The Art of the Snowboard, public art by Richard Hunt, and the annual Festival of Trees make for an active month at the MMA.

Thursday November 5 & 12, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Open Public Tours
The Public Life of Richard Hunt: 21st Century Projects
Drop in for docent-led tours of the exhibition. MMA admission: $8 adult, $5 adult student with I.D., free for ages 3-17 and for MMA Members.

Thursday, November 5
Exhibition Opening
The Public Life of Richard Hunt: 21st Century Projects
5:30 pm Reception/7:00 pm Lecture by Tami Miller
Tami Miller is the Curator of Art and Education, at the Krasl Art Center, Saint Joseph, Michigan and Exhibition Curator for The Public Life of Richard Hunt: 21st Century Projects. She will discuss the exhibition and Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt, who will attend as a special guest. Hunt is nationally recognized for his shaped and welded steel and bronze sculptures of fluid and vibrant organic forms. One of the most prolific artists working in public art today, he is well-known to Muskegonites as the creator of the iconic stainless steel sculpture, Muskegon Together Rising. To celebrate Muskegon’s intimate bond with Hunt, the MMA is pleased to present The Public Life of Richard Hunt: 21st Century Projects, an exhibition organized by the Krasl Art Center, St. Joseph, Michigan. The exhibition opening is free and open to the public. Cash bar.

Thursday, November 12, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
Richard Hunt Documentary by Charlie Ahearn
(44 mins.) This documentary follows internationally renowned sculpture artist Richard Hunt as he leads a tour through Chicago, exploring his monumental outdoor sculptures that reflect his use of abstract forms made of bronze and steel. Viewers will also get a glimpse into Hunt’s steel fabrication studio where his creative process culminates. Brown Bag film admission is free. Complimentary coffee and cookies are provided. You are welcome to bring your lunch. Auditorium doors open at noon. Paid admission is required for exhibition entrance. Underwritten by MMA Education Partner Alcoa Foundation/Howmet.

Thursday, November 12, 6:00 pm
Quick Art Crash Course: Hanging Artwork
Ever wonder how to hang artwork? What is the perfect height? What is the safest hanging hardware? The MMA staff will cover the bases, answering these questions and more. Join the MMA staff once per month, during one of the MMA’s weekly Art and a Glass happy hours, for a quick art Crash Course—subject matter varies but know that you will walk away with something new: something you didn’t know about the MMA’s collection, new ways to look at art, and so much more. This program and Thursday night Museum admission are free.

November 14, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Snowboard Super Saturday
Free Family Fun Day
WANTED Snowboard Designers! Join our youngest Festival of Trees design team. Ms. Ronace will lead young designers to create their own snowboard ornaments for our fourth Super Saturday Christmas Tree, which will be part of the Festival of Trees event that starts November 19. Each youth participant will get a free FOT admission ticket. Underwritten by MMA Education Partner, Alcoa Foundation/Whitehall Operations.
11:00 am & 1:00 pm Film
Davey and Goliath’s Snowboard Christmas
(45 mins.) Follow the intrepid young adventurer and his faithful canine sidekick as they take to the slopes for a snowboarding session. Life lessons, balanced with Christmas cheer, are in store for young Davey as the adventures unravel.
11:00 am – 1:00 pm Guided Exhibition Tours
Discover Freestyle: The Art of the Snowboard with a Museum docent.
11:00 am – 2:00 pm Make & Take
Design your own snowboard ornament to adorn our awesome Super Saturday FOT tree!

Wednesday, November 18, 10:15 am
Friends of Art Program
Evolution of an Artist
Guest speaker Larry Blovits has amassed a national reputation for excellence in painting oil and pastel portraits, landscapes, and teaching. Program is free and open to the public. Paid admission is required for exhibition entrance.

November 19–29
Festival of Trees
Help us celebrate our 11th year of this community holiday celebration. The MMA will present beautiful and whimsical professionally designed themed trees and décor to set a festive holiday mood. These items will be available for purchase through silent auction over the Festival’s 10 days. Raffles, live music, the gingerbread village and train, gift shopping, and special events will add to the fun.
Presenting Festival Sponsor is Alcoa Foundation/Howmet.
$8 Adult | $5 MMA Member | $3 child 3-17 yrs. (under 3 free)
$14 All Festival Pass

Friday, November 20, 6:00-9:00 pm
Shake Your Sugarplums Dance Party
Rock around the Christmas trees! Enjoy craft brews, wines, and mixed drinks from our cash bar, along with hearty appetizers and music. Tickets: $25 per person/$20 MMA member. Includes Festival admission. Call 231.720.2580 to purchase.

Tuesday, November 24, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Festival Senior Day
$1 off Festival admission for ages 65 and older. Enjoy free coffee and cookies, raffles, and entertainment throughout the day. Call 231.720.2571 for group bookings. Calling ahead to reserve an arrival time for your group will help us plan welcoming assistance and easier traffic flow.

Wednesday, November 25, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Festival Family Day
Get out of the house for holiday fun the day before Thanksgiving! Discounted family rate and kids’ activities will add to the fun. Call 231.720.2571 for group bookings.

Thursday, November 27
Happy Thanksgiving!
Museum closed.

Saturday, November 28, 8:30-10:30 am
Teddy Bear Breakfast
Grab your teddy bears and get ready for another Teddy Bear Breakfast—great fun for ages 3-8 (and their adults). Includes full breakfast, visit with Santa, craft activity, and teddy bear checkup. Note: The event is longer this year and one extra seating has been added to make more room during each breakfast time slot. Tickets: $12 for adults/$7 ages 1-17. Includes Festival admission Tickets are limited, and always sell out. Plan to purchase early. Call 231.720.2580 for tickets.

Sunday, November 29, 1:00-3:00 pm
Deck Your Halls
Enjoy wine, coffee, and snacks while Festival designers demonstrate how you can make creative and affordable décor for gifts or for your own home, using new ideas inspired by Pinterest and other DIY sites. The many items crafted during the program will be given away to one-dollar raffle winning audience members. Tickets: $20 per person/$15 MMA member/$25 at the door. Includes Festival admission. Cash bar. Call 231.720.2580 to purchase tickets.

Thursday, December 10, 5:30-8:00 pm
Opening Reception and Distinguished Lecture
Common Ground: African American Art from the Flint Institute of Arts, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, and the Muskegon Museum of Art
Following a public reception from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, eminent African American studies scholar and National Humanities Medal recipient Professor David Driskell will give a lecture entitled “African American Art in Review” Driskell will focus on art selections from the collections of the MMA, KIA, and FIA that show a historical profession of stylistic principals in painting and sculpture by artists of color that have added measurably to the canon of American art. Audience Q&A will follow, with an opportunity to meet and mingle with Dr. Driskell during the reception. Event is free and open to the public. Cash bar.
EXHIBITIONS

Through November 1, 2015
EXTREME FIBERS: Textile Icons and the New Edge
Extreme Fiber: Textile Icons and the New Edge examines the state of fibers and textiles in the fine art world today. The artworks on display will reveal the diversity of this fine craft movement, and its transformation into a multi-media and discipline-spanning phenomenon. Participating artists are well-known visionaries in the field.
Joining the works of these masters will be a group of artworks selected from juried submissions received from artists around the world. Works from new and established artists will thus be seen alongside the contemporary art of the artists that helped to define the movement. The exhibition will include tapestries, quilts, weavings, sculpture, basketry, and a host of other forms, from the functional to the fully-abstracted.
This exhibition has been organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art with guest curator Geary Jones. Underwritten by Bayer CropScience.

October 29, 2015 – January 10, 2016
FREESTYLE: THE ART OF THE SNOWBOARD
December 25, 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Sherm Poppen’s iconic invention—the original snurfer is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution—and its contribution to the world of sports. The MMA will celebrate this historic occasion with Freestyle: The Art of the Snowboard, featuring Grandville, Michigan-made Marhar Snowboards. Freestyle will feature more than 30 Marhar Snowboards, which are still fabricated entirely by hand. From design to ready-to-ride finish, Morse and Stiles engineer and produce their own cores, shapes, flex patterns, and graphics. The exhibition will demonstrate the creative inspiration and skill that make these West Michigan boards a true art form.

November 5, 2015 – January 24, 2016
THE PUBLIC LIFE OF RICHARD HUNT: 21ST CENTURY PROJECTS
Sculptor Richard Hunt is nationally known for his bent, shaped, and welded steel or bronze sculptures of fluid and vibrant organic forms. Hunt is one of the most prolific artists working in public art today and created Muskegon Together Rising, the monumental stainless steel sculpture at the center of the Patricia B. Johnson Circle in downtown Muskegon. Because of Muskegon’s relationship with Hunt, and in honor of his 80th birthday this year, the MMA present the exhibition, The Public Life of Richard Hunt: 21st Century Projects, organized by the Krasl Art Center, Saint Joseph, Michigan. Muskegon Together Rising will be a key component of the exhibition, its history and development represented by two stainless steel models from the MMA collection, and a group of preliminary drawings and installation photographs lent by Fleis & Vandenbrink. Visitors discover how large scale public works develop and the many subtle changes inherent in the creative and collaborative process before a final project is realized. Underwritten by PNC.

December 10, 2015 – March 20, 2016
COMMON GROUND: African American Art from the Flint Institute of Arts, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, and the Muskegon Museum of Art
Common Ground is a collaboration between three Michigan art museums showcasing the best of each institution’s renowned collections of African American artwork combined in one exhibition, including some of the most important African American artists from the nineteenth century to present day. Common Ground is divided into five thematic areas that will give a broad overview of the history of African American art, showing its diversity as well as its commonality. The exhibition includes more than 60 top-rated works in various mediums, including painting, sculpture, and works on paper. Eminent African American studies scholar David Driskell will give a lecture at the MMA’s opening event on December 10. National Humanities Medal recipient Professor Driskell’s lecture is entitled “African American Art in Review.” He will focus on art selections from the collections of the MMA, KIA, and FIA that show a historical profession of stylistic principals in painting and sculpture by artists of color that have added measurably to the canon of American art. Audience Q&A will follow with an opportunity to meet and mingle with Dr. Driskell during the reception. Underwritten by DTE Foundation with additional support from Fifth Third Bank and the Waters Foundation.