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CMA OFFERS FREE ADMISSION MAY 18TH IN CELEBRATIONOF ART MUSEUM DAY
May 10, 2012

For Immediate Release:
May 10, 2012

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
                        nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

 

COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART TO JOIN IN ASSOCIATION OF ART MUSEUM DIRECTORS CELEBRATION OF ART MUSEUM DAY ON MAY 18^th 2012 WITH FREE ADMISSION

VISITORS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO PARTICPATE BY

SHARING THEIR MUSEUM EXPERIENCES DURING THE CELEBRATIONS

(Columbus, OH) — Columbus Museum of Art announced today that it will offer free admission on Friday, May 18 as part of the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) Art Museum Day, coinciding with International Museum Day on Friday, May 18, 2012.  In 2011, CMA—along with more than 100 other AAMD member museums across North America—participated in International Museum Day. 

In recognition of the important role museums play in their communities, CMA will encourage visitors to share their museum experiences during Art Museum Day on a special printed form available at the museum and via social media with the hashtag #ArtMuseumDay in a collective public response. 

Visitors are invited to enjoy a free guided tour of Marvelous Menagerie: An Ancient Roman Mosaic from Lod, Israel which opens to the public May 18. Guests can also explore CMA’s Center for Creativity and the newly installed Family Gallery exhibition Making Faces as well as visiting the critically acclaimed The Radical Camera: New York’s Photo League, 1936-1951.

“Museums play an important role in the vitality of communities,” said CMA’s Executive Director Nannette Maciejunes. “Here in Columbus, CMA is proud to be a catalyst for nurturing creativity and to be part of a vibrant arts culture. We celebrate Art Museum Day and again invite the community to explore everything that their Museum has to offer.”

“Art museums create opportunities for the public to engage directly with works of art in new and meaningful ways—from transformative educational initiatives to innovative public partnerships.” said Chris Anagnos, Executive Director of AAMD.  “AAMD believes that art should be accessible and relevant to all, and we are so pleased that the Columbus Museum of Art is joining with us and the global community of museums to celebrate the role museums play in their communities and to encourage visitors to share their museum experiences.”

Participation in the international event highlights the value of the visual arts in society, and provides new opportunities for audiences to participate in wide-ranging programs and record their encounters with works of art.

AAMD member museums—located across the United States, Canada, and Mexico—include regional museums as well as large international institutions.  International Museum Day is organized annually around the world by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).  AAMD’s Art Museum Day is an opportunity to focus attention on the role of art museums in North America, as part of ICOM’s global celebration of museums.

A comprehensive list of participating AAMD member art museums will be available in the newsroom of the AAMD website (http://www.aamd.org/newsroom/).  Note that while AAMD’s Art Museum Day and ICOM’s International Museum Day is formally held each year on May 18^th, some institutions shift their celebrations to adjacent dates.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, and the Charlotte R. Haller, Lewis K. Osborne, and Robert B. Hurst funds of The Columbus Foundation provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, and until 8:30 pm every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and 11:00 am – 4:00 pm Saturday and Sunday.  For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

 

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Explore the artistry of Ancient Rome at the Columbus Museum of Art
May 2, 2012

For Immediate Release:
April 25, 2012

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
                     nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

Explore the artistry of Ancient Rome at the Columbus Museum of Art

(Columbus, OH) – Explore the fascinating artistry of ancient Rome at the Columbus Museum of Art. Marvelous Menagerie: An Ancient Roman Mosaic from Lod, Israel is on view May 18, 2012 – January 13, 2013. Nearly 300-square feet large and more than 1700 years old, this stunning mosaic is one the best-preserved in the world and exemplifies the artistic excellence of the Roman Empire. The Lod Mosaic is on loan from the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Center.

Discovered in 1996 in Lod, Israel, the Lod Mosaic is unique with its depiction of fish, birds, beasts and ancient sailing ships. Scholars believe the mosaic decorated the floor of a large assembly room in a well-appointed private villa. The centerpiece of the mosaic is a large square medallion that features a scene of exotic, African animals. Two rectangular end panels flank the square. In one of these, scenes of various animals attacking their prey are interspersed with calmer scenes of fish and birds. The remaining panel portrays a fabulous marine scene filled with a profusion of fish and Roman merchant ships.

“What is so amazing about the Lod mosaic is its exceptional quality and excellent state of preservation,” said Carole M. Genshaft, CMA’s curator for the exhibition. “Like a time capsule that has been unopened for 1,700 years, it provides a glimpse into the life of a Roman citizen in the Near East in late antiquity. The painstaking process that defines a mosaic- that it is made from tens of thousands of tiny pieces of cut stone- is also amazing and very much a part of its appeal.  Equally important is the  Israel Antiquities Authority’s effort to carefully conserve the mosaic using today’s most advanced archaeological processes and techniques and to arrange this most remarkable US and European tour. “

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Columbus and CMA,” said CMA Executive Director, Nannette V. Maciejunes. “We’re incredibly honored to be in the company of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Field Museum as one of only five museums in the United States to exhibit this amazing piece of history.”

Following its tour of the U.S., the mosaic will travel to the Louvre in Paris and the Altes Museum in Berlin before returning to its original site in Israel where the new Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Center is being established.

Ohio Magazine is the Media Sponsor for Marvelous Menagerie.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, and the Charlotte R. Haller, Lewis K. Osborne, and Robert B. Hurst funds of The Columbus Foundation provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, and until 8:30 pm every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and Saturday through Sunday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.  For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

 

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Program partners CMA and OSU's Schoenbaum Family Center
Apr 30, 2012

For Immediate Release:
May 1, 2012

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303

Columbus Museum of Art Celebrates Adventure Out

(Columbus, OH) – The Columbus Museum of Art  invites the public to celebrate Adventure Out Saturday, May 5, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm. In the galleries, experienced facilitators will guide playful conversations with CMA’s collection. In the studio, families can participate in a special exploration project. Adventure Out is made possible by funding from JPMorgan Chase Foundation.

The Columbus Museum of Art and The Schoenbaum Family Center at Weinland Park, affiliated with The Ohio State University, have partnered to launch Adventure Out. The program facilitates deep exploration for preschoolers through intersections with the Museum’s collection and an open-ended creative project. Museum educators co-plan with each classroom’s teaching team then implement a week-long class visit during which students record their discoveries in video, written response, and photography.

Students also have the opportunity to visit CMA and participate in a hands-on, interactive experience with art. Each classroom also visits a new gallery station designed specifically for them around a work of art that aligns with their in-class explorations. The strategies and outcomes of Adventure Out are shared with both the early childhood education and museum education fields via conference presentations and CMA’s YouTube channel.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, and the Charlotte R. Haller, Lewis K. Osborne, and Robert B. Hurst funds of The Columbus Foundation provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, and until 8:30 pm every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.  For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

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Critically Acclaimed Exhibition opens at CMA April 19
Apr 3, 2012

 

 

For Immediate Release:
February 15, 2012

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
                        nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

Critically Acclaimed Exhibition opens at CMA April 19
The Radical Camera: New York’s Photo League, 1936 – 1951

(Columbus, OH)– Drawing on the depth of two great Photo League museum collections, the Columbus Museum of Art and The Jewish Museum in New York City collaborated on an exhibition of nearly 150 vintage photographs.  The Radical Camera: New York’s Photo League, 1936 – 1951, a formidable survey of the group’s history, its artistic significance, and its cultural, social and political milieu, will be on view at CMA April 19 – September 9, 2012.

Catherine Evans, exhibition co-curator and the William and Sarah Ross Soter Curator of Photography at the Columbus Museum of Art, observed that “This museum partnership is an extraordinary opportunity to showcase two in-depth collections. Because the images continue to have relevance today, it is especially important that the exhibition will be seen in four U.S. cities, reaching as broad an audience as possible.”

The exhibition premiered at The Jewish Museum on November 4, 2011, to rave reviews and remains on view there through March 25, 2012. The New York Times called The Radical Camera a “stirring show,” and the New York Photo Review hailed it as “nothing short of splendid.” The New Yorker named the exhibition one of the top ten photography shows of 2011.

Following its CMA presentation, The Radical Camera exhibition will travel to the Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA (November 15, 2012 – February 24, 2013); and Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, FL (March 16 – June 16, 2013).

 Artists in the Photo League were known for capturing sharply revealing, compelling moments from everyday life.  Their focus centered on New York City and its vibrant streets – a shoeshine boy, a brass band on a bustling corner, a crowded beach at Coney Island.  Many of the images are beautiful, yet harbor strong social commentary on issues of class, race, and opportunity.  The Radical Camera exhibition explores the fascinating blend of aesthetics and social activism at the heart of the Photo League.

The innovative contributions of the Photo League during its 15-year existence (1936–1951) were significant. As it grew, the League would mirror monumental shifts in the world starting with the Depression, through World War II and ending with the Red Scare. Born of the worker’s movement, the Photo League was an organization of young, idealistic photographers who believed in documentary photography as an expressive medium and powerful tool for exposing social problems. It was also a school with teachers such as Sid Grossman, who encouraged students to take their cameras to the streets and discover the meaning of their work as well as their relationship to it.  The League had a darkroom for printing, published an acclaimed newsletter called Photo Notes, offered exhibition space, and was a place to socialize, especially among first-generation Jewish-Americans.

The first museum exhibition in three decades to comprehensively look at the Photo League, The Radical Camera reveals that the League encouraged a surprisingly broad spectrum of work throughout extraordinarily turbulent times.  The organization’s members included some of the most noted photographers of the mid-20^th century—W. Eugene Smith, Weegee, Lisette Model, Berenice Abbott and Aaron Siskind, to name a few.  The Photo League helped validate photography as a fine art, presenting student work and guest exhibitions by established photographers such as EugèneAtget, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Edward Weston, among others.

These affecting black and white photographs show life as it was lived mostly on the streets, sidewalks and subways of New York. Joy, playfulness, and caprice as well as poverty and hardship are in evidence.  In addition to their urban focus, Leaguers photographed in rural America, and during World War II, in Latin America and Europe.  The exhibition also addresses the active participation of women who found rare access and recognition at the League. The Radical Camera presents the League within a critical, historical context. Developments in photojournalism were catalyzing a new information era in which photo essays were appearing for the first time in magazines such as Life and Look.

As time went on, its social documentary roots evolved toward a more experimental approach, laying the foundation for the next generation of street photographers. One of the principal themes of the exhibition is how the League fostered a multifaceted and changing identity of documentary photography. “A mixture of passion and disillusionment characterizes the Photo League’s growth, which led photographers away from objective documentary images and toward more subjective, poetic readings of life,” said Mason Klein, exhibition co-curator and a curator at The Jewish Museum. “The tenets of truth in documentary photography laid down by League members were also challenged by them and ultimately upended by members of the New York School,” he added. 

In 1947, the League came under the pall of McCarthyism and was blacklisted for its alleged involvement with the Communist Party.  Ironically, the Photo League had just begun a national campaign to broaden its base as a “Center for American Photography.”  Despite the support of Ansel Adams, Beaumont and Nancy Newhall, Paul Strand and many other national figures, this vision of a national photography center could not overcome the Red Scare. As paranoia and fear spread, the Photo League was forced to disband in 1951.

The exhibition was organized by Catherine Evans, William and Sarah Ross Soter Curator of Photography, Columbus Museum of Art and Mason Klein, Curator of Fine Arts, The Jewish Museum.

Exhibition Catalogue 

 In conjunction with the exhibition The Jewish Museum, Columbus Museum of Art, and Yale University Press co-published The Radical Camera: New York’s Photo League, 1936 – 1951 by Mason Klein and Catherine Evans with contributions by Maurice Berger, Michael Levy, and Anne Wilkes Tucker.  Time magazine extolled the catalogue as a “heavyweight contender” and a “terrific book.” Art in America celebrated the title as one of the top ten art books of 2011, and the New England Book Festival named The Radical Camera its photography art winner. The book, available worldwide, is in the CMA Museum Store.

Sponsorship

The Radical Camera: New York's Photo League, 1936-1951 has been organized by the Columbus Museum of Art and The Jewish Museum, New York.  Major support was provided by the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Limited Brands Foundation.

About the Columbus Museum of Art

The Columbus Museum of Art, founded in 1878, is committed to its mission of creating great experiences with art for everyone. Since its earliest history, the Museum’s collection has been celebrated as a treasure trove of European and American Modernism. The collection includes important examples of Impressionism, German Expressionism, and Cubism. A growing interest in folk art, contemporary art, and photography continues the Museum’s commitment to collecting and exhibiting art of our time. The Museum also presents a rich menu of traveling and CMA-organized special exhibitions, which have garnered critical and popular acclaim. CMA recently renovated its historic Elizabeth M. and Richard M. Ross building and inaugurated its Center for Creativity with a new focus on visitor-centered experiences. The Museum supports its community by fostering imagination, innovation, and critical thinking skills for the 21st century.

The Columbus Museum of Art is located at 480 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio. The Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, and the Charlotte R. Haller, Lewis K. Osborne, and Robert B. Hurst funds of The Columbus Foundation provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, and until 8:30 pm every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.  Museum admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and students 6 and older; and free for members, children 5 and younger. Admission is free every Sunday. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org

About The Jewish Museum

Widely admired for its exhibitions and collections that inspire people of all backgrounds, The Jewish Museum is one of the world’s preeminent institutions devoted to exploring the intersection of art and Jewish culture from ancient to modern times.  The Jewish Museum was established in 1904, when Judge Mayer Sulzberger donated 26 ceremonial art objects to The Jewish Theological Seminary of America as the core of a museum collection. Today, the Museum maintains a collection of 26,000 objects – paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photographs, archaeological artifacts, ceremonial objects, and broadcast media.  The Jewish Museum organizes a diverse schedule of internationally acclaimed and award-winning temporary exhibitions as well as broad-based programs for families, adults, and school groups. 

The Jewish Museum is located at 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92^nd Street, New York City. Museum hours are Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, 11am to 5:45pm; Thursday, 11am to 8pm; and Friday, 11am to 4pm.  Museum admission is $12.00 for adults, $10.00 for senior citizens, $7.50 for students, free for children under 12 and Jewish Museum members.  Admission is free on Saturdays.  For information on The Jewish Museum, call 212.423.3200 or visit the website at http://www.thejewishmuseum.org.

 

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Columbus Museum of Art Presents Critical Works
Jan 27, 2012

For Immediate Release:
January 19, 2012

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
      nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org
     
      Columbus Museum of Art Presents Critical Works

(Columbus, OH) – Join the Columbus Museum of Art January 27 from noon – 3:00 PM for a celebration of Critical Works, a partnership between the Columbus Museum of Art and the Columbus Collegiate Academy. This program, made possible by support from JPMorgan Chase Foundation,  connects CMA with a middle school that has no arts programming in order to provide a rich arts experience.

CMA teaching artists bring authentic, socially charged works of art to the classroom to engage middle-school students in a five-day, trans-disciplinary learning experience. Students explore social issues relevant to their own lives and communicate their concerns through creative expression and experimentation in the medium of printmaking.

“This is the second year I’ve had the opportunity to co-teach with the social studies teachers at the Columbus Collegiate Academy,” said Emily Reiser, CMA educator for family programs.  “We start by asking the students what critical thinking looks like. What do you do when you are being critical? When you are thinking? We bring a selection of prints to the school that deal with social issues such as inequality, poverty, oppression and race relations. I was impressed with the connections the students were able to make to historical events, literature, and our modern culture.”

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, and the Charlotte R. Haller, Lewis K. Osborne, and Robert B. Hurst funds of The Columbus Foundation provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.
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CMA AND THURBER HOUSE PARTNER TO PRESENT GRAPHIC NOVELIST RESIDENCY
Jan 24, 2012

 

For Immediate Release:
January 18, 2012

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
  nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART AND THURBER HOUSE PARTNER
TO PRESENT GRAPHIC NOVELIST RESIDENCY

(Columbus, OH) – The Columbus Museum of Art and Thurber House are pleased to announce a collaboration for their first Graphic Novelist Residency. The three-week residency, supported by a grant from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, is designed to provide a graphic artist/writer with an opportunity to develop a work-in-progress. The recipient will receive a stipend and housing in the two-bedroom apartment located in the boyhood home of author and New Yorker cartoonist, James Thurber.
The first recipient of the residency is Paul Hornschemeier, Ohio State University alumnus and author of books including Mother, Come Home and the New York Times bestselling Life With Mr. Dangerous. In addition to researching and producing new work, he will take part in public events during his stay in Columbus. Thurber House will engage Paul in both youth and adult educational programs.
“We are incredibly excited to be part of this new residency,” said Nannette V. Maciejunes, executive director of the Columbus Museum of Art. “It gives us the opportunity to continue the conversation about the place comic art holds in the art world as we deepen our relationship with Thurber House.”
“CMA and Thurber House share a strong commitment to outreach and education within the Columbus community,” said Susanne Jaffe, executive director of Thurber House. “Connecting the visual and written arts through this residency has been a natural partnership.”

Related Programs:
At Thurber House:
The Graphic Novel
Adult Writing Workshop
Monday, March 26, 6:00-8:00 PM
Instructor:  Paul Hornschemeier.
DEADLINE TO REGISTER: March 16

Young Writers’ Studio
Wednesday, March 28, 6:00-8:00 PM
Led by Paul Hornschemeier
Visit thurberhouse.org for more information

At Columbus Museum of Art:
Big Picture Lecture
Saturday, March 31, 2:00 PM
Otterbein professor of philosophy Andrew Mills will speak about Hornschemeier’s work in a philosophical context. Hornschemeier majored in philosophy at The Ohio State University and often addresses philosophical issues in his books, most notably in his 2007 work The Three Paradoxes.
Presented in collaboration with The OSU Institute for Collaborative Research and Public Humanities.
Admission to the lecture is free.

Artist’s Talk and Interview
Thursday, April 5, 7:00 PM
Paul Hornschemeier speaks about his creative process with interviewer, comics writer, and blogger Jared Gardner, a professor of English and Film Studies at OSU. In conjunction with his talk, CMA will display a selection of Hornschemeier’s scripts, storyboards, and sketches highlighting his creative process.
Free with museum admission.

About the Columbus Museum of Art: The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, and the Charlotte R. Haller, Lewis K. Osborne, and Robert B. Hurst funds of The Columbus Foundation provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

About Thurber House: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Thurber House opened its doors in 1984 as a non-profit literary center and museum located in the former home of author, and New Yorker cartoonist, James Thurber.  Our mission is to celebrate the written word for the education and entertainment of the broadest possible audience, and to continue the legacy of James Thurber.  Thurber House is proud to be in a city and a state that provides generous support to the arts. For additional information, please visit www.ThurberHouse.org.

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Spark Your Child's Creativity
Nov 10, 2011

During the holidays, we celebrate family  traditions, teaching our children about generosity, peace, and goodwill. We share with one another, giving of ourselves, of our time and of our homes. And, somewhere along the line, we still have to get the holiday shopping done.

CMA’s Museum Store offers a wide variety of unique gift ideas for the children on your list that will not only elicit oohs and ahhs, but spark your child’s creativity.

Don’t forget, CMA members always receive a discount in the Museum Store, but through December 31^st, that discount will be 25% off their purchases.

CMA's Museum Store is open during regular Museum hours, Tuesday - Sunday, 10:00 am - 5:30 pm and Thursdays 10:00 am - 8:30 pm. For more information call 614.221.4848.

 

Top 10 CMA Gifts to Spark Your Child's Creativity

Playfoam $10.95

Just squish the Playfoam up, shape it however you like, squash it back down, and start all over again.  Never dries out!

Pattern Play $36

Create endless freeform designs with Pattern Play wooden blocks or learn to replicate patterns using the 40 illustrated cards, included with each set. 

Sculpey Ultra Light $13.95

Soft and light oven-bake clay can be used to create jewelry, papercraft projects, sculptures, and floating projects. 

Whatchamadrawit $19.95

The fast-action, fun-filled drawing game includes 110 Whatchamadrawit cards to get your creative juices flowing and a timer to get your competitive spirit going. 

Supposing (by Alastair Reid, illustrated by Bob Gill) $15.95

First published in 1960, Supposing is a book of speculation, mischief, and paradox.

Fine Art Scratch and Sketch $12.99

Create your very own museum, scratching all the way. 

Squiggles $ 7.95

This special book shows how drawing a simple spiral will let you make a lion’s mane, a beautiful flower, cotton candy, and much, much more.

My Life According to Me $14.95

A journal for girls with inspiring little questions, fun quizzes, drawing and writing ideas and plenty of blank space.

This is Not a Book $12.95

In this uniquely skewed look at the purpose and function of "a book," Keri Smith offers an illustrated guide that asks readers to creatively examine all the different ways This Is Not a Book can be used.

Art-to-Go Set $19.95

A case full of colored pencils, oil pastels, watercolors, and markers for creative fun on the go. 

Doodle Wire $14.95

Loop, curl, coil, and swirl soft steel wire into 16 different creations. 

OSU LIBRARIES, COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART , ANNOUNCE BELLOWS ACQUISITION
Oct 28, 2011

For Immediate Release:
October 28, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303

OSU Libraries, Columbus Museum of Art , Announce Bellows Acquisition

(Columbus, OH) - The Ohio State University Libraries (OSUL) and the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA) have partnered in the acquisition of the record books and ledger of internationally renowned artist and Columbus native George Bellows (1882 – 1925). 

The acquisition was announced by Ohio State’s Director of Libraries Carol Pitts Diedrichs and CMA Executive Director Nannette V. Maciejunes.

Bellows, widely acclaimed as the greatest American artist of his generation, maintained meticulous records of his artistic production including sales and exhibition showings, including documentation of works that were destroyed. He augmented the record books with more than 200 thumbnail sketches of his original art. 

“These documents are a unique research source for the study of the historical book market, and the taste and culture of early 20^th century America,” Diedrichs said. “The acquisition of the books and ledger are in keeping with the Libraries’ mission of acquiring and preserving primary research materials.”

Bellows’ connections to Columbus made retaining the volumes locally a desirable outcome, Diedrichs said.  Bellows was born and raised in Columbus and attended The Ohio State University.

“This acquisition from the Bellows Trust is an important one for Columbus,” Maciejunes said. “The record books provide context for the Museum’s vast collection of paintings and lithographs by Bellows and play a major role in ongoing scholarship on the artist.”

“George Bellows’ three record books constitute the most important primary source for the study of his career and will be an invaluable research tool for the upcoming retrospective exhibition George Bellows (1882–1925), organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington. They document the dates, sales, and exhibition histories for his paintings and drawings with some entries accompanied by thumbnail sketches and color notations. This detailed information is essential to understanding Bellows’ achievements and will continue to inform Bellows scholarship in the future,” said Charles Brock, associate curator of American and British paintings, National Gallery of Art.

As the joint owners of the record books, the Museum and the Libraries will collaborate on programming, exhibition and research availability of these unique resources.

In addition to storing the materials in the secure, atmospherically controlled Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, located in the Thompson Library, 1858 Neil Ave., Diedrichs said the Bellows documents have been digitized and will be available online through OSU’s Knowledge Bank (https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/), a digital repository. 

The Bellows Collection was acquired from the Bellows Trust that assumed stewardship of the materials upon the death of the artist’s daughter, Jean Bellows Booth. 

OSUL is ranked 12th among public university libraries by the Association of Research Libraries. The Libraries include nine special collections available for use by Ohio State University faculty, students, visiting scholars and the general public.

The Columbus Museum of Art is committed to its mission of creating great experiences with art for everyone. The Museum’s collection has been celebrated as a treasure trove of European and American Modernism and includes important examples of Impressionism, German Expressionism, and Cubism. CMA also houses the world’s largest collection of paintings and lithographs by George Bellows.

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COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART, CITY OF COLUMBUS AND COLUMBUS RECREATION AND PARKS CELEBRATE CREATION OF CMA’S WEST GARDEN
Oct 5, 2011
For Immediate Release:
October 5, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org


COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART, CITY OF COLUMBUS AND
COLUMBUS RECREATION AND PARKS
CELEBRATE CREATION OF CMA’S WEST GARDEN

(Columbus, OH) – The Columbus Museum of Art, in partnership with the City of Columbus and Columbus Recreation and Parks, has announced the groundbreaking of a public garden located on the west side of CMA’s Elizabeth M. and Richard M. Ross Building located at 480 East Broad Street.

CMA Executive Director, Nannette Maciejunes, along with Mayor Michael B. Coleman, City Council Member Zachary M. Klein, and Director of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department Alan D. McKnight helped launch the creation of this new public green space, and the next step in the Museum’s renovation and expansion plan, at a special ceremony this morning.

The garden, designed by MSI Design, an award-winning planning, urban design, landscape architecture and entertainment design firm with offices in Ohio, Florida and California, will be a gateway entry experience to the Museum and includes an ADA accessible walkway from the street to the entrance. The garden will provide a safe drop-off point for school and group tours and will be the sole ADA accessible entrance to the Museum during the renovation of the Museum’s 1970s addition and construction of its new wing. The site will be free and accessible to the general public.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for Columbus and especially downtown,” said CMA Executive Director Nannette V. Maciejunes. “The revitalization of our city’s heart can be seen in the success of projects like Columbus Commons, the Scioto Mile and Bicentennial Park. These are the kinds of developments that lure people to downtown and keep them coming back. The Museum, along with our neighbors CCAD, Columbus State Community College, State Auto, and the City of Columbus, continue to work toward making our corner of Columbus a more welcoming, pedestrian-friendly area with open green space.”

“This garden brings even more beauty to one of our greatest treasures, the Columbus Museum of Art,” Mayor Michael B. Coleman said. “I salute everyone at CMA for all the improvements that have been made to the museum and for continuing to make art accessible to our residents and visitors.”

“The Museum of Art is an asset to Columbus that brings national and international acclaim to our community,” said Zachary M. Klein. “These capital investments will ensure the museum continues to enrich the lives of our residents and visitors for decades to come.”

"Columbus Recreation and Parks is proud of this partnership with the Columbus Museum of Art that will celebrate the outdoors in an accessible garden setting to insure visitors are 'naturally' welcomed to the world of art whenever they visit," said Alan D. McKnight, Director, Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.

The first phase of the capital portion of CMA’s Art Matters endowment and capital campaign was the renovation and repurposing of Beaton Hall. The building now houses 85 percent of the Museum staff, thereby expanding public space in the Museum. The project was completed in September, 2009, on time and on budget.

The second phase was the renovation of the Museum’s historic Broad Street building, now named the Elizabeth M. and Richard M. Ross Building, which was unveiled to the public January 1, 2011. The project included: the transformation Derby Court by raising the floor to improve accessibility, installing a luminous skylight, and improving acoustics; reimagining the entire first floor as a Center for Creativity; renovating, installing new seating, and improving acoustics in the auditorium; and performing upgrades to make the building more accessible for all visitors.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, and the Charlotte R. Haller, Lewis K. Osborne, and Robert B. Hurst funds of The Columbus Foundation provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Museum admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and students 6 and older; and free for members, children 5 and younger. Admission is free every Sunday. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.
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ONLY U.S. VENUE COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART PRESENTS CARAVAGGIO: BEHOLD THE MAN! THE IMPACT OF A REVOLUTIONARY REALIST
Sep 8, 2011
For Immediate Release:
September 8, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

ONLY U.S. VENUE
COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART PRESENTS
CARAVAGGIO: BEHOLD THE MAN! THE IMPACT OF A REVOLUTIONARY REALIST

(Columbus, OH) - Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio is remembered as much for his unconventional lifestyle as his immeasurable talent. His revolutionary art along with a life of personal excess, punctuated by late night brawls, attempts on his life, and multiple arrests, culminated with a Papal death warrant that forced him to live as an exile. Tragically, he died while making his way to Rome after receiving news of having been granted a pardon. Although his life ended abruptly at the age of 38, his powerful realism impacted a generation or more of European artists.

This October, CMA offers the rare opportunity to view the work of this Italian Baroque master. Ecce Homo (Behold the Man), painted by Caravaggio around 1605, and lent by the Musei di Strada Nuova – Palazzo Bianco, Genoa. This powerful painting will be the centerpiece of an exclusive exhibition organized by CMA on view October 21, 2011 – February 5, 2012 .

Underscoring his remarkable influence upon his contemporaries will be ten other paintings—images of saints and sinner alike, lent from the collections of major Ohio museums and one private collection. These are works by artists who emulated Caravaggio’s distinctive and dramatically realistic style and they demonstrate the importance of Caravaggism throughout seventeenth-century European painting.

The Columbus Museum of Art joins the City of Columbus in celebrating our great city’s Bicentennial with programs and exhibitions throughout 2011 and 2012. Caravaggio: Behold the Man! commemorates the Columbus Bicentennial through the celebration of the sister city relationship between Columbus, Ohio and Genoa, Italy.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.
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Caravaggio-A-Go-Go
Sep 1, 2011
For Immediate Release:
September 1, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, (614) 629-0303
nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org


COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART PRESENTS
CARAVAGGIO A GO-GO
ART CELEBRATION 2011

(Columbus, OH) –The Columbus Museum of Art invites you to join us Saturday, October 22 for an evening of merriment, mischief, music and more. This year’s Art Celebration, led by co-chairs Corde Robinson and Dr. Wayne Lawson, celebrates all things Italian, offering guests a journey through some of Italy’s most iconic cities, delicious regional foods, a selection of arias from great Italian operas, a bouquet of luscious wines, and more.

Art Celebration, CMA’s premier annual fundraising event, offers a unique preview of the Museum’s exclusive showing of the exhibition Caravaggio: Behold the Man, The Impact of a Revolutionary Realist. This exhibition showcases the powerful work of Italian baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, who is remembered as much for his flamboyant lifestyle as his immeasurable talent. A life of excess, punctuated by late-night brawls, attempts on his life, and multiple arrests, culminated with a Papal death warrant that forced him to live as an exile. Art Celebration was inspired by Caravaggio— the Bad Boy of Baroque— and the history of Italian decadence.

The festivities begin at 6:30 pm with a Cabaret performance for VIP ticketholders featuring American’s favorite “Frank Sinatra” Bob Hoose and his orchestra. VIP tickets are $650 each and include the opportunity to win amazing prizes such as $25,000 in custom-designed pearl jewelry from Elisari and a catered dinner for ten in your home prepared by CMA Chef Don Wood.

The main event, featuring dance music by Red Hot Rhythm Review, kicks off at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $400 each. Black tie, cocktail attire or creative costuming encouraged. All proceeds from Art Celebration tickets support the Columbus Museum of Art.

In conjunction with Art Celebration, CMA announces the Caravaggio A-Go-Go Vespa raffle. Raffle tickets are $50 each and you need not be present to win. The drawing, for a Dragon Red Vespa S 150, will be held on October 22 at Art Celebration. To order tickets, visit members.columbusmuseum.org/VESPA or stop by the Columbus Museum of Art.

Art Celebration 2011 is made possible by the support of Presenting Sponsors The Columbus Dispatch, Capital Style, Nationwide and Elisari; Sponsors American Electric Power-Ohio, Ariel Corporation, Battelle, Crane Group, Ernst & Young, Express, Huntington Bank, Limited, Ocean Vodka, Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease.

Art Celebration was organized through the talent and energy of the following volunteers: Jane Ackley, Judy Barbao-Martz, Lisa Barton, Julia Baughman, Steve Cox, Jim Elliot, Bebe Finn, Jami Goldstein, Laurie Gregory, Rhonda Koulermos, Subha Lembach, Michael Martz, Chris Meyers, Floradelle Pfahl, Beth Pritchard, Diane Vorys, Jay Vorys, Jonathan Weaver, Arlene Weiss, David Yugovich, and Donna Zuiderweg.

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Summer Fun at CMA - August Calendar of Events
Jul 19, 2011
For Immediate Release:
July 19, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT CMA
Free Admission throughout August
Columbus Museum of Art announces August Calendar of Events

(Columbus, OH) - The Columbus Museum of Art is offering free admission during the months of July and August, including all special exhibitions. Summer Fun made possible with funding by the PNC Foundation through PNC Arts Alive includes a host of activities to engage and inspire you and your family. Visit CMA’s new Center for Creativity, explore the newly refurbished galleries, and enjoy an enhanced schedule of activities for the summer including Family Adventures, Surprise Supplies, Drawing in the Galleries, and musical performance. Please see below for information about August events at CMA.

Upcoming Events and Programs
Columbus Parent Day
Thursday, August 4, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Join us for a fun-filled day for the whole family! Explore the Center for Creativity’s Wonder Room, create your own masterpiece, spin a special prize wheel, play Battleship, and more!

Music in Our Garden
Sundays, August 7 & 14, 2:00 PM
The Garden Club of CMA presents a series of enchanting concerts in the Sculpture Garden. Adult tickets are $10 at the door; children sixteen and younger are free when accompanied by an adult ticket holder.

Music in Our Garden Concert Schedule:
August 7th - Grassahol performing blue grass, country, and folk music
August 14th – Singer Sabrina Tutstone

Drawing in the Galleries
Thursday, August 18, 2:00 PM
Saturday, August 20, 2:00 PM
Experience CMA in a new way and see art from a different perspective. Join us to explore the basic elements of drawing while also developing both observational skills and also an appreciation for the artistic process. You will learn as much about seeing as about drawing. This program is recommended for visitors ages thirteen and older. Cost is $10 for nonmembers with a special member price is $4 per person. Reservations requested, please call 614.629.5947.

Jazz in the Garden
Sunday, August 21 & 28, 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Featuring Mark Flugge, these concerts include other great local artists performing in our tranquil garden setting. Adult admission is $10 per person; those sixteen years and younger are free when accompanied by an adult ticket holder. Tickets are available at the Admissions Desk on concert days. For more information, please call 614.629.0312.

One Work One Hour
Saturday, August 27, 1:00 PM
One Work One Hour is an engaging docent-led conversation about a single work of art that takes place over the course of one hour. Explore the meaning of the work of art, and see how it connects to your world today. In August, discuss Lucille Corcos’s Oyster Party in the Family. No registration requested.

Family Adventures Tours
Tuesdays, 1:00 PM
Share ideas, laugh, and play games during this docent-guided experience. Your family team may embark on a scavenger hunt, imagine yourselves inside a painting, or discover a work of art that tells a family story. Family Adventures are a great way to share quality time and make new memories together. No registration requested.

Mind Games
Wednesdays, 1:00-3:00 PM
CMA invites you to challenge yourself—creatively! Stop by our Mind Games station to play, experiment, problem solve, and win prizes. No registration requested.

Community Capers
Thursdays, 1:00-2:00 PM
Meet and learn about some terrific Central Ohio organizations and individuals who work with food. No registration requested. For specific dates and topics, please visit columbusmuseum.org

Art Challenges
Fridays, 1:00-3:00 PM
Sundays, 1:00-3:00 PM
Visit the Art Challenges station in the galleries to participate in exciting, art-based games that highlight a CMA artwork or collection. Compete against friends and family members or challenge the scores posted by other visitors. All are welcome to participate, and prizes are certainly part of the fun. No registration requested.

Surprise Supplies Saturdays
Saturdays, 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Play and create with a unique assortment of art supplies and funky materials. No registration requested.

Walk-in Tours
Thursdays, 6:30 PM
Fridays, noon
Saturdays, noon
Sundays, 1:00 PM
Take a stroll through the galleries with a CMA docent and learn more about our collection and special exhibitions. No registration requested.

Roaming Docents
Daily (excluding Mondays and Saturdays), 1:00–3:00 PM
Start a conversation with one of CMA’s trained guides. Get your questions answered, chat about a work of art, or be privy to an inside story. Look for Roaming Docents throughout the galleries.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Museum admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and students 6 and older; and free for members, and children 5 and younger. Admission is free every Sunday. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

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CMA AND PNC PROVIDE FREE MUSEUM ADMISSION IN JULY AND AUGUST
May 19, 2011
For Immediate Release:
May 19, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
Nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

CMA AND PNC PROVIDE FREE MUSEUM ADMISSION IN JULY AND AUGUST

(Columbus, OH) – The Columbus Museum of Art is happy to announce that, thanks to a grant from The PNC Foundation, which receives principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., admission to the Museum, including all special exhibitions, will be free throughout the months of July and August. We welcome you to enjoy Summer Fun presented by PNC Arts Alive at CMA featuring a host of activities to engage and inspire you and your family. Visit CMA’s new Center for Creativity, explore the newly refurbished galleries, and enjoy an enhanced schedule of activities for the summer including Family Adventures, Surprise Supplies, Drawing in the Galleries, and musical performance. Visit the calendar and the Summer Fun page at www.columbusmuseum.org for dates, times, and more information.

PNC Arts Alive is a three-year, $1.5 million initiative of The PNC Foundation that supports visual and performing arts groups with the goal of increasing arts access and engagement in new and innovative ways. For more information on PNC Arts Alive and the grant recipients visit www.pncartsalive.com

“At PNC, we recognize that art positively impacts lives, neighborhoods and our local economy,” said Michael Gonsiorowski., PNC regional president for central Ohio. “Every year, more than 200,000 people are exposed to new experiences when they visit the Columbus Museum of Art. Through our support of the museum’s free Summer Fun admission, we look forward to offering access to the rich diversity of the museum’s collections, exhibits and special events to even more visitors from this region and beyond.”

“We’re very proud to be one of the 13 arts organizations in Central Ohio selected to receive a PNC Arts Alive grant last fall,” said Nannette V. Maciejunes, CMA’s executive director. “The Museum and PNC share a commitment to increasing arts access and engagement, and Summer Fun allows us to partner in a way that truly enhances our community.”

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

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NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ANNOUNCES GRANT TO COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART
May 18, 2011
For Immediate Release:
May 18, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ANNOUNCES
GRANT TO COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART

$23,000 grant will support Columbus In-Focus

(Columbus, OH)—Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, today announced that the Columbus Museum of Art has been recommended for a grant of $23,000 to support Columbus In-Focus, a digital photography program developed in partnership with Columbus City Schools (CCS). CMA is one of 1,145 not-for-profit national, regional, state, and local organizations recommended for a grant as part of the federal agency’s second round of fiscal year 2011 grants. In total, the Arts Endowment will distribute more than $88 million to support projects nationwide.

An independent agency of the federal government, the National Endowment for the Arts advances artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said, “NEA research shows that three out of four Americans participate in the arts. The diverse, innovative, and exceptional projects funded in this round will ensure that Americans around the country continue to have the opportunity to experience and participate in the arts.”

“Fostering participation in a vibrant arts community is key to CMA’s mission of creating great experiences with great art for everyone,” said Nannette V. Maciejunes, CMA Executive Director. “Columbus In-Focus allows us to engage students in the arts as they explore and develop a deeper understanding of their own communities and the surrounding world.”

The Columbus In-Focus program utilizes the power of photography to engage high school students from diverse communities in socially relevant conversations. CMA is in its third year of Focus, a pilot photography program for small groups of high school students using photography to foster respect and understanding for peers from different neighborhoods. Through photography, writing, and conversation, Columbus In-Focus will provide an open forum for CCS students to examine their communities’ past, discuss today’s most pressing issues, and explore their place in the world. Students will learn about the power of documentary photography as an art form, and how artists use photography to capture our history, culture, communities, and individual stories. A final exhibition of student-produced work at the Museum celebrates the program with a broad community as part of the city wide Bicentennial celebration. Nationally recognized practicing artists in the community will provide guidance and insight to the program and help facilitate a rich arts experience for participating students. The Columbus Museum of Art joins the City of Columbus in celebrating our great city’s Bicentennial with programs and exhibitions throughout 2011 and 2012. Columbus In-Focus commemorates the Columbus Bicentennial through the celebration of our youth and the rich and diverse communities in which they live.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Museum admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and students 6 and older; and free for members, children 5 and younger. Admission is free every Sunday. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.
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COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART AND COLUMBUS CITY SCHOOLS CELEBRATE PARTNERSHIP WITH DAY FOR FAMILIES
Apr 7, 2011
For Immediate Release:
April 7, 2011

Columbus Museum of Art Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org
Columbus City Schools Contact
Jacqueline D. Bryant, 614.365.8558
jbryant4186@columbus.k12.oh.us

COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART AND COLUMBUS CITY SCHOOLS
CELEBRATE PARTNERSHIP WITH DAY FOR FAMILIES

(Columbus, OH) – The Columbus Museum of Art is hosting its second Columbus City Schools Day for Families on Sunday, May 1, from 1:00 – 5:00 pm. For forty-four years, CMA and Columbus City Schools have collaborated to ensure that every CCS student has a dynamic museum experience. In celebration of this longstanding relationship, CMA is inviting CCS students and their families to enjoy the Fur, Fins & Feathers exhibition, the Center for Creativity and Wonder Room, family tours, CCS student art display and musical performances, and gallery games. This event is free.

Columbus City Schools, established in 1845, is the state of Ohio’s largest school district, serving the needs of 51,191 students in 118 schools. The district is under the leadership of its 19th superintendent, Gene T. Harris, Ph.D., and a seven-member board of education. The mission of Columbus City Schools is that each student is highly educated, prepared for leadership and service, and empowered for success as a citizen in a global community.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Museum admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and students 6 and older; and free for members, children 5 and younger. Admission is free every Sunday. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.
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CMA Presents Street Talk and Spiritual Matters: Aminah's Mt. Vernon Avenue
Mar 29, 2011
For Immediate Release:
March 29, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART PRESENTS
STREET TALK AND SPIRITUAL MATTERS:
AMINAH’S MT. VERNON AVENUE

(Columbus, OH) – The Columbus Museum of Art presents Street Talk and Spiritual Matters: Aminah’s Mt. Vernon Avenue May 20 – September 4. The exhibition explores two related aspects of Aminah Robinson’s work: her documentation of the Mt. Vernon Avenue community where she grew up and her depictions of women who personify the African-American spirituals she heard emanating from area churches and radios in the neighborhood.

“The work in this exhibition pulsates with Aminah’s drive to document and remember,” said Carole Genshaft, CMA adjunct curator of education. “ The Mt. Vernon paintings and prints reflect stories handed down from her ancestors, personal memories, and her careful research from primary sources. Aminah’s depiction of spirituals honors the memory of the slaves who used these songs as a coping mechanism before and during the Civil War. Through her work in diverse media and subject, Aminah reminds us that it is our ability to remember that makes us human.”

Street Talk features Aminah’s RagGonNons, paintings, drawings, hogmawg sculptures, prints, and books about Mt. Vernon Avenue, the heart of the African-American community in Columbus, Ohio from the 1900s to the 1960s. While the discrimination of Jim Crow abounded outside the neighborhood, the Mt. Vernon area was a tight-knit community where family and commercial life flourished. Aminah captured this spirit in “Memory Maps” that document the lively street life and each shop, church, and business establishment on the street. Her depiction of civil rights protests and Marcus Garvey back-to-Africa parades allude to the serious civil rights issues that plagued African Americans outside the neighborhood at the time.

In order to add context to Aminah’s work, the exhibition features video-taped interviews of individuals sharing their memories and stories of living and working on the street. Aminah’s depictions, in combination with these interviews, present a broad view of this eastside community and help visitors gain a fuller understanding of the complex historical and social issues at play.

When Aminah was growing up in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood, she was captivated by the African-American spirituals she heard emanating from area churches and radios on Sundays. Spiritual Matters highlights her interpretation of the spirituals through drawings, watercolors, and the monumental sculpture, My Lord, What a Morning. My Lord, What a Morning consists of ten, large wooden pipes from an antique organ. Each pipe has music box workings that play the spiritual, “My Lord, What a Morning.” Each pipe, which is topped with a wrought iron crown, represents a woman and together the ten pieces create a choir. My Lord, What a Morning will be surrounded by watercolor studies of the work that have not previously been exhibited. For the first time, Aminah’s twenty-six original drawings for The Teachings, a book of spirituals published in 1992 will be on view.

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to listen to a variety of the spirituals Aminah has illustrated. The recorded spirituals have been arranged specifically for the exhibition by music director and composer Milton Ruffin and performed by the Milton Ruffin Gospel Chorale.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

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THE COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART’S WOMEN’S BOARD PRESENTS 2011 DECORATORS’ SHOW HOUSE
Mar 11, 2011

(Columbus, OH) – The Columbus Museum of Art’s Women’s Board presents the 2011 Decorators’ Show House April 30 – May 22. The 2011 Show House is a Spanish-revival home built in 1928 in Upper Arlington and located at 4125 Oxford Drive. Eighteen ASID and independent interior designers are busy transforming this unique home.

Catch a first look at the DSH and celebrate with food, spirits and jazz music at the Preview Party, Thursday, April 28, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Dress is festive, Tickets are $100 per person or two for $175 and can be purchased online at www.columbusmuseum.org

Decorators’ Show House will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM and Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. It is closed on Mondays. Tickets are $15 if purchased in advance at the CMA Admissions Desk, online at columbusmuseum.org, or from Women’s Board Members. During the event, tickets may be purchased at the door and online for $20.

Harry Westerman built this year’s Show House in 1928. Westerman, a cartoonist for the Ohio State Journal, lost his home during the Great Depression. A variety of owners followed until Alio Gasbarro, a vice president at Kentucky Fried Chicken, purchased it in 1968 as it was about to be condemned. He expanded the structure to its current size and added the reflecting pool. The current owners, Tom and Nancy Vadakin, purchased the home in 2000 and made extensive renovations before moving in 2003.

In addition to touring stunning interior spaces, visitors will enjoy the beautiful garden areas. Other amenities include the gift and garden shops that offer unique one-of-a-kind items and the Palette Express, which will be serving light fare and beverages. Please note the house is not handicap-accessible and children under eight cannot be admitted. All proceeds benefit the Columbus Museum of Art.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

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CMA's Beaux Arts Presents Art in Bloom
Mar 4, 2011
For Immediate Release:
March 4, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

CMA’s Beaux Arts Presents Art in Bloom

(Columbus, OH) - Celebrate Art in Bloom with the Beaux Arts Auxiliary of CMA ! Experience the sight, sound, and scent of celebration as thirty-five talented designers interpret Museum masterpieces with live floral arrangements April 7 - 10. Plan to “dance your petals off” at any or all of three related events that promise fabulous food, lively entertainment, and fun. Tickets for all events are available by visiting www.columbusmuseum.org

Cuttin Loose…Your Petals, Too
April 7, 6:00 – 8:30 PM
Be the first to see the beautiful floral installations in the Museum’s newly renovated galleries at the opening night Gala that treats you to live 1970s music; sumptuous hors d’oeuvres from Columbus’s finest restaurants; dance stations choreographed by BalletMet dancers, boutiques, silent auction bargains; and a raffle with a great selection of prizes and a Footloose surprise!
Tickets are $60 per person; $110 per couple

Tiptoe Through the Tulips
April 8, 12:00 – 2:30 PM
This 1960s Retro Luncheon & our first ever “Strut Your Stuff Show” stars YOU and your favorite shoes. Strut your stuff down our petal-strewn runway wearing your Best Boot, Pinnacle Pump, Sexiest Sandal, Funkiest Footwear, or Standout Shoe. You don't want to miss this special event. Celebrity judges will award prizes to Best in Show.
Tickets are $120 per person; $1000 for a table of 10

Jitterbug & Saddle Shoes Tea
April 9, 12:00 – 2:30 PM
Revisit the tastes, sounds, and memories of the 1950s at our ever-popular, table-served High Tea, featuring teas and a talk by I Chen of Zen Cha Tea Salon and traditional Tea “goodies.” Our speaker, Mary Ann Ferguson-Rich, will discuss the currently popular art of growing heirloom vegetables. Among other honors, Ms. Rich serves on the board of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., is a Life Flower Show Judge, and is past president of Garden Clubs of Ohio.
I-Cheng, proprietor of Zen Cha Teal Salon, will provide commentary about his specialty teas that accompany delicious sweet and savory tea fate a the table-served tea.
Tickets are $45 per person

Art in Bloom is supported by Dr. Dale Anderson and Mary Montgomery, Howard and Hannah Pirwitz, Nordstrom, Nationwide, Barcelona’s Sidecar Global Catering, German Village Garten Club, Cameron Mitchell, G. Michael’s Bistro, Zen Cha Tea Salon, Leslie Huntington, Lemongrass Fusion Bistro, Moretti’s, Mozart’s, Panera Bread, Z Cucina, Heidelberg Distributing, Charles Penzone, Park Creek Kitchen, Whole Foods Market, Polaris Fashion Place, Patricia Getha, Professional Photographer, Linda Wesner of Marcia Evans Gallery, A.K. Simon, Dickinson Interiors, Northwest Title, James Nichols, BalletMet, Fresh Market, Granville Gourmet Whoopie Pies, Bon Vie Bistro, Starbucks, Yosick’s Artisan Chocolates, Saks Fifth Avenue, ms consultants, Bob Evans Farms, Inc., Maramor Chocolates, Phil Keller Farm Market, OSU’s Fisher School of Business, Dance Plus Ballroom, DSW, Huffman’s Market, and Pepperidge Farm.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

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COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART EXCEEDS FUNDRAISING GOAL
Mar 2, 2011
For Immediate Release:
March 2, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART EXCEEDS FUNDRAISING GOAL

(Columbus, OH) – The Columbus Museum of Art today announced that they have exceeded the $500,000 goal for the Anne and Noel Melvin Match. In 2007 Anne and Noel Melvin made a $500,000 contribution to the Museum’s Art Matters endowment and capital campaign and pledged an additional $500,000 to match donations received from new donors by December 31, 2010.

The Melvins have been great supporters of central Ohio’s cultural community, and especially the Columbus Museum of Art, for more than twenty-five years. They are well-known philanthropists who have encouraged arts organizations to stretch and reach their goals.

“The expansion and renovation of the Art Museum has been a bold and visionary move that will strengthen and broaden the organization’s ability to serve this fortunate community for decades to come. The outreach, enthusiasm and tenacity of the Museum board and staff has energized the community as they have so vividly portrayed the importance of art in our lives and the Museum in our community,” said Anne and Noel Melvin. “We are thrilled that the match has incentivized many new donors to discover the Museum and join in the support of this important undertaking. We hope each will come to realize how much art can embolden our creativity, vigorously stir our intellects, and often infuse us with wonder and delight. ART REALLY DOES MATTER!”

Through the generous outpouring of support from many new individual, corporate and foundation donors throughout the community the Museum was able to not only meet the Melvin’s challenge but exceed it.

“The Museum is grateful not only for the incredible support the Melvins have provided to the Art Matters endowment and capital campaign, but also the energy and excitement it generated in the community,” said CMA’s Executive Director, Nannette V. Maciejunes.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and Nationwide provide ongoing support. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Museum and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For additional information, call 614-221-4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

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CMA Receives Warhol Grant
Feb 15, 2011
For Immediate Release:
February 15, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin 614.629.0303
nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

CMA RECEIVES GRANT FROM WARHOL FOUNDATION


(Columbus, OH) – The Columbus Museum of Art has been awarded a two-year grant totaling $60,000 from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. The grant will be used to support CMA’s Currents series.

Currents is CMA’s on-going annual series of original exhibitions of contemporary art. The series encourages new curatorial scholarship focused on the artists and their installations and introduces the work of emerging and mid-career international artists to audiences in central Ohio. Previous Currents artists include Kehinde Wiley, Evan Penny, Peter Zimmerman, Jason Salavon, Oliver Kochta Kalleinen and Tellervo Kalleinen.
This year, CMA presents Currents: Stephanie Syjuco. Syjuco has adopted the tactics of counterfeiting, re-appropriation, and fictional fabrications to address questions of cultural biography, labor, and capitalism. Currents: Stephanie Syjuco furthers her interest in issues of authorship, craft, labor, and the capitalist production process. It is inspired by the Museum's Don and Jean Stuck Coverlet Collection of more than 300 nineteenth-century hand-woven coverlets. The Currents project will combine the story of the coverlets with Syjuco's recent research into the creation and use of plastic, woven, commercial shopping bags that are produced in huge numbers in plaid patterns of various colors, largely in China. Because of their low cost and ready availability, these bags, which are used mostly to transport personal belongings and food, have come to be visual indicators of immigrants in communities around the world. Different countries refer to these bags colloquially as "Turkish Suitcases" (Germany), "Chinese plaid," (US) or "Ghana must go," (West Africa) bags.
For her Currents project, Syjuco will oversee the manufacture of plastic fabric by commercial producers in Beijing, using several designs from the CMA coverlets instead of the familiar plaid patterns. She will then design and create a "product line" from this fabric and make objects available for purchase. The gallery space will be designed as a production space and shop for the "product line" to continue to be made on site throughout the exhibition. A "Production Manager" will be retained for the run of the exhibition to recruit and direct "workers" in the space, who will be provided with work tables and equipment for the manufacture of the "product line." Shelving units will provide display space for the available goods. The final collection of works will become integrated into the exhibition space along with the original coverlets, presented on a viewing wall with museum labels and signage.
The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Museum admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and students 6 and older; and free for members, children 5 and younger. Admission is free every Sunday. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.
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Explore Gardens of the Hudson Valley at CMA
Feb 8, 2011
For Immediate Release:
February 8, 2011

Media Contact:
Nancy Colvin, 614.629.0303
nancy.colvin@cmaohio.org

Media Alert
CMA Garden Club Presents Gardens of the Hudson Valley

What: Gardens of the Hudson Valley
The Garden Club of the Columbus Museum of Art invites you to a presentation, book signing, and reception celebrating the Gardens of the Hudson Valley by Susan Lowry and Nancy Berner. The authors will discuss their book, a photographic portrait of the majestic landscape and lush plantings of the Hudson River Valley; sign copies of the book; and join attendees for a dessert reception. Tickets are $30 for CMA members, $35 for nonmembers and may be purchased online at www.columbusmuseum.org

When: Saturday, February 19, 2:00 – 5:30 PM

Where: Columbus Museum of Art

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Museum admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and students 6 and older; and free for members, children 5 and younger. Admission is free every Sunday. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.
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O'Keeffe, Man Ray, Rockwell, Chuck Close: They're all at CMA
Jan 6, 2011
(Columbus, OH) – Discover the many ways photography has influenced painting at the Columbus Museum of Art. Shared Intelligence: American Painting and the Photograph, on view February 4 – April 24, 2011, explores the ways the two mediums intersect and spill into each other.

The painting and the photograph have had a long relationship in American art. After its invention in the 19th century, many believed photography, with its ability to quickly capture the world around us, would replace painting. However, rather than being replaced, painting immediately drew upon photography as a rich and complex source for innovation. While we might think immediately of photography’s ability to provide subject matter or a ready “sketch” for painters, the photograph’s role in American painting goes far beyond this relationship. Photographic seeing, the way the lens freezes, flattens, enlarges, and crops the world, has influenced nearly all visual representation from its invention to today. In turn, the exhibition will also consider the ways in which photography has itself been affected by its interaction with painting.

“I think this exhibition is exceptional not only for the way in which it considers the give and take between painting and photography, but also for the strength of the numerous iconic works it includes,” said Melissa Wolfe, CMA Associate Curator of American Art.

“This has been a very exciting project to work on, as it sheds new light on the interaction between painting and photography in American art,” said Barbara Buhler Lynes, Curator, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and the Emily Fisher Landau Director, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Research Center.

This exhibition of more than 75 paintings and photographs focuses on the work of American painters for whom the photograph has been essential, beginning with the acclaimed 19th century realist Thomas Eakins and continuing through to contemporary art, including such masters as Frederic Remington, Charles Sheeler, Georgia O’Keeffe, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Chuck Close, David Hockney, and Sherrie Levine. Major works by such ground-breaking photographers as Eadweard Muybridge, Alfred Stieglitz, Man Ray, Edward Weston, Walker Evans, and Margaret Bourke-White will also be included.

“The relationship of painting to photography in American Art has been both anxious and highly productive,” said Jonathan Weinberg, art historian and author. “American artists as different as Eakins and Warhol, Remington and Flack, O’Keeffe and Close used the camera as a way to revitalize the practice of painting.”

Shared Intelligence was organized by the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and co-curated by Barbara Buhler Lynes and Jonathan Weinberg Ph.D.

The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Nationwide Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. CMA and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For additional information, call 614.221.4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

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CMA Unveils latest masterpiece
Nov 5, 2010
(Columbus, OH) – The Columbus Museum of Art invites the community to celebrate the unveiling of its renovated Elizabeth M. and Richard M. Ross Building on January 1, 2011. This free community celebration begins on the Broad Street lawn at 10:00 AM with hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts, music, loads of confetti (biodegradable, of course) and a grand unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Start the New Year with a resolution to share the new CMA experience with friends, neighbors, and the extended Central Ohio community. Throughout the day, we invite you to experience these events that will spark your creativity.
• Watch the world’s fastest madcap milliner, Wacky Wendy, create her artful hats for a handful of lucky visitors. This sculptor and paper wizard has dazzled thousands at events across the U.S.
• Indulge in edible art created by a Japanese candy artist who will treat visitors to her delicious artistry in the form of dragons, horses, eagles, flowers, and a special CMA confection
• Model for artist Dr. Weakeyes who will create colorful portraits painted in abstract strokes with neon pens for visitors
• Channel your inner artist with a special hands-on art activity in our new Studio in the Center for Creativity
• Create your own souvenir flip book to commemorate the day
• Enjoy live entertainment throughout the day in the Cardinal Health Auditorium
Renovation Information
On October 12, 2009, the Museum’s 1931 Italian Renaissance Revival building began a yearlong renovation and restoration process.
The renovation project included:

• Transforming Derby Court by raising the floor to improve accessibility, installing a luminous skylight, and improving acoustics.
• Reimagining the entire first floor as a Center for Creativity
• Renovating, installing new seating, and improving acoustics in the auditorium.
• Performing upgrades to make the building more accessible for all visitors
• Upgrading heating, ventilation, humidity control, and air conditioning systems
• Upgrading lighting throughout, especially in the galleries
• Reconditioning all hardwood, terrazzo, and marble walls, ceilings, and floors
• Restoring original decorative building features

Schooley Caldwell Associates (SCA) and Corna Kokosing Construction Company have guided CMA through the project. Known for a passion for historic preservation and renovation, SCA completed the design for the Ohio Statehouse and directed the restoration and preservation of this National Historic Landmark and also undertook the restoration of the Kansas, Utah, and Minnesota state capitols. SCA’s restoration and adaptive reuse of the Moderne Style 1930s Ohio State Office Building on South Front Street for the Supreme Court of Ohio has received numerous awards and was featured in Architectural Record.

Corna Kokosing has not only constructed or renewed many of the landmark buildings in Columbus, but also has become an active participant in many charitable, cultural and art events. Cultural projects include complete renovation of the historical Southern Theatre, demolition and renovation of COSI Gallery One into the new WOSU Television and Radio Station, and the 14,000 square foot expansion of the Ohio Theatre. Corna has been honored with numerous local and national awards for everything from safety programs to construction services.

The building renovations were made possible by funds raised through the Art Matters Endowment and Capital Campaign. To date, CMA has raised $51.5 million for the ongoing Art Matters campaign which will help CMA achieve three goals: sustainability, competitiveness, and public value.
• Sustainability will ensure that the Columbus Museum of Art’s extraordinary collection, compelling exhibitions, and vibrant programs will inspire generations to come.
• A competitive Columbus Museum of Art will be in a position to attract the best national and international touring exhibitions, borrow incomparable artworks from other museums, and draw crowds to exhibitions, programs, and special events.
• Public value is that intangible and invaluable role that we play in making central Ohio a great place to live, work, and visit. We help to create a vibrant community of citizens, businesses, and organizations, who, in turn, enrich the Museum.
The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and Nationwide provide ongoing support. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Museum and the Museum Store are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and until 8:30 PM every Thursday. The Palette Express is open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For additional information, call 614-221-4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.

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