Media
Downtown@Dusk: Horns and Things
The museum’s popular Downtown@Dusk concert series will continue on July 18, 2013 from 6:30-8:30 pm with a performance from the contemporary jazz ensemble Horns and Things. Concert goers can also enjoy a gallery talk with Chief Curator Janice Driesbach and food from Urban Eats while kids partake in fun art activities during ArtCamp@Dusk in the museum’s classroom.
Attendees will thoroughly enjoy Horns and Things’ dynamic and explosive sound during their performance this Thursday.
This vivacious group has been performing live around the country for over twenty years. Horns and Things’ crossover appeal has allowed them to perform for popular artists such as Dexter Gordon, Pieces of a Dream, Millie Jackson and Kevin Eubanks.
Chief Curator Janice Driesbach will be leading a gallery talk titled “Eyedazzling: Julian Stanczak and Color” for the ArtTalks@Dusk on July 18 from 7:30-8 pm. The exhibition Line Color Illusion: 40 Years of Julian Stanczak showcases paintings and prints collected by the Akron Art Museum since 1970. The exhibition documents both Julian Stanczak’s impressive career as a master of color and the museum’s longstanding commitment to his work.
The theme for this Thursday’s ArtCamp@Dusk is “Summer Creatures,” where children 6-12 will construct a mixed media creature and design an environment for it to live in. Free for members, $5 for nonmembers. Registration is required for this class. Sign up at http://akronartmuseum.ticketleap.com/artcampdusk2013/dates/Jul-18-2013_at_0630PM.
The Museum Store and galleries are open during Downtown@Dusk until 9 pm. Admission to the galleries is free on July 18 for Third Thursday.
Exhibitions currently on view in the museum galleries include Danny Lyon: The Bikeriders, Draw Me a Story and Line Color Illusion: 40 Years of Julian Stanczak. For detailed information on these exhibitions and other events, please visit the museum’s exhibitions and calendar of events.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ktJL0gZ6iA]
Downtown@Dusk 2013 is made possible by The City of Akron. It is presented in cooperation with 89.7 WKSU.
ArtCamp@Dusk 2013 is made possible by a gift from The Howland Memorial Fun and the House of LaRose.
ArtTalks@Dusk 2013 is made possible by a gift from the Sam & Kathy Salem Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Board of Akron.
Third Thursdays are made possible by a generous gift from The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
Read MoreDowntown@Dusk: The Speedbumps
This week’s Downtown@Dusk features Kent-area band the Speedbumps. Concert attendees can also enjoy a discussion from Collections Manager Arnold Tunstall and food from Old Carolina BBQ while kids are entertained by fun art activities during ArtCamp@Dusk in the museum’s classroom.
Concert goers will be delighted by the Speedbumps’ eclectic sound and organic feel.
Through the utilization of hollow-bodied instruments like cello, upright bass, ukulele and acoustic guitar, the Speedbumps produce music that is both approachable and relatable to any audience. The Speedbumps have opened for many well-known artists including Amos Lee, Andrew Bird, OK GO and the Verve Pipe.
Collections Manager Arnold Tunstall will be leading a discussion titled “Cycle Maniacs and Reckless Women” for the ArtTalks@Dusk (https://akronartmuseum.wpengine.com/calendar/arttalksdusk-cycle-maniacs-and-reckless-women/3889/) on July 11 from 7:30-8 pm.
The theme for ArtCamp@Dusk is “Cityscape Collage,” where kids will create their own vibrant city using images from magazines and postcards. Free for members, $5 each session for nonmembers. Registration is required for this class. Sign up at http://akronartmuseum.ticketleap.com/artcampdusk2013/#view=calendar.
The Museum Store will be open during Downtown@Dusk until 9 pm (admission is not required to shop at the store).
Exhibitions currently on view in the museum galleries include Danny Lyon: The Bikeriders and Draw Me a Story and Line Color Illusion: 40 Years of Julian Stanczak. For detailed information on these exhibitions and other events, please visit the museum’s exhibitions page and calendar of events.
Want to know more about the band before you see them perform? The Speedbumps were kind enough to answer a few questions about themselves and Downtown@Dusk!
How has your newest album been received?
“Our new album comes out in October! But we will play a few new songs at Downtown@Dusk.”
Where and how do you gather your inspiration for new music?
“Our music tends to be autobiographical, so many of the songs we write are personal. The people we love or the places we go and the experiences we have with those people and places have a lot to do with what we create. Music is all about the human condition.”
You’ve played for some well-known bands like Amos Lee and Andrew Bird. What keeps you coming back to play for Downtown@Dusk?
It’s always fun to play for Downtown@Dusk. It’s really a chance to touch base with family and friends in Akron. We are happy to be coming back again this year!
What is your favorite memory playing at Downtown@Dusk?
…the thing about Downtown@Dusk is the vibe of the people. We always leave in a good mood and I think that is a direct reflection of the people who frequent the concert series. True art and music fans.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZBILsGZqCg]
Downtown@Dusk 2013 is made possible by The City of Akron. It is presented in cooperation with 89.7 WKSU.
ArtCamp@Dusk 2013 is made possible by a gift from The Howland Memorial Fun and the House of LaRose.
ArtTalks@Dusk 2013 is made possible by a gift from the Sam & Kathy Salem Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Board of Akron.
Read MorePreparing for Real/Surreal
By: Janice Driesbach, Chief Curator
This week, painters came in to work on one of the galleries where we are installing Real/Surreal , changing the walls from white to dark blue and gray. For much of the past month, Joe Walton (our Chief Preparator and Exhibition Designer) and Chris Ross (Preparator) have been working with curators to determine the design of our installation.
Part of that process involves painting color samples and placing them in a ½-inch scale model of the museum’s galleries. This allows us to look at and talk about wall colors and other design elements in advance of each exhibition. Wall color is a very important factor in the overall feel of an exhibition, and it can change the way that individual paintings and other artworks look within the galleries. After considering a number of color schemes, we’ve decided to use dark and light grays and saturated blues for Real/Surreal. Also look for a splash of bright chartreuse in the section devoted to surrealist photography!
Real/Surreal is Coming Soon
By: Janice Driesbach, Chief Curator
It’s just over four weeks before Real/Surreal opens and Akron Art Museum curatorial, education and design staff have been planning the installation for months. Although the exhibition is organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, we are personalizing it for our Akron visitors.
Our efforts respond to input we received from our constituents in surveys and a focus group last fall. We learned our visitors are interested in knowing about the historic context in which the artists were working, so we’ve created a timeline for our installation. As well, our respondents indicated an interest in having the artworks installed thematically, so we are presenting the exhibition in sections.
For the first section, we have selected paintings that can be best described as Realist (Charles Sheeler, Andrew Wyeth) and most Surrealist (Man Ray and Yves Tanguy) to contrast the two styles. Succeeding sections include Alone in the City, Interior Portraits, Social Concern, Empty Landscapes, Leisure, and Man and Machine. There will also be an expanded section of surrealist photography, reflecting the importance of photography to surrealist artists and to the Akron Art Museum, and three short Surrealist films playing in our Jerry and Patsy Shaw Video Box.
We look forward to your comments on the Real/Surreal exhibition. Please fill out the contact form below if you would like to be invited to take surveys and participate in community meetings to help us plan future museum exhibitions.
[contact-form subject='[Akron Art Museum%26#039;s Blog’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Organization/Affiliation’ type=’text’/][/contact-form]
Clarence John Laughlin, The Masks Grow to Us, 1950 (printed 1962), gelatin silver print, 13 7/8 in. x 11 in., Collection of the Akron Art Museum,
Gift of David Cooper 1997.19
Downtown@Dusk: Robin Stone
The Akron Art Museum’s popular concert series Downtown@Dusk will continue on Thursday, June 27 from 6:30-8:30 pm with a performance from singer Robin Stone. Concert goers can also enjoy a sneak preview of the upcoming exhibition With a Trace: Photographs of Absence from Senior Curator Ellen Rudolph and food from Urban Eats while kids are entertained and educated by fun hands-on activities during ArtCamp@Dusk in the museum’s classroom.
Concert attendees will thoroughly enjoy Stone’s soulful, intelligent groove music and be inspired by the personal hardships she has endured and overcome. For the past few years, Stone has struggled with health issues that have affected her life in many ways. In 2008, Stone was diagnosed with a tumor on her vocal chords causing loss of voice. One year later, she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder. Instead of succumbing to these ailments, Stone succeeding in starting a record label, She Loves You Records, and released a new record and live album. Stone was also awarded “Best Vocalist of 2009” from Scene Magazine.
Senior Curator Ellen Rudolph will be giving a sneak preview of the upcoming exhibition With a Trace: Photographs of Absence for the ArtTalk@Dusk this Thursday. The exhibition features images that do not merely capture a single scene but create unique, individual moments in time. Unlike many digital photographs today, the images in this exhibition, created by analog or camera-less photographers, include traces of human presence, atmospheric phenomena, the transmission of energy and experiments with light. The lack of specificity and context in the photgraphs heightens the presence of something uncanny, creating with them otherworldly scenes. With a Trace: Photographs of Absence will be on view July 27, 2013-January 26, 2014, in the Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell Gallery.
While the adults enjoy the concert and museum galleries, children 6-12 can explore fun and wacky hands-on art activities in the museum’s classroom at ArtCamp@Dusk. This Thursday’s class is “Express Yourself,” where kids will use lines, shapes and colors to make an abstract painting and discover their artistic expression. Free for members, $5 each session for nonmembers. Registration is required for this class. Sign up here.
The Museum Store will be open during Downtown@Dusk until 9 pm (admission is not required to shop at the store). The museum collection and galleries will also be open until 9 pm with paid admission except for July 18 and August 15 when the museum premieres Third Thursday.
Exhibitions currently on view in the museum galleries include The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats, Danny Lyon: The Bikeriders, Draw Me a Story and Line Color Illusion: 40 Years of Julian Stanczak. For detailed information on these exhibitions and other events, please visit the museum’s exhibitions page and calendar of events.
Finally, the Akron Art Museum would like to thank all who attended last week’s Downtown@Dusk concert. We hope you had a great time and return to see more great local music every Thursday evening at the museum!
Curious what Downtown@Dusk is like? Check out Summer in the City 2013: (Volume 2: Downtown@Dusk):
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GHBlZ3bnBw]
Downtown@Dusk 2013 is made possible by The City of Akron. It is presented in cooperation with 89.7 WKSU.
ArtCamp@Dusk 2013 is made possible by a gift from The Howland Memorial Fun and the House of LaRose.
ArtTalks@Dusk 2013 is made possible by a gift from the Sam & Kathy Salem Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Board of Akron.
Read MoreOn View Now: Changes to the 1899 Building
Did you know that every few months, our collection galleries change? Rotating the selection of artwork on view enables more of the museum’s collection of over 5,000 objects to be displayed, helps to protect fragile works, and creates an ever-changing visitor experience. Last week, museum curators treated staff to a gallery talk about three works recently installed in the museum’s 1899 building. These works are in close proximity to one another, but are very diverse in their subjects and materials.
Brinsley Tyrrell, Flooding, 2011
This is one of the museum’s newest acquisitions and can be seen in the Rory and Dedee O’Neil Lobby. It is made of glass enamel on steel, which means that it is strong enough to survive the high levels of sunlight that fill the lobby, unlike paintings on canvas or other fragile materials. The museum purchased this work in mid-May 2013, partially with funds given by the Northern Ohio Art Dealers Association (NOADA).
Brinsley Tyrrell primarily worked in sculpture while he taught at Kent State University from 1968 to 1996, but started drawing landscapes of his farm in 1975. His drawings spanned all seasons and times of day. In 2007, he began using the large enamel kiln at KSU to work on a commission of artwork for the 117th Street RTA Station in Cleveland. Flooding is one of 102 works created before KSU dismantled the kiln that was so vital to creating his large-scale glass enamel works.
Typically, glass enamel is used to make small pieces such as jewelry. Tyrrell was able to skillfully use this unpredictable medium to create art that conveys the landscape of his farm. Flooding and the other landscapes from its series are strong examples of Tyrrell’s work as well as the glass enamel medium on this unusually large scale.
Charles Burchfield, Spring Thunderstorm, 1955
Since the museum’s new expansion opened in 2007, William Merritt Chase’s Girl in White stood guard over the entry of the C. Blake McDowell, Jr. Galleries, but last week Girl in White moved slightly to the left and Charles Burchfield’s Spring Thunderstorm moved to this spot. For the next six months, it will be on view. This beautiful example of a large watercolor painting can only be displayed for a limited time because it is on paper, which means that it is highly sensitive to light and relatively fragile. Ensuring that art is protected from the elements, so that it will survive in good condition for generations, is one of the major concerns of the museum.
When this painting was reframed in the 1990s, museum staff found that Burchfield had written on the back, “It almost seems as if the thunder-clap caused the peach tree to burst into bloom.” Burchfield was inspired by poetry and music and often wrote short poetic phrases to describe his nature scenes.
Our upcoming exhibition Real/Surreal includes another painting by Burchfield, Winter Twilight, which is a realistic depiction of a snowy street corner painted in oil. Having both works on view will allow museum visitors to compare these two works, which were created about 25 years apart.
Clarence E. Van Duzer, Apartment #10 Looking West, 1949
There are many interesting stories about how artworks have been accessioned into our collection, and one belongs to this painting. After Clarence E. Van Duzer’s death in 2009, his widow Kathy Lynn invited Akron Art Museum curators to his studio. Van Duzer was a prolific artist and his space was full of paintings and sculptures in a wide array of styles. The curators saw particular connections between Apartment #10 Looking West and other works in the museum collection. the painting needed significant attention by professional conservators before it could be displayed.
Apartment #10 Looking West is an excellent example of a mid-twentieth-century modernist landscape; the artist incorporated cubist, realist and surrealist elements. There are many ways for your eye to enter the painting and no clear way to visually exit. What appears to be a frame turns into a windowsill, which then turns into the roof of an exterior building. This is definitely a painting that in which you can observe something new with each study.
Visit the museum in person or online to experience all our amazing works of art.
Read MoreFirst Downtown@Dusk of 2013 is Thursday, June 20!
Beginning June 20, the popular free concert series Downtown@Dusk will return for its 29th season with Lost State of Franklin. Every Thursday this summer from 6:30-8:30 pm, the Akron Art Museum will be showcasing a lineup of fantastic music from a variety of local bands. Concert attendees can also enjoy a gallery tour with Director of Education Alison Caplan while kids are entertained by hands-on activities during ArtCamp@Dusk.
The Cleveland rock-a-billy trio of Lost State of Franklin will entertain concert goers with their unique sound: a combination of jazz, country, rock and bluegrass. Led by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter J. Scott Franklin, vocalist/percussionist Tyler Postma and bassist Jeremy Cottrell, the group has performed on multiple occasions in Europe and played over 500 shows in the United States. The group has also been nominated for several awards including Scene Magazine “Songwriter of the Year” and Free Times “Americana Band of the Year.”
Director of Education Alison Caplan will be providing an in-depth gallery tour about the current exhibition The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats for ArtTalks@Dusk this Thursday. The exhibition showcases the works of award-winning author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats, whose more famous children’s books include Whistle for Willie, Peter’s Chair, and The Snowy Day. Over 80 original works, consisting of sketches, painting and collages, will be on display in the Karl and Bertl Arnstein Galleries through August 4, 2013.
While adults enjoy the concert and the galleries, children 6-12 can explore fun and wacky hands-on art making in the museum’s classroom at ArtCamp@Dusk. This Thursday’s class is “Trash to Treasure”, where kids can use found objects and their imaginations to create art that will pop off the wall. Free for members, $5 each session for nonmembers. Registration is required for the class. Sign up today.
The Museum Store will be open during Downtown@Dusk until 9 pm (admission is not required to shop in the store). The museum collection and galleries will also be open until 9 pm with paid admission except June 20, July 18 and August 15 when the museum premieres Third Thursday.
Exhibitions currently on view in the museum galleries include The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats, Danny Lyon: The Bikeriders, Draw Me a Story and Line Color Illusion: 40 Years of Julian Stanczak. For detailed information about these exhibitions and other events, please visit the museum’s exhibitions page and calendar of events.
Downtown@Dusk 2013 is made possible by The City of Akron. It is presented in cooperation with 89.7 WKSU.
ArtCamp@Dusk 2013 is made possible by a gift from The Howland Memorial Fun and the House of LaRose.
ArtTalks@Dusk 2013 is made possible by a gift from the Sam & Kathy Salem Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Board of Akron.
Third Thursdays are made possible by a generous gift from The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
Read MoreAkron Art Museum Board Appoints New Leader
Following a rigorous national search by Management Consultants for the Arts and a museum committee, the Board of Trustees has named Mark Masuoka the Akron Art Museum’s new Executive Director and CEO. Read the full release at https://akronartmuseum.wpengine.com/newsroom/details.php?unid=3876.
With a strong curatorial background and over two decades of art management and community development experience, Masuoka will provide adept leadership at the 91-year old museum.
“The Board sees Mark’s appointment as a visionary way forward with compelling programs that make art relevant to all audiences by connecting the community to artists and the creative process,” explained Board President Dianne Newman
“We will be staying true to Akron Art Museum’s mission—with emphasis on continuing to build the museum’s collection, a steadfast dedication to arts education, artists and a commitment to high quality exhibitions. The museum’s history of forward thinking and risk taking has laid a strong foundation for ‘out of the box’ thinking and cultural relevancy in the community,” said Masuoka. “I am honored to be selected by the museum Board and the search committee to be the new executive director of this highly respected institution.”
Masuoka will assume the directorship of the museum on July 15, 2013.
Read MoreFull Interview with Duncan Tonatiuh
Award-winning picture book author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh created a large-scale mural inspired by the work of Ezra Jack Keats for Draw Me a Story. Second, third and fourth grade students from Leggett, King and Glover elementary schools and The Lippman School helped contribute by sharing their winter experiences with Tonatiuh. He answered a few questions about the mural as he prepared his third picture book, Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale for publication this May.
How did you become a children’s book illustrator?
It was never my plan to become a children’s’ book illustrator. The opportunity came to me and I am very grateful it did because writing and illustrating children’s books has become one of my great passions.
My senior thesis at Parsons School of Design was a short graphic novel I wrote and illustrated about an undocumented Mexican Mixtec worker. While working on that project I developed my current illustration style. One day a professor at Parsons named Julia Gorton came to critique my work and really liked what I was doing. She asked me if she could show my work to Howard, her editor at Abrams. She is a designer and a children’s book illustrator. I said of course and gave her samples of my work. Howard liked my illustrations and he invited me to his office to chat. He told me that he would contact me if he received a manuscript that suited my style. I told him I like to write also. He gave me his email and said that I could send him a manuscript if I wrote one.
Weeks later, while I was still working on my senior thesis I had the idea of picture book about two cousins that write letters to each other. The first cousin lives in a rural community in Mexico, the second one in an urban center in the US. I took the day off from my thesis, wrote the story and sent it to Howard. He wrote me back. There were some issues with the manuscript but he though the idea was very strong. He gave me edits and comments and we sent the manuscript back and forth several times over the next weeks until we were both happy with it. Right after I graduated from college I received the contract for my first book Dear Primo, A Letter to My Cousin.
What children’s books did you love as a child or an adult?
I loved Horton Hatches an Egg. I still do. It was one of the first books I read. “I meant what I said /And I said what I meant… / An elephant’s faithful / One hundred per cent!” I think that book had a deep impact on me because ever since I read it I’ve tried to be faithful to my word.
The Little Prince is another book I remember vividly from my childhood. I didn’t understand the story fully, but I remember being mesmerized by the drawing of the elephant inside the boa constrictor and the drawing of the sheep inside the box.
Another book I loved is Macario, by B. Traven. It is about a poor peasant whose dream in life is to eat an entire turkey by himself. When his dream is about to come true he receives three very special visitors. They all want some of his turkey. It is a very good book.
Right now of my favorite stories for children is Puss in Boots. I want to do a modern re-telling of that story.
You live in a non-snowy climate, how was it creating your own interpretation of a Snowy Day?
I went to a progressive boarding high school in Massachusetts and to College in New York City, so I’ve experienced plenty of North Eastern winters and snow. I did not have snow around me when I was young though because I grew up in central Mexico. Therefore, I never dress properly during the wintertime and I have a hard time with the cold and the lack of sun. I try to spend part of the year in New York but I avoid being there during the winter as much as I can.
How were you inspired by the student’s feedback?
I sent the students a short questionnaire asking them what winter looks, sounds, smells, tastes and feels like. I also asked them what is their favorite thing to down on a snowy day.
I did this for three reasons. First off, I wanted to make sure that the mural reflected some of the things kids today enjoy about snow and winter.
Secondly, I wanted to engage with the community. A mural is a piece of public art. People interact with it in a space. My hope is that kids, parents and teachers in Akron will want to go to the museum because they are co-creators of the mural.
The third reason is that I wanted to play with text as illustration. I wanted to integrate at least a few of the kid’s words in the mural. I asked them what winter sounds and feels like to get poetic answers. It was a lot of fun reading through them. Some answers were very evocative, “winter sounds like little sprinkles falling to the ground,” and some were very funny “winter looks like a world made out of slushie.”
It was fun to look at their writing too. Kids have great handwriting. Their letters are like drawings.
You have a very unique way of incorporating technology into your art making process. Can you explain your art making process?
First I make a rough design of my illustration. I make little thumbnails and sketches. Then I draw the different characters and elements of my image with a pencil. Once I like a drawing I go over it with a pen. Then I scan the drawings. I arrange the different characters and elements in the computer. I use Photoshop and work in layers. Once I am happy with the design I paste textures and photographic images into the drawings. Some textures I scan myself, others I photograph or find on the Internet.
Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
My new picture book is called Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote; A Migrants Tale. It is published by Abrams and it will be in stores this spring.
The book is about a Rabbit family. The father leaves and goes North, to el Norte, to find work because it has not rained and there is no work in the Rancho where the Rabbit family lives. After several seasons Papa Rabbit is due to come back, but he doesn’t. Pancho Rabbit, his eldest son, decides to go North and look for him. Along the way he meets a coyote that offers to help him in exchange for some of the food Pancho is taking to his father. They travel together until the food is gone and the coyote decides he is still hungry . . . for Pancho!
The book is first and foremost a book for children. It is also an allegory for the journey and the dangers that undocumented immigrants experience while trying to reach the US.
I am very excited about the book and can’t wait for people to read it when it becomes available in May.
Read MoreAuthor/illustrator D.Tonatiuh will be he
Author/illustrator D.Tonatiuh will be here for Sat’s Family Drop-In. His talk is at 12 pm. http://ow.ly/i/1QDNx http://ow.ly/jRBkd
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