Coming Soon: The 2nd Annual SouthEastern Plein Air Festival! May 2 though June 4
Artists:
The event is open to 15 professional plein air artists and 15 up and coming plein air artists. To be considered as a participant, contact the museum for requirements and applications. Orientation will start in the morning on May 3rd, and will be preceded by an outdoor painting session. May 4-7, there will be various excursions to scenic locations in the Gadsden area: Historic Homes & Gardens, Noccalula Falls, Working Farms, Downtown Gadsden, on the banks of Coosa River. Later that evening, on May 7th, there will be a Wet Paint Auction. The Plein Air exhibit will run until June 4th with an auction taking place that evening.
Visitors:
Plein Air Artists paint their pieces outdoors and many have an impressionistic style. They use their brush strokes and color palette to convey the organic appearances of their surroundings and to simulate the natural lights and shadows of the objects that they are creating. The festival is a month long, so there will be many opportunities to enjoy the beautiful pieces that will be produced. Spectators are welcome to all of the on location events, May 3-7 2010, to watch the artists in their element. The collection of paintings, created during the festival, will be on exhibit from May 7th until June 4th: the museum is open monday through saturday from 10 am- 4 pm and there is no charge to attend. For those intersted in acquiring paintings, there will be multiple chances to do so: the Wet Paint Auction will take place on May 7th; the Online Auction will be available for those who are unable to travel; the Live Auction will take place on June 4th.
For more information, call Elaine at (256)546-7365 or email her at ecampbell@cityofgadsden.com.
Tuskegee Airmen January 25,2010- February 28, 2010
“The Tuskegee Airmen Show” is on loan from the MacArthur Military History Museum of Arkansas. Authentic uniforms, equipment, and posters from WWII will be on display for the public to view. The Tuskegee Airmen were America's first black military airmen, founded in July of 1941. The patriotic group of men came from all over the United States in order to not only serve their country during WWII, but also to prove their capabilities to the biased populace. 944 men earned their pilot wings from Tuskegee after they demonstrated their intellect, strength, skill, and courage. Almost half of the men served overseas in either the 99th Pursuit Squadron or the 332nd Fighter Group. The Tuskegee Airmen had an outstanding record in the service. In 1949, pilots from the 332nd Fighter Group took first place in the Air Force National Fighter Gunnery Meet at Las Vegas Air Force Base.
Contact the museum staff at (256)546-7365 or via email at museum@cityofgadsden.com for additional information.
Alabama's African American Artists February 1-28, Meet & Greet: February 5th from 5-7
Habiba, Edward Jennings, and Tony Reddick have graciously loaned some of their pieces to the GMA for the month of February. Habiba's collage pieces are known the world over. Her work has even been shown on syndicated television: The Cosby Show. Edward Jennings has many pieces in the show, but one in particular was inspired by a phenomenal experience. Jennings decided to take a photo of "The Last Supper" by Leonardo Davinci and hopped into the frame at the last second. When he developed the photo, there was an aura that connected "The Last Supper" and Jennings. His version, done in acrylics, infuses a bright light into the piece. Tony Reddick has been teaching within the Gadsden for almost 20 years and has been painting for even longer! On February's 1st Friday,from 5-7, there will be a "Meet & Greet" with the artists. Edward Jennings will have prints available for sale.
Contact the museum staff at (256)546-7365 or via email at museum@cityofgadsden.com for additional information.
Museum Renovations Progress Towards a State of the Art Facility
On January 14, 2009, the Gadsden Museum of Art closed for six weeks to continue its recent progress. Celebrate with us as we become Northeast Alabama's leading Art Exhibition and Education facility. The Museum went under numerous renovations while closed including the installation of a sprinkler system, continued upstairs construction, and will begin remodeling storage with a National Endowment for the Arts grant which will allow the museum's storage facility to meet national standards. Also during this time, the Museum will be applying for a collection assessment from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. On March 9, 2009, the museum re-opened with the 2009 Student Art Show and a fresh new face! Please continue to visit our website for more information.
Museum Kids Activities Join in on programs that are fun and educational! The Museum Kids activities are geared for children between the ages of 4-14. All progams are free of charge and are open to the public; however, the GMA recommends calling ahead to reserve a spot because space is limited. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
For additional information, please contact Nicole at museum@cityofgadsden.com.
Mardi Gras : 2/20 from 12pm-2pm @ GMA
Virtual Treasures Tour
Visit Some of Gadsden's Historic Sites GMA is excited to have a virtual companion available for our Gadsden's Treasures Tour.Click here for a tour. The tour will open in a new window. To schedule a treasures tour, please contact the museum at(256) 546 -7365.
A Special Note of Thanks The museum would like to thank the following organizations and businesses for their contributions which have made this year's calendar possible.
GMA Blog Join the museum daily at their blog to find out about daily activities and upcoming events. Elaine Campbell, Exhibit Coordinator, regularly updates the blog with information regarding the Plein Air Festival and more.Please click here to visit the blog.
Charles Leverett has been carving since he was 11 years old, but began to devote more time to it after he retired in 1995. He has attended specialized carving classes across the country and has also taught woodcarving the U.S. and abroad. Much of his extensive schooling was done in Austria and the Czech Republic, where he studied and carved with some of Europe's finest master carvers. Charlie's wood carvings span a wide range of subjects including Indian busts, birds, woodspirits and Christmas ornaments". Charlie presently teaches at John C.Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. and periodically conducts carving classes in his studio. He lives in the country on the outskirts of Albertville and his carving studio is located in the Big Red Barn in back
History of The English Bible
Extended through September 30, 2009 GMA is proud to host an expansive collection of bibles ranging from copies made by Gutenberg's printing press in 1450 to the 1881 Revised Version.