FOLK MEMORIES: The Paintings of Emma Schrock
The Midwest Museum of American Art is delighted to present the exhibiton, “FOLK MEMORIES: The Paintings of Emma Schrock”, to open on Friday, December 8, and continue through Sunday, February 25, 2007. Over fifty paintings celebrate the life of the “Grandma Moses” of Elkhart County.
Emma Schrock was born in Wakarusa in 1924 and began painting at age 40. Stricken with a physical handicap from birth, she was unable to marry and thus bear children. Her paintings, like for many artists, became like children to her. While her Old Order Mennonite community forbade the depiction of the human form, Scrock was allowed to paint and sell her pictures in order to make a living.
As a naive artist, Scrock painted from memories gathered from her childhood and things she experienced among the Amish/Mennonite community. The exhibit features scenes of one-room schools, barn raisings, and quilting tables typical of the artist’s output. She was able to make one painting a day and this became her work ethic for the rest of her life. While it is estimated that she made over 2,000 works in 25 years as an artist, it is her earlier work that is most authentically naive and most highly prized by collectors.
The MMAA Permanent Collection features 14 unique and early works by the artist some of which were purchased from her first public exhibit in 1979 at the museum. Other works have been graciously loaned by R. Douglas and Barbara grant, Syracuse; Mary Stipanovich, Chesterton; and, Pat Van Dyke, Elkhart. While Emma Schrock died in 1991, her paintings are still being collected today by enthusiants frm northern Indiana to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
This exhibition is graciously underwritten by Northern Box Company of Elkhart.
WIND IN THE WILLOWS: The Ceramic Weller Animals from R. Douglas & Barbara Grant Collection
What ever happened to the playful animals, frogs, and birds that used to grace the front lawns, backyards and rooftops of homes from Victorian times through the 1930s? Some are highly prized antiques today coveted by collectors of American Art Pottery. Nearly 20 examples will be on display during the Holiday season from R. Douglas and Barbara Grant Collection. This charming ceramic menagerie features pieces produced by some of America’s foremost early 20th century art clay companies like Weller, Fulper, Brush McCoy, Rockwood, and Peters & Reed. Few survived their typical outdoor use as ornamentation but the Grant Collection pieces exude such a fantasy quality as if each stepped from the pages of a child’s story book. This exhibition runs concurrently with “Folk Memories” through February 25, 2007.
Meet the Collectors R. Douglas & Barbara Grant, Dr. & Mrs. John Van Dyke, & Mary Stipanovich
Sunday Afternoon, December 10
1:00 to 4:00pm
Entertainment by “MUSIC ON THE MOVE”
A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR…
Dear Members & Friends,
A big THANK YOU for your valuable support in 2006. While we must have your monetary support, you enhance our presence in the community and state when you speak well of the Midwest Museum of American Art. We continue to draw memberships from many lacales and I know this is because much of the American public believes in the importance of the arts and that as a museum we strive to create a climate in which the arts can thrive. We want Americans to be able to walk by and appreciate a favorite sculpture in the park or roll up their sleeves and create art with their children. The museum wants the arts to be a regular part of family life, school life and community life. To achive this worthy goal we ask for your continued support in 2007. Did you know that only 7% of the income that nonprofit art organizations depend on comes from the government and just over 1% of that from the federal government? The Midwest Museum relies almost solely on individuals, corparations and foundations; mainly individuals such as yourself.
Happy Holidays & Warmest Best Wishes, JANE BURNS, DIRECTOR
THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING! Remember to shop at the Museum Gift Shop for your Holiday gift giving. 20% Discount on Native American Jewelry.
Make a tax-free IRA Charitable Gift in 2006
If you are 70 1/2 years old (or will be in 2006 or 2007) and have a Individual Retirement Account (IRA), a new law passed by Congress in August allows you to make a gift to charity of up to $100,000 from the IRA. This gift will not count an income to you and will count toward your required IRA distribution. The donation must be made to a nonprofit organization. This is a simple and easy method for an end-of-the-year gift. The Midwest Museum of American Art extends an invitation to our members to take advantage of this special opportunity. Please call Jane Burns for more information at (574) 293-6660.
continues through December 3…
The 28th Elkhart Juried Regional opened with great fanfare on October 20. A crowd of nearly 500 enjoyed the exhibition of 240 works by 191 artists from a twenty-two county region. Awards totaling $22,200 were presented – the largest year for awards in museum history! Several of the highlights of the evening’s awards reception are illustrated on our printed Newsletter. This exhibition is currently the largest show ever mounted in the history of the museum.
NOON TIME TALKS
November 2 KAY WESTHUES. Winner of the Best Photography Award discusses her two color photographs and her ongoing “photo-blog” project which documents small town culture in Indiana. Visit her website: fourteenplacestoeat.com .
November 9 JOE RUTHRAUFF. This South Bend painter will discuss his landscape and figure paintings int he 28th EJR exhibit. Ruthrauff won the Warrick & Boyn Purchase Award for his work titled, “Erica in Red Dress”.
November 16 BRIAN KAKAS. Winner of the William & Jeanne Batten Merit Award for Sculpture and two major Purchase Awards, Kakas will speak about his two ceramic works in the series entitled, “Corset Chain Vessels”.
November 23 Happy Thanksgiving! (museum closed)
November 30 BRIAN MANLEY. This Assistant Professor of Painting in the Department of Art & Design at Andrews University will discuss his Alice Skoglund Memorial BEST of SHOW winning painting entitled, “Mother Knows”.
December 7 “JOHN JAMES AUDUBON: THE BIRDS OF AMERICA”. This film follows the adventures of the 19th Century ornithologist/artist and his quest to document all species in North America. (FILM is 29 minutes long)
December 14 FOLK MEMORIES: EMMA SCHROCK. Curator Brian Byrn presents a discussion about the primitive painter Emma Schrock and her relationship to her community.
December 21 WIND IN THE WILLOWS. Curator Brian Byrn discusses the large-scale ceramic animals in the exhibit of the 1920s yard ornaments.
December 28 “AT THE MET: THE JOURNEY OF THE MAGI”. This film examines the Journey of the Magi which has inspired artists for nearly 2000 years. (FILM is 30 minutes long)
TRIBUTES
The Midwest Museum of American Art gratefully scknowlwdges gifts in honor or in memory of special friends. Notes of acknowledgement are sent by the Museum to those honored or to the families of those memorialized. Recent memorials include:
In Memory Of
EMMA JEAN ATWATER. by Elkhart High School Class of 1941.
WILBERT BUDD. by Dr. & Mrs. William C. Luther, Geraldine Martin.
EUGENE DAVENPORT. by Byron Brady.
JACK L.DILEY. by Byron Brady.
HARRY “SONNY” EVANS. by Jane Burns, Joan Grimes.
CLEM HENRIE. by Byron Brady.
PATRICIA HIGBY. by Phil, Verna, Mark, Brian and Kelly Brinson.
CARL J. LOHMAN. by Paul & Betty Thomas.
DR. RICHARD C. MARK. by Janes Burns, Brian & Lisa Byrn.
CAROLYN McCUEN. by Marilyn Wilson.
ELIZABETH MONTAGANO. by Geraldine Martin.
DOREEN MOON. by Joan Grimes.
CHARLES OVERMYER. by Paul & Betty Thomas.
HARRY PAYNE. by Elkhart High School Class of 1941.
MARGARET PEARMAN. by Geraldine Martin.
ROBERT PENN. by Byron Brady.
50th wedding Anniversary of Stuart & Trudy Basquin . by Jane Burns, Joan Grimes, Brian & Lisa Byrn.
50th wedding Anniversary of Rev. & Mrs. Willard Roth . by Judith Ferrell, Margie Fisher, Jane Martin.
50th Wedding Anniversary of Robert & Mary Lou Stackhouse . by Pat & Lynn Shelley.
(D.R.)