SCENE A10 THE SHERIDAN PRESS www.thesheridanpress.com SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2021 Super Bowl GUEST COLUMN | New museum ads aim to traces history comfort and of Black music connect across genres BY MAE ANDERSON AP BUSINESS WRITER NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A new museum two decades in NEW YORK (AP) — Super the making is telling the inter- Bowl ads each year offer a connected story of Black musi- snapshot of the American cal genres through the lens of psyche. And this year, it’s a American history. doozy. The National Museum of After a year of pandemic African American Music, fear and isolation, a tumultu- which opened with a virtu- ous election capped by a riot al ribbon-cutting on Martin at the Capitol and periodic Luther King Jr. Day, is seated uncertainty as to whether in the heart of Nashville’s there would even be a Super musical tourism district, Bowl, marketers have to alongside honky-tonks and the tread carefully. famed Ryman Auditorium and The ideal: promote their blocks from the Country Music brands to a weary audience Hall of Fame and Museum. looking for comfort and Even as Nashville has long escapism without crossing celebrated its role in the histo- any lines that might trigger ry of music, the new museum viewers. fills a gap by telling an import- So Will Ferrell is teaming ant and often overlooked story with GM — and Awkwafina about the roots of American and Kenan Thompson — on popular music, including gos- a madcap cross country dash pel, blues, jazz, R&B and hip- to promote electric vehicles. hop. Amazon toys with sexual “When we think of the histo- innuendo when a woman is ry of African American music distracted by her new Alexa and the important part it has assistant that looks like the played in our country, it was actor Michael B. Jordan. long overdue to honor it in this And Anheuser-Busch offers type of way,” said gospel great a hopeful look toward a time COURTESY PHOTO | THE BRINTON MUSEUM CeCe Winans, who serves as a when we can say “let’s get a “Chief Dickens” illustration by Father Giuliani, a featured illustrator at The Brinton Museum in February. national chair for the museum. beer” to friends and cowork- The idea for the museum ers again. came from two Nashville busi- “Comfort is key,” said ness and civic leaders, Francis Villanova University market- Guess and T.B. Boyd, back in ing professor Charles Taylor. 1998, who wanted a museum “Being edgy is going to get dedicated to Black arts and attention, but it risks get- Much fun for all ages culture. And while there are ting out of the comfort zone museums around the country at a time people have been that focus on certain aspects of cooped up in their homes and Black music, this museum bills economic times are tough for itself as the first of its kind to many.” be all encompassing. The prize for those who available at The Brinton “Most music museums deal get the balance right? The with a label, a genre or an art- chance to break into the psy- hat’s more fun than elementary school chil- South Dakota Art Museum and the artist, from 20 ist,” said H. Beecher Hicks III, che and (virtual) watercool- dren’s art, storybook illustrations, dogs, wiz- of his 34 books. the museum’s president and er talk of an estimated 100 ards and a full moon? The featured artist in 2007 was James Warhola, CEO. “So it’s one thing to say million viewers who will be W The Brinton Museum will again present author and illustrator of “Uncle Andy’s: A that I’m a hip hop fan or I’m watching the CBS broadcast the “All-Schools 5th Grade Student Art Show” and Faabbbulous Visit with Andy Warhol, “Uncle a blues fan, but why? What of Super Bowl LV on Sunday. also the “16th Illustrator Show,” opening to the Andy’s Cats” and numerous other books. If the was going on in our country public in February. name sounds familiar, and it does, Warhola’s artis- and our lived experience and NEW WORLD ORDER The student art shows have tic inspiration was influenced in part by his iconic, our political environment that been a tradition since 2002 when famous uncle, pop artist Andy Warhol. made that music so moving, With big names such as the museum hosted an exhibit Subsequent shows featured art by award-winning so inspirational, such the Coke, Hyundai and Kia of elementary art from the Big members of the prestigious Society of Illustrators soundtrack for that part of our sitting it out this year, new- Horn Elementary School. When as well as Randolph Caldecott Medal recipients. lives?” comers are rushing in. This The Brinton moved into the state- The coveted Caldecott award recognizes the most The museum tells a chrono- year’s Super Bowl will show- of-the-art Forrest E. Mars, Jr. distinguished American picture books for children. logical story of Black music case more than 20 first-time Building in 2015, the decision was Wonderful storybook illustrations from such starting in the 1600s through advertisers — more than made to broaden the scope of the timeless classics as “Jack and the Beanstalk,” present day and framed double the eight from last BARBARA student show the following year “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Goldilocks and the around major cultural move- year if you exclude campaign to include a greater number of Three Bears” have been on exhibit in The Brinton ments including the music ads, according to a tally by MCNAB schools in the Museum galleries, along with art and instruments brought research firm iSpot. | area, but limit- illustrations from recently pub- by African slaves, the emer- Many are flush with cash ing submission What is more magical lished popular children’s books, gence of blues through the thanks to changing consumer to fifth-grade including “Eleanor Roosevelt Great Migration, the Harlem habits during the pandemic. students. In this than that look of Throws a Picnic,” illustrated Renaissance and the civil It’s a bellwether when a way, all schools could participate by Victor Juhasz from Averill rights movement. brand can afford the estimat- while keeping the event to a con- wonderment in a child’s Park, New York; “My Radio Flyer When Winans recently took ed $5.5 million cost-of-entry trollable size. Flew,” written and illustrated a tour of the museum, she saw for a 30-second spot during The first year’s fifth-grade show eyes as an artist talks about by Zachary Pullen from Casper; her own family of gospel sing- the Super Bowl. This year’s reception was attended by more and “No, David!” by author and ers, The Winans, represented class includes the companies than 280 students, teachers and the antics of “Finn McCool and artist David Shannon from Los in the museum’s exhibit on that brought us our food, let parents. Each year sees a growth Angeles, California, as a few spiritual music alongside the us shop online and helped in this community-wide program the Great Fish,” or about Carl, examples. artists that influenced her own us work from home. Among with the art projects becoming A highlight of this year’s show musical career. them are delivery services more creative and sophisticated. an inquisitive chipmunk and is original artwork from The “You never start out doing DoorDash and Uber Eats, From renditions of cave draw- Brinton’s own “The Dickens of what you’re doing to be a part the job site Indeed, the car ings on crumpled brown paper, his animal friends as they learn the Bradford Brinton Memorial of history or even be a part of site Vroom, the recently to bright color balloons made of & Museum,” which was the a museum,” said the 12-time headline-grabbing investing paper maché, to complex wall all about art at the National featured exhibit in 2012 togeth- Grammy-winning singer. app Robinhood, and the com- mosaics, to self-portraits and er with “Dogs, Dinosaurs and She noted that the museum puter accessories company stories by Crow students from Museum of Wildlife Art in Daydreams,” a show by artist put gospel music in context Logitech. Wyola School in Montana, enthu- Mark Teague, the author and with how it inspired social Most are taking tried- siasm and creativity abound. Jackson? illustrator of the comical canine change, especially during the and-true ad approaches. Ongoing COVID-19 restrictions character Ike LaRue series and civil rights era. DoorDash enlists Sesame will keep a reception from hap- illustrator of numerous other “When you look at all the Street characters for a dose pening this year. However, in lieu of a reception, popular children’s picture books. different movements that of nostalgia. Logitech goes the art teachers will be part of an online video pro- Art aside, perhaps the most rewarding benefit have happened down through the celebrity route with an gram sharing the inspirations behind each class’ of the Illustrator Show has always been the school the years, and Martin Luther endorsement from hip hop art project. This show continues through March 1 tours. What is more magical than that look of won- King Jr., it was always with artist Little Nas X intended during regular museum hours. derment in a child’s eyes as an artist talks about the church behind them,” said to underscore that its prod- For 2021, the museum’s “16th Illustrator Show” the antics of “Finn McCool and the Great Fish,” Winans. “It was the gospel ucts like keyboards and mice takes a look back on 15 years of exhibits. The or about Carl, an inquisitive chipmunk and his music that inspired us to love help artists and makers “defy Illustrator Show — successful in bringing art to animal friends as they learn all about art at the one another, to build bridges.” logic.” the schools and school tours to The Brinton — has National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson? The museum has 1,600 arti- And in what is surely a included an exceptionally talented roster of artists Art. It’s the heart and soul of learning. Combine facts in their collection, includ- first in Super Bowl history, since the first exhibit in 2002. That show featured this with children and the recipe for education ing clothes and a Grammy an ad for Inspiration4, a Gerald L. Holmes (1940-2019), artist and illustra- is almost complete. School tours for this year’s Award belonging to Ella SpaceX supported all-civilian tor of John R. Erickson’s charming “Hank the Illustrator Show are encouraged and can be sched- Fitzgerald, a guitar owned by space launch, touts a chance Cowdog” children’s book series. uled by calling Lacasa Michelena at The Brinton B.B. King and a trumpet played for viewers to join the mis- Holmes was so popular The Brinton had him Museum at 307-687-5972. Children aside, the by Louis Armstrong. To make sion. back five years later. The list of illustrators is Illustrator Show is also for adults who have never the best use out of the space, Courtesy of payment pro- indubitably impressive. In 2006, Paul Goble (1933- lost a love of children’s stories. And, heavens, why the exhibits are layered with cessor Shift4 Payments, 2017), award-winning author and illustrator who would we? interactive features, including whose CEO, Jared Isaacman, studied at the Central School of Art in London, 25 stations that allow visitors will command that mission. exhibited original illustrations, on loan from the BARBARA MCNAB is curator of exhibitions at The Brinton Museum. to virtually explore the music.