Huntsville Museum of Art WINTER/SPRING 2020 ARTVIEWS Museum Board of Directors Chairman: Carole Jones Dear Museum Members, Vice Chairman: Sarah Gessler Secretary: Joyce Griffi n ext year will be the 50th Anniversary of the Treasurer: Archie Tucker NHuntsville Museum of Art, and we have much Charlie Bonner Patsy Haws David Nast to celebrate. The Museum was founded when the Richard Crunkleton Steve Johnson Virginia Rice Huntsville City Council established the Museum Dorothy Davidson Betsy Lowe John Wynn Board on August 13, 1970. Long-time HMA board Ex-Offi cio Members Collections: Wayne Laney members recall that Martin LeRoy Weber became the CLASSICAL SERIES POPS SERIES Foundation Board President: Laurie Heard fi rst director in 1973, and the early exhibitions were Guild President: Louann Thomson displayed in the lobby of the Municipal Building. GALA Chair: Mem Bryant In the following year, the organization moved to its Docent Chair: Wendy Yang temporary home in the Hazel Green Chapel, a 19th- Brahms 2 Battle On The Big Screen Foundation Board President: Laurie Heard century one-room chapel on the University of Alabama, Huntsville campus. Friday, September 27, 2019 • 7:30 p.m. A Hollywood Tribute to Veterans Vice President: Trip Ferguson On March 14, 1975, the Museum relocated to the Von Braun Civic Center, 1 1 Friday, November 8, 2019 ▪ 7:30 p.m. Secretary: Sharon Russell and the following year, the Huntsville Museum Association, Inc., was formed Anusha Alapati Cara Greco Hilary Russell specifi cally for the promotion and fi nancial support of the Museum. This John Allen Jill Heffernan Cathy Scholl organization remains an important force for the Museum’s high standards of Julie Andrzejewski Gary Huckaby Ina Wilson Smith Beethoven 9 Soul Songbook quality in its art collection, programs and operations. Friday, November 22, 2019 • 7:30 p.m. Shayna Steele Sings Aretha and More Mark Ardin Wendy Johnson Kathi Tew Caroline Bentley Wayne Laney Dana Town Because of the Museum’s resounding successes during those years, it was 2 2 Tuesday, December 31, 2019 ▪ 7:30 p.m. Jane Brocato Stephanie Lowe Jason Vandiver apparent that the current space at the Von Braun Civic Center was inadequate. Vicki Edwards Kitty Roberts With a $4,000,000 commitment from the City of Huntsville, a public capital Emeritus: Betty Grisham Gershwin and Copland The Genius of John Williams Ex-Offi cio Members campaign was launched to raise an additional $3.4 million to build a 3-story, Saturday, January 25, 2020 • 7:30 p.m. America’s Movie Maestro Collections: Wayne Laney 46,000-square-foot facility in Big Spring International Park. Through the tireless 3 3 Saturday, February 1, 2020 • 7:30 p.m. Guild Representative: Suzy Naumann dedication of many, the moment arrived and the Huntsville Museum of Art Museum Board: Joyce Griffi n and Steve Johnson opened its doors in March 1998, and attracted 8,000 guests opening weekend! Guild Offi cers Over the years, the Museum’s permanent collection has increased We Have Liftoff! President: Louann Thomson substantially, as did the need for proper collections storage, and exhibition and Ravel and Trombones President-elect: Suzy Naumann Saturday, February 15, 2020 • 7:30 p.m. The Rocket City in Space Secretary: Karen Naff educational galleries. In 2007, the Museum announced its plan for expansion 4 4 Saturday, February 29, 2020 ▪ 7:30 p.m. Sarah Pfeiffer Corresponding Secretary: with the Masterpiece in the Making Capital Campaign with an $11 million goal, Finance Chair: Jamie Saunders chaired by long-time Museum members, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lowe. It was during Parliamentarian: Susan Alexander Treasurer: Melissa Hays this campaign that the Board approved the purchase of the renowned Sellars Four Seasons Assistant Treasurer: TBD Collection of over 400 paintings by 250 American women artists completed 5 Saturday, March 21, 2020 • 7:00 p.m. Staff Liaison: Elena Buckley between 1850 and 1940. In addition to being highlighted at the Museum during First Baptist Church of Huntsville Museum Docents various times of the year, a selection of the Sellars collection has been traveling CASUAL CLASSICS Docent Chair: Wendy Yang nationally, which not only enhances the Museum exposure throughout the United Nancy Beason Co-Chair: States but has also been a lucrative fi nancial Poem of Ecstasy Museum Staff resource. After three years, the campaign was a Saturday, May 2, 2020 • 7:30 p.m. Executive Director: Christopher J. Madkour 6 Dinner Concert Executive Assistant: Elena Buckley success! The new expansion, named The Davidson Sunday, November 17, 2019 Director of Curatorial Affairs: Peter J. Baldaia Center for the Arts, for its largest contributors, 1 Curator of Exhibitions and Collections: Dorothy and Julian Davidson, opened November David Reyes Curatorial Assistant: Katherine Purves 21, 2010. The beautiful new addition included Director of Education/Museum Academy: seven galleries, an education gallery, and four Percussion Galore Laura E. Smith special events areas for lectures, private functions Sunday, February 2, 2020 Education Associate: Candace Bean and community gatherings. 2 Museum Academy Assistant: Kathy Johnson Director of Communications: Danny Owen For fi fty years, the City of Huntsville, the Communications Associate: Lauren Lee business community, Museum members, and Director of Development: Andrea Petroff guests have realized the social, cultural and Yoga Concert Development Associate: Brianna Sieja Sunday, March 22, 2020 Membership/Development Operations Associate: economic benefi ts of a vibrant arts community. 3 Camille Sommer Kudos to the Mayor and the City Council, the Accountant: Wendy Worley dedicated Museum Board, Staff, Gala Committee, Rey and Cynthia Almodóvar in front Accounting Assistants: Tonya Alexander, Foundation Board, Guild, Docents, Volunteers, of Lucioni’s Pewter and Crock The Music Gene Mary Chavosky, Heather Dasher and our loyal members for taking us to such great heights. I wish to close with a Facility & Rental Manager: Jennifer Goff SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW! Sunday, April 26, 2020 Facility Rental Assistants: Toni Bridges, special acknowledgment in this ArtViews’ issue to Museum members, Cynthia 4 in collaboration with the Darlene Stanford, Angie Story and Rey Almodóvar, who generously donated the funds to purchase the exquisite HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Security Supervisor: John Solari still life oil painting, Pewter and Crock, 1969, by Lugii Lucioni, ( 1900-1988). SINGLE TICKETS AUGUST 1 Security Guards: Joseph Barker, Rebecca Foster, Reginald Peavy, Casey Traylor Two years ago, Cynthia and Rey were also the lead donors in the purchase of the All Classical and Pops Series concerts are currently scheduled in Guest Services Supervisor: Maci Hladky Lucioni Portrait of Ethel Water. Again, this reinforced that Huntsville is a city the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, Von Braun Center, unless otherwise Guest Services: Emily Alcorn, Wendy Campbell, that gives back and does so in the most generous terms. Thank you all! 256.539.4818 • www.HSO.org noted. Dates, venues, and programming are subject to change. Victoria Gunter, Donna Sietsema, Rachel Stone Museum Store Coordinator: Janell Zesinger Christopher J. Madkour, Executive Director Volunteers: Margaret Raymond, Beth Ryan, Donna Sietsema, Mary Withington On the cover: Norman Rockwell, Father and Son Skiing (Winter), oil on canvas, 25.5 x 24.5 in. 3 Harlem, Hollywood, Broadway: African American Legends Photographed by Jack Mitchell Presented by the Museum’s Black History Month Committee January 19-March 22, 2020 merican photographer Jack Mitchell (1925-2013) was leap, to stretch, and to point their feet, resulted in images that Arenowned for his captivating photographs of visual artists, epitomize the joyful physicality of dance. Mitchell photographed fi lm and theater personalities, musicians, and writers, which he legendary dancer and choreographer Judith Jamison over many documented during a remarkable career that spanned over fi ve years. “He pulled the uniqueness out of you regardless of whether decades. In addition to 25 years of special assignment work for you wanted it pulled out of you or not,” she has observed. “I look The New York Times, Mitchell’s photographs of creative and at myself growing up in his pictures.” performing artists have graced the covers and pages of Harper’s Harlem, Hollywood, Broadway presents 36 vintage black-and- Bazaar, Life, Newsweek, People, Rolling Stone, Time, Vanity Fair, white and color photographs of important African American and Vogue, among others. artists and performers captured by Mitchell between 1961 and Mitchell was both a portraitist and a capturer of complex 2001. Mitchell had a special relationship with the African motion. An expert in lighting, he worked mostly, though not American creative community, and photographed most of entirely, in black and white, and was known – by his subjects, by its most prominent members during his career. His fi rst cover the magazine and newspaper editors he worked for, and by critics photograph for a major magazine was of Haitian dancers for the – as someone who could make a photograph reveal character. May 1951 issue of Color Magazine, and one of his last photo A passionate lover of dance, Mitchell was the offi cial sessions was with the African American trumpeter and composer, photographer for the American Ballet Theater, and he Wadada Leo Smith in 2001. chronicled the work of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Hand-selected by the Huntsville Museum of Art from the Theater