Spotlight on the Arts Festival Begins at the University of Georgia

Today marks the start of a 10-day festival at the University of Georgia celebrating the visual, literary and performing arts. In its seventh year, Spotlight on the Arts features dozens of events, exhibitions and more all across the university. Tonight’s kick-off event, “Kaleidoscope: Spotlight on the Arts Opening Celebration,” begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center and will showcase performances in dance, music, theater and creative writing.

The Georgia Museum of Art is proud to participate in this festival, and there are several events scheduled at the museum from now through November 11. Some of these events include:

Family Day: Transforming Metal

Saturday, November 3, 10 a.m.–noon

Explore the impressive sculptures and linear prints by the legendary Richard Hunt, a contemporary African American artist, at this free, drop-in program that is part of the campus-wide Spotlight on the Arts Family Day. After drawing inspiration from gallery activities and the exhibition “Richard Hunt: Synthesis,” create your own metal sculpture in the Michael and Mary Erlanger Studio Classroom. 

Music of Appalachia

Sunday, November 4, 2 p.m.

The Athens Chamber Singers will present a special program of choral and instrumental pieces from Appalachia, including folksongs, spirituals, blues and coal mining songs. Stick around after the music for a special tour of "Vernacular Modernism: The Photography of Doris Ulmann" led by curator of American art Sarah Kate Gillespie. 

Lecture: Elizabeth Catte

Thursday, November 8, 5 p.m.

In her talk entitled “Seeing Appalachia,” writer and public historian Elizabeth Catte will take a critical look at representations of the region in contemporary writing, photography and reporting, underscoring how the visual archive of Appalachia often renders a diverse and complicated place into a series of problems that threaten the nation's progress. Sponsored in part by the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts.

Student Night: Found Forest

Thursday, November 8, 6:30 p.m.

Join the Student Association of the Georgia Museum of Art to celebrate the exhibition “Richard Hunt: Synthesis.” There will be contests with prizes, button making, food, music and of course ART. Come check out the galleries and enjoy a fun-filled evening at the museum.

For a full list of museum events both during and after the Spotlight on the Arts festival, visit our website. More information on the festival, including a schedule of events, can be found at arts.uga.edu.

Family Day at the Georgia Museum of Art

A family shows off their works of art at Family Day

On Saturday July 14, a family of three enters the foyer of the Georgia Museum of Art. Associate curator of education Sage Kincaid immediately greets them, giving them a gallery guide. Upon seeing the little girl’s interest, she squats down and directs the information directly to her. The little girl listens attentively, nodding from time to time with a serious finger on her mouth. When all is understood, the family thanks Kincaid, and the little girl rushes toward the steps up to the galleries.

These are some of the first visitors to Family Day – an event the museum hosts for the benefit of children and their families around Athens. July’s focus was the exhibition “Central to Their Lives: Southern Women Artists in the Johnson Collection.” Families had free run of the galleries to explore and experience, then went down to the Michael and Mary Erlanger Studio Classroom to paint their own masterpieces on canvas. As always, there was a green-screen backdrop hung up and a volunteer photographer on hand to take pictures of families with their art. A piece of art from the exhibition will later be inserted into the background, and the photos are made available on the museum’s Flickr and Facebook pages for free use by the families.

Family Day is hosted monthly by the museum and is themed around a current exhibition or a focus within the permanent collection. Admission is always free and includes a hands-on art activity completed with the help of the education department staff and interns. These activities give children and parents alike the chance to put their own spin on an object related to what they’ve seen in the galleries and have included personalizing red paper lanterns, hanging tapestries, mandalas and oceans in jars. Participatory activities are also often included: there was a floor loom demonstration during “The Material of Craft”; a 3D printer in action for “The Science of Art”; and the “Mindfulness and Mandalas” Family Day featured a yoga class taught by the Athens business YogaSprouts. Using these tools and many more, the program has been nurturing community interactions since its inception more than 30 years ago, revealing the museum’s curatorial breadth, the indispensability of community sponsors and the rigor of the education department in maintaining a strong relationship between the museum and the community on a broad and individual level.

Local families can look forward to next month’s Family Day, “One Heart, One Way,” inspired by an exhibition of Russian fine and decorative arts from the Belosselsky-Belozersky Collection. Children will be able to learn about the objects before creating their own “full dress helmet inspired by those worn by Her Majesty’s Horse Guards in 19th-century Russia.” The event will take place on August 18 from 10 a.m. to noon, and you can check in on Facebook here.

Take a look below for the full list of dates and themes for future Family Day events.

August 18, 2018 – One Heart, One Way

September 8, 2018 – Portraits and Photography

October 20, 2018 – WWI Posters from Around the World

November 3, 2018 – Transforming Metal

December 1, 2018 – Geometric Holiday

January 12, 2019 – Russian Embroidery

February 9, 2019 – African American Artists

March 9, 2019 – Life, Love and Marriage Chests

April 13, 2019 – Maiolica Pottery

May 18, 2019 – Spring Landscapes

June 22, 2019 – The American West

July 20, 2019 – Color, Form and Light

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Penski McCormack

Intern, Department of Communications

Museum Prepares for a Busy Summer Season

Preparator Robert Russell helps to install "Bloom Where You're Planted"

With Memorial Day just around the corner, summer has officially arrived. The Georgia Museum of Art has several events and exhibitions planned over the next few months to help everyone in Athens enjoy their summer. Visitors can escape the heat and come spend the day at the museum, where they’ll find a collection that suits a wide range of interests. We’ll also participate in the National Endowment for the Arts’ Blue Star Museums program once again, which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. This program offers free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families. As we already have free admission for everyone, we’re extending a 10 percent discount in the Museum Shop to those folks.

Upcoming Exhibitions

The museum has a few exciting new exhibitions this summer, which are diverse in content and offer three distinct collections. This past Friday, “Bloom Where You’re Planted: The Collection of Deen Day Sanders” opened, highlighting one of the most important Georgia-based collections of American art. The exhibition will be on view until July 29, and features a wide range of art including porcelain, paintings and furniture.

On June 30, “Central to Their Lives: Southern Women Artists in the Johnson Collection” will open, allowing visitors to view art spanning the decades between the late 1890s and early 1960s. This show will examine the challenges these artists faced in the traditionally conservative region during a period of change for women in the social, cultural and political spheres. The show will be on view until September 23.

Beginning July 21, “One Heart, One Way: The Journey of a Princely Art Collection” will debut, introducing a collection of Russian fine and decorative arts from ca. 1660 to 1952 to the public. With a storied past and long journey, this exhibition announces the survival of paintings that had been thought lost and the existence of other highly significant, hitherto unknown works of art belonging to the same collection. This show will run until January 6, 2019.

To see a list of all of our current and upcoming exhibitions, please see our website.

Summer Events

In addition to our upcoming exhibitions, the museum is also offering a number of free events open to the public all summer long. Next Thursday, May 31, at 7 p.m., our Museums on Film series kicks off with “Night at the Museum.” Other films in the series include “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” on June 7 and “The Thomas Crown Affair” on June 14.

We will also be hosting a number of Family Day events and Toddler Tuesdays. Family Day is a great chance for kids of all ages to create their own art after viewing works from our collections. Toddler Tuesday is a free, 40-minute program designed for families with children ages 18 months to 3 years. This program includes a tour, story time in the galleries and an art activity just for the little ones.

Finally, our next Museum Mix party will be on June 28 from 8 – 11 p.m. This late-night event will feature a live DJ (Kurt Wood this time) and free refreshments for all visitors.

For a full list of all of our events, you can view our calendar, and we look forward to seeing you this summer at the museum!

Art for the Family

In my experience, I’ve noticed that individual members of a family tend to have different tastes in art. I personally enjoy looking at the work of Salvador Dalí and John William Waterhouse, while my sister prefers Claude Monet’s paintings. We do share similar tastes in music and books, but paintings and sculptures are things we’ve always had different opinions about. On a simpler level, this difference in artistic taste can be something as easy as one child liking a blue jacket with a green circle on it, while his or her sibling prefers one with a yellow circle on it.

We’re happy knowing that the works in GMOA’s collection inspire family debates and discussions, and, as much as we enjoy hearing different interpretations, we’d also like to have families bond over their similar pleasures in art. So, for Family Day on July 21, from 10 am to noon, we’re inviting families to have a look at the southern folk art from our permanent collection, then create some of their own. Discussing why you’re drawn to a specific art style is one thing—showing why you are is another. Not only do we want families to have fun together, but we’d also like to encourage them to understand each other better during this bonding experience. 

Family Day Photos

Larry Forte took all these great pictures at Family Day: Let's Move! Art, Animals and Yoga this past weekend (Jan. 21, 2012). He also made a video that features many of them. Kids learned about animals in art in the permanent collection, did yoga poses based on animals, ate produce from local farms (after being bribed with stickers), had fun with Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful and created their own animals out of clay you could color.

The Red & Black was on hand to take photos, too.

The weather didn't cooperate, but we still had 315 people show up! Thanks to everyone who participated (we hope to see you back for the next Family Day: Discover the Decorative Arts, Feb. 18) and helped to make it happen.

Family Day: The Art of Hatch Show Print

This Saturday (October 8), from 10 a.m. to noon, join us for Family Day: The Art of Hatch Show Print. This Family Day celebrates the exhibition "American Letterpress: The Art of Hatch Show Print," which is on view at GMOA through Nov. 6. The craft projects for Family Day are always one of the most fun things about it, and this week's involves using rubber stamps to create posters that look like the ones made by Hatch Show Print, in Nashville, Tenn.

We hope to see you at this fun event! Family Day programs are sponsored by Heyward Allen Motor Co., Inc., Heyward Allen Toyota, YellowBook USA and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art.

GMOA in the News/Video Redo

The Red and Black ran an article yesterday on our student docent program that we hope will encourage even more students to apply for it, especially as today is the deadline to apply for the year. Student docents, like community docents, must commit to one year of involvement with the program and 20 hours of service during the course of one semester. Click here to apply online.

We also had some small edits to make on the Family Day video that was up on the blog briefly before disappearing. Here it is again, courtesy of Larry Forte.

Family Day Tomorrow

Join us for "Family Day: Abstract Adventures" this Saturday, Aug. 13, from 10 am to noon.

What is abstract art? Visit GMOA’s permanent collection to see some of the museum’s abstract paintings, then head to the first-floor classroom to make an abstract work of your own.

Family Day programs are sponsored by Heyward Allen Motor Co., Inc., Heyward Allen Toyota, YellowBook USA and the Friends of Georgia Museum of Art and are free and open to the public.

Ike and Jane will be open selling snacks, and the Museum Shop has great toys and books for kids. Plus our air-conditioning is first-rate!

Family Day photos

If you missed our last Family Day ("The Kress Collection"), then check out the slideshow above. It was great fun for everyone there, and the kids made amazing picture frames with hand-tooled details. Thanks to our intern Mary Bowden Green for taking these pics, and mark your calendar for the next Family Day ("Abstract Adventures"), scheduled for Aug. 13.

Oh Baby!

Do you find that your toddler is overly fascinated with the works of Pablo Picasso? I mean we’re all in the mood for the strong lines of Cubism every now and again, but is your baby clamoring at the sight of the “Three Musicians”? Have no fear. In a new study published by researchers at the University of Zurich, they found that babies around the age of 9 months prefer the works of Picasso to those of Claude Monet. Participants were shown works by both artists and judged based on the time they spent looking at a specific painting. Researchers credit Picasso’s bold colors and strong, contrasting lines as the reason for their appeal to infants. “Monet, on the other hand, used equiluminant colors to create blurry, shimmery effects. It is possible that infants prefer paintings with clear contrasts in luminance.” Perhaps, though, this is just proof that we begin developing a taste for the visual arts at an extremely young age. All the more reason to join us for Family Days at GMOA!

GMOA Family Day: Make It Shine!

Albert Coles & Company (New York, 1835–1877), Pitcher, 1869.

GMOA’s next family day will be Saturday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to noon. Families can visit the Phoebe and Ed Forio Gallery and the Martha and Eugene Odum Gallery to see GMOA’s collection of silver. Docents will lead a gallery activity, followed by an activity in the first-floor classroom where kids can make a shiny object of their own. Young musicians from UGA’s Community Music School’s Suzuki violin program will perform at 10:30. Refreshments will be served. Family Days are sponsored by Heyward Allen Motor Co., Inc., Heyward Allen Toyota, YellowBook USA and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art.

Reopening Reviewed

Art Expands, GMOA's weeklong reopening celebration, was a great success! The Georgia Museum of Art wishes to thank those who made Art Expands possible: the UGA Office of the Senior Vice President for External Affairs, Grant Design Collaborative, the Adsmith, Hotel Indigo Athens, the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art and all staff members and volunteers.

Updates and Photos from Art Expands

Friday, January 28

Donor Ribbon-Cuttings

Donors who supported GMOA's Phase II expansion inaugurated the named spaces within the museum.

Click here for more photos from this event.

Saturday, January 29

Elegant Salute XII: Metamorphosis and Official Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
Our family of supporters dined and danced the night away at a sold-out gala event to celebrate the museum’s transformation. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony with UGA president Michael Adams and GMOA director William Underwood Eiland took place during the event.

Photos by Zoomworks. Click here for more photos from this event.

Sunday, January 30
Friends Preview
Friends of GMOA enjoyed exclusive access at this private reception, during which docents and curators gave tours of the galleries.

Monday, January 31

UGA Faculty Lunch and Learn
This special session taught UGA faculty members how to use the museum’s collection as an educational tool in classes.

Physical Plant Staff Appreciation Reception
This reception honored the dedicated individuals who work hard to keep the university running and beautiful.

Tuesday, February 1
Gallery Talk with Anthony Goicolea
Photographer and UGA graduate Anthony Goicolea discussed “snowscape,” his new installation for GMOA.

Wednesday, February 2
Special Reopening Lecture with Beverly Pepper
This lecture by world-renowned sculptor Beverly Pepper in honor of GMOA’s reopening officially recognized her sculpture “Ascencion” as a new addition to the permanent collection. The sculpture is installed in the Performing and Visual Arts Complex quad.

Thursday, February 3
Reopening Remixed: Student Night at GMOA
More than 2,000 UGA students attended GMOA’s college night, hosted by the GMOA Student Association. The event included music by Sleeping Friends, Reptar and Venice is Sinking; DIY craft projects; a photo booth and tours of the galleries by curators and student docents.

Click here for more photos from this event.

Friday, February 4
Young at Art Presented Modern Skirts
The Young At Art committee of the Friends of GMOA presented Modern Skirts live in concert. Attendees enjoyed this intimate acoustic concert that set the bar high for future Young at Art events.

Saturday, February 5
Family Day: Reopening Celebration
This super-sized Family Day extravaganza included gallery tours and activities, art projects and an interactive program from Picasso People. More than 600 visitors attended this Family Day, a record in the museum's history.

Click here to see all photos from Art Expands!