and CEO
JULY 8 THROUGH AUGUST 17
Learn something new this summer by taking classes taught by working artists. Classes for adults begin in July. Register now: (315) 797-8260 or munson.art.
We Weld! Workshop
Sat./Sun., Jul. 8, 9, 15, 16 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Figure Drawing
Mon., Jul. 10-31 | 6 to 9 p.m.
Intro to Jewelry Making (afternoon)
Mon./Wed., Jul. 10-Aug. 2 1 to 4 p.m.
Intro to Jewelry Making (evening)
Mon./Wed. Jul. 10-Aug. 2 6 to 9 p.m.
Sewing Studio
Mon./Wed., Jul. 10-Aug. 2 6 to 9 p.m.
Int./Adv. Pottery
Tue./Thu., Jul 11-Aug. 17 1 to 4 p.m.
Salt-Fired Ceramics (two sections)
Tue., Jul. 11-Aug. 15 | 6 to 9 p.m.
Thu., Jul. 13-Aug. 17 | 6 to 9 p.m.
Studio Painting
Tue./Wed., Jul. 11-Aug. 2 6 to 9 p.m.
Studio Landscape Painting
Tue., Jul. 11-Aug. 1 | 1 to 4 p.m.
Drawing 101
Tue., Jul. 11-Aug. 1 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Munson Museum Master Copy
Tue./Wed., Jul. 11-Aug. 9 1 to 4 p.m.
Open Studio: Painting and Drawing
Wed., Jul. 12-Aug. 16 5 to 10 p.m.
Painting En Plein Air Wed., Jul. 12-Aug. 2 9 a.m. to noon
Character Design
Wed., Jul. 12-Aug. 23 | 6 to 8 p.m.
Woodshop for Beginners Workshop
Sat./Sun., Jul. 22, 23, 29, 30 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Eco Fabric Dyeing Workshop
Sat. Jul. 28 | 1 to 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12
Gallery Talk with Fashion Historian
Jennifer Farley Gordon, Ph.D. 1 p.m., Museum of Art
What better season than summer to be an outdoor girl? Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, women outfitted themselves for increasingly active lives–in the sun, sand, and surf, on tennis courts and baseball fields. Women wanted clothes that were functional without sacrificing beauty or propriety. Join fashion historian Jennifer Farley Gordon, Ph.D., on a tour of Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 as she discusses the evolution of summer sportswear worn for women’s leisure activities and sporting pursuits.
$20 General Public, includes exhibition admission to Sporting Fashion
$5 Members
SUNDAY, JULY 23 TO SATURDAY, JULY 29 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Munson Arts Festival returns with an extra day on the schedule, plus beloved annual events, such as the Sidewalk Art Show, Munson Car Show, Steamrollin’ Prints, daily live music, extended Museum of Art hours, and more. Find the full schedule on the next two pages.
The annual Arts Festival is our largest program for the local artist community and one of our oldest traditions, dating back to 1939.
For the first time since 1962, the Sidewalk Art Show will be under a tent, protecting patrons and the artwork from the elements without sacrificing display space.
This year, the popular Munson Car Show kicks off the festival on Sunday and the culminating event is a day of family-friendly activities and a closing dance party on Saturday.
Join us for daily music, activities, and art, including a chance to see our stellar summer exhibition, Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960.
The Summer 2023 Arts Festival is sponsored by Met Life Foundation.
The Sidewalk Art Show is sponsored by Bank of Utica.
The Car Show is sponsored by Lead Sponsors CABVI • Vehicles for Vision Speedy Awards & Engraving
JAC of Utica, Inc.
Enjem's Flooring America
Green Ignite
Lupini Construction, Inc.
Barlett Tree Experts
The following activities are offered every day of the festival.
10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sidewalk Art Show
11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Children’s Craft
1 p.m., Guided Tour: Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960
6 p.m., Live Music
10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Museum of Art extended hours, including Art Odyssey Interactive Gallery.
Terrace Café, Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Scott's Tots, Saturday, 3 to 6 p.m.
Texas Roadhouse and Carvel Ice Cream, Sunday through Saturday
In addition to daily events, special offerings such as the Car Show, films, lectures, Steamrollin' Prints, and more are scheduled throughout the week.
Sunday, July 23
9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Munson Car Show
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mohawk Valley Bonsai Club (demo at 2 p.m.)
3 p.m., Car Show Awards
6 p.m., The Cool Club & The Lipker Sisters (swing/jazz)
Monday, July 24
1 p.m., Cheer demo with Kuyahoora Cougars
2 p.m., Art Story with the Utica Public Library
5:30 p.m. Levitt/AMP Concert: Nefesh Mountain Band with Otismonk (at Kopernik Park)
Tuesday, July 25
1 to 4 p.m., Visual Studio of Community Arts Students
Painting at the Museum
2 and 7:30 p.m., Free film: A League of Their Own
6 p.m., Women in Baseball Talk with Gabrielle Augustine, curator, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
6 p.m., The Ende Brothers (guitar duo)
The Film Series is generously sponsored by M&T Bank.
Wednesday, July 26
1 to 4 p.m., Visual Studio of Community Arts Students
Painting at the Museum
2 p.m., Art Story with the Utica Public Library
6 p.m., The Beadle Brothers Duo (country rock)
Thursday, July 27
10 a.m., Steamrollin’ Prints
10 to 11:15 a.m., Oneida County Youth Bureau Sidewalk Chalk Art Competition
2 and 7:30 p.m., The Bernie Uebelhoer Memorial Hitchcock Film: Frenzy
6 p.m., Simple Props (classic rock)
Friday, July 28
1 to 3 p.m., Pony rides and petting zoo
1 p.m., The Root Farm Equine Therapy with Alexis Lalor, certified therapeutic recreation specialist
2 p.m., Art Story with the Utica Public Library
6 p.m., Mal P Entertainment (rhythm and blues)
Saturday, July 29
10:30 a.m., Outdoor yoga
Noon to 5 p.m., Family-friendly activities –Shibori dye activity, face painting, bounce house, improv with Uptown Theatre, craft vendors, poetry readings, Mohawk Valley Bonsai Club demo
6 p.m., Sidewalk Art Show Awards
6 to 8:30 p.m., Neighborhood DJ Dance Party
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. Follow @MunsonUtica on social media and visit munson.art for the latest information.
$9 General Admission | $7 Members
Discounted multi-film passes are available.
In this captivating exhibition, viewers experience the evolution of women’s fashion and societal norms from the 1800s to the mid 1900s.
The breadth of women’s leisure and sport, from promenades and gardening in the early 1800s, to roller derby and motorcycles in the 1950s, are explored through authentic, fully accessorized ensembles and sports-related accessories. Sporting Fashion also includes profiles on the lives and accomplishments of storied women in sports, such as sprinter Wilma Rudolph and pilot Hazel Ying Lee.
$12 General Public; and free for Members, children under 12, those with a SNAP/EBT card, active-duty and retired military.
This exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles.
The Utica presentation is sponsored by Richard and Constance Griffith; Elizabeth R. Lemieux, Ph.D.; the Family of F.X. Matt II; Joseph A. Abraham; Cheryl and Fred Haritatos; the Hon. Joan E. Shkane (ret.); and the David E. and Jane B. Sayre Bryant Endowment Fund.
July 11: Free film screening of Battle of the Sexes
July 12: Gallery talk with Fashion Historian Jennifer Gordon
July 25: Women in baseball talk with Gabrielle Augustine from the National Baseball Hall of Fame
July 25: Free film screening of A League of Their Own
August 8: Free film screening of Whip It
Aug. 16: Design Your Own Sneakers Workshop
Artists Veronica Byun and Stacy Rosende are featured in the Local Artist Showcase, which opens July 7 in the Pratt Munson Gallery at Fountain Elms. The joint exhibition features ceramics by Byun, of Utica, and paintings by Rosende, of New Hartford.
The Local Artist Showcase is free and open to the public through Aug. 6. The Pratt Munson Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
August 22: Free film screening of Million Dollar Baby
September 5: Free film screening of Bend It Like Beckham
Sept. 14: Fierce Fashionistas Fashion Show
Free films shown at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
All titles and dates subject to change.
We are excited to announce new artwork purchased through the recently established Helen Munson Williams Acquisition Fund – a contemporary interpretation of a monumental Greek vase by art star Roberto Lugo.
Lugo’s vase, titled The Day We Had Church and Tires Were Stolen, will be on view at the Museum of Art starting in July. It tells the story of when Lugo and his family emergerged from a church retreat to find that all the tires on their cars had been stolen.
Lugo is known for representing images of poverty, social and racial injustices, and contemporary figures like Erykah Badu and Colin Kaepernick on traditional stoneware and porcelain.
“In a palette of orange and black referencing prison colors, Lugo’s vase glows with equal measures of intensity and whimsy,” says Museum of Art Director Stephen Harrison. “Its urban setting and hip-hop motifs, laden on an ancient Greek form, reveal a larger truth— that adversity can grip anyone, anywhere, past to present.”
Lugo, a 42-year-old self-described “ghetto potter and activist” born to Puerto Rican parents in Philadelphia, was a graffiti artist before taking his first pottery class at age 25. He has a BFA from Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from Penn State. His work is in the permanent collections of museums including the Met and the Guggenheim.
“This work is a masterpiece for our time,” Harrison says. “It will greatly enhance the Munson collection for generations to come.”
Thank you to Members Paul and Joan Kotwica, who generously provided funds for a book giveaway for Art Story participants from the Thea Bowman House in memory of Antoinette Obernesser. Antoinette's daughter, Mary Lourdes Obernesser, is pictured here.
The Campus Safety building will receive a number of upgrades through a generous grant from Oneida County. The funding allows Munson to make improvements such as a remodeled public dispatch area, installation of a backup generator, improved ADA accessibility, a new radio system, and installation of 11 additional cameras in the neighborhood.
Museum of Art
Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun., noon to 5 p.m.
Performing Arts Ticket Office
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.-Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sat., noon to 5 p.m.
The following areas are accessible to the physically challenged: Museum of Art Galleries, Fountain Elms, 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.
munson.art
Deliver
Friday
10
Notification
Thursday, July 6
Pick up entries not in show
Thursday and Friday, July
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sidewalk Art Show
Sunday, July 23 through
Prizes awarded
Saturday, July 29, 6 p.m.
Pick
Thursday
