PIONEER PRINTMAKERS OF THE 20th CENTURY continues through May 28
The Midwest Museum of American Art celebrates its 27th Anniversary with an Open House reception on Sunday, May 7 from 1:00PM to 4:00PM. Dr Steven Conant, Indianapolis, will be the museum’s special guest and members are invited to attend and meet the former Elkhart native who has been a major benefactor to the MMAA Permanent Collection. Since 1993, Dr. Conant has donated an impressive 275 works of art to the Midwest Museum. Most recently the collector donated 52 important 20th Century etchings, engravings, woodcuts, lithographs, and serigraphs to the museum (45 of which are in the current exhibition of “Pioneer Printmakers”). Dr. Conant represents the ultimate nature of a true collector as he has filled his life with knowledge and passion of works by Modern American artists both living and of the recent past. In fact, the Conant Pavilion at the Indianapolis Museum of Art is a further testament to his generosity in helping to establish public holdings of art with historical significance. The Midwest Museum of American Art wishes to thank Dr. Steven Conant for his diligent and sicere efforts in helping to build a collection of 20th Century graphics. These important pieces in the collection form a body of work to be circulated throughout the U.S. to other institutions helping to educate the public on the role of printmakers in America.
American Art Appreciation Film Series FREE every Sunday
If you missed the first five acclaimed films entitled American Visions last month, the Midwest Museum will offer the next three parts of the series during the month of May . The hour-long films will be shown every SUNDAY at 2:00PM . Narrated by the eminent Time Magazine critic, Robert Hughes, this is a FREE series with limited seating. This event is part of the Year of the Museum in America .
The Art of Ann Weiner
The Midwest Museum is pleased to present an innovative exhibition by Westport, Connecticut, artist Ann Weiner to open on Friday, JUNE 2 and continue through Sunday, JULY 9 .
Exciting new technology has enabled the artist, who works in mixed media, to create a compelling body of work called “Transient Images”. With this work the artist breaks through traditional two dimensional expression onto an exciting and elusive viewing plane. Constantly shifting with the viewer’s angle of vision, her disparate images converge, separate and then reappear, expressing the cariable nature of time and experience.
The artist maintains full control of the creative and technical processing of her work. Most of the subject matter in her portfolio begins with the artist’s digital photographs. These photographs are the interlaced and placed behind a light deflecting (lenticular plastic) lens. The lens allows several subject layers to be viewed at the time, or, depending on the viewer’s movements, to be seen independently of each other. Unlike holograms, no special lighting is required. The images can be viewed in any conventional space and are equally effective from different viewing distances.
Weiner did her undergraduate and graduate studies at Queens College and subsequently pursued careers both as an art teacher and as the art director of a noted apparel company. In 1997, she left her teaching and commercial design career to reenter the studio and begin her career as an exhibiting artist. The fascinating work of Ann Weiner is now being exhibited all over the country with one-person shows most recently at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
The haunting and strange juxtaposition of images of the past and present take on a surreal narrative as if a magician’s scrapbook has come to life. The old cliche that, “the eyes of the portrait seem to follow me around the room”, seems to eerily apply in the work of Ann Weiner.
SPECIAL CONCERT A Fundraiser for Gallery Rennovation SUNDAY, JUNE 11 at 4:00PM
The Juliana Trio will return, with two of their friends, to perform two piano Quintets for museum members and guests on Sunday afternoon, June 11 at 4:00PM. Trio members Judith Weaver, Sara Thomas, and Juliana Lockman will be joined by violinist Benita Barber and violist, Lyn Buschert. Buschert has performed with the group previously at the museum. Barber is familiar to Elkhartans as the current Concertmaster of the Elkhart County Symphony. Works to be performed are Mozart’s Quintet in E flat, K.452, and Shumann’s piano Quintet, op.44. The Mozart is being done to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. A donation can be made at the door the day of the concert. All proceeds will benefit the renovation of the newest of three second floor galleries which feature paintings by John Doyle and pastel drawings by Glen Cooper Henshaw. *No reservations are needed as seating will be on a first-come / first-serve basis.
Bus Trip to Chicago to the Field Museum
KING TUT RETURNS TO THE MIDWEST!!!
The first Bus Trip of the Summer takes you to Chicago’s Field Museum to see Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs on Monday, JUNE 19 . This exhibition consists of more than 130 priceless artifacts, including treasure from the tomb of the celebrated “boy king” Tutankhamun, and riches from other tombs discovered in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.
In addition to a visit to the Field Museum, we will include a trip to the Art Institute of Chicago as a departure point for lunch and/or a comparative visit on your own to see the AIC Egyptian collections.
We will depart from the Midwest Museum at 7:45am and will return to Elkhart around 5:30pm .
FEE: $60 . Includes delux motorcoach round trip and 2 museum entrance fees; recorded tour; lunch on your own. Payment due upon reservation. Call 293-6660.
The Midwest Museum has recently added new and improved ADT security cameras and 8 station monitor. They have been installed recently to insure adequte surveillance of all public areas of the building allowing staff to properly monitor its collections and exhibits. Funding for this phase of gallery renovation has been provided by Don & Jane McClelland , longtime museum benefactors. Trustees and Staff wish to applaud their efforts and continued interest in keeping the Midwest Museum of American Art a “state-of-the-art” institution.
Children’s Summer Art Classes
The Midwest Museum will offer a new series of summer Art Camps for students ages 5 (who have completed Kindergarten) through ages 12. Enrollment in all Art Camps will be limited to 20.
FEES for each Art Camp will be $50 which will include all materials.
ART CAMP I JUNE 12 – 16 (1-week)
Young Artists ages 5-7 yrs. 12:30pm – 2:00pm; Mon-Fri
Tweens ages 8-12 yrs. 2:30pm – 4:30pm; Mon-Fri
Art Educator, Tara Mix, will lead students on an adventure in creating drawings, watercolors, mixed media works and collages while utilizing the museum’s permanent collection of American Art for inspiration.
ART CAMP II JULY 10 – JULY 14 (1-week)
Young Artists ages 5-7 yrs. 12:30pm – 2:00pm; Mon-Fri
Tweens ages 8-12 yrs. 2:30pm – 4:30pm; Mon-Fri
Art Educator, Bonnie Elder, will lead students on as adventure in creating drawings, watercolors, mixed media works and collages, while utilizing the museum’s permanent collection of American Art for inspiration. New projects are emphasized.
ART CAMP III JULY 31 – AUG 4 (1-week)
Young Artists ages 5-7 yrs. 12:30 – 2:30pm; Mon-Fri
Tweens ages 8-12 yrs. 2:30pm – 4:30pm; Mon-Fri
Art Educator, Bonnie Elder, will lead students on an exploration of the FUN damentals of art! Students will learn about lines, shapes, and textures in creating their own exciting compositions. New projects are emphasized.
* The Midwest Museum of American Art Permanent Collection has grown in include over 2,100 objects .
* I.U.S.B. Intern, Stacy Hughes, has successfully completed her Spring term at MMAA. Ms. Hughes was involved with a number of exhibit and collection projects along with special events during her 16-week tenure.
* Over 3,000 students grades, K through 12 and college students enrolled in four different class sections from I.U.S.B., have toured the Midwest Museum since January.
* Several area firms and corporations continue to utilize the MMAA facilities for special client events which generates additional revenue for museum operations.
A variety of Gallery Talks featuring topical issues, biographical sketches, or films – FREE Every Thursday from 12:30 – 1:00p,
MAY 4 2006: The YEAR of the Museum Curator, Brian Byrn, presents an overview of the history of museums found in America and places institutions of American Art in context.
MAY 11 Mauricio Lasanskyy Curator, Brian Byrn, discusses the work of Lasansky in context with the rise of the university trained printmaker between 1950 to 1960.
MAY 18 Garo Antreasian & June Wayne Curator, Brian Byrn, explores the relationship between these two important American Printmakers and the rise of the Tamarind Lithograpy Workshop in Los Angeles.
MAY 25 Robert Rauschenberg Curator, Brian Byrn, presents a discussion about this third generation American Printmaker who began silkscreening images on canvas in 1962 and became one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century.
JUNE 1 The Overbeck Sisters Curator, Brian Byrn, introduces the only documentary film about the famous sisters from Cambridge City, Indiana. The Midwest Museum’s collection of Overbeck art pottery is the largest publicly held in the state.
JUNE 8 Transient Images: The Art of Ann Weiner Curator, Brian Byrn, presents a discussion of the new exhibition and the work of this East coast artist. Byrn will follow a continuation of themes related to Weiner’s work and art historical topics to include the following:
JUNE 15 Artists & Technology
JUNE 22 Collaborations & “Happenings”
JUNE 29 Art in the Information Age
Docent News…..
Docents are preparing for their 27th Annual Luncheon to be held on Monday, June 26th, at 11:30am. Roni Balthus and Vicki Magee have done an excellent job as Co-Chairs of the group during the past year by arranging several engaging field trips to other exhibits and events. The 2005-06 Docent of the Year, Verna Brinson, continues to provide volunteer hours over and above touring groups at the museum.
Interested in becoming a Docent? Call 293-6660.
TRIBUTES
The Midwest Museum of American Art gratefully acknowledges 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
Albert E Andrews (by Ann Overmyer)
Marian Ball (by Pat & Jack Bickart, Joyce Cleaveland, Wendell & Marty Culp, Carig & Connie Fulmer, and Paul & Betty Thomas)
Ralph Bower (by Jane Burns)
Gene Fedder (by Elkhart High School Class of 41′)
Warren E Hill, Jr. (by James H. Broadbent & Family)
Richard “Dick” Jensen (by Tom & Dot Corson, and Paul & Betty Thomas)
Marjorie Morlan Longeor (by Elkhart High School Class of 41′)
Charles Probst (by Dottie Arnold)
Florence Richardson (by Tom & Dot Corson, and Paul & Betty Thomas)
Oscar Stevens (by Bill & Claire Luther, and Paul & Betty Thomas)
Wanda Sigsbee Watson (by Elkhart High School Class of 41′)
John Von der Heide (by Jane Burns, and Brian & Lisa Byrn)
Eva Cole Memorial Education Fund (by Dr. & Mrs. John H. Ivy)
Don’t Miss The ARTIST’S ATTIC a SALE of unique ODDITIES and cast-off treasures.Friday, June 9th from 11am – 5pm.
and
Saturday, June 10th from 1 – 4pm. Cash Only. No Credit Cards. All proceeds from this sale benefit the MMAA Acquisition Fund.
The Midwest Museum presents a special opportunity to purchase unique items (for a reasonable price) donated by various artists and members. This “spring cleaning” fundraiser event will be held on the second floor in the area overlooking Main Street. Visitors can access this area through the doorway & stairs in the front foyer of the museum.
(D.R.)