Album art at Idea Generation Gallery

“Right But Wrong: The Extended Art of Storm Thorgerson” is the next exhibition at Idea Generation Gallery in London. The exhibition will include extallations, sculptures, images and drawings by commercial designer Storm Thorgerson.

Thorgerson is most famous for the album cover of Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” (1973). He also worked with 10cc, Catherine Wheel, the Cranberries, Muse, Genesis, Led Zeppelin and Peter Gabriel.

“Right But Wrong” will showcase Thorgerson’s most famous album covers and give insight into his current work by “uncovering” some of the events and ideas that have shaped his career.

The exhibition will present famous album covers but will also include unseen sculptures, sketches and writings by Thorgerson, as well as new installations the artist is creating just for Idea Generation Gallery that will consist of “ambitious reinterpretations of a few his most renowned pieces.”

Voices of the Future

The Center for the Future of Museums has launched a program called “Voices of the Future” to encourage a discussion about the future of museums. CFM is asking for “creative, innovative thinkers” from diverse backgrounds and fields to “capture and share their hopes and dreams” in five-minute videos or interviews. These segments will be uploaded to YouTube, and if you don’t have access to a camera, CFM will mail you an interview kit or you can submit written testimonials.

If you are having trouble organizing your thoughts or just need a push to get the talk rolling, CFM has provided a list of suggested interview questions. You can also get an idea of how to structure an interview by checking out the videos already posted on the CFM YouTube channel.

CFM is an initiative of the American Association of Museums (AAM) created to help museums grow beyond traditional boundaries so that they can serve a changing society; it takes the form of a think tank and research and design lab meant to produce creative solutions to growing concerns in the museum community. Members of AAM identified the top four challenges facing the future of museums as: the need to increase public funding, staying informed on changes in technology as well as securing funding to implement new technology in museums, finding qualified and interested individuals to take up the mantle of leadership among museum professionals, and maintaining relevance within the community during times of rapid social and cultural change.

Recycling

Sometimes, much as we hate to admit it, books run their course. They get dropped in the bathtub or the pages fall out or, saddest of all, no one wants them anymore. This is where Jacqueline Rush Lee comes in (thanks to PICDIT for highlighting her). Her works aren't immediately recognizable as using books for their medium, but they have a beautiful, organic feel, kind of like the hay bales that show up in the fields around Athens later in the year.

Ikeart

Considering that the Atlanta location of the Swedish superstore is offering free breakfast this weekend to entice shoppers, Ikea has been on ours minds lately, and we've meant to link to this great Flavorpill post about art inspired by its products for some time now. The fact that its pieces generally require assembly makes them well suited to create all kinds of art, from the more practical Ikea Hacks to Joe Scanlon's coffin assembled from Ikea bookshelves. We've also always found their instructions, while occasionally tear-your-hair-out frustrating, nicely designed to work sans text, and at least the standard ones that precede every piece (get a friend to help; call if you're confused; etc.) to be both clear and cute. What other company could provoke so many different kinds of artistic reactions?

GMOA in the News

The Athens Banner-Herald has today's Nash Boney lecture in its Best Bets today, and we agree!

We hope to see a lot of you at 4 p.m. today in Room 116 of the Visual Arts Building on Jackson Street, which has easy parking next door in the North Campus Deck. Dr. Boney stopped by our offices yesterday and provided us all with a lot of entertainment, so, while this is a Blue Card event for students, it shouldn't be dry in the slightest. Click on the flier above to see it bigger.

Sw!pe

The thing about museums is that they attract creative people, even for those positions that aren't traditionally seen as creative, such as the security force. In that vein, NPR recently had a story about the brand-new art and literary magazine Sw!pe, the claim to fame of which is that all materials in it were produced by people who are or were security guards at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The named comes from the fact that its contributors have to clock in and out, unlike salaried employees, not, so we think, from any allusion to art theft. And the profession isn't an arbitrary one, either. This passage from the article discusses the kind of osmosis that takes place even unconsciously:

Other guards say it's exhausting to stand for hours, but almost everyone says the museum has influenced them. Barry Steeley pointed to a self-portrait at the exhibition — a greenish tinted work in alkyd and oil that shows the bearded Steeley staring out from in front of a painting of fish — and noted that in many religious paintings there is often a panel behind Mary or Jesus. He said he has spent a lot of time in the medieval section. And looking at his painting, he suddenly noticed, "This is very medieval-like, because the panel is here, and this luminous light is coming from behind, so perhaps it did creep in because I spent so much time in that section."

Call for Artists

The Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa has scheduled its spring market for May 1, in the parking lot of the Caledonia Lounge downtown, on Clayton Street, but vendors only have until April 1 to apply for spots. The forms section of the Web site is here.

A bit farther off is the deadline to submit your work for ATHICA's "Emerges IV," the Athens Institute of Contemporary Art's annual summer showcase for new local artists, which falls on May 3. Click on the link to find out more about ATHICA's requirements for submission.

PR interns visit the new GMOA

Last Wednesday, the PR interns had the opportunity to visit the new GMOA! We were lucky enough to be the first UGA students to go inside the new museum. With our hard hats on, we accompanied Annelies and Todd from the museum, as Scott Maeger, the senior superintendent from Holder Construction, gave us a 45-minute tour that included a visit to each floor of the new building. There is still work to be done, but it is going to be amazing when it is completed! I am especially excited to see the sculpture garden when it is done and the galleries once the hardwood floors are installed! We are thankful to Annelies for arranging our visit and to Scott for the tour! Check out our pictures from the visit!

A century of Hollywood

1953: Lauren Bacall (L) and Humphrey Bogart (1899 - 1957) pose with American actor Marilyn Monroe (1926 - 1962) at the premiere of director Jean Negulesco's film, 'How to Marry a Millionaire'. (Photo by Darlene Hammond/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

“Hollywood Through the Lens—Celebrating 100 Years of Hollywood” opened earlier this month at the Getty Images Gallery in London. The exhibition, sponsored by Canon, celebrates Hollywood’s 100th anniversary by showcasing images of Hollywood stars from the silver screen days in the 1920s to the present.

Canon and Getty Images Gallery selected the photographs for the exhibition to represent important people and photographic styles that influenced the past 100 years of Hollywood. The exhibition shows “the evolution of Hollywood portraits through the golden age of cinema through to modern icons,” and the selection of images emphasizes changes and trends in fashions, faces, technology and styles of portrait photography.

Getty Images Gallery director Louise Garczewska comments on the exhibition:

The early days of Hollywood showcase the passion and creativity of the photographers of the age, using available technology and processes to capture a split-second magical image which tell a rich story of the subject, the era and even the cinematic style of the day. Every image featured in the exhibit allows us to appreciate the skills of the photographers behind the lens, and share their vision of Hollywood captured at that moment.

The exhibition is on view at Getty Images Gallery until April 3, and all included prints are for sale.

Family Day: Spring Festival

Photos from Family Day: Spring Festival which was on March 20 have been uploaded to Flickr. The kids had a lot of fun creating animal booklets and works of art with sidewalk chalk. There were even live animals available to provide inspiration for their designs.

GMOA in the News/Don't Forget

The Athens Banner-Herald ran a brief piece on Nash Boney's lecture, which is coming up on Wednesday.

And don't forget to mark your calendars for that lecture, at which Boney will give a slideshow tour of the visual history of the University of Georgia. If you've ever picked up any of his books, you know how very entertaining he is, and we're greatly looking forward to the event, which will be this Wednesday, March 31, at 4 p.m. in room 116 of the Visual Arts Building on Jackson Street. You can park in the North Campus deck (down the block) or downtown. The lecture should last about 45 minutes, and on the way to it you'll see the exhibition "University of Georgia Turns 225," which is in the galleries to the left when you come in the front doors of the building.

Construction Updates from Holder

Last week's weekly report slipped through the cracks, but we just got it, along with this week's, so here they both are. The first is for the week ending March 19, 2010:

Current week - Activities/Issues:
New Gallery / Connector
• Framing connector walls/soffit
• Completed MEP overhead trim out
• Installing glass at the connector curtainwall
• Backfill sculpture garden walls
• Start layout/digging bio-retention pond

Existing Building Renovations
• Tape and finish walls and ceilings
• MEP rough-in hard ceilings
• MEP rough-in acoustical ceilings

Storage Bar
• Framing and hanging interior walls
• Completed exterior brick façade

Next week - Activities/Issues:
New Gallery / Connector
• Complete curtain wall glass
• Continue framing walls and soffits
• Turn HVAC units on in gallery
• Build scaffold in connector
• Hanging walls in connector
• Installing sewer line at east entry
• Demo existing brick wall at east entry

Existing Building Renovations
• Tape & finish walls and ceilings
• Start priming interior walls

Storage Bar
• Finish MEP overhead rough-in.
• Continue Framing interior walls
• Installing windows
• Back filling storage bar

And here are the associated images:

East entry progress

Sculpture garden progress

Sculpture garden curtain wall

Now, here's the report for the week that just ended, the week of March 26, 2010:

Current week - Activities/Issues:
New Gallery / Connector
· Complete curtain wall at connector
· Complete framing walls and soffits at connector
· Start hanging walls in connector
· Turn on HVAC units in gallery

Existing Building Renovations
· Install sanitary sewer line at east entry
· Start brick demo at east entry
· Tape and finish walls and ceilings
· Start priming interior walls

Storage Bar
· Finish MEP overhead rough-in
· Install windows
· Framing interior walls
· Backfill storage bar

Next week - Activities/Issues:
New Gallery / Connector
· MEP rough-in soffits at connector
· Hang walls in connector
· Hang ceilings in connector
· Prime walls/ceilings in gallery

Existing Building Renovations
· Complete brick demo at new east entry
· Start concrete footings at new east entry
· Continue priming interior walls

Storage Bar
· Finish MEP overhead rough-in
· Install 3rd floor ceiling grid
· Frame 2nd floor interior walls

And here are its pictures:

Storage bar exterior

Gallery parking ceiling framing

Gallery interior progress

The Library of Babel

The Library of Babel / In and Out of Place is now on view at 176 Zabludowicz Collection in London. This salon-style exhibition, with 217 contemporary works, encourages the viewer to think like a curator. There are no wall texts, essays or audio guides to help visitors through the exhibition.

Anna-Catharina Gebbers, guest curator of 176, wants each guest to interpret the exhibition in his or her own way.

“The Library of Babel / In and Out of Place questions my role as it places every visitor in the role of a curator; the sheer number of works forces the visitor to choose which works will receive attention. I am interested in how these decisions are made,” said Gebbers.

Invited professionals and visitors will get the chance to conduct tours for the public. There will also be a series of lectures and panel discussions with scientists and theorists from such varying backgrounds as neurology, psychology, linguistics and literature.

The name of the exhibition is inspired by the short story, “The Library of Babel,” by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. In the story, inhabitants of a library try to find an “absolute interpretation” of the information around them.

The Library of Babel / In and Out of Place is the largest exhibition of works from the Zabludowicz collection of over 2,000 pieces. The exhibition showcases painting, photography, sculpture and video.

Museums and Social Media

GMOA recently participated in a survey on social media and museums conducted by Adrienne Fletcher, a graduate student at the University of Florida in the department of journalism and communications, and here are the results she sent along:

Results for the Social Media Museum Research Survey
March 2010

Conducted by: Adrienne Fletcher
Graduate Student from the University of Florida


The purpose of this exploratory study was to advance understanding of how American museums are currently using social media. More specifically the study used an online survey to question museum practitioners on current social media practices by looking at tools used, purposes, perceived importance, effectiveness, measurement, satisfaction and success. The following is a bullet point summary of the findings.

General
· A total 315 fully completed surveys were collected.
· Of those who completed the survey, 90% currently use social media at their museum.
· Results indicate that the use of social media does vary by museum size.
· Roughly 10% of respondents represented small museums, 64% represented medium size museums, and 24% represented large museums.[1]
· 34% of respondents indicated that they had discussed legal implications prior to implementing social media implementation.
· The majority of respondents report that they are currently using 1-2 staff members to work on their social media efforts for an average of 45 minutes a day.
· Those who describe their social media efforts as “successful” or “very successful,” are more likely to spend over 30 minutes a day on social media.
· Most respondents are targeting both new and current visitors equally but concentrating on young professionals and families more specifically.
· Time, staff and an understanding of key publics online are seen as most needed to work towards social media effectiveness among respondents.
· 29% of respondents are “somewhat satisfied” with their current use of social media, while 42% are “somewhat dissatisfied” to “very dissatisfied” with current efforts.

Uses
· In general American museums using social media believe that it is important to do so and that using social media is improving the speed of communication with museum publics.
· Respondents report as using social media most often for event listings or posting reminder notices (66.4%), to reach larger or new audiences (50 %), and to post onlinepromotions or announcements (47.3).
· Practitioners also believe that ease of user navigation and branding are important elements of the medium.
· Facebook is seen as being most effective regardless of museum size among respondents.
· Twitter is seen as second most effective.
· MySpace was rated as the most ineffective social media site, regardless of museums size.
· Scribed, Second Life, Digg, Picasa, and Delicious are being used the least.

Perceived success and tactics
· 50% of respondents answered that they believed their current efforts were “somewhat successful.” 29% responded that their current social media efforts are “successful” or “very successful.”
· Those who describe their social media efforts as successful or very successful, tend to use social media for more dialogic efforts than respondents with less social media success.
· A majority of those describing their current efforts and successful or higher rated number of comments and tone as either important or extremely important.
· Tactics more influential in encouraging dialogic engagement online are believed to be quality of content and type of social media site used.
· Those that use social media more frequently for dialogic engagement tend to rate direct calls for fan participation as more motivational than those who use social media in that capacity less frequently.
· Practitioners believe that social media only somewhat influences visitor behaviors. However, the greater the perceived success of current social media efforts, the more museum practitioners believe the use of social media influences visitor behaviors.

Measurement
· Google Analytics, Google Alerts, and Facebook Stats are the three social media measuring tools used most often by respondents.
· Only 35% of respondents reported having set social media goals but of those who do, 89% measure or evaluate those goals or objectives.
· There is no correlation between whether or not a museum set goals or is using a measurement tool and how successful they perceive their social media efforts to be.
· Of those who take measurements, 40% of respondents answered as taking measurements monthly and 25% answered as taking measurements quarterly.

Results indicate that American museums believe that becoming involved with social media is important but are not currently using it for high levels of dialogic engagement. For the moment, museums are mostly involved with one-way communication strategies using mostly Facebook and Twitter to focus on event listing, reminders, reaching larger or newer audiences, and promotional messaging. However there does seem to be some evidence to suggest that museums are trying to increase their use of social media for more two-way and multi-way communication strategies. There are also some major limitations to the study. The sample may not be representative all American museums using social media as there is currently no formal list of all such institutions. Also, questions from the current study focused often on practitioners’ attitudes and perceptions. Many answers are a matter of personal opinion and thus inherently subjective. Finally, this study did not allow for the examination of the effects over time of use.

[1]For the purposes of this study, respondents were grouped into three size categories: small, medium and large museums. Small museums are regarded as those with budgets of under $350,000, medium museums as those with budgets between $350,000 and $5M, and large museums as those with budgets over $5M.

GMOA is a "medium" museum.

Art Around Athens

As Pierre Daura curator Lynn Boland mentioned in a comment earlier this week, there is an opening reception for a really interesting exhibition at ATHICA this Saturday, March 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. Lizzie Zucker Saltz served as the curator for "Deluge," and Ben Emanuel, formerly of Flagpole, served as guest essayist. Lynn's wife, Katherine McQueen, produced the fabulous cross-stitch seen above. Here's what ATHICA has to say about the exhibition:

Following the record-breaking floods of this past fall and winter-which followed an historic, severe drought-Deluge is timely in North Georgia. Yet the exhibit also explores fundamental and timeless questions of how people inhabit the natural landscape, both literally and emotionally through our relationships with floods, their aftermath and the weather leading to them. Deluge is a study in how humanity reacts to the impacts of environmental forces beyond our control. This collection of paintings, photography, conceptual embroideries and a large sculptural installation consequently addresses global warming and land use issues.

The works in our 35th exhibit will be enhanced by a 3’ high water line painted directly on the gallery walls, conceived of by the curator to simulate the feeling of wading in the gallery. Executed by Atlanta artist Katherine Taylor with the assistance of her former student, Jeff Lawerence Brown, the two will work will collaboratively on the imagery that will abut a large-scale, site-specific painting Taylor is creating on our 19' right hand wall.

Tonight's reception includes food provided by Mama's Boy and is free. Other associated events to mark your calendars for include:

• Sunday, April 25, 4-5:30 p.m.: "Cries and Whispers: 9/11, Climate Change and Georgia," a lecture by Dr. James Porter, professor of ecology at UGA, accompanied by animated graphics and addressing the issue of climate change relevant to southeastern states. $3 suggested donation.
• Thursday, April 29, 7-8 p.m.: Curator and essayist walk and talk. Free.
• Friday, May 14, 7-9 p.m.: "Flood Lines: Watery Stories and Poems," a VOX reading series event with local writers and UGA MFA creative writing students reading their works. $3-6 suggested donation.
• Sunday, May 30, 3:30-6 p.m.: Closing events, including a panel discussion with artists and a reception. Free.

Thoughts on Art Criticism

Jonathan Jones, a blogger for the Guardian, discussed in a recent post the effects of overanalyzing a work of art as opposed to intuitively rating it. He points out that great artists have often been known to list what or who they like as well as who or what they don’t like. This manner of passing judgment is not often favored by critics and academics, but could it be, as Jones states, that this overanalyzing can be problematic? The mind can convince itself of anything through study and sympathy. Jones therefore asserts that any good discussions about art must begin with statements of personal preference to resist the “lure of overintellectualism” and “catalogue-speak.”

Analyzing a work of art does obligate the viewer to reassess his or her opinion. Insights into the context in which a work is created, the artist’s history and intention and even the processes or techniques used can add a new dimension to the work without overintellectualizing it.

In my studies, I have found that art has different goals and messages and that people respond in different ways and to different things. There are many artists whose works I do not care for, but, after learning about their background, I respect what they have produced and find it interesting on some level.

It is also important to consider that a work of art’s merit does not always depend solely on its aesthetic qualities; sometimes it is important to know the background because something may seem mundane until you learn its associations and implications. However, critics and connoisseurs must be careful not to attribute qualities and significance definitively to what they perceive as an artist’s choices. It seems to me that this is the true danger, for these assumptions may lead to people trying to make a work of art mean more than it does, which can lead to an obligation to hold that work in higher esteem.

I believe Jones has made a valuable point by suggesting that discourse about art should include intuitive observations and opinions because initial responses and “gut reactions” are important and should be investigated in order to identify personal associations and interpretations, but the study of a work of art should never end there. Observers should still make an effort to analyze other aspects of works of art to gain a more complete experience and understanding.

Construction Photos

We didn't get a construction update last week, but that's not because there's a lack of activity at the site. In fact, things are busier than ever. We did have a few staff members head over for this and that, so here's a small slideshow of images from their trip, including a bit of video of construction workers working.

Gardening as Installation Art and Political Commentary

PICDIT is highlighting this morning a project by Pete Dungey called "Pothole Gardens." The idea is to call attention, in a very gentle way, to surface imperfections in the road, but we like to think of it as also general beautification of the urban environment. Couldn't we get this going in Athens, with its many gardening clubs?

Events this week

There are a few great art events going on in Athens this week! Here’s the update.

The Ceramic Student Organization is hosting its spring pottery sale today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the main foyer of the Lamar Dodd School of Art. Small, hand-built sculpture, functional pottery, teapots, flowerpots, mugs, plates, ceramic jewelry, vases and bowls will be available. All pieces were made by faculty and students. Prices range from $8 to $100 and proceeds will support student educational field trips and visiting artists. Email tsaupe@uga.edu for more information.

GMOA is having a shop sale tomorrow and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Visual Arts Building on Jackson Street. There will be a wide selection of unique items discounted up to 75 percent. Email millera@uga.edu for more info.

The closing reception for “Constructive Chromosomes” is tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. at Flicker Theatre & Bar. The show features photography, ink stampings and light boxes by Will Eskridge. The reception will include homemade food and a performance by Lokshen Kugel Klezmer Band at 8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

GMOA in the News/Don't Forget

The Athens Banner-Herald featured our film screening this afternoon in Best Bets today. Click on the image above to see the poster bigger and find out more.

C.L. Morehead receives award

Distinguished GMOA supporter C.L. Morehead received the 2010 Regents’ Hall of Fame Alumni Award on Saturday, March 20, in Atlanta. This award is given annually by the University System of Georgia (USG) Foundation.

The Regents’ Hall of Fame Award goes to "one individual from a USG institution who has distinguished him or herself through outstanding accomplishments within his or her field of endeavor and exhibits an extraordinary commitment to the institution." UGA President Michael Adams nominated Morehead for the award.

Morehead graduated from UGA in 1950 with a bachelor of science degree in agriculture. In 1959, he opened Flowers, Inc. He was a close friend of Lamar Dodd and has the largest known collection of Dodd’s work, appraised at $10 million. Morehead’s generosity is very apparent at GMOA. He has been extremely supportive of the museum’s expansion, serves on the board of advisors and sponsors numerous museum events.

All the Art in China- Installment 1

Li Shan

(image from artspeakchina.org)

This week, I’ll be posting a series of installments concerning Chinese contemporary art, its recent history, and why collectors find Chinese contemporary art not only attractive but worth spending immoderate amounts of money on. Many disillusioned types criticize this new obsession, which is both Western and Eastern, as simply a glorified “rush for riches” fueled by the allure of exoticism. Its origins however, prove that the new Chinese art movement and its following are more complex and unusual than anything we’ve seen before. 

Chinese contemporary art has been edging its way into our Western consciences—especially in the past 10 or so years. The inundation of Chinese contemporary art into museums, galleries and personal collections, recognizable from its bright colors and prolific Mao imagery, floods our markets and attentions due to the Chinese government loosening cultural policies. Although China keeps a close eye on the art being produced within its borders, its artists have recently reemerged as respectable commentators on contemporary happenings—a major advance from the Cultural Revolution, when they were punished along with many intellectuals by being sent to work in the countryside.  Little has been published in the way of edifying Chinese art criticism for English-speaking audiences until very recently, but Artspeakchina, an English-language wiki site, now contains well over 300 articles and a “multi-media timeline of historical and arts events since 1949,” according to ArtDaily, and is growing quickly. Its predecessor, Chinese-art.com, founded by Robert Bernell, also showcases innovative art from China. Like Artspeakchina, Chinese-art has an open-forum wiki setup where Chinese art experts can edit articles, but its medium is that of an online magazine. Chinese-art.com can only be viewed outside of China, as the Chinese government considers it too controversial. 

It was in reading about Artspeakchina that I became interested in writing a more in-depth article examining why Chinese art befuddles anthropologists, economists and historians as much as art critics. This topic may seem somewhat esoteric and not necessarily GMOA-pertinent, but it has affected the entire world art market and perplexed, intrigued and piqued museums, galleries, scholars and individuals. This intense global discussion began when China overtook France in art sales, ending that country’s century-long art-market reign. An article in The Economist pointed out that, “When the global art market shrunk by more than a third to €31.3 billion ($43.5 billion), compared with €48.1 billion at its peak two years earlier, the Chinese art market bucked the trend”. But the economic surprise resulting from the Chinese art boom isn’t nearly as interesting as the movement’s genesis.

Tomorrow I’ll post a short history of the movement and its immediate political and artistic predecessor.Stay tuned!

Liu Xiao Dong 

(image from www.schoeni.com)

 

Lu Hao

(image from artnet.com)

Xu Bing

(image from artspeakchina.org)

Cultural web portal Europeana to begin offering online exhibitions

Europeana, an online service that brings together images, texts, sounds and videos from Europe’s museums, galleries, libraries, archives and collections will soon offer a groundbreaking multilingual online exhibition.

The exhibition, entitled, “A Roma Journey,” will feature a collection of full-text books, rare manuscripts, photographs, paintings, sound recordings and videos from the world of the Roma, or gypsies as they are also referred to, an ethnic group primarily located in Central and Eastern Europe. Users of the portal can use “My Europeana” to search, save and bookmark objects.

The exhibition has been organized by the European Library, one of Europeana’s first content providers, which also include the British Library in London and the Louvre Museum in Paris. The European Library has been working on channeling information from Europe’s national and research libraries into Europeana.

“A Roma Journey” also provides a preview of the type of virtual exhibitions that Europeana will offer in the future. Europeana will continue to work with the European Library to develop future virtual exhibitions for the Europeana portal.

The Europeana project began in 2007, after the European Commission decided to create a virtual European Library that would make Europe’s cultural and scientific resources accessible for all. Europeana.eu went live in November 2008, and the updated Europeana 1.0 will launch in 2010 with links to more than 10 million digital objects.

Art Handling Olympics

Ramiken Crucible hosted the first-ever Art Handling Olympics this past weekend in New York (and if you click here, you'll see the full version of the image above, which we cropped to avoid offending delicate sensibilities and is rather more plumber-esque). This article in the Daily News has more details and a very entertaining video, although the headline ("Turning two-bit art jobs into gold") isn't particularly tactful and the packing jobs demonstrated for "unpackable objects" wouldn't pass muster with our registrars and preps. That said, we were impressed with a lot of the teams' uniforms.

GMOA in the News

Hey, we were in Art Daily over the weekend for the exhibition "University of Georgia Turns 225." The press release was also picked up by Fine Art News and Aria.

Art Around Athens (and Beyond)

The biggest art deal going on in Athens this weekend is the annual MFA opening at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, which takes place tonight at 6 p.m. in the Dodd. The MFA students have their own site, where you can see some of what they have to offer, but the reception is always loads of fun. The 2010 MFA Candidates include Catherine A. Bell, Stephanie Blair, Matt Boland, Amanda Bray, David Calton, Kim Deakins, Jennifer Desormeaux, Tate Foley, Emily Hadland, Brian Hitselberger, Robert August Peterson, Alison A. Smith, Stephanie Voegele, and Jessica Wohl (above). The exhibition runs through April 7.

Tomorrow (Saturday, March 20) at 8 p.m. at The Globe downtown is a launch party for the spring issue of Young, Foxy & Free, Michael Lachowski's fun, arty magazine.

As you can read from the above invitation, Happy Valley Pottery, in Watkinsville, is having a sale both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., complete with studio demo and raku firing. And, of course, don't forget our Family Day.

On Sunday, March 21, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., the Art Education Gallery in the Lamar Dodd School of Art, will celebrate Youth Art Month with an opening reception for an exhibition of work from all schools in the Clarke County School District that runs through March 31.

Sunday is also the Bottlecap Truck's 10th Birthday Bash, from noon to 7 p.m. Our buddy artist Jimmy Straehla has been motoring around town in this art car for 10 years now! Celebrate with an art show featuring the work of several local artists, live music and perhaps some surprise guests. You can email Jimmy at jimmy@bottlecapman.net to get the location.

Have a great weekend getting out in some sunshine and spring weather!

Family Day: Spring Festival sneak preview

Want to see the art project for this week's Family Day (tomorrow from 10 a.m. to noon in the art education classrooms of the Lamar Dodd School of Art)? Check out the slideshow below.

Installation

The exhibition "University of Georgia Turns 225" has been going up in the locked galleries of the Visual Arts Building for the past few days, with preps doing last-minute tweaks, making sure everything is level, adding "Please do not touch" labels and the like. Here are some photos we took to show you what's going on:

Note that this set may well be updated later today, when the pumpkin orange wall right across from our offices (in the same building) gets updated with some artwork.

Art Around Athens

Today at 5:15 p.m., in room S150 of the Lamar Dodd School of Art, Jed Rasula, Helen S. Lanier Distinguished Professor in the department of English at UGA, will give the next Visual Culture Colloquium (VCC) lecture, one he also gave last fall at the Nasher Art Museum at Duke University in conjunction with the exhibition "Picasso and the Allure of Language."

From 5 to 7 p.m., over at the gallery in the Odum School of Ecology on campus is an opening reception for the exhibition "San Luis de Monteverde: Luminosity in life and decay," which consists of digitally layered photographs by Richard Siegesmund, 2009 Willson Center Artist in Residence, University of Georgia, Costa Rica, and associate professor of art education, Lamar Dodd School of Art. The exhibition will be up through April 8.

And from 7 to 9 p.m., in Unit 4 for of the Chase Street Warehouses (160 Tracy St.), there's an opening reception for "Two Bros," an exhibition featuring paintings, drawings, sculpture and conceptual art by Charles Westfall and Layet Johnson (above).

Family Day: Spring Festival

Carissa DiCindio, associate curator of education, just told us that this Saturday's Family Day (to be held from 10 a.m. to noon in the art education classrooms of the Lamar Dodd School of Art) will feature some live animals, courtesy of Memorial Park's Bear Hollow, which is co-sponsoring the event. Expect to see the fellow above possibly (a barred tiger salamander), plus an owl, a snake and maybe some frogs and turtles. Woo-hoo!

Pictures from "The Art of: Brew"

Check out the pictures from last night's event, "The Art of: Brew."

Bracketology

Sure, we admit it. We've been filling out our brackets over the past few days. But now Tyler Green has to come along and make us feel like a bunch of mouth-breathing jocks with his own bracketed tournament to decide the Greatest Living American Abstract Painter. It's even seeded and, as you might guess, Cy Twombly (above) is one of the #1 seeds. Check out the post and start voting/lobbying.

GMOA in the News

It's not an in-depth examination, but Flagpole has an article about LEED certification in Athens that mentions GMOA's addition in passing. There's a nice photo with the article, too.

And Southern Seasons has added our new exhibition, which is going up at present in the Visual Arts Building (we'll have images for you soon), to its calendar.

Foreword Awards

We got great news earlier today. The "Corpus of Early Italian Paintings in North American Public Collections: The South," our three-volume undertaking that has been more than 15 years in the making and was finally, finally published recently, is a finalist in Foreword magazine's Book of the Year Awards, in the art category. Other finalists include books published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Hudson Hills Press. The gold, silver and bronze awards won't be announced until May 25, but it's true that, in this case, it really is an honor just to make the finals, especially when more than 1400 books were submitted for the prizes, but it's a testament to the work of many, not least author Perri Lee Roberts, designer Carol Haralson and project editor Cynthia Payne, all of whom spent countless hours poring over its pages. To purchase a copy of the "Corpus" from the Museum Shop, click here, and cross your fingers that we win!

Re:Construction

We’ve all had awful experiences with construction sites­. They cause traffic, never seem to end, and are dangerous and not so pretty, but the Alliance for Downtown New York has introduced a public art program called Re:Construction that turns construction sites into works of art.

Construction projects are everywhere in Lower Manhattan, and the poor economy delays completion, causing the sites to become seemingly permanent. The goal of Re:Construction is to make these sites into “canvases for innovative public art and architecture.” The project’s curator is BravinLee Programs, run by Karin Bravin and John Lee.

Photo credit: BravinLee Programs

All of the projects in Re:Construction “bring color, movement and scenic beauty” to the construction sites. Botanizing on the Asphalt (above) by Nina Bovasso covers 400 feet of jersey barriers at Hudson River Park. Fence Embroidery with Embellishment (below) by Katherine Daniels consists of such materials as spools, jar lids and wire mesh. The installation runs 600 feet along a construction fence.

Photo credit: Nina Bovasso

Re:Construction has been ongoing since 2007 when the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) awarded the Downtown Alliance $1.5 million for the project. Check out the Re:Construction Web site for more photos and information.

Don't Forget: The Art of: Brew

The Banner-Herald is spotlighting our wonderful event tonight, The Art of: Brew, in its Best Bets section, and indeed it is. While we love it when you RSVP (it lets us know how much food to buy), it's not strictly necessary in a case like this, and if you haven't called the Friends to let us know you're coming tonight, please don't let that deter you from attending. The event may seem a little pricey, but it can serve as a renewal of your membership, and every bit you contribute helps us maintain our educational programming, especially in a time of ever-deeper budget cuts. We hope we'll see all of you tonight!

New Media

Yes, sometimes it seems like we're obsessed with making art out of nontraditional materials, but don't they tend to get your neurons firing with a little more excitement? In that vein, check out this slideshow of five artists who use drinking straws to create art (via Flavorpill).

And then there's Garth Johnson's blog post about Bryan Dettmer's memento morii made from cassette tapes.

And if you enjoyed Paul's photographs from the National Museum of the American Indian of Brian Jungen's astonishing work, check out the museum's page devoted to the exhibition.

Empty Bowl luncheon

The Empty Bowl Luncheon, hosted by the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia is this Wednesday at noon. The benefit is held to raise awareness of hunger on a local and national level. Tickets include soup, a sandwich and a bowl handcrafted by Good Dirt potters.

There will also be an auction at the Empty Bowl Luncheon featuring 11 pieces from Good Dirt. The Food Bank is asking for local artists to donate bowls in any media, from ceramic to paintings of bowls, for the auction. All submissions should be themed around the Empty Bowl Concept. Good Dirt will also have donated bowls available for purchase at the luncheon for $15.

The luncheon will take place at the Classic Center. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., lunch starts at noon. Call the Food Bank at 706.354.8191 for more information.

DC / Richmond / Chapel Hill

It was Spring Break at the University of Georgia last week, yet I got the opportunity to travel for work. The itinerary? The Federal District of Columbia, including the monuments and museums; Richmond, Virginia; and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

The reason? To view two private collections in DC, to conduct some (last minute collection catalogue) research at the Archives of American Art and the Library of Congress, to see the works in an artist's estate in Richmond, and to view another private collection in Chapel Hill.


Below are some images from the trip to DC with a focus on the National Museum of the American Indian (with a private tour by Jennifer Miller, exhibition manager, and Rebecca Troutman, curatorial research assistant), Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Library of Congress, and our National Gallery of Art:



The boss and I also stopped at the Gari Melchers Home and Studio, and got a wonderful, quick tour from Joanna Catron, curator, but I was camera-less at the time.