INDIgenesis: GEN 3, A Showcase of Indigenous Filmmakers and Storytellers, March 19–28

Presented over two weeks, the series INDIgenesis: GEN 3, guest curated by Missy Whiteman (Northern Arapaho and Kickapoo Nations), opens with an evening of expanded cinema and includes several shorts programs in the Walker Cinema and Bentson Mediatheque, an afternoon of virtual reality, and a closing-night feature film.

The ongoing showcase of works by Native filmmakers and artists is rooted in Indigenous principles that consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations. GEN 3 connects perspectives and stories from the past, present, and future to convey Indigenous truths, teachings, and values.

“Indigenous artists use the creative process of filmmaking for revitalization and narrative sovereignty,” says Whiteman. “Our stories tell us where we came from, re-create our truths, affirm our languages and culture, and inspire us to imagine our Indigenous future. We come from the stars. How far will we take this medium?”

Throughout the program, join conversations with artists and community members centered on themes of Indigenous Futurism, revitalization, and artistic creation.

Opening Night: Remembering the Future
Expanded Cinema Screening/Performance
Thursday, March 19, 7:30 pm Free, Walker Cinema

Combining film, a live score, hoop dancing, hip-hop, and spoken word, a collective of Indigenous artists led by curator Missy Whiteman creates an immersive environment that transcends time and place. Guided by ancestral knowledge systems, traditional stories, and contemporary forms of expression, the expanded cinema program features performances by DJ AO (Hopi/Mdewakatonwan Dakota), Sacramento Knoxx (Ojibwe/Chicano), Lumhe “Micco” Sampson (Mvskoke Creek/Seneca), and Michael Wilson (Ojibwe). Archival found footage and Whiteman’s sci-fi docu-narrative The Coyote Way: Going Back Home (2016), filmed in the community of Little Earth in South Minneapolis, illuminate the space.

View The Coyote Way: Going Back Home trailer

Indigenous Lens: Our RealityShort films by multiple directors
Friday, March 20, 7 pm, $10 ($8 Walker members, students, and seniors), Walker Cinema

This evening of short films showcases a collection of contemporary stories about what it means to be Indigenous today, portraying identity and adaptability in a colonialist system. The program spans a spectrum of themes, including two-spirit transgender love, coming of age, reflections on friends and fathers, “indigenizing” pop art, and creative investigations into acts of repatriation. Digital video, 85 mins

Copresented with Hud Oberly (Comanche/Osage/Caddo), Indigenous Program at Sundance Institute (in attendance).

Lore
Directed by Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians)

Images of friends and landscapes are fragmented and reassembled as a voice tells stories, composing elements of nostalgia in terms of lore. 2019, 10 min. View excerpt.

Culture Capture: Terminal Adddition
Directed by New Red Order: Adam Khalil (Ojibway), Zack Khalil (Ojibway), Jackson Polys (Tlingit), Bayley Sweitzer

The latest video by the public secret society known as the New Red Order is an incendiary indictment of the norms of European settler colonialism. Examining institutionalized racism through a mix of 3D photographic scans and vivid dramatizations, this work questions the contemporary act of disposing historical artifacts as quick fixes, proposing the political potential of adding rather than removing. 2019, 7 min. View excerpt.

Mino Bimaadiziwin
Directed by Shane McSauby (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians)

A trans Anishinaabe man meets a young Anishinaabe woman who pushes him to reconnect with their culture. 2017, 10 min. View excerpt.

The Moon and the Night
Directed by Erin Lau (Kanaka Maoli)

Set in rural Hawaii, a Native Hawaiian teenage girl must confront her father after he enters her beloved pet in a dogfight. 2018, 19 min. View excerpt.

Shinaab II
Directed by Lyle Michell Corbine, Jr. (Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Indians)

A young man seeks to honor the memory of his late father in a film that looks at Ojibwe ideas surrounding death and mourning. 2019, 6 min.

Viva Diva
Directed by Daniel Flores (Yaqui)

This road trip movie follows Rozene and Diva as they make their way down to Guadalajara for their gender affirmation surgeries. 2017, 15 min. View excerpt.

Dig It If You Can
Directed by Kyle Bell (Creek-Thlopthlocco Tribal Town)

An insightful portrait of the self-taught artist and designer Steven Paul Judd (Kiowa), whose satirical manipulations of pop culture for an Indigenous audience are gaining a passionate, mass following as he realizes his youthful dreams. 2016, 18 min. View excerpt.

Virtual Reality: 2167 Indigital Space Saturday, March 21, 11 am–4 pm Free
Star Tribune Foundation Art Lab

Experience virtual reality works that envision life in an Indigenous future. Featuring Blueberry Pie Under A Martian Sky by Scott Benesiinaabandan (Anishinabe), Each Branch Determined by Postcommodity (Raven Chacon, Cristóbal Martínez and Kade L. Twist), The Hunt by Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis), and Honour Dance by Kent Monkman (Cree).

Commissioned and produced in 2019 by Toronto International Film Festival, ImagineNATIVE, Pinnguaq, and the Initiative for Indigenous Futures.

Shorts: Revitalization
Saturday, March 21, 7 pm
$10 ($8 Walker members, students, and seniors), Walker Cinema

Three powerful short films portray personal stories of healing through cultural revitalization. Digital video, 62 min.

Isabelle’s Garden
Directed by Jeffrey Palmer (Kiowa)

This uplifting film tells the story of a community coming together, led by a young Choctaw girl and her garden. 2015, 9 min. View here.

Boxers of Brule
Directed by Jessie Adler and Tracy Rector (Choctaw/Seminole)

A 23-year-old Lakota woman forms a boxing team for young girls to battle depression and addiction, in honor of her best friend who was lost to suicide. Building their strength together, the preteen girls of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe of South Dakota find power in sisterhood. 2015, 9 min. View excerpt.

Fast Horse
Directed by Alexandra Lazarowich (Cree)

An intimate look at riders of the Indian Relay, North America’s original extreme sport of bareback horse racing. 2018, 14 min. View here.

A conversation follows.

Ohiyesa: The Soul of an Indian
Directed by Syd Beane (Flandreau Santee Sioux) and Dakota Eastman Productions
Friday, March 27, 7 pm; $10 ($8 Walker members, students, and seniors); Walker Cinema

In this deeply personal film, historian Kate Beane follows the journey of her relative Ohiyesa (Charles Eastman) from his traditional Santee Dakota childhood in Minnesota to his celebrated national success as a physician, prolific author, and lecturer on Native life and issues in the early 1900s. 2018, digital video, 57 min.

Post-show conversation with Kate Beane (Flandreau Santee Sioux and Muskogee Creek). View trailer

Closing Night: Blood Quantum
Directed by Jeff Barnaby (Mi’gmaq) Saturday, March 28, 7 pm
$10 ($8 Walker members, students, and seniors); Walker Cinema

Born from prophecy, azombie apocalypse rages on the Red Crow Indian Reservation in the 1980s, where an Indian police chief confronts an onslaught of gory attacks by the undead—yet those with Indigenous blood are strangely the only ones immune. 2019, Canada, English/Mi’gmag, DCP, 96 min. View trailer

INDIgenesis: GEN 3 Playlist curated by Missy Whiteman
March 12–31, Free
Bentson Mediatheque
Looping on Thursday, March 26, 4–9 pm

Shásh Jaa’ (Bears Ears)
Directed by Angelo Baca (Hopi/Diné)

An award-winning short documentary tells the story of five tribes (Navajo, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, Hopi, and Zuni) fighting to save their sacred homeland from natural resource extraction by making 1.9 million acres of Utah land a national monument. 2016, 23 min. View Trailer.

Ya’at’eeh Abini (Good Morning)
Directed by Morningstar Angeline (Navajo/Blackfoot/Mexican)

Crystal is haunted by her father’s death from a global virus that has ravaged her native Navajo Nation. Under constant surveillance from an unknown military, she must learn to embrace her visions, memories, and dreams to both survive and rediscover what may be left of the world. 2019, 12 min.

Out of Nothing
Directed by Alexandra Lazarowich (Cree)

According to their creation myth, the Shinnecock are “the human children of the goddess who descended from the sky.” Only a few miles away from the Shinnecock Nation in Long Island, New York, scientists from around the world conduct experiments to explore the beginnings of the universe. Drawing parallels between the Big Bang and the creation story, Out of Nothing explores our endless fascination with where we come from. 2018, 15 min.

I Am Me
Directed by Jazmine Smith (Cree)

Jazmine grew up in Saskatchewan as a boy who felt out of place…until discovering makeup, which helped her transition and begin her journey into womanhood. I Am Me is a candid story of acceptance, self-love, and jewelry. 2018, 4 min. View here.

Little Chief
Directed by Erica Tremblay (Seneca-Cayuga/Wyandotte Nations) 

The lives of a Native woman and a nine-year-old boy intersect over the course of a school day on a reservation in Oklahoma. 2020, 12 min.

Tickets will be available on January 31 at www.walkerart.org.

The High Museum of Art continued to expand its impact in 2019, proactively aligning its initiatives and programming with the needs and interests of the Atlanta community. Its dynamic exhibition program featured solo exhibitions of Romare Bearden, Virgil Abloh and Yayoi Kusama, as well as thematic exhibitions unveiling new narratives in select strengths of the High’s collection, including photography, folk and self-taught art, and Southern art. Commissions and acquisitions of major works continue to drive the momentum of the collection following the success of the 2018 reinstallation and included the first paintings to enter the Museum’s holdings by Henri Fantin-Latour, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani and Alfred Sisley. Additional innovative initiatives include the launch of Heartmatch, the Museum’s digital tool that creates a personalized interactive map of the Museum, and unparalleled access for all audiences to the High’s exhibitions and programs.

In 2020, the High will further its commitment to engaging new and existing audiences, setting precedents in museum education with an expanded department to spearhead creative aging and lifelong learning programs. The Museum is also dedicated to continuing to embrace changing populations and a shifting cultural landscape. The High will offer audiences an expansive range of exhibitions spanning collecting areas to showcase both global and Atlanta-inspired narratives, from the first U.S. presentation of Magnum Live Lab to “speechless: different by design,” an exhibition exploring new thinking around accessibility and design. The Museum will also realize plans to conserve major works within the permanent collection and will refine plans for future acquisition and exhibition priorities, continuing its stewardship of artworks for the community and its dedication to providing enriching experiences to current and future audiences.

“We concluded 2019 energized by our success and resolved to continue advancing the Museum’s key initiatives to foster growth, inclusivity, collaboration and connectivity,” said Rand Suffolk, the High’s Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr., director. “We remain dedicated to developing exhibitions, programs and our collection to reflect and celebrate the incredible diversity of our city and region.”

2019 Demographics:

The High continued to see strong visitor diversity last year across race/ethnicity, age and socioeconomic background. Through self-selecting surveys, the Museum found that 44 percent of its visitors are non-white. (According to the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 statistics, approximately 47 percent of metro Atlanta’s population is non-white.) Nearly 50 percent of the Museum’s visitors have less than a bachelor’s degree, 46 percent have a household income of less than $100,000, and n early 80 percent are under the age of 55, with the highest percentage falling in the 18-24 age range.

2019 Exhibitions:

The High organized several notable exhibitions in 2019 celebrating diversity and featuring artists with regional significance and international renown. In September, the Museum opened “‘Something Over Something Else’: Romare Bearden’s Profile Series” (through Feb. 2, 2020), the first exhibition to bring more than 30 works from Bearden’s seminal series together since their debut nearly 40 years ago. After the High’s presentation, the exhibition will travel to the Cincinnati Art Museum. Currently on view is “Our Strange New Land: Photographs by Alex Harris” (through May 3, 2020), the latest iteration of the High’s acclaimed “Picturing the South” commission series, which invites photographers to create new work exploring current perspectives of Southern subjects and themes while building the Museum’s collection of contemporary photography.

Last year, the Museum’s folk and self-taught art and photography departments collaborated to present “Way Out There: The Art of Southern Backroads,” which celebrated the oft-neglected legacy of unconventional Southern creatives.

The Museum also showcased and supported the talents of local artists with “Of Origins and Belonging, Drawn from Atlanta” (June-September 2019), the most recent in its series of exhibitions featuring Atlanta-based artists, and “Supple Means of Connection” (July-September 2019), a commissioned suite of site-specific live art installations by glo founder Lauri Stallings, the Museum’s first choreographer as artist in residence.

The Museum continued to serve family audiences with its popular children’s book art exhibitions, presenting “The Pursuit of Everything: Maira Kalman’s Books for Children” (June-September 2019), the first in the series to focus on the work of a female artist.

In addition to exhibitions organized by the High, the Museum hosted major traveling exhibitions in 2019, including “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors” (November 2018-February 2019), “Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings” (October-December 2019) and “Virgil Abloh: ‘Figures of Speech’” (through March 8, 2020).

This robust exhibition program welcomed new visitors to the Museum and resulted in a 8.5 percent increase in member households, providing a strong foundation for continued success in 2020.

2020 Exhibitions:

The High’s 2020 exhibition schedule exemplifies the Museum’s dedication to diversity and inclusivity while also highlighting the strengths of the collection, including photography and contemporary design.

In March, the High will be the first U.S. venue to present Live Lab (March 16-April 19, 2020), a photography residency and related exhibition organized in collaboration with the international photographic cooperative Magnum Photos. The project will feature American photographer Carolyn Drake and South African photographers Lindokuhle Sobekwa and Mikhael Subotzky, whose photographs will explore themes relevant to Atlanta. The collaboration is a testament to the strength of the Museum’s photography department and the High’s commitment to supporting the creation of new work and offering innovative ways for its audience to connect with their museum and with the greater community.

This spring, the High will open “speechless: different by design” (April 25-Sept. 6, 2020), a groundbreaking exhibition co-organized with the Dallas Museum of Art. Through immersive installations by six leading international designers, the exhibition explores the spectrum of sensory experience, aligning with the Museum’s ongoing and evolving commitment to access and to providing new experiences with art.

Other exhibitions slated for the coming months include “Paa Joe: Gates of No Return” (Feb. 29-May 31, 2020), featuring the work of the celebrated Ghanaian artist; the next iteration of the High’s popular series dedicated to children’s book authors and artists, “Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Children’s Books” (June 20-Sept. 20, 2020); “Dawoud Bey: An American Project” (June 27-Oct. 18, 2020), the photographer’s first full career retrospective in 25 years; and “Monir Farmanfarmaian: A Mirror Garden” (opening in August 2020), the first exhibition for the renowned Persian artist since her death in 2019.

Collection Milestones:

2019 marked the anniversary of the major reinstallation of the High’s collection, which initially focused on showcasing recently acquired artworks, including key holdings of artists of color and women artists. Over the past year, the High embarked on phase two of the project, which included additional interpretive elements and ongoing collection rotations. In 2020, the Museum will present an installation of artworks by contemporary female artists to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.

The Museum received significant gifts to strengthen its collection in 2019. In August, Atlanta-based philanthropists Doris and Shouky Shaheen donated their entire impressionist, post-impressionist and modernist painting collection, totaling 24 artworks, to the Museum. The Shaheen gift is one of the most significant groups of European paintings ever to enter the Museum’s collection, rivaled only by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation donation in 1958, which established the core of the High’s European art holdings. This marks the High’s first acquisition of paintings by renowned artists such as Henri Fantin-Latour, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani and Alfred Sisley and includes works by Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and many other masters. The paintings are now on view in the Doris and Shouky Shaheen gallery in the Museum’s Stent Family Wing.

Atlanta philanthropist Frances B. Bunzl made a $2.5 million bequest to the High in 2019, part of which will be used to establish an acquisition fund for European art. The Museum’s European art curator position and administrative building are named for Bunzl, a longtime supporter of the Museum.

Last year, the High was the recipient of a Bank of America Art Conservation Project grant to conserve artwork by renowned American contemporary artist Thornton Dial (1928-2016). The High holds the largest public collection of Dial’s work, including paintings and assemblages spanning his entire 30-year career, representing a cornerstone of the Museum’s folk and self-taught art department. With the grant funds, the Museum will conduct a full assessment of 10 Dial works in the collection to capture each work’s intricacy and to create a baseline understanding of Dial’s fabrication practices and how his materials have deteriorated over time. The groundbreaking conservation project, under the direction of Katherine Jentleson, the High’s Merrie and Dan Boone curator of folk and self-taught art, began in November 2019 and will be completed by November 2020.

Education and Access Initiatives:

The High examined and renewed its gallery interpretation in 2019 to engage dynamically with visitors through new channels and experiences, including its new app, Heartmatch. The Museum continues to serve wide-ranging audiences, from young visitors to older adults, through its redesigned and expanded Greene Family Learning Gallery and public programs, including new offerings to support lifelong learning.

Heartmatch:

Referred to as “Tinder, but for art,”Heartmatch is an online app the Museum developed to help visitors fall in love with artworks in the collection. When users open the app, they can swipe right if they like the image of an artwork or swipe left if they don’t. Swiping right on a work adds it to a customized map so the visitor can find the artwork in the Museum and experience it in person.

The app has three main goals: to demonstrate the collection’s diversity, direct visitors to works of art in the galleries, and gather data on visitor tastes, which is used to develop educational programming.

Demonstrating the app’s ability to engage and empower visitors, audience surveys found that 87 percent of users feel more comfortable walking around the Museum after using the app. Respondents also report that the app sparks conversations, particularly between caregivers and children, and helps them discover artworks and new areas of the Museum. The number of users continues to grow as the High refreshes the featured artworks to introduce new discoveries to returning visitors.

Greene Family Learning Gallery:

To mark the 50th anniversary of its commitment to family spaces, the High debuted a total redesign of its Greene Family Learning Gallery with new interactive environments in 2018. Located adjacent to the Robinson Atrium in the Stent Family Wing, the Greene Family Learning Gallery expanded to include a 2,000-square-foot space across the hall from its previous footprint. The design, informed by years of visitor observation, community expert input and research, offers a welcoming, safe and fun environment that is child-centered and directed with age-appropriate activities for kids ranging from babies to 8-year-olds. The open-ended, intuitive, multisensory elements, designed to be inclusive for all, combine cutting-edge technology with hands-on activities. In 2019, these spaces remained extremely popular with families, with lines to enter the gallery during the Museum’s busy Second Sunday events.

Creative Aging and Lifelong Learning:

In addition to serving families, the High is expanding its commitment to lifelong learners, including older adult audiences, from empty nesters to retirees, who represent a growing population in Atlanta. A study by the Atlanta Regional Commission estimates that by 2030, approximately one in four people in the city will be over the age of 60. To better serve this audience, the Museum is restructuring its education department and has filled a dedicated full-time position to spearhead the High’s Creative Aging initiative. The Head of Creative Aging and Lifelong Learning is working with senior leadership to develop signature programs for visitors aged 55+, including art appreciation courses and art-making workshops, informed by research in the field. In November 2020, the High will host the National Convening on Museums and Creative Aging with the American Alliance of Museums, bringing together experts from across the country to explore how the field can better engage older adults and activate aging communities.

Teens Programs:

2019 marked the ninth anniversary of the High’s Teen Team, a group of dynamic high school students from around Atlanta who bring varied perspectives and life experiences to the High. Teen Team is a paid, one-year program that includes participating in an eight-week summer intensive, which is designed to cultivate a pipeline of talented, diverse students interested in pursuing museum careers. Among the goals of the Teen Team is to ensure the Museum’s exhibitions and programs are inclusive and relevant for the diverse communities it serves. Teen Team members plan the monthly Friday Night Kickback events for teens and the annual Teen Night event, give monthly tours in the galleries and conduct Art Talks Back, a partnership developed with Emory University’s Ethics and Arts Program. Since its inception, Teen Team has fostered 140 teen employees and served 38,079 teens through special events and initiatives organized and inspired by the Teen Team members. On March 14, 2020, the High and the Teen Team will host Teen Convene, an event designed for museums and organizations that will focus on developing teen curriculum. Attendees will include teens and professionals from statewide and regional museums that have a teen program or have aspirations to create a teen program and local organizations with missions and programs that serve teens.

Mellon Fellowship Programs:

In 2019, the High, Emory University’s art history department and the Michael C. Carlos Museum received a $1 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to continue the Mellon Object-Centered Curatorial Research Fellowship Program for the next five years. Launched in 2012, the program offers Emory University art history doctoral candidates the opportunity to pursue object-based curatorial study under the direction of a collaborative team of curators, scholars and conservators from the partnering institutions. The fellowship culminates with a scholarly paper on a primary object, which is published as part of a digital publication series at the High to enable broader access to the students’ research. Since 2012, 15 fellows have completed the program.

This past fall, the High welcomed the sixth class of fellows designated for The Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program, a collaboration with the Art Institute of Chicago; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH); the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The two-year, hands-on fellowship provides specialized training to students across the United States from historically underrepresented groups in the curatorial field and supports the goal of promoting inclusive, pluralistic museums.

Located in the heart of Atlanta, the High Museum of Art connects with audiences from across the Southeast and around the world through its distinguished collection, dynamic schedule of special exhibitions and engaging community-focused programs. Housed within facilities designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architects Richard Meier and Renzo Piano, the High features a collection of more than 17,000 works of art, including an extensive anthology of 19th- and 20th-century American fine and decorative arts; major holdings of photography and folk and self-taught work, especially that of artists from the American South; burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, including paintings, sculpture, new media and design; a growing collection of African art, with work dating from prehistory through the present; and significant holdings of European paintings and works on paper. The High is dedicated to reflecting the diversity of its communities and to offering a variety of exhibitions and educational programs that engage visitors with the world of art, the lives of artists and the creative process. For more information about the High, visit www.high.org.

Free Admission to Civics Exhibitions for College Students Through 2020

As election year 2020 begins, the New-York Historical Society is launching a series of special exhibitions that address the cornerstones of citizenship and American democracy. Starting on Presidents’ Day Weekend, visitors to Meet the Presidents will discover how the role of the president has evolved since George Washington with a re-creation of the White House Oval Office and a new gallery devoted to the powers of the presidency. Opening on the eve of Women’s History Month, Women March marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment with an immersive celebration of 200 years of women’s political and social activism. Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic explores the important roles state constitutions have played in the history of our country, while The People Count: The Census in the Making of America documents the critical role played by the U.S. Census in the 19th century—just in time for the 2020 Census.

To encourage first-time voters to learn about our nation’s history and civic as they get ready to vote in the presidential election, New-York Historical Society offers free admission to the exhibitions above to college students with ID through 2020, an initiative supported, in part, by The History Channel. This special program allows college students to access New-York Historical’s roster of upcoming exhibitions that explore the pillars of American democracy as they prepare to vote, most of them for the first time.

“The year 2020 is a momentous time for both the past and future of American politics, as the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, coincides with both a presidential election and a census year,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of New-York Historical. “This suite of complementary exhibitions showcases the ideas and infrastructure behind our American institutions that establish and protect our fundamental rights to make our voices heard and opinions count. We hope that all visitors will come away with a wider understanding of the important role each citizen plays in our democracy.”

Meet the Presidents, February 14 – ongoing

Opening on Presidents’ Day Weekend, a special permanent gallery on New-York Historical’s fourth floor features a detailed re-creation of the White House Oval Office, where presidents have exercised their powers, duties, and responsibilities since 1909. Visitors to New-York Historical can explore the Oval Office, hear audio recordings of presidential musings, and even sit behind a version of the President’s Resolute Desk for a photo op.

Presidents can furnish the Oval Office to suit their own tastes, and this re-creation evokes the decor of President Ronald Reagan’s second term, widely considered a classic interpretation of Oval Office design. The Resolute Desk, which has been used by almost every president, was presented by Queen Victoria of England in friendship to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. The original was made from timbers from the British Arctic explorer ship H.M.S. Resolute, which was trapped in the ice, recovered by an American whaling ship, and returned to England. Other elements reminiscent of the Reagan-era on view include a famous jar of jelly beans, an inspirational plaque reading “It can be done,” and artist Frederic Remington’s Bronco Buster bronze sculpture of a rugged cowboy fighting to stay on a rearing horse.

The Suzanne Peck and Brian Friedman Meet the Presidents Gallery traces, through artwork and objects, the evolution of the presidency and executive branch and how presidents have interpreted and fulfilled their leadership role. Highlights include the actual Bible used during George Washington’s inauguration in 1789 and a student scrapbook from 1962 chronicling JFK’s leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Meet the Presidents is curated by Marci Reaven, vice president of history exhibits, and Lily Wong, assistant curator.

Women March, February 28 – August 30

For as long as there has been a United States, women have organized to shape the nation’s politics and secure their rights as citizens. Their collective action has taken many forms, from abolitionist petitions to industry-wide garment strikes to massive marches for an Equal Rights Amendment. Women March celebrates the centennial of the 19th Amendment—which granted women the right to vote in 1920—as it explores the efforts of a diverse array of women to expand American democracy in the centuries before and after the suffrage victory. On view in the Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery, Women March is curated by Valerie Paley, the director of the Center for Women’s History and New-York Historical senior vice president and chief historian, with the Center for Women’s History curatorial team. The immersive exhibition features imagery and video footage of women’s collective action over time, drawing visitors into a visceral engagement with the struggles that have endured into the 21st century.

The exhibition begins with the many ways women asserted political influence long before they even demanded the vote. Objects and images demonstrate how they risked criticism for speaking against slavery, signed petitions against Indian Removal, raised millions to support the Civil War, and protested reduced wages and longer days. A riveting recreation of an 1866 speech by African American suffragist and activist Frances Harper demonstrates the powerful debates at women’s rights conventions. Absence of the vote hardly prevented women from running for political office: one engaging item on display is a campaign ribbon for Belva Lockwood, the first woman to argue before the Supreme Court, who won around 4,000 votes in her own presidential bid.

Multiple perspectives on the vote, including African American and working-class activism, are explored, upending popular assumptions that suffragists were a homogenous group. The 19th Amendment is hailed as a crucial step forward, but recognized as an incomplete victory. One photograph shows an African American women’s voter group in Georgia circa 1920, formed despite wide disenfranchisement, and another shows women of the League of Women Voters who sought to make suffragists’ goals real with legislation that addressed issues such as public health and child welfare. A digital interactive monitor invites visitors to explore the nuances of voting laws concerning women across the entire United States.

Offering an examination of women’s activism in the century after the Amendment, the exhibition concludes by showing how women engaged with issues such as safe workplaces, civil rights, reproductive justice, and freedom from violence. Photographs and video footage of women building warships, boycotting segregation, urging voters to register, and marching for the Equal Rights Amendment convey the urgency of their desire for full citizenship. The dynamism of women’s collective action continues to the present day with handmade signs from the 2017 Women’s Marches and footage of a variety of marches and speeches on topics ranging from reproductive justice to indigenous peoples’ rights to climate change. Visitors can also learn about many individuals who have been instrumental in women’s activism over the past 200 years in an interactive display compiled by New-York Historical’s Teen Leaders program. Meanwhile, young visitors can explore the exhibition with a special family guide.

Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic; February 28 – May 31

America has been singular among nations in fostering a vibrant culture of engagement with constitutional matters and the fundamental principles of government. Featuring more than 40 books and documents from the Dorothy Tapper Goldman Foundation’s collection, Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic illuminates America’s continuing debates on the role and limits of government and the fundamental rights of all citizens. From the early days of the American Revolution, to the American Civil War, to the eve of World War I, the rare and early printings of state and federal constitutions trace defining moments in American history and are testaments to our nation’s continuing experiment in self-government and the relentless quest for improvement.

Among the highlights on view is a rare example of the original Dunlap and Claypoole 1787 printing of the U.S. Constitution—one of few surviving copies. Manuscripts, such as the first known description of the Great Seal of America from 1782 and a certified 1802 handwritten copy of the 12th Amendment that altered the system for electing the president and vice president are also on view. The Choctaw Nation Constitution of 1838, written by members of the tribe forcibly relocated from Mississippi to Oklahoma, combines American constitutional forms with traditional practices in an effort to preserve self-government and prevent further violations of their fundamental rights. The Constitution of the Republic of Texas (1836) sanctioned slavery and led the United States to initially decline Texas’ requests for annexation; the inclusion of slavery in the Missouri Constitution of 1820 also led to a bitter fight in Congress to deny Missouri admission to the union. The progressive Louisiana Constitution of 1868 of the Civil War Reconstruction period prohibited segregation of schools by race. Kansas was the first of more than 30 states to prohibit alcohol with the Kansas State Prohibition Amendment of 1880, eventually leading to national Prohibition through the 18th Amendment in 1919. The Wyoming Constitution of 1889 declared that “male and female citizens” could exercise all rights equally, including the right “to vote and hold office”—three decades before federal ratification of the 19th Amendment. The bilingual New Mexico Constitution of 1910—Constitution of the State of New Mexico/Constitucion del Estado de Nuevo Mexico—guaranteed that all laws, including the constitution, would be published in both English and Spanish for at least 20 years.

Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic also includes a selection of songs from WNYC’s Radio Lab “27: The Most Perfect Album,” in which contemporary musicians were asked to interpret the 27 amendments of the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights in their own distinctive style with original new music. Musicians include Flor de Toloache, Sons of an Illustrious Father, Nana Grizol, Dolly Parton, and Caroline Shaw. The full album was conceived by the podcast More Perfect, a production of WNYC Studios, and is available for free online.

This exhibition is the first public viewing of these selected historical documents together, and after its run at New-York Historical, it travels to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia (June 12 – July 5, 2020). Curated by James F. Hrdlicka of Arizona State University with Michael Ryan, New-York Historical vice president and Sue Ann Weinberg director of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue written by Dr. Hrdlicka, with a foreword by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and with contributions by Dorothy Tapper Goldman and Robert McD. Parker.

The People Count: The Census in the Making of America, March 13 – June 7

What does it mean to be counted? As the 2020 Census kicks off, The People Count: The Census in the Making of America from the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection provides an in-depth look at the origins and story of the U. S. Census from 1790 through the 1800s, using 30 books and manuscripts that reveal the critical role the Census played in the development of the country. America became the first country to count its inhabitants for reasons of governing, as it dictates the number of House of Representatives seats that each state gets. In the 19th century as the country grew, so did the stakes of the census process, which further drove our nation west—and to war with itself.

The 2020 census will be the 24th decennial count undertaken without fail for 230 years. Censuses before the Constitution were the charge of the Board of Trade, which sent questionnaires to every colonial governor. “The Present State of the British Colonies in America” on display transcribes the results from 1773 to 1775, just as the American Revolution began, describing the people and land that England controlled at the time. On March 1, 1790, the First Census Act passed. The first census took 18 months to finish and counted almost 4 million people. Thomas Jefferson, then secretary of state, improvised a 56-page report, signing and circulating it privately, a copy of which is on view.

The People Count pays particular attention to the problem of the Three-Fifths Compromise, the census-related clause in the Constitution that regarded slaves equal to 60% of freepersons. Unable to vote, enslaved people unwittingly added to the political representation of slaveholders. Displayed in the exhibition is the 1860 census, which counted 3.95 million slaves, an eighth of all Americans, and uncovered that in 10 years the North had gained 41% more people while the South grew by only 27%. On view are printings of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Ninth Census—Volume I, The Statistics of the Population of the United States, the 1870 census, when there was no longer slaves to be counted for the first time in nine censuses.

In the wake of the Civil War as the population grew and expanded west, the 1880 census reports took eight years to finish. An 1890 copy of Scientific American illustrates how the counting was accomplished in less time with the Punched Card Tabulator system invented by Herman Hollerith, a former census employee from Buffalo, New York. Divided into four devices for perforating, reading, and sorting, workers completed 62.9 million returns of 30 questions in less than five years.

The People Count: The Census in the Making of America is curated by Mazy Boroujerdi, advisor to the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection, and by Michael Ryan, New-York Historical vice president and Sue Ann Weinberg director of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library.

Programming

Historians and scholars will engage in a slate of related conversations, lectures, and intimate salons throughout the winter and spring. Black women and the 19th Amendment (March 12), older women in American history (March 19), and the life of Harriet Tubman (April 14) are among the topics explored during Women March. Programs that focus on the spirit of the law and the separation of powers (April 30), foreign influence in the 2020 election (May 2), and the presidents vs. the press (May 21) illuminate the presidency and the importance of the Oval Office. Scholars discuss power, politics, and madness (February 22) and the enduring constitutional vision of the Warren Court (April 25), among other programs focused on civics.

Family programs that take place on select weekends throughout the exhibitions’ run bring history to life for young visitors. One of the highlights is International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, when families can make crafts and meet historical interpreters portraying famous and little known leaders of the women’s rights movement.

Lead support for the installation of the Oval Office provided by Ira A. Lipman with generous support from Richard Gilder and Leonard Lauder & Judy Lauder. The Suzanne Peck and Brian Friedman Meet the Presidents Gallery is made possible by a generous gift from Suzanne Peck and Brian Friedman. Construction of the Oval Office installation is supported, in part, by public funds from Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council as part of our Citizenship Project.

Lead corporate sponsorship for Women March is provided by Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker. Lead philanthropic support provided by the New York Life Foundation. Programs are sponsored by a Humanities New York Action Grant with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Generous support for Colonists, Citizens, and Constitutions provided by Paula and Tom McInerney.

Free admission to these exhibitions for college students in 2020 is supported in part by The History Channel.

Exhibitions at New-York Historical are made possible by Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang, the Saunders Trust for American History, the Seymour Neuman Endowed Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.

The New-York Historical Society, one of America’s preeminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering research and presenting history and art exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history. New-York Historical is also home to the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, one of the oldest, most distinguished libraries in the nation—and one of only 20 in the United States qualified to be a member of the Independent Research Libraries Association—which contains more than three million books, pamphlets, maps, newspapers, manuscripts, prints, photographs, and architectural drawings.

The New-York Historical Society is located at 170 Central Park West at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street), New York, NY 10024. Information: (212) 873-3400. Website: nyhistory.org. Follow the museum on social media at @nyhistory on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Tumblr.

Richard Armstrong, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation announced the appointment of Cyra Levenson to the position of Deputy Director and Gail Engelberg Director of Education and Public Engagement. Levenson will be responsible for the development and implementation of learning and engagement opportunities for modern and contemporary art and architecture at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and will have a significant role in partnering across the foundation’s international network. She comes to the Guggenheim Museum from the Cleveland Museum of Art, where she was Deputy Director and Head of Public and Academic Engagement. Levenson will begin her new position on March 3, 2020.

“For more than two decades, Cyra has built a distinguished career in museums with a powerful, public-centric vision focused on inclusivity and collaboration. Her enthusiastic and bold approach makes her the ideal person to advance our work ensuring constituencies of all ages and backgrounds have access to the transformative and meaningful experiences that art provides,” stated Armstrong. “We look forward to her being in active dialogue across the Guggenheim’s international constellation and furthering our mission of presenting the art of today.”

“The Guggenheim is a place that is dedicated to the exchange between artists and the broader world, making it possible to explore new ways of seeing and new ways of understanding,” said Cyra Levenson. “I’m honored to be able to play a part in that wonderful expanding vision.”

A vital member of the Guggenheim’s senior leadership team and executive cabinet, Levenson will head the Education Department’s activities to develop, present, and cultivate learning and engagement for all visitors, including youth, families, and adults. Levenson will introduce content that explores the collection and exhibitions and oversee programming that serves an average of 250,000 students, teachers, scholars, artists, and members of the public each year.

She will provide leadership for the museum’s ongoing school and family programs, internships, access programs, and interpretive and public programs, including the longstanding Learning Through Art artist residency program in New York City public schools, and, with the museum’s curatorial team, the Guggenheim Social Practice initiative. Working closely with the Board of Trustees’ Education Committee and the museum’s senior leadership, she will assist in establishing and sustaining relationships with cultural organizations, academic groups, and funders. She will also partner with education colleagues at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, and will develop program and audience engagement strategies for the future museum in Abu Dhabi.

Levenson has served at the Cleveland Museum of Art since 2016, where she most recently was Deputy Director and Head of Public and Academic Engagement. In this role, she was responsible for leading all aspects of public and academic engagement, including public programming, academic affairs, interpretation of the collection and exhibitions, and community engagement. She established a community participation process for capital projects and led efforts to implement the museum’s diversity, equity, and inclusion plan as well as a strategic planning process with Case Western Reserve University. Previously, Levenson served as the Curator of Education and Academic Outreach at the Yale Center for British Art. She was also the Co-executive Secretary of the Yale-Smithsonian Partnership and was responsible for developing and leading the academic and public engagement initiative between the two institutions. Levenson has also held positions in the museum education field at The Rubin Museum of Art, The Heritage School in New York, and Seattle Art Museum. She holds a Master of Education degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College. Her research interests include creativity and cognition, visual literacy, and critical pedagogy.

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation was established in 1937 and is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications. The international constellation of museums includes the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice; the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao; and the future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. An architectural icon and “temple of spirit” where radical art and architecture meet, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is now among a group of eight Frank Lloyd Wright structures in the United States recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. To learn more about the museum and the Guggenheim’s activities around the world, visit guggenheim.org.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery presents a portrait of the late Kobe Bryant (1978 – 2020), marking the death of the famed American athlete. The 2007 gelatin silver print photograph by Rick Chapman will be on view on the museum’s first floor until further notice.

Born in Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant was the son of a well-traveled basketball player, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. He spent some of his youth in Italy, where his father played professionally for a European league, before moving back to Philadelphia, where he was drafted out of high school in 1996. Bryant spent nearly his entire career as a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. He won five NBA championships and scored 33,643 points during his career. Bryant was the league MVP in the 2007–2008 season and an 18-time All Star. While his skills on the court were undeniable, Bryant was extremely competitive and known for his temper. And, in 2003, his image was tarnished when he was charged with sexual assault, causing him to lose endorsement deals. He and the accuser reached a settlement in 2004.

After retiring from basketball in 2016, Bryant founded Granity Studios. Dear Basketball, which he wrote and narrated, won the Academy Award for best animated short film in 2018.

On Jan. 26, 2020, a helicopter crash resulted in the untimely death of Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers. Bryant leaves behind his wife of almost 19 years, Vanessa, and three other children.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery tells the multifaceted story of the United States through the individuals who have shaped American culture. Spanning the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives tell the American story.

The National Portrait Gallery is part of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture at Eighth and F streets N.W., Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Information: (202) 633-1000. Connect with the museum at npg.si.edu, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Curators from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History are traveling to a variety of campaign events, including the Feb. 3 Iowa caucus and the Feb. 11 New Hampshire primary to collect materials and memorabilia reflecting the electoral process. In addition to Iowa and New Hampshire, political history curators Lisa Kathleen Graddy, Jon Grinspan and Claire Jerry will collect from the Democratic and Republican national conventions this summer to augment the national collection, as well as from debates, rallies, protests and digital campaign activities.

“By actively collecting new materials at the primaries and the party conventions every four years, the museum documents the political campaign process and can share the spirit and complexity of the presidential campaigns with the American public, both now and in the future,” said Anthea M. Hartig, the Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the museum.

The museum’s Political Campaign collection of more than 100,000 objects is the largest of its kind, containing artifacts dating as far back as the inauguration of President George Washington. The collection includes items related to presidential history and political campaigning, as well as the history of the White House and first ladies; civil rights, women’s suffrage and reform movements; the World War II home front; and labor history.

“These objects represent a celebration of democracy and how people and parties express their identity and their campaigns,” Jerry said. “Whether it’s handmade or mass-generated, each object represents history in the making by showing how candidates communicate with the public and how the public in turn communicates with the candidates.”

The broader political history collection includes some of the country’s most important national treasures, including the small portable desk on which the future President Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, the top hat President Abraham Lincoln wore the night he was assassinated and items from the 2016 presidential election.

The museum will open an exhibition on the power of campaign rhetoric and language in July 2020 prior to the party conventions. The display will share the value and role of political or campaign words and language; encouraging visitors to look beyond the sound bites. It will feature historical images and an array of words in a super-graphic as well as a podium from the 1976 presidential debate, a speech timer from the 2012 convention and campaign material from 1896, 1964 and 1992. Words themselves will be considered “objects.”

The ongoing collecting is an initiative to acquire materials that capture the atmosphere and the democratic spirit of the primaries and conventions. It allows researchers and visitors to observe and compare how each election season brings new trends, strategies and methods of communication to the political forefront. A large selection of objects collected in the past is on view in “American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith,” an exhibition that examines the bold experiment to create a government “of the people, by the people and for the people.

Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History explores the infinite richness and complexity of American history. It helps people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future. The museum is located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th streets, and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free. For more information, visit http://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000. On social, the museum can be found on Facebook at @americanhistory, and on Twitter and Instagram at @amhistorymuseum.

Harry J. Elam, Jr., Pamela J. Joyner and Sonya Yu Join the Museum’s Board of Trustees

Davida Lindsay-Bell and Ann von Germeten Assume Senior Roles for the Museum

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) yesterday announced the election of three new members to its Board of Trustees: Harry J. Elam, Jr., Pamela J. Joyner and Sonya Yu. Each will serve a three-year term, effective immediately. The new trustees bring substantial experience in education, philanthropy, collecting, creativity and technology to their board service.

In addition, the museum announces the appointment of two senior leaders: Davida Lindsay-Bell joins as chief human resources officer and Ann von Germeten joins as chief marketing and communications officer.

New Trustees

HARRY J. ELAM, JR.

Harry J. Elam, Jr. is the Olive H. Palmer Professor in the Humanities, the Senior Vice Provost for Education, the Vice President for the Arts and the Freeman-Thornton Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education at Stanford University.

Elam is an internationally recognized scholar on African American theater and performance, most particularly on the late playwright August Wilson. He is the author and editor of seven books, including the Erroll Hill Prize-winning The Past as Present in the Drama of August Wilson. His articles and essays have appeared in a wide variety of journals and collections in the United States and abroad.

Professor Elam is the winner of the Betty Jean Jones Award for Outstanding Teaching from the American Theatre and Drama Society, the winner of the Excellence in Editing Award from the Association of Theatre in Higher Education and the winner of the Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Society of Theatre Research. He was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre in 2006 and, in 2014, awarded the Career Achievement Award from the Association of Theatre in Higher Education. In October 2019, Elam was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. At Stanford, he has been awarded six different teaching awards.

In addition to his scholarly work, Elam has directed professionally for over 25 years. Most notably, he has directed many of August Wilson’s plays, including Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Two Trains Running, and Fences, the latter of which won eight Bay Area “Choice” Awards.

Professor Elam received his AB from Harvard College in 1978 and his PhD in Dramatic Arts from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1984.

PAMELA J. JOYNER

Pamela J. Joyner has nearly 30 years of experience in the investment industry. She is the founder of Avid Partners, LLC, where her expertise has been in the alternative investment arena. Currently, Joyner is focused on her philanthropic interests in the arts and education.

Joyner is a trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago and the J. Paul Getty Trust, chair of the Tate Americas Foundation and a member of the Tate International Council and the Tate North America Acquisitions Committee. She is also a member of the Director’s Circle of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and a member of the Modern and Contemporary Art Visiting Committee of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the education arena, Joyner serves on the board of the Art + Practice foundation in Los Angeles.

Joyner’s previous philanthropic positions included serving as a member of President Obama’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities; a trustee of Dartmouth College and chair of its Investment Committee; a trustee of the New York City Ballet; a board member of the School of American Ballet; a trustee and co-chair of the San Francisco Ballet Association; a board member of the MacDowell Colony; and a trustee of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, as well as other arts and educational organizations.

SONYA YU

Sonya Yu is a business coach, creative director, startup advisor and philanthropist dedicated to cultivating local creative communities and driving positive social impact. She is also a photographer, and her clients include Trick Dog, PayPal, Instagram, Postmates, Yumi and many more. Yu is also the co-founder of fouronenine, a multidisciplinary studio space supporting creativity and culture in San Francisco, curated by herself and Zachary Lara.

Yu is on the Board of Directors for SFFilm, and co-chaired the SFFilm Awards Gala in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She also sits on the Board of Overseers for the Hammer Museum; Board of Advisors for Re:Store Justice; and Board of Directors for Active Cultures. Yu joined the FOG Design+Art Fair committee in 2019.

SFMOMA Senior Leadership

DAVIDA LINDSAY-BELL, Chief Human Resources Officer

Davida Lindsay-Bell joins SFMOMA with over 20 years in the human resources field. Most recently, she was vice president, people and culture, at Imperfect Foods, a mission-driven organization that reduces food waste while simultaneously lowering the cost of groceries to build a better food system for everyone. Prior to that, she held senior human resources positions at Kaiser Permanente and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. Throughout her professional history, Lindsay-Bell has played an integral role in fostering collaboration and developing progressive programs to grow high performing teams and achieve companywide transformational goals.

Lindsay-Bell joins the museum’s executive team, where she will lead all HR and staff engagement functions, including recruitment and development, employee experience, internal communication and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Lindsay-Bell holds BS and MA degrees in organizational behavior and industrial organizational psychology from the University of San Francisco and Capella University, respectively.

ANN VON GERMETEN, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

Ann von Germeten joined SFMOMA in December as chief marketing and communications officer, having served in this role in an interim capacity since last summer. She is responsible for the museum’s branding, communications, marketing and advertising programs.

Previously, von Germeten served as executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Bank of the West where she was responsible for brand and advertising, multi-channel marketing and CRM, corporate sponsorships and events.

Prior to joining the bank in 2013, she spent 15 years at Charles Schwab where she held a variety of leadership roles in brand, advertising, marketing and communications, analytics and product/segment marketing. Von Germeten also has extensive experience in consumer packaged goods, both in-house and on the agency side, having worked earlier in her career at Procter & Gamble, Leo Burnett and Philip Morris. She previously served on the SFMOMA Board of Trustees’ marketing and communications committee.

Von Germeten earned an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum announces the 2020 “Exploring Space Lecture Series.” This year’s four-part series will look at the universe through a variety of lenses. Each of the lectures will take place at 8 p.m. in the museum’s Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater and all are free to the public. Lectures will be followed by night-sky observation in the museum’s Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory, weather permitting.

The National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is located at 655 Jefferson Drive. The museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Va., near Washington Dulles International Airport. Both facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free, but there is a $15 fee for parking before 4 p.m. at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

One hundred years ago, astronomers using optical telescopes questioned whether the universe was composed of stars, or of systems of stars called galaxies. Since then, this “Great Debate” has shifted to more and more precise questions. The 2020 Exploring Space Lecture Series will feature discussions on the mysteries of the Sun, new information on black holes, and the roles that the Spitzer and Event Horizon telescopes have played in shaping the parameters of this constantly-evolving debate.

Scheduled Programs

Feb. 11: “The Sun in a New Light”

• Mark Cheung, senior staff physicist at the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center

Mar. 18: “More Things in the Heavens: Infrared Exploration with the Spitzer Space Telescope”

• Michael Werner, Spritzer Space Telescope project scientist

Apr. 24: “When Did the Universe Begin?”

• Wendy Freedman, John and Marion Sullivan University Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago

May 14: “Seeing the Unseeable: Capturing an Image of a Black Hole”

• Sheperd Doeleman, founding director of the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration

The series is made possible by the support of Aerojet Rocketdyne and United Launch Alliance.

For more information on each lecture and to request free tickets, visit: https://airandspace.si.edu/event-series/exploring-space-lectures. The lectures will also be webcast at www.airandspace.si.edu/live.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery presents “Visionary: The Cumming Family Collection,” revealing the results of over 25 years of inspired collecting by Ian and Annette Cumming. The exhibition will feature commissioned portraits of internationally recognized subjects by prominent American artists such as Chuck Close, Robert McCurdy and Nelson Shanks. “Visionary: The Cumming Family Collection” is curated by Brandon Brame Fortune, the National Portrait Gallery’s chief curator. The exhibition will be on view April 24–Jan. 18, 2021.

Beginning in 1995, the Cummings worked with their friend D. Dodge Thompson to commission or acquire over two dozen portraits of national and global leaders. The collection includes likenesses of Warren Buffett, Al Gore, Denyce Graves, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Toni Morrison and E.O. Wilson, all of which were created by important American artists. Twenty-two of the portraits that will be on view are gifts or promised gifts to the Portrait Gallery, among them “The Four Justices” by Shanks, an iconic group portrait featuring the women of the Supreme Court: Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

“There is a long history of commissioning portraits for public institutions,” Fortune said. “Commissioning portraits for a personal collection, however, has become very rare. We are fortunate to receive this substantial gift of works by leading American artists and thank the Cumming family for their support of artists and their generosity toward the museum.”

In America’s early years, a few patrons commissioned portraits from leading artists of the day. Thomas Jefferson, for example, chose to support representations of the great heroes of the American Revolution and leaders in government, science and the arts. Today, Ian and Annette Cumming’s vision and enlightened patronage have resulted in portraits of figures whose work has advanced the fields of art, science and business, as well as civil rights and activism.

The exhibition’s main corridor will be dedicated to portraits by McCurdy. Major works by Jack Beal, Close, Richard Estes, Alex Katz and Shanks will be on view in the adjacent galleries. Portraits in the exhibition span the years 1984 to 2020.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery tells the multifaceted story of the United States through the individuals who have shaped American culture. Spanning the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives tell the American story.

The National Portrait Gallery is part of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture at Eighth and F streets N.W., Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Information: (202) 633-1000. Connect with the museum at npg.si.edu, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

In Collaboration With The Denver Art Museum, Rhythm and Ritual: Music of the Ancient Americas will feature nearly 80 artworks

Denver’s Latin American Art Museum, Museo de las Americas (Museo), located in the heart of the Art District on Santa Fe, is pleased to announce a collaboration with the Denver Art Museum (DAM) in creating its new exhibition, Rhythm and Ritual: Music of the Ancient Americas. The presentation will explore music of the ancient Americas through about 80 artworks that date from 1000 BCE to 1530 CE. Rhythm and Ritual will be on view at Museo from Thursday, March 26, 2020 to Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, with an opening event taking place on March 26, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Museo.

“As a community museum, it is important that our programming brings awareness to the history and present issues of the Latino community,” said Claudia Moran, Executive Director of Museo. “We are very excited to present Rhythm and Ritual, which is a unique exhibition that takes an in-depth look into the ancient civilizations’ relationship with music. Museo is deeply thankful to the Denver Art Museum for their colossal efforts to showcase their exceptional collection in our galleries, underlining their commitment to Latino culture.”

Works on view in Rhythm and Ritual will analyze the context in which music was performed throughout the ancient Americas, celebrate the lasting legacy of ancient music today, and invite visitors to play music on a limited selection of 3-D printed replicas of the musical instruments on display. The exhibition will feature works on loan from the DAM as well as a commissioned mural by local artist David Ocelotl Garcia and a video by Brazilian-born artist Clarissa Tossin.

The exhibition is co-organized by Museo and the DAM, and is curated by Jared Katz, Mayer Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow for Art of the Ancient Americas at the DAM.

“Museo de las Americas is a vital pillar in our cultural community, and we’re always thrilled when we have the opportunity to partner with them,” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the DAM. “This is also an ideal opportunity for us to showcase works from the Denver Art Museum’s ancient Americas collection while the Martin Building is under renovation.”

The exhibition also will take a closer look at the rich and multi-sensory cultural experiences encountered by people living throughout the ancient Americas by exploring how sound and music impacted their daily and ceremonial lives. Additionally, Rhythm and Ritual will take a deeper dive into related subjects such as music from geographic regions that include Costa Rica, Ecuador, the ancient Andes, and the ancient Maya area.

“At times, the past can appear to be static, as the objects are seemingly condemned to sit in silence,” Katz said. “In reality, each object has a rich life history. Rhythm and Ritual seeks to celebrate the life history of these instruments by populating people’s perception of the past with sound and music, helping museum visitors better understand the lived experiences of ancient people, while simultaneously creating a connection to culture and music that endures today.”

Exhibition curator Katz is currently the Mayer Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow for Art of the Ancient Americas at the DAM. He received his Ph.D. in Anthropology, with a focus on Mesoamerican Archaeology from the University of California, Riverside. He specializes in the study of ancient Mesoamerican music and digital archaeological methodologies. Katz has published numerous articles on the topic, and has held research positions at institutions, including the University of Texas at Austin’s Mesoamerican research center in Guatemala and Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Museum.

Amongst his other positions, he has held a University of California Public Scholars Fellowship, a Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship, and a University of California Chancellors Distinguished Fellowship.

Museo de las Americas is the premier Latin American Art Museum of the Rocky Mountain region. Located in the heart of the Art District on Santa Fe, Museo is dedicated to educate our community through collecting, preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting the diverse arts and culture of the Americas, from ancient to contemporary, through innovative exhibitions and programming.

Location

• Museo de las Americas, 861 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204

Hours

• Tuesday–Friday: 12 p.m.–6 p.m.
• Saturday: 12 p.m.–5 p.m.
• Sunday–Monday: Closed

Admission

• $8.00 Adults

• $5.00 Students/Military/Artists/Seniors/Denver Art Museum members
• FREE – Children 12 years of age and under
• FREE – Museo de las Americas members

The Denver Art Museum is an educational, nonprofit resource that sparks creative thinking and expression through transformative experiences with art. Its holdings reflect the city and region—and provide invaluable ways for the community to learn about cultures from around the world. Metro citizens support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a unique funding source serving hundreds of metro Denver arts, culture and scientific organizations. For museum information, call 720-865-5000 or visit www.denverartmuseum.org.

January 30–May 10, 2020, The Met Fifth Avenue, Floor 1, Gallery 199

From the first millennium, Africa’s western Sahel—a vast area on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, spanning what is today Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger—was the birthplace of a succession of influential states fueled by regional and global trade networks. On view now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara will be the first exhibition of its kind to trace the cultural legacy of the region, including the legendary empires of Ghana (300–1200), Mali (1230–1600), Songhay (1464–1591), and Segu (1640–1861). The exhibition will bring together some 200 works that were created in parallel to these developments, including spectacular sculptures in wood, stone, fired clay, and bronze; gold and cast metal artifacts; woven and dyed textiles; and illuminated manuscripts.

“This exhibition will celebrate the extraordinary—though relatively unfamiliar—cultural traditions of the western Sahel,” said Max Hollein, Director of The Met. “We’re deeply grateful to our colleagues around the world, especially in the Sahel, for lending the works of art that will bring this fascinating history to life. These highly innovative creations are sure to inspire a greater understanding of the Sahel’s complex history, and the pivotal events that unfolded in this global crossroads. Given the pressing matters confronting the region today, it’s especially important to reflect on its legacy of creative dynamism with our audiences.”

The exhibition will bring into focus such transformative moments as the development of urbanism, the rise and fall of political dynasties, and the arrival of Islam. Highlights will include loans from the region’s national collections that will travel to the United States for the first time, such as a magnificent ancient terracotta equestrian figure (3rd through 11th century) excavated at the site of Bura in 1985, from the Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines, Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger; a rare 12th-century gold pectoral from Rao that is a Senegalese national treasure from the collection of the Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar; and the Timbuktu manuscripts from the Mamma Haidara Memorial Library in Mali.

“Although the material artifacts created in the Sahel we will be presenting constitute our most immediate connection to its past, they have largely remained isolated and detached from the region’s history and succession of legendary states,” said Alisa LaGamma, Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Curator in Charge of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. “What is today southcentral Mali is renowned for its traditions of wood sculpture produced by Dogon and Bamana masters. This exhibition seeks to anchor those more fully in what has been an ever-changing cultural landscape and situate them in relation to a more expansive array of its artistic landmarks. The immersive experience of this presentation will take you on a journey that underscores a many-layered past. A sense of continuity in the visualization of ideals of power and leadership will be embodied in a cavalcade of equestrian figures produced by regional artists over the course of the last millennium, led by the commanding Bura example from present-day Niger showcasing a breathtaking amount of detail down to the figure’s adornment of stacked bracelets and chokers and his mount’s harness.”

“There is so much focus on the challenges that the Sahel faces today: increasing desertification owing to climate change, security threats from extremists, and perilous desert and ocean crossings to Europe faced by migrants,” said Mamadou Diouf, Leitner Family Professor of African History at Columbia University, and a key curatorial advisor to the exhibition. “This presentation provides an opportunity to wonder at the Sahel’s legacy of creative ingenuity and resilience going back millennia.”

The exhibition’s opening gallery will dramatically juxtapose ancient sculptural creations, from the monumental to the miniature. An eighth-century three-ton megalith in the form of a lyre, originally from what is today the UNESCO World Heritage site of Wanar—now a fixture of downtown Dakar in Senegal, just outside the Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop (IFAN Ch. A. Diop)—will be seen in relation to a nearly three-inch female torso known as the Venus of Thiaroye (pre-2000 B.C.), also in the IFAN Ch. A. Diop collection.

The exhibition will afford a broad survey of the region’s visual arts in relation to major historical events and architectural monuments across the western Sahel. Among the compelling works assembled are two terracotta sculptural representations created in Mali’s Inland Niger Delta dating from the 12th to the 14th century: a corpulent reclining figure of a male potentate excavated at Jenne-jeno that is a centerpiece of the Musée National du Mali, Bamako, and, from The Menil Collection in Houston, a kneeling female figure in a posture of intense devotion. A procession of 14 mounted warriors will extend the length of the exhibition—led by Niger’s iconic third-century Bura terracotta equestrian, unearthed in a necropolis, and culminating in a rider carved by a 19th-century Bamana master from Mali as a communal allegory of power. The adoption of Islam in the Sahel in the 11th century as well as the impact of global trade across the region will be illustrated through precious documents, including an illuminated portolan map on vellum from the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris, produced in 1413 by the Majorcan cartographer Mecia de Viladestes.

The latest installment in a program of long-term African art research projects developed by The Met—previous exhibitions include Kongo: Power and Majesty (2015), Heroic Africans: Legendary Leaders, Iconic Sculptures (2011), and Eternal Ancestors: The Art of the Central African Reliquary (2007)—Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara will foreground major artistic movements from sub-Saharan Africa. The exhibition and its accompanying catalogue will bring together a range of cross-disciplinary perspectives on the material, with contributions from historians specializing in oral traditions and Islam, archaeologists, philosophers, and art historians. In developing this project over the last four years, The Met has consulted and collaborated with numerous scholars in the humanities, including Roderick McIntosh (Professor and Curator of Anthropology at Yale University); Mamadou Diouf (Leitner Family Professor of African History at Columbia University); Mamadou Cissé (Chief of the Cultural Mission of Kangaba Direction Nationale du Patrimoine Culturel du Mali); Paulo F. de Moraes Farias FBA (Department of African Studies and Anthropology University of Birmingham, United Kingdom); David Conrad (Emeritus Professor of History State University of New York at Oswego); Souleymane Bachir Diagne (Director of the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University); Ibrahima Thiaw (Associate Professor Archaeology Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar); Ralph Austen (Professor Emeritus of African History at the University of Chicago); David Robinson (Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Michigan); and Abdourahmane Seck (Faculty of Civilizations, Religions, Arts, and Communication University Gaston Berger of Saint Louis, Senegal).

Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara will bring together works from the national collections of Mali, Niger, Mauritania, and Senegal for the first time. Key lenders include Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen (Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden), Netherlands; Musée Barbier-Mueller, Geneva, and the Museum Rietberg, Zurich, Switzerland; Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Fondation Dapper, and Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, Paris, France; Museum Ulm, Germany; The Menil Collection (Houston), The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City), and Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven), United States; Office National des Musées de Mauritanie, Mauritania; Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines and the Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger; Mamma Haidara Memorial Library, Timbuktu, and the Musée National du Mali, Bamako, Mali; and Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal.

This exhibition will open just ahead of the renovation and re-envisioning of The Met’s Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, the 40,000 square feet of galleries devoted to the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. This major redesign of the galleries is a vital part of the Museum’s long-term commitment to advancing the presentation and study of Africa’s contributions to a history of world art.

The exhibition is organized by The Met’s Alisa LaGamma, Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Curator in Charge, Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, with the assistance of Yaëlle Biro, Associate Curator, and Research Associate Hakimah Abdul-Fattah.

The exhibition is made possible by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the Gail and Parker Gilbert Fund, the Diane W. and James E. Burke Fund, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Laura G. & James J. Ross, and The International Council of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The catalogue is made possible in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The MCS Endowment Fund.

In conjunction with Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara, two doctoral candidates in archaeology from Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal have been invited by The Met to participate in a four-month curatorial training fellowship, which began in December 2019. They will join the curatorial team in the Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas in installing the exhibition and engaging in its public programming over the following months.

Related Programs

A range of programs and performances has been organized to complement the exhibition.

Concerts by powerhouse musicians from Senegal and Mali include the world renowned and Grammy Award-winner Baaba Maal in a rare acoustic program on March 9, 2020, and the guitar master Vieux Farka Touré on April 3, 2020.

An evening of “Storytelling and West African Cinema,” on February 20, will bring together a panel of established and rising filmmakers, led by Mahen Bonetti, Founder of the African Film Festival, to discuss the power of films to capture the essence of the Sahel and its narrative tradition.

A series of in-gallery “Conversations with…” tours with curators Alisa LaGamma and Yaëlle Biro will take place on the afternoons of February 21 and April 3, respectively.

On Sunday, March 8, from 1 to 4 p.m., “Family Afternoons—Stories of the Sahara” will welcome families with children of all ages and abilities for art making, gallery activities, and Storytime.

A Sunday at The Met program, on April 5 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., entitled “Histories of the Sahel,” will bring together a panel including Mamadou Diouf (Columbia University), Michael Gomez (New York University), David Robinson (Michigan State University), and François-Xavier Fauvelle (Collège de France) and will be moderated by award-winning journalist Howard French.

Also in April, “MetFridays: Sahel” will celebrate the culture and history of the Sahel region with an evening of artist talks, performances, demonstrations, and participation from local community partners.

The exhibition will be featured on The Met website, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. There will also be a series of Met blog posts that explore a variety of themes related to Sahel, including oral traditions, scholarly contributions, and behind-the-scenes experiences while mounting the exhibition.

Expand your understanding of graphic design with the Insights Design Lecture Series, presenting five leading designers from around the world. Dive into the thinking behind their work, then hang out after the lectures to meet the speakers, grab a drink, and chat with your fellow design lovers. This year’s lineup features branding expert Leland Maschmeyer, LA multidisciplinarian Daniel DeSure, hyper-aesthete Hassan Rahim, magazine expert Veronica Ditting, and a special, bonus lecture from design ethicist Ruben Pater.

Directly following each lecture, meet the speakers, grab a drink, and chat with fellow design lovers in the Walker’s Main Lobby or in Esker Grove.

Watch Anywhere: Insights Viewing Parties

If you can’t make it here in person this year, consider having an Insights Viewing Party with and watch the livestream on walkerart.org. Send in your comments and questions for the speakers via Twitter (#InsightsDesign).

LECTURE SCHEDULE

Leland Maschmeyer, Chobani, March 3, 7 pm

Future-oriented designer and creative director Leland Maschmeyer unearths captivating stories hidden within the most unlikely contexts. As co-founder of design agency Collins, Maschmeyer helped reimagine brands such as Spotify, Airbnb, and Facebook. He joined Chobani in 2016 to oversee the creation of its new in-house design team, which was named Ad Age’s 2019 In-house Agency of the Year. As the company’s Chief Creative Officer, Maschmeyer invests the socially-conscious yogurt brand with folklore magic, meticulous mistakes, and design-centric packaging.

Daniel DeSure, Commonwealth Projects/Total Luxury Spa, March 10, 7 pm

Can a juice bar rejuvenate bodies, minds, and communities? Can T-shirts create the future? With an emphasis on his local community and an expansive collaborative network, Daniel DeSure has created a multidisciplinary practice that skirts the worlds of art, fashion, design, and film. His many projects include founding the creative studio Commonwealth Projects, with clients such as Rimowa, Sonos, Nike, Olafur Eliasson, and Sundance, as well as Total Luxury Spa, a ridiculously hip fashion line dedicated to serving LA’s Crenshaw neighborhood.

Hassan Rahim, 12:01, March 17, 7 pm

Combining a deeply collaborative approach with a sophisticated understanding of style, Hassan Rahim is a meticulously obsessive visual artist and designer. His poetic output evokes an uncanny world in which historical references hide in subtle production techniques, childhood fantasies are laid bare, and the cultures of skateboarding, clubbing, art, and fashion collide. Rahim is cofounder of publisher Shabazz Projects and his clients include VSCO, Sony Music, Urban Outfitters, Warp Records, Marilyn Manson, Willo Perron, and more.

Veronica Ditting, The Gentlewoman / Studio Veronica Ditting, March 24, 7 pm

The Gentlewoman is a fashion magazine dedicated to “women of style and purpose,” which could easily describe its superstar creative director, Veronica Ditting. The recipient of numerous awards, she combines a meticulous love of editorial design with a cool conceptualism that results in pure subversive elegance. Her London-based studio focuses on work for the art, fashion, and culture sectors with clients such as Tory Burch, Hermès, adidas, Miu Miu, IKEA, and the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.

Bonus Experimental Lecture

Ruben Pater, Untold Stories, March 31, 7 pm Free

Unwilling to regularly tour overseas due to the outsized carbon footprint of global air travel, Ruben Pater instead premiers a pre-recorded lecture custom-made for the occasion. Though not physically present, the speaker will be live via Skype, able to answer questions in what will be an engaging experiment in lecture dynamics. Focusing on the ethics of design, Pater collaborates with other disciplines to investigate complex social and political issues such as climate change, surveillance, and affordable housing.

Copresented by the Walker Art Center and AIGA Minnesota.
Insights 2020 Design Lecture Series
March 3–31, Tuesdays, 7 pm, Walker Cinema
$24 ($19 Walker and AIGA members; $10 students)
Series Package: $72 ($57; $30)

Save 25% with Insights Series Package
Price includes tickets to four paid events, plus a reservation for the free lecture. (Unclaimed reserved tickets are released 15 minutes before event start time.) Find tickets at walkerart.org.

January 29–March 29, 2020, The Met Breuer, Floor 5

In 1954, at the age of 17, the architect Michael A. Rubenstein bought his first work of art—a painting by the American artist John Hartell (1902–1995)—and it marked the beginning of a lifelong passion for collecting. Today the collection spans two centuries and consists mostly of drawings and watercolors, of which 160 are promised gifts to The Met from Rubenstein and his late wife, Juliet van Vliet Rubenstein. On view at The Met Breuer now through March 29, 2020, From Géricault to Rockburne: Selections from the Michael and Juliet Rubenstein Gift will highlight some 50 works, ranging from a drawing by the French artist Théodore Géricault from about 1818—the earliest work in the show—to a 2019 mixed-media work on paper by Rubenstein’s friend and artist Dorothea Rockburne.

The gift is part of The Met’s 2020 Collections Initiative celebrating The Museum’s 150th anniversary.

“We are thrilled and grateful to receive this tremendous gift from Michael Rubenstein, which he assembled with his late wife, Juliet,” said Max Hollein, Director of The Met. “It is a remarkable act of generosity that will greatly strengthen The Met’s holdings of drawings, paintings, and watercolors from the 19th and 20th centuries.”

In developing an informed and discerning eye as a collector, Mr. Rubenstein visited galleries and museums—including frequent visits to The Met that started in his childhood—attended auctions, and befriended artists. “The Rubensteins’ collection is not just the gathering over many decades of works by artists they loved,” commented Sheena Wagstaff, Leonard A. Lauder Chairman, Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Met, “but its significance is also a testament to their passion for connoisseurship and the desire to live surrounded by art.”

The exhibition will feature drawings, paintings, and watercolors by European and American modern and contemporary artists—both widely and lesser known—including Eve Aschheim (b. 1958), Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947), Philip Guston (1913–1980), Franz Kline (1910–1962), and Anne Ryan (1889–1954). The works on view, all acquired over the 65-year period from 1954 to 2019, represent Rubenstein’s wide-ranging taste, as they vary in style and subject matter, ranging from the abstract, geometric, and linear to the lyrical and figural.

From Géricault to Rockburne: Selections from the Michael and Juliet Rubenstein Gift is organized by Sabine Rewald, the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Curator for Modern Art in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In 2020, The Metropolitan Museum of Art will celebrate the 150th anniversary of its founding with a dynamic range of exhibitions, programs, and public events. Highlights of the year will include the exhibition Making The Met, 1870–2020, on view March 30–August 2; the opening of the newly renovated and reimagined galleries devoted to British decorative arts and design in March; the display of new gifts throughout the Museum; a three-day-long celebration in June; and a story-collecting initiative. More information is available at www.metmuseum.org/150.

Through June 7, 2020, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will present a selection of rare and noteworthy examples of American fine and decorative arts drawn from the collection of the late H. Richard Dietrich, Jr. (1938-2007). A Collector’s Vision: Highlights from the Dietrich American Foundation tells the story of a collector whose foundation has long shared Americana and rare books and manuscripts through an extensive loan program to institutions around the county.

Long-term loans to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, including many objects in the exhibition, began in 1966 and continue to this day. “This partnership has certainly supported our museum– but, more importantly, we hope it has helped foster an appreciation for American art and its history even more widely,” says Timothy Rub, the George D. Widener Director and Chief Executive Officer, Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Among the 55 objects on view in A Collector’s Vision are a delicate watercolor miniature of George Washington painted by James Peale and enshrined in a small gold case with a lock of Washington’s hair in the back; a signed Daniel Goddard bureau table from Newport; a quilt with squares depicting the life of President James Buchanan; Pennsylvania German frakturs and furniture; Chinese Export porcelain; and prints and watercolors.

A centerpiece is the re-creation of part of the Dietrich family’s living room in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, which includes a Paul Revere teapot, a John Singleton Copley portrait of John Bee Holmes; and a bombe desk attributed to Nathaniel Gould.

The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive publication on the Dietrich collection titled In Pursuit of History, A Lifetime Collecting Colonial American Art and Artifacts, distributed by the Yale University Press for the Dietrich American Foundation in association with the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The book was co-edited by H. Richard Dietrich III, president of the Dietrich American Foundation, and Deborah M. Rebuck, curator of the Foundation. Contributors include David L. Barquist, H. Richard Dietrich Jr. Curator of American Decorative Arts, and Kathleen A. Foster, Robert L. McNeil Jr. Senior Curator of American Art and Director of the Center for American Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as well as other notable authors.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is Philadelphia’s art museum. A place that welcomes everyone. A world-renowned collection. A landmark building. The Museum bring the arts to life, inspiring visitors—through scholarly study and creative play—to discover the spirit of imagination that lies in everyone. It connect people with the arts in rich and varied ways, making the experience of the Museum surprising, lively, and always memorable, committed to inviting visitors to see the world—and themselves—anew through the beauty and expressive power of the arts.

February, March Public Programming Begins With Discussion on Interim Director Spencer Crew’s Latest Book “Thurgood Marshall: A Life in American History”

“Proud Shoes: The Story Of An American Family” Exhibition Opens In Family History Center

A discussion with Spencer Crew, interim director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, on his new book Thurgood Marshall: A Life in American History will lead the winter programming at the museum. Crew will join in conversation with Paul Finkelman, president of Gratz College about the newly released biography, detailing the life of America’s first black Supreme Court justice and his cultural and historic significance. Several programs will celebrate Black History Month and Women’s History Month, including a musical performance and discussion on African American women in jazz, an interactive program on food accessibility and a discussion about African American women’s contributions in World War I at home and abroad. All programs held in the museum’s Oprah Winfrey Theater will stream live on the museum’s Ustream channel at ustream.tv

Historically Speaking: Thurgood Marshall—A Conversation Between Spencer Crew and Paul Finkelman

Monday, Feb. 10; 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Oprah Winfrey Theater)

Spencer Crew, interim director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will discuss his recently published biography of America’s first black Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall, with moderator Paul Finkelman, president of Gratz college and a specialist on American constitutional and legal history. Crew’s latest publication, Thurgood Marshall: A Life in American History, chronicles the justice’s legendary career as a civil rights litigator and founder of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. A book sale and signing will follow the discussion, courtesy of Smithsonian Enterprises. Admission is free; however, registration is required at https://nmaahc.si.edu/events/upcoming.

District Treasures

Wednesday, Feb. 12; 11 a.m.

The museum will welcome visitors to join in the latest installment of the Save Our African American Treasures, a national initiative to reclaim and preserve valuable family and community relics. Visitors are encouraged to bring in family treasures and heirlooms to the museum to receive a professional review from preservation specialists. Attendees will gain insight into the historical significance of their items and best practices for preservation. This month’s District Treasures focuses will focus on objects, ephemera, textiles, paper, books and photographs. Admission is free; however, registration is required at https://nmaahc.si.edu/events/upcoming.

Engineering STEM Day

Saturday, Feb. 22; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To help celebrate National Engineering Week, this event will highlight the long lineage of African American engineers, scientists and inventors. This program will introduce museum visitors to the world of engineering and share how African Americans have shaped and influenced the world by educating them on the earliest people of African descent using their knowledge of rice cultivation to the newest generation of technology prodigies and inventors. Ticket information and more details on the event are available at https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/engineering-stem-day.

NMAAHC Live: Jazz, Gender and Society With Terri Lyne Carrington

Wednesday, Feb. 26; 7 p.m. (Oprah Winfrey Theater)

Grammy Award-winning drummer and scholar Terri Lyne Carrington will perform and discuss the contributions of African American women musicians to the canon of jazz. The evening will begin with selections Carrignton from her critically acclaimed album Waiting Game and conclude with a conversation between the artist and curator Dwandalyn Reece, the museum’s acting associate director for curatorial affairs and curator of music and the performing arts. CDs will be available for sale courtesy of Smithsonian Enterprises. Ticket information and more details on the event are available at https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/upcoming.

“Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family” Exhibition Opens in Family History Center

Friday, Feb. 28 (Family History Center, second floor)

“Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family” explores the family history of Pauli Murray, a pioneering lawyer, priest and writer who published a major African American genealogy 20 years before Roots. The exhibition showcases the racial and social dynamics between the union of a free black family from the North and a mixed-race family of the South. “Proud Shoes” is on display Feb. 28 through Aug. 28.

Soultalkin With Aunt Lu: An Oral History Workshop and Discussion

Saturday, March 7; noon (Family History Center, second floor)

Kelly Elaine Navies, the museum’s oral historian, will share lessons she has learned doing oral history with African American women, offer guidelines for how people can record the stories of the African American women in their life and discuss the significance of capturing the stories of the African American women. To register for the event, email familyhistorycenter@si.edu.

A Seat at the Table: A Conversation About Food Equity and Sustainability

Thursday, March 19; 6:45 p.m. (Heritage Hall)

The museum will host a thought-provoking conversation on food insecurity in Washington, D.C. Julianne Malveaux will moderate a discussion among urban anthropologist Ashanté Reese, food justice activist Michele Tingling-Clemmons and Samir Meghelli of the Anacostia Community Museum regarding their efforts to ensure equitable food access. The speakers will discuss how black residents navigate and resist unequal food distribution systems through community gardening and resource sharing. After the presentation, audience participants will have the opportunity to share their stories and ideas on how to combat structural forces that determine food access in urban areas. “A Seat at the Table” is an interactive program for participants to consider challenging questions about race, identity and economic justice over a family-style meal. This program will be produced as part of the Smithsonian Material Culture Forum. To purchase tickets and to learn about the latest installment of A Seat at the Table, visit https://nmaahc.si.edu/events/upcoming.

Since opening Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed more than 7 million visitors. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu, follow @NMAAHC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000.

Fifth Annual Mother Tongue Film Festival Runs Feb. 20–23

The Smithsonian’s Recovering Voices Initiative will host a film festival that showcases films from around the world. Centered around the United Nation’s International Mother Language Day Feb. 21, the fifth annual Mother Tongue Film Festival will offer visitors the opportunity to see 21 films featuring 28 languages from 22 regions and hear from filmmakers who explore the power of language to connect the past, present and future. The four-day festival runs Feb. 20–23.

Recovering Voices is an initiative of the Smithsonian founded in response to the global crisis of cultural knowledge and language loss. It works with communities and other institutions to address issues of Indigenous language and knowledge diversity and sustainability. Recovering Voices is a collaboration between staff at the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of the American Indian and the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

“The Mother Tongue Film Festival provides a forum for conversations about linguistic and cultural diversity,” said Joshua Bell, curator of globalization at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and director of the Smithsonian’s Recovering Voices Program. “It gives the public an opportunity to talk with directors, producers and scholars who devote their lives to documenting the human experience.”

Screenings will take place at multiple locations across the Smithsonian and Washington, D.C. A complete schedule of screenings, including times and locations, is available on the festival’s website. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes before each show. All screenings are free and open to the public, with weekend programming for families.

The festival kicks off with an opening reception Thursday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Festival highlights include:

• A performance by Uptown Boyz, a local intertribal drum group, before the screening of Restless River Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. in the National Museum of the American Indian’s Potomac Atrium. The film is set at the end of World War II and follows a young Inuk woman as she comes to terms with motherhood after being assaulted by a soldier. It is based on Gabrielle Roy’s 1970 short novel Windflower (La Riviere Sans Repos). This film contains a scene of sexual violence that some viewers may find disturbing.
• The world premiere of Felicia: The Life of an Octopus Fisherwoman Feb. 21 at 11 a.m. in the National Museum of Natural History’s Q?rius Theater. Felicia is one of the thousands of Malagasy fishermen and women on the Velondriake archipelago whose way of life is increasingly threatened by poverty and political marginalization. As an orphan and later as a mother, she turns to the sea as a means for sustenance, even when migration and commercial trawling threaten small-scale fishing operations. Like many other women in Madagascar, she embodies a steadfast willingness to keep moving forward in the face of major challenges.
• The North American premiere of Ainu—Indigenous People of Japan Feb. 22 at noon in the National Museum of Natural History’s Baird Auditorium. The film tells the stories of four elders from the declining Ainu population in Japan. It sheds light on their traditions, both past and present, and the efforts to keep the culture and language alive in Japan. A Q&A with the director will follow the screening.
• Age-appropriate viewers can enjoy Québec beer courtesy of the Québec Governmental Office during a late-night screening of Blood Quantum Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. in New York University Washington, D.C.’s Abramson Family Auditorium. The dead come back to life outside the isolated Mi’gmaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its Indigenous inhabitants who are strangely immune to the zombie plague. The local tribal law enforcement officer must protect his son’s pregnant girlfriend, apocalyptic refugees and the drunken reserve riff raff from the hordes of walking corpses infesting the streets of Red Crow. This film contains strong bloody violence and may not be suitable for younger audiences.
• A screening of One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. in Georgetown University’s ICC Auditorium. The film is set in April 1961 as the Cold War heats up in Berlin and nuclear bombers are deployed from bases in the Canadian Arctic. In Kapuivik, north of Baffin Island, Noah Piugattuk’s nomadic Inuit band live and hunt by dog team as his ancestors did. When an agent of the Canadian government arrives, what appears as a chance meeting soon opens the prospect of momentous change, revealing Inuit-settler relationships humorously and tragically lost in translation. The events playing out in this film are depicted at the same rate as the characters experienced them in real life.

The Mother Tongue Film Festival is presented by Recovering Voices, a collaboration between the National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of the American Indian and the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. This program received support from the Embassy of Canada, the University of Edinburgh, New York University at Washington D.C., the Québec Governmental Office in Washington D.C., Eaton Workshop D.C. and the Georgetown University Department of Anthropology.

The National Museum of Natural History is connecting people everywhere with Earth’s unfolding story. It is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the world’s most extensive collection of natural history specimens and human artifacts. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free. For more information, visit the museum on its website and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In partnership with Native peoples and their allies, the National Museum of the American Indian fosters a richer shared human experience through a more informed understanding of Native peoples. The museum strives toward equity and social justice for the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere through education, inspiration and empowerment. It features exhibitions and programs in New York City and the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For additional information, including hours and directions, visit AmericanIndian.si.edu. Follow the museum via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage uses the power of culture to increase understanding, strengthen communities and reinforce our shared humanity through rigorous research, educational programming and community engagement. Through the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, exhibitions, documentary films and videos, symposia, publications and educational materials, the center works to sustain traditional and expressive culture such as music, language and craft in a wide variety of locations around the world.

“If I say ‘thank you for coming,’ it implies that you are already there.” —Faye Driscoll

One of dance/performance’s most astonishing experimental voices, Faye Driscoll wraps up her Walker-supported trilogy—Thank You For Coming—with a moving requiem on art, the body, loss, and human connectivity. Space builds on and diverges from Driscoll’s earlier works, beloved by audiences across the country, with “an exhilaratingly personal culmination of the series” (Artforum). The intimate new performance piece, presented within an immersive installation on the McGuire stage, is informed by art-historical imagery and emerges as a collaborative creation between the artist, her astute design collaborators, and the audience. Contains mature content.

Through an alchemy of bodies and voices, objects and live sound, choreographer Faye Driscoll (US, b. 1975) conjures worlds that are, like ourselves, alive and forever changeable. The artist poses performance as one of the last secular social spaces, where the vulnerability, necessity, and complexities of our everyday relationships are heightened and made palpable. Driscoll’s projects draw on our shared power to question and shape the structures that govern our behavior. Characterizing her work as “dances that are mistaken for plays,” she creates sets designed to break apart; musical scores made from the performers’ stomps and vocalizations; and props that are worn, used, and reused.

Faye Driscoll is a Bessie Award-winning performance maker who has been hailed as a “startlingly original talent” (Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times) and “a postmillenium postmodern wild woman” (Deborah Jowitt, The Village Voice). Her work has been presented nationally at the Wexner Center for the Arts, the Walker Art Center, The Institute for Contemporary Art/Boston, MCA/Chicago and BAM/Brooklyn Academy of Music and internationally at La Biennale di Venezia, Festival d’Automne à Paris, Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Melbourne Festival, Belfast International Arts Festival, Onassis Cultural Centre in Athens and Centro de Arte Experimental (Universidad Nacional de San Martín) in Buenos Aires. Driscoll has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Creative Capital award, a NEFA National Dance Project Award, MAP Fund Grant, a French-US Exchange in Dance Grant, Jerome Foundation Grant, a Foundation for Contemporary Art Grant, a Doris Duke Artist Award, and a US Artists Doris Duke Fellowship and she is the recipient of the 2018 Jacob’s PIllow Dance Award. She recently choreographed for Young Jean Lee’s Straight White Men on Broadway and for Madeline’s Madeline, a film by Josephine Decker.

In her trilogy of performances Thank You For Coming, Driscoll engages with the political as well as physical and emotional states, at once balancing poignancy and tenderness with irreverent wit and humor, summoning “the unnamed forces that surge between the viewer and the viewed.” Each of the works in the series—Attendance (2014), Play (2016), and Space (2019)—takes a distinct form, whether exploring rituals of storytelling, ways that we speak through and for each other, or human connectivity and loss.

Faye Driscoll: Come On In, the artist’s first solo museum exhibition, was developed by Driscoll and her long-term artistic collaborators Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin. Exploring human interdependence and connectivity, the show draws from the themes of the trilogy, which was presented and co-commissioned by the Walker and subsequently toured around the world over the past six years. Bringing the immersive experience of her theater works into the gallery, Driscoll invites us to become active participants through a series of prompts and subtle directives that leads us on a shared journey.

Faye Driscoll: Come On In and Faye Driscoll’s Thank You For Coming: Space are presented as part of the Walker’s multiyear Interdisciplinary Initiative, made possible by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which specifically supports the institution’s commitment to artists working at the intersection of the performing and visual arts, both making work and presenting it across gallery, stage, and public space. Between 2016 and 2020, the Interdisciplinary Initiative has supported projects with artists Maria Hassabi, Theaster Gates, Laure Prouvost, Jason Moran, Rabih Mroué, and Meg Stuart, as well as Resonance: A Sound Art Marathon.

Faye Driscoll: Come On In opens Thursday, February 27, 2020 at 5 pm and runs through Sunday, June 14, 2020.

Curators: Pavel Pyś, curator, Visual Arts; with Molly Hanse, curatorial assistant, Performing Arts

Presented in conjunction with Thank You For Coming: Space, performed in the Walker’s McGuire Theater March 5–8, 2020.

RELATED EVENTS

Opening Reception with Faye Driscoll
Thursday, February 27, 2020, 6 – 8 pm
Garden Terrace Room
Free; part of Target Free Thursday Nights

Join the celebration of the opening of the new exhibition Faye Driscoll: Come On In.

Meet the artist, enjoy light snacks and a cash bar, and be the first to experience the installation, which is the choreographer’s first time working in the context of the gallery. Remarks with Faye Driscoll and curators Pavel Pyś and Philip Bither will take place at 6:30 pm.

Faye Driscoll: Thank You For Coming: Space
Thursday–Saturday, March 5, 6 and 7 at 8 pm
Sunday, March 8 at 2 pm
$26 ($20.80 Walker members)

Walker Commission

Mack Lecture Series
April 8–29, 7 pm$15 ($12 Walker members, students, and seniors)Walker Cinema

Hear directly from explorers of our culture and contemporary moment during the Mack Lecture Series. Throughout the month of April, artists, writers, and other great thinkers at the forefront of diverse fields share their vision on topics ranging from artificial intelligence in performance art to gender politics and gonzo journalism.

Annie Dorsen and Catherine Havasi with Simon Adler
April 8, 7 pm

Writer-director Annie Dorsen tries “to make perceptible how ideas change over time: where they come from, how they influence and are influenced by politics and culture, and how they take root in the body, physically and emotionally.” For this conversation, she explores the intersection of algorithms and live performance with artificial intelligence researcher and computational linguist Catherine Havasi, moderated by Simon Adler, a producer for WNYC’s Radiolab.

Annie Dorsen’s performance work Yesterday Tomorrow, takes place in the Walker’s McGuire Theater March 27–28.

JD Samson
April 15, 7 pm

Genderqueer political activist, visual artist, and musician JD Samson is perhaps best known as leader of the band MEN and one-third of the electronic-feminist-punk band Le Tigre. As a self-defined “gender outlaw,” she will investigate the precarious masculinity of the butch/masculine-of-center body, play with traditional concepts of ownership and destruction, and break down the charged heteronormative history of queer sex dynamics.

Charles Ray
April 22, 7 pm

Making the commonplace strange is central to the work of Los Angeles–based artist Charles Ray. Redefining the boundaries of sculpture since the 1980s, his subversive and painstaking style has shifted over the past 20 years to a figurative approach paired with highly technical strategies of fabrication. In this lecture, Ray weaves together sculptural art, its creation, and its meaning in civic space and time.

Jon Ronson
April 29, 7 pm

Jon Ronson has spent (a lot of) time with serial killers, conspiracy theorists, and porn stars. Fascinated by madness, strange behavior and the human mind, Jon has spent his life exploring mysterious events and meeting extraordinary people. He is regular contributor to BBC and the popular NPR program This American Life, he is also the author of eight books, including The Men Who Stare at Goats, The Psychopath Test, and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed. His TED talk on the Psychopath Test has been viewed over 22 million times. In July 2017, Jon released an Audible Original audio series called The Butterfly Effect, which went straight to number one on the US audio charts and TIME named his most recent podcast, the Last Days of August, one of the Best of 2019.

This season, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum offers programs for families, kids, teens, and educators in conjunction with exhibitions on view, including Countryside, The Future; The Fullness of Color: 1960s Painting; and Marking Time: Process in Minimal Abstraction.

FOR FAMILIES

Second Sunday Family Tours

Sundays, February 9, March 8, April 12, and May 10, 10:30 am–12 pm

For families with children ages 5 and up

Explore the museum with an interactive, family-friendly tour that includes creative, hands-on gallery activities. Each tour is organized around a single theme and highlights artworks on view from the permanent collection and special exhibitions.

February 9: KISS: Keep It Simple, Silly

See what happens when artists put limits on themselves.

March 8: Color Fields

Investigate different ways artists use color in their work.

April 12: Is It Art?

Visit artworks that stretch our ideas of what art can be.

May 10: Art Getaway

Explore portraits in the Guggenheim’s collection.

$25 per family, free for Family Members and Cool Culture families. Includes admission and tour for two adults and up to four children. Space is limited. Registration required at guggenheim.org/familyprograms.

Stroller Tours

Tuesdays, March 10, April 14, and May 12, 3–4 pm

For families with children up to 24 months

Enjoy a stroller-friendly tour designed for small children and their caregivers. Led by museum educators, this interactive exploration of current exhibitions includes touchable objects, art-making, and adult conversation.

$25 per stroller, free for Family Members and Cool Culture families. Includes tour plus museum admission for one stroller (single strollers and front baby carriers only) and up to four adults. Registration required; for more information, visit guggenheim.org/familyprograms or contact strollertours@guggenheim.org.

Little Guggs

Sundays, February 23, March 29, April 26, and May 24, 11 am–12 pm

Wednesdays, February 5, March 4, April 1, and May 6, 11 am–12 pm

For families with children ages 2–4

In this program designed for young art lovers and their caregivers, participants explore works of art on view and then create their own art in the studio. Each program includes a short story, a trip to the galleries, and art-making activities.

$30 per family, $15 for members. Includes admission, art materials, and snacks. Registration required at guggenheim.org/familyprograms.

A Year with Children 2020

May 8–June 16

Learning Through Art (LTA), the Guggenheim’s pioneering arts education program, presents A Year with Children 2020.This annual presentation showcases select artworks by students in grades two through six from twelve public schools that participated in the LTA program during the 2019–20 school year. More than one hundred creative and imaginative works, including collages, drawings, found objects, installations, paintings, and prints, will be on display. Participating from the Bronx is PS 86 (Kingsbridge Heights); from Brooklyn, PS 8 (Brooklyn Heights), PS 9 (Prospect Heights), and PS 188 (Coney Island); from Manhattan, PS 28 (Washington Heights), PS 38 (East Harlem), and PS 145 (Harlem); from Queens, PS 219 (Flushing), PS 130 (Bayside), PS 144 (Forest Hills), and PS 317 (Rockaway Park); and from Staten Island, PS 48 (Grasmere).

Free with museum admission. For more information visit guggenheim.org/ywc2019.

Guggenheim for All: Sensory Sundays in Support of Autism Acceptance Month

Every Sunday in April 2020

1–4 pm

Stop by the special sensory-friendly Open Studio during the month of April. Participate in art-making activities connected to the exhibitions on view and relax in the nearby sensory room. Direct access to the Studio Art Lab will be available via the ramp at 88th Street and 5th Avenue.

Free with museum admission. Through the Guggenheim for All initiative, the museum is able to offer reduced admission for families of children with autism. To request, please visit their website.

Guggenheim for All: Art for Families with Children on the Autism Spectrum, Sunday, March 8, 11 am–1 pm

For families with children ages 6 and up.

In this drop-in program designed for children on the autism spectrum and their families, explore works of art in sensory-friendly experiences in the galleries and create your own art in the studio.

Free. Capacity is limited, registration required. For more information visit guggenheim.org/familyprograms.

FOR KIDS

Spring Art After School

8 Sessions starting February 25, 4–6 pm, Ages 8–11

This after-school program offers art-making activities and in-gallery exploration led by museum educators. Participants experience the museum’s spectacular Frank Lloyd Wright–designed architecture and permanent collection as well as special exhibitions during gallery visits, which serve as inspiration for in-depth art projects in the studio. Students learn about a wide range of art mediums and techniques, including painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, collage, and photography. The program concludes with a mini-exhibition for family and friends.

Fee: $500, $400 for members. Includes all art materials, snacks, a family pass, and photos documenting the program. For more information, call 212 360 4254 or email Carolyn Keogh, Manager, School and Youth Programs, at ckeogh@guggenheim.org.

Midwinter Break Camp

February 17–21, 9:30 am–4 pm, Ages 8–11

This five-day camp features conversation and activities that foster creativity and critical thinking. Each session includes guided explorations of the museum’s Frank Lloyd Wright building and special exhibitions, followed by hands-on, interactive workshops where campers make their own works of art. These individual and collaborative art-making projects encourage participants to experiment with various mediums and methods, including painting, sculpture, collage, and digital media. The week concludes with a mini-exhibition for kids to share their creations with family and friends.

Fee: $700, $600 for members. Includes all art materials, snacks, a family pass, and photos documenting the program. Registration is required at guggenheim.org/kids. Scholarships are available upon request. For more information, call 212 360 4254 or email Carolyn Keogh, Manager, School and Youth Programs, at ckeogh@guggenheim.org.

Spring Break Camp

March 16–20, 9:30 am–4 pm, Ages 8–11

This five-day camp features conversation and activities that foster creativity and critical thinking. Each session includes guided explorations of the museum’s Frank Lloyd Wright building and special exhibitions, followed by hands-on, interactive workshops where campers make their own works of art. These individual and collaborative art-making projects encourage participants to experiment with various mediums and methods, including painting, sculpture, collage, and digital media. The week concludes with a mini-exhibition for kids to share their creations with family and friends.

Fee: $700, $600 for members. Includes all art materials, snacks, a family pass, and photos documenting the program. Registration is required at guggenheim.org/kids. Scholarships are available upon request. For more information, call 212 360 4254 or email Carolyn Keogh, Manager, School and Youth Programs, at ckeogh@guggenheim.org.

Summerscapes Art Camp for Grade Schoolers

Week 1: June 22–26

Week 2: July 20–24

Week 3: July 27–31

Week 4: August 3–7

Week 5: August 10–14

9:30 am–4 pm, Students grades 3–5

In this exciting five-day vacation camp, children will focus on building and improving their creative skills with teaching artists through gallery and studio explorations. In the galleries, campers will discover works of art in our permanent collection and special exhibitions. In the studio, they will experiment with new approaches and techniques while developing a personal artistic style through a variety of mediums.

Fee: $700, $600 for members. Includes all art materials, snacks, a family pass, and photos documenting the program. For more information, call 212 360 4254 or email Carolyn Keogh, Manager, School and Youth Programs, at ckeogh@guggenheim.org.

FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS AND TEENS

Middle School Summerscapes Art Camp

July 6–10, 2020, 9:30 am–4 pm, Students grades 6–8

Exclusively for middle school students, this five-day camp features conversations and activities that foster creativity and critical thinking. Each session includes guided explorations of the museum’s Frank Lloyd Wright building and special exhibitions, followed by hands-on, interactive workshops where campers make their own works of art. These individual and collaborative art-making projects encourage participants to experiment with various mediums and methods, including painting, sculpture, collage, and digital media. The week concludes with a mini-exhibition for kids to share their creations with family and friends.

Fee: $700, $600 for members. Includes art materials, snacks, a family pass, and photos documenting the program. For more information, please call 212 360 4254 or email Carolyn Keogh, Manager, School and Youth Programs, at ckeogh@guggenheim.org.

Guggenheim Teens

Grades 9–12

The Guggenheim is looking for energetic and outgoing high school students to participate in the Guggenheim Teens program. Guggenheim Teens assist adult staff and volunteers by acting as liaisons for families at the Family Activity Kiosk and facilitating gallery activities in the Open Studio programs. Throughout the year, they also participate in a series of workshops to learn more about working in a museum environment, and receive a stipend for their work each semester. Applications for the 2020–2021 academic year are due April 20. To apply, please fill out and send the application form along with a resume or list of related skills and coursework to Carolyn Keogh, Manager, School and Youth Programs, at ckeogh@guggenheim.org with your full name and “Guggenheim Teens” in the subject line of the email.

For more information and to apply, call 212 360 4254 or email Carolyn Keogh at ckeogh@guggenheim.org.

FOR EDUCATORS

Connecting Collections Summer Institute

July 13–17, Applications due May 15

For educators of grades 3–12, all subject areas

Learn techniques for analyzing and interpreting modern and contemporary art in New York City’s premier art museums. This week-long institute is cohosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Up to forty participants will be accepted. For more information, call 212 570 3985 or email educatorprograms@metmuseum.org.

Teaching Modern and Contemporary Asian Art

Teaching Modern and Contemporary Asian Art is a resource that features 27 artists in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s collection. The artists in this resource are from countries across East Asia and Southeast Asia, but many live and work between two or more cities around the world. Intended to introduce students to the contemporary history, art, and culture of China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, the resource provides discussion questions, activity prompts, and historical context for K–12 educators.

Designed for flexible use, these materials can easily be woven into interdisciplinary lesson plans to provide additional insight or context and establish foundational knowledge of modern and contemporary Asian art.

This program is supported by a grant from The Freeman Foundation.

For more information, please contact guggenheimteachers@guggenheim.org or visit https://www.guggenheim.org/teaching-materials/teaching-modern-and-contemporary-asian-art.

FOR SCHOOL GROUPS

These guided programs are facilitated by museum educators. All programs accommodate students with special needs. Discounted tour rates of $1 per student are available for NYC public schools that receive Title I funding. For more information or to schedule a program, call 212 423 3637 or visit www.guggenheim.org/schools.

Gallery Tour

Grades K–12, 60- or 90-minute interactive gallery tour

$225 or $300 per 30-student group. For more information, call 212 423 3637 or email Emma Jones, Education Associate, School, Youth, and Family Programs, at ejones@guggenheim.org.

Tour and Workshop

Grades K–12, 2.5-hour interactive gallery tour and hands-on workshop

$400 per 30-student group. For more information, call 212 423 3637 or email Emma Jones, Education Associate, School, Youth, and Family Programs, ejones@guggenheim.org.

Guggenheim for All: Reaching Students on the Autism Spectrum

All grade levels

This three-part program (pre-visit, museum visit, post-visit) is uniquely developed to engage schools and classes with students on the autism spectrum in gallery and art-making activities.

$1 per student. For more information or to schedule a program, call 212 360 4339 or visit www.guggenheim.org/schools.

ONGOING

Open Studios, Sundays, 1–4 pm

For families with children ages 3 and up

Stop by the Sackler Center Studio Art Lab and create a work of art inspired by themes and techniques from the Guggenheim’s current exhibitions. Free with museum admission.

Family Activity Guides

Daily, 10 am–4 pm, For families with children ages 4 and up

Pick up a Family Activity Guide from the Admissions desk to engage the whole family in fun gallery activities and discussions. Free with museum admission.

Family Activity Kiosk

Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am–4 pm, For families with children ages 4 and up.

Borrow a Family Activity Pack with materials featuring fun conversation and activity ideas that will captivate the entire family.

Saturday Sketching, Saturdays, 10 am–4 pm

Sketching materials are available for loan at the Family Activity Kiosk to explore, by hand, Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural shapes and spaces.

The Sackler Center for Arts Education is a gift of the Mortimer D. Sackler Family. Endowment funding is provided by The Engelberg Foundation, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, The Elaine Terner Cooper Foundation, the Esther Simon Charitable Trust, and the Goldring Education Endowment Fund.

Educational activities and/or public programs are made possible in part by Ornellaia; The Freeman Foundation; JW Marriott; Stavros Niarchos Foundation; Katherine and Peter Kend, Annie and Gaines Wehrle, and Michael Wehrle in honor of Ebersole Gaines and Peter Lawson-Johnston; The Pinkerton Foundation; The Hilla von Rebay Foundation; The Kate Cassidy Foundation; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Funding is also provided by Guggenheim Partners, LLC; The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation; The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation; Gail May Engelberg and The Engelberg Foundation; The Keith Haring Foundation; Jacadi Paris; The Barker Welfare Foundation; Credit Suisse; CBRE; Cindy Chua-Tay; Dorothy and Elihu Modlin; and an anonymous donor.

Additional support from the Sidney E. Frank Foundation; Peter Bentley Brandt; Con Edison; JPMorgan Chase; Peggy Jacobs Bader and John Bader; Margarita and Ari Benacerraf; Bobbi and Barry Coller; Lisa and Jeffrey Thorp; the Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Inc.; Maria and Valentin Fuster; The Kibel Foundation; and the Henry E. Niles Foundation, Inc.

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation thanks the members of the Education Committee and the Middle Eastern Circle for their support.

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation was established in 1937 and is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications. The international constellation of museums includes the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice; the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao; and the future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. An architectural icon and “temple of spirit” where radical art and architecture meet, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is now among a group of eight Frank Lloyd Wright structures in the United States recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  To learn more about the museum and the Guggenheim’s activities around the world, visit guggenheim.org.

VISITOR INFORMATION

Admission: $25, $18 for students and seniors (65+), free for members and children under 12. Learn about Frank Lloyd Wright’s landmark building and the Guggenheim’s collection and exhibitions at guggenheim.org/guide.

Museum Hours: Open daily from 10 am–5:30 pm, Tuesdays and Saturdays extended hours until 8 pm. On Saturdays, beginning at 5 pm, the museum hosts Pay What You Wish. For general information, call 212 423 3500 or visit guggenheim.org.

A Selection from the Acquisition will be Featured in a Gallery Titled Gordon Parks and the Atmosphere of Crime in the Museum’s Spring Collection Rotation in May 2020

The Museum of Modern Art has acquired 56 prints from American artist Gordon Parks’s series of color photographs made in 1957 for a Life magazine photo essay titled “The Atmosphere of Crime.” The Museum and The Gordon Parks Foundation collaborated closely on the selection of 55 modern color prints that MoMA purchased from the Foundation, and the Foundation has also given the Museum a rare vintage gelatin silver print (a companion to a print Parks himself gave the Museum in 1993). A generous selection of these prints will go on view in May 2020 as part of the first seasonal rotation of the Museum’s newly expanded and re-envisioned collection galleries. The collection installation Gordon Parks and the Atmosphere of Crime will be located on the fourth floor, with Parks’s work as an anchor for exploring representations of criminality in photography, with a particular focus on work made in the United States.

One of the preeminent photographers of the mid-20th century, Gordon Parks (1912–2006) left behind a body of work that documents American life and culture from the early 1940s to the 2000s. Born in Fort Scott, Kansas, Parks worked as a youth in St. Paul, Minnesota, before discovering photography in 1937. He would come to view it as his “weapon of choice” for attacking issues including race relations, poverty, urban life, and injustice. After working for the US government’s Farm Security Administration in the early 1940s, Parks found success as a fashion photographer and a regular contributor to Ebony, Fortune, Glamour, and Vogue before he was hired as the first African American staff photographer at Life magazine in 1948.

In 1957, Life assigned Parks to photograph for the first in a series of articles addressing the perceived rise of crime in the US. With reporter Henry Suydam, Parks traversed the streets of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, producing a range of evocative color images, 12 of which were featured in the debut article, “The Atmosphere of Crime,” on September 9, 1957. Parks’s empathetic, probing views of crime scenes, police precincts, hospitals, morgues, and prisons do not name or identify “the criminal,” but instead give shape to the ground against which poverty, addiction, and race become criminalized. Shot using available light, Parks’s atmospheric photographs capture mysterious nocturnal activity unfolding on street corners and silhouetted figures with raised hands in the murky haze of a tenement hallway.

A robust selection from this acquisition will anchor a display within a fourth-floor collection gallery, titled Gordon Parks and the Atmosphere of Crime. Using Parks’s work as a point of departure, the installation will draw from a range of other works in the Museum’s collection, offering varied representations of crime and criminality. Since the 1940s, the Museum has collected and exhibited photographs of crime as represented in newspapers and tabloids, exemplified by the dramatic, flash-lit work of Weegee, complemented by 19th-century precedents such as mug shots, whose purported objectivity was expected to facilitate the identification of criminals, as well as acquisitions across media that point to subsequent investigations and more contemporary concerns.

While Parks’s work was first displayed at MoMA in 1948, and was included in the landmark exhibition The Family of Man in 1955, it wasn’t until 1993 that five of his photographs were approved for the Museum’s collection (including a large-scale gelatin silver print from the 1957 series on crime mentioned above). The Museum has since supported the acquisition of additional vintage prints in 2011 and 2014 (including Harlem Newsboy, currently on view on the Museum’s fifth floor).

“As an artist of the highest order and a passionate advocate for civil rights, Parks made iconic photographs that continue to speak poignantly to the complexity of cultural politics and racial bias in the United States,” said Sarah Meister, curator in MoMA’s Department of Photography. “This acquisition substantially improves the Museum’s holdings of Gordon Parks’s achievement, reflecting our commitment to the artist and fostering the possibility of situating his work within a broad range of contemporary concerns. His enduring impact on the history of photography and representation cannot be overstated.”

“MoMA’s acquisition reinforces the significance of Gordon Parks as an artist whose practice continues to inspire future generations,” said Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr., executive director of The Gordon Parks Foundation. “Parks knew that his camera could be a powerful weapon, more potent than violence, and that pictures and words could further social change. The Atmosphere of Crime series remains as timeless and relevant today as when the photographs were made more than 50 years ago.”

Sarah Meister has also collaborated on The Gordon Parks Foundation’s forthcoming publication Gordon Parks: The Atmosphere of Crime, 1957, to be published by Steidl in spring 2020. The book’s expansive selection of never-before-published photographs from Parks’s original reportage was selected and sequenced by Meister, and her illustrated text situates this critically important photo essay within both Parks’s career and historic representations of crime and criminality. Other contributors include Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy (Spiegel & Grau, 2014), and Nicole Fleetwood, professor of American studies and art history at Rutgers University and author of Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Harvard University Press, 2020). The book also features a foreword by MoMA’s director Glenn D. Lowry and The Gordon Parks Foundation’s executive director, Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr.