Category: Akron Art Museum
Detroit Disassembled Opening Reception at Queens Museum of Art
Andrew Moore’s photographs of the Motor City are sublime—beautiful, operatic in scale and drama, tragic yet offering a glimmer of hope. They are the subject of Detroit Disassembled, an exhibition organized by the Akron Art Museum and currently on view at the Queens Museum of Art in New York. On Sunday, September 18 the Queens Museum of Art is hosting an opening reception. Spending three months in Detroit during 2008 and 2009, Moore found its citizens’ mood to be resilient and resourceful rather than tragic.
MiniMasters
by Gina Thomas McGee, Associate Educator Aside from working on programs, tours, films, concerts and lectures at the museum, the education department has been spending some time off-site bringing the museum experience to local preschool classrooms through our MiniMasters preschool art education program. The MiniMasters program, funded by PNC Bank’s Grow Up Great initiative, allows our staff to spend time in Summit County Head Start classrooms, teaching three to five year old students about our collection. The last year of the MiniMasters program has taught
Downtown@Dusk: Robin Stone
By Lindsey Colegrove, Communications Intern Come see Funk/Pop singer Robin Stone perform live at the Akron Art Museum Thursday from 6:30 – 8:30 pm as part of the museum’s popular Downtown@Dusk concert series. The Cleveland native voted “Best Vocalist” at the Free Times Music Awards in 2009 almost wasn’t. After being diagnosed with a tumor on her vocal cord in 2008 and a rare auto immune disease in early 2009, Stone battled back to not only release a new record and a live album but
Downtown@Dusk: 15 60 75 The Numbers Band
By Lindsey Colegrove, Communications Intern Abstract blues group 15 60 75 The Numbers Band will be performing live at the Akron Art Museum Thursday from 6:30 – 8:30 pm as part of the museum’s popular Downtown@Dusk concert series. Simply called The Numbers Band by their fans, band founder Robert Kidney said the band name is taken from a Numbers Racket, a method of analyzing dreams as number sequences then used to place bets popular in Harlem in the 1950’s, mentioned in Paul Oliver’s book, “The
Inspiration from an Akron Art Museum Visit
By Bridgette Beard, Communications Assistant Earlier this year the Art & Nature elective class from Old Trail School visited us after learning about Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s use of fabric, cloth and textile. The students were able to view Christo’s Wrapped Walk Ways (Project For J.L. Loose Park, Kansas City, Missouri), 1978,in the Art Inspection room because it is not currently on view at the Akron Art Museum. Inspired by this work they returned back to school to plan “Covered Light Posts,” an environmental installation. This
Kusama Chair on World Tour; Sculpture by Donald Lipski on View in June
By Bridgette Beard, Communications Assistant If you have been in the museum in the last couple weeks you might have missed something in our Sandra L. and Dennis B. Haslinger Family Foundation Gallery. Where there was once two iconic chairs by Yayoi Kusama, there now is only one…for the time being. Akron Art Museum’s white Arm Chair has left the Akron Art Museum to become part of a world tour retrospective of Yayoi Kusama organized by the Tate Modern in London, England. ABOUT YAYOI KUSAMA
David Wojnarowicz Review
Mitchell Kahan, Director & CEO On January 6, Akron Art Museum screened two versions of David Wojnarowicz’s “A Fire in My Belly” for a small audience of 35 who braved slippery streets and snow. In Akron, there was little awareness about the controversial removal of an edited version of this video from the National Portrait Gallery’s groundbreaking exhibition on gay history – “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture.” The threats and counter threats over Smithsonian funding had not made local press until both Akron
First Night Akron 2011
By Beth Govern, Visitor Services Coordinator First Night Akron 2011 was an evening of family fun and entertainment at the Akron Art Museum. Families had an opportunity to express their creativity by participating in Akron Draws, organized by local artist Linda Hutchinson. Artist wannabees of all ages were encouraged to draw, doodle and sketch. You Shot Rock and Roll was another activity offered to families. Family members of all ages enjoyed creating their own album covers inspired by the Who Shot Rock and Roll exhibition.
MiniMasters Family Day
By Maria Iafelice, Education Assistant MiniMasters is an educational outreach program, bringing a little bit of the museum to Akron Summit Community Action Inc. Head Start preschool classrooms. After learning about the lines, shapes and colors in William Sommer’s watercolor portraits and creating works of their own, the preschool artists and their families were invited to a day at the museum. During the MiniMasters Family Day, families made paintings together, viewed their artworks on display and helped a percussion group from the University of Akron
Island of Misfit Toys
By Gina Thomas McGee, Associate Educator This year’s Island of Misfit Toys workshop was a blast! We had a sold-out crowd of over 250 people who came ready to build misfit masterpieces. Families hammered, smashed and hot glued to their hearts content, transforming toys into spectacular sculptures (with the help of some googly eyes). We saw a tennis ball Spongebob Squarepants, basketball hoop train station and many wild animal creations. In addition to being creative, attendees were incredibly generous as they each came with a