JANUARY
January 4, 11, 18
Evening Open Public Tours
5:00–7:00 pm
Thursday, January 11, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
J.M.W. Turner
(30 mins.) Joseph Mallord William Turner was a barber’s son who eventually went on to become one of Britain’s most renowned painters. At the age of fourteen he entered the Royal Academy art school and from there nothing would stop his passion for painting. Produced by the National Gallery of Art and part of media exchange that NGA provides for art museums. Brown Bag Film admission is free and complimentary coffee and cookies are provided. Auditorium doors open at 12:00 pm. Paid admission is required for gallery admittance. Support provided by the Michigan Humanities Council.
Thursday, January 11, 6:00 pm
Walk and Talk of Sketch of War: Wally Berg Draws WWII
@the Lakeshore Museum Center
Join the Muskegon Museum of Art and the Lakeshore Museum Center as we team up to go in depth on the art and history of Muskegon’s own, Wally Berg. Take a guided tour of the Sketch of War: Wally Berg Draws WWII exhibit at the Lakeshore Museum Center with Exhibits Curator Pat Horn and Muskegon Museum of Art educator Cathy Mott as we talk about the style, techniques, and life history of Wally Berg. Tickets are $8 for non-members or $5 for members of either museum. Call 231.722.0278 to register.
January 13, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Farm Super Saturday
Free Family Fun Day
MOOOOOve over…There are lots of animals here! There are lambs in the gallery, a painting of goat on a leash, and have you seen the horse made of steel?! Bring the kids (real kids, no baby goats please) to check out the farm animals hanging out in the galleries. Super Saturdays are Free Family Fun Days held on 2nd Saturdays of the Month. Underwritten by Arconic/Whitehall Operations. Support provided by the Michigan Humanities Council.
10:00 am & 1:00 pm Family Film
10:00 am – 1:00 pm Guided Look
Can you find all of the farm animals in the artwork?
11:00 am – 2:00 pm Make & Take
Create your own farm friend. Animals will get structure from pipe cleaners and then get covered in various materials such as cotton balls, felt, and feathers.
Monday, January 15, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Martin Luther King, Jr. Free Community Day
We open our doors to welcome the community during this day of observation in honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Visitors can enjoy the galleries, films in the auditorium, crafts in the classroom and mini docent tours from Muskegon High School art students. Free admission. Support provided by the Michigan Humanities Council.
Thursday, January 18, 6:00 pm
Date Night
What a Pair—Wine, Food and Art
Limited Spaces
$35/$30 MMA Member price
Do you ever wonder what would pair well with the Blakelock painting? We won’t taste the paintings, but we will enjoy great wines and delicious bites, all while learning about what makes each of these pairings so unique. The evening will include five distinct wines highlighted by local wine expert Kara Kreps in conjunction with appetizers created by Hearthstone.
Thursday, January 25, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
Stonefaced
(16 mins.) This documentary follows architect and photographer Robert A. King as he takes viewers around New York City to showcase some of his favorite gargoyles, something that he has been documenting and photographing as a hobby throughout his lifetime. Directed by Vivian Ducat of Ducat Media. Brown Bag Film admission is free and complimentary coffee and cookies are provided. Auditorium doors open at 12:00 pm. Paid admission is required for gallery admittance. Support provided by the Michigan Humanities Council.
January 25 – March 29, 2018
2018 Art Talks Back
A Poetry Contest Based on Art
All adult/college area writers residing within the state of Michigan are invited to create original ekphrastic poems based on one of 10 selected works of art from the Muskegon Museum of Art’s permanent collection. Cash prizes, Museum memberships, and gift certificates will be awarded to the winning poets. Starting January 25, competition guidelines, images of selected works, and required entry forms will be available at the Museum gift store or may be downloaded from the Museum’s website: www.muskegonartmuseum.org. The competition ends on March 29, 2018. The awards ceremony and poetry reading will be held April 19. Questions? Call 231.720.2587 or email: cmott@mpsk12.net.
Thursday, January 25, 5:30 – 8:00 pm
Art Talks Back Writing Salon
We will kick off the competition at a special writing salon. Bring your notebooks and get inspired. Light refreshments will be served. The event also opens the exhibition Thunder Boy, Jr: Illustrations by Yuyi Morales. Cash bar.
Art Talks Back is sponsored by the Poetry Society of Michigan. Support is provided by the Michigan Humanities Council.
FEBRUARY
February 1-15, 2018
Postcard Salon
Exhibition: February 1-15, 2018
Salon Sale event: Thursday, February 15, 5:30 – 8:00 pm
Postcard Sale: Begins at 7:00 pm, February 15 and ends at 8:00 pm
The Postcard Salon is a celebration of creativity. Over 1,400 cards from artists from West Michigan and beyond were on display last year, offering a huge range of materials and subject matter to enjoy. Now in its 12th year, the Postcard Salon reflects the Muskegon Museum of Art’s commitment to Michigan artists, a chance for people of all ages and skill levels to share their work with the public.
The exhibition is free to enter and all submitted cards are installed, making the show a true community endeavor. The exhibition is also a great opportunity to support the area arts community by purchasing an original work of art. Join us this year for the first ever juror awards, singling out four remarkable cards. Artwork must be delivered to the MMA by January 29, 2018.
Beginning at 7:00 PM on Thursday, February 15, all of the postcards on display in the Wiener Gallery will be for sale at $30 apiece. Don’t miss this opportunity to own an original artwork by your favorite regional artists. Buyers will be able to take the works directly from the walls and pay for them at several locations throughout the museum. Muskegon Museum of Art members will be given a five-minute head start beginning promptly at 6:55 PM. The sale ends at 8:00 PM, so don’t miss out. Memberships can be obtained in the Museum Gift Store, or in the gallery on the 15th.
Media Sponsor: Blue Lake Public Radio
February 1, 8, 22
Evening Open Public Tours
5:00–7:00 pm
Thursday, February 1, 6:00 pm
Crash Course: The Fine Art of Cleaning Art
Join the MMA staff as we talk about how we clean objects in the collection, everything from paintings to glass all have unique cleaning needs. What tools do we use? How can you care for your artwork at home? Learn all this and more during this Crash Course. Free admission. Cash bar.
Thursday, February 8, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
All Me: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert
(60 mins.) Winfred Rembert has a lot of stories to tell, from his childhood on a cotton farm to his near lynching during the Civil Rights movement; his life experiences are the bed of work that inspires his artwork. This film documents Rembert’s life and how he his tooled leather artwork has become his biography and therapy. Brown Bag Film admission is free and complimentary coffee and cookies are provided. Auditorium doors open at 12:00 pm. Directed by Vivian Ducat of Ducat Media. Paid admission is required for gallery admittance. Support provided by the Michigan Humanities Council.
Thursday, February 8
Reception and Special Program
All Me: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert
5:30 pm Reception
7:00 pm Film: All Me: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert (60 mins.)
Winfred Rembert has a lot of stories to tell, from his childhood on a cotton farm to his near lynching during the Civil Rights movement; his life experiences are the bed of work that inspires his artwork. This film documents Rembert’s life and how he his tooled leather artwork has become his biography and therapy. This film was directed by Vivian Ducat of Ducat Media. Ducat is a native New Yorker and strong advocate for the arts. She will join us for the screening and in a Q & A with artist Winfred Rembert following the film. Support provided by the Michigan Humanities Council.
February 10, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Postcards Super Saturday
Free Family Fun Day
Postcard Salon is one of the most popular exhibitions and the artwork is small, but the creativity is limitless. Super Saturdays are Free Family Fun Days held on 2nd Saturdays of the Month. Underwritten by Arconic/Whitehall Operations.
10:00 am & 1:00 pm Family Film
11:00 am – 1:00 pm Guided Exhibition Tours
Find surprises in Postcard Salon, led with a Museum docent.
11:00 am – 2:00 pm Make & Take
Create your own postcard-size art.
Thursday, February 22, 12:15 pm
Brown Bag Film
Up From the Bottoms: The Search for the American Dream
(60 mins.) The documentary explores the massive African American migration from the rural south to the prosperous north during the war years and beyond. Narrator, Cicely Tyson takes the viewer through not only facts, but stories and lives that were challenged and changed during this historic period of time right here in Muskegon, Michigan. Brown Bag Film admission is free and complimentary coffee and cookies are provided. Auditorium doors open at 12:00 pm. Support provided by the Michigan Humanities Council.
EXHIBITIONS
Through January 21, 2018
Shift: The Glass of Daniel Clayman
Shift examines the career of Daniel Clayman through a development of recurring ideas, punctuated by singular pieces that informed his evolution as an artist. From theater lighting to discrete objects to room-size installations, this exhibition, comprised of objects selected by the artist, looks from the beginning of his practice to the full circle return to the shaping of the space we inhabit. This body of works specifically addresses his ongoing explorations of the ability of glass forms to hold light and air, or to break and divide them. The smoky, semi-transparent glass both reflects and diffuses the light, revealing subtle color characteristics within both the physical object and its transmitted light and cast shadows. Monumental and dramatic, this is a must-see exhibition for followers of contemporary studio glass. Shift is organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art in collaboration with Habatat Galleries of Royal Oak, MI. Underwritten by Chris and Stephanie Witham.
Through January 14, 2018
Points of Resonance: The Museum Project Gift
Points of Resonance: The Museum Project Gift merges recently acquired contemporary photography with similarly themed works from the Muskegon Museum of Art’s permanent collection. The result is an exploration of shared aesthetics and visual and conceptual subject matter. Images of the water, still lifes, landscapes, and Americana play out through the gallery, in artworks both familiar and less frequently seen. Underwritten by Hooker DeJong Architects & Engineers
December 14, 2017 through March 18, 2018
Southern Roots: The Paintings of Winfred Rembert
Winfred Rembert works in the medium of carved and dyed leather, creating vibrant and rhythmic imagery of his life in 1950s Georgia. A storyteller, Rembert reveals images of culture, community, family, and struggle through intense color and repeating patterns. His most recognizable pieces depict pickers at work in the cotton fields, a grueling task the artist himself experienced in his childhood and later on a prison chain gang. Underwritten by Van Kampen Boyer Molinari Foundation and PNC Bank. Support provided by the Michigan Humanities Council.
December 14, 2017 through March 18, 2018
Sarah Wagner: Vegetable Lamb of America
Sarah Wagner sculpts in wood and fabric, creating animals and environments that address the fragility and resilience of Nature and humanity’s impact on its surroundings. Her art is inspired and informed by the city of Detroit, where she lives and works. For her Muskegon Museum of Art exhibition, Wagner is creating a new installation inspired by the history of the cultivation of cotton, and its impact on the development of capitalism and industrialism around the world. Support for Sarah Wagner: Vegetable Lamb of America has been provided by MMA Michigan Artist Series Media Sponsor Blue Lake Public Radio.
January 25 through May 20, 2018
Thunder Boy, Jr.: Illustrations by Yuyi Morales
This exhibition includes illustrations and sketches created by Yuyi (Zu-Zee) Morales for the children’s book Thunder Boy, Jr., written by Sherman Alexie. This vibrant, striking children’s book is about Thunder Boy Jr., a Native American boy who isn’t crazy about his name. He wants to change it to a name that is “normal.” The unique talents of both artist and author are apparent in the book; Alexie reflects on real life and humor and Morales explores color, pattern and textures of her life and experiences in Mexico and California. Underwritten by the Folkert Family Foundation. Media sponsor: WGVU Public Media
February 1-15, 2018
Postcard Salon
The Postcard Salon is a celebration of creativity. Over 1,400 cards from artists from West Michigan and beyond were on display last year, offering a huge range of materials and subject matter to enjoy. Now in its 12th year, the Postcard Salon reflects the Muskegon Museum of Art’s commitment to Michigan artists, a chance for people of all ages and skill levels to share their work with the public.
The exhibition is free to enter and all submitted cards are installed, making the show a true community endeavor. The exhibition is also a great opportunity to support the area arts community by purchasing an original work of art. Join us this year for the first ever juror awards, singling out four remarkable cards. Artwork must be delivered to the MMA by January 29, 2018. The exhibition ends with a Salon Sale event on Thursday, February 15, 5:30 – 8:00 pm.