Makeover

If you're a regular visitor to our blog, you may well have noticed the new look and new name, both recently implemented. After years of the blog going by "Curator's Corner," we realized that wasn't always accurate. Paul Manoguerra, our chief curator and curator of American art, originally started this blog, back in the days when he had more time to write for it. But he has exhibitions to plan and books to write and many other things to do that interfere with his blogging duties. Paul still contributes occasionally, as does Lynn Boland, Pierre Daura Curator of European Art at the museum, but this blog is now overwhelmingly written by our wonderful students in the department of communications.

A fresh look complements the new name: Holbrook's Trunk. Alfred Heber Holbrook, pictured above, was the founder and first director of the Georgia Museum of Art. A retired New York lawyer, he devoted the second half of his life to collecting art and then to evangelizing about it. We are forever thankful that he met Lamar Dodd and decided to give his collection to the University of Georgia to establish a museum for the citizens of the state. Since 1945, when the museum was made official (despite the fact that it didn't have a building until 1948), we have been directed by his philosophy. Holbrook was so dedicated to promoting the importance of art that he used to load paintings into the trunk of his car and take off around the state, spreading the gospel to whoever would listen. That kind of carefree behavior with works of art is, somewhat unfortunately, no longer a possibility, but the impulse behind it—to sing the praises of the visual arts across the state, in as relatable a way as possible—still drives us and this blog.

We hope you like the rebrand. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Memorial Lecture a success

The 26th Alfred Heber Holbrook Memorial Lecture took place last night in the University of Georgia Chapel. Francis Naumann, independent scholar and curator, presented his lecture, “Marcel Duchamp and Jeff Koons: An Exercise in Circular Reasoning.” The lecture was very interesting and addressed Naumann’s area of expertise. He spoke about Duchamp and Koons as well as their respective work and styles. A reception followed the lecture in the Visual Arts Building on Jackson Street. Thanks to all who came out for the event!

Check out the slideshow to see pictures!

Mark Your Calendars

A little more than a week from today, on Wednesday, November 4, at 6:30 p.m., Francis Naumann will be giving the museum's Alfred Heber Holbrook Lecture in the UGA Chapel on North Campus, to be followed by a reception in the Visual Arts Building on Jackson Street, where GMOA's offices are located temporarily during construction. Naumann is the author of numerous articles, exhibition catalogues and books, including, most recently, “Conversion to Modernism: The Early Work of Man Ray” (Rutgers University Press, 2002). He currently owns and operates his own gallery in New York City. Previously Naumann was an independent scholar and curator. Francis Naumann Fine Art specializes in 20th-century American art as well as European art from the Dada and Surrealist movements, and Naumann's lecture, "Marcel Duchamp and Jeff Koons: An Exercise in Circular Reasoning," addresses his area of expertise. The Alfred Heber Holbrook Memorial Lecture is an annual event sponsored by the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art. The lecture began in the late 1970s after the death of Holbrook, who founded GMOA in 1945 with a gift of 100 paintings in honor of his wife Eva Underhill Holbrook. He also served as the first director of GMOA past his 90th birthday. The lecture normally takes place in November to coincide with Eva's birth month. We are very excited to have a lecturer of Naumann's caliber, and the lecture is free and open to the public. We really hope you can make it, and if you'd like to give us a call to RSVP at 706.542.0830, we'd appreciate it, even though it's not necessary.