SUMMER 2023
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table of CONTENTS
From the Director p.3
Exhibitions p.4
New Acquisitions p.8
75 Years of Free Inspiration p.10
p.8
A Q&A with new director David Odo p.14
p.16
The Art of Giving p.16
In the Shop p.18
Museum Notes and Gifts p.19
Hours Tuesday and Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m. Closed Mondays. Museum Shop closes 15 minutes prior. Free tickets required.
706.542.4662
Department of Publications Hillary Brown and Jessica Luton
Design Noelle Shuck
p.18
Interns Nicole Ganelin and Regan Saunders
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from the DIRECTOR
board of ADVISORS
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” Those are the words of Greek philosopher Heraclitus and as I reflected and prepared to write this, I found them fitting. After retiring from the muse - um in June 2022, I spent less than a year adjusting to life as a retiree before I was asked to step back into the ever-changing river that is the Georgia Museum of Art. I started my term as interim director on April Fool’s Day, and the irony was not lost on me; however, this is no fool’s errand. The museum is welcoming a new director at the end of June, getting ready for its 75th anniversary celebrations in November and continuing to host a robust schedule of exhibitions and related programming. Thus, my main task as interim director is to see the museum through this period of transi- tion and ensure that day-to-day operations continue as usual. It is my privilege to lead during this pivotal time, and I am honored to have been asked to guide this distinguished institution. I had already been lucky enough to contribute to this wonderful museum community for just over 34 years, which is almost half of the life of the museum, and I can assure you that this place has quite a flourishing life. The museum is not only a keeper of history and artifacts but an active place where new scholarship is fostered, creativity is encouraged and relationships are built. As an academic museum on the campus of a large state university, we have the opportunity to interact and collaborate with a wide range of disciplines across campus. We also serve as the state museum of art, whereby we reach and serve countless communities across the state and here in our hometown. I am also extremely proud of other facets of the museum, as we boast award-winning publications, groundbreaking research and remarkable exhibitions. One can witness the river of life coming through the museum’s doors every day. Just this past Tuesday I had the opportunity to say hello to several shiny-faced toddlers adorned with bright paper crowns. Over the years, I have welcomed First Year Odyssey students from UGA, navigat- ed my way through countless tours to classes of fifth-grade students and sang (yes, sang!) along with a group from the Athens Community Council on Aging. To be honest, I was just beginning to adjust to retirement when I was called back, but as I hurry from meeting to meeting, I find myself invig - orated to be working once again with a dedicated and loyal staff and the donors and volunteers who support them. These accomplishments and endeavors promote the effect that moves me the most — that poignant moment of human connectedness and understanding. No matter how fleeting, it is always a gift to witness and experience. Many have contributed to the success of the museum over the years, and it is my hope that I have added something positive and beneficial to its rich history. I am keenly aware that I stand on the shoulders of those before me. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge Bill Eiland, an accomplished and gifted writer and dedicated museum professional who devoted much of his career to promoting and raising the visibility of the museum. With his retirement, he left some very large shoes to fill. Change can be challenging and stressful. It can also be exciting. It is my hope that as the current propels us forward under our new director, Dr. David Odo, we will embrace this exhilarating time.
Carl. W. Mullis III * Gloria B. Norris*** Randall S. Ott Sylvia Hillyard Pannell Gordhan L. Patel Janet W. Patterson Christopher R. Peterson, chair Rutledge Robinson Margaret A. Rolando * Julie M. Roth Alan F. Rothschild * Bert Russo Sarah P. Sams **
B. Heyward Allen Jr. * Rinne Allen Amalia K. Amaki ** June M. Ball Linda N. Beard Karen L. Benson** Jeanne L. Berry Sally Bradley Devereux C. Burch * Lacy Middlebrooks Camp Shannon I. Candler * Wes Cochran Harvey J. Coleman James Cunningham Martha Randolph Daura *** Todd Emily James B. Fleece John M. Greene ** Judith F. Hernstadt Marion E. Jarrell ** Jane Compton Johnson * George-Ann Knox * Shell H. Knox * Andrew Littlejohn D. Hamilton Magill, chair elect David W. Matheny, immediate past chair
D. Jack Sawyer Jr. * Henry C. Schwob ** Margaret R. Spalding Dudley R. Stevens Anne Wall Thomas *** Brenda A. Thompson William E. Torres Carol V. Winthrop * Gregory Ann Woodruff
Ex-Officio Linda C. Chesnut Bree Hayes S. Jack Hu David Odo Jeanette Taylor
Marilyn M. McMullan Marilyn D. McNeely Ibby Mills
* Lifetime member
** Emeritus member
*** Honorary member
Mission Statement: The Georgia Museum of Art shares the mission of the University of Georgia to support and to promote teaching, research and service. Specifically, as a repository and educational instrument of the visual arts, the museum exists to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret significant works of art. The W. Newton Morris Charitable Foundation Fund and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art support exhibitions and programs at the Georgia Museum of Art. The Georgia Council for the Arts also provides support through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA receives support from its partner agency, the National Endowment for the Arts. Individuals, foundations and corporations provide additional museum support through their gifts to the University of Georgia Foundation. The Georgia Museum of Art is ADA compliant; the M. Smith Griffith Auditori- um is equipped for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors. The University of Georgia does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or mili- tary service in its administrations of educational policies, programs or activities; its admissions policies; scholarship and loan programs; athletic or other University-administered programs; or employment. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the Equal Opportunity Office 119 Holmes-Hunter Academic Building, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602. Telephone 706-542- 7912 (V/TDD). Fax 706-542-2822. https://eoo.uga.edu/.
Front and back cover: Elaine de Kooning (1918 – 1989), “Black Mountain #6” (detail), 1948. Enamel on paper mounted on canvas. The Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY. Museum purchase. 1991.20.
Come on in. The water is fine!
Annelies Mondi, Interim Director
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Elaine de Kooning (1918 – 1989), “Black Mountain #6,” 1948. Enamel on paper mounted on canvas. The Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY. Museum purchase. 1991.20.
Southern/Modern June 17 — December 10, 2023
“Southern/Modern” is the first project to comprehensively survey the rich array of paintings and works on paper created in the American South during the first half of the 20th century.
Featuring more than 100 works of art drawn from public and private collections across the country, it brings to- gether a generation’s worth of scholarship. The exhibi- tion takes a broad view of the South, considering artists who worked in states below the Mason-Dixon line and as far west as those bordering the Mississippi River. It is structured around key themes that cut across state lines and takes an inclusive view of the artists working in the region. It also includes a number of major artists from outside the region who produced significant bodies of work while visiting. “Southern/Modern” provides the fullest, richest and most accurate overview to date of the artistic activity in the South during this period and illumi- nates the important and hitherto overlooked role that it played in American art history.
“Southern/Modern” is organized by the Mint Museum in collaboration with the Georgia Museum of Art and is accom- panied by a fully illustrated publication featuring essays by leading scholars in the field and produced in collaboration with the University of North Carolina Press. Curator: Dr. Jonathan Stuhlman (senior curator of American art, Mint Museum) and independent scholar Martha R. Severens In-house curators: Shawnya L. Harris, Larry D. and Brenda A. Thomp- son Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, and Jeffrey Richmond-Moll, curator of American art Sponsors: Lead support for “Southern/Modern” is provided by the Luce Foundation for American Art. Additional support from the Terra Foundation for American Art; the Wyeth Foundation for American Art; the National Endowment for the Arts; and the Betsy and Alfred Brand Fund at the Mint Museum.
Clare Leighton (1898 – 1989), “Moonshine Still,” 1952. Wood engraving. The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC. Gift of Gabby Pratt. 2004.79.123 © Estate of Clare Leighton, courtesy of David Leighton.
William H. Johnson (1901 – 1970), “Evening,” 1940 – 41. Oil on burlap. Florence County Museum, Florence, SC. Gift of the National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution. 1344.2.
Dusti Bongé (1903 – 1993), “Where the Shrimp Pickers Live,” 1940. Oil on canvas. Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS. Gift of Dusti Bongé Art Foundation, Inc. 1999.012 © Dusti Bongé Art Foundation. Carroll Cloar (1913 – 1993), “A Story Told by My Mother,” 1955. Casein tempera on Masonite, 36 1/4 × 48 1/2 inches. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN. Bequest of Mrs. C.M. Gooch. 80.3.16 © Estate of Carroll Cloar.
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exhibitions
Power Couple: Pierre and Louise Daura in Paris June 24, 2023 – February 11, 2024
Where Shadows Cross July 22 – October 8, 2023
Jim Fiscus, “Bus Stop, 10/26/21, 10:31 p.m., Clarksdale, Coahoma County, Mississippi,” 2021. Archival pigment print on cotton paper, 41 3/4 × 55 1/2 inches. Collection of the artist.
Iconic image maker Jim Fiscus produces layered single-frame stories that comment on human experience.
The exhibition “Where Shadows Cross” grew out of a new project Fiscus began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and includes a dozen large-scale color photographs. Fiscus attempts to “tell it all” visually through lighting, shadow and composition. He entices viewers to immerse themselves in his stage sets, move through them and appreciate every crisp detail. Fiscus investigates seemingly mundane situations, focusing on figures doing unpredictable or unconventional things. Their interactions among each other or with their setting often upend our perspective and generates uncertainty about the evolving stories these images show.
In 1928, Pierre Daura and Louise Heron Blair married in Paris.
Their social sphere included artists, writers, musicians, gallery owners and critics. Among their entourage was Uruguayan artist Joaquín Torres-García (1874 – 1949), whom Pierre had befriended and helped settle in Paris in 1926. The Torres and Daura families lived in the same apartment complex in the famed Montmartre district known for its vibrant artistic life full of studios, salons and cafés. During this period, Louise painted several portraits of the Torres daughters, Olimpia and Ifigenia, while Pierre produced several engravings of the young girls, a testament to the families’ friendship and affection.
Curator: Asen Kirin, Parker Curator of Russian Art Sponsors: The Todd Emily Community Foundation, the Epting Family Foun- dation, the W. Newton Morris Charitable Foundation Fund and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art.
Jim Fiscus, “An End Between, 2/5/22, 4:06 p.m., Cherry Hollow Farm, Chattahoochee Hills, Fulton County, Georgia,” 2022. Archival pigment print on cotton paper, 31 3/4 × 45 1/2 inches. Collection of the artist.
Curator: Nelda Damiano, Pierre Daura Curator of European Art
Louise Heron Blair (1905 – 1972), “Olimpia Torres with Inca Gold,” 1929. Oil on paper mounted on board, 24 1/8 × 19 1/8 inches. Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Gift of Martha Randolph Daura. GMOA 2003.887.
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Don’t Miss
Sky Hopinka: Lore Through September 24, 2023
Decade of Tradition: Highlights from the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Collection through July 3, 2024
Power and Piety in 17th-Century Spanish Art Through February 4, 2024
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, “The Heavenly Shepherd,” 17th century. Oil on canvas, 52 5/8 x 43 5/8 inches. Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery.
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FROM HAN TO QING Exploring Chinese history through ceramics collection
What do museums do when they are given a collection of works and lack an in-house curator who specializes in that area of art? Sometimes they’re able to make do, but some- times they need to solicit outside help.
When the Georgia Museum of Art received a large gift of Chinese ceramics from D. Jack Sawyer Jr. and William E. Torres, it asked UGA alum Kendal Parker (AB ’98; MA ’01), an expert in Asian art, to assess this extensive collection. Parker spent the summer of 2022 in the vaults, carefully examining each object. She also went above and beyond her contracted duties and suggested several installations. The results of her work are now on display in one of the wall cases in the permanent collection. It wasn’t Parker’s first experience with working at the museum. Back in 1997, when she was Kendal Korach, she interned in the registrars’ department. Later, she also served as a curatorial intern while working on her master’s degree in art history at UGA and organized the exhibition “Art for the Afterlife: Chinese Funerary Art of the Han Dynasty” (2000). Parker went on to work at the Ackland Art Museum at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill as assistant curator and later as a consultant; at the Metropolitan Mu- seum of Art in the department of Asian art; as programs coordinator at the Japanese Art Society of America; and at Leland Little Auction & Estate as director of its Asian art department. In 2020, she founded her own company, Ken- dal Parker Art Advisory, that offers assessment, catalogu - ing and curatorial services to private art collection owners, galleries and museums. She also spent seven years living in Hong Kong and Singapore, where she furthered her expertise in Asian art before returning to North Carolina to raise her three sons.
curline
China, Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 C.E.), jar. Earthenware with sancai glaze. Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Gift of Mr. D. Jack Sawyer Jr. and Dr. William E. Torres. GMOA 2023.7.
China, Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 C.E.), ewer. Stoneware with black glaze. Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Gift of Mr. D. Jack Sawyer Jr. and Dr. William E. Torres. GMOA 2023.92.
China, Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E. – 220 C.E.), pouring vessel (kendi). Earthenware with green glaze. Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Gift of Mr. D. Jack Sawyer Jr. and Dr. William E. Torres. GMOA 2023.134.
During the Han dynasty, from 206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E., ceramics were often made to store grain or wine in a tomb for the deceased to enjoy in the afterlife, a topic that Parker’s first exhibition at the museum addressed. During the Song dynasty, from 960 to 1279 C.E., ceramics were important for their ar- tistic merit. The Qing dynasty, from 1636 to 1912 C.E., was also the last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, and its ceramics often show Western cultural influences, as trade with the West vastly increased during this time period and there was a large export market for Chinese porcelain in Europe and the United States. “It has been my sincere pleasure to work with the Asian art collection again at my alma mater,” said Parker. “The Georgia Museum of Art is so fortunate to have an encyclopedic collection of Asian art from the countries of China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia. I am thrilled that a selection from the generous gift of Chinese art from Jack Sawyer Jr. and William Torres is now on view in the perma- nent galleries for the students and commu- nity to learn from and enjoy.”
“The Georgia Museum of Art is so fortunate to have an encyclopedic collection of Asian art from the countries of China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia. I am thrilled that a selection from the generous gift of Chinese art from Jack Sawyer Jr. and William Torres is now on view in the permanent galleries for the students and community to learn from and enjoy.”
Kendal Parker
China, Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 C.E.), vase. Stoneware with slip glaze and brown pigment. Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Gift of Mr. D. Jack Sawyer Jr. and Dr. William E. Torres. GMOA 2023.118.
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75 YEARS OF FREE INSPIRATION: A Look Back at the History of the Georgia Museum of Art
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What would the fabric of the creative community, both in Athens and around the state, look like today without the founding of the Georgia Museum of Art by Alfred Heber Holbrook? Looking back at the museum’s 75-year history shows its paramount role in fostering the long-standing, vibrant creative community that Athens is known for today and its part in increasing knowledge of and appreciation for art around the state.
UGA Museums Before the Georgia Museum of Art Well before the museum’s founding, there were other early museums on campus—mainly the Georgia Museum of Natural History and a portrait gallery that was housed in the building we now know as the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building but was then the library. The gallery featured life sized portraits of “distinguished” figures of the time. In 1905, the library moved to a new building, thanks to funding from George Foster Peabody, that now serves as the administration building and was the first home of the Georgia Museum of Art.
Holbrook’s initial visit to campus–where he first met famed artist, UGA School of Art namesake and soon-to-be close friend Lamar Dodd–was the result of a conversation with Franklin Roosevelt’s Federal Arts Program director, Holger Cahill, who suggested UGA as an ideal location. With one visit, Holbrook fell in love with the community and decided that it had “more evidence of genuine art culture” than any university he had visited in the South. He soon moved to Athens, enrolled in UGA art classes and was a beloved classmate, despite his age differ - ence. He was known for donning a pink smock and smoking his pipe in class. The 1947 class of UGA students even dedicated the Pandora Yearbook to him. As director, Holbrook went above and beyond to make the museum known throughout the state. He was known to load up paintings from the collection into the trunk of his car and travel around Georgia to visit with civic groups and share his art. Often, it was the first time some people were able to view works by prominent artists up close and in person. The museum quickly became an established part of the campus fabric, showcasing an ever-evolving display of unique works and serving as a popular venue for meetings, visiting speakers and conferences. Early exhibitions included everything from works by local artists, UGA faculty and Brazilian and Indonesian artists to ceramic artists and even exhibitions featuring artifacts about the history of UGA and Athens. In 1952, Holbrook announced that the Georgia Board of Re- gents had agreed to renovate the current building and expand the museum once the new UGA library had been built. In 1958, construction of the Ilah Dunlap Little Library was completed, and the museum was able to add new galleries. The location on North Campus served as the museum’s home until the mid-1990s. Holbrook worked tirelessly to raise the museum’s profile. Lloyd Goodrich, then associate director of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, made remarks at a dedication ceremony that honored Holbrook and Dodd. Goodrich highlighted the significance of the museum for Georgia, the value of art for society at that time and praised “the diversity of style in modern American art as a sign of freedom and progress in this country.” The 1960s: Elevated Art In the 1960s, the Georgia Museum of Art found its footing as a major museum and hosted exhibitions by internationally renowned artists alongside local and regional works. It contin- ued to expand its permanent collection with works such as the 12 Italian Renaissance and baroque paintings received as a gift from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Much like the rest of the country, the UGA campus experienced shifts in cultural norms in the 1960s. Exhibitions at the museum reflected those changing times, showcasing abstract expressionism, pop art and more. One exhibition featured works by 17 artists NASA invited to Cape Kennedy to record their impressions of the space program.
Museum Beginnings: The 1940s and 1950s
When the Georgia Museum of Art opened on November 8, 1948, Holbrook saw his dreams realized. For the next 21 years, he served as director of the museum and poured his heart into es- tablishing it as a source for free public access to art. While small details differ in the accounts of Holbrook's decision to make UGA the home of his new museum, there’s one common thread among them: his unwavering love of art. By donating his own collection of art, assembled in honor of his late wife Eva, this New York City lawyer pursued his passion to give everyone the experience of joy and inspiration that art had given him.
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By 1967, the permanent collection had grown to over 2,000 works and the museum hired William D. “Bill” Paul Jr. as its first curator and, in 1969, as its director when Holbrook retired. More than 16,000 visitors were recorded in 1966 and that number continued to increase. There were also efforts to improve the aesthetic of the building, inside and out. Holbrook had six ab- stract paintings symbolizing phases of the university’s develop- ment and campus life painted on its facade of the building.
Growth and Struggles: 1970s and 1980s
The museum continued to build on its progress in the early 1970s, but storage for an ever-growing permanent collection — nearly 5,000 works by 1979 — stymied its ability to acquire more art. Lack of storage and budget cuts resulted in staff reduction, with some office space allotted to storing collection works, and half as many exhibitions on view each year. A projected price tag of more than $8 million made the likelihood of a new museum un- likely at the time, Paul told campus newspaper the Red & Black in a 1979 interview. Under the next director, Richard Schnei- derman, who assumed the role in 1981, there was renewed hope in the possibility of building a new museum on North Campus, with the UGA Bicentennial Campaign as an ideal fundraising opportunity for the effort. Famed architect Edward Larrabee Barnes even drew up some concepts, but Schneiderman left in 1986 to head the North Carolina Museum of Art, fundraising efforts fell short and plans to build the proposed new museum were abandoned.
Museum founder Holbrook died in 1974, at the age of 99. His death was marked by loving tributes in the campus newspaper, many noting his zest for life and considerable donations. Dodd described Holbrook as “an incredible person, unselfish, a man of deepest loyalty to the University” in one Red & Black tribute, and Paul said he believed that “without Mr. Holbrook, we surely wouldn’t have a museum.” In his eulogy, Paul said, “Those of us who have worked closely with Mr. Holbrook have been inspired by his wit, his patience, his knowledge, his will and determi- nation, and by his enduring conviction that his dream would become reality.” In 1973, Paul collaborated with M. Smith “Smitty” Griffith, Edda Agee and Mel Fuller to found the Friends of the Georgia
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Museum of Art, a group that continues to play a significant role in supporting the museum's mission. The 1970s also brought accreditation for the first time by the American Association of Museums (now the American Alliance of Museums), and in 1982, the Georgia General Assembly designated the museum the official state museum of art, with the help of Louise McBee. Family Day, a monthly pro- gram that remains overwhelmingly popular, started in 1986, the first Elegant Salute gala fundraiser was held in 1987, and the Collectors group was founded around the same time as an extension of the Friends that focused on raising funds for art acquisitions. Carol Winthrop served as director from 1986 to 1988, and Jane Bledsoe after her.
SAVE THE DATE Sunday, November 5 from 1 to 5 p.m.
Celebrate our 75th birthday with a Family Day for all ages as part of UGA’s Spotlight on the Arts. The event will feature art activities for the entire family, prizes, a photo booth, light refreshments and much more.
The Success of the 1990s and Beyond The last three decades of the museum’s success stem in part from recently retired director William Underwood Eiland, who was hired in 1992. During his tenure, it saw unprecedented growth and fundraising that resulted in a new building on East Campus that opened in 1996 as part of UGA’s Performing and Visual Arts Complex. A major expansion to those facilities opened in 2011. Eiland helped start an internship program that has provided thousands of undergradu- ate and graduate UGA students on-the-job training. The Henry D. Green Center for the Study of the Decorative Arts and its associated program of biennial sym- posia on decorative arts became one of the museum’s most successful initiatives as did its fifth-grade tour program, started in 2005. In 2002, Martha Randolph Daura's gift established the Pierre Daura Center at the museum and its first endowed position — Pierre Daura Curator of Euro - pean Art — which served as a model for gifts that followed. Larry and Brenda Thompson gave 100 works by African American artists in 2012 and establishing an endowment to fund a curatorial position studying African American and African Diasporic art. And beginning in 2013, with the exhibition “Exuberance of Meaning: The Art Patronage of Catherine the Great.” a new focus on Russian art emerged. Robust community programs, hundreds of awards for publications and exhibitions, partnerships with departments and programs across campus and continued reaccreditation all speak to the museum’s continued excellence over 75 years. As we ponder this history — accomplishments and struggles alike — the mu - seum is proud of its contributions to the flourishing creative culture of Athens and the state. From its humble beginnings to today’s permanent collection that boasts over 17,000 works, the museum’s visitors, patrons, supporters and staff have been integral to our success in being able to pursue this enduring commit- ment to make art accessible to the public. Thank you for your continued support.
CELEBRATE 75 YEARS of FREE INSPIRATION WITH a GIFT THAT HELPS BUILD our FUTURE.
Since 1948 your state museum of art has served Georgians and their flagship university through groundbreaking exhibitions, scholarship in the visual arts, serving as a teaching resource for our campus and community, and providing a place of enjoyment and inspiration for all visitors. Join us with a gift to the 75th Anniversary Campaign as we work to ensure our vision for the next 75 years and beyond by visiting bit.ly/1948-2023.
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GET TO KNOW OUR NEW DIRECTOR
A Q&A WITH DAVID ODO
After an extensive national search, David Odo was named the new director of the Georgia Museum of Art. Coming to the museum from Harvard Art Museums, where he was director of academic and public programs, division head and research curator, Odo made a name for himself by leading numerous initiatives that connected departments and schools across the university with the museums. Odo is a visual and material anthropologist, an expert on 19th-century Japanese photography and has published and lectured widely on that subject and museum pedagogy. His research and teaching interests are in the anthropology of art, the body in art and material culture and the intersections of art and medicine. He has a wealth of experience in research, teaching and museum leadership roles. What will he bring to the table as our new director? We sat down with him to get to know a little bit more about him.
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How did you become interested in a career in the museum world and what did your path look like to this new role at the Georgia Museum of Art?
Athens is a unique town with a lot to offer. What are you and your family most excited about in terms of moving to Athens?
My parents inadvertently got my museum career started by dragging me around museums from the time I was a young child. I eventually developed into an avid museum visitor of my own accord, especially after taking a required course in art humanities my first year of college. But it wasn’t until graduate school at the University of Oxford that I truly started my path to becoming a museum professional. At Oxford, I con- ducted research primarily at the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Ashmolean Museum, as well as at museums and archives elsewhere in Europe and Japan. I was also extremely fortunate to spend several years on postdoc- toral fellowships at some of the world’s most incredible museums, including the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Smithsonian Institution, focusing on collections of 19th-century photographs of Japan. After graduate school, I taught and guest curated at Harvard and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology for several years before heading to the Yale University Art Gallery, where I deepened and expand- ed interdisciplinary teaching at the museum. At Yale I realized the enormous pedagogical value that art collections hold for the entire university curriculum. I then returned to Harvard, where I continued my very satisfying work with students and faculty at the art museum, but I also developed an equally intense enthusiasm for connecting the museum with public audiences. I discovered ways to connect the academic and public missions of my work by, for example, pro- viding opportunities for students to make real con- tributions to our work with the public by challenging them to find innovative ways to connect with commu - nity members in the museum space, whether to discuss great works of art through their own thematic tours or study for the US citizenship examination. I’m so excited to bring this same enthusiasm to my role as director of the Georgia Museum of Art, where I look forward to further developing the museum’s already impactful work with campus and area public communities.
My wife and I have spent most of our adult lives in uni- versity towns, not only pursuing our own education and careers, but also because we love their dynamism and diversity. To me, Athens is the best of both worlds: it’s a quintessential university town with all the cultural and intellectual vibrancy one expects, but it also has a strong sense of community with so much to do in addition to all that UGA offers. We are excited to take advantage of Athens’ dynamic restaurant scene and all the wonderful nearby hiking and kayaking opportunities. We also want to carve out some time to (re)learn how to garden.
What does being a museum director entail? What are you most excited about as you assume this new role?
As a museum director, working in collaboration with my incredible team, I have a large portfolio of responsibilities, including setting institutional vision and mission, over- seeing the collection and developing policy and long-range strategies. I would say that the most important aspect of my work is to ensure that as many people – students and community members alike – as possible have access to incredible art and incredible experiences at our incredible museum. In fact, one of the main reasons I accepted UGA’s generous offer to come to Athens was the fact that the museum is not only free and open to the public, but also has a dual role as both the university and state museum. That is a responsibility that beautifully honors the mu- seum’s founding principles and perfectly aligns with my personal mission to ensure that as many people as pos- sible engage with, value and trust the museum. But there is work to be done. In the museum field we understand that “free” and “accessible” aren’t necessarily equivalent terms, and I am very motivated to work with museum and university colleagues in close collaboration with current and future partners from many different communities to reduce invisible access barriers to the museum. Part of that work means taking a hard look at where we can do better at understanding what communities want from us, how we can contribute to supporting their needs and goals using our resources and skills and how they may want to contribute to the life and vitality of the museum. It’s chal- lenging but exciting work. I can’t wait to get started!
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the art of giving 2023 BLACK ART AND CULTURE AWARDS CELEBRATION
(left to right): Larry and Brenda Thompson, Stefanie Jackson, Shawnya Harris and Annelies Mondi.
On April 14, the museum honored two artists at the annual Black Art and Culture Awards, one of our most anticipated events each year.
This year, we honored painter Stefanie Jackson with the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Award and Annie Lucille Greene, known for her yarn paintings, with the Lillian C. Lynch Citation. Event chair and longtime event supporter Sige Burden wel- comed guests to the M. Smith Griffith Auditorium and thanked the award selection committee and event sponsors. Without them, he said, the awards wouldn’t be possible because they “are critical to the support of this fantastic facility.” Burden then introduced university president Jere W. Morehead, another longtime supporter of the event, whose own remarks praised Larry and Brenda Thompson for the love, joy and generosity they have exhibited for African American art and artists. Their contributions, he noted, have elevated and made many artists and their works much more widely known. Known nationally for their advocacy, the Thompsons endowed a curatorial posi- tion at the museum and have donated works aimed at support- ing the museum’s mission to further diversity and inclusion in American art. One of the museum’s annual Black Art and Culture Awards is thus named in their honor. Freda Scott Giles, a past event chair, led everyone in singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and Alicia Battle, president of the Athens Chapter of the Links, Inc., presented the Lynch Cita- tion to Annie Lucille Greene, a yarn painter and educator from LaGrange, Georgia. Lynch was a charter member of the Athens chapter of the Links, Inc., who cared deeply about the arts and cultural education. Greene’s paintings in yarn reflect culturally and socially relevant images of her life as an African American in the rural South, from the 1940s to the present. She has had two museum exhibitions of her yarn paintings and has written two autobiographical books based on those paintings. Humbled to receive the award, especially after learning more about its namesake and past recipients, Greene told the au- dience that first encountered yarn paintings in the pages of a magazine when she was a teacher and made the art form into an assignment for her students. Upon seeing their work
(left to right): Jeffrey Goodwin, Sarah Peterson, Sige Burden, Shanell McGoy, Monica W. Parker, Lacy Middlebrooks Camp and Bree Hayes.
in the medium, she was inspired to make her own works and capture moments in time, including the world of her parents. Her father, a preacher, and her mother, who had a passion and talent for playing piano, supported her as an artist from her early years, giving her pencil and paper to draw with, perhaps because they had a recognition for her knack or passion for creative endeavors. Shawnya Harris, Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, then presented the Thompson Award to Stefanie Jackson, preceded by a short video on Jackson’s career that she created with UGA student and cura- torial intern Sophie Mason Johnson. Jackson recently retired as a professor of art from the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the Uni- versity of Georgia. A native of Detroit, she received her bachelor of fine arts degree from Parsons, The New School for Design, and her master of fine arts degree from Cornell University. Her paintings blend the artistic influences of surrealism with con - tent derived from African American music and literature tradi- tions, current events and personal history. They often deal with themes of tragedy and survival, systemic poverty and violence, the effects of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, racial injustice and the ongoing legacy of slavery and colonialism. Mentorship, said Jackson, has been invaluable to her career. Were it not for artists such as Benny Andrews and previous Thompson Award winner Emma Amos, she might well not be where she is today as an artist in her own right. Amos, the first
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committee
Sige Burden, chair Jeffrey Goodwin, co-chair Monica W. Parker, Links liaison Lacy Middlebrooks Camp Deborah Gonzalez Bree Hayes
Shanell McGoy Sarah Peterson
sponsors
Interim museum director Annelies Mondi (fourth from right) and Annie Greene, Lynch Award recipient (5th from right), with the Athens Chapter of the Links, Inc.
$10,000 – PRESENTING SPONSOR Anonymous $5,000 Lacy Middlebrooks Camp & Thomas G. Camp The Todd Emily Community Foundation $2,500 Kathy B. Prescott & H. Grady Thrasher III UGA School of Law $1,000 Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C. Sige Burden Jr. Mae & Louis A. Castenell Jr. Bree & Richard Hayes Anne & William R. Newton UGA Development & Alumni Relations UGA Office of the President UGA Willson Center for Humanities & Arts $500 The Athens (GA) Chapter of the Links, Inc. Missy & Wes Cochran Teresa & Charlie Friedlander Freda Scott Giles Mary & Jeffrey Goodwin Lillian Kincey & Steve C. Jones Jacki Macker & Cash Morris Sherrie & Stephen Olejnik Sylvia Hilliard Pannell & Clifton W. Pannell Monica & Sylvester Parker
UGA President Jere W. Morehead and Larry and Brenda Thompson at this year's celebration.
African American woman artist she’d ever met, inspired her, and as she put it, upon meeting her, “I started to dream.” Seeing her own work, a painting entitled “Little Girl Blue,” on the wall of the Detroit Institute of Arts, which was donated by the Thompsons, was a heavily weighted memory and moment of significance in her career. With welled eyes, Jackson spoke about being able to bring her parents to see her work on display there. “They took me to that same museum, 50 years prior, for the art classes in the basement,” she said. “They weren’t art people, but they believed in me and I’m so grateful to have won the parent lottery.” Alongside diligent work, she added, exposure to other artists is often what “takes an artist from doodling in their sketchbook to making real paintings.” Brenda Thompson spoke about the importance of this event and the power of Black history as well as her own appreciation for Jackson’s work. She quoted the renowned Black painter Charles White, who said, “paint is the only weap- on I have with which to fight what I resent” and said that Jackson embodies that sentiment in her own work. When her painting “The Bluest Eye,” which is in the museum’s collection and was a gift from the Thompsons, was on tour, museums had to put a rope in front of it because people were always trying to get closer and closer to it, to see the details and figure out the story Jackson was communicating. It was a hard work for the Thompsons to give up because it was one of their favorites, but “it needed to be seen by more than just us.” We remain appreciative of the Thompsons’ gift, which you can see selections of in the long-term exhibition “Decade of Tradition: Highlights from the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Collection.” We thank all who contributed to, spon- sored or attended and look forward to next year’s event.
Jinx & Gordhan Patel Janet & Alex Patterson Sarah & Chris Peterson Shanell McGoy & Terry Powers Cleophus & Carla Thomas Mary Lillie Watson & Ray Watson Peg Wood
event partners
The Athens Printing Company Guide2Athens Perryander Studio
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TOTES $15–$18
in the SHOP
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HOW-TO BOOKS $12.99–$24.99
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VERY GOOD PUZZLE $20–$26
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MUSEUM NOTES
Staff Notes
Frankenthaler Prints Initiative
Three Georgia Museum of Art faculty members were awarded academic promotions this spring as part of more than 200 fac- ulty promotions university-wide. Callan Steinmann , curator of education; Jeffrey Richmond-Moll , curator of American art; and Shawnya L. Harris , Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, were all promoted to senior academic professional. Richmond-Moll was a featured guest on the Modern Art Notes podcast (episode no. 597) in April. As one of two segments fea- tured on the episode, he discussed the exhibition “Object Lessons in American Art: Selections from the Princeton University Art Museum,” which was on view this spring. Listen to the podcast episode at: manpodcast.com/portfolio. An accompanying catalogue for the exhibition is still available to purchase via the Museum Shop, both in person and online. Ashlyn Davis , Pierre Daura Curatorial Research Assistant, left her position at the museum in May for a teaching position. Sage Kincaid , associate curator of education, departed the museum in June for a new position as a student advisor for the Frank- lin College of Arts and Science at UGA. Mallory Lind joined the museum as assistant curator of education in May. Lind earned her doctoral degree in art education, with a focus on museum education, from UGA in 2021, and her doctoral research focused on rural access to art museums. She also holds a master’s degree in art business from Sotheby's and a bachelor’s degree in art history from UGA. Lind has previously been an education intern, outreach instructor and student docent at the museum.
The Georgia Museum of Art is one of 10 recipients of the most recent round of the Frankenthaler Prints Initiative, an ongo- ing program for university-affiliated art museums to support undergraduate and graduate education in the visual arts and art history. Each selected museum will receive a group of prints and five to 10 related trial proofs from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation’s extensive collections, as well as a one-time grant of $25,000 that can be used to develop a project or program for the study, presentation and interpretation of the gifted works within a three-year timeframe. Recipients were selected on two criteria: a demonstrated commitment to prints as both a signif- icant collection area and teaching tool and a collection that lacks works by Frankenthaler. In the first cycle of the initiative, in 2018, recipients produced nine exhibitions, four symposia and three academic courses. Fellow Georgia university museum, the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, used the award to hold printmaking workshops for local high school students. The initiative also aims to amplify the impact of Frankenthaler’s legacy, as one of the most important American abstract painters of the 20th century and an outspoken champion of arts edu- cation. The selected prints that each award recipient receives represent the range of media Frankenthaler used in her print- making, including etching, lithography, monotype or monoprint, pochoir, screenprint, woodcut and other techniques, as well as combinations of these methods.
gifts
The Georgia Museum of Art received the following gifts between January 1 and March 31, 2023.
In honor of Julie G. Jenkins by A. Felton Jenkins III In memory of Eric Bransby by William Underwood Eiland
In memory of Clay Bryant by Stephanie C. Bryant In memory of John Henry Davis by Katherine L. Davis In memory of Henry D. and Frances Y. Green by A. Felton Jenkins III In memory of C.L. Morehead by Joseph Perez In memory of Forster Ndubisi by William Underwood Eiland In memory of Patricia Staub by William Underwood Eiland In memory of Ron Willingham by Caroline J. Davis
In honor of William Underwood Eiland by Samuel Carleton, Shell & Wyck Knox, Don Kole, Laura McCarty, Ward Paul & Charles Schoenknecht, Anne & Bill Newton, Stevi & William Wansley, and Jan & Mark Wheeler
Mallory Lind, assistant curator of education.
CALENDAR CALENDAR CALENDAR CALENDAR
C C C C
CALENDAR * Program is free but registration is required; email gmoa-tours@uga.edu to reserve a spot.
ARTIST TALK: JIM FISCUS Thursday, September 7, 5:30 p.m.
TOURS AND GALLERY TALKS
SPECIAL EVENTS
Join Athens artist Jim Fiscus for a special talk about his recent work, on view in the exhibi- tion “Where Shadows Cross.” 90 CARLTON: AUTUMN Friday, September 15, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Join the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art for a reception featuring “Where Shadows Cross.” Not Yet Friends: $15; Friends of the Museum and Friend + Annual Fund Members (Supporter level): $10; Friend + Annual Fund Members (Reciprocal level and above): com - plimentary. Advance registration is strongly recommended at bit.ly/90c-sep-23 . Not yet a Friend? Visit jointhemuseum.com to join today. Event Partners: Athens Printing Com - pany, Barron’s Rentals, Epting Events, Guide 2 Athens and Perryander Studio. STUDENT NIGHT: SOUTHERN/MODERN Thursday, September 21, 6 – 8 p.m. Join the Georgia Museum of Art Student Association for refreshments, door prizes and themed activities to celebrate the latest exhibitions, including “Southern/Modern.” Student Night is generously sponsored by the UGA Parents Leadership Council.
THIRD THURSDAY Thursday, July 20, August 17 and September 21, 6 – 9 p.m. Athens’ established venues for visual art hold this event devoted to art in the evening hours, on the third Thursday of every month to showcase their visual-arts programming. Full schedules and participants are posted at 3Thurs.org. MUSEUM MIX Thursday, July 27, 8 – 11 p.m. The museum’s thrice-annual late-night art party features DJ De La Luna, free refresh- ments and galleries open until 11 p.m. FRIENDS ANNUAL MEETING AND APPRECIATION MONTH KICK-OFF Saturday, August 26, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Join the Friends Annual Meeting at 10 a.m., featuring the presentation of the annual M. Smith Griffith Volunteer of the Year Award, the 2023 - 2024 Friends Board of Directors and an opportunity to meet our new direc- tor, David Odo. Following the annual meeting Friends are encouraged to drop in between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. as we show our appreciation with door prizes, art activities for the entire family, special shop discounts, refreshments, treats and much more! The event is free for all Friends. Advance registration is strongly rec- ommended at bit.ly/friends-appreciation-23. CELEBRATING 75 YEARS WITH HISTORIC ATHENS Saturday, August 26, 2 p.m. Join Hope Iglehart and Historic Athens to cel- ebrate our 75th anniversary. In the M. Smith Griffith Auditorium, they will present a capti - vating program that delves into the museum’s rich history through an original lecture, vin- tage photographs and compelling narratives. The program will also include special guest lectures from individuals who were a key part of the museum’s past. Be a part of this mo- mentous occasion as we honor the legacy of the Georgia Museum of Art and its significant contributions to the cultural landscape of Ath- ens. Come early for the Friends Appreciation Month Kick-Off and enjoy both events.
TOUR AT TWO Wednesday, July 12, 19, 26; August 2, 9, 16, and 30; September 6 and 27, 2 p.m. Drop-in public tours featuring highlights of the permanent collection, led by museum docents. GALLERY TALK: JIM FISCUS Thursday, July 27, 4 p.m. Join us for a gallery conversation with Athens photographer Jim Fiscus and exhibition cura- tor Asen Kirin, Parker Curator of Russian Art. The pair will discuss Fiscus’ recent work, on view in the exhibition “Where Shadows Cross.” ARTFUL CONVERSATION Artful Conversation programs are 30 minutes long, focus on just one or two works of art and provide opportunities for close looking, open-ended dialogue and discovery. • Wednesday, August 23, 2 p.m. Lamar Dodd’s “Bargain Basement,” on view in “Southern/Modern.” With Callan Steinmann, curator of education. • Wednesday, September 20, 2 p.m. Preston Dickinson’s “Cubistic Interior.” With Mal- lory Lind, assistant curator of education. SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT TOURS Sunday, July 23, August 20 and September 17, 3 p.m. Drop-in public tours featuring highlights of the permanent collection, led by museum docents. CURATOR TALK: SOUTHERN/MODERN Wednesday, September 13, 2 p.m. Shawnya Harris, Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, will give a talk in the galleries discussing the influence of instruc - tors and students at historically Black colleges and universities on the development of a modernist aesthetic in the South.
STUDIO WORKSHOP: RELIEF CARVING WITH AMANDA JANE BURK Saturday, September 30, 1-4 p.m.
Join teaching artist Amanda Jane Burk for a half-day printmaking workshop. Participants will learn to create prints using the tradi- tional printmaking technique of relief carving. Individuals will design and carve a stamp of their own and use the stamp to print a set of notecards in class. The workshop will take inspiration from works in the Georgia Muse- um of Art’s print collection and the exhibition “Southern/Modern.” The cost of the course is a $15 materials fee. Space is limited and reg - istration is required; email gmoa-tours@uga. edu to sign up.
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