Medium The Magazine of the Birmingham Museum of Art Summer · 2018 Remembering Frank Fleming Medium // Summer // 2018 Contents Director’s Letter 4 Features Frank Fleming · The Poynor Collection 13 Exhibitions Dear Member, The Original Makers · Third Space · Waterline An Exploration of Line Summer is upon us and I want to remind you will explore the impact of industry—particularly damming for transformative effect on the Museum’s collection. Over the that the BMA is the perfect place to escape hydroelectric power and flood control—on indigenous cultures years, the Poynors have enhanced our holdings of American 19 Acquisitions the heat and humidity while exploring our and the land they inhabit, what Nicolson calls “the awkward modern art with important gifts of work by Gene Davis, Kenneth Standing Rock · Memories of the Coast of France world-class collections. There’s a lot to see! balancing act of industrial development and environmental Noland, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Mangold, among many We recently opened The Original Makers: stewardship.” others. A selection of works from their collection—including ex- 22 Programs + Events Folk Art from the Cargo Collection, featuring amples by Joan Mitchell and Louise Nevelson—is presently on Ongoing Programs · Art On The Rocks 160 vibrant and clever works by some of our At the beginning of August, we will install the final rotation in view in the Museum’s Styslinger Gallery of American Art. The Latinx Festival · Waterline Lecture · ICS Concert region’s best-known, self-taught artists. This the popular contemporary art exhibition Third Space. It’s hard current selection will be up until November, when a new selec- Dixie Art Colony · Maker Station · Art After 5 exhibition delights and inspires, conveying a to believe that this two-year endeavor is sense of pride for the rich artistic heritage of coming to an end, and if you haven’t yet Art enables us to find 26 News + Giving our state and region. experienced what New York Times art crit- NextGen 2018 · Volunteer Spotlight · Teen Night ic Holland Cotter named to “The Best Art ourselves and lose Meet the Director of Development · Museum Ball Speaking of originality, in March we lost a of 2017,” there’s still time; the exhibition ourselves at the same time. Support Group Travel · Visitors’ View true Alabama original, the beloved sculptor closes January 6, 2019. If you don’t be- Corporate Partners · Memorials + Honorariums Frank Fleming, whose “gentle fantasy world lieve me or Mr. Cotter, how about Kate V., Thomas Merton of creatures”—as it was described by the a visitor from Spokane, Washington, who (American, born France, 1915–1968), late Georgine Clarke—has captivated gen- wrote on TripAdvisor, “Third Space was Trappist monk, poet, social critic, erations. I am grateful to Director Emerita so good, we skipped all the typical art and spiritual writer The Birmingham Museum of Art publishes the membership Gail Andrews for sharing some thoughts museum with oil paintings from Europe magazine, Medium, quarterly. about this extraordinary artist in this issue and American [sic] and came back to of Medium. The Museum is proud to be the go through Third Space a second time. Especially after visiting tion from the Poynor collection will be hung. Collectors such The mission of the Birmingham Museum of Art is to spark owner and caretaker of Fleming’s most prom- the historical civil rights sites in Alabama, this exhibit was quite as Dr. and Mrs. Poynor are the cornerstone of this institution the creativity, imagination, and liveliness of Birmingham inent public work—The Storyteller—which was meaningful.” Please join the nearly 50,000 visitors who have and I am grateful to them for their unwavering connoisseur- by connecting all its citizens to the experience, meaning, acquired and installed in the heart of histor- experienced Third Space, but while you’re here check out the ship and willingness to share their collection with the people of and joy of art. ic Five Points South with broad community “typical art museum,” too! Many of the galleries change frequent- Birmingham. support. ly with new acquisitions and “rediscovered” works from our rich James Outland – Chairman of the Board collection. There’s always something new to see. Whether you find or lose yourself in our collection, I look for- Graham C. Boettcher – The R. Hugh Daniel Director An exhibition you won’t want to miss is ward to seeing you soon and often! Laura Monroe – Editor Waterline, opening on July 27. The exhibition I want to thank everyone who supported and attended the 2018 James Williams – Designer showcases a recent acquisition: a visually Museum Ball Outside the Lines, which was attended by more Warmly, Sean Pathasema – Photographer stunning illuminated sculpture by Marianne than 450 people, breaking previous attendance and fundraising Nicolson (born 1969), an artist of Scottish records. I am particularly grateful to our dynamic co-chairs Tricia Membership inquiries to: [email protected] and Dzawada’enuxw First Nations descent. and Troy Wallwork and Sue and Nick Willis for their dedicated Editorial inquiries to: [email protected] The Dzwada’enuxw people comprise one leadership and tireless efforts to ensure the success of the ball. of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nations, who make their home along the coastal areas of north- Lastly, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the long- Graham C. Boettcher, Ph.D. eastern Vancouver Island and mainland standing and dedicated support of Dr. John and Nancy Poynor, The R. Hugh Daniel Director British Columbia, Canada. The exhibition collectors whose singular vision has had a profound and Cover: Frank Fleming, American, 1940–2018, Goat Man (detail), 1974, hand-built porcelain; Collection of the Art Fund, Inc. at the Birmingham Museum of Art; Gift of Ned and Robin Selfe, AFI.174.2015a-c Opposite page: Photo of Graham C. Boettcher by Beau Gustafson 2 Director’s Letter | 3 In Memoriam Frank Fleming I was more at ease with nature and animals than people, I lived within myself. I didn’t use words to describe the things I saw, and I’m sure because I didn’t use words, I tended to think in visual images. — Frank Fleming 4 Features | 5 By Director Emerita Gail Andrews “I was more at ease with nature and animals than people, I lived within myself. I didn’t use words to describe the things I saw, and I’m sure because I didn’t use words, I tended to think in visual images.” Frank Fleming described both himself and the sculpture he made with those words in 2014. However, it was a personal shorthand he frequently used to explain his speech impediment, resulting in eleven years of silence in elementary and high using a bird feather to impress exact detail on hundreds of tiny Art Museum, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MFA school, and its influence on his witty, incisive, and finely-made pieces of clay, then overlapping them to create the winged sur- Houston, and Palm Springs Museum, to name but a few. He porcelain sculptures. face of a bird. Removing the glaze was a major breakthrough. received and completed numerous commissions for public art, The surface texture becomes more prominent, catching shad- was represented by galleries across the United States, and had On March 18, 2018, Frank passed away, and we lost a warm, ows to highlight detail and drawing the viewer in to look more over 40 solo exhibitions in his career. funny, generous, and extraordinarily talented human being. closely. The sculptures feel akin to marble, adding to the mythic qualities of the blended human and animal forms created by the Frank loved our city, and the people here who supported him as Fleming was born in Bear Creek, Alabama in 1940, growing artist. Goat Man, a recent gift to the Museum, illustrates these an artist. He gave back to all of us, and will be remembered as up on a cotton and corn farm in an isolated part of the state. qualities and is also a work which began to unlock the door for a great friend of our city and its nonprofit organizations. He was His speech impediment and academic ability opened the door Bronze gave him a greater financial stability, allowing him to greater recognition of Frank’s work, as it was selected for the passionate about the natural world, but perhaps equally pas- for him to attend Florence State College, now the University of create multiples as well as opening the door for additional pub- Biennial at the New Orleans Museum of Art in 1977, giving him sionate about Alabama football! Frank said he wanted us to see North Alabama, for speech therapy. He took an art course on a lic commissions with pieces that could be installed outside. exposure to a much wider audience. the honesty in his work, that it was very personal, and meant whim, discovered he had a talent for drawing, and became an many things, and there is not just one way to interpret it. Frank art major. He graduated hoping to teach, but positions in the His passion however was clay, specifically porcelain, which His expressions were unique, certainly influenced by Robert found himself in his art, and I think he is asking each of us to school system were few, and instead he worked for six years he was working in once again at the time of his death. After Arneson’s work and that of other artists working in clay in the take the time to look, to listen, and do the same. at Boeing and NASA as a draftsman, eventually returning to receiving his MFA, Frank established a studio in Birmingham 1960s and 1970s, but these were his own astute observations, school, receiving MA and MFA degrees from the University of in 1973 and began devoting himself to making small, fine- life experiences, and ability to point to life’s absurdities.