Membership and Volunteer Coordinator

The Orlando Museum of Art is currently seeking a Membership and Volunteer Coordinator to start immediately.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Plan, organize, and manage the general membership campaigns to meet the annual operating budget goals and advance the institutional mission and vision. Manage the acquisition and retention programs of the museum’s membership program. Responsible for the maintenance of Raiser’s Edge and TAM database and overall ticketing systems.

Work to gain participation in the annual membership campaigns and garner financial support.

Solicit additional or contributed support in addition to general membership dues through cultivation cycles, including renewal letters, emails, and phone calls. Determine key members for the Director to solicit larger gifts and upper-level memberships. Acquire new members through multi-channel marketing, including targeted events and receptions.

Serve as the direct liaison to the museums collecting circles (Acquisition Trust and Friends of American Art) and assist with planning member and member cultivation events; participate in officer meetings; and maintain membership records.

Manage the museum volunteer program by processing volunteer applications, updating the volunteer e-mail list in MailChimp, sending volunteer e-news communications, and scheduling volunteers for special events and summer camps.

Manage database of volunteer hours within Raiser’s Edge.

Detail-oriented and accurate with the ability to communicate persuasively both orally and in writing. Ability to project pleasant personality with confidence, enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, and efficiency while furthering Museum goals. Must be able to deal with staff, the public, donors, Members, and volunteers in a tactful and courteous manner.  Must demonstrate initiative and be a self-starter. Proficient computer and office skills.  Demonstrate complete confidentiality relating to Members and donor information. Plan effectively to meet deadlines and sales goals. Must be multiple-task-oriented with excellent organizational skills. Bachelor’s degree preferred.  Three years of sales experience, preferably with a membership-based organization. Professional demeanor and appearance required.

Qualified applicants, please email resume, cover letter and salary requirements to: 

CAREERS@OMART.ORG

No phone calls.

The Orlando Museum of Art reserves the right to alter the positions requirements based upon business necessity.

Smoke and drug free workplace. A background check and drug test are required. Fingerprinting may be required.

EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity)

The Orlando Museum of Art provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees.  The Museum does not unlawfully discriminate based on age, sex, race, color, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, religion, veteran status, national origin, citizenship, or any other protected status.  The Museum also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled employees.  Finally, the Museum prohibits the harassment of any individual on any of the bases listed above.  This policy applies to all areas of employment including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, social and recreational programs. Individuals are hired based on their qualifications to perform the duties and responsibilities of the job for which they apply.

A ‘treasure trove’: Orlando Museum of Art receives major gift of 314 works

Orlando Sentinel
Thursday, April 4
Story by Matt Palm

Orlando Museum of Art has received a significant gift of more than 300 pieces, including works by Robert Mapplethorpe and Keith Haring, that greatly expands and diversifies its permanent holdings. The gift also opens a relationship with a New York City museum, sparks new educational opportunities and offers the beleaguered institution a morale-boosting sign of support from the art world.

Read the entire article here.

Orlando Museum of Art Receives Transformational Gift

Orlando Museum of Art Receives Transformational Gift

Over 300 artworks from patrons Dr. James Cottrell and Mr. Joseph Lovett include many works which engage with contemporary issues from LGBTQ+ and international artists.

Robert Mapplethorpe, Untitled #, 19. Silkscreen on canvas, 40 x 55 in. Gift of Dr. James Cottrell and Mr. Joseph Lovett, Orlando Museum of Art Collection.

ORLANDO, FL — Thursday, April 4, 2024 — The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is pleased to announce a major gift from Dr. James Cottrell and Mr. Joseph Lovett, longtime art patrons, social activists, and Manhattan residents. The gift includes over 300 artworks from their extensive collection of downtown New York City and international artists from the past 50 years. This collection will enable the museum to share a diverse range of artistic perspectives with the community, researchers, educators, and students.

“We are elated to have received this truly wonderful gift from longtime advocates and dedicated supporters,” notes Cathryn Mattson, Executive Director and CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art. “The collection will allow our curatorial and education teams to showcase underrepresented voices and foster connections with diverse communities, as well as global artists.”

The Orlando Museum of Art has been a long-term steward of the Cottrell-Lovett Collection, having mounted two large-scale exhibitions: in 2004, Co-Conspirators: Artist and Collector: The Collection of James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett, and in 2016, The Conversation Continues: Highlights from the James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett Collection, as well as incorporating works in the museum’s permanent collection exhibitions over the years. These thoughtful, unique, and innovative showcases benefit both the OMA community and the Orlando art scene at large. Now, thanks to Dr. Cottrell and Mr. Lovett’s gift, the museum can build upon its strengths—a contemporary art collection featuring diverse voices—and expand its mission to stimulate creativity and intellectual curiosity by connecting people from all backgrounds and experiences with compelling art and new ideas. Chief Curator Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon emphasizes the urgent need to confront homophobia and all discrimination in today’s world. She views this donation as “not only a pivotal moment for the OMA but also as a catalyst for broader societal change, permeating through the institution's cultural reach.”

Dr. Cottrell and Mr. Lovett remark, “We could not be happier with our decision to make this significant gift to OMA and the wider Central Florida community. We are especially proud to create a lasting impact via the museum, which has long demonstrated a vested interest in sharing and supporting our commitment to disability activism, non-censorship, accessibility, and LGBTQ+ issues. We’ve long been deeply inspired by OMA’s vibrant outreach into underserved communities, creating educational programs for people of all ages.”

The donation of over 300 artworks by international, diverse artists from Dr. Cottrell and Mr. Lovett will significantly expand the OMA’s existing holdings, particularly with the addition of artworks by figures from the latter half of the twentieth century. Notable artists represented in the collection include Donald Baechler, Miguel Barcelo, Barton Lidice Beneš, Kwame Brathwaite, Sophie Calle, Jean Cocteau, Noël Dolla, Roland Flexner, Helen Frankenthaler, Keith Haring, David Hockney, Deborah Kass, Jonathan Lasker, Robert Mapplethorpe, Malcom Morley, and Dana Schutz. The Cottrell-Lovett gift to OMA also complements their recent gift of 200 works to the prestigious New York University-affiliated Grey Art Museum. The coinciding gifts aim to create new ties and foster relationships between the OMA and The Grey by allowing the two institutions to share works and educational opportunities.

This summer, a small exhibition titled Variations & Iterations: Exploring Art Series in Gifts from the Dr. James Cottrell & Mr. Joseph Lovett Collection will focus on thematic series within the collection of works already on-site at OMA. In the Spring of 2025, the Orlando Museum of Art will open its 101^st year by presenting a major exhibition that will showcase a large portion of the Cottrell-Lovett gift. Additionally, the entire Cottrell-Lovett collection will be accessible on the museum's website within the next year. Finally, the gift also includes the named position of Chief Curator as Cottrell-Lovett Collection Chief Curator.

###

ABOUT THE COTTRELL-LOVETT COLLECTION

Dr. James E. Cottrell, a past president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, began his New York medical career at New York University—where he was an associate professor of anesthesiology before serving as Chairman of Anesthesiology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn for forty years. He holds the rank of Distinguished Service Professor and is currently chairman emeritus at SUNY Brooklyn. He is also the Garry and Sarah Sklar Endowed Professor and a Regent at Large for the University of the State of New York. Dr. Cottrell was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology and helped found this subspecialty. His current research is on memory and cognitive dysfunction after anesthesia and surgery for neonates and the elderly.

Mr. Joseph Lovett is a Peabody award-winning documentary filmmaker who produced the first gay-positive report for network television in 1977 (CBS). After producing early television investigations on government inaction during the AIDS epidemic at ABC News 20/20, Lovett founded Lovett Stories and Strategies in 1989 where he has focused on public health, creating In A New Light, a series of AIDS education specials for ABC; Cancer: Evolution to Revolution (HBO); Gay Sex in the 70s (Sundance Channel); and Going Blind: Coming out of the Dark about Vision Loss (PBS). His latest films are Children of the Inquisition: Their Stories Can Now be Told (PBS), and Something Terrible Happened to Joey, an animated film about childhood trauma (www.sthtjoey.com)

Together, they have been collecting art for more than forty years. As a young SoHo couple, Dr. Cottrell and Mr. Lovett grew their art collection based on their personal vision and vital friendships with artists. The pair was active in the neighborhood's booming art scene and engaged in activism around the HIV/AIDS epidemic and gay rights—many artworks entered their collection through fundraising auctions, such as the first art auction for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. Additionally, Dr. Cottrell fostered international scientific cooperation and collaboration early on and throughout his career. His travels exposed him to a community of international artists who joined the collection as well.

ABOUT THE ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is a regional asset, a member organization of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), a Blue Star Museum, and a catalyst for life-long learning in service to the central Florida community and visitors from around the globe.

The mission of the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is to stimulate creativity and intellectual curiosity by connecting people from all backgrounds and experiences with compelling art and new ideas. OMA is a cultural leader in Central Florida and beyond – engaging, teaching, and inspiring the community through arts experiences. For more information, please visit www.omart.org.

Orlando Museum of Art Celebrates 10^th Anniversary of Florida Prize in Contemporary Art

For the first time in Florida Prize history, two Orlando-based artists are part of the ten-artist lineup.

Top row, left to right: Bernadette Despujols, Boy Kong, Mona Bozorgi, Francesco Lo Castro, Onajide Shabaka
Bottom row, left to right: Jason Seife, Carol Prusa, Njeri Kinuthia, Sheila Goloborotko, Yanira Collado

ORLANDO, FL — Tuesday, April 2, 2024 — The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, the Orlando Museum of Art’s signature exhibition, will celebrate its tenth anniversary, a milestone within the museum’s centennial anniversary celebration year. The selected artists for the 2024 exhibition are Mona Bozorgi, Tallahassee, FL; Yanira Collado, Miami, FL; Bernadette Despujols, Miami, FL; Sheila Goloborotko, Jacksonville, FL; Njeri Kinuthia, Orlando, FL; Boy Kong, Orlando, FL; Francesco Lo Castro, Oakland Park, FL; Carol Prusa, Miami, FL; Jason Seife, Miami, FL; Onajide Shabaka, Miami, FL.

The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, organized by the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA), brings new recognition to the state's most progressive artists. Each year, OMA’s curatorial team surveys artists working throughout the State before inviting ten to participate. One artist will receive a $20,000 award made possible with the generous support of local philanthropists Gail and Michael Winn. The exhibition is also sponsored in part by Nelson Mullins and Jeffrey and Caroline Blydenburgh.

The exhibition results from intensive research and review of hundreds of artists annually. While always limiting the selection to just ten artists is difficult, it allows the museum to feature each artist in depth. Artists present multiple works from recent years or large-scale installations created on-site that give visitors a fuller understanding of their vision and accomplishment. As a survey exhibition, the Florida Prize always brings together artists of diverse backgrounds and varying practices. It is a snapshot of the state’s cultural vitality, as seen through some of the most captivating work done here and now.

“Some of the most compelling and recurrent themes in the exhibition this year focus on our relationship and interconnectedness with celestial and earthly elements” says OMA Chief Curator, Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon. “The artists’ deeply rooted cultural heritage, and stories of migration; and the urgent need to advocate and raise awareness about the ongoing mistreatment of women and girls worldwide. The resulting exhibition is poised to offer profoundly awe-inspiring moments, prompting contemplation and reflection.”

Artists range from emerging to mid-career, often with distinguished records of exhibitions and awards that reflect recognition at national and international levels. In all cases, they are artists who explore significant ideas of art and culture in original and visually exciting ways. The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art underscores the OMA's commitment to the art of our time and to supporting artists who live and work in our State.

The exhibition opening Preview Party will be on Friday, May 31, 2024, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. As in previous iterations, this highly popular ticketed event will feature a sampling of the culinary artistry of Central Florida’s most sensational caterers. Each offering will be inspired by one of the ten Florida Prize artists. This year’s participating caterers are Arthur’s Catering & Events, Cuisinier’s Catered Cuisine & Events, Foodie Catering, Oley’s Kitchen & Bar-B-Que, and Puff ‘n Stuff Catering.

The artist selected to receive the Prize will be announced at the opening party. Guests will have the opportunity to cast a "People's Choice" vote for their favorite artist, which includes a $2,500 award. Funds from the event will support the Florida Prize exhibition and OMA education programs. Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 4 at 2024FloridaPrize.eventbrite.com.

2024 Participating Artist Biographies

MONA BOZORGI
@monbozorgi
(Tallahassee, FL / Photography)

Mona Bozorgi is an artist-scholar whose interdisciplinary research and artistic practice explore the correlation between representation and performativity in photography. Bozorgi’s artistic practice is intertwined with posthuman critical theory and focuses on the process of the materialization of bodies and its impact on the construction and production of identities. As an Iranian-born artist, her work confronts historical exclusions based on gender, provides alternative ways of understanding the contemporary self, and explores the intersections of bodies and technology. Bozorgi received her MFA in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and is currently working on her doctoral dissertation in the interdisciplinary Fine Arts program at Texas Tech. Bozorgi has been an Assistant Professor of Photography at Florida State University since 2022.

YANIRA COLLADO
@yanira_collado
(Miami, FL / Textiles)

Yanira Collado is interested in the reconfiguration of objects that speak metaphorically of time. Her use of construction materials summons the perception of a displaced personal and public history. As a child, Collado traveled between social structures: from Brooklyn, where she was born; to the Dominican Republic; to Miami, where her mother worked to become a tailor.

In her practice, Collado displays an awareness of language conveyed through a keen analysis of identity, the latter referenced in her use of reclaimed literary texts and textiles, simultaneously opposed by various construction materials: wood, concrete, masonry brick, iron, and drywall. Materials with inherent geographic histories, processes, and economies imply varying degrees of personalized and public memory.

As Yanira describes, “My work attempts to assemble a visual language that reconciles the process in which the history of this information is recorded, stored, and retrieved. I am interested in the labor inherent in these materials and the shapes taken during their transitions, which conjure up invocations, ritual, a transcendence of presence, and in many ways, fragments becoming whole.”

BERNADETTE DESPUJOLS
@bernadettedespujols
(Miami, FL / Painting, Sculpture)

Born in 1986 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Despujols studied Architecture at the Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), where she graduated with honors in 2007. Soon after, she continued her education at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where she took classes in architecture, cultural exchange, morphology and anatomy before beginning her endeavors in art making. Despujols taught Architectonic Design at the School of Architecture at the Universidad Central de Venezuela before moving to the US to pursue her MFA in Visual Arts at the California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts) in 2010. Recent solo exhibitions by the artist include Oh Man!, Green Family Art Foundation, Dallas, TX; Homesick, Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Spinello Projects, Miami, FL; and Rachel Uffner Gallery, New York, NY. Recent group exhibitions include High Voltage, Nassima Landau, Tel Aviv, Israel; We Are Family, curated by Peter Drake and Clifford Owens, New York Academy of Art, NY; Shattered Glass, Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, New York, NY; and WE DANCE YOU MEAN, Cerquone Projects, Madrid, Spain. Despujols currently lives and works between Miami, Florida and New York, NY.

SHEILA GOLOBOROTKO
@goloborotko
(Jacksonville, FL / Multidisciplinary)

Sheila Goloborotko engages in a restless, relentless material practice that allows singular ideas to emerge in the guise of numerous artistic actions, like characters that reappear in novellas over time or seeds that are blown ashore and thrive in diverse climates. This multidisciplinary artist and master printmaker has exhibited installations, works on paper, sculpture, videos, and interactive projects in more than 200 exhibitions in museums and galleries on four continents and yet has remained firmly committed to the community. Her printshops in Jacksonville, Florida, and rural Pennsylvania are sites of print and poetic activism, empowering first-time printmakers with hands-on workshops and developing the visions of mid-career artists with portfolio production and instruction. An experienced academic who thinks outside the box, Goloborotko is currently an Associate Professor of Printmaking at the University of North Florida. She is also the founder and director of Goloborotko’s Studio since 1989, a center for the production and diffusion of printmaking whose principal goal is to encourage the voice and vision of individual artists in a nurturing environment that supports the creation of works that push the boundaries of printmaking. Goloborotko’s efforts serve as a bridge between individual mastery and community activism, exploring the shifting boundaries of the information age as it relates to multiples and Collective Consciousness.

NJERI KINUTHIA
@njeri_artistar
(Orlando, FL / Multidisciplinary)

Njeri Kinuthia’s work confronts the institutionalized cultural norms that control women's identity and sexuality. Utilizing self-portraiture, her work serves as a mirror, reflecting on her own identity and experiences growing up in Kenya. Kinuthia employs culturally significant fabrics to venture beyond the aesthetic and into symbolic dialogue - initiating an interrogation of the role of culture in shaping us. This body of work addresses the suppression and restrictions faced by women in rural Kenya. In works like Hail Reverend Njeri, she subverts these restrictions, reclaiming her place both physically and metaphorically.

Njeri uses a broad range of materials including charcoal, fabric, oil paints, pastels, and bleach. At times, her use of nudity to convey vulnerability, further challenges the constraints that society imposes on women. Kinuthia is a multidisciplinary artist, proficient in drawing, painting, soft sculpture installation, and fiber arts. Through this diverse range of mediums, she addresses the intricate interplay between cultural traditions and personal identity. She is developing large-scale mixed media artworks and installations, drawing inspiration from African fabrics and architecture. With a background in Fashion Design, she enjoys working with textiles and incorporating textile patterns into her work through collage, drawing or painting.

With her practice, Njeri questions the balance between cultural tradition and personal identity, welcoming viewers into a broader conversation on the liberation and autonomous expression of female identity. Through her art, viewers are invited to question the boundaries imposed upon them by their cultural spheres.

BOY KONG
@boykong
(Orlando, FL / Painting, Muralist)

Boy Kong is a self-taught painter, illustrator, muralist, and collage artist. Inspired by a mixture of Ukiyo-e, Surrealism, Graffiti art, and animal folklore, Kong's visual style juxtaposes these elements with a mastery of color and rhythmic application. In a short time, his body of work has become immediately identifiable without succumbing to a signature aesthetic. Kong divides his time between Orlando and NYC.

FRANCESCO LO CASTRO
@locastro
(Oakland Park, FL / Painting, Sculpture)

Francesco Lo Castro’s work examines the underlying nodes that make up physical reality through the use of historically grounding visual elements, reminiscent of Italian Futurism, 1980’s analog computer graphics, Finish Fetish, and Art Deco color palettes.

At its center lies a drive to recollect and arrest memories, as well as depict a future-forward aesthetic, which dares to question boundaries between biology and technology, physical and virtual, while charting holistic, common spaces, informed by the fluid social constructs that are shaping contemporary culture.

A heightened sense of dimension and depth emerges from an ever-evolving dialog between digital, machine design and human-made execution, deploying unorthodox sculpting and painting techniques that involve intricate compositions of pigment and varied materials, such as wood, stone, glass and plastics.

Dense with movement, while deliberately balancing explosiveness and strict order, vibrancy and dreaminess, power and release, a delicate and soothing vision emerges, summoning an oeuvre of subtle focus on healthcare and restoration.

CAROL PRUSA
@prusacarol
(Miami, FL / Metalpoint)

Carol Prusa is a contemporary artist known for her meticulous silverpoint technique and use of unexpected materials from sculpted resin and fiberglass to metal leaf and LED lights. In the 2015 catalogue essay for the exhibition Drawing in Silver and Gold: Leonardo to Jasper Johns, Bruce Weber called Carol Prusa “one of the most innovative artists working in metalpoint today.”

Born in Chicago, Prusa lived and worked in South Florida until her recent move to North Carolina. She exhibits internationally, including Bernice Steinbaum Gallery (MIami) and Bluerider Art (Taipei). Her work is included in excellent public and private collections, including the Perez Art Museum (Miami), The Museum of Arts and Design (NYC), Telfair Art Museum (Savannah), and the Francie Bishop Good and David Horvitz Collection.

Recent curated group exhibitions include Tenacity at the Chautauqua Institution, New York (2021), IS Projects at the Coral Springs Art Museum, Bluerider in Shanghai (2021). In 2021 Prusa made an editioned artist book, unknowing, at IS Projects through a grant from the Knight Foundation. Current investigations include utlizing Deep Dream/Google to create work in conversation with AI/machine learning, supported by a creative activity grant. Prusa was awarded an artist residency at Djerassi in California and the Golden Foundation Residency in New York, May/June 2023. Upcoming she has a solo exhibition in Shanghai and is in a three-person exhibition at the Macon Museum of Art and Science in Georgia and a group exhibition at the Golden Foundation in New York. Prusa was just awarded a WNC artist grant.

JASON SEIFE
@jasonseife
(Miami, FL / Painting)

Jason Seife’s work references old Persian carpets, an art form that in modern times is often taken for granted. Carpets were a large part of his childhood growing up with immigrant parents of Middle Eastern descent. Jason recreates these old weavings by tediously painting them on canvas in colors and mediums that were not normally used in their origin. Jason presents the pieces in a new and exciting way. The creation of these works is both a therapeutic and a spiritual process; being able to channel his obsession with detail into the intricate geometry and compositions of the carpets allows Jason to find himself working hours on end without lifting his brush. What initially drew him to these works was not only the aesthetic but also the dense history and meaning behind the imagery. The way the weavers were able to link each rug’s particular pattern, palette, and style with a specific and identifiable geographic area or nomadic tribe really stood out to him. Jason aims to mirror this practice with his take on the carpets by having each color and pattern specifically correlate to what state of mind and emotion he was in while creating the specific work, allowing him to look back and see a chronological timeline of both his mental and emotional state embedded into the paintings. Essentially, creating a language through shape and color that is hidden in plain view...

ONAJIDE SHABAKA
@onajide
(Miami, FL / Photography, Mixed Media)

Onajide Shabaka’s interest in art began in high school with a photography course that eventually allowed him creative license to photograph what he wanted. That interest continued through various post-secondary institutions, including Art Center College of Design (Pasadena, CA) and California College of the Arts (Oakland, CA), culminating in an MFA awarded from Vermont College of the Fine Arts (Montpelier, VT), an institution focused on self-designed courses of study. While living in San Francisco, Shabaka started a fashion boutique where he designed for both men and women, importing cloth from various countries to find the right mix of natural and hand-woven fabrics. His longtime interest in ethnic textiles continues to inform his art practice. In the past ten years or more, his practice has included art writing and independent curatorial work, both of which are important aspects of his art practice. With a broad-based knowledge of contemporary art history, critical theory, as well as anthropology, and ethnobotany, his art practice is focused on its continuing development and challenges, both inside and outside the white cubic exhibition space. Conceptual, time-based photography Shabaka, as a photographic documenter and artist, often working in process with one or possibly more persons, takes photographs not always to show what is in front of the camera, but what is behind the camera in the form of a conceptual approach. Even though trained as a photographer, Shabaka’s images document not a travelogue but a quest. These quests often take the form of “walks” while gathering ephemeral bits of the landscape to photograph, whether botanical or geological. Hence, the still image documents a time-based process of movement and gathering. In the end, many of the gathered objects are intensely examined using macro photography, which also moves the objects and materials into a different context. A context that orients the materials as precious even as they decay.
 

Post-Basquiat, new Orlando Museum of Art chief curator has high hopes

Orlando Sentinel
March 21, 2024
By Matt Palm

The new chief curator of Orlando Museum of Art is a six-year employee who repeatedly issued warnings about the purported Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition that ultimately sent the institution spiraling.

Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon has been promoted into the chief curator position, the 100-year-old museum announced this week...

Read the full article here.

Education Intern

POSITION TITLE

Summer Education Intern

LENGTH OF ASSIGNMENT

May 22- August 9, 2024 (or any portion thereof)

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Education Department is seeking a highly motivated individual who is looking to gain experience with educational programs in the visual arts. Although the internship will touch upon a variety of programs, the focus is Orlando Museum of Art’s eleven-week offering of summer studio classes for elementary, middle, and high school students. The Education Intern will help facilitate the program, including assisting with sign-in and sign-out duties, lunchtime supervision, daily organizational activities, studio art projects, and writing information sheets that connect authentic works of art in OMA’s collection to the materials, techniques, and processes that students experience in the studio.

HOURS

To be determined by Intern’s school schedule and Education Department needs.

REQUIREMENTS

Interested candidates must have (or be in the process of completing) a college-level education and have a background in art history, art education, studio art, or elementary education, as well as a love of working with children of all ages. A working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel is helpful. A professional temperament and an ability to relate with people of diverse backgrounds is a must.  Applicants should demonstrate excellent writing and communication skills and have an ability to multitask. 

SALARY

Academic credit in lieu of compensation.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to:

Orlando Museum of Art
ATTN: Education Intern
mlawson@omart.org
p  407 896 4231 x282
f  407 896 9920

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Open until filled.

A trip back to the beginning

The following is an excerpt from an article published on February 25, 2024, by the Orlando Sentinel.

A couple of lines in nondescript type don’t particularly stand out in a 1924 newspaper clipping:

“ART ASSOCIATION NOTICE: There will be a meeting at the library on Tuesday morning at 10 o’clock for the purpose of organizing an Art Association. All who can and are interested, please attend.”

But those simple sentences paved the way for what today, 100 years later, is the Orlando Museum of Art.

A long-ago volunteer carefully labeled the clip “The Beginning” and pasted it into a scrapbook, today brittle with age, that provides a fascinating look into both the museum’s origins and the era of its founding.

Click here to read the full article.

El Arte Que Creamos

The following is an excerpt from an article published on February 27, 2024, by the Musa Hispana magazine.

El gran edificio circular del museo de Arte de Orlando (OMA, por sus siglas en inglés) resguarda en sus paredes claves de quienes fuimos y somos como sociedad hispana. Nuestro pueblo hispano, que viene creando arte desde tiempos precolombinos, goza de espacios protagónicos en el museo, desde su entrada, en donde las esculturas del puertorriqueño Rigoberto Torres saludan al visitante como tótems que resguardan el lugar, hasta la magnífica obra de Carlos Betancourt, la cual toma el final del ala sur con su enorme mesa rosada en la obra Déjelos que se Sientan Rosados (Let Them Feel Pink). Los medios o materiales son tan variados como el sonido de la música que hacemos; desde canvas pintadas en óleos hasta manos de tela con escarcha, como es el caso de la obra de Elia Alba llamada Manos (Hands).

Click here to continue reading this article.

Orlando Museum of Art featured on WMFE's "Spotlight"

Orlando Museum of Art Executive Director and CEO and Board Chair discuss the current state of the museum.

This week, WMFE reporter, Talia Blake, spoke with Orlando Museum of Art Executive Director and CEO, Cathryn Mattson, Board Chair, Mark Elliott, and Ginny Childs of the Ackerman Lawfirm, about the current state of the Orlando Museum of Art.

Listen to the complete interview here.

Statement from OMA Board of Trustees Chair

Friday, January 19, 2024

STATEMENT FROM MARK ELLIOTT

January 19, 2024

The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA or Museum) has decided to dismiss its claims against several defendants (Pierce O'Donnell, John Leo Mangan III, a/k/a Lee Mangan, a/k/a Leo Mangan, William Michael Force a/k/a Michael William Force, Taryn Burns, Basquiat Venice Collection Group, MJL Family Trust LLC, and Richard LiPuma) in the lawsuit the Museum filed against those it believes responsible for the Heroes & Monsters exhibition (H&M Exhibition). Notably, the Museum has not dismissed its case against Aaron De Groft, the former Executive Director and CEO of OMA and the person responsible for handpicking the forged artwork and fast-tracking the H&M Exhibition.

Our choice not to dismiss our claims against Aaron De Groft is based on the evidence outlined in our lawsuit. As our Complaint states, OMA uncovered a vast conspiracy that De Groft initiated soon after he assumed control of the Museum. He abused his position of trust, lied to anyone who questioned the provenance of the artwork, created an environment of fear and hostility amongst the staff, and brought great shame to our community by mounting an exhibition of forged works in which he had a hidden financial interest, as discovered by the investigation commissioned by the OMA Board of Trustees and detailed in our Complaint. At a time when authenticity and provenance are increasingly questioned, we must continue to stand against those like De Groft, who would abuse the process for personal gain.

The Museum’s unbudgeted expenses are significant and directly result from De Groft’s wrongful conduct. As a result of the H&M Exhibition, the Museum has had to comply with four separate grand jury subpoenas (none of which were budgeted or foreseen) and otherwise cooperate with the still-ongoing FBI criminal investigation—an investigation into a long con that began more than ten years ago and that the Museum should have never been dragged into. As has been reported, the first two grand jury subpoenas were served by the FBI in July 2021, before the H&M Exhibition opened. De Groft and the former Board Chair did not share the existence of these first two subpoenas with the Board of Trustees. A third grand jury subpoena was served on the Museum by the FBI – and complied with – shortly after the FBI seized the artwork in June 2022.

A fourth grand jury subpoena was served on the Museum by the FBI in August 2023, approximately two weeks after the lawsuit was filed against De Groft and the other defendants. Like the first two subpoenas, this fourth subpoena required the Museum to collect, produce, and sort documents and electronically stored information, including thousands of emails. The subpoenas specified very technical requirements for the collection and production, which in turn necessitated the services of electronic discovery (or e-discovery) professionals. These professionals were retained through our law firm, and the fees the Museum paid for their services are reflected as “legal fees” in the Museum’s financials. Of the total amount of the Museum’s “legal fees,” approximately $315,000 is for the services of the e-discovery professionals and compliance costs associated with the grand jury subpoenas served by the FBI. These costs were significant, unforeseen, and unbudgeted. Of course, the Museum cannot refuse to comply with the subpoenas, and despite our requests, there is no reimbursement or subsidy to assist a nonprofit arts institution like OMA with these compliance costs. The Museum should never have been put in a position to bear these costs, and the fault for this lies squarely with De Groft and the co-defendants.

Much has been made about the Museum’s financial position, but the rumors circulating in the media and elsewhere paint only half the picture. Importantly, the Museum’s revenue (from donations, grants, admissions, special events, and the gift shop) has not declined substantially since the initial fallout from the H&M Exhibition. However, organizations suffering from such unbudgeted professional expenses, as outlined above, must make serious financial decisions. The decision to dismiss the above-referenced defendants was made by the Executive Committee of the Board, acting on its authority, on behalf of the OMA Board of Trustees, because of the Museum’s current financial position, and because of the unbudgeted and unforeseen costs of complying with the fourth grand jury subpoena served by the FBI after our lawsuit was filed in August.

For the same reason, OMA previously decided to engage in preliminary and confidential settlement discussions with the above-referenced defendants (but not De Groft) in November. Ultimately, we decided to dismiss the Museum’s claims against those defendants rather than continue protracted settlement negotiations.

Importantly, OMA never discussed settling the case against De Groft, given our evidence of the severe harm he has caused the Museum, this community, and the art world.

Despite the decision announced today, we still firmly believe that we have the evidence to win this case (coupled with the confession by Michael Barzman that the artwork was fake, which he admitted to the FBI in 2023). However, the cost to fight against multiple defendants is too high and would be accrued in addition to the previously discussed expenses. Our priority has been and will continue to be to balance the righting of the serious wrongs perpetrated against the Museum and this community. We plan to balance this while sustaining the Museum so it can continue to fulfill its mission, as it has done for the last 100 years.

As we start our 100th year, and look toward our next century of stimulating creativity and curiosity with compelling art and new ideas, OMA continues to appreciate the support of its donors, devoted employees, members, elected officials, and the arts community. We hope our efforts to pare down our lawsuit will allow us to reduce expenses, continue to provide the public with the entire story behind the H&M Exhibition, and hold De Groft accountable.

Orlando Museum of Art to exhibit Bill Viola’s Moving Stillness (Mount Rainier), 1979

The museum was awarded a loan from Art Bridges to bring this immersive experience to Florida.

Orlando – December 1, 2023 — Bill Viola’s Moving Stillness (Mount Rainier), 1979, on loan from Art Bridges, creates an immersive experience. In a darkened room, sounds from nature envelop the viewer as a placid pool of water reflects a projected image of Mount Rainier onto a screen.

The Orlando Museum of Art is proud to once again partner with Art Bridges to bring this work, for the first time, to the state of Florida. The two organizations worked together in 2019, along with the Mennello Museum of American Art, to present the exhibition Edward Steichen: In Exaltation of Flowers. Art Bridges creates and supports programs that expand access to American art across the nation. Moving Stillness (Mount Rainier), 1979 is just one of the works in Art Bridges’ extensive collections which it loans to its partners. As part of the program, funding is provided to cover direct costs associated with exhibitions, as well as educational programming and outreach efforts.

Bill Viola’s work often explores ideas of death and rebirth. Moving Stillness (Mount Rainier), 1979 visualizes nature’s rhythms of renewal, which include moments of both fragility and strength. As an active volcano at rest, Mount Rainier embodies a similar dynamic of both quiet beauty and dramatic violence. Through the periodic disruption of a serenely majestic image, Viola’s work represents these paradoxes. Moving Stillness (Mount Rainier), 1979 symbolizes the changes in nature that occur over the course of time. It invites the viewer to pause and wait in order to encourage contemplation.

“In these tumultuous times, Moving Stillness (Mount Rainier), 1979, provides us with a much-needed space for contemplation, reflection, solace, and calm. Empowering, meaningful, and visually spellbinding, the multi-media installation is also an invitation to meditate over the forces of nature, and ultimately the dormant power and potential within us all. OMA is grateful to Art Bridges for their renewed support and commitment to our institution, by helping bring the best American Art to our community,” says Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon, Curator and Interim Head of Collections & Exhibitions.

OMA was also awarded a Learning & Engagement Project Grant from Art Bridges for a new program titled Reflections.  This free program is designed to serve adult cancer patients and survivors. Sessions include a facilitated discussion about Moving Stillness (Mount Rainier),1979, as well as stimulating conversation related to the cancer journey and personal experiences. Themes will include hope, strength, renewal, transformation, and connections between art, nature, and wellness. Additional activities include reflective journaling, sound therapy, breathwork, movement, and meditation. This four-part series will be led by local yoga teacher Krista Shirley and sound therapist Marian McNair, both with over 20 years of experience in their field. The goal is to bring together cancer patients and survivors, fostering stronger connections and cultivating a support network for those with this shared experience.

Moving Stillness (Mount Rainier), 1979, opens Saturday, December 23, and will be on view through Sunday, May 5, 2024. The Reflections program will take place on the following Saturdays: January 20, February 17, March 16, and April 20.

OMA One of "10 Best Orlando Museums for First Dates"

The list produced by Healthy Framework, a company passionate about relationship building and dating.

Written by: Matt Seymour
October 13, 2023

Want to have an awesome first date in Orlando that gives you plenty to talk about, shows you are cultured, and is downright fun? If all of these things sound amazing, you may want to consider going to a museum for a first date!

And no, this is not just a suggestion for people who could be considered antiques themselves. An Orlando museum as a first date is an amazing idea for singles of all ages.

But with that said, what are the best Orlando museums for first dates? Here are the top options that earned our “Healthy Framework’s Best” award.

Some Quick Tips for Museum First Dates
Real quick before we share the winners, we want to give some helpful tips if you’ve never taken a first date to a museum before.
    •    It’s okay to do a little research beforehand about the subject matter of the museum! Just make sure you share your knowledge humbly on your date and not as a know-it-all.
    •    Allot enough time to really enjoy the museum! Most Orlando museums share how long you should plan to see everything.
    •    Bring a few bucks to get a souvenir together! Something like matching keychains could be a neat way to remember a great first date.
    •    See if there are is any dress code. If there is, ensure you follow it, and ensure you let your date know beforehand.

Orlando Museum of Art

With a revolving slate of exhibits, the Orlando Museum of Art screams cultured and is a high-brow feel at a casual price. If you’re looking for a first date that’s going to signal that you’re distinguished, cultured, and know how to think outside of the box, this is a must. We’d highly encourage you to check out the list of current and upcoming exhibits to have an idea of the awesomeness you’re going to see on your visit.

The Orlando Museum of Art is a must for museum first dates in Orlando.
    •    Address: 2416 N. Mills Ave. Orlando, FL 32803
    •    Ticket Price:  Starting at $10 (free for military, veterans, and first responders)

Other locations include the Orlando Science Center, Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens, and Rollins Museum of Art. Read the full article here.

About Healthy Framework Dating Advice

Healthy Framework, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, serves as the premiere choice for professional dating advice. For nearly a decade, our team has helped thousands of people build authentic relationships through intentional living. Our team come from all walks of life with diverse backgrounds and expertise to offer the most well-rounded service to our customers and clients.

In addition to dating advice, Healthy Framework employs a top-notch editorial team made up of researchers, data scientists, and industry insiders to offer accurate and actionable information about the dating and dating app industries. It’s nearly impossible to lead people through their relationship journeys without having a detailed understanding of the industry. Not only do we use this research internally, but we share it with the community to help people make better and more informed decisions.

The Healthy Framework team has a combined 50+ years of experience in the dating industry as dating coaches, relationship advisers, marriage counselors, body language experts, dating financial advisors, research analysts, and more.
The company is passionate about relationship building and dating and it’s what has propelled Healthy Framework to be the leader in the industry.

Orlando Museum of Art to offer free admission on “Access for All” Third Thursdays

The program is part of a $40 million nationwide initiative funded by Art Bridges Foundation.

Orlando, FL – October 12, 2023 - The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is proud to announce a groundbreaking initiative made possible by a $400,000 grant from the Art Bridges Foundation. The “Access for All” initiative aims to increase access to museums and foster engagement with local communities by covering the costs of admission, expanded hours, and programming, outreach, and community partnerships that will enhance access to art and art experiences.

“We are thrilled to launch Access for All, a historic partnership with cultural institutions across the country to make it easier for people in every U.S. region to see and experience art. At Art Bridges, we can’t wait to see our trusted partners get creative and deliver impact to their communities,” Alice Walton, founder and board chair of Art Bridges, said. “...we are confident Access for All will not only help to rebuild museum attendance but also bring more people than ever into museum galleries and reshape the arts world as one that is open to all.”

Access for All at OMA, a monthly free day, will launch in January of 2024 – the beginning of OMA’s year-long Centennial Celebration.  This program will fill a vital gap in the community and provide access to art and cultural experiences to Central Florida’s working people, families, and seniors. OMA will open its doors from 10 AM to 8 PM on the third Thursday of every month, removing the burden of admission and giving visitors expanded hours to explore the museum.

As a participating museum, OMA can utilize funds to develop programming tailored to its communities. Features of the OMA program include free admission, programming from visiting interdisciplinary cultural organizations, and expanded community outreach. 

“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Art Bridges and to make art experiences more available to the entire Orlando community,” says Cathryn J. Mattson, OMA Executive Director & CEO. “We look forward to welcoming everyone, especially those who haven’t attended before, to the museum to enjoy the galleries and special events on Access for All Third Thursdays.”

The first Access for All at OMA will take place on January 18, 2024. Programming will include live performances, popular OMA educational programming, and refreshments. Parking at the museum is free for visitors. Public transportation is available to the museum via Sunrail and the LYNX bus system. The most convenient Sunrail station is located at AdventHealth, 500 East Rollins Street, Orlando. Guests who choose to arrive via the LYNX bus can access the museum via the Princeton Street and Loch Haven Park stop.

By making museum access free, Access for All at OMA aims to break down the perception that museums are intimidating or inaccessible, making OMA a welcoming resource for all. With the area's poverty rate at nearly 13% and a median household income of $65,242, many residents work multiple low-wage jobs to make ends meet. Access for All at OMA is designed to serve these families and individuals by removing the barriers to museum access.

Through this new and exciting program, OMA hopes to introduce a new audience to their city’s art museum. The Orlando Museum of Art invites everyone to experience the beauty and inspiration art has to offer.

###

Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, for more information and high-resolution photos. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407-896-4231 ext. 233.

ABOUT THE ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is a regional asset, a member organization of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), a Blue Star Museum, and a catalyst for life-long learning in service to the central Florida community and visitors from around the globe.

The mission of the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is to stimulate creativity and intellectual curiosity by connecting people from all backgrounds and experiences with compelling art and new ideas. OMA is a cultural leader in Central Florida and beyond – engaging, teaching, and inspiring the community through arts experiences. For more information, please visit www.omart.org.

 ABOUT ART BRIDGES FOUNDATION
Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. The mission of Art Bridges is to expand access to American art in all regions across the United States. Since 2017, Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of more than 220 museums of all sizes and locations to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges Collection, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices.

ABOUT ACCESS FOR ALL
Access for All is a transformative, three-year funding initiative from Art Bridges Foundation that aims to increase access at museums across America and foster engagement with local audiences. This $40 million pilot program will provide support to 64 current Art Bridges museum partners by covering the costs of admission, programming, outreach, and additional efforts that reduce barriers to access.

Orlando Museum of Art presents first exhibition of works by Norma Canelas-Roth

The exhibition posthumously celebrates Roth’s talent and long-time support of OMA.

Norma: Selected Works by Norma Canelas Roth, presented by the Orlando Museum of Art, is the first exhibition solely featuring the works of Norma Caneals Roth. It will focus on Norma the artist, posthumously celebrating her talent and generous spirit. The exhibition will open on Friday, October 20, and be on view through Sunday, January 28, 2024.

The style of Roth’s paintings is closely related to those of Miriam Shapiro (a longtime friend) and other artists of the Pattern and Decoration Movement who were prominent in the 1970s and 80s.

“As an artist, educator, collector, and patron, Norma had a profoundly positive impact on the OMA.  She was not only interested in contemporary American art, but she was also fascinated by art from around the world.  Although she did not promote herself, she was passionate about advancing the art of specific artists and diverse cultures.” (Marena Grant Morrisey, OMA Executive Director, 1977-2012)

Norma Canelas Roth graduated from Rollins College with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a concentration in painting and art history. She continued her studies with graduate courses at the University of South Florida, Tampa. Norma maintained a studio and continued her painting practice for 30 years until about 1985 when she and her husband Bill turned their attention to building an encyclopedic collection of textiles, and adornment created by traditional cultures worldwide. Drawing on her years of training in art history, applying intensive research and gifted eyes, Norma and Bill created one of the most distinguished collections of its kind in the United States. Their achievement has been recognized three times in Arts and Antiques Magazine which listed them among America’s Top 100 Collectors. 

Norma and Bill also collected contemporary art and in 1977 they were among the early collectors of a group of artists associated with the Pattern and Decoration Movement. These artists were closely aligned with Norma’s interest in the women’s movement, contemporary women artists, and the art of non-Western cultures which were then marginalized by an art world dominated by white men. A number of the Pattern and Decorative artists such as Miriam Schapiro, Tony Robbin, Jane Kaufman, and Robert Zakanitch, became close friends and mentors in the development of Norma’s most successful and prolific body of work produced in the late 70s and early 80s. Norma’s work was first exhibited at the OMA in 1984 when it was included in the museum’s Annual Juried Exhibition, followed by a three-person exhibit of the winners.

Norma and Bill Roth have been involved with the Orlando Museum of Art since 1983 when OMA organized the exhibition Pattern and Decoration Works from their collection. During the decades that followed, Bill and Norma gifted over four hundred artworks to the museum and have lent extensively to OMA exhibitions.

Image Credit:
Norma Canelas Roth
Jungle Series: At the Edge of the Jungle
1979
Mixed media
45 x 63 ¼ in.
Selected Highlights from the Collection of William and Norma Canelas Roth
© 1979 Norma Canelas Roth

OMA Acquires Work by 2023 Florida Prize People’s Choice Winners

The piece by Elliot and Erick Jiménez was purchased with funds provided by the Acquisition Trust

The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is delighted to announce the acquisition of a new work by Miami-based twin artists Elliot and Erick Jiménez, winners of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art 2023 People’s Choice Award, underwritten by Gail and Michael Winn.

Elliot and Erick Jiménez are the first collaborative artist team to be presented in the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibition. Their photography functions within the space between the two mediums of photography and painting. The canon of European art history and their Cuban heritage inspire their aesthetic approach. Since an early age, they have been involved in a religious practice native to Cuba called Lucumí, more popularly known as Santeria. A pantheistic religion, Lucumí arose by combining the beliefs and practices of the Yoruba people, who once comprised most of the enslaved people of Cuba, and Roman Catholicism, the sanctioned religion of the island’s Spanish Colonial rulers. Although the images are captured with a camera, they have a painterly feel and refer to some of art history’s most iconic paintings.   

The Grand Odalisque (2022), Elliot and Erick’s rendition of a famous painting by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres—La Grande Odalisque (1814), on permanent display at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, France— includes an androgynous figure portrayed with long lines and in an elegant pose. The original painting is of an odalisque or concubine, and it is regaled for the elongated proportions and lack of anatomical realism. When Ingres’ work was first shown, it received extensive criticism for exactly the same reasons the work is renowned today. Ingres prioritized the long lines and exotic details over anatomical correctness.

In the work by the Jiménez brothers, the drapery of the background remains, although this time, it is yellow, a color that refers to Oshun, the Orisha of sensuality, beauty, and fertility in the Lucumí tradition. As is typical in the work of the Jiménez brothers, the figure is mysterious nonetheless, and the lack of detail in the background gives the impression that the sitter could be anywhere and could be anyone. One of the most notable criticisms of Ingres’ Odalisque is that she appeared to have no elbow—Elliot and Erick make that clever reference in their version. The sitter is almost entirely composed of long undefined lines—like a flattened silhouette cutout—with their only notable feature being their short hair. The body is covered in gems resembling stars, elevating the figure to the status of someone worth admiring, such as a deity, a sovereign or a celebrity.

The work was purchased by the Orlando Museum of Art’s Acquisition Trust (AT), with funds provided by the Charles E. Meiner Acquisition Trust Endowment Fund. OMA’s Acquisition Trust is a membership-based organization that contributes annual dues to fund the acquisition of contemporary art produced after 1970. Since its founding in 1984, AT has built a significant collection of contemporary art for the Orlando Museum of Art and the Central Florida community. The OMA’s Contemporary Art Collection is now the largest section of the Museum’s permanent collection. It includes artwork by internationally recognized artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Robert Rauschenberg, Nick Cave, and Bisa Butler. This is the fourth work by participating Florida Prize artists purchased by the Acquisition Trust, furthering the OMA’s commitment to the art of our time, and to supporting artists who live and work in our State.

Outstanding museum collections are the direct result of philanthropic generosity within a community, and the Orlando Museum of Art is grateful to its proactive Acquisition Trust and the community at large for investing in the arts.

Image Credit:
Elliot & Erick Jiménez
The Grand Odalisque, 2022
Archival photo print
44 x 60 in.
Ed. 1/5
Collection of the Orlando Museum of Art, Acquisition Trust Purchase. Purchased with funds provided by the Charles E. Meiner Acquisition Trust Endowment Fund

Museum Welcomes Visiting Artist and Outwin Finalist, Donna Castellanos

The tactile tours are a partnership with Lighthouse Central Florida, sponsored by United Arts of Central Florida

Orlando – September 1, 2023 — Donna Castellanos, mixed-media artist and finalist of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s sixth triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, will conduct a series of workshops for youth and adults in September at the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA). The tactile tours and workshops are a partnership between OMA and Lighthouse Central Florida, funded by a project grant from United Arts of Central Florida.  
 
This project represents a renewal of a previous partnership between Lighthouse Central Florida and the Orlando Museum of Art. OMA has a history of serving special populations through its Community Access suite of programs, and workshops for people with visual or auditory challenges are an excellent addition to these offerings. 
 
Lighthouse Central Florida believes that people of any age can and should seek to fulfill their highest ambitions well beyond the perceived restrictions of blindness and vision loss. Tactile Tours and Art Workshops for People with Vision Loss and Blindness are a first step towards creating alternative ways to experience art and connect to the mission of both institutions.  
 
The project seeks to inspire lifelong learning in participants by presenting a safe and friendly opportunity to engage in activities that may have previously seemed out of reach. Working together, OMA, Lighthouse Central Florida, and Donna Castellanos will host workshop experiences that minimize the restrictions that visual art poses for the participants. OMA materials, such as gallery didactics for artwork referred to in the artist talk and studio activities, will be translated into Braille or audio transcribed by Lighthouse staff. The workshops will take place on Thursday, September 14, and Saturday, September 16. 
 
Donna Castellanos earned a degree in graphic design from The American Academy of Art in Chicago. She creates in a wide range of mediums, including found objects found at estate sales and in thrift stores. In 2013, she became an art instructor at Elmhurst Art Museum, teaching mixed media art classes. Donna’s projects invite visitors to participate in artmaking of their own. Her work uses a variety of textures, including fabric, yarn, and cast-off items sourced from estate sales and thrift stores, incorporating them into a variety of media from painting, sculpture, installation, wearable jewelry, and clothing. 
 
The Outwin: American Portraiture Today, is an exhibition organized by the National Portrait Gallery and on view at OMA through October 8. The Outwin: American Portraiture Today is a major exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Every three years, artists living and working in the United States are invited to submit one of their recent portraits to a panel of experts chosen by the Portrait Gallery. 
 
### 
 
Image Credit: 

Donna Castellanos 
Bertha, I’d like to know where you got the notion 
2020 
Fabric, zippers, pin cushions, snaps, paper packaging, knitting needles, and other sewing notions 
Collection of the artist © Donna Castellanos 
From The Outwin: American Portraiture Today, organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The competition and exhibition are made possible by the Virginia Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Endowment, established by Virginia Outwin Boochever and sustained by her family. 
 
Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, for more information. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407-896-4231 ext. 233. 

9th Annual Florida Prize in Contemporary Art Exhibition Extended

The Orlando Museum of Art’s Signature exhibition will be on view until September 17, 2023

The Orlando Museum of Art is excited to announce extended dates for the 2023 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. The exhibition, originally scheduled to close on August 27, will now be on view through Sunday, September 17, 2023.

The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) to bring new recognition to the most progressive artists in the State. Artists range from emerging to mid-career, often with distinguished records of exhibitions and awards that reflect recognition at national and international levels. The exhibition is the result of intensive research and review of hundreds of artists each year. Artists present multiple works from recent years or large-scale installations created on-site that give visitors a fuller understanding of their vision and accomplishment. The Florida Prize always brings together artists of diverse backgrounds and varying practices and is a snapshot of the State’s cultural vitality.

Akiko Kotani was awarded the 2023 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art at the exhibition opening preview party on Friday, June 2, 2023. Kotani received a $20,000 prize, which was generously underwritten by Gail and Michael Winn, longtime supporters of the prize.

Elliot and Erick Jiménez, the first collaborative artists to be featured in the exhibition, were voted the winners of the People’s Choice Award. Along with bragging rights, the pair received a check for $2,500, also underwritten by Gail and Michael Winn.

Other artists featured in this year’s exhibition include: Cara Despain, Peggy Levison Nolan, Yosnier Miranda, Reginald O’Neal, Amy Schissel, Magnus Sodamin, MJ Torrecampo, and Denise Treizman.

New York Times bestselling author's vibrant illustrations coming to OMA

The exhibition will feature works from illustrator and author Loren Long

The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is pleased to present Something Like a Hello: Celebrating the Picture Book Art of Loren Long, on view from September 16 – December 10, 2023. The exhibition will feature 69 works by Long, an American children's book author and illustrator of President Barack Obama’s picture book Of Thee I Sing.

“It is more important now than ever to recognize the value and celebrate the art of children's illustrated literature. For the 9th year in a row, the Orlando Museum of Art is thrilled to partner with the National Center of Children’s Illustrated Literature, based in Abilene, Texas, to showcase the best uplifting stories through #1 New York Times bestselling author Loren Long’s vibrant illustrations, and reconnect multigenerational audiences to the vibrant spirit of children’s literature,” says Curator Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon. 

Loren Long grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. He pursued graduate-level studies at the American Academy of Art in Chicago after graduating with a BA in Graphic Design/Art Studio from the University of Kentucky. After graduation, Long worked as an illustrator for a greeting card company in Cincinnati before beginning his career as a freelance illustrator.

Since then, Long has received numerous accolades for his fluid Work Progress Administration (WPA) painting style of the 1930s and 1940s. The Society of Illustrators in New York awarded him two golden medals, and he has been frequently selected for their annual exhibition and book. His work has also appeared in many other major annual exhibitions held by such prestigious journals and magazines. Long’s clients include Time, Reader’s Digest, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Boy’s Life, Land’s End, Sports Illustrated, and HBO.

Long is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling picture book series Otis the Tractor. He is the illustrator of the re-illustrated edition of The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper and Mr. Peabody’s Apples by Madonna. He illustrated Good Day, Good Night by Margaret Wise Brown, Love by Newbery Medalist Matt de la Peña, and There’s a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake.

Akiko Kotani is the Recipient of the 2023 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art

Twin brothers Elliot and Erick Jiménez awarded the People’s Choice Award

The Orlando Museum of Art is pleased to announce that Akiko Kotani has been awarded the 2023 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, along with $20,000, which was generously underwritten by Gail and Michael Winn, longtime supporters of the prize. Hansen Mulford, retired Chief Curator and Consultant on the exhibition, made the announcement on Friday, June 2, at the Florida Prize Exhibition Preview Party.

Elliot and Erick Jiménez, the first collaborative artists to be featured in the exhibition, were voted the winners of the People’s Choice Award. Along with bragging rights, the pair received a check for $2,500, also underwritten by Gail and Michael Winn.

As a young aspiring artist living in New York, Akiko Kotani discovered the expressive power of textile art while taking a weaving class at the YMCA Manhattan Weaving Workshop. The experience was life-changing, leading her to continue her studies in Guatemala, a country with an exceptional textile art tradition.

Kotani’s process of crocheting plastic bags and other materials into long bands is an innovative development that has allowed her to create a variety of large-scale sculptural forms. All her work is, in some way, an expression of her concerns for women. Her use of textiles and the repetitive practice of weaving pay homage to the extraordinary achievements of women throughout history, which have typically been undervalued by society.

Elliot and Erick Jiménez are first-generation Cuban Americans raised in Miami. Growing up with shared interests in art and photography, each contributed individual strengths, creating their work through a process of planning, communication, and mutual respect.  Their aesthetic approach is inspired by the canon of European art history and their Cuban heritage while also being relevant to contemporary visual culture.

In their current series of photographs, the Jiménezes have visualized the representation of deities within the syncretism of Lucumí and Catholic beliefs.  Pictured are symbolic figures, their faces deeply shadowed or obscured but identifiable through iconography, much the same as the saints seen in old master paintings.

The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is on view at the Orlando Museum of Art through September 17, 2023.

Florida Prize named one of "The Best Exhibitions to Discover in Florida this Summer"

Museum featured in list published by TravelMag

Orlando - May 24, 2023 - The Orlando Museum of Art has been featured in TravelMag's  "The Best Exhibitions to Discover in Florida this Summer." The publication features the 2023 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibition, on view from June 3 through August 27. Also featured are: Reclaiming Home: Contemporary Seminole Art at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota; American Made: Paintings and Sculptures from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens; Taking Pictures: Women of Independent Spirit at the Tampa Museum of Art; and a handful of others.

You can see the entire list here.

At TravelMag, they make travel their business, discovering off-the-grid destinations from around the globe. Their writers offer fresh, unique perspectives in the form of travel essays and in-depth local guides that go beyond the guidebook. Their mission is to fuel a sense of adventure, inflame the imagination, and inspire daydreaming while providing all the information needed to make that dream a reality.

Inspiration Orlando United mural to be unveiled at Orlando Museum of Art

The museum will host a free community event to commemorate the Pulse tragedy.

Orlando – May 22, 2023 — The Orlando Museum of Art is honored to host a free community event to commemorate the lives lost during the Pulse tragedy. On Monday, June 12, at 5 pm, the museum will unveil Inspiration Orlando United, a mural created by Michael Pilato, Yuriy Karabash, and Chimene Hurst. The tribute will also feature remarks from community members honoring the lives lost and impacted by the horrific event.

On the night of June 12, 2016, a festive atmosphere in the Pulse Nightclub was suddenly shattered by violent gunfire. 49 people died, and 53 people were injured. This mural is intended to engage and utilize public art to transform the events of that evening into a visual shared history with stories of treasured lives, inspirational responses, and selfless acts of leadership, love, and hope. It is a visual narrative illuminating courageous acts of compassion that revealed a heart of love and kindness in the City Beautiful. 

 The Inspiration Orlando United mural is currently 44 feet wide by 14 feet high. Its core composition features the portraits of the 49 victims who lost their lives, the two survivors who passed within a year of the events, and a representative selection of survivors, inspirational first responders, and passionate caregivers. 

Artist Michael Pilato, who will be a part of the evening’s presentation, is proud to present the mural to the community. “It is an honor to be invited to join hands with the Orlando community and support the mural as it continues to breathe hope, justice, healing, and a passion for peace. It is important that we remember the 49 loved ones lost and the lives forever changed as the world rose united in saying ‘love always wins.’”

The mural is a work in progress, with content added as new stories of inspiration are told. This project has been made possible through the support of Del Ambiente, an LGBTQ Puerto Rican not-for-profit, AARP, the Hispanic Federation, and Arte Mundial Gallery.

“It is truly an honor to present this mural to our community.” says Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon, Curator and Interim Head of Collections & Exhibitions. “It was important to us at the Orlando Museum of Art to honor the lives that were forever changed and offer a place of solace for our community. We hope this event provides an opportunity for heartfelt reflection and inspires unity, support, and advocacy.”

The mural will be on view in the museum rotunda Tuesday, June 13 through Friday, June 16. The rotunda is open to the public during regular museum hours: Tuesday – Friday, 10 am to 4 pm; Saturday and Sunday 12 pm to 4 pm.

Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, for more information. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407-896-4231 ext. 233.

Orlando Museum of Art is a 2023 Blue Star Museum

OMA to offer free admission to military personnel and their families.

ORLANDO – May 15, 2023 – The Orlando Museum of Art announced it will once again join museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families. The 2023 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 2023, and end on Labor Day, Monday, September 4, 2023. 
 
Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across America.
 
“We are proud to participate in the Blue Star Museums program again,” said Nichole Spates, Grants and Development Manager for the museum. “Programs such as this one strengthen our community, providing points of connection for families that share in the experience of serving our country. It is important that we give back to those that have given their lives to protect our freedom.” 
 
“We thank the 2023 Blue Star Museums, who invite military personnel and their families to experience the many wonders they have to offer, whether it’s a glimpse into the past, an encounter with awe-inspiring art, or a moment of discovery,” said Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D., chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “The Orlando Museum of Art is helping to enrich the lives of military families and build meaningful connections between our nation’s military and their local community.”

Blue Star Museums include children’s museums, art, science, and history museums, zoos, gardens, lighthouses, and more, and hail from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The current list of participating museums will continue to develop over the summer, as organizations are welcome to register throughout the summer.
 
The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military—Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force, members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.
 
 
About the Orlando Museum of Art
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is a regional asset, a member organization of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), Blue Star Museum, and a catalyst for life-long learning in service to the central Florida community and visitors from around the globe.
 
The Orlando Museum of Art’s mission is to inspire creativity, passion, and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. Our vision is to be a creative change agent for education, the center for artistic engage a place for civic, cultural, and economic development. For more information, please visit www.omart.org.
 
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
 
About Blue Star Families

BlueStar Families (BSF) is the nation’s largest chapter-based military and veteran family support organization. Its research-driven approach fosters strong communities with a focus on human centered design and innovative solutions. Since its founding in 2009, BSF has delivered millions of dollars in benefits and impacted more than 1.5 million people each year. For more information, click here and follow along with Blue Star Families on Facebook, Instagarm, and Twitter.

2023 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art Lineup

Ten Florida-based emerging and mid-career artists will be featured in this year’s exhibition.

Orlando – April 24, 2023 — This year will mark the ninth edition of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. Selected artists are Cara Despain, Miami; Elliot and Erick Jiménez, Miami; Akiko Kotani, Gulfport; Peggy Levison Nolan, Hollywood; Yosnier Miranda, Tampa; Reginald O’Neal, Miami; Amy Schissel, Miami; Magnus Sodamin, Miami; MJ Torrecampo, Orlando; Denise Treizman, Miami.

The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) to bring new recognition to the most progressive artists in the State. Each year OMA’s curatorial team surveys artists working throughout the State before inviting ten to participate. One artist will receive a $20,000 award made possible with the generous support of local philanthropists Gail and Michael Winn.

Artists range from emerging to mid-career, often with distinguished records of exhibitions and awards that reflect recognition at national and international levels. In all cases, they are artists who are engaged in exploring significant ideas of art and culture in original and visually exciting ways. The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art underscores the commitment of the OMA to the art of our time and to supporting artists who live and work in our State.

The exhibition is the result of intensive research and review of hundreds of artists each year. While always limiting the selection to just 10 artists is difficult, it allows the museum to feature each artist in depth. Artists present multiple works from recent years or large-scale installations created on-site that give visitors a fuller understanding of their vision and accomplishment. As a survey exhibition, the Florida Prize always brings together artists of diverse backgrounds and varying practices. It is a snapshot of the State’s cultural vitality seen through some of the most compelling work being done here and now.

The exhibition opening Preview Party will be on Friday, June 2, 2023, from 6:00 to 10:00 PM. As in previous iterations, this highly popular ticketed event will feature a sampling of the culinary artistry of Central Florida’s most sensational restaurants and caterers. Each offering will be inspired by one of the ten Florida Prize artists. The artist selected to receive the Prize will be announced at the opening party. Guests will have the opportunity to cast a "People's Choice" vote for their favorite artist, which includes a $2,500 award. Funds from the event will support the Florida Prize exhibition and education programs.

Media Preview

June 2, 2023 | 11:00 am–12:00 pm, Media Preview.
June 2, 2023 | 6:00 pm–10:00 pm, The Florida Prize Preview Party

Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, for more information on the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, the artists, our sponsors, and the opening Preview Party. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407-896-4231 ext. 233.

Announcement from the Orlando Museum of Art

Orlando - April 17, 2023 -

The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce Cathryn Mattson as the Interim Executive Director and CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art, effective May 1, 2023.  Mattson was chosen, by unanimous vote of the Trustees, after a substantive search and vetting process; she will be responsible for the overall leadership of the Museum. 

“We are delighted to appoint Cathryn as the Interim CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art,” says Mark Elliott, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “Cathryn’s deep history as a senior executive and commitment to the arts make her our clear choice to lead the Museum.  We look forward to supporting her as she builds collaboration, sharpens our strategic focus, and works with the trustees and the community to ensure a sustainable economic future for the Museum.”

Mattson comes to the Orlando Museum of Art as a seasoned executive who has worked domestically and globally across various industries and sectors.  She has held executive leadership positions at Bestfoods and Unilever in strategy, government relations and business management.  Additionally, she has served as Chief Operating Officer for leading nonprofits, including the Bridgespan Group and Women’s World Banking.

Through her executive coaching and consulting practice, Mattson Coaching, she has worked with professionals and teams for the last decade to help them fully develop their leadership potential, strengthen their communication and interpersonal skills and lead more balanced, satisfying lives.

Before founding her own business, Mattson was a Partner and Chief Administrative Officer for the Bridgespan Group, a leading social impact consultant and advisor to nonprofits, NGOs, philanthropists, and investors.

“The Orlando Museum of Art provides inspiration to all who visit,” says Mattson. “I am honored to accept this position and look forward to working with the staff and board to continue building on the strong legacy of the Museum.  A major art museum is essential to a vibrant city, as it is a place where the community can come together, grow, create, and share experiences that inspire and bring joy.  I am delighted to be able to serve this wonderful institution.”

Mattson holds an MBA in marketing and strategy from the Columbia Business School and a BA with honors in English and Spanish from Tufts University. She is a certified coach and has completed leadership programs at the Aspen Institute and The Center for Creative Leadership.

Cathryn Mattson Biography 

Cathryn Mattson is a seasoned executive who has worked domestically and globally across various industries and sectors. She has held senior leadership positions in Fortune 100 companies and leading nonprofits throughout her career.

In 2013, she launched Mattson Coaching, an executive coaching and consulting practice. Through this practice, Cathryn has guided clients in developing their full leadership potential, strengthening their communication and interpersonal skills, and leading more balanced, satisfying lives.

Before founding her own business, Cathryn was a Partner and Chief Administrative Officer for the Bridgespan Group, a leading social impact consultant and advisor to nonprofits, NGOs, philanthropists, and investors. She led all operating functions of the firm and critical strategic initiatives, including re-branding and improvements to financial systems/reporting and human resources processes. In addition, Cathryn spent twenty years with Bestfoods and Unilever Bestfoods after their merger. She was Senior Director of Strategy and Business Intelligence, Corporate Director of Government Relations, and Corporate Director of the Values and Policies Office.

She has also served as Chief Operating Officer for Tiger21, a premier learning group for high-net-worth investors, and Women’s World Banking, a global network of microfinance institutions dedicated to providing financial services to low-income women for entrepreneurial activity. She emphasized collaboration, sharpening strategic focus, and ensuring a sustainable economic infrastructure in both organizations.

She began her career in education and the arts as a Program Director for the South Carolina Arts Commission. Then, she relocated to New York City to become the Artistic Director for NY Young Audiences, which provided concerts and artist residencies for the NYC public schools. She later became the Executive Director of the Theater at St. Peter’s, an off-Broadway Theater.

With her deep love for and commitment to the arts, Cathryn has championed programs that promote equal access to arts experiences in diverse urban and rural communities. She has served on the boards of various arts organizations, most recently the Board of Overseers of the Boston Ballet, where she was a member of the Education/Community Outreach and Finance committees. 

Throughout her career, Cathryn has focused on building strong, high-performing teams and driving for strategic outcomes while fostering a positive, collaborative work environment. In each role, she committed to nurturing the professional development of others, which she believes is vital to optimizing organizational performance.

Cathryn’s educational background includes an MBA in Marketing and Strategy from the Columbia Business School, an MAT in English from Converse College, and a BA magna cum laude in English/Spanish from Tufts University.  Additionally, she has completed leadership programs at the Aspen Institute and the Center for Creative Leadership and received her coaching certification from the Newfield Network.

Cathryn enjoys attending visual and performing arts events in her leisure time as well as pursuing her own music as a singer and pianist. 

About the Orlando Museum of Art

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is a regional asset, a member organization of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), Blue Star Museum, and a catalyst for life-long learning in service to the central Florida community and visitors from around the globe.
 
The Orlando Museum of Art’s mission is to inspire creativity, passion, and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. Our vision is to be a creative change agent for education and the center for artistic engagement, as well as a place for civic, cultural, and economic development. For more information, please visit www.omart.org.

Russia’s Illegal Invasion of Ukraine: Strategy and Phases of the Campaign

CNN Military Analyst outlines the five phases of the War in Ukraine

Orlando – March 7, 2023 — For more than a year, Ukrainians have been faced with intense and, at times, criminal Russian aggression. The Russian strategy and their related military operational objectives have been fraught with failure during all phases of the campaign. 

This Saturday, March 11, at 1:30 pm,  Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling  will present Russia's Illegal Invasion of Ukraine: Strategy and Phases of the Campaign. Retired Lieutenant General Hertling - a former commander of US Army, Europe - will discuss his experiences observing the Russian military during exercises and training events, as well as his time partnering with Ukraine's Army and helping them transform Ukraine's training center near Lviv. LTG Hertling will outline what he has judged to be the five phases of the campaign that has taken place thus far, citing some of the reasons for success and failure on both sides.

LTG Hertling is a national security and military analyst for CNN who has made frequent appearances on the network to discuss updates on the war in Ukraine. He predicted on February 24 that Ukraine would persevere in this war, and for the last 12 months has provided useful information on every phase of the campaign.

The lecture is a compliment to the museum’s current exhibition, Relentless Courage: Ukraine and the World at War, on view until March 26, 2023. The lecture is free to attend. For event information, museum hours, and admission information, visit https://omart.org/visit/tickets/.

Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, for more information. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407-896-4231 ext. 233.

###

About the Orlando Museum of Art

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is a regional asset, a member organization of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), Blue Star Museum, and a catalyst for life-long learning in service to the central Florida community and visitors from around the globe.
 
The Orlando Museum of Art’s mission is to inspire creativity, passion, and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. Our vision is to be a creative change agent for education, the center for artistic engage a place for civic, cultural, and economic development. For more information, please visit www.omart.org.

Orlando Museum of Art Showcases Work by 20-year-old War Photographer

The Rollins College student spent the Summer of 2022 documenting the war in Ukraine.

Orlando – February 1, 2023 — For nearly half his life, 20-year-old Benjamin Mack-Jackson has been dedicated to sharing the stories of World War II so that his generation won’t repeat the deadly mistakes of the past. He never imagined he’d find himself in the position to document a modern war firsthand.  

In the Summer of 2022, Benjamin traveled to Ukraine to document the ongoing war and capture stories from soldiers and civilians whose lives have been upended by Russian aggression. With warped interpretations of World War II and denazification at the forefront of the false justification for Vladimir Putin’s invasion, he was drawn to the battlefields of Ukraine as part of a mission to preserve the past and document its current relevance.

Benjamin reflected on his experience with Lake and Sumter Style, stating, “It’s one thing to be a college student studying history. It’s another thing to see it first-hand. Now I’ve been confronted with the reality of war and, in turn, hope to be a better historian and storyteller. It was undoubtedly the most transformational trip of my entire life.”

As a filmmaker, author, visual storyteller, and founder of the WWII Veterans History Project nonprofit organization, Benjamin dedicates his time to preserving the memories of the Greatest Generation and giving the past a future, one story at a time. To date, he has interviewed over 100 WWII veterans. As a result, he has produced a feature-length documentary, Normandy Revisited, recently wrote a book, World War II History for Teens, and continues to educate with artifacts from the war through a traveling museum.

Benjamin is a junior majoring in International Relations at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. His work has impacted thousands of people worldwide, and he hopes his photographs from Ukraine will inspire and educate future generations about the horrors of war with the hopes of a more peaceful future.

The pop-up showcase, Ukraine’s Greatest Generation: Courage in the midst of Chaos, is presented by the Ginsburg Family Foundation. The foundation is also the presenting sponsor of Relentless Courage: Ukraine and the World at War, on view at OMA through March 26, 2023.  Relentless Courage includes the work of five award-winning women photojournalists who are also featured in the photographic essay book of the same name. Published by Blue Star Press, sales of the book help support the work of combat photojournalists in Ukraine. Blue Star Press also contributed books to the Ukraine House.

Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, for more information and press photos. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407-896-4231 ext. 233.

The Outwin: American Portraiture Today opens at Orlando Museum of Art

Featuring 42 portraits by contemporary artists as finalists of the 2022 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition

Orlando – February 28, 2023 — The Orlando Museum of Art presents “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today,” a major exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery featuring the finalists of its sixth triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. The exhibition will be on view from April 8, 2023, through October 8, 2023. Every three years, artists living and working in the United States are invited to submit one of their recent portraits to a panel of experts chosen by the Portrait Gallery. In 2022, 42 works were selected from over 2,700 entries in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, time-based media, textiles, and performance art.  The resulting presentation reflects the compelling and diverse approaches that today’s artists are using to tell the American story through portraiture. Finalists have come from 14 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

“The Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition was founded to support the next wave of contemporary portraiture in the United States,” said Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery. “The diversity of this edition’s entries, from geographic origin to subject matter and media, reflects both the multifaceted story of the United States today and the unique perspectives and lenses through which contemporary artists see that story. Produced in the past three years, it is no surprise that the art provides a powerful affirmation of the human experience focused on the pain of the COVID-19 pandemic, demands for social justice, personal isolation, familial ties, community support, love, and loss.”

The competition’s first-prize winner, Alison Elizabeth Taylor of Brooklyn, N.Y., created a portrait titled “Anthony Cuts under the Williamsburg Bridge, Morning” (2020), in which she depicts Brooklyn-based hair groomer Anthony Payne in a process that Taylor developed and named “marquetry hybrid.” Using vivid paints, inkjet prints, and the natural grains of over 100 veneers, Taylor created the multilayered portrait after encountering Payne in her neighborhood. With his workplace shuttered as a result of the pandemic, Payne was offering donation-based haircuts to support Black Lives Matter, and Taylor was struck by the way he embodied perseverance and solidarity. She made drawings of him from life and used those, along with photographs, to develop the portrait’s composition. She received a cash award of $25,000 and a commission to create a portrait of a living individual for the Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection. Previous first-prize winners are David Lenz (2006), Dave Woody (2009), Bo Gehring (2013), Amy Sherald (2016), and Hugo Crosthwaite (2019).

Second prize was awarded to Tom Jones of Madison, Wisconsin, who submitted a photograph embellished with beads, rhinestones, and shells titled “Elizah Leonard” (from the series “Strong Unrelenting Spirits”) (2019). Third prize was awarded to Pao Houa Her of Blaine, Minnesota, for her photograph featuring a man of Hmong descent, “untitled (man)” (2019). This year’s commended artists are Elsa María Meléndez of Caguas, Puerto Rico, for her textile-based work “Milk” (2020). Collaborators Joel Daniel Phillips and Quraysh Ali Lansana of Tulsa, Oklahoma, for their multimedia portrait comprising a drawing entitled “Killed Negative #13 / After Arthur Rothstein” (from the series “Killing the Negative”) and the poem “hospitality” (2020). Stuart Robertson of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, for his mixed-media “Self-Portrait of the Artist” (from the series “Out and Bad”) (2020). And Vincent Valdez of Houston for his oil on canvas “People of the Sun (Grandma and Grandpa Santana)” (2019).

Jurors for the 2022 competition were Kathleen Ash-Milby, curator of Native American art, Portland Art Museum, Oregon; Catherine Opie, artist, professor of photography, and chair of the art department at the University of California, Los Angeles; Ebony G. Patterson, artist, Chicago and Kingston, Jamaica; and John Yau, poet, critic and professor of critical studies, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, New Jersey. The Portrait Gallery’s Taína Caragol, curator of painting, sculpture, and Latinx art and history, and former curators Leslie Ureña and Dorothy Moss, also served on the committee.

Caragol is the director of the 2022 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition and co-curated the exhibition “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today” with Ureña.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue, available at the museum’s store. 
The competition and exhibition are made possible by the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Endowment, which was established by Virginia Outwin Boochever, a longtime docent at the National Portrait Gallery. The endowment is sustained by her family.

The Orlando Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Sunday. For hours and admission information, visit https://omart.org/visit/tickets/.

Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, for more information and press photos. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407-896-4231 ext. 233.

Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2022 Finalists

Holly Bass, Washington, D.C.
Lois Bielefeld, Milwaukee, Wis.
Gustave Blache III, New York, N.Y.
Rebecca Blandón, Bronx, N.Y.
Frank Blazquez, Albuquerque, N.M.
Clarissa Bonet, Chicago
Donna Castellanos, Elmhurst, Ill.
Jess T. Dugan, St. Louis
Michelle Elzay, New York, N.Y., and
Nantucket, Mass.
TR Ericsson, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Adama Delphine Fawundu, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Paula Gillen, Boulder, Colo.
Rigoberto González, Edinburg, Texas
Kira Nam Greene, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Inga Guzyte, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Mari Hernandez, San Antonio
David Hilliard, Boston
Keegan Holden, Los Angeles
Pao Houa Her, Blaine, Minn.*
Tom Jones, Madison, Wis.*
Laura Karetzky, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Khánh H. Lê, Washington, D.C.
Timothy Lee, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Riva Lehrer, Chicago
Jarod Lew, Beverly Hills, Mich.
Tim Lowly, Elk Grove Village, Ill.
Narsiso Martinez, Long Beach, Calif.
Rania Matar, Brookline, Mass.
Elsa María Meléndez, Caguas, Puerto Rico*
Cheryl Mukherji, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Marianna T. Olague, El Paso, Texas
Maia Cruz Palileo, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Joel Daniel Phillips, Tulsa, Okla., and
Quraysh Ali Lansana, Tulsa, Okla.,*
Melissa Ann Pinney, Evanston, Ill.
Stuart Robertson, Lawrence Township, N.J.*
Robert Schefman, West Bloomfield, Mich.
Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Los Angeles
Josephine Sittenfeld, Providence, R.I.
Grade Solomon, Fredericksburg, Va.
Ilene Spiewak, West Stockbridge, Mass.
Alison Elizabeth Taylor, Brooklyn, N.Y.*
Vincent Valdez, Houston*
 
*Denotes prizewinners

About the Orlando Museum of Art

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is a regional asset, a member organization of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), Blue Star Museum, and a catalyst for life-long learning in service to the central Florida community and visitors from around the globe.
 
The Orlando Museum of Art’s mission is to inspire creativity, passion, and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. Our vision is to be a creative change agent for education, the center for artistic engage a place for civic, cultural, and economic development. For more information, please visit www.omart.org.

About the National Portrait Gallery

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery tells the multifaceted story of the United States through the individuals who have shaped American culture. Spanning the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists, whose lives tell the American story. 

The National Portrait Gallery is located at Eighth and G streets N.W., Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Information: (202) 633-1000. Connect with the museum at npg.si.edu, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
 

Orlando Museum of Art Introduces “Platform”

Orlando Museum of Art Introduces “Platform” This new quarterly event asks local artists to push the envelope of their practice.

Orlando – February 21, 2023 — The Orlando Museum of Art is proud to announce its new artist showcase event, PLATFORM. PLATFORM will be a quarterly one-night-only artist showcase, representing what is being created now and capturing the spirit of Orlando’s artistic community. It invites creatives, admirers, and arts advocates to come together, providing an inclusive opportunity to exchange ideas and inspiration.

This long-awaited new event is building on the museum's 1^st Thursdays’ legacy of bringing the Orlando community together to celebrate local artists and talent. PLATFORM is meant to help bring local artists to the next level in their careers, encouraging them to be daring, and experimental, pushing the envelope of their practice, and presenting works that may not have had their place in conventional gallery or museum settings, or which they have never shown before.

The selected works will be exhibited at a quarterly showcase event hosted in the museum rotunda. Works will present various media from visual arts to performance art, digital media, and even sound design. Artists will be awarded one of three levels of recognition at the end of the evening, including Community Choice, chosen by event attendees, and the Outstanding Artist Award, who will be invited to participate as a guest juror on the Selection Committee for the next event. The goal of PLATFORM is to provide Central Floridians with a unique cultural experience and the chance to be on the cutting edge of what is current in the Orlando arts scene.

Artists from the greater Orlando area are invited to submit their works to be reviewed by the PLATFORM Selection Committee. This committee will be comprised of representatives from various branches of the local arts community. While the call for artists will be ongoing and themeless, the Selection Committee may wish to identify themes and patterns within the submissions and utilize them as a curatorial tool for representation of the current climate of Orlando's creativity.

The first PLATFORM will take place on Friday, March 31, 2023, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Orlando Museum of Art. General Admission is $15 per person. OMA Members can attend for free. Information on how to submit artwork will be at omart.org on March 1, 2023.

Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, for more information. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407-896-4231 ext. 233.

Orlando Museum of Art to Screen Mama Irene: Healer of the Andes

A story of woman empowerment and a testament to living harmoniously with Mother Earth

Orlando – January 25, 2023 — The Orlando Museum of Art is proud to present a free screening of the film Mama Irene: Healer of the Andes. This film is about a remarkable 84-year-old woman Shaman (healer) from Peru, drawing upon indigenous knowledge and traditions in danger of being lost forever. Not only does the film document endangered wisdom, but it is also a story of woman empowerment and a testament to living harmoniously with Mother Earth. 

“Mama Irene is a true mystic – she turns to Pachamama and the mountain spirits in her prayers, in her pilgrimages…I happily participated from afar in [this] film project,” says co-director Bettina Ehrhardt “…Our goal was to present Mama Irene’s story to a wider audience, thus paying homage to the thousands of years old Incan traditions.”

As the film unfolds, we learn about Mama Irene’s journey. She discovered her healing gift by chance at three years old, when she intuitively healed a neighbor’s migraines. She became known in the village as El doctor pequeño – the little doctor. Sold by her father into slavery, beaten by her husband, and mother to 15 children, eight of whom died, she never wavered in pursuing her craft and continues to grow and inspire around the world.

Co-director Elisabeth Möhlmann describes her experience with Mama Irene as “transformative.” “I had the privilege of witnessing her selflessly healing patients with extraordinary wisdom, love, and compassion…With her blessing, I decided to make this documentary to share the story of this remarkable woman and her knowledge and wisdom.”

Associate Curator for Adult Programs and Outreach, Colleen O’Neill, comments, “Mama Irene encourages women to build healthy boundaries and participate in self-love. In this one-of-a-kind documentary, we witness ancient ancestral practices done in modern times, bringing us a taste of what the ancient Americas were like before colonization.”

Mama Irene: Healer of the Andes will be shown for free on Sunday, January 29, at 1:30 p.m. with a group discussion following the film. This film is not suitable for viewers under the age of eighteen. For event information, museum hours, and admission information, visit https://omart.org/visit/tickets/.

Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, for more information and press photos. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407-896-4231 ext. 233.

About the Orlando Museum of Art

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is a regional asset, a member organization of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), Blue Star Museum, and a catalyst for life-long learning in service to the central Florida community and visitors from around the globe.
 
The Orlando Museum of Art’s mission is to inspire creativity, passion, and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. Our vision is to be a creative change agent for education, the center for artistic engage a place for civic, cultural, and economic development. For more information, please visit www.omart.org.
 

Twentysomethings: Works and NFTs from the Fabio Sandoval Collection

The first exhibition of its kind in Central Florida features a range of mediums, including digital NFT works.

Orlando – January 5, 2023 — The Orlando Museum of Art is excited to open its new exhibition, Twentysomethings. This show features the private collection of Fabio Sandoval, a twenty-five-year-old local collector who has been collecting for the past six years. Sandoval’s approach to collecting is unique because, despite his young age, he already has sophisticated taste and a sharp eye for discovering emerging artists. He has also made the bold choice of embracing NFT collecting from its inception. Sandoval is actively investing in the work of artists in his age group and contributing to enhancing the sense of community arising from the NFT art world.

Twentysomethings will present works by established and promising international emerging artists. The works are primarily figurative and span various mediums: oil on canvas, spray paint on steel, cement, textile, wood, found objects, and digital NFT works. Artists in the collection are from diverse ethnic backgrounds, with 23 of them being People of Color. The collection includes the work of several rising stars in the NFT community, including former baseball player-turned-NFT artist Micah Johnson. Johnson took the art world by storm when he created narrative based NFT works recounting the story of AKU, a little Black boy aspiring to become an astronaut.

Following the historic auction at Christie’s on March 11, 2021, where an entire series of NFTs sold for more than sixty-nine million dollars, the art world has been changed forever. NFTs have become the “canvases of a living, breathing document that changes over time,” says Mike “Beeple” Winkelman, an NFT artist. NFTs allow a greater sense of connection between the artist and the collector. This synergy, which happens instantly from the time of an NFT drop, transfer, or purchase, feeds a new segment of the art world, building up emerging artists on par with their collectors.

The exhibition is daring and groundbreaking. This is OMA’s first foray into presenting NFTs. It is also the first time the museum will present work from a collector in his twenties, with most of the featured artists also in their twenties. “As museum curators, it is our responsibility to be aware of new developments in the art world, including what is happening in the Metaverse.” remarks OMA Curator Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon “NFTs have enabled digital artists to market their work to collectors internationally without the help of the perceived ‘gatekeepers’ of the art world, namely, museum curators and gallerists. This unmediated connection between the creator and the consumer of art is fascinating, along with the fact that NFTs provide ironclad provenance, a deed of ownership, and provable scarcity to the digital artwork.”

Twentysomethings opens Saturday, January 27, and will be on view through Sunday, May 7. The Orlando Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Sunday. For hours and admission information, visit https://omart.org/visit/tickets/.

Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, for more information and press photos. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407-896-4231 ext. 233.

Orlando Museum of Art Receives 90 Artwork Donations

Works include 30 Ancient American Artworks

Orlando – December 29, 2022 – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) has received donations of 90 works from 8 donors over the past year. The pieces include ancient American artwork, abstract works, and black-and-white photography. The artists featured in this collection of donations represent the museum's diverse audience, offering a cultural connection for people with varied backgrounds and experiences.

Carolyn Cabal gifted 30 pieces of Ancient American artwork from the collection of her late husband, Dr. Luis Alfonso Cabal, to OMA in July of 2022. Some of these works are currently on display as part of the museum’s exhibition A Trek from North to South: Exploring the Art of the Ancient Americas. The Orlando Museum of Art’s Art of the Ancient Americas Collection has over 900 works, including objects created for ceremony, adornment, and use in the afterlife by more than 35 ancient South American cultures. The Cabals’ collection of Ancient Colombian artifacts, the majority of which are ceramic, date as far back as 1,000 BCE and focuses on depictions of motherhood, including breastfeeding mothers and birthing figures. Much of the imagery from this region follows the beliefs of indigenous peoples about male and female energies that direct the world order. The Art of the Ancient Americas Collection at the OMA began with a significant gift in 1972 from collector Howard Campbell and is now the most comprehensive among museums in the Southeast United States.

Forty-eight objects by artist Purvis Young were donated to the museum in October of 2022 by Sheldon and Jill Bonovitz. The collection includes paint on found objects, sketchbooks, and works on paper. The Bonovitzes are particularly interested in the collection of works by “outsider artists,” self-taught creators, and were some of the first to collect this category of artists. They aim to provide images to audiences that may not typically see themselves depicted in fine art. Purvis Young (1943-2010) was a self-taught artist who lived and worked in a historically Black neighborhood adjacent to downtown Miami. Working on materials such as discarded scraps of wood, metal, and cardboard, Young developed an expressive and visionary painting style rooted in his experience living in an economically distressed community. Young’s work is often positive and is meant to inspire the viewer with a vision of a better world. A collection of Young’s work was featured in an Orlando Museum of Art exhibition in the summer of 2022, made possible by Daniel Aubry, Jill Bonovitz, and Nancy H. Blood in recognition of Janet Fleisher.

The Estate of Clarice R. Smith gifted a decorative screen by painter Clarice Smith and American modernist sculptor Albert Paley. The collaborative triptych evokes the timeless beauty of design and was the central piece of two exhibitions; in 2016 at the Kreeger Museum in Washington D.C. and in 2020 at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City, NY. 

Exquisite additions were made to the OMA Photography Collection as well. Karen Dawson donated seven silver gelatin prints from the Frederick M. Dawson Photography Collection. The artists included in the donation are Margaret Bourke-White, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Andreas Feininger, and Carl Mydans. The photographs capture life during the 1930s, one of the world's most challenging economic times. The images captured by Carl Mydans tell the story of migrant families in the American south. Mydans began his career as a photographer working for the Farm Security Administration at the height of the depression. He was hired by Life magazine in 1936, becoming one of their first staff photographers, along with Bourke-White and Eisenstaedt.

Long-time Acquisition Trust member José J. Cabrera donated a photograph of Cindy Crawford by legendary photographer Ricky Powell, who passed away earlier this year. This gift enhances the Orlando Museum of Art’s permanent collection of photographs with an exciting new portrait.

These are just a few of the donations received by OMA in 2022, all of which are meaningful additions to the museum, enriching its collection and giving the museum more significant opportunities to display a variety of artworks to its visitors.

Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing & Communications Manager, for press images or additional information. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Orlando Museum of Art Presents Relentless Courage: Ukraine and the World at War

A gripping photography exhibition sponsored by the Ginsburg Family Foundation

Orlando – December 29, 2022 — From the frontlines of the war in Ukraine, this compelling collection of images from world-class photographers captures the humanity, perseverance, and determination of Ukraine’s fight for freedom and independence against all odds. “Relentless Courage vividly documents what has become the most consequential war in Europe since 1945. It records the epic struggle and terrible sacrifice of a free people who are resisting tyranny at any cost,” comments Hansen Mulford, Chief Curator for the Orlando Museum of Art. This is the second time the exhibition will be displayed, previously shown at the Ukraine House, a nonprofit arts and cultural center in Washington, DC.

The exhibition is presented by the Ginsburg Family Foundation, a first-time partnership between the foundation and the Orlando Museum of Art. “We are honored to be a part of bringing this powerful exhibit to the Orlando community,” says Alan H. Ginsburg, Chair of the foundation. “It is a sobering reminder of our shared humanity when freedom and human rights are under siege by a tyrannical government. We stand with the Ukrainian people and are grateful to these brave photojournalists documenting the truth as a witness to the world.”

The exhibition includes the work of five award-winning women photojournalists who are also featured in the photographic essay book of the same name. Published by Blue Star Press, sales of the book help support the work of combat photojournalists in Ukraine. Blue Star Press also contributed books to the Ukraine House.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the Orlando Museum of Art to have a global impact.” Says interim Chief Operating Officer, Joann Walfish. “Millions of people’s lives have been torn apart by terror and destruction. We must stand with them and show them they have not been forgotten.”

The exhibition will open with a VIP reception on Friday, January 20. All proceeds from the opening reception will be donated to Ukrainian charities. The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday, January 21, and will be installed through Sunday, March 26. The Orlando Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Sunday. For hours and admission information, visit https://omart.org/visit/tickets/.

Contact Maureen Walsh, Marketing and Communications Manager, for more information and press photos. Email mwalsh@omart.org or call 407-896-4231 ext. 233.

Orlando Museum of Art Awarded United Arts Grant

The museum is one of 42 grant recipients for 2023

Orlando - December 22, 2022 – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) has been awarded an Operating Support grant of $159,400 from United Arts of Central Florida.

“This is a proud moment for OMA.” says Joann Walfish, Interim Chief Operating Officer, “It is a testament to our organization’s dedication to core values. These funds ensure that Central Florida residents and visitors will continue to have access to inclusive and innovative programming offered by the museum.”

OMA met and exceeded the eligibility requirements of financial stability, sustainability, and management set by the United Arts Standards and Allocation Committee. In addition, a review panel composed of Central Florida community members scored OMA on artistic merit, governance, fiscal responsibility, outreach, and education.

“The vision of United Arts is to increase access to the arts for all people of Central Florida by 2025.” said Jennifer Evins, president, and CEO of United Arts. “Operating dollars are very hard to come by, and we know these dollars will be used to strengthen our entire cultural sector.”

United Arts issued Operating Support grants to 41 other Orlando cultural organizations, including Orlando Ballet, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Orlando Science Center, and the Orlando Shakes. For the complete list of recipients, visit https://unitedarts.cc.

Funding for Operating Support grants comes from the support of United Arts Trustees, including Orange County Government and the City of Orlando, and community support of the United Arts – Arts for ALL Fund. To donate, visit https://unitedarts.cc/support/give-now/.

Contact Marketing and Communications Manager Maureen Walsh for more information via email at mwalsh@omart.org.

"Don't Ask Me Where I'm From" Exhibition Explores the Impact of Migration

Fifteen artists, representing 25 countries, have created new works this exhibition that explores

Orlando, November 11, 2022 —

The Orlando Museum of Art is proud to present Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From, an exhibit jointly created by Lucio Benetton's Fondazione Imago Mundi and the Aga Khan Museum.

This ground-breaking traveling exhibition of works features second-generation immigrant artists who explore the dynamics of living between different cultures and the hybrid identities they lead. With the rise of immigration as a political issue throughout the world, this project examines the challenges of creativity of a generation that bridges the cultures of their home country and those of their parents. It features works by 15 artists whose stories transcend immigration, settlement and integration across the world. The artists selected address the issues they face as people who live between cultures and celebrate the abundance of cultural experience they are able to channel in their art.

Aligned in their belief in art as a source of knowledge and a key to interpreting the world, the Aga Khan Museum and the Fondazione Imago Mundi came together for this project with a shared goal of furthering understanding, respect, and tolerance among the world’s cultures. Luciano Benetton, Chairman of the Fondazione Imago Mundi sees this exhibit as an “…opportunity to foster the promotion, research and knowledge of artistic realities from all over the world and, above all, dialogue between different cultures.”

The artists participating in this special exhibition (along with the countries they share a connection with) are:

Daniela Edburg Mexico; US
eL Seed France; Tunisia
Elena El Asmar Italy; Lebanon
Erica Kaminishi Japan; Brazil; France
Farihah Aliyah Shah Canada; Guyana
Gui Mohallem Brazil; Lebanon
Jeanno Gaussi Germany; Afghanistan
John Young Zerunge Australia; China, Hong Kong
Houda Terjuman Morocco; Syria; Switzerland
Liberty Battson South Africa; Zimbabwe
Marija Nemcenko Lithuania; Russia; UK
Sarah Maple UK; India
Shinpei Takeda Mexico; Japan; Germany
Sukaina Kubba Iraq; Canada
Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi US; South Africa; Turkey

Orlando Museum of Art Exhibition, From the Andes to the West Indies, Extended

The exhibition reflects the rich artistic heritage of a considerable swath of the Americas.

Orlando, November 18, 2022 – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is excited to announce extended dates for the exhibition, From the Andes to the West Indies: Spanish Colonial Paintings from the Thoma Collection. The exhibition, which was originally scheduled to close on December 31, will now be on view through Sunday, January 8, 2023.

From the Andes to the West Indies: Spanish Colonial Paintings from the Thoma Art Foundation includes works of art from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Cuba, and Puerto Rico dating from circa 1600 to the mid-nineteenth century.  This selection of 26 works includes oil paintings on canvas and small, delicately rendered works in oil on copper.  The variety of styles underlines the great diversity among works of art broadly called “Spanish Colonial.”  The exhibition reflects the rich artistic heritage of a considerable swath of the Americas.  The themes of the majority of the works reflect the important role played by the Catholic Church during three centuries of Spanish rule. The portraits featured in the exhibition were commissioned to celebrate the social status of both peninsular Spaniards and Creoles, those born of Spanish families in the Americas.

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation has a primary commitment to support a greater knowledge about, and understanding of, the art of Spanish America.  While for some audience members the imagery will be familiar, for others the iconography of Spanish colonial art might be experienced for the first time with this exhibition.  The Thoma Collection includes paintings from all the Spanish regions of the Americas with the exception of New Spain (Mexico), whose art has long been represented in United States collections.  Visitors to the exhibition will see paintings by the well-known Puerto Rican artist José Campeche, by the Venezuelan Juan Pedro López, and works by South American painters whose names we do not know.

For museum hours, a full list of events, and information about this exhibit, visit https://omart.org.

Additional exhibition images and credit lines are available from Marketing and Communications Manager, Maureen Walsh. Email mwalsh@omart.org for more information.

OMA ACQUIRES NEW WORK BY FLORIDA PRIZE 2022 WINNER JARED MCGRIFF

Orlando, August 10, 2022 – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is delighted to announce the acquisition of a new work by Miami-based artist Jared McGriff, Winner of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art 2022, underwritten by Gail and Michael Winn.

Jared McGriff (b. 1977, Los Angeles, CA) received his BA in architecture from the College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley in 1999 and his MBA in Finance from New York University in 2008. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Rubell Museum, ICA Miami, NSU Art Museum, Jorge Perez’s El Espacio 23, Beth Rudin DeWoody’s The Bunker, The Knight Foundation, Green Family Art Foundation, and Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places as well as in several important private collections. In 2021, McGriff had his debut museum solo exhibition, Where We Are You, at NSU Art Museum, curated by Bonnie Clearwater. This year he has been featured in museum group exhibitions at ICA Miami and The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibition at the Orlando Museum of Art. Solo exhibitions of his works have been presented at Spinello Projects in 2019 and 2020 and featured in solo booth presentations at Expo Chicago, 2022, and The Armory Art Show (upcoming). He was the recipient of the Orlando Museum of Art’s Florida Prize in Contemporary Art award 2022. He lives and works in Miami and is represented by Spinello Projects.

The acquisition of the large oil on canvas painting, titled Increasing Odds by Trying, 2021 is an exciting opportunity for OMA to present one of Jared’s newest works, building on themes of figuration, representation, inclusivity, diversity, affirmation, and the spirit of community, with a fresh new contemporary perspective. This acquisition will enhance the OMA collection and provide excellent opportunities for OMA’s docents to engage local and regional audiences. This acquisition is also a testimony to the museum’s efforts to showcase and support the work of talented Florida-based artists, initiated through its reputable annual Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibition. In the past couple of years, McGriff has received a steadily increasing level of national and international attention, and the Orlando Museum of Art is proud and delighted to add this extraordinary painting to its permanent collection. The piece will be included in the museum’s major fall exhibition, American Journey, opening on September 10, 2022.

The works were purchased by the Orlando Museum of Art’s Acquisition Trust (AT), a membership-based organization that contributes annual dues to fund the acquisition of contemporary art produced after 1970. Since its founding in 1984, AT has built a significant collection of contemporary art for the Orlando Museum of Art and the Central Florida community. The OMA’s Contemporary Art Collection is now the largest section of the Museum’s permanent collection. It includes artwork by internationally recognized artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Robert Rauschenberg, Nick Cave, John Chamberlain, Elizabeth Murray, Robin Rhode, Pat Steir, Jennifer Bartlett, Mel Kendrick, Bisa Butler, Shirin Neshat, and Deborah Roberts.

Outstanding museum collections are the direct result of philanthropic generosity within a community, and the Orlando Museum of Art is grateful to its proactive Acquisition Trust and the community at large for investing in the arts.

Orlando Local, Robert Rivers is the 2021 Recipient of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art

The Orlando Museum of Art is pleased to announce that, for the first time in the history of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibition, two local Orlando artists were the recipients of the Florida Prize award and the People's Choice award. Robert Rivers has been awarded as the recipient of the 2021 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. The “People’s Choice” was voted on during the Florida Prize Exhibition Preview Party by the guests and the winner, Matthew Cornell was awarded $2,500. Aaron De Groft, the Executive Director and CEO of the Museum, made this announcement on June 4, 2021, at the Florida Prize Exhibition Preview Party. De Groft spoke to the necessity of having an exhibit centered on artists within the state. “The Florida Prize is incredibly important, it’s one of the greatest things this museum does to recognize cutting-edge contemporary artists in the state of Florida. We are so grateful to Gail and Michael Winn for their continued support as the presenting sponsor of the exhibition and their loyalty to the community, we couldn't have done it without them” he said. The exhibition is curated each year by Chief Curator Hansen Mulford, and Associate Curator Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon. 

The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) to bring new recognition to the most progressive, cutting-edge artists in the State. With the 2020 exhibition on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 is now the seventh exhibition of the Florida Prize. Each year, the OMA surveys artists working throughout the State before inviting ten to participate. Artists range from emerging to mid-career, often with distinguished records of exhibitions and awards that reflect recognition at national and international levels. In all cases, they are artists who are engaged in exploring significant ideas of art and culture in original and visually exciting ways. The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art and accompanying catalogue underscore the commitment of the OMA to the art of our time, and to supporting artists who live and work in our State.  

The 2021 Florida Prize jurors were Aldeide Delgado and Aaron Levi Garvey. Aldeide Delgado is a Cuban-born, Miami-based independent Latinx curator, and founder/director of Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA). Aaron Levi Garvey is a Jewish-American Curator/Historian working and lecturing in Modern and Contemporary Arts and Culture. Currently, Garvey is the Chief Curator and Program Director of Jonah Bokaer Arts Foundation and the Director and Curator of Long Road Projects.  

The Florida Prize winner, Robert Rivers who lives in Maitland, Florida is a longtime UCF professor and an accomplished draftsman and printmaker. He sees his art practice as “what it is". He says, “practice, exercise; I like seeing the mechanics of the drawings.” "On April 28, 2010, Rivers’ nephew, Thomas, was killed during the war in Afghanistan, where he had been deployed as a Marine after a first deployment in Iraq a few years earlier. Perhaps as a way of coping with grief or to make sense of this incommensurable loss, soon after Thomas’s passing, Rivers began a series of prints portraying a sleeping soldier with a snake wrapped around his body. He made more than 400 individual medium-sized drawings in that series. These paved the way for his ongoing piece The Promised Land (2017 – to date), a monumental drawing composed of 231 panels (at the time of writing) reaching an epic length of over 500 feet –about 180 feet of which are on view in the Florida Prize exhibition," says Associate Curator Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon. OMA Chief Curator Hansen Mulford states ”Rivers' work reflects the artist’s very personal grief, while also being an elegy to the sacrifice soldiers have made throughout human history.”

The sheer scale and scope of the work, with its convoluted linear narrative and endless sequential views, is at once overwhelmingly terrifying and astonishingly beautiful. Professor Robert Croker describes it as “a rumination upon death in general, by violence in particular; the fragility and persistence of life; the uncertainty of an afterlife, the innocence of youth, and the intensity with which our lives are bound to one another, regardless of circumstance.”

Reflecting on his win, Rivers said "it was one of the best nights of my life. A beautiful museum with beautiful people. To win the Florida Prize was a fantastic honor and I am overwhelmed."

The other extraordinary artists in the exhibition are Tra Bouscaren, Tallahassee; Matthew Cornell, Orlando; Richard Heipp, Gainesville; Sean Miller, Gainesville; Lauren Mitchell, Orlando; Marielle Plaisir, Miami; Anastasia Samoylova, Miami; Clara Varas, Miami; and Kedgar Volta, Jacksonville.  

The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is on view now until August 22, 2021, at the Orlando Museum of Art. 

The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art award is generously underwritten by Gail and Michael Winn. Additional support for the 2021 exhibition is provided by  Rita and Jeffrey Adler Foundation, Inge and Gene Gross, Mrs. James W. Mahaffey, Caroline and Jeffrey Blydenburgh, The Henner Family, George Poelker and Judy Black, and R.J. Santomassino.

Image: Robert Rivers (middle) is the recipient of $20,000 (Florida Prize) which is generously underwritten by Gail (right) and Michael Winn (left) who also provided funds for honoraria to each of the artists included in the exhibition.

Orlando Museum of Art announces collaborative exhibition with the American University in Cairo

Simultaneous exhibitions in Orlando and Cairo of 21 US-based artists of Arab and Iranian heritage.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A collaboration between the Orlando Museum of Art and the American University in Cairo, A Boundless Drop to a Boundless Ocean, will feature artworks by 21 artists in simultaneous exhibitions in Orlando and Cairo from January 29 through May 2, 2021.

The exhibition’s title, taken from Kahlil Gibran’s bestselling book, The Prophet, describes an immigrant’s transformation from “a boundless drop to a boundless ocean.” The show begins with a drawing by Gibran. The immigrant artist’s journey entails a creative negotiation between the past and the present, between here and there. Along the way, diasporic artists create their own visual language that can convey meaning across cultural, linguistic, and social borders. Bringing together artworks created over the span of a century, the exhibition explores the rich cultural landscape of American diasporas. Curated by Dr. Shiva Balaghi, with support from Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon, A Boundless Drop to a Boundless Ocean will be on view in galleries at the Orlando Museum of Art and the American University in Cairo’s Tahrir Cultural Center. 

“A Boundless Drop to a Boundless Ocean explores the search for meaning frequently experienced by many individuals who travel or relocate, especially to different cultures,” said OMA Interim Executive Director Luder Whitlock. “Offered simultaneously with the American University in Cairo, it is an extraordinary opportunity to reflect deeply about a sense of place and belonging.”

 “We welcome this historic collaboration between the American University in Cairo and the Orlando Museum of Art,” said AUC President Francis J. Ricciardone. “Through the dedicated leadership of Jonathan and Nancy Wolf, AUC has developed promising academic exchanges with the University of Central Florida. This exhibition provides even more opportunity for meaningful cultural exchange between Cairo and Orlando.”

OMA’s recent acquisition of a photograph by the artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat served as impetus for the exhibition, which underlines the museum’s commitment to presenting a diverse window into contemporary American art. The exhibition will feature 21 Iranian-American and Arab-American artists, including Shiva Ahmadi, Diana Al-Hadid, Farah Al Qasimi, Siah Armajani, Ali Banisadr, Huguette Caland, Ala Ebtekar, Lalla Essaydi, Amir H. Fallah, Kahlil Gibran, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Sherin Guirguis, Pouran Jinchi, Hayv Kahraman, Arghavan Khosravi, Youssef Nabil, Jordan Nassar, Shirin Neshat, Nicky Nodjoumi, Kour Pour, and Michael Rakowitz. The show presents a diverse range of artistic expression and formal approaches including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, and digital animation. 

“Emigration is the quintessential experience of our time,” wrote the critic John Berger. Revolutions, wars, economic instability, and environmental disasters have led to an influx of populations crossing borders. The global movement of immigrants 
entails a remapping of the cultural terrain. Dislocation, rupture, and transformation are reflected in the creative process of artists. The artists in this exhibition use color and design, technique and materials, composition and iconography to push the boundaries of conventional art forms, extending our field of vision of the American experience. Collectively, their art sheds light on complex histories of migration, the lingering impacts of upheaval and conflict, and an ongoing search for a sense of belonging. 

An illustrated exhibition catalogue will be available onsite at the Orlando Museum of Art and online at omart.org.

This exhibition is made available through generous support from Nancy and Jonathan Wolf, Mozaik Philanthropy, Barjeel Art Foundation, First Horizon Foundation, Ginsburg Family Foundation, Genie and Nick St. George, Taymour Grahne, and Robert Lehman Foundation.

# # #

Orlando Museum of Art to host international artist's debut exhibition

Presented by AdventHealth and Dr. Phillips Charities, the exhibition will feature the large-scale work of JEFRË.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Museum of Art announced today its marquee fall exhibition, JEFRË: Points of Connection, opening to the general public on Oct. 3, 2020 and continuing through Jan. 3, 2021. 

Designed to be a touchless, interactive exhibition, Points of Connection will feature a series of site-specific installations and sculptures constructed at a human scale, introducing the audience to JEFRË's past projects alongside a series of works exemplifying his current studio practice. Visitors will journey through the exhibition, guided by the stanzas of the artist’s poem "Heart to Heart," as they interact with immersive installations exploring his immigrant identity, history with heart disease and creative work as a city placemaker.

JEFRË: Points of Connection will be the public artist’s first solo museum exhibition featuring multimedia sculptures and installations that have become the hallmark of his artistic practice. Experimenting with new materials and technologies, JEFRË aims to activate public spaces and bring people together through a shared experience, illuminating our common humanity across age, gender, ethnicity and nationality. Soundscapes for the exhibition will be provided by Grammy award-winning artist Ayo The Producer. This exhibition is presented by AdventHealth and Dr. Phillips Charities. Additional support comes from The Mall at Millenia and Monster XP.

The exhibition preview night on Friday, Oct. 2 has been designated as invitation-only experience open to museum members and special guests of the artist. Beginning Oct. 3, members and visitors are encouraged to book advance reservations through the museum’s online timed ticketing system. A limited number of tickets will be available for on-site purchase each day.
 
JEFRË (born Jefre Figueras Manuel in 1972, Chicago, IL) is a Filipino-American artist currently residing in Central Florida. He has created numerous site-specific artworks in major cities around the world including "Reflection" (2010) in Philadelphia's Unity Plaza, "The Beacon" and "Code Wall" (2014) in Orlando and "Heaven’s Gate" (2019) in Manila. He is currently working on a 24-story high standing figure with arm raised, titled "The Victor." Located at a bridge connecting the cities of Pasig and Quezon in the Philippines, the sculpture is expected to be completed in 2020 and will be one of the world’s tallest artworks.

# # #

OMA Acquires Two New Works by Celebrated Contemporary Artists

Works by Bisa Butler and Kyle Meyer will debut in the collection this summer.

ORLANDO, Fla., June 23, 2020 – The Orlando Museum of Art announced today the acquisition of two new works, by celebrated American artists Bisa Butler and Kyle Meyer. Butler’s quilted wax print fabric piece, "Wangari Maathai," depicts the eponymous Kenyan environmentalist and political activist in vibrant tones, while Kyle Meyer’s "Unidentified 105a" is one in a series of intricate works that interweave wax print fabric with the portraiture of subjects from the LGBTQ+ community in eSwatini (formerly Swaziland). "These works reflect OMA’s commitment to collecting the most progressive art of our time, building a collection that acknowledges and gives a voice to the diverse community served by the museum, and fostering cross-cultural understanding and respect through our platform," said Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon, associate curator at OMA.

Bisa Butler (American, b. 1975) is an acclaimed fiber artist who portrays mostly unknown African American subjects entirely in quilt, giving them a quiet nobility, a voice and a place in American history. The newly acquired piece, "Wangari Maathai," was commissioned for the cover of March 2020 TIME magazine.  In honor of Women’s Month, the magazine selected women who should have been on the cover of TIME but were not, then found the most influential women artists of the moment to depict those women. Butler chose Wangari Maathai, a renowned Kenyan social, environmental and political activist. In 2004, she was the first woman of color to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Maathai also founded the Green Belt Movement, an indigenous, grassroots, nongovernmental organization based in Nairobi, Kenya, that focuses on environmental conservation and community development. Her legacy has been a major force to the world of conservation and continues to inspire activism today.

"Wangari Maathai" is conceptually strong, using fabrics from the textile manufacturer Vlisco’s important Congo project City of Joy, which provides food and shelter to women ostracized by their villages for being victims of war, rape and sexual abuse. To help these survivors heal from past trauma, City of Joy teaches them traditional Dutch wax fabric-making techniques, with the assurance of a job and money to support themselves and their children. Butler has used the fabric designed by these women not only to depict Maathai but to emphasize the importance of community and the sacredness of our planet. The acquisition will provide wonderful opportunities for OMA to engage audiences on themes of sustainability, environmental activism, human rights, the peace movement, community development, the history of quilting as rooted in the African American experience, and the rewriting of history, among many other themes. It also contributes to the museum’s ongoing efforts to diversify its collection with more works by artists of color and women artists.

Kyle Meyer (American, b. 1985) creates visually striking and intricate artworks. As a gay American photographer, Meyer shot his current series, titled “Interwoven,” in eSwatini, where a third of the population is HIV positive and homosexuality is illegal. Portraits from this series reflect an interest in infusing digital photography with traditional Swazi crafts and in giving voice to silenced members of the LGBTQ+ community. Meyer creates intimate portraits of gay men wearing a head wrap, traditionally worn by women, using a vibrantly colored textile that they chose. Each piece from the "Interwoven" series is labor-intensive, taking days or sometimes weeks to complete.

After learning to weave in Swazi factories, Meyer wove the fabric from the headwraps through each printed face, bringing the DNA, sweat, hair of the sitters into the portraits. After producing a large-scale print of the portrait, Meyer hand-shreds strips of the photograph together with the fabric from the head wrap, interweaving the strips into a complexly patterned, three-dimensional unique work. With the final portrait, Meyer presents each man’s individuality and beauty while using the fabric as a screen to protect his identity. This acquisition will provide great opportunities for OMA to engage its audiences on the practice of portraiture and the use of textiles in art, as well as themes pertaining to diversity and the LGBTQ+ community. It will also contribute to the museum’s efforts to diversify its collection with more works by LGBTQ+ artists.

Both works were purchased for OMA with funds provided by Acquisition Trust, a membership-based organization that contributes annual dues to fund the acquisition of contemporary art. Since its founding, Acquisition Trust has acquired 56 artworks for the museum’s permanent collection, including pieces by internationally recognized artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Robert Rauschenberg, Nick Cave, John Chamberlain, Shirin Neshat, Zanele Muholi, and Deborah Roberts, among many others. Thanks to this wonderful organization, OMA’s collection is one of the most significant in the state. Outstanding museum collections are the direct result of philanthropic generosity within a community, and OMA is grateful to the Acquisition Trust and the community at large for investing in the arts.
 

# # # 

Image credit: (LEFT) Bisa Butler, Wangari Maathai, 2020, Quilted Wax Print Fabric, 29 x 18 in. Purchased with funds provided by the Acquisition Trust. © 2020 Bisa Butler. Image courtesy of Claire Oliver Gallery, New York; (RIGHT) Kyle Meyer, Unidentified 105a, 2019, From the series "Interwoven," Archival Pigment Print Hand Woven with Wax Print Fabric, approx. 90 x 60 in. Purchased with funds provided by the Acquisition Trust. © 2019 Kyle Meyer. Image courtesy of Yossi Milo.

Orlando Museum of Art postpones Florida Prize, announces artists selected for 2021 exhibition

In lieu of the 2020 exhibition, this summer, the museum will host a series of virtual studio visits with the selected artists.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Orlando Museum of Art has postponed its annual summer exhibition, “Florida Prize in Contemporary Art,” which is now scheduled to open in May 2021. The current exhibition, “Living Color: The Art of the Highwaymen,” will be extended to run in its place. 

Originally slated to run from May 29 to Aug. 16, 2020, the 7th annual Florida Prize was to showcase 10 emerging and mid career artists who live and work throughout the state.  Each year, the exhibition opens with a preview party to reveal the works of each artist and announce the winner of the Florida Prize. In recent years, the preview party has welcomed more than 800 guests into the galleries. This year, nearly 1,000 attendees were expected to attend opening night -  a principal reason for postponing the event.  

“While the Florida Prize has become one of OMA's most highly anticipated and popular exhibitions, we could not disregard the well-being of our members and guests, as well as that of this year’s participating artists,” said OMA Senior Curator Hansen Mulford. 

Instead, the selected artists for the 7th Annual Florida Prize will be featured in the 2021 exhibition. They are as follows: 

Tra Bouscaren, Tallahassee; Matthew Cornell, Orlando; Richard Heipp, Gainesville; Sean Miller, Gainesville; Lauren Mitchell, Orlando; Marielle Plaisir, Miami; Robert Rivers, Maitland; Anastasia Samoylova, Miami; Clara Varas, Miami; Kedgar Volta, Jacksonville. 

In lieu of this year’s Florida Prize exhibition, OMA’s curatorial team will conduct virtual studio visits, which will be packaged into a series of videos released throughout the summer months. The video series will delve into the wide range of artistic practices and media used by this year’s selected artists. Viewers can expect a diverse expression of ideas from participating artists. Bouscaren and Volta, for example, will provide a glimpse into their interactive, immersive digital media experiences. Rivers will walk viewers through the process of creating a 400-foot drawing about a soldier killed in the ongoing war in Afghanistan. A guided look at Plaisir’s captivating paintings and tapestries will offer insight on the conflicted history and culture of the Caribbean and her homeland, Guadeloupe. This summer’s Florida Prize video series - which will be delivered via newsletter and the museum’s social media channels - aims to illustrate why each of the selected artists deserve recognition for their exemplary work.

By continuing to highlight and support the artists who live and work in our state, the team at OMA looks forward to carrying on the tradition of “The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art” as well as the museum’s commitment to the art of our time.

# # # 

Lede image: 
Marielle Plaisir
J.BAKER, In the Malediction of Cham
2020
Printing on Duratrans paper, backlit transparent archival film
48 x 30 in.

UPDATE: Statement Regarding COVID-19

From the desk of the interim director

UPDATE: THE ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART WILL OPEN TO MEMBERS ONLY JUNE 2-5 FROM 10 A.M. TO 4:00 P.M., AND TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC BEGINNING JUNE 9. THE MUSEUM WILL OPEN THE GALLERIES AT A LIMITED CAPACITY WITH ADDED SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. FOR DETAILS, SUBSCRIBE TO THE OMA NEWSLETTER AT OMART.ME/OMANEWS

In response to the increasing threat of COVID-19, The Orlando Museum of Art remains attentive to the latest news about the virus and is keenly aware of the risks it poses to staff and patrons as cases proliferate locally.  Following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Florida Department of Health, we have made the decision to close the museum through April 9, 2020. While art viewing and educational programming can serve as therapeutic activities during times of uncertainty, we keep the safety of those who frequent the museum - and, by extension, our staff and community – as the top priority.

Since our March 10 statement, OMA has taken heed of widespread calls to “flatten the curve” and curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus.  The museum has canceled popular events such as Art in Bloom and Night Shift, and postponed a number of appreciation gatherings to honor the museum’s many volunteers and donors. For the next four weeks, museum leadership has decided to either cancel or postpone all events involving travel or gatherings of more than 10 people. Given the small class sizes and the population served, spring art camp for grades 1-4 will continue in our education wing through March 20.

As the museum remains closed to the public, museum personnel will be working – both on and offsite – to continually improve the traditional museum experience, while finding new ways to interpret and present the most compelling art for the public to experience. In spite of the impending challenges, OMA remains committed to its promise to inspire creativity, passion and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. Accordingly, as an expression of gratitude for the inconveniences, all annual memberships purchased or renewed in the month of March will last for 13 months.

While we work to better serve the community in times of uncertainty, we ask the public to consider becoming a member at OMA and to donate to OMA through the United Arts Collaborative Campaign. For further updates or to submit questions, please visit omart.org or follow OMA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sincerely,

Luder Whitlock
Interim Director
Orlando Museum of Art

Highwaymen Exhibition Featured in ARTnews Magazine

Prestigious arts industry publication ARTnews Magazine showed some love recently for the Orlando Museum of Art's spring marquee exhibition "Living Color: The Art of the Highwaymen." Art writer Ginger Danto's piece highlighted the Highwaymen's legacy in Florida culture and history, including backstory on the African American landscape painters and insight from guest curator Gary Monroe's essay in the exhibition catalogue.

“Images of pain and suffering would not have sold Highwayman paintings,” Monroe, who knew many in the group personally, writes in the catalogue. Rather, their legacy would be to cater the common “longing to experience the Old Florida” with something more than just a picture postcard: an original work of art that, at last, belongs in a museum."

Read the ARTnews feature here ». Then, visit the most comprehensive Florida Highwaymen exhibition to date - on view at the Orlando Museum of Art through May 10. 

Statement regarding COVID-19

From the desk of the interim executive director

In response to the potential threat of COVID-19, the Orlando Museum of Art remains attentive to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Florida Department of Health. As museum leadership continues to closely monitor the situation, all departments and maintenance staff will participate in an advanced cleaning regimen that involves regular sterilization of touchable surfaces. Museum personnel, members and guests are invited to make use of additional sanitization supplies, as they are available, located in strategic points on the premises.

The Orlando Museum of Art will remain open for normal operating hours, and all programming and events will continue as scheduled. Any museum personnel feeling symptoms of the virus (i.e., fever, cough and shortness of breath) are asked to stay home, where they will have the option to work remotely. We remain committed to creating a safe, welcoming environment for all visitors and staff. For further updates or to submit questions, please visit omart.org or follow the Orlando Museum of Art on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sincerely,

Luder Whitlock
Interim Executive Director
Orlando Museum of Art

OMA Exhibition to Honor Work of Florida Highwaymen

The museum will present 100 seminal works by the core group of Highwaymen artists known for their paintings of natural Florida

ORLANDO, FLA. – Opening at the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) on the evening of Jan. 24, 2020, “Living Color: The Art of the Highwaymen” brings together 100 paintings from five private collections throughout the state of Florida featuring the works of the core group of Florida Highwaymen. These celebrated African American artists were known for an innovative style of fast painting depicting the state’s natural environment in distinctive, rich tones.

Facing limitations imposed by the racial prejudice of their time, Highwaymen artists had little or no access to formal training or to conventional art markets. To overcome these obstacles, they produced large numbers of works that could be sold at affordable prices, often door to door. “Today the paintings of the Highwaymen have become iconic representations of Florida’s exotic and seductive natural environment," OMA curator Hansen Mulford says. "It is the brilliant tropical sunsets, windblown palms and sun-drenched beaches they depict that has made Florida an alluring destination for generations of visitors and residents."

“Living Color: The Art of the Highwaymen” is guest curated by Gary Monroe, leading Highwaymen expert and author of “The Highwaymen: Florida’s African-American Landscape Painters” (2001). Chosen from more than a thousand pieces, the selected works will occupy three galleries of the museum and highlight the group’s prolific output from their initial period of success, the 1950s to the 1980s.

“We are honored to have Walker & Company, Inc. as the exhibition presenting sponsor and we look forward to sharing the paintings of the Highwaymen, along with an exciting roster of programs with the community,” says Glen Gentele, OMA director and CEO. The show will run through May 10, 2020. For museum hours and a full list of events, including those focusing on the Florida Highwaymen exhibition, visit https://omart.org/events/eventcalendar/. The Orlando Museum of Art is located in Loch Haven Park at 2416 N. Mills Avenue. 

Save the date for the opening reception of “Living Color: The Art of the Highwaymen”

Public Reception

Friday, Jan. 24 | 5:30–6:30 p.m., Member Preview Reception

Friday, Jan. 24 | 6:30- 8:30 p.m., Public Reception

Free for members | $10 for Guests

# # # 

Lede Image:
Alfred Hair
Untitled [Beach Scene with Palms]
n.d.
Oil on board 24 x 36 in.
Courtesy of the Lightle Collection
© 2017 Doretha Hair Truesdell
Photography by Tariq Gibran

OMA ACQUIRES TWO NEW WORKS BY LEADING CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS

ORLANDO, Fla – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is delighted to announce the acquisition of two new works, one by internationally renowned artist Shirin Neshat, and one by celebrated mid-career artist Deborah Roberts.

Shirin Neshat (Iranian, b. 1957), who is acclaimed for her work exploring the complexities of gender, religion, cultural values and democracy in the Middle East, has lived in exile in New York since the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979. She gained prominence in 1995 with her iconic series of black and white, calligraphy-overlaid photographs. Neshat’s Nida (Patriots), from The Book of Kings series (2012) is inspired by the 60,000-verse poem "Shahnameh" written in the 11^th century by the Persian poet Ferdowsi, and which narrates Persian history up to the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7^th century. Shirin Neshat relates this ancient book to the Arab Spring and to the Iranian Green Movement, which brought hundreds of thousands on to the streets all over Iran in 2009 in protest against the country’s repressive regime. The acquisition of Nida is a brilliant opportunity for OMA to present one of Neshat’s best recent works, building on themes that are reminiscent of her earlier work in the 1990s, in a new series with a fresh contemporary perspective.

Deborah Roberts (American, b. 1962) is a mixed media artist whose work challenges notions of beauty, vulnerability and affirmation, particularly in the context of African American women, young boys and girls. In the past year or so, Roberts has received a steadily increasing level of national and international attention. She has received prestigious awards, including a residency with the Rauschenberg Foundation, and her work has been presented in important museum exhibitions. Acquiring Speak (2018) by Deborah Roberts reflects OMA’s commitment to identifying and supporting today’s most progressive artists as well as continuing OMA’s mission to promote diversity and addressing issues around race and gender.

Both works were purchased by the Orlando Museum of Art with funds provided by Acquisition Trust (AT), a membership-based organization that contributes annual dues to fund the acquisition of contemporary art produced after 1970. Since its founding in 1984, AT has provided funding for the acquisition of 54 works of art for the museum’s permanent collection helping to make it one the most significant museum collections in the state and creating a lasting legacy for the people of Central Florida.  The OMA’s Contemporary Art Collection includes artwork by internationally recognized artists such as Kerry James Marshall, Robert Rauschenberg, Nick Cave, John Chamberlain, Elizabeth Murray, Robin Rhode, Pat Steir, Jennifer Bartlett, Mel Kendrick, Tom McGrath and Therman Statom.

Outstanding museum collections are the direct result of philanthropic generosity within a community, and the Orlando Museum of Art is grateful to its proactive Acquisition Trust and the community at large for investing in the arts.

Lede image credit: 
(LEFT) Shirin Neshat, Nida (Patriots), from The Book of Kings Series, 2012, ink on LE silver gelatin print, 60 x 45 in. Purchased with funds provided by the Acquisition Trust. © 2012 Shirin Neshat. Image courtesy of Gladstone Gallery, New York; (RIGHT) Deborah Roberts, Speak, 2018, mixed media collage on paper, 38 x 38 in. Purchased with funds provided by the Acquisition Trust. © 2018 Deborah Roberts. Image courtesy of Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, LLC.

Orlando Museum of Art Unveils Three New Exhibitions in Concurrence with the 20th Anniversary Season of 1st Thursdays

This August, the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) will unveil three contrasting exhibitions, Our Voice: Celebrating the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards, Modus Operandi: Photographs from the Collection of BNY Mellon, and Jon Napoles: Devil City. These exhibitions will kick off on August 1st, the same night the museum will be celebrating 20 years of 1st Thursdays. There will be live music and food and drinks for purchase. The opening is free for members and $15 for visitors. Doors open at 6pm. 

Our Voice: Celebrating the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards
August 2– October 27, 2019 

This exhibition features the largest collection of CSK Illustrator Medal and Honor-winning art ever assembled. Founded 50 years ago by Mabel McKissick and Glyndon Greer at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey, The Coretta Scott King Book Awards, are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The awards commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood. 

Modus Operandi: Photographs from the Collection of BNY Mellon
August 2– October 27, 2019 

Modus Operandibrings together an adventurous group of contemporary image-makers, offering a glimpse into the potential of this ever-expanding medium. The Orlando Museum of Art will feature 30 photographs from the collection, representing renowned photographers from various countries and generations to present an overview of photographic practice. Artists featured include Carrie Mae Weems, Wolfgang Tillmans, Elisa Sighicelli, Yasumasa Morimua, Olafure Eliasson, and many more.

Jon Napoles: Devil City 
August 2– October 27, 2019 

In 2012, Jon Napoles' artistic practice emerged out of a side job flipping houses. Today, he is a self-described Southern Fauve, painting vivid themes of revelry on reclaimed window panes. His media also include photo-transfers and acrylic on panel. In the exhibition Jon Napoles: Devil City, a world is built around a strange cast of mammalian creatures, jovial yet abrupt speech bubbles, and appropriated imagery from bathroom stalls and bar culture. Inspired by artist Raymond Pettibon and the Punk/DIY (Do-It-Yourself) art movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s,Napoles mines his personal narrative as subject matter for his work.       

For press images or additional information, please contact Nicolaas Guaderrama, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at nguaderrama@omart.orgor at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Cover image: John Steptoe,Wedding Festivities, from the Book, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale, 1987, watercolor on paper, 25  x 18 ½ in. Courtesy of the artist and the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas. © 1987 by John Steptoe. Image courtesy of the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas.

2019 ARTISTS ANNOUNCED: THE ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART FLORIDA PRIZE IN CONTEMPORARY ART

ORLANDO, April 5th, 2019 – The Orlando Museum of Art is thrilled to announce the artists for the 2019 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art: Robert Aiosa, Joe Fig, Lilian Garcia-Roig, Lola Gómez, Amer Kobaslija, Pepe Mar, Anja Marais, Edison Peñafiel, Vickie Pierre, and Sri Prabha. 

Each artist featured in this exhibition will be represented by a recent or site-specific body of work that provides an in-depth view of their practice. One artist will be selected to receive the $20,000 award which has been made possible by the generous support of Gail and Michael Winn. “The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is an opportunity to discover artists who are expressing ideas relevant to our time in new and visually exciting ways,” said Glen Gentele, Director & CEO.
 

Organized and curated by the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA), the Florida Prize exhibition brings new recognition to the state’s most compelling and progressive artists. Artists range from emerging to mid-career, and each is engaged in exploring significant issues of contemporary art and society in original and visually exciting ways. In all cases, they are artists whose achievements are marked by a record of notable exhibitions and awards. “Now in its sixth year, the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art has consistently demonstrated the depth of important work being done by artists throughout the State,” said Hansen Mulford, Senior Curator at the Orlando Museum of Art. 

The exhibition presents artists working in a wide variety of media including painting, sculpture, photography and immersive installations with each advancing their practice in innovative directions. Issues addressed by these artists are diverse, exploring such topics as the architecture of home, Florida’s threatened environment, the overdose epidemic in Central Florida, the refugee’s journey, the artist’s studio as a portrait of the artist and the technology of transcendental experience. “Woven through this year's show is a connecting thread that seems to touch upon the notion of humanity. Some artists open a dialogue about latent tensions or actual clashes, and others provide an escape” says Associate Curator, Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon.  
 
The exhibition Opening Preview Party will be on May 31st, 2019. The VIP hour is 6-7pm and General Admission is 7-10pm. The ticketed event will feature a sampling of the culinary artistry of Orlando’s most sensational restaurants and caterers sponsoring the event, each offering dishes inspired by the 10 Florida Prize artists. Guests can also enjoy beer, wine and specialty cocktails from our beverage sponsors, mingle with the artists, listen to great live music, explore the exhibition and create the best social/cultural mix to be experienced in the state.

The artist selected to receive the Florida Prize will be announced at the opening night party. Guests will have the opportunity to cast a “People’s Choice” vote for their favorite artist which is sponsored by Corkcicle. For more information on the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, the artists, our sponsors and the Opening Preview Party, please visit www.omart.org. Funds from the event will support the Florida Prize exhibition. For press images or additional information, please contact Nicolaas Guaderrama, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at nguaderrama@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

###

The Orlando Museum of Art’s mission is to inspire creativity, passion and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. Our vision is to be a creative change agent for education and the center for artistic engagement, as well as a place for civic, cultural and economic development. For more information, please visit www.omart.org. 

Introducing Louis Dewis: A Belgian Post-Impressionist

ORLANDO, January, 10 2019 – More than a hundred works of the distinguished Belgian Post-Impressionist Louis Dewis, lost to the world for over 50 years, will be featured in Dewis’s first major museum exhibition beginning January 25th at the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA). Discovered by chance in the Paris attic of Dewis’s daughter by his American great-grandson, Mr. Brad Face, they were among thousands of the artist’s paintings, studies and sketches that had been stored there since his death in 1946. After this discovery, Mr. Face resolved to return his ancestor’s work to the public and find a home for the collection.

“Art critics of the early 20th century European art world noted Dewis’s unusual ability to communicate his emotions through his work,” commented OMA Director and CEO Glen Gentele. “And that certainly has been what we’ve seen with our Dewis mini-exhibition (presented May 18 - September 9, 2018). This remarkable collection of Dewis’s work and the fascinating story of his life are not to be missed” continued Gentele.

The opening reception for Louis Dewis: A Belgian Post-Impressionist will be held on January 25th from 6:30-8pm in conjunction with the opening of The Unbridled Paintings of Lawrence Lebduska at The Mennello Museum of American Art. Complimentary transportation between the two museums will be available for guests wanting to view both exhibitions on their respective opening nights.
The Orlando Museum of Art’s reception, and the Mennello Museum of American Art’s reception, will each feature cash bars, complimentary soft drinks and an opportunity to preview the exhibition.

ABOUT LOUIS DEWIS
Louis Dewis (1872-1946) was born Louis Dewachter in Leuze, Belgium. He developed an interest in art early in life but was discouraged from pursuing a career as a painter by his father. As a young man he entered the family business, Maison Dewachter, the world’s first department store chain. A successful and innovative entrepreneur, Dewis dedicated himself to growing the business while privately devoting time to his artistic development. He later adopted the pseudonym Louis Dewis to comply with his father’s insistence not to associate the family name with the younger Dewachter’s “frivolous” pastime as a painter.

Following the death of his father, Dewis’s painting career began to take precedence over the family business. Living in Bordeaux at the time, he had his first public exhibitions there and was active in the city’s artistic life. At one of these exhibitions, he was discovered by the Paris art dealer Georges Petit. Petit was a leading dealer of the period representing at times such masters as Monet, Renoir and Rodin. Petit offered to represent Dewis, if he would move to Paris and devote himself to painting. In 1919, Dewis took Petit’s advice, selling his share of the department stores and moving to the French capital. 

Though Petit died a year later, Dewis went on to establish a successful career for the next two and a half decades. Dewis exhibited throughout France and Belgium in the 1920s and 30s, as well as in Germany and Switzerland. When the Second World War began, Dewis left Paris and settled in Biarritz on France’s Southern Atlantic coast. For the last few years of his life, the scenic coastal city and surrounding rugged countryside became the subject of his paintings. 

Louis Dewis: A Belgian Post-Impressionist will present landscapes from important periods of the artist’s career following World War I. The years immediately after the Great War were distinctive in French art for a return to the motif of landscape, which is reflected in the direction that Dewis pursued. In part a response to the unprecedented devastation of the country and staggering loss of life, many artists during this time sought to celebrate the “soil” of France in landscape painting. Working in the towns, villages and open countryside throughout France, these artists strove to depict the unique and varied regions that together comprised the cultural vitality of the nation.

Following his death in 1946, Dewis’s daughter, Andrée Dewachter Ottoz, was intent on preserving everything related to his artistic career. She had the entire contents of his atelier in Biarritz packed and shipped to her Paris home. For 50 years much of Dewis’s work languished in storage and his career was overlooked by the art world of Post War France. Finally, through a chance conversation with her great-nephew, Mr. Face, the then 92-year-old Mme. Ottoz revealed the cache of paintings she had stored away for decades. Inspired by this astonishing discovery of the life’s work of a once prominent artist and family member, Mr. Face undertook the major commitment of caring for the collection and renewing public interest in Dewis’s career. With this exhibition, the Orlando Museum of Art is delighted to be a part of Dewis’s extraordinary story.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Image credit: Louis Dewis, The Couze Chambon near Murols, 1940, oil on board, 23 ½ x 28 ¾ in. On loan from The Dewis Collection, LC. Image Courtesy of the Orlando Museum of Art.

OMA is first stop on StoryCorps' 2019 Mobile Tour

The Orlando Museum of Art and public radio stations 90.7 WMFE and 89.5 WMFV are excited to partner with personal history project StoryCorps to bring their 2019 Mobile Tour to Orlando.

The MobileBooth Airstream trailer will be stationed at the Orlando Museum of Art from Jan. 5 - Feb. 6 to record and preserve community’s stories.

Save These Dates:

Jan. 5: Opening Day Open House at 11:30 a.m. at the MobileBooth location, Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave. Hear from StoryCorps’ facilitators and WMFE President & General Manager LaFontaine Oliver at this opening day press event. You’ll also have a chance to tour the booth.

Jan. 7: Second round of appointments open for booking at 10 a.m. BOOK »

Jan. 31: Listening Event at Orlando Health’s Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) Multipurpose Room. Join us for a listening event featuring favorite StoryCorps stories as well as local stories captured during the mobile booth’s Orlando visit.

President and General Manager LaFontaine Oliver is excited that StoryCorps’ work will document the substantial growth and rich history of the Central Florida region in listeners’ own words.

“We’re proud that our community’s stories will be woven together and preserved for future generations,” Oliver said. “We look forward to finding creative ways to showcase these stories on our airwaves and through podcasting.”

Danielle Anderson, associate director of the StoryCorps Mobile Tour, said they could not think of a better place to kick off their 2019 Mobile Tour than in the beautiful city of Orlando.

“Our MobileBooth hasn’t visited in over 10 years, so we’re thrilled to be partnering with 90.7 WMFE and the Orlando Museum of Art to record, preserve, and share some of the stories in this vibrant, ever-evolving city and its many diverse communities,” she said.

About the Mobile Tour
Groundbreaking personal history project StoryCorps returns to the road with the 2019 tour of its MobileBooth—the Airstream trailer converted into a mobile recording studio. As it travels around the country between Jan. 5 and Dec. 21, the MobileBooth will offer Americans the simple yet singular opportunity to record meaningful conversations about their lives, to be preserved for posterity in the StoryCorps Archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Read more at storycor.ps/MobileTour2019

About the Booth Location
The Orlando Museum of Art will host the StoryCorps’ Mobile Booth while it’s in Orlando in January and the first week of February. The Airstream trailer will be parked right in front of the museum. OMA is thrilled to partner with WMFE and StoryCorps, said Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations Manager at the Museum.

“The Orlando community is full of so many interesting people and stories, and the Museum is proud to be a part of the documentation of these stories,” Caibio said. “It’s the perfect partnership because, in the same way that we preserve and present art and culture for the community, StoryCorps preserves and shares these stories to be enjoyed by future generations.”

StoryCorps’ Past Visits
StoryCorps facilitators traveled to Orlando in 2017 for a special project to record the stories of those affected by the Pulse nightclub shooting. The last time the community had a visit from the Mobile Booth — the full StoryCorps experience — was 10 years ago, in 2008.

MEDIA INQUIRIES

WMFE Contact

Jenny Babcock
Communications & Marketing Specialist
jbabcock@wmfe.org
407-273-2300 ext. 112

OMA Contact

Michael Caibio
Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations Manager
mcaibio@omart.org
407-896-4231 ext. 233

Enjoy the Luxury of “Celebrity Cruises” and “Go Travel” at 1st Thursdays

Enjoy the Luxury of “Celebrity Cruises” and “Go Travel” at 1st Thursdays at the Orlando Museum of Art

WHAT
On November 1st, guests can experience the luxury of Celebrity Cruises and Go Travel within the Orlando Museum of Art. This VIP area will be a five-star oasis you can visit during the “1st Thursdays: Travel” event and includes complimentary valet, complimentary hors d’oeuvres by Arthur’s Catering, complimentary bar and lounge experience. An additional ticket is required for access. In addition to 1st Thursdays admission ($15), VIP access is $20 – total price is $35. OMA Members may deduct the usual $15 admission to 1st Thursdays by using their Member ID number as the promo code to receive the discount.

1st Thursdays: Travel - General Admission:
This month, the 1st Thursdays event will feature local art inspired by or experienced through Travel. $5 optional valet, music by DJ ____ and food by ____. Celebrity Cruises and Go Travel will supply a photo booth and award the People’s Choice winner an all-expenses paid 5-day Caribbean cruise!

WHEN
Thursday, November 1, 2018
6:00 – 9:00pm

WHERE
Orlando Museum of Art
2416 N. Mills Ave.
Orlando, FL 32803

PRICE
1st Thursdays Admission: $15 per person
VIP Admission: $35 (includes 1st Thursdays admission)
VIP for OMA Members: VIP tickets are only $20 for Members. Members may deduct the $15 admission using their Member ID number as the promo code at checkout to receive the discount.

For more information, please visit omart.org/travel

Experience Nick Cave: Feat. – Opening September 14

ORLANDO, September 4, 2018 – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is proud to present Nick Cave: Feat., on view from September 14 – December 31, 2018. The exhibition opening reception will be held on September 14th from 6:30-8pm and will feature a cash bar, complimentary soft drinks and an opportunity to meet the artist Nick Cave. Following the reception, there will be a served gourmet dinner in the museum with the artist and will conclude with a tour of Nick Cave: Feat. Tickets to this dining event are $150 per person and very limited. Proceeds benefit OMA.

On one level, Cave’s creations, bursting with color and texture, are optical delights that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages and backgrounds. On another, they speak to issues of identity and social justice—specifically race, gun violence, and civic responsibility. Cave’s practice largely developed in response to Rodney King’s beating by members of the Los Angeles Police Department more than twenty-five years ago. As acts of hate continue to threaten dreams of true and sustainable change, society perhaps more than ever needs opportunities for healing from the wounds of racism. 

His soundsuits, made from upcycled everyday materials such as buttons, plastic hair-beads, old toys, and domestic textiles, can be viewed as playful, but began as a form of social critique. They were originally conceived as a protective type of armor in the wake of the King incident, when Cave felt particularly vulnerable as an African American man. He has stated, “I started thinking about myself more and more as a black man—as someone who was discarded, devalued, viewed as ‘less than.’” Sitting in a Chicago park, Cave began to gather twigs and sticks (also discarded and devalued), eventually stringing them into a wearable sculpture. When he put it on, he realized he had created a second skin that camouflaged his race, gender, class, and sexuality, thereby shielding him from judgment. He called the work a “soundsuit” because of the rustling noise generated as he walked around in it. While soundsuits mask physical features of wearers, their “loud” auditory and visual presence boldly expresses alternate identities.

Aesthetically related to Mardi Gras Indian costumes, African ceremonial attire, and Tibetan folk costumes, soundsuits illustrate how Cave straddles the visual and performing arts. In motion, they are a seamless combination of sculpture, dance, and fashion—a blending of genres that reflects his MFA in fiber arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art, his studies with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and his position as a professor in the fashion design department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The now five-hundred-plus specimens in the expansive and ongoing series have become a collective army of resistance to profiling and violence, responding not only to police brutality but any crime motivated by hate—from the killing of Emanuel AME church members in Charleston to the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando. Like the rest of Cave’s recent work, they broadcast an increasingly urgent call for justice.

“Nick Cave is one of the most provocative artists to be presented at the Orlando Museum of Art” said Glen Gentele, Director & CEO of the Museum. “Cave’s work crosses disciplines with intense finesse and beautifully exposes many of the deep social issues of our times” he continued.

Transformation is a theme that runs throughout Cave’s work. In addition to offering a shapeshifting shamanistic-like experience through soundsuits, most of his sculptures are made by transforming unwanted objects into “fine” art. In some ways, he sees himself as rescuing the objects he purchases from flea markets, antique malls, and thrift stores by giving them new life and purpose, a notion underscored by a series devoted to found dog figurines. He has a nostalgic connection to many of the items, especially the ceramic birds and flowers that remind him of those admired and collected by his grandparents.

Transformation can also occur during the viewing experience itself. Cave sees a need for more time and space in contemporary society to cultivate personal dreams and aspirations. Through immersive installations of his work, he wants to transport viewers to a dream state—away from the complexities of our contemporary lives—where we can get lost in our own imaginations. Cave’s emphasis on the imagination is not to escape reality, but to create new ideas to help us navigate, maybe even improve, our condition. Visitors to Feat. immediately encounter a fantastic environment. A runway of otherworldly-seeming soundsuits is backed by a long wall covered with thousands of shimmering buttons attached to black fabric. This “button wall” is meant to suggest a starry night sky. For Cave, it conjures happy memories of lying in his grandparents’ fields as a child in the Missouri countryside with his six brothers and the awe they felt while looking for constellations and shooting stars. 

Viewers may also feel enveloped by a life-size projection of the video Blot. Cave began working seriously in video around 2010 and sees the medium as a natural extension of his sculpture and performance art. Through movement, the soundsuits are able to fulfill their potential as instruments of transformation and creative expression. In Blot, a figure in a black raffia soundsuit continually evolves against a stark white background, like inkblots on a Rorschach test. Viewers can become absorbed in watching the shape endlessly morph before their eyes and listening to the exaggerated sound of the raffia swooshing through the air. A large-scale installation of an Architectural Forest with thousands of brightly colored beads and almost psychedelically patterned strands of bamboo encourages personal and interactive relationships as well. As visitors walk around the hanging elements, which collectively suggest an enchanted forest of sorts, their visual perception of its architecture repeatedly shifts, enhancing the sense of wonder and discovery.

At the heart of Cave’s practice is his belief that art can be an agent of connectivity and compassion. A self-described messenger, he wants his work to extend beyond museum and gallery walls to reach and include a population that may not often experience meaningful aesthetic or cultural events. Cave’s goal is to bring people of different backgrounds together, showcase underrecognized talents on a highly visible platform, and give participants a sense of their worth and potential.

The term Feat. refers both to the way acts are often listed in promotional materials and to the exceedingly hard work that goes into attaining success (it takes, for example, roughly seven hours to hand-sew just one square foot of a button soundsuit). Through this exhibition, Cave hopes to provide a transformative, inspirational, and empowering opportunity for all. This exhibition was organized by the Frist Art Museum, Nashville, Tennessee.

For more information, visit omart.org or contact Michael Caibio at 407.896.4231 ext. 233 or mcaibio@omart.org.

Image credit: (left to right): Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2016. Mixed media, including a mask with horns, various toys, globes, wire, metal, and mannequin, 85 x 45 x 40 in. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Nick Cave. Photo: James Prinz Photography; Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2015. Mixed media, including enameled can lids, macramé, shoelaces, plastic beads, metal, and mannequin, 99 x 32 x 27 in. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Nick Cave. Photo: James Prinz Photography; Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2011. Ceramic birds and figures, metal flowers, gramophone, wig, beads, metal armature, appliquéd, knitted and crocheted fabric on mannequin, 112 1/2 x 58 x 47 1/2 in. Collection of the Orlando Museum of Art, Purchased with funds provided by the Acquisition Trust. © Nick Cave. Photo: Raymond Martinot; Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2013. Mixed media, including vintage bunny, safety pin craft baskets, hot pads, fabric, metal, and mannequin, 111 x 36 x 36 in. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Nick Cave. Photo: James Prinz Photography.

Purvis Young and His Angels at the Orlando Museum of Art

ORLANDO, September, 4 2018 – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is pleased to announce the opening of Purvis Young and His Angels on September 14th, 2018. The exhibition opening reception will be held in conjunction with the opening of Nick Cave: Feat. on September 14th from 6:30-8pm. The event will feature a cash bar, complimentary soft drinks and a tour with Daniel Aubry, a New York based collector. The exhibition will include the recent gift by Daniel of twenty-four paintings by the internationally renowned artist and native Floridian, Purvis Young, as well as an additional ten paintings on long-term loan to the Museum.

Purvis Young (1943-2010) was a self-taught artist who lived and worked in Overtown, a historically African-American neighborhood adjacent to downtown Miami. Working on materials such as discarded scraps of wood, metal and cardboard found on neighboring streets, Young developed an expressive and visionary style of painting rooted in his experience as an African American living in an economically distressed community. Following a period of incarceration as a teenager, Young began to draw and paint as a way of critiquing the circumstances of life in his impoverished community. By the 1970s, Young began to receive local recognition, exhibiting his paintings by the hundreds in abandoned buildings in Overtown.

His local success eventually led to national and international recognition with exhibitions throughout the U.S. and in Europe. His work was championed by many important contemporary art collectors such as Mr. Aubry, Bernard Davis, and Donald and Mera Rubell. “It is an honor to be able to share the paintings of Purvis Young with the Central Florida community. I thank Daniel Aubry for his vision in collecting Young and for his substantial gift, and loan, of these paintings to the Museum” said Glen Gentele, Director & CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art.

Today his work is included in the collections of American Folk Art Museum, New York, NY; Hampton University Museum, Hampton, VA; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; Morehead State University, Morehead, KY; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX; Newark Museum, Newark, NJ; New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC; Studio Museum of Harlem, New York, NY; and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA, among many others.

Young’s distinctively shaped paintings and assemblages speak to their source as refuse found by the artist in his Overtown neighborhood. Old fencing, broken furniture, and scraps of carpet reflect the conditions of poverty and distress experienced in many cities. Yet the paintings that Young produced on these materials are often positive and intended to inspire the viewer with a vision of a better world. This theme is particularly evident in his depiction of “angels,” which reoccur throughout the paintings gifted to OMA. These angels often appear in his work as large floating heads and faces surrounded by other figures, the urban landscape, or rocky pinnacles. They are symbolic of “good people,” whose lives and work bring others hope. With these paintings, Young expressed both his optimism for the future and his critique of social injustice suffered by people in his community. “I paint what I see… I paint the problems of the world,” said Young.

Angels are only one of the many subjects that make up Young’s complex and symbolic iconography. Among other imagery, seen in the OMA’s new collection of paintings, are cityscapes populated by boldly painted figures gathering together, marching in protest, or joyfully lifting their arms in dance. Often painted in mass, with rapid, undulating brushstrokes, these figures animate his paintings with a vibrant energy. In some paintings, the figures move through streets full of towering buildings that seem to tilt and sway in rhythm with the moving figures. In others, the hubbub of city life is captured with quickly jotted images of trucks, cars, and even horses going to and fro through the streets. These upbeat subjects are at times countered by darker images that include helmeted soldiers, tanks, funeral processions, and boats filled with refugees. As a whole, this body of work represents the full range of Young’s passionate engagement with the life of his community and his concern with issues of racism and social justice that are as relevant today as they were during his lifetime.

For more information, visit omart.org or contact Michael Caibio at 407.896.4231 ext. 233 or mcaibio@omart.org.

Opening August 4th: Zen Tales: The Art of Jon J Muth

ORLANDO, July 23, 2018 – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is pleased to present Zen Tales: The Art of Jon J Muth, on view from August 4 – October 28, 2018. Zen Tales will feature 69 works by Jon J Muth, an American comic book artist and children's book illustrator, known for his painted artwork. 

Jon J Muth’s watercolor art has been called “quietly life-changing” by the New York Times. He is the author and artist of The Three Questions and the bestselling picture book Zen Shorts, as well as a Gold Medal winner from the Society of Illustrators for his illustrations in Come On, Rain! This exhibition series is important as it’s such a wonderful way to introduce art to children through picture books,” states Jane Ferry, Curator of Education, “And it helps foster a love of art and reading, which inspires curiosity and creativity.” Jon Muth will present a program about his work during Family Day on October 6, with a book signing after the event.

Born and raised in Cincinnati to an art teacher mother, Muth has been drawing since he can remember. “I've always loved stories. When I was young my mom introduced me to stories through art. I would draw and then later would write stories to talk about what was happening in the pictures. She took me to many museums and showed me lots of art books. There were tremendous stories in the paintings of Caravaggio, and Turner, and Goya.” 

Muth has had a lifelong interest in Asian Studies, including tai chi chuan, sumi ink drawing and chado, "the way of tea.” His studies have included stone sculpture and sho (brush calligraphy) in Japan. “I like pictures to let the air in and let you, the viewer, in. Art from all around the world can have this quality but when I was growing up, it was in work from Asia that I found it first. It was a naturally occurring understanding of space.”

As a young man, Muth studied with two different artists: a romantic realist and a Neo-Dadaist poet. For over twenty years Muth put pictures and words together in comics and graphic novels; culminating in the industry's highest honor, an Eisner Award for The Mystery Play. In 1996, he was invited by Japanese publisher, Kodansha to write and draw an original story for them. Imaginary Magnitude was published monthly and ran for three years. In 2005, Muth was asked by Caroline Kennedy to illustrate an anthology of poems. Their book, A Family of Poems, went on to be a national bestseller, subsequently leading to more collaborations that celebrated poetry and language, including Poems to Learn by Heart in 2013.

Jon J Muth’s books have received numerous awards and critical acclaim and his work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Stone Soup, a familiar tale set in China, won a National Parenting Book Award. Gershon's Monster was an ALA Notable Children’s book, winner of the Sydney Taylor Award, winner of the National Parenting Book Award, and a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. No Dogs Allowed! was chosen as one of the Best Children's Books of the Year by CHILD Magazine. New York Times Bestseller Zen Shorts as was Quill Award nominee and was awarded the 2006 Caldecott Honor, to which Kirkus Review said, "Every word and image comes to make as perfect a picture book as can be." This exhibition was organized by the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas.

For high-resolution images, please contact Michael Caibio at mcaibio@omart.org. 

Image credit: Jon J Muth, While the leaves of autumn fly we will laugh the paint away, from I will hold you ‘til you sleep, 2006, watercolor and gouache, 22 x 18 ½ in. © Jon J Muth. Courtesy of the artist. This exhibition was organized by the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas.

Festival of Trees: "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" Opening November 9th

ORLANDO, July 16, 2018 – Organized by the Council of 101, the 32nd annual Festival of Trees will transform the Orlando Museum of Art into a winter wonderland filled with sparkling trees and stunning décor items curated by Orlando’s finest designers, while filling the museum with wonder and entertainment for families, children and adults alike. 

Just in time for the holidays, this year’s fundraiser is envisioned with the theme: “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

There will be many delightful programs for children, families and adults. The festival will open with a strolling gala where guests can explore the trees and vignettes. The 9-day festival will also include Reindeer Romp Children's Night, a Gingerbread Villageexperience, an Ugly Holiday Sweater Date Night, musical performances, Breakfast with Santa and NEW THIS YEAR – Havana Nights at the Festival!

Guests will be able to enjoy additional events throughout the week at the Orlando Museum of Art as well. The café will be serving lunch daily while the holiday shops will offer holiday themed gifts for children and adults.

All of the pieces, including the designer holiday trees of all sizes, custom hand-designed wreaths, table décor, and gingerbread houses will be available for purchase at the event. All proceeds support the Orlando Museum of Art’s exhibitions and education programs.

The festival will run during the dates of November 9-18 and is open 10am-5pm daily. Parking is available on-site for a fee. Tickets will be available for sale online by October of this year. More information can be found at omart.org/FOT.
 
General Admission
Adult: $15
Children (ages 3-11): $5
Seniors (65 and over): $10
Military personnel and first responders (w/valid ID): $10
OMA Members: $10 (w/Member ID)

Media Contact
Michael Caibio
Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager
407.896.4231 ext. 233

Orlando Museum of Art Announces its 2018-2019 Season

Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art 2018
On view now through August 19, 2018

The Orlando Museum of Art presents the fifth exhibition of the Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. This exhibition features 10 of the most progressive and exciting artists working in the State today. Additionally, one of these outstanding artists is selected to receive a significant monetary award. The award and invitational exhibition recognizes the achievement and potential of these artists and encourages their continued innovation and creation of new work. With this initiative, the Orlando Museum of Art underscores its commitment to support talented emerging and mid-career artists, while celebrating the vibrant cultural life of Florida. More information »

Zen Tales: The Art of Jon J Muth
August 4 – October 28, 2018

This exhibition will feature 69 works by Jon J Muth, an American comic book artist and children's book illustrator, known for his painted artwork. Muth studied stone sculpture and shodō (brush calligraphy) in Japan; and studied painting, printmaking, and drawing in England, Austria and Germany. His works include J. M. DeMatteis' graphic novel Moonshadow, Grant Morrison's The Mystery Play, Neil Gaiman's The Sandman: The Wake with Michael Zulli and Charles Vess, and Mike Carey's Lucifer: Nirvana and Swamp Thing: Roots. Muth has had an award-winning career as a children's book writer and illustrator. Muth explained that "A sense of joy is what moved me from comics to picture books. My work in children's books grew out of a desire to explore what I was feeling as a new father." He received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators in 1999 for his illustrations in Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse. Muth created a version of the stone soup fable set in China and illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game. More information »

Nick Cave: Feat.
September 14 – December 30, 2018

Nick Cave’s work is a seamless combination of sculpture, dance and fashion, reflecting his experience as a trained visual artist. Cave is best known for his elaborate “soundsuits,” human-shaped, wearable sculptural forms composed of a wide variety of repurposed commonplace materials. His creations, bursting with color and texture, are optical delights that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages and backgrounds. A deeper look reveals that they speak to issues surrounding identity and social justice, specifically race, gun violence and civic responsibility. The exhibition, a cross-section of Cave’s oeuvre, will begin with a runway of Cave’s signature Soundsuits. The exhibition will feature a large projected video in which the Soundsuits come to life, worn by dancers – often the artist himself – who dance to original music composed for Cave. Visitors will encounter an installation of thousands of hand-painted, almost psychedelically patterned strands of bamboo hanging from the ceiling, evoking an enchanted forest. The exhibition will conclude with densely assembled wall-mounted sculptures dripping with ceramic birds, metal flowers, beads, crystals and even an antique gramophone. This exhibition was organized by the Frist Art Museum, Nashville. More information »

Purvis Young and His Angels
September 14 –  January 20, 2019

Purvis Young was a self-taught artist who lived and worked in Overtown, a historically African-American neighborhood adjacent to downtown Miami. Working on materials such as discarded scraps of wood, metal and cardboard found on neighboring streets, Young developed an expressive and visionary style of painting rooted in his experience as an African American living in an economically distressed community. Following a period of incarceration as a teenager, Young began to draw and paint as a way of critiquing the circumstances of life in his impoverished community.  By the 1970s, Young began to receive local recognition, exhibiting his paintings by the hundreds in abandoned buildings in Overtown. His local success eventually led to national and international recognition with exhibitions throughout the U.S. and in Europe. The exhibition of 33 works will be the first to feature Young’s work at the Orlando Museum of Art. Included will be 23 works gifted to the Museum as well as loans all from  Daniel Aubry, a major collector of Young’s work. 

Festival of Trees: It’s the Most Wonderful Times of the Year
November 9 – 18, 2018

The Festival of Trees, presented by the Orlando Museum of Art’s Council of 101, is Central Florida’s premiere holiday event. Now in its thirty-second year, Festival of Trees transforms the Museum into a glittering wonderland filled with sparkling trees and stunning décor for visitors of all ages. This year’s theme will be: “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and will take place the week of November 9-18, 2018. During the Festival of Trees, the Orlando Museum of Art offers daily holiday themed events and entertainment for all ages, showcases designer Christmas trees, custom hand designed wreaths and table décor, a gingerbread village, tabletop displays and more. Each piece is designed by Orlando’s finest designers and is available for purchase with all proceeds benefiting the Orlando Museum of Art. More information »

Winifred Johnson Clive: An Artist at Home and Abroad
March 30 – June 9, 2019

Long-time Orlando resident and arts supporter, Winifred Johnson Clive (1906-2001) was also a notable painter. Born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Clive arrived in New York City in 1930 to study painting with distinguished American artists of the time such as Cecilia Beaux and Winold Reiss. In 1933, she made her way to Paris where she continued her career until the outbreak of WWII. In 1940, she fled Paris as the German army advanced, traveling through Holland to make her way back to the United States. She was invited to exhibit works recovered from her Paris studio at the venerable Newhouse Galleries in New York, in 1940. Clive spent the war years in Washington DC where she met her husband, Colin Clive, a Royal Air Force wing commander. After the War, the couple settled in Biarritz, France where Clive continued to paint with a circle of French artists led by painter Paul Rambié. The couple also maintained a home in Orlando. Following her husband’s death in 1978, Clive became a full-time Orlando resident and generously supported a wide range of cultural organizations in Central Florida. The exhibition will include approximately 25 paintings selected from collections in Central Florida.

Louis Dewis: A Belgian Post-Impressionist
January 25 –  May 5, 2019

Louis Dewis: A Belgian Post-Impressionist will present a selection of over 70 paintings from the artist’s lost body of work, in the artist’s first important museum exhibition. Inspired by such French masters of landscape painting as Corot, Cézanne and Gauguin, Dewis painted scenes of cities, villages and countryside throughout Belgium and France. Working primarily between 1916 and his death in 1946, Dewis was successful during his life, but his career was eclipsed by artistic developments of the post-World War II period in France. His work is now being reevaluated after a trove of paintings were discovered in the attic of a family home. This is the first major exhibition for the artist, which will present landscapes from important periods of the artist’s career following World War I. The years immediately after the Great War were distinctive in French art for a return to the motif of landscape, in part a response to the unprecedented devastation of the country and staggering loss of life, many artists during this time sought to celebrate the “soil” of France in landscape painting. Dewis’ paintings reflect this return to landscape painting with works that captured the scenic qualities of locations from his homeland in the Flemish region of Belgium to the Basque country in southwestern France. More information »

Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art 2019
May 31 – August 18, 2019

The Orlando Museum of Art will present the sixth exhibition of the Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. This exhibition will feature 10 of the most progressive and exciting artists working in the State today. Additionally, one of these outstanding artists will be selected to receive a significant monetary award. The award and invitational exhibition recognizes the achievement and potential of these artists and encourages their continued innovation and creation of new work. With this initiative, the Orlando Museum of Art underscores its commitment to support talented emerging and mid-career artists, while celebrating the vibrant cultural life of Florida.

DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE AND IMAGES »

For more information, visit omart.org or contact Michael Caibio at 407.896.4231 ext. 233 or mcaibio@omart.org.

Cover image: Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2013, mixed media, including vintage bunny, safety pin craft baskets, hot pads, fabric, metal, and mannequin, 111 x 36 x 36 in. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York; Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2012, mixed media, including beaded and sequined garments, fabric, metal, and mannequin, 109 ½ x 24 ½ x 12 in. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York; Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2011, ceramic birds and figures, metal flowers, gramophone, wig, beads, metal armature, appliquéd, knitted and crocheted fabric on mannequin, 112 ½ in. x 58 in. x 47 ½ in. Purchased with funds provided by the Acquisition Trust.

2018-2019 1st Thursdays Themes Announced

ORLANDO, June 11, 2018 – Presented by the Associates of the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA), 1st Thursdays parties are held on the first Thursday of every month from 6-9 pm. 1st Thursdays is an opportunity for the Central Florida community to discover local artists, enjoy live music, and socialize with a diverse group of people. There are cash bars serving beer, wine and soft drinks as well as delicious food from area restaurants. Admission for 1st Thursdays is $15 and includes access to the Museum’s exhibitions. OMA Members always attend for FREE. The 2018-2019 Season Sponsor is Sam Flax. The Contributing Sponsor is Publix Super Markets Charities.

Artists are invited to submit artwork to be featured at 1st Thursdays exhibitions. Submissions can be completed on the museum’s WEBSITE. Each party features a specific theme that the artwork is inspired by. The 2018-2019 season will provide a variety of exciting themes that the Central Florida community can participate in. The themes this year are as follows:

OPEN CALL
July 5, 2018

Calling ALL artists. This month we bring to you the opportunity to submit works of art that are of a reflection of you. All forms of media are encouraged. Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, June 24, 2018

NUESTRA HISTORIA, NUESTRA VOZ
August 2, 2018

This theme will focus on language, immigration, identity, religion, and cultural celebrations and traditions of the Hispanic Culture and Community. Artists must be of Hispanic descent. All forms of media are encouraged. Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, July 15, 2018

ECLECTIC KNIGHTS X & INDIE GALACTIC SPACE JAM
September 6, 2018

This show is the 10th annual event for the UCF College of Arts and Humanities. This Knight of Art will feature artwork designed by UCF alumni, faculty, staff and current SVAD students.

In addition, we will have a small event for the Indie Galactic Space Jam held in the SunTrust Auditorium. This theme and event is about Video games and Outer space. Artists will create pieces inspired by the Galaxy, Space and NASA. This will be the kick-off event for the 4th Annual Indie Galactic Space Jam, a 48-hour co-op game development competition amongst artists, tech professionals and innovators of all kinds. Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, August 12, 2018

NERDS IN THE CITY
October 4, 2018

Come celebrate with people with all sorts of “nerdy” interests, particularly those in science fiction and fantasy. All humans welcome, as well as Time Lords, Dothraki, Hobbits, and Jedi Knights, among many other fictional races and species! Art related to Sci-Fi, Anime, as well as Fantasy are welcomed. Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, September 16, 2018

TRAVEL
November 1, 2018

This show encourages artists to paint a picture, sculpt a wave, or draw a building they have experienced through travel. Whether you have flown across the globe, or dreamt of visiting an exotic location, share with us your inspired art from travel across our beautiful planet. Share with us your inspired art from traveling across our beautiful planet. Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, October 14, 2018

ART UNDER $200
December 6, 2018

All types of art are available under $200 for the holiday season. Artists are encouraged to submit all forms of media, all priced under $200, for a holiday shopping frenzy! Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, November 18, 2018

THE AGE OF AQUARIUS
January 3, 2019

Astrologers believe that an Astrological Age affects humanity: possibly by influencing the rise and fall of civilizations or cultural tendencies. Traditionally, Aquarius is associated with electricity, computers, flight, democracy, freedom, humanitarianism, idealism, modernization, astrology, rebellion, nonconformity, philanthropy, veracity, perseverance, humanity and irresolution. Artists will interpret this Age through their Art. Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, December 16, 2018

LANGUAGE OF LOVE
February 7, 2019

There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world today. Children express and receive love in different ways – some through acts of service; others through affirming words; still others through gifts, quality time or physical touch. Express your love to the children of the world in any form of visual art, from sculptures to paintings and even photography. All forms of expressions are welcome. Reflect your work of art in any form to express your love for the children of our world Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, January 20, 2019

THE POWER OF SHE
March 7, 2019

In honor of Women’s History Month. Submissions should explore subjects of the dignity, beauty and strength of Women. All forms of media are encouraged. Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, February 17, 2019

FLORIDA GROWN
April 4, 2019

This event provides an opportunity for talented local artists who are members of ArtistsRegistry.com to showcase their work. Artists should interpret the theme to reflect the spirit of living and creating artwork in Florida. Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, March 17, 2019

STEAMPUNK REVOLUTION
May 2, 2019

This month’s show calls upon Victorians, Vampires, Sky Captains, Agents and more, who will share their musings, art, artistry and artifacts from Steampunk Realms. All forms of media are encouraged. Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, April 14, 2019

THE MERCURY ROTATION
June 6, 2019

The word Mercury has very deep and symbolic meaning. As a part of our Solar System it is the closest planet to the Sun making it the hottest. As a Roman God is the Messenger and the only one who moves swiftly between the Upper and Lower realms. The element Mercury use to make fluorescent light is referred as ‘quicksilver’ a liquid metal that responds diversely to its environment. In the Alchemy Mercury represents Spirit, Soul and Matter therefore considered a crucial component in terms of creation and creativity in general. Artists take this word and do what thou whilst. Deadline for entry 4pm Sunday, May 12, 2019

•••

Parking is free at the Orlando Loch Haven Cultural Park and overflow parking is available for $5 per vehicle at the Orlando Science Center parking garage. To learn more about 1st Thursdays, please visit THIS PAGE. If you would like to be more involved with 1st Thursdays and become an OMA Associate, visit THIS PAGE. For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

###

The Orlando Museum of Art’s mission is to inspire creativity, passion and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. The Museum is located in the Loch Haven Cultural Park just minutes away from downtown.

Kenya (Robinson) is the 2018 Recipient of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art

ORLANDO, June 5, 2018 – The Orlando Museum of Art is pleased to announce that Kenya (Robinson) has been awarded as the recipient of the 2018 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. Glen Gentele, the Director and CEO of the Museum, made this announcement on June 1, 2018 at the Florida Prize Exhibition Preview Party.

OMA Curator Hansen Mulford says, “We are delighted that Kenya (Robinson) was chosen as this year’s award recipient. Given the exceptionally strong slate of artists in the exhibition, I know that the jurors had a challenging task. Kenya’s work expressed powerful messages that are particularly relevant to the moment.” The 2018 Florida Prize jurors were Nelda Damiano, Danny Olda and Alex Rich. Danny Olda states, “As usual, the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art gives me good reason to be optimistic about the state of the arts in Florida. All of the artists delivered impressive work making for a great exhibition. Kenya's work is engaging in a way that great art always is. Her work is at once playful and provocative, personal and thought-provoking.”

Kenya (Robinson) is an American multimedia artist whose work includes performance, sculpture and installation. A native of Gainesville, Florida, (Robinson)'s work depicts themes of privilege and consumerism, while investigating the role of blackness as the delineator of politically identifiable whiteness in the United States. The #WHITEMANINMYPOCKET, a project that began in 2013, is a work in which (Robinson) imagined a small, corporate-clad, plastic figure as a talismanic reminder that “white male heteronormative supremacy is an idea not restricted to phenotype, gender or nationality.” In fact, (Robinson) suggests that, “the -ism is insidious because we each believe in it a small amount, creating a dense network to be challenged internally, and as a societal task.” In addition to this conceptual practice, (Robinson)’s sculptural work is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, as well as a small selection of works on paper, that are part of the Deutsche Bank Collection.

Alex Rich says: "Kenya’s work is important. It takes a novel and memorable approach to the perennial, historical, and — sadly even here in 2018 — still too relevant theme of white straight male privilege. Any viewer who takes the time to engage with her work will be left reconceptualizing his or her own place in that hierarchy of gender and race and in the fitful journey toward inclusiveness. The artists in the exhibition demonstrate the wealth of talent in the rising generation of contemporary art. Without exception, every artist in the show grapples successfully with the essential role of the artist as a communicator of both personal and collective visions of the world. Whether working with found objects or graphite or in photography or glyphic mark-making, all ten artists have used their work in some manner to explore history and memory, pulling viewers into their mini-shows-within-the-show in visceral yet vastly different ways.”

“It is wonderful and inspiring to see the work of so many talented artists. I am sure visitors will feel engaged and excited by the brilliance and forcefulness of the works on display. Congratulations to all artists, and to the Orlando Museum of Art and its patrons for supporting such an important initiative,” says Nelda Damiano.

(Robinson) is the recipient of $20,000 (the “Florida Prize”) which is generously underwritten by Gail and Michael Winn who also provided funds for honoraria to each of the artists included in the exhibition. The other extraordinary artists in the exhibition are Carlos Betancourt (selected as the “People’s Choice” award recipient), Brooks Dierdorff, Rafael Domenech, Gonzalo Fuenmayor, Ya Levy La’Ford, Jason Lazarus, Glexis Novoa, Kerry Phillips and Jack Stenner. The “People’s Choice” was voted on during the Florida Prize Exhibition Preview Party by the guests and the winner was given $2,500 by the sponsor Tequila Herradura.

Support for the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is provided by the Rita and Jeffrey Adler Foundation, Anonymous, Mr. R.J. Santomassino, Dr. and Mrs. H.E. Gross, Jim and Terry Mahaffey, Daisy and Jan Staniszkis, Terry Snow, Bloomingdale’s Orlando, Sam Flax and Tesla. The exhibition will be on display through August 19, 2018.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Image credit: Kenya (Robinson), Modern Times, 1936-, 2017-2018, inflatable, plastic figures, chicken wire, foam, artificial turf, stell dressmaker pins, Dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist. © Kenya (Robinson). Image courtesy of the Orlando Museum of Art.

###

The Orlando Museum of Art’s mission is to inspire creativity, passion and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. The Museum is located in the Loch Haven Cultural Park just minutes away from downtown. For more information, please visit www.omart.org.

OMA Celebrates the Fifth Anniversary of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art

ORLANDO, May 18, 2018 – This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. To celebrate five years of presenting Florida’s most exciting contemporary artists, the Museum is organizing its largest opening reception to date. The exhibition opening preview party will take place on June 1, 2018.

The party will feature the culinary creativity of these 11 local restaurants and caterers: 1921 by Norman Van Aken, Arthur’s Catering and Events, Artisan’s Table, Black Rooster Taqueria, Cuisiniers Catered Cuisine and Events, Dubsdread Catering, Jillycakes, K Restaurant, Kobe Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse, Orlandough Craft Donuts and Reyes Mezcaleria. These culinary sponsors’ dishes will all be inspired by the ten Florida Prize artists. Guests can also enjoy beer, wine, and specialty drinks provided by our beverage sponsors: ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Cavalier Distributing, Central 28 Beer Co., Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Tequila Herradura, JDub’s Brewing Company & Tap Room, MIA Beer Company, Shakers Bar Catering, Ten10 Brewing Company and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

The VIP hour is 6:00-7:00pm and costs $50. This hour includes complimentary valet, a dedicated VIP open bar and an hour of early access to all of the food and beverages listed above. General admission is 7:00-10:00pm and tickets are only $30. Guests can enjoy food and drink while mingling with the artists, listen to live music by The Dave Capp Project and DJ Stereo 77 while exploring the Florida Prize exhibition. Guests will also have the opportunity to cast a vote for their favorite artist to win the "People's Choice Award" presented by Tequila Herradura. All food, drinks and entertainment are included in the ticket price.

The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art and recognizes the contributions that each of the artists featured in the exhibition make to the field. With this initiative, the Orlando Museum of Art underscores its commitment to new art and ideas, great artists, and the vibrant cultural life of Florida. The 2018 exhibition will showcase work by these outstanding artists: Carlos Betancourt, Brooks Dierdorff, Rafael Domenech, Gonzalo Fuenmayor, Ya Levy La’Ford, Jason Lazarus, Glexis Novoa, Kerry Phillips, Kenya (Robinson) and Jack Stenner. Each artist featured in this exhibition will be represented by a recent or site-specific body of work that provides an in-depth view of their practice.

The “Florida Prize” award is generously underwritten by Gail and Michael Winn and the recipient of the award will be announced at the exhibition opening preview party. Support for the exhibition is provided by the Rita and Jeffrey Adler Foundation, Anonymous, Mr. R.J. Santomassino, Dr. and Mrs. H.E. Gross, Jim and Terry Mahaffey, Daisy and Jan Staniszkis, Terry Snow, Bloomingdale’s Orlando, Sam Flax and Tesla. The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art will be on display through August 19, 2018.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

###

The Orlando Museum of Art’s mission is to inspire creativity, passion and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. The Museum is located in the Loch Haven Cultural Park just minutes away from downtown. For more information, please visit www.omart.org.

OMA Presents: Louis Dewis: A Belgian Post-Impressionist

ORLANDO, May 1, 2018 – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) may become the permanent home of an extensive collection of the paintings of Belgian Post-Impressionist painter, Louis Dewis. OMA will present a preview-exhibition of seven Dewis paintings from May 18 – September 9, 2018 in advance of a larger exhibition of the artist’s work being planned for January 2019.

Inspired by such French masters of landscape painting as Corot, Cézanne and Gauguin, Dewis painted scenes of cities, villages and the countryside throughout Belgium and France. Working primarily from 1916 until his death in 1946, Dewis was successful during his life, but his career was eclipsed by artistic developments of the post-World War II period in France. His work is now being reevaluated after a trove of paintings were discovered in the attic of a family home in Paris. This showing of seven paintings will preview a major exhibition for the artist being organized by the OMA and presented January 25 through April 21, 2019.

Louis Dewis (1872-1946) was born Louis Dewachter in Leuze, Belgium. He developed an interest in art early in life, but was discouraged from pursuing a career as a painter by his father. As a young man he entered the family business, Maison Dewachter, the world’s first department store chain. A successful and innovative entrepreneur, Dewis dedicated himself to growing the business while privately devoting time to his artistic development. He later adopted the pseudonym Louis Dewis to comply with his father’s insistence not to associate the family name with the younger Dewachter’s “frivolous” career as a painter.

Following the death of his father, Dewis’ painting career began to take precedence over the family business. Living in Bordeaux at the time, he had his first public exhibitions there and was active in the city’s artistic life. At one of these exhibitions, he was discovered by the Paris art dealer George Petit. Petit was a leading dealer of the period representing at times such masters as Monet, Renoir and Rodin. Petit offered to represent Dewis, if he would move to Paris and devote himself to painting. In 1919 Dewis took Petit’s advice, selling his share of the department stores and moving to the French capital.

Though Petit died a year later, Dewis went on to establish a successful career for the next two and a half decades. Dewis exhibited throughout France and Belgium in the 1920s and 30s, as well as in Germany and Switzerland. When the Second World War began, Dewis left Paris and settled in Biarritz on France’s Southern Atlantic coast. For the last few years of his life, the scenic coastal city and surrounding rugged countryside became the subject of his paintings.

The preview exhibition for Louis Dewis: A Belgian Post-Impressionist will present seven landscapes from important periods of the artist’s career following World War I. The years immediately after the Great War were distinctive in French art for a return to the motif of landscape, which is reflected in the direction that Dewis pursued. In part a response to the unprecedented devastation of the country and staggering loss of life, many artists during this time sought to celebrate the “soil” of France in landscape painting. Working in the towns, villages and open countryside throughout France, these artists strove to depict the unique and varied regions that together comprised the cultural vitality of the nation. 

Dewis’ paintings reflect this return to landscape painting with works that captured the scenic beauty and drama of locations from Belgium to the Basque country of southwestern France. Examples include Snow in the Ardennes, which presents a sweeping vista of mountains in a remote and unspoiled region of Belgium near the French border. In sharp contrast to this is The Seine at Rouen, a panorama which shows the great river winding through the industrial landscape on the outskirts of the northern city of Rouen. Amidst the factories and shipyards, the city’s distinctive cathedral can be seen rising in the distance. The Seine also appears in The Flood. This time the locale is central Paris where the river has risen over its banks and ominously threatens the city.

Late paintings include Bridge on the Nivelle and The Village Church, both depicting scenes in the rugged country at the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. In these works, Dewis’ brushwork is looser and his pallet freer; perhaps reflecting the brighter and warmer atmosphere of Southern France. Purples, greens and yellows dominate each composition with the distinctive white washed buildings of the region or the glare of light on water providing bright accents.

Descriptive detail enriches all of Dewis’ paintings, but he rarely painted directly from life. Instead, he worked from drawings, which allowed the artist to edit and distill the expressive elements of each scene. Observed impressions were important, but memory was essential to his practice, allowing him the distance to find his own order in each composition. About this he said, “it is this memory that, transmuted by my sensitivity, gives to my works life, truth and atmosphere through the equilibrium and harmony of masses and colors.”

Following his death in 1946, Dewis’ daughter, Andrée Dewachter Ottoz, was intent on preserving everything related to his artistic career. She had the entire contents of his atelier in Biarritz packed and shipped to her Paris home. For more than 50 years much of Dewis’ work languished in storage and his career was overlooked by the art world of Post War France. Through a chance conversation with her American great-nephew, Mr. Brad Face, the then 92-year-old Mme Ottoz revealed the cache of paintings she had stored away for decades. Mr. Face resolved to return Dewis’ work to the public and find a home for the collection. Louis Dewis: A Belgian Post-Impressionist will present a selection of over 60 paintings from this lost body of work, in the artist’s first important museum exhibition. Following the exhibition, Mr. Face and the OMA will determine if the collection should come to the Museum permanently.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Image credit: The Dewis Collection, LC – www.louisdewis.com

2018 Artists Announced for the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art

ORLANDO, April 24, 2018 – The Orlando Museum of Art is thrilled to announce the artists for the 2018 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art: Carlos Betancourt, Brooks Dierdorff, Rafael Domenech, Gonzalo Fuenmayor, Ya Levy La’Ford, Jason Lazarus, Glexis Novoa, Kerry Phillips, Kenya (Robinson) and Jack Stenner. Each artist featured in this exhibition will be represented by a recent or site-specific body of work that provides an in-depth view of their practice. One artist will be receiving the $20,000 award which is made possible by the generous support of Gail and Michael Winn.

(Artists appear in alphabetical order as mentioned above)

The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, which runs from June 2nd to August 19th, 2018, is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) and brings new recognition to the State’s most progressive artists. Now in its fifth year, the OMA has surveyed artists working throughout the State before selecting the ten to be represented in the exhibition. Artists range from emerging to mid-career, but each are engaged in exploring significant issues of contemporary art and society in original and visually exciting ways. In all cases, they are artists whose achievements are marked by a record of notable exhibitions and awards.

“This year’s artists are working in practices and media that are as widely varied as their respective backgrounds and the ideas they express.” said Hansen Mulford, Curator at the Orlando Museum of Art. “One characteristic that visitors will find particularly exciting is the ambitious scale of much of the work in the exhibition. Included are mural-sized drawings and paintings, monumental sculptural installations and room-sized immersive multimedia works. The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is an opportunity to explore a range of ideas that are relevant today as expressed by these artists in challenging and visually provocative works of art,” continued Mulford.

“A common thread through the work presented by the selected artists this year, seems to be addressing our relationship to places and objects, and ultimately reaching, through them, a new Utopian landscape” says Associate Curator Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon. “Whether this Utopia is presented as a physical locus per se, a conceptual one, or actually being overturned and operating as a dystopia, it is often sublimated in the prophetic presence of an oracle-like element, through which these artists are offering a glimpse of what could be interpreted as a new world order.”

The exhibition Opening Preview Party will be on June 1, 2018. The VIP hour is 6-7pm and General Admission is 7-10pm. The ticketed event will feature a sampling of the culinary artistry of Orlando’s most sensational restaurants and caterers sponsoring the event, each offering dishes inspired by the 10 Florida Prize artists. Guests can also enjoy beer, wine and specialty cocktails from our beverage sponsors, mingle with the artists, listen to great live music, explore the exhibition and create the best social/cultural mix to be experienced in the State.

Funds from the event will support the Florida Prize exhibition and the recipient of the award will be announced at the event. Guests will also have the opportunity to cast a “People’s Choice” vote for their favorite artist which is presented by Herradura Tequila. For more information on the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, the Artists, our Sponsors and the Opening Preview Party, please visit www.omart.org.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Image credit: Gonzalo Fuenmayor, Tropicalypse, 2017, charcoal on paper, 84 x 180 in. Courtesy of the artist and Dotfiftyone Gallery. © Gonzalo Fuenmayor. Image courtesy of the artist.

OMA Adds “Zibuyile I” by Zanele Muholi to its Permanent Collection

ORLANDO, February 26, 2018 – On February 7th, the Orlando Museum of Art’s Acquisition Trust purchased Zanele Muholi’s photograph Zibuyile I. The Acquisition Trust presented the work to the Museum during a special reception for its members to celebrate the occasion.

Muholi’s, Zibuyile I, is a strong example from a body of work that has received international acclaim and helped to establish Muholi as one of South Africa’s most important photographers of her generation. The addition of this work to the Museum’s permanent collection expands the scope of work by artists who are addressing urgent questions of identity, struggle and validation among diverse communities around the world. The work joins others in the collection that use portraiture and the figure to tell meaningful stories about who we are today.   

“Somnyama Ngonyama,” translated as “Hail the Dark Lioness”, is the title for a body of work that includes Zibuyile I. These images are both deeply personal and defiantly political. Muholi’s transformations of herself in each photograph create an uncomfortable dialogue with issues of identity, social inequality and the representation of the black body in the photographic archive as a whole.

In her interaction with the photographic archive, through the creation of images that recall everything from fashion magazines to National Geographic covers, Muholi deliberately raises questions of the exoticization and “othering” of black subjects through the history of mainstream representational photography. Her use of different costumes and objects in the photos adds a further layer of meaning which draws on both archival elements and her personal history.

Relating to her portraits, Muholi writes, “I have portrayed myself in highly stylized fashion using the performative and expressive language of theatre. The black face and its details become the focal point, forcing the viewer to question their desire to gaze at images of my black figure. By exaggerating the darkness of my skin tone, I'm reclaiming my blackness, which I feel is continuously performed by the privileged other.”

About Zanele Muholi
Born 1972 in Umlazi, South Africa, Zanele Muholi is a photographer and self-proclaimed visual activist. She completed an Advanced Photography course at the Market Photo Workshop in Newtown, Johannesburg in 2003, and held her first solo exhibition at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2004. In 2009 she was awarded her MFA in Documentary Media from Ryerson University in Toronto. Her thesis mapped the visual history of black lesbian identity and politics in post-Apartheid South Africa.

About Acquisition Trust
Founded in 1984, the Acquisition Trust (AT) is a collecting group that supports the Orlando Museum of Art through its acquisition of contemporary artwork. The AT has built a significant collection of contemporary art for the museum including artwork by internationally recognized artists such as Robin Rhode, Elizabeth Murray, John Chamberlain, Robert Rauschenberg, Pat Steir, Kerry James Marshall, Jennifer Bartlett, Nick Cave, Mel Kendrick, Tom McGrath and Therman Statom.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Image credit: Zanele Muholi, Zibuyile I, Syracuse, 2015, from the series Ma|D, silver gelatin print, 23 ½ x 17 in. Purchased with funds provided by the Charles E. Meiner Acquisition Trust Endowment Fund. © 2015 Zanele Muholi. Image courtesy of the Yancey Richardson Gallery.

Enduring Beauty: Seminole Art and Culture

ORLANDO, February 21, 2018 – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is pleased to present Enduring Beauty: Seminole Art and Culture, a premiere exhibition drawn entirely from the important collection of American Indian art held by Winter Park residents I.S.K. “Keith” Reeves V and Sara W. Reeves. Considered to be the largest collection of Florida Seminole material in the world, held in private hands, Enduring Beauty covers Seminole art and culture from the 1820s through the present.

On view from March 22 – July 8, 2018, Enduring Beauty celebrates many aspects of Seminole culture, one being the spectacular design and craftsmanship of Seminole men’s big shirts created between 1915-1940. These brilliantly colored garments decorated with appliqué and patchwork are perhaps the most iconic expressions of Seminole art. Also included are examples of women’s and children’s clothing with the same richly decorated treatments. Much older are bandolier bags, sashes, leggings and other apparel worn by the Seminole as early as the 1820s. These are decorated with intricate beadwork in patterns that are often inspired by nature. Other artforms include dolls clothed in Seminole style, beadwork necklaces and finely woven sweet grass baskets with embroidery decoration.

The history of Seminole life and the variety of their distinctive adornment can also be seen in photographs, paintings and prints dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. The Reeves’ important collection of original historic photography includes images of Seminole lifestyle in the Everglades and proud portraits of families and noted individuals. 19th century color lithographs feature prominent Seminole leaders, many of whom were well known to the public at the time. Also, within this extensive exhibition is a group of paintings by Native American artist Harrison Begay, depicting varied Seminole cultural practices such as hunting, making canoes and dancing. Another highlight of the exhibition’s visual documentation will be an archival black and white film of traditional Seminole dance.

This exceptional collection was formed over the course of 40 years, around the Reeves’ respect for the long history of perseverance of the Seminole during the formative years of the State. In an effort to remain in their Florida homeland, the Seminole faced three wars against forced Federal removal to Oklahoma during the years 1817-1858. Following these wars, the roughly 300 Seminoles who did not surrender settled in the Everglades where the rugged environment provided a natural defense. Today, thousands of descendants of those few survivors live and thrive on six reservations in the state of Florida.

The Reeves state that, “The fact that the Seminole never surrendered and are flourishing today is a testament to the strength of their culture. We believe that every citizen of Florida, and every guest who visits Florida, should know about their history of endurance and achievement. For these reasons, we are pleased to share our collection of beautiful and enduring Seminole art within this singular exhibition.”

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Council of 101 Presents the 36th Annual Antiques Vintage & Garden Show

ORLANDO, FL (January 22, 2018) - The Council of 101 is proud to present the 36th annual Antiques Vintage & Garden Show, combining fine antiques, art, jewelry, vintage and unique collectibles, garden blooms and more into one outstanding three-day show at the Orlando Museum of Art. The event will feature more 30 antiques and vintage dealers from around the country.

A one day general admission tickets is $15, a one day ticket for Orlando Museum of Art members is $10 (membership card is required) and a three day admission ticket is $25. Tickets go on sale January 22, 2018, and can be purchased online, in person, or by calling 407-896-4231 ext. 254.

Show Dates and Times
Friday, February 16: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, February 17: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, February 18: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Guest Speaker
This year’s special guest is Laura Dowling; she was the floral designer in the White House during part of President Barack Obama’s Administration. She has two books focused on her time at the White House; A White House Christmas and Floral Diplomacy. Dowling will be speaking and signing both books on Friday, February 16 at 11 a.m. and Saturday, February 17 at 10 a.m. Tickets are $45, which includes show admission.

Special Events

• Thursday, Feb. 15: Opening Night Preview Party $85 per person, includes show admission, 6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 16: Laura Dowling At the White House – Presentation and book signing, $45 per person, 11 a.m.
• Friday, Feb. 16: The Art of the Cocktail, $50 per person, ticket can be used for a single day admission to the show, 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 17: Mystery Home Tour – tour a local home filled with flawless design and exceptional taste; the location remains a mystery until the arrival. $35 per person, includes show admission. Tours depart at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.  and are limited to 40 attendees per hour.
• Saturday, Feb. 17: Laura Dowling At the White House – Presentation and book signing, $45 per person, 10 a.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 17: Floral Design Workshop with Laura Dowling, $55 per person, 2 p.m. This show is limited to 45 attendees.
• Saturday, Feb. 17: What’s It Worth? Appraisal Day - antiques expert and show manager Charlie Miller gives a professional appraisal of family heirlooms and treasured items. $15 general admission plus $10 per item, two item limit, noon to 4 p.m. Reservations taken at the door and begin at 11 a.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 18: Restoration Expo, included with the general admission ticket price, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Tickets to the Antiques Vintage & Garden Show include admission to Orlando Museum of Art exhibitions, including State of Excellence: Treasures from Florida Private Collections, the Restoration Expo on Sunday, and Art in Bloom Floral Interpretations of 101 Corporate Lease Art selections and the Orlando Museum of Art’s permanent collection.

The Antiques Vintage & Garden Show is a longstanding fundraiser event benefiting the Orlando Museum of Art and promoting the museum’s mission to advance the positive impact of art and creativity. This and other Council of 101 events have raised more than $6.8 million for the museum’s educational programs.

High-resolution images from 2016’s event are available via this Dropbox link.

About the Council of 101
The Council of 101 was founded in 1965 to further the cultural development and appreciation of the visual arts in Central Florida. Today, this outstanding group of volunteers comprises an organization of nearly 300 women. These dedicated members devote countless volunteer hours, boundless energy and strong personal skills to annual fund-raising projects that provide significant financial support to the Orlando Museum of Art. This level of support is achieved through the Festival of Trees and the Antiques Vintage & Garden Show projects. The Council of 101 purchases, through the Corporate Lease Program, Museum-quality prints created by contemporary American artists and gifts them to the Orlando Museum of Art. Prints from this collection may be leased by local businesses through the program administered by the Council of 101. The Council of 101, since its inception, has contributed in excess of $6.8 million towards art, exhibits, facility renovation and Museum expansion programs.

About The Orlando Museum of Art 
The Orlando Museum of Art is located in Orlando's Historic Loch Haven Park at 2416 North Mills Ave., Orlando, Fla. From I-4 take the Princeton Street exit 85. Drive east on Princeton Street, and at the corner of Princeton and Mills (US Highway 17 / 92), turn left. Go one block to east Rollins Street and turn left. The entrance is the first driveway on the left.

Media Contact:
Will Wellons
Wellons Communications
407-339-0879
will@wellonscommunications.com

State of Excellence: Treasures from Florida Private Collections

ORLANDO, January 12, 2018 – This spring, Central Florida will have a unique opportunity to get a glimpse of private art collections by collectors from all over the state of Florida. State of Excellence: Treasures from Florida Private Collections opens on January 26 with a reception starting at 6:30pm for OMA Members and the general public. The opening reception will feature a cash bar, complimentary soft drinks, and free admission for Members. Visitors only pay $10. The exhibition will be on view from January 26 through April 29, 2018.

“State of Excellence brings a new level of recognition to the depth and quality of collecting in the State,” said Glen Gentele, Director & CEO. Organized by the Orlando Museum of Art, the exhibition is drawn from some of the finest collections of European and American art held privately in Florida.

Highlights include paintings by 17th century Dutch masters, 19th and 20th century French and American Impressionists and 20th century European and American Modernists and Abstract Expressionists. Sculpture is represented with exceptional bronzes by Auguste Rodin, Antoine Bourdelle and Käthe Kollwitz. Decorative art includes examples of French Art Nouveau furniture and glass, American Arts and Crafts furniture, American Art pottery and early Steuben Glass. A special focus within the exhibition is historic photography. Selected from four extensive collections in the state, the 48 vintage photographs on view offer a mini survey of the medium from its early decades in the 1840s through the mid-20th century.

“Collecting art is a passionate and thoughtful enterprise. For most of the collectors whose works are shown here, the pursuit of acquiring art is an added joyous vocation; for some it has become their primary occupation. This exhibition is grounded in their willingness to share their passion and these outstanding works of art from their collections with the public,” says Dr. Jennifer Hardin, the exhibition’s guest curator.

These collectors have a wide variety of profiles. Many are philanthropists and benefactors of cultural institutions and art museums, and some are even museum builders. Some acquire with spontaneity, yielding to impulse; others study intensely before making a purchase. Still others rely on their deep knowledge of a specific field, having collected for decades. Few collect as an investment, and few have a dedicated art advisor. They trust their taste and understanding of art and the market in their area of interest.

This exhibition is the first to present a broad, statewide survey of significant collections of American and European art. There are many reasons for, and advantages of, collecting historic art: for some it is the thrill of the search and discovery, as well as belonging to a community and sharing works for educational purposes; for others, it reflects their personality and specific interest in a medium, time or place; still others collect as a means by which to understand history.

“The Orlando Museum of Art believes it is important to recognize this aspect of collecting in the State and the contribution these collectors make to Florida’s diverse and vibrant cultural life. State of Excellence is an opportunity for the Museum to educate and inspire others about this fulfilling pursuit,” says Hansen Mulford, the Museum’s curator.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

The Neiman Marcus "Love to Give" Collection

Shop the Neiman Marcus "Love to Give" Collection and 10% of the Proceeds will benefit Youth Arts Education

The Orlando Museum of Art is pleased to announce its partnership with Neiman Marcus at the Mall at Millenia for their “Love to Give” campaign.

From now until November 30th there will be a dedicated “Love to Give” shop within their store filled with specialty items and gifts.

The collection features dozens of perfectly priced items for gift giving.  Each Neiman Marcus store gives ten percent of the proceeds to benefit youth arts education in Neiman Marcus communities across the country. An additional $50,000 from online sales will go to The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation to support national youth arts programs.  

Research shows that students who receive an arts-infused curriculum tend to matriculate and graduate at higher rates, score higher on the SAT, and become more creative problem solvers and engaged civic leaders. The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation is dedicated to supporting the next generation of artists across the states.

"This is our fourth year presenting the Love to Give collection at Neiman Marcus," said Russ Patrick, Neiman Marcus SVP, GMM The Man's Store, Home and Gifts, and Children’s. "All of these hand-picked items are exclusive to Neiman Marcus with something for everyone on your list. These wonderful gifts give back, a feel-good and perfect way to wrap up your holiday season."

Purchases must be made in store at the Orlando location to benefit the OMA, available while items last.

Visit Nearest Neiman Marcus to Shop the Collection and Support the Orlando Museum of Art!

Mall at Millenia
4170 Conroy Rd
Orlando, FL 32839

Below, you will find a selection of the specialty gifts that you can purchase in this exclusive Neiman Marcus collection.

For any additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

'Baggage Claims' and 'Virtual Views: Digital Art from the Thoma Foundation'

ORLANDO, September 6 2017 – This fall, the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) will unveil two contemporary art exhibitions. Baggage Claims highlights the work of 18 international artists who use suitcases, trunks and crates to create works of art that express provocative ideas about the mobility of global culture. Virtual Views: Digital Art from the Thoma Foundation examines the growing importance of electronic media in art. On September 15th, the two exhibitions will be kicked off with a VIP reception from 5:30-6:30pm. At 6:30pm, the exhibitions will open to the public. There will be a special performance by Baggage Claims artist Avery McQuaid Nelson Lawrence, a cash bar and complimentary soft drinks. The opening is free for Museum Members and $10 for Guests.

Baggage Claims
September 15 – December 31, 2017

This exhibition presents the work of an international group of 18 artists who explore the impact of the vast scale of population mobility. While baggage has always symbolized migration and freedom, in the context of the current global atmosphere it has become an emblem of uncertainty, fear, and change. On an intimate level, baggage transports and holds personal belongings, and by implication is a rich metaphor for individual and family histories. The term baggage also carries significant psychological meaning, referring to the burdens or blessings of those things in life that cannot be left behind. Baggage Claims is the first exhibition to present a new body of work by contemporary artists who are examining these timely themes. Baggage Claims is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art and curated by Ginger Gregg Duggan and Judith Hoos Fox, c2 - curatorsquared. The exhibition will begin a national tour in 2018.

Virtual Views: Digital Art from the Thoma Foundation
September 15 – December 31, 2017

Virtual Views explores the growing importance of electronic media in contemporary art as seen in the work of artists who are pioneers in the use of LEDs (light-emitting diodes), LCD (liquid crystal display), and computer-generated imagery. The exhibition features 13 works each using a variety of electronic hardware and digital technologies that draw inspiration from images of the natural world and aspects of human perception. The artists include: Jim Campbell, Daniel Canogar, Craig Dorety, John Gerrard, Matthew Kluber, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Manfred Mohr, Anne Morgan Spalter, Alan Rath, Daniel Rozin, Björn Schülke, Jennifer Steinkamp and Leo Villareal. The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation recognizes the power of the arts to challenge and shift perceptions, spark creativity and connect people across cultures. The Foundation’s art collection includes works from the early 20th century to the present with several areas of focus including: light art; interactive art; video installation; and other forms of contemporary art that engages technology.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

###

Image credits:

Avery McQuaid Nelson Lawrence, Arranging Suitcases, 2012, performance still. Dimensions variable. Photo credit: Ross McDermott © Avery McQuaid Nelson Lawrence. Image courtesy of the artist.

Jim Campbell, Home Movies, Pause, 2014; LEDs, metal, wire and custom electronics, 66 x 76 x 3 in. © Jim Campbell. Courtesy of the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation. Photo by Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery.

William Cordova Named The Recipient of the 2017 Florida Prize In Contemporary Art

ORLANDO, June 5, 2017 – William Cordova has been named the 2017 recipient of the Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. Glen Gentele, the Director and CEO of the museum, made this announcement on Friday, June 2, 2017 at the Florida Prize Exhibition Preview Party.

The three jurors of the exhibition were Dan L. Hess, a visual artist based in Central Florida; Katherine Navarro, Associate Curator of Education at The Mennello Museum of American Art; and Joanna Robotham, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Tampa Museum of Art.

Robotham said “It was a pleasure to serve as a juror for the 2017 Florida Prize. Hansen Mulford selected an extraordinary group of artists for the exhibition, each remarkable in their own right. It was challenging to select one winner, as there are many strong, smart works on view. Congratulations to William Cordova. I look forward to seeing more from this outstanding artist.”

The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art award is generously underwritten by Gail and Michael Winn who also provided funds for honoraria to each of the artists included in the exhibition.

The other terrific artists featured in this year’s exhibition are Domingo Castillo, Coco Fusco, Mark Gerstein, Aramis Gutierrez, Dana Hargrove, Lisa Iglesias, Carl Juste, Ralph Provisero and Chase Westfall. The exhibit is on view now through August 20, 2017. The Platinum Exhibition Sponsor of The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art 2017 exhibition is Sam Flax.

William Cordova was born in Lima, Peru and moved to Miami in his youth. He attended Miami Dade Community College before completing his BFA at the Art Institute of Chicago and MFA at Yale University. He lives in Miami, New York, Lima, Peru and travels extensively for research, projects, residencies and exhibitions. “These transitions between countries, between economies, between the nuance of language and culture, has developed for me an understanding of the visual world, its’ potential for limitations and its potential for resilience,” Cordova said. “I invest in these nuances to find a critical space, which pushes past complacency to modes of resistance in the present moment.”

Included in the exhibition is Cordova’s, the house that frank lloyd wright built 4 fred hampton y mark clark (despues de atahualpa), an architectural installation that is a memorial and meditative space that synthesizes spiritual, physical and historical references. Also included are a selection of drawings, collages and sculptures. These often reference modes of communication transformed by ever changing contexts of history and culture. One reoccurring motif is seen in collages of abstract patterns of color which draw upon ancient Andean textiles whose fractal designs have biological origins and are applied to all aspects of Andean society; architecture, philosophy and spirituality.

Cordova incorporates an array of historic and contemporary images, such as patterns of Andean stonework, details of domestic architecture, old audio speakers, stacks of vinyl records, and the humble detritus of the past and present, all symbols that represent concepts of transmission, movement and data storage.  These images are combined with a rich variety of materials, such as gold leaf, plaster, coffee pigment, ballpoint pen and paints of many types.  Cordova deploys this vocabulary of image and material to address such topics as the ontological crossroads, our interdependence and reciprocity, and the alchemy of necessity.

“As a group these artists are responding to many of the difficult issues of the moment,” said Hansen Mulford, Curator at the Orlando Museum of Art. “With some artists, these issues are as specific as political violence in Syria or the urgency of an election in Haiti; while other artists engage more universal concerns of social justice, cultural identity and the importance of art in interpreting the challenges of contemporary life. The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is an opportunity to explore a range of ideas that are relevant today as expressed by these artists in exciting and visually provocative works of art,” continued Mulford.

“This is the fourth year that the Orlando Museum of Art has held its Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. The purpose of the exhibition is to bring a new level of support to the artists who live and work in the State of Florida by recognizing their significant contributions to the field,” said Glen Gentele, Director & CEO, Orlando Museum of Art.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

###

Image of william cordova courtesy of Nicholas Travaglini.

william cordova, the house that frank lloyd wright built 4 fred hampton y mark clark (despues de atahualpa), 2006-2017, lumber, vintage photos, copy of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, candy, 96 x 180 x 240 in. Courtesy of the artist. © william cordova. Image courtesy of Raymond Martinot.

william cordova, can’t stop, won’t stop (whipala or KRS1), 2016-2017, mixed media collage, 81 x 146 in. Courtesy of the artist and Sikkema Jenkins & Co. © william cordova. Photography by Jason Wyche, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York.

2017 Artists Announced for the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art

ORLANDO, April 4, 2017 – The Orlando Museum of Art announces the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art artists for 2017: Domingo Castillo, William Cordova, Coco Fusco, Mark Gerstein, Aramis Gutierrez, Dana Hargrove, Lisa Iglesias, Carl Juste, Ralph Provisero, and Chase Westfall. Each artist featured in this exhibition will be represented by a recent body of work that provides an in-depth view of their practice.

The Presenting Sponsor for The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art 2017 is Sam Flax. The exhibition opening party will be on June 2, 2017 and the exhibition will be on view through August 20, 2017.

Sam Flax is an important part of the Orlando art community and a major resource for artists, architects, collectors, galleries and museums throughout the region. “The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art underscores both the Orlando Museum of Art’s, and Sam Flax’s, commitment to the art of our time and to supporting artists and the production of new scholarship about art,” said Glen Gentele, Director & CEO, Orlando Museum of Art.

These artists are making a difference and range from emerging to mid-career—some with substantial international recognition. In all cases, they are artists whose achievements are marked by a record of significant exhibitions and awards. Included in this year’s exhibition are painters, sculptors and photographers, along with artists working in multiple disciplines that bring together conceptual art, video, performance and installation.

“As a group these artists are responding to many of the difficult issues of the moment,” said Hansen Mulford, Curator at the Orlando Museum of Art. “With some artists, these issues are as specific as political violence in Syria or the urgency of an election in Haiti; while other artists engage more universal concerns of social justice, cultural identity and the importance of art in interpreting the challenges of contemporary life. The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is an opportunity to explore a range of ideas that are relevant today as expressed by these artists in exciting and visually provocative works of art,” continued Mulford.

The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) and brings new recognition to the vitality of the visual arts in the State today. Now in its fourth year, the 2017 exhibition will showcase work by ten outstanding artists.

The exhibition Opening Preview Party will be on June 2, 2017 from 7-10pm. The ticketed event will feature a sampling of the culinary artistry of Orlando’s most sensational restaurants and caterers sponsoring the event, each offering dishes inspired by the 10 Florida Prize artists. Guests can also enjoy beer, wine and specialty cocktails from our beverage sponsors, mingle with the artists, listen to great live music, explore the exhibition and create the best social/cultural mix to be experienced in the State.

Funds from the event will support the “Prize” and the Florida Prize recipient will be announced at the event. Guests will also have the opportunity to cast a “People’s Choice” vote for their favorite artist. For more information on The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art and the Opening Preview Party, please visit www.omart.org. For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

###

Dana Hargrove, Cairn, 2013, acrylic on uncut mdf, 5 panels, relief painting, 130 x 48 in. Courtesy of Bridgette Mayer Gallery. © Dana Hargrove. Image courtesy of Snap! Orlando.

Matthew Weinstein: The Living End

ORLANDO, March 14, 2017 – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) presents Matthew Weinstein: The Living End - an exhibition that features paintings, drawings and new video by the New York based artist. Opening to the public on March 17th, The Living End kicks off with an exhibition opening reception beginning at 6:30pm with the artist. A cash bar and complimentary soft drinks will be available. The opening is free for Museum Members and $10 for Guests.

Matthew Weinstein purposely confounds defined artistic practices. His, as he describes, “culturally transgendered” vision is evident in paintings, sculptures and animated videos that bring commercial art and entertainment processes like computer animation, airbrush, chemical compounds and theatrical dialogue into contact with cultural history. Of central concern to Weinstein is how people make contact with reality. Tools are created to aid in this contact: communication tools, interpretive tools, artistic tools and scientific tools. Due to advances in visual technology, there are now imaginative tools that depict dreams with shocking realism. These new visual technologies go beyond contact with what is exterior to what we identify as ‘us,’ they actually allow a synthesis between what is seen with the mind and what is seen with the eyes. This is the encounter that Weinstein captures in pixels, paint and metal; the encounter between the mind and the willful projections of the mind onto a landscape of its own creation. Rather than critique the nature of this shift in perception, Weinstein mines it for its aesthetic, poetic and philosophical possibilities.

A turning point for Weinstein was when he first began experiencing 3D imaging through early Pixar films. What captivated him was not the conventional narratives that this groundbreaking medium was put in the service of, but rather the space within the world of the film, one that was for him as new and profound as Cubism and Abstraction. It seemed odd to him that this new way of seeing was restricted to children’s entertainment when, as Weinstein says, “I was looking for a new experience to describe with a new vocabulary. And there it was. And that space in the movie, it was like a room in my mind that nothing had moved into yet.”

Weinstein saw an opportunity to make art in a medium that was free of art historical precedence. He couldn’t believe that nobody was using this medium to create art. Modeling his approach on other artists who without apology used commercial and non-art processes to make art; Warhol (silkscreen), The Pictures Artists (graphic design), Donald Judd (high end industrial fabrication), Bruce Nauman (neon, video), Weinstein put together a small production team and began making his own 3D animated films, divorced from commercialism and inhabited by his own subjectivity and a desire to aim the profundity of this new medium outside of the world of entertainment.

Weinstein’s paintings are as unconventional as his approach towards moving image work. His paintings exist alongside his films, but are not dependent on them for meaning. Each medium in his work reaches its own level of independence. The recent paintings included in this exhibition are drawn from the artist’s iconography of figures of uncertain gender, vaguely erotic objects and hallucinatory landscapes. The fluid gestural lines, transparent layers of color and luminous silvery tones give these paintings a seductive beauty. Their painterly style indicates rich textural surfaces, but Weinstein uses reflection and smoothness to confound physical expectations. These are paintings that evoke things but do not describe them. Like images appearing before us on a computer or film screen, they are more manifestations than images. “I want even their surfaces to be an abstraction of touch, not linked to me, not linked to anything that would get in the way of their ability to avoid identification,” Weinstein said.

The exhibition is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art and includes ten recent paintings, the video Cruising 1980, É Lobro 2016 and Weinstein’s most recent interactive video The Living End.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

###

Matthew Weinstein, Still from É Lobro, 2015, 17-minute computer animated video with music. Courtesy of the artist. © Matthew Weinstein. Image courtesy of Austin Kennedy.

Matthew Weinstein, Cellini, 2017, acrylic on copper, 78 x 45 in. Courtesy of the artist. © Matthew Weinstein. Image courtesy of Austin Kennedy.

OMA Adds New Works to its Permanent Collection by Renowned Artists

ORLANDO, February 24, 2017 – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) has acquired three important works of art by: Robin Rhode, a contemporary performance artist and photographer; Kate Gilmore, a contemporary performance and video artist; and Frederick MacMonnies, a 19th Century American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts school. These purchases were facilitated with generous support from the Museum’s collecting groups: The Acquisition Trust (Rhode & Gilmore) and the Friends of American Art (MacMonnies).

Last fall, the Acquisition Trust provided funding to acquire Scales by Robin Rhode. It represents the 50th purchase in 32 years by the Acquisition Trust. Scales is the first purchase of work from a "global" artist. Rhode is South African and grew up in a post-apartheid world. Recognized as a performance artist and a photographer, he now lives in Berlin and exhibits internationally. Scales is a distinct example of a common theme in Robin’s work, which explores mathematical and scientific concepts, play and celebration, class disparity in South Africa. In Scales, Rhode continues his more recent investigation of color theory as a metaphor for racial identity. It appears joyous with color and movement but upon closer inspection one comes to understand the meaning of the black hexagon as both color theory and social metaphor. 

The second purchase by the Acquisition Trust is a video by Kate Gilmore. For each work, she creates a set and carries out a series of actions that lead to a conclusion. When finished, the set has been transformed in some way by her performance. After the event is over and the set cleared, the video stands as a lasting record of an otherwise transient work of art. In Blood From a Stone, Gilmore lifts 10 one-foot cubes of solid plaster onto shoulder-high shelves. The blocks weigh 75 pounds apiece, and as Gilmore manages to heave each into place, wet paint on the shelf splatters and drips down the wall. As she goes on, the work becomes more and more difficult until she can barely manage the last block. The resulting work, a row of white cubes and paint drips on a grey wall, recalls the austere abstract sculptures of 1960s era Minimalism. Is Gilmore mocking the revered, ultra-serious and mostly male artists of that period? There is an absurd humor in Gilmore’s frumpy famine outfit and her intent physical struggle to place each block correctly in place. 

Lastly, OMA acquired a sculpture by Frederick MacMonnies, one of the most successful American sculptors of the late 19th century, with funds provided by the Friends of American Art. As a young artist, he won a number of distinguished prizes for work shown at the annual Paris Salon. In 1890, MacMonnies won the competition to design a monument to honor Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale. His completed life-size bronze figure was erected in New York’s City Hall Park in 1892, where it remains today. Nathan Hale was executed by the British in New York after being captured spying for the Continental Army. Just before his death, Hale uttered the now famous words: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” MacMonnies portrays Hale as a young martyr to the American cause whose example of courage is indicative of the national spirit. He stands with his shoulders thrust back and his head lifted. MacMonnies’ sculptural masterwork expresses the vitality of Hale at this dramatic moment with his erect stature and the vivid realism of his countenance and disheveled clothing.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233. 

###

Image credits:

Robin Rhode, Scales, 2015, c-print, edition of 5, 28 parts, each: 14.02 x 20.71 in. Purchased with funds provided by the Acquisition Trust. © Robin Rhode. Image courtesy of Raymond Martinot.

Kate Gilmore, Blood From a Stone, 2009, single channel video (running time 8:09 minutes). Purchased with funds provided by the Acquisition Trust. © Kate Gilmore. Image courtesy of the artist.

Frederick MacMonnies, Nathan Hale, 1890, bronze, brown patina, 28 3/8 x 9 1/2 x 6 3/8 in. Purchased with funds provided by the Friends of American Art. Image courtesy of Taylor | Graham Gallery.

American Art Legends: The Wyeths and American Artists in Maine Headline the Spring Exhibition Opener

ORLANDO, January 12, 2017 – The Wyeths and American Artists in Maine: Selections from the Collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum brings together 53 paintings that reflect the breadth of American artists who have worked in the State since the mid- nineteenth century. The opening reception for this exhibition will be January 20, 2017 from 6:30 – 8:00pm. Open to the public, there will be a wine and beer cash bar and complimentary soft drinks. Michael K. Komanecky, Chief Curator of the Farnsworth Art Museum will present a talk about the Wyeth’s and Maine’s extraordinary artistic heritage at 6:30pm. Also on view will be four major paintings by the contemporary realist Bo Bartlett. These are presented in collaboration with the exhibition Bo Bartlett: American Artist, organized by The Mennello Museum of American Art and opening there the following week - January 27, 2017. Admission to the opening reception is $10; Museum Members are FREE. 

The Orlando Museum of Art is presenting The Wyeths and American Artists in Maine: Selections from the Collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Andrew Wyeth’s birth. The Farnsworth Art Museum holds one of the finest collections of work by three generations of Wyeth family artists. It is also the home of the Wyeth Center, which encompasses a number of historic properties including the Olson House, the subject of many of Andrew Wyeth’s best-known paintings.

While scores of American artists have worked in Maine over the past century, the three generations of Wyeth family artists have been uniquely identified with the State. In 1910, N. C. Wyeth, then one of America’s most popular illustrators, began seasonal visits to the central coast and eventually established a home near Port Clyde. His son Andrew continued the tradition, maintaining a home and studio in nearby Cushing. There he painted Christina’s World, an iconic work that earned him international recognition when it was purchased by the Museum of Modern Art. Andrew Wyeth’s distinctive style of spare, but sharply observed realism was well suited to the landscapes and people he chose to paint in Maine. James Wyeth, Andrew’s son, is now the third generation of the family to achieve international stature as an artist. James Wyeth maintains several homes in Maine including the historic home of Rockwell Kent on Monhegan Island. 

“Nature and landscape has been the source of inspiration for American artists, writers and philosophers for more than two centuries. Throughout that time the distinctive natural beauty of Maine has played key role in defining this aspect of American cultural,” said Hansen Mulford, Curator.

Along with outstanding works by three generations of Wyeths, the exhibition also represents the rich and diverse artistic legacy of artists in Maine, which preceded them or were their contemporaries. These include George Bellows, Robert Henri, Marsden Hartley, Childe Hassam, Fitz Henry Lane, Rockwell Kent, John Marin and many others. The exhibition has been organized in conjunction with the Farnsworth Art Museum.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233. 

---

Image credits (from top to bottom):

N.C. Wyeth, Maine Headland, Black Head, Monhegan Island, c. 1936-38, oil on canvas, 48 ¼ x 52 ¼ in. Collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum, Bequest of Mrs. Elizabeth B. Noyce. Image courtesy of the Farnsworth Art Museum.

James Wyeth, Iris at Sea, Study #2, 1993, combined mediums on toned board, 20 1/16 x 16 1/8 x ¾ in. Collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum, Bequest of Mrs. Elizabeth B. Noyce. © Jamie Wyeth. Image courtesy of the Farnsworth Art Museum.

The Conversation Continues and Familiar Mysteries A Dual-Exhibition Fall-Season Opener

ORLANDO, September 9, 2016 – This fall the Orlando Museum of Art presents two new exciting exhibitions: The Conversation Continues: Highlights from the Collection of James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett and Familiar Mysteries: Paintings by Matthew Capaldo. The dual exhibition opening will be celebrated with a reception on September 16, 2016 at 6:30pm. New York collectors James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett, along with Sue Scott, guest curator of The Conversation Continues, and artist Matthew Capaldo will all be in attendance that evening.

The Conversation Continues: Highlights from the Collection of James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett
September 16, 2016 – January 1, 2017

“James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett have been building an extraordinary collection of contemporary art for more than 40 years” said Glen Gentele, Director and CEO, Orlando Museum of Art. It is a collection that not only represents the period’s most important artists, but also reflects the collectors’ passion for discovering new talent and making commitments to challenging work, before it is critically proven. Their high regard for the artists they collect is often demonstrated by long personal friendships and a practice of collecting an artist’s work in depth over time. These lasting relationships have resulted in many life-long conversations that have shaped and enriched the collection.

As young collectors living in New York in the 1970s, Cottrell and Lovett became intrigued by a new generation of artists soon to gain international attention. Among their early acquisitions were works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Donald Baechler who were energizing the art world with their raw and expressive paintings. These were followed by acquisitions of work by other artists who would also become iconic figures of the period such as David Hockney, Robert Mapplethorpe, Deborah Kass, Cindy Sherman and Malcolm Morley.
   
“This is a collection that starts with, and is sustained by, the act of looking,” says Cottrell. “We have to like what we are looking at.” While the works in the collection must be strong visual statements, Cottrell notes, “It becomes important to understand what the artists are about, the journey they are on and what they are doing with their lives.”

The Conversation Continues: Highlights from the Collection of James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett was organized by the Orlando Museum of Art, with Sue Scott as guest curator. It brings together a new selection of work that builds upon the exhibition, Co-Conspirators: The Collection of James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett.

Familiar Mysteries: Paintings by Matthew Capaldo
September 16 – November 27, 2016

Matthew Capaldo’s figurative paintings present psychologically charged narratives of contemporary life, balancing a tension between flux and stillness, saturation and transparency. Using imaginative elements, personal photographs and stills adapted from film and popular media, his paintings depict scenes in which individuals or groups are engaged in situations that appear both mysterious and strangely familiar. His paintings explore the relationship of the self to others and the shifting nature of the individual both within and apart from society. Often the work is imbued with an underlying tone of reflection and nostalgia. “I’m referencing the past and external, seemingly unrelated images to reveal an internal landscape guided by personal symbolism,” explains Capaldo.

Familiar Mysteries: Paintings by Matthew Capaldo is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art and curated by Hansen Mulford. It presents work drawn from private collections in Central Florida and nationwide. This exhibition is part of the Encounter Series, an initiative of the Orlando Museum of Art that showcases notable artists who have contributed to the cultural life of our community and beyond.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

---

Image credits (from top to bottom):

Deborah Kass, Jim and Joe, 1993, silkscreen on canvas, 40 x 55 in., Collection of James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett. Artwork © Deborah Kass/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image courtesy of Raymond Martinot.

Matthew Capaldo, wild west hero (repose), 2016, oil on canvas, 11 x 14 in., Courtesy of the artist. © Matthew Capaldo. Image courtesy of the artist. 

Award Winning Author/Illustrator Eric Rohmann to Exhibit at OMA

ORLANDO, FL, August 8, 2016 --- On Saturday, August 6, the Orlando Museum of Art opened “My Friend, Eric Rohmann,” an exhibition of work by the award winning author and illustrator Eric Rohmann. Visitors had the opportunity to attend a special story-telling event with Eric Rohmann and Candace Fleming as they read stories they wrote together, followed by a book signing. Later that afternoon, Rohmann lead a gallery walk through the exhibition for visitors. The exhibition is on view now through October 30, 2016.

In 2003, Rohmann won the Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration, recognizing his bold relief prints illustrated in “My Friend Rabbit.” His book “Time Flies” won a Caldecott Honor Book award and was named a “New York Times” Notable Book of the year. Rohmann has created book jackets for a number of novels, including “His Dark Materials” by Philip Pullman.

Eric Rohmann grew up in Downers Grove, a suburb of Chicago. As a boy, Rohmann played baseball, read comic books, and collected rocks, minerals, insects, leaves and animal skulls. Although Rohmann was not originally an avid reader, he did develop a deep appreciation for storytelling from a young age. Rohmann was drawn to comic books because of their combined use of art and storytelling, a childhood hobby that would eventually peak his own interest in writing and illustrating children’s books. He holds degrees in fine arts from Arizona State University and Illinois State University and currently lives in a suburb of Chicago. In addition to writing and illustrating children’s books, he has taught drawing and printmaking. His artwork has been featured in various exhibitions and permanent collections throughout the country.

Rohmann uses a variety of artistic media and techniques, such as woodblock, scratchboard, gouache, collage, pen and ink, pastel and watercolor. Many times, Rohmann selects the medium based on what best fits the story he is illustrating. In this exhibition, there are over 70 paintings, drawings and preparatory sketches created for many of the books that Rohmann wrote or illustrated. Also featured are the preparatory sketches and final drawings created for a new book, “Giant Squid,” which will be released later this year.

“In the end I make books for kids because they are the best audience: children are curious, enthusiastic, impulsive, generous and pleased by simple joys. They laugh easily at the ridiculous and are willing to believe the absurd. Children are not ironic, disillusioned or indifferent, but hopeful, open-minded and openhearted, with a voracious hunger for pictures,” said Rohmann.

This exhibition was organized by the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Orlando Museum of Art Announces its 2016-2017 Season

My Friend: Eric Rohmann
August 6 – October 30, 2016 

This exhibition will include drawings, paintings and prints of children’s book art by author-illustrator Eric Rohmann. Rohmann holds degrees in fine arts from Arizona State University and Illinois State University and currently lives in a suburb of Chicago. In addition to writing and illustrating children’s books, he has taught drawing and printmaking.

His artwork has been featured in various exhibitions and permanent collections throughout the country. Rohmann has created book jackets for a number of novels, including the cover for The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman. He won a Caldecott Honor award for Time Flies, and a Caldecott Medal award for My Friend Rabbit. Illustrations from those and ten other books are represented — including Bone Dog, Clara and Asha, and The Cinder-Eyed Cats — among over 70 finished artworks, sketches, storyboards, and process pieces. This exhibition was organized by the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas.

The Conversation Continues: Highlights from James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett Collection
September 16, 2016 – January 1, 2017

For more than 40 years, James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett have been building an exceptional collection of contemporary art. It is a collection that not only represents many prominent artists of the period, but also reflects the collector’s passion for discovering new talent and making commitments to challenging work before it is critically proven. Their high regard for the artists they collect is often demonstrated by long personal friendships and a practice of collecting an artist’s work in depth over time.

Cottrell and Lovett began collecting seriously in the late 1970s. Important early acquisitions include paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring collected before these artists were widely recognized. Also included are early paintings from a body of work done in the late 1980s and early 90s by Debora Kass that helped to establish her career. Among other significant artists represented are David Hockney, Malcom Morley and Robert Mapplethorpe. Inspired by their friendship with French artist, Roland Flexner, Cottrell and Lovett have also collected works by leading contemporary European painters such as Miguel Barceló, Daniel Dezeuze and Noël Dolla.

The Encounter Series: Matthew Capaldo Paintings
September 16 – January 1, 2017

Matthew Capaldo’s figurative paintings present psychologically charged narratives of contemporary life, balancing a tension between flux and stillness, saturation and transparency.  Using imaginative elements, personal photographs and stills adapted from film and popular media, his paintings depict scenes in which individuals or groups are engaged in situations that appear both mysterious and strangely familiar. His paintings explore the relationship of the self to others and the shifting nature of the individual both within and apart from society. Often the work is imbued with an underlying tone of reflection and nostalgia. “I’m referencing the past and external, seemingly unrelated images to reveal an internal landscape guided by personal symbolism,” explains the artist. Matthew Capaldo is a self-taught artist, based in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Boston University.

The Wyeths and American Artists in Maine: Selections from the Collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum
January 20 – April 23, 2017

As a source of inspiration, Maine has played an important role in American art and culture since the 19th century. It was particularly attractive to early American painters who interpreted the State’s vast wildernesses and rockbound coast as emblematic of the nation’s rugged independence and unique spiritual relationship with nature. The reverence for nature eloquently written about in Henry David Thoreau’s The Maine Woods found visual expression in the paintings of generations of artists who have worked in the State.  

The Farnsworth Art Museum holds one of the foremost collections of painting by artists in Maine, including work by George Bellows, Robert Henri, Marsden Hartley, Childe Hassam, Fitz Henry Lane, Rockwell Kent and John Marin. The Museum also has an outstanding collection of paintings by three generations of the Wyeth family. This original exhibition organized for the Orlando Museum of Art in conjunction with the Farnsworth Art Museum celebrates the 100th anniversary of Andrew Wyeth’s birth.

The InFlux Series: Matthew Weinstein
March 10 – June 4, 2017

Based in New York, Matthew Weinstein is a visual artist with a diverse background in theater, acting, film, screenwriting, design and painting. He works extensively in 3D animation and transfers the technical and narrative concerns of this medium into his art. Using the most advanced technological graphics and a small-scale production community, his work approaches the visual quality of Pixar style animation. Weinstein describes his animations to be “culturally transgendered, existing between entertainment and art…that moment when the unreal becomes hyperreal but skips over reality on the way.” This exhibition will feature videos, paintings, drawings and sculpture. Weinstein has exhibited at the new Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, the Kunsthalle in Vienna, the Matisse Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Denver Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, as well as many international galleries.

Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art 2017
May 26 – August 20, 2017

The Orlando Museum of Art will present the fourth exhibition of Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. This exhibition will feature 10 of the most progressive and exciting artists working in the State today. Additionally, one of these outstanding artists will be selected to receive a significant monetary award. The award and invitational exhibition recognizes the achievement and potential of these artists and encourages their continued innovation and creation of new work. With this initiative, the Orlando Museum of Art underscores its commitment to support talented emerging and mid-career artists, while celebrating the vibrant cultural life of Florida.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233. 

Orlando Museum of Art Acquires a Painting by Noted Artist, Harold Garde

June 15, 2016

The Orlando Museum of Art is pleased to announce the acquisition of Dark Landscape, a painting created in 1965 by the renowned American artist Harold Garde. Garde’s extraordinary artistic career spans over 70 years. Graduating from Columbia University in 1951, Garde was immersed in the New York art world just as Abstract Expressionism was gaining worldwide attention. Garde’s paintings reflect his engagement with this movement and his regard for artists such as William de Kooning, Robert Motherwell and others working in New York at that time. While Garde’s work has shifted fluidly between abstraction and representation throughout his life, the spirit of creative discovery and the vitality of gestural painting, which are hallmarks of Abstract Expressionism, have remained central to Garde’s work.

Dark Landscape is an abstract composition that only hints at the subject of its title with pale yellows in the upper left that cast a sunset glow above a shadowy expanse of somber colors. The surface is animated by gestural brushwork, wild splatters, pigment that has been scraped and lines that have been carved through the paint with the end of a brush. The viewer senses the energy of the artist at work as he develops ideas in the painting and then responds to what he sees. As in other works of the period, Garde uses bold strokes of black paint to create a visual structure that holds together the fluid energy of the composition.

In 2015, the Orlando Museum of Art organized Harold Garde: Mid-Century to this Century, a solo exhibition of abstract painting which included Dark Landscape, along with others from the period as well as recent works. Also in 2015, Garde was the subject of a documentary about his life and studio practice, Art and Spirit, by the award winning filmmaker Dale Schierholt. The Museum is delighted to add this painting to its growing collection of mid-20th century American painting. For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Harold Garde, Dark Landscape, 1965, oil on board, 72 x 48 inches. © Harold Garde. Image courtesy of the artist. Acquired by the Orlando Museum of Art.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Noelle Mason Named The Recipient of the 2016 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art

ORLANDO, FL, May 20, 2016

Artist Noelle Mason has been named this year's recipient of the Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. OMA’s Director and CEO Glen Gentele made this announcement on Friday, May 13, 2016 at the Florida Prize Exhibition Opening Party.

“The artists and what they produce is what interests me. The 2016 Florida Prize exhibition features a group of artists who individually and collectively are exceptional. I want to thank each of them for their contributions to the field; it is an honor to be associated with them,” said Gentele.

Guests of the opening party were invited to cast a “People’s Choice” vote that was combined with 3 juror’s votes. The three jurors of the exhibition were: Shannon Fitzgerald, Hansen Mulford and Theo Lotz. The “People” and the jurors unanimously selected Noelle Mason as the winner of the Prize. This year’s prize was crowdfunded by the guests of the ticketed party and raised over $12,000.

Mason was one of 10 Florida-based artists selected to participate in this year's Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, an annual invitational exhibition that runs from May 13 – August 14 at the Orlando Museum of Art.

The artists chosen to be in this year's Florida Prize exhibition include: Anthea Behm, Gainesville; Adler Guerrier, Miami; María Martínez-Cañas, Miami; Noelle Mason, Tampa; Ernesto Oroza, Aventura; Matt Roberts, Deland; Dawn Roe, Winter Park; Kyle Trowbridge, Coral Gables; Michael Vasquez, Miami; and Sergio Vega, Gainesville.

“I was thrilled to join Hansen Mulford and Theo Lotz in the rewarding, but difficult task of making a decision to award one artist a prize in this compelling exhibition, especially considering the strong curatorial gathering in that each artist had rigorous bodies of work - as if 10 solo exhibitions unfolded,” stated Shannon Fitzgerald. “In discussion, all three of us were talking about Noelle's work alongside other artists for which each had a different positive response; the exchange brought about a thoughtful, firm, and then unanimous decision. Noelle Mason's work resonates in its nuanced transference of materials and contexts - and history and meaning - that has a visual impact that is poignant with a quiet gravitas.”

Theo Lotz said “I was struck by both the intellectual rigor and the aesthetic quality of her work. The objects themselves were very satisfying: beautifully made and poignant. I admire the consistency of her voice and her ability to translate that voice in various media. The work operated on multiple levels, and forced me to come back to it various times. It was an honor to serve as a judge for this important exhibition. The Florida Prize brings a spotlight to the diversity and seriousness of Florida’s artists.”

Mason is a trans-media artist who manipulates appropriated images, objects, and contexts to investigate and expose the subtle seductiveness of power facilitated by systems of visual control. Born in 1977 in Chula Vista, California, Mason received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her BA in Studio Art and Theatre from the University of California.

She was a participant of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Residency Program, and is the recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Artist Grant and the Illinois Art Council International Artist Grant. Mason has exhibited nationally and internationally in a variety of non-traditional spaces, galleries, and institutions including the Ybor City Campus Art Center; Thomas Robertello Gallery, Illinois; National Museum of the American Indian, New York; and Urban Institute of Contemporary Art, Michigan. Her work has been reviewed in The Miami Herald, The New York Times, and Chicago Reader. She is currently an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

“Noelle Mason’s weavings and embroideries present striking incongruities between their domestic crafts aesthetic and the chilling imagery they depict. Mason’s work investigates the nature of contemporary surveillance technologies and the impact of its ubiquitous presence in society. She challenges the widely held notion that such visual data is a truthful and value neutral record. Instead, she proposes that these technologies are inherently dehumanizing for both the subjects being recorded and for viewers who internalize its content,” said Hansen Mulford.

This is the third year that the Orlando Museum of Art has held its Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. The purpose of the exhibition is to bring a new level of support to Florida's most progressive artists by recognizing their contributions to the field and their impact on the cultural vitality of Florida. Technology and human geography are among the recurring themes examined by a number of this year’s artists. Some examples include mobile applications used by Matthew Roberts to create augmented reality experiences dependent on user location and video by Sergio Vega that explores an early Spanish Colonial author’s theory that the Garden of Eden was located deep in the Amazon River basin. These and many other works reflect the diversity of ideas and concerns that are brought together in the Florida Prize exhibition. Last year's recipient of the Florida Prize was Miami-based artist Farley Aguilar.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.

Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art 2016 Artists Announced

April 15, 2016

ORLANDO, April 15, 2016 – The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is an initiative of the Orlando Museum of Art that brings a new level of recognition to the State’s most progressive artists. The exhibition will be on view May 14 – August 14, 2016. Now in its third year, the exhibition will present ten outstanding artists, with one selected to receive the prize. These artists work in a range of media and artistic practices, often in new and unexpected ways. The challenging nature of their work will offer Museum visitors insight into the complex and exciting world of contemporary art in Florida.

This year’s artists are: Anthea Behm, Gainesville; Adler Guerrier, Miami; María Martínez-Cañas, Miami; Noelle Mason, Tampa; Ernesto Oroza, Aventura; Matt Roberts, Deland; Dawn Roe, Winter Park; Kyle Trowbridge, Coral Gables; Michael Vasquez, Miami; and Sergio Vega, Gainesville.

Technology and human geography are among the recurring themes examined by a number of this year’s artists. Some examples include mobile applications used by Matthew Roberts to create augmented reality experiences dependent on user location, tapestries by Noelle Mason that reproduce satellite images along the U.S. – Mexico border where human smuggling occurs, and video by Sergio Vega that explores an early Spanish Colonial author’s theory that the Garden of Eden was located deep in the Amazon River basin. These and many other works reflect the diversity of ideas and concerns that are brought together in the Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art.

The Orlando Museum of Art will kick the exhibition off with a spectacular Exhibition Opening Preview Party, from 7-10pm on May 13, 2016. The ticketed event will feature an array of tasty creations by 10 of Orlando's premier restaurants and caterers, each offering dishes inspired by the exhibiting artists. Guests can enjoy complimentary beer, wine and specialty drinks from our beverage sponsors, an opportunity to meet the artists and explore the exhibition. Guests will also have the opportunity to cast a “People’s Choice” vote for their favorite artist. 

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233. 

Orlando Museum of Art Checks-In to Hyatt Regency Orlando

March 31, 2016

ORLANDO, FLA. (March 31, 2016) – The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) and Hyatt Regency Orlando are proud to announce their recently formed partnership that brings selections from the OMA’s Contemporary American Graphics Collection and the work of Central Florida artists from OMA’s monthly 1st Thursdays event to the Hyatt Regency Orlando and their guests.

“This partnership is one that fosters community, highlights local talent and fuses together different parts of Orlando. Our property looks forward to the opportunities that will stem from this new cooperative effort,” says Brian Comes, General Manager of Hyatt Regency Orlando.

The local artists on display at the Hyatt Regency Orlando include: Sabrina Etheridge, Del Cain, Arielle-Christine Study, Jose Pardo and Lisa Rodriguez. These artists have all been selected from those who have participated in OMA’s monthly 1st Thursdays event in the past year.

1st Thursdays is Orlando’s “original art party.” From 6-9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month, Central Florida has an opportunity to discover local artists, listen to live music and mingle with an eclectic mix of people. There are cash bars serving wine, beer, soft drinks and water, and café offerings from area restaurants. The works in this collaboration are located on the lobby level of the Hyatt Regency Orlando and will rotate every quarter. All pieces are available for purchase in the O-Shop at the Orlando Museum of Art.

“This partnership is not only a great opportunity to engage visitors to Central Florida with local art, but also encourages them to visit the Orlando Museum of Art and experience firsthand the phenomenal collections, exhibitions, programs and other events we have to offer,” Azela Santana, OMA’s Associate Curator.

The works found on the pool level showcase the OMA’s Contemporary American Graphics Collection and are all a part of the Corporate Lease Program. These pieces are organized and facilitated by the Orlando Museum of Art’s Council of 101.

The Contemporary American Graphics Collection includes over 275 fine art prints created by many of the most significant artists of the past 50 years. Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, Alex Katz and Kiki Smith are just a few of the artists represented in the collection who have influenced developments in contemporary art during this period. The collection also includes prints by exciting young and mid-career artists who are achieving international recognition. Will Cotton, Tomory Dodge and Amy Sillman are among those whose innovative work is contributing to the ongoing vitality of printmaking. Annual acquisitions allow the collection to continue to be a timely survey of today’s best work.

The Orlando Museum of Art’s Council of 101 Corporate Lease Program makes a select number of works from the American Graphics Collection available for lease to businesses and organizations in Central Florida. By placing leased prints in publicly accessible spaces, they provide the community an opportunity to experience original, museum quality art and learn about the art and artists of our time. Leased prints are delivered, installed and monitored by Museum staff to ensure a professional presentation and the safety of leased art works. Lease fees are used exclusively for new acquisitions and care of the American Graphics Collection.

###

About Hyatt Regency Orlando
Located in the heart of Orlando's International Drive resort area and directly connected to the Orange County Convention Center, Hyatt Regency Orlando offers unparalleled leisure, meetings and convention facilities. Featuring 1,639 guestrooms and 315,000 square feet of meeting space - and with over two million square feet of space in the Orange County Convention Center to which the hotel is attached - Hyatt Regency Orlando is the largest convention hotel for the brand in the United States.  Other hotel amenities include: The Spa, the hotel's 22,000 square-foot, full service spa and hair salon; and the Fitness Center, an 8,000 square-foot facility that includes group exercise classes, spinning and over 50 pieces of state-of-the-art equipment. Dining options include both full service and self-serve outlets that range from Urban Tide, featuring Florida seafood and chic coastal cuisine in a stylish setting, to Rocks, the see-and-be-seen hot spot for locals and guests alike; plus Fiorenzo Italian Steakhouse, with a selection of steaks, chops, seafood and pasta specialties. Hyatt Regency Orlando offers business and leisure guests authentic hospitality and energizing experiences while working or visiting Orlando, which was named one of the “52 Places to Visit in 2015” by The New York Times and one of the “Best Wine Travel Destinations” by Wine Enthusiast. For more information and reservations call 407.284.1234 or visit www.orlando.regency.hyatt.com

Media Contacts:

Hyatt Regency Orlando
Katie Satava
407.345.4518
katie.satava@hyatt.com

Orlando Museum of Art
Michael Caibio
407.896.4231, ext. 233
mcaibio@omart.org

“The InFlux Series: Will Cotton” and “The Sources: Paintings and Drawings by Steve Lotz”

March 9, 2016

ORLANDO, March 9, 2016 – Two captivating exhibitions will share the spotlight as the Orlando Museum of Art simultaneously presents “The InFlux Series: Will Cotton” and “The Sources: Paintings and Drawings by Steve Lotz.” The internationally recognized artists, Will Cotton and Steve Lotz, will be in attendance at the exhibition opening reception, this Friday, March 11th. Museum Members will get an early preview at 6pm. Both exhibitions will open to the general public at 7pm.

“The InFlux Series: Will Cotton” and “The Sources: Paintings and Drawings by Steve Lotz” will be on view through June 5, 2016.

The InFlux Series: Will Cotton
Presented here is the first ever exhibition examining artist Will Cotton’s entire working process, from concept sketch, to costumes, to prints and paintings. Cotton is known for depicting an astonishing world, composed of an abundance of sugary sweets. Figures pose languidly in settings where landscapes are cakes and icing, seas are whipped cream and clouds are cotton candy. These appear to be utopian realms where all desires are indulged without guilt or consequence. The flawless naturalism with which Cotton renders this idealized world makes it both more seductive and more remote from ordinary experience.

It is important for Cotton that the world he has created is convincing on its own terms. In the past several years, Cotton has explored the question of what women might wear in this confectionary paradise. To that end, Cotton has focused on solitary female figures posed in a variety of distinctive clothing designs he has created using the materials available in a world where everything is made of sweets (frosting, sugar bags, cotton candy, cupcakes). Though their attire may be absurd to those bound to commonplace reality, tiaras of lollipops, hats of French macarons and gowns of whipped cream are all haute couture in Cotton’s world.

While Cotton’s fantastic subject matter is visually arresting, his work is made more compelling by the beauty of his draftsmanship and painterly techniques. This can be seen in a number of preparatory drawings that range from quick sketches of details on a dress to fully developed oil studies that are the basis of finished paintings and prints. His process of refining ideas with drawings and maquettes is similar to the preparations made by painters in centuries past.

Cotton began working in lithography in 2010. Lithography is a printmaking process that is perfectly suited to capturing the beautiful qualities of line and tone that characterize Cotton’s drawings. Since then, Cotton has developed a passion for lithography and produced a significant body of work in the medium. Following this passion, he came to Flying Horse Editions (FHE), the fine arts press of the University of Central Florida in 2015. While at FHE, he produced three editioned prints. One of these, Candy Crown, was commissioned by ArtNews for the cover of its summer 2015 edition.

The Sources: Paintings and Drawings by Steve Lotz
In a career that now spans 57 years, Steve Lotz has created a distinctive visual vocabulary of symbolic and archetypal forms drawn from the “Sources” that inspire his work. These sources are very personal and, through his philosophical outlook, are also linked to universal themes. The large-scale drawings, paintings and collages presented in this exhibition reflect his engagement with these themes and are expressions of his spiritual connections to the world, to nature and to the cosmos.

Lotz began his studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, were he received a BFA, before attending graduate school at the University of Florida. After receiving his MFA, Lotz came to Central Florida in 1968 to create the Art Department at the University of Central Florida (UCF), serving as chairman of the department for its first 10 years. He stayed at UCF until he retired as a professor emeritus in 2003. During this period, he established a successful career as an internationally recognized artist with numerous exhibitions in the United States and Europe. His best known work in Central Florida is perhaps his monumental triptych, Florida Dream. Installed in the main terminal of the Orlando International Airport, it has greeted millions of visitors to Orlando since 1980.

In the 1970s, Lotz produced a striking group of drawings on black paper that depict ethereal worlds in which elemental forms and sometimes human figures appear engaged in procreative events. In some drawings, the figures move to embrace while writhing animated forms, some of which allude to sexual organs, swirl around them. The strong vertical compositions of several works reference the lingam, an ancient Hindu phallic symbol that represents the god Shiva and his male creative power. Materializing out of darkness, these figures and the sinuous forms around them, move together in a pulsing visual rhythm that suggests primordial energies at work.

The symbolic content and visionary construct of the drawings continued to shape Lotz’s work in the years that followed, even as his primary medium shifted to painting. Universal procreative forces are also central themes seen in his recent paintings included in this exhibition. These themes are expressed through images that are more serene and meditative than his earlier drawings. Elaborate leaf structures, swollen fruits, scattered seeds, flowers and birds, as symbolic elements, dominate these images, appearing to remain still or float in soft atmospheric fields. The visual rhythms in these works are created by botanical tendrils that twist and curl through space, evoking a quiet but active generative force.

In his recent paintings, Lotz introduces vistas comprised of cloud-filled skies and wide, dark seas. Their atmospheres are soft and misty; their light is cool and defused. The foreground contains elements silhouetted in shadow against the sky, with occasional bright highlights causing a leaf, ribbon, flower or bird to glow with ethereal light. These are dream-like visions of transcendent metaphysical realms, related to, but apart from common earthbound reality.

Lotz does not follow a religious practice, he does believe in a spiritual force within us that connects us to all things in the universe. He developed this belief based on his life-long appreciation of Eastern philosophy, the writings of Carl Jung and others, and his own profound personal experiences. Lotz has chosen to access and explore this spiritual state through art.

The Sources: Paintings and Drawings by Steve Lotz is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art and presented in conjunction with the community-wide celebration, Art Legends of Orange County. This collaboration runs throughout the 2015-2016 arts season and includes more than 15 exhibitions and events. Art Legends of Orange County celebrates 20 distinguished artists and patrons who helped build Orange County’s vibrant cultural landscape. The full exhibition schedule and link to the virtual exhibition are available at www.ArtLegendsOC.org.

The Orlando Museum of Art’s mission is to inspire creativity, passion and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. Its purpose is to interpret and present the most compelling art for the public to experience, and to positively affect people’s lives with innovative and inspiring education programs that will endure as a cultural legacy in Central Florida.

For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233. 

Working with the Arts Stimulates Economy and Local Businesses

By Joseph Meterchick , regional president for the Florida West region at PNC Bank

In Nepal, a teen bride wails as she leaves her family home. In Mexico, teenagers at the beach mingle and preen. Through the transformative power of art, we are transported to each poignant time and place — that’s why art matters.

The unspoken word and brilliance of art allow us to share private moments and experience emotions we might never have had the opportunity to feel or see first-hand. Through the arts — be it photography, painting, music, sculptures or the performing arts — we can be introduced to fresh ideas. Art enriches our quality of life, eliciting wonder in children and inspiring whole communities. 

It’s why projects such as the Women of Vision: On Assignment with National Geographic Photographers exhibit that highlights the influential photography of 11 award-winning female journalists at the Orlando Museum of Art, January 23 - April 25 are important.

The arts are an economic driver — creating jobs, boosting tourism and connecting with broader audiences to help sustain arts organizations and invigorate the business districts around them. By advancing corporate and cultural partnerships, we can help spur the economy and build up the arts community.

According to the Florida Department of State–Division of Cultural Affairs, the arts and culture industry also generates $22.3 billion in revenue to local, state and federal governments every year, a yield well beyond their collective $4 billion in arts allocations. Locally, Florida is home to 29,735 creative industries establishments, which generate $49.7 billion in annual revenue throughout the state.

From end to end, there is a common thread that recognizes and understands the challenges, risks and achievements routinely experienced by every one of us, whether we’re deciding when to expand a business or how to tell a compelling story with a camera. The Women of Vision exhibit at the Orlando Museum of Art not only complements Orlando’s already-vibrant arts community, it supports the cultural vitality of this region.

Today, Orlando has a vibrant local art scene, and businesses should have more of a common interest in learning how corporate and cultural partnerships could affect their business positively.

Our confidence in the power of engaging cultural programs to strengthen communities and our commitment to the arts is felt in every market we serve. So much so, thatPNC recently pledged a three-year commitment to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and the Orlando Science Center to provide critical resources needed to enhance access to programs in the arts and sciences for hundreds of pre-K students, their families and early childhood educators. We also actively support the Orlando Philharmonic and the Orlando Ballet among many others.

We will continue to work closely with the arts community, watching visitors be transported to corners of the globe and stand witness to the glories of nature and cultures. I encourage companies large and small to do the same. Together, give us all a chance to learn more about each other and the world we share.

Image credit: Diane Cook and Len Jenshel, Green Roofs, 2009

‘Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment’ Exhibition

Opens Jan. 23 at the Orlando Museum of Art

Traveling Exhibition Sponsored By PNC Celebrates Work of 11 Inspiring Female Photojournalists

ORLANDO, Dec. 8, 2015 —“Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment” will open at the Orlando Museum of Art on Jan. 23, 2016. Highlighting the influential photography of 11 award-winning female photojournalists, the traveling exhibition is sponsored by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) and will be in Orlando until April 25, 2016.

“Women of Vision” features nearly 100 photographs, including moving depictions of far-flung cultures, compelling illustrations of conceptual topics such as memory and teenage brain chemistry, and arresting images of social issues like child marriage and 21st-century slavery. In addition to the photographs, visitors will have an opportunity to learn how National Geographic magazine picture editors work closely with the photographers to select images and tell a story. Video vignettes will present first-person accounts that reveal the photographers’ individual styles, passions and approaches to their craft.

“For the last decade, some of our most powerful stories have been produced by a new generation of photojournalists who are women. These women are as different as the places and the subjects they have covered, but they all share the same passion and commitment to storytelling that has come to define National Geographic,” said Kathryn Keane, vice president of National Geographic Exhibitions. “The exhibition reaffirms the Society’s position as a respected leader in the field of photography.”

The exhibition underscores National Geographic’s history of documenting the world through photography and its ongoing commitment to supporting photographers as important and innovative storytellers who can make a difference with their work.

PNC’s involvement in the arts is well established throughout its footprint. The bank believes in the power of culturally engaging programs to strengthen the communities where its employees and clients can thrive.

“This National Geographic exhibit beautifully embodies the courage and passion women face throughout the world, while capturing stolen moments of their personal and cultural conflicts and vitality,” said Joseph Meterchick, regional president, PNC Bank, Florida West. “It reminds us there is a common thread between recognizing and understanding the challenges, risks and achievements routinely experienced by successful women, whether they’re deciding when to expand a business venture or how to tell a compelling story with a camera.  PNC, Orlando Museum of Art and National Geographic have a common interest in women who achieve.”

PNC and National Geographic have collectively selected exhibition venues based on quality of site and relationships with museum management to ensure a first class exhibition with the ideal local partners, like the Orlando Museum of Art.

“We are pleased to host ‘Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment,’ and greatly appreciate PNC’s support of this important exhibition,” said Glen Gentele, director and CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art. "The work of these 11 extraordinary photographers inspires us to see beyond ourselves. Their images have captured the world’s imagination with riveting and historic, passionate and dire moments that positively impact our lives.”

“Women of Vision” was curated by National Geographic Senior Photo Editor Elizabeth Krist, who had the challenging task of choosing a selection of images to best represent the broad portfolios of the 11 extraordinary photographers: 

1. Jodi Cobb has worked in over 65 countries and produced 30 NGM stories, including "21st -Century Slaves," which was among the most popular stories in the magazine's history. Cobb was the only photographer to penetrate the geisha world, which resulted in her Pulitzer Prize-nominated book, "Geisha: The Life, the Voices, the Art." She was also the first photographer to document the hidden lives of the women of Saudi Arabia and among the first to travel across China when it reopened to the West. She has received numerous accolades, including repeated honors from the National Press Photographers Association, Pictures of the Year, and World Press Photo, as well as receiving the 2012 Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism. Cobb was also the first woman to be named White House Photographer of the Year. 
2. Pulitzer Prize winner and MacArthur Fellow Lynsey Addario is widely admired for her conflict coverage in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Darfur and the Congo. Featured assignment work includes images that document human rights issues, particularly the plight of women and families in conflict zones.
3. Kitra Cahana explores important social, anthropological, and spiritual themes. Born in Miami, but raised in Canada and Sweden, Kitra earned her BA in Philosophy from McGill University and her MA in Visual and Media Anthropology from the Freie Universitat in Berlin.  She has won a first prize from World Press Photo, a TED Fellowship and the ICP Infinity Award. Her work includes images taken on assignment for NGM’s important feature on the teenage brain and culture in the United States.
4. Diane Cook is a leading landscape photographer whose work is in numerous collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego, and the L.A. County Museum in Los Angeles. Cook often works collaboratively with her husband Len Jenshel.  Their NGM stories have covered New York’s elevated park the High Line, Mount St. Helens, Green Roofs, the Na’Pali Coast of Hawaii, the US-Mexico border, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  
5. Carolyn Drake is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Fellowship, the Lange Taylor Documentary Prize, a World Press Photo award, and was a finalist for the Santa Fe Prize. She has spent years documenting the cultures of Central Asia and life in western China’s Uygur region.
6. A Knight Fellow and passionate advocate for visual arts education, Lynn Johnson has covered a wide range of assignments for NGM, producing images for 21 stories on subjects including vanishing languages and challenges facing human populations in Africa and Asia. Johnson has also participated in photo camps in Chad, Botswana, and at the Pine Ridge reservation. She has received several awards including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Coverage of the Disadvantaged.
7. Beverly Joubert is a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, filmmaker, photographer and co-founder of the Big Cat Initiative. Together with her husband, Dereck Joubert, they have been documenting the plight of African wildlife for over 30 years. Beverly's images have appeared in National Geographic Magazine, over a hundred magazines worldwide, and they have co-authored several books and scientific papers. The Jouberts have produced over 25 television documentaries and a feature film, The Last Lions (2011), which has reached over 350 million people worldwide. These films have received many awards from around the globe including 7 Emmys, a Peabody, Panda Awards and conservation accolades including the World Ecology Award, an induction into the American Academy of Achievement and the Presidential Order of Meritorious for their conservation work in Botswana.  In 2011 '60 Minutes' (CBS) did a profile on their lives, documenting their film and conservation work in Africa.
8. Erika Larsen studies cultures with strong ties to nature.  She published a 2009 story in NGM on the Sami reindeer herders of Scandinavia, an assignment which grew out of her own documentary work for which she lived and worked within the culture for over 4 years.  Larsen received a BFA and MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology and is the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship and a New Jersey State Arts Council Fellowship, Erika’s photography has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery and the Sami Ájtte Museum in Sweden.
9. Stephanie Sinclair’s decade-long project on child marriage has earned global recognition, including three World Press Photo awards and prestigious exhibitions on Capitol Hill, at the United Nations and at the Whitney Biennial in New York. Scenes from Yemen and from polygamist families in the Fundamentalist Church of the Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will also be displayed.
10. A celebrated figure in the photographic community, Maggie Steber has worked in over 62 countries and her images have earned several prestigious honors, including the Leica Medal of Excellence and World Press Photo awards. NGM has published her essays on Miami, the African slave trade, the Cherokee Nation, sleep, soldiers' letters, Dubai and a story on the science of memory that featured a touching sidebar on Steber’s mother Madje and her struggle with dementia.
11. Amy Toensing began her prolific career covering the White House and Congress for the New York Times. She has created portraits of unforgettable people around the world while shooting NGM stories in Papua New Guinea, Puerto Rico, the Jersey Shore, and Tonga. For the past 3 years, she has been documenting Aboriginal Australia for a story that was published in the June 2013 issue of NGM. Toensing is also committed to teaching photography to kids in underserved communities. She has worked with Somali and Sudanese refugees in Maine and Burmese refugees in Baltimore, and recently traveled to Islamabad to teach young Pakistanis.

Full details on the exhibition, including photo galleries and links to related National Geographic magazine content, are available at wovexhibition.org.

About National Geographic
National Geographic is a global nonprofit membership organization driven by a passionate belief in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world. We fund hundreds of research and conservation projects around the globe each year. With the support of our members and donors, we work to inspire, illuminate and teach through scientific expeditions, award-winning journalism, education initiatives and more. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com and find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About PNC
This exhibition is supported by PNC and The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (www.pnc.com). PNC is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services organizations providing retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management; and asset management. Follow @PNCNews on Twitter for breaking news, updates and announcements from PNC.

About Orlando Museum of Art
The Orlando Museum of Art is a creative change agent for education and the center for artistic engagement, as well as a place for civic, cultural and economic development. Its mission is to inspire creativity, passion and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. Its purpose is to interpret and present the most compelling art for the public to experience, and to positively affect people’s lives with innovative and inspiring education programs that will endure as a cultural legacy in Central Florida. 

WOMEN OF VISION EXHIBIT

PERMITTED USE: This image may be downloaded or is otherwise provided at no charge for one-time use for coverage or promotion of the National Geographic exhibit "Women of Vision” and exclusively in conjunction thereof.  Copying, distribution, archiving, sublicensing, sale, or resale of the image is prohibited.

REQUIRED CREDIT AND CAPTION: Any and all image uses must  (1) be properly credited to the relevant photographer, as shown in this metadata, and (2) be accompanied by a caption that makes reference to the National Geographic exhibit "Women of Vision.”

DEFAULT: Failure to comply with the prohibitions and requirements set forth above will obligate the individual or entity receiving this image to pay a fee determined by National Geographic.

Please include a link to the Women of Vision website for online use: http://wovexhibition.org/

Images can be found on the ftp site:

http://press.nationalgeographic.com/downloads/exhibit_women_of_vision

user name:  press
password:  press

CREDIT LINES

BEVERLY JOUBERT
A leopard’s spotted coat provides camouflage in the dense forest.

BEVERLY JOUBERT
In a hunting game with her mother, a young leopard leaps through tall grass.

AMY TOENSING
A farmer and his children play in a water-starved where his livestock once grazed.

AMY TOENSING
Longtime Ocean Grove visitors take a dip in the roiling Atlantic surf.

CAROLYN DRAKE
In Hotan, a Uygur town with a rising Han Chinese population, Uygurs socialize at their own nightclubs.

CAROLYN DRAKE
To guide their decision-making, the Kyrgyz often seek out shamans to read their fortune with cards.

ERIKA LARSEN
A Sami in Sweden mourns the loss of two reindeer that starved after locking horns in a fight for dominance.

ERIKA LARSEN
Tepee-style structures are common in Sami villages, where they are often used to smoke reindeer meat.

DIANE COOK AND LEN JENSHEL
Thousands of grasses and plants were used to create Chicago City Hall’s award-winning rooftop.

DIANE COOK AND LEN JENSHEL
A double rainbow arcs above the jagged cliffs and dense vegetation of Kalalau, the largest valley on Na Pali.

JODI COBB
Prostitutes, who are known as cage girls and are often sex slaves, display themselves on a Mumbai street.

JODI COBB
A woman in Florence, Italy, savors the message on a large greeting card.

KITRA CAHANA
Getting her tongue pierced was “exciting and scary” says a teen who succumbed to pressure from her best friend.

KITRA CAHANA
After working himself into a trance, a man leaps through a flaming pyre.

LYNN JOHNSON
Comatose and on a ventilator, a bird flu patient in Hanoi who was not expected to live made a remarkable recovery.

LYNSEY ADDARIO
Women—mostly widows—train for police force jobs at a firing range near Kabul.

LYNSEY ADDARIO
Moviegoers thrill to shaking seats and wind machines during a 3-D film at a theater closed during the war.

MAGGIE STEBER
The photographer’s mother, Madje Steber, suffered severe memory loss during her final years at a Florida facility.

MAGGIE STEBER
Nestled in their bed in Miami, Florida, four young sisters nap on a Sunday afternoon after attending church.

STEPHANIE SINCLAIR
A lieutenant in the elite female counterterrorism unit patrols the women’s barracks.

STEPHANIE SINCLAIR
Nujood Ali stunned the world in 2008 by obtaining a divorce at age ten in Yemen, striking a blow against forced marriage.

Group Photo:

Photo by Mark Thiessen/National Geographic

The 11 award-winning female photojournalists who are featured in National Geographic's exhibition “Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment,” which opened at the National Geographic Museum on Thursday, Oct. 10.  From left: Erika Larsen, Kitra Cahana, Jodi Cobb, Amy Toensing, Carolyn Drake, Beverly Joubert, Stephanie Sinclair, Diane Cook, Lynn Johnson, Maggie Steber and Lynsey Addario.

###

CONTACTS:

PNC Bank
Zoraya Suarez
407-271-2694
Zoraya.suarez@pnc.com

National Geographic
Farley Fitzgerald
202-775-6119
Farley.Fitzgerald@natgeo.com

Orlando Museum of Art
Michael Laderman
407-896-4231, ext. 239
mladerman@omart.org

Warren and Augusta Hume Foundation Give $10K for Exhibition Season Sponsorship

December 4, 2015

Warren and Augusta Hume Foundation Give $10K to OMA for 2015-2016 Exhibition Season Sponsorship.

To see our current Exhibition Season Sponsors, visit our ABOUT page.

To learn more about becoming an Exhibition Season Sponsor, click HERE or contact Jake White at 407.896.4231 ext. 235 or jwhite@omart.org.

SunTrust Donates $25K to OMA for Audio/Visual and Technology Upgrades

December 2, 2015

SunTrust Foundation donates $25K to the Orlando Museum of Art its State of Sound and Light Audio/Visual and Wi-Fi Technology Upgrade Project.

Related Stories

Orlando Museum of Art receives $10,675 donation from SunTrust Foundation...

SunTrust Donates $25K to OMA for Audio/Visual and Technology Upgrades

OMA announces new goals, vision for its future in Central Florida

ORLANDO, Florida – The Orlando Museum of Art has announced the completion of a one-year strategic planning process that examined the Museum’s history, its present standing, and where it should aspire to go as a 21st century cultural institution in service to the Central Florida community, Director and CEO Glen Gentele said at a press conference today [Tuesday, September 29].

As such, the Forward to 100 report formally adopted by the Orlando Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees two weeks ago suggest that OMA look to develop a new museum to serve the community, and that the target location of such an institution be in the urban core of Orlando.

To do so and understand the potential for such an initiative, the Orlando Museum of Art has entered into a development agreement with Tavistock Development Company. Tavistock will assist OMA with their technical and development expertise essential to accomplishing the goal set forth by OMA’s Board of Trustees.

“The agreement with Tavistock is a first step to creating a clear and comprehensive understanding of the possibilities for OMA, and how best we might get there,” Gentele explained.

“We are pleased to be working with Tavistock Development Company, and examining together the potential of the Orlando Museum of Art’s future,” added Ted Brown, Chairman of OMA’s Strategic Planning Committee. “With Tavistock’s assistance, we will be able to better understand and examine the potential for realizing this bold vision for the future.”

In adopting OMA’s “Forward to 100” plan [that focuses on the next nine years, leading to the Orlando Museum of Art’s 100th anniversary], the Board of Trustees also approved new mission, vision, purpose, and value statements.

MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of the Orlando Museum of Art is to inspire creativity, passion and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas.

VISION: The Orlando Museum of Art is to be a creative change agent for education and the center for artistic engagement, as well as a place for civic, cultural and economic development.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Orlando Museum of Art is to interpret and present the most compelling art for the public to experience, and to positively affect people’s lives with innovative and inspiring education programs that will endure as a cultural legacy in Central Florida.

VALUES: In the furtherance of these ideas, OMA embraces and puts forth the following core values that are the measurement standard against which the activities of the Museum are to be gauged.

• Focus on Impact
• Flexibility and Resiliency
• Boldness
• Authenticity, Trust and Accessibility
• Active Participation and Ownership

To see a video presentation of FORWARD TO 100 that highlights our strategic plan, please visit this YOUTUBE LINK >

OMA to host preview reception for MetaModern and Harold Garde: Mid-Century to this Century

ORLANDO, Florida — Two exciting exhibits will share the spotlight, as the Orlando Museum of Art hosts MetaModern and Harold Garde: Mid-Century to this Century.  The exhibits will open with a preview reception this Friday, September 25 [OMA Members preview at 6 p.m.; general public opening at 7 p.m.].

MetaModern will be on view until December 6; Harold Garde: Mid-Century to this Century will be on view until January 3, 2016.

In the fresh and provocative work presented in MetaModern, contemporary artists refer both literally and conceptually to iconic design objects of the mid-20th century. This exhibition includes video, sculpture and works on paper by 19 international artists that include Conrad Bakker, Constantin Boym, Kendell Carter, Jordi Colomer, William Cordova, Elmgreen and Dragset, Fernanda Fragateiro, Terence Gower, Olga Koumoundouros, Jill Magid, Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, Dorit Margreiter, Josiah McElheny, Edgar Orlaineta, Gabriel Sierra, Simon Starling, Clarissa Tossin, Barbara Visser and James Welling.

Facts, photos and additional information regarding MetaModern can be viewed at: METAMODERN DROPBOX LINK

Harold Garde: Mid-Century to this Century brings together over 35 paintings that represent two distinct periods of the artist’s work highlighting the breadth of Garde’s career, while revealing a continuity of purpose that has been the foundation of hs artistic development. Garde’s extraordinary artistic career spans over 70 years. Graduating from Columbia University in 1951, Garde was immersed in the New York art world just as Abstract Expressionism was gaining worldwide attention. His early engagement with this movement is reflected in a lifetime of work that is imbued with expressive vitality and creative discovery.

Facts, photos and videos of Harold Garde and his work can be viewed at: HAROLD GARDE DROPBOX LINK

On Sunday, September 27 [1:30-3 p.m.], the Orlando Museum of Art will also host Dale Schierholt’s intimate film portrait of Garde, “Art & Spirit.”  For information on this viewing [that is FREE to the general public], visit:

omart.org/events/event_detail/736/film_harold_garde_art_spirit/

The Orlando Museum of Art is open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, noon-4 p.m. For more information, visit www.omart.org or call 407-896-4231.

-30-

Image credit: Conrad Bakker, Untitled Project: Eames Armchair Rocker (+ Walden), 2012, oil on carved maple wood, 28 x 25 x 28 in., Courtesy of the artist, © Conrad Bakker. Organized by Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Curators: Ginger Gregg Duggan and Judith Hoos Fox of c2-curatorsquared. Funding provided by Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, Fox Development Corporation, Frances P. Rohlen Visiting Artists Fund / College of Fine + Applied Arts, and Krannert Art Museum Director’s Circle. Partial support provided by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; Harold Garde, Big Band Jazz, ca. 2015, acrylic on canvas, 55 x 60 in., Collection of the artist, © Harold Garde, Photo by Raymond Martinot.

OMA Acquires Farley Aguilar's 'School'

ORLANDO, Florida — The Orlando Museum of Art has acquired Farley Aguilar's School (2015), a painting by this year’s recipient of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, OMA Director and CEO Glen Gentele announced today.

It was purchased with funds provided by the Charles E. Meiner Acquisition Trust Endowment Fund.

School depicts a group of children arranged for a class picture in front of a one-room school house. Aguilar’s paintings often have a nightmare quality in which the bizarre and the familiar co-mingle in an atmosphere of anxiety and dread. The subject matter of his paintings are old photographs  of unidentified figures and situations. “I take every day snap shots from the past and expose the hidden transcendental qualities within the mundane photograph,” Aguilar stated.

Aguilar imagines the many dark secrets and complex interrelations that might exist among the individuals he sees in each photograph and reveals this in his paintings. Underlining much of the work is a suspicion of social organizations, such as schools, which  exert pressure on individuals to conform to accepted norms and vilify the outsider.

Aguilar was born in Managua, Nicaragua in 1981 and attended Florida International University, Miami, Florida. His individual exhibitions include Americana, Spinello Projects Gallery, Miami, Florida (2012); The Fates, Spinello Projects Gallery, Miami, Florida (2010); and Ulf, Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Hollywood, Florida (2010). His recent group exhibitions include Alternative Contemporaneity: Temporary Autonomous Zones, Museum of Contemporary Art - North Miami, Miami Florida (2015); Carnival, Fondation Frances, Paris, France (2013); Course Discourse, Richman Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland (2012); Jammed, General Practice, Miami, Florida (2011); Bitches Brew, Gallery Poulsen Contemporary Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark (2011); Abracadabra, Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Hollywood, Florida (2010); and Friends of Friends, Garfo Art Center, Salt Lake City, Utah (2010). 

His work has been featured through Spinello Projects Gallery at VOLTA, New York, New York (2014); VOLTA, Basel, Switzerland (2014); Art Los Angeles Contemporary, Los Angeles, California (2013); SCOPE Art Fair, New York, New York (2012); SCOPE Art Fair, Trisection, Miami, Florida (2011) and SCOPE Art Fair, Basel, Switzerland (2011). His work is included in private collections, including the Susan and Michael Hort Collection, New York; Gail and Stanley Hollander Collection, Los Angeles; Brown University Art Collection, Providence, Rhode Island; Cricket Taplin Collection, Miami; Paul and Estelle Berg, Miami; and Beth Rudin DeWoody, New York. Aguilar currently lives and works in Miami, Florida and is represented by Spinello Projects, Miami.

DOWNLOAD "SCHOOL" HERE >

Credit Line:
Farley Aguilar
School, 2015
Oil on linen
65 1/2 x 95 inches
The Charles E. Meiner Acquisition Trust Endowment Fund Purchase 2015
© 2015 Farley Aguilar
Photo by Raymond Martinot

Staples Foundation Contributes to The State of Sound and Light Project

September 9, 2015

Staples Foundation Contributes $1,000 to The State of Sound and Light Project. The State of Sound and Light Project is a technology upgrade and expansion of the Museum’s wireless internet and audiovisual systems designed to improve our both exhibition and educational programming.

Macy’s Foundation Donates $2,500 in Support of Creative Connections

July 16, 2015

Macy’s Foundation donates $2,500 in support of the Creative Connections 2016 program season. Creative Connections is an interactive program that connects children and adults with developmental disorders (such as autism spectrum disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder {ADHD}, or vision impairment); physical disabilities; and special needs, as well as their families and caregivers, to the world around them through art and creative expression.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CREATIVE CONNECTIONS >

OMA to Present Selections from the Contemporary American Graphics Collection

July 10, 2015

More than 150 prints -- including works by major artists of the past 50 years -- will be available for businesses and organizations in Central Florida to lease, as the Orlando Museum of Art's Council of 101 Corporate Lease Program hosts an exhibition of the Museum’s Contemporary American Graphics Collection. 

Selections from the Contemporary American Graphics Collection -- the most comprehensive of its kind in Florida -- will be available and open to the public from July 11-26 at the Orlando Museum of Art.

Artists' work that will be available include those from Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol and others who helped establish the primacy of American art in the mid-20th century.  These are followed by key artists working in a succession of expressive modes that include hardedge and lyrical abstraction, minimalism, conceptual art, photorealism, neo-expressionism and other styles associated with contemporary art in the past two decades.

"The works in this collection reflect extraordinary developments in fine art printmaking since the 1960s," explained Hansen Mulford, the Orlando Museum of Art's curator. "During this period, a number of adventurous young master printers established workshops that included new models for working collaboratively with artists. Shops such as Universal Limited Art Editions (U.L.A.E.), Tamarind Lithography Workshop and Gemini G.E.L. sought out leading artists of the day and challenged them to be experimental and innovative with print media. Artists were given the opportunity to work with teams of skilled master printers in a studio environment where ideas were freely exchanged in an effort to produce ground breaking work. The results achieved from that time to the present established fine art printmaking as a major genre within contemporary art. Featured in this exhibition are selected prints from the collection that are available for lease through the Council of 101 Corporate Lease Program."

Beginning in 1975 with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Contemporary American Graphics Collection was fueled by volunteer support and further funding from the Museum’s Council of 101. The Corporate Lease Program is administered by Council of 101 volunteers who oversee the leasing of a limited number of these prints to businesses and organizations in Central Florida. In placing this artwork in publicly accessible areas, the Council of 101 provides additional opportunities for the Museum to display its collection to a public audience. The collected fees enable the purchase of new prints, therefore allowing the collection to grow year after year. After a designated time, each print is retired from the Corporate Lease Program and exhibited only in the Museum.

For more information about the Corporate Lease Program, please contact the Council of 101 office at 407.896.4231 ext. 254 or councilof101@omart.org.

-30-

IMAGE DOWNLOAD

Image credit: Alison Elizabeth Taylor, Scratch, 2013
, Screenprint, archival ink jet, laser cut wood veneer, collage, silver and gold leaf, edition 15/30
20 1/2 x 28 in. 
Purchased with funds provided by the Council of 101. © The Artist / Courtesy James Cohan Gallery, New York and Shanghai.

Farley Aguilar Named Recipient of 2015 Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art

July 9, 2015

Miami's Farley Aguilar has been named this year's recipient of the Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, OMA's Director and CEO Glen Gentele announced today [Thursday, July 9].

Aguilar was one of 10 Florida-based artists selected to participate in this year's Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, an annual invitational exhibition that runs for three months at the Orlando Museum of Art.  The exhibition is on view until September 6.  This year's Florida Prize award is $20,000.

"Farley's work epitomizes the very best of today's emerging contemporary artists in Florida," Gentele said. "His unique and creative style has not only stood out to the selection committee who judged this year's Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, but also those who have visited the Orlando Museum of Art to see this amazing exhibition."

Three jurors selected Aguilar as this year's recipient of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art: Juan Roselione-Valadez, director of the Rubell Family Collection in Miami; Ginger Gregg Duggan, independent curator and partner of curatorsquared, Orlando; and Ben Thompson, curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville.

The other artists chosen to be in this year's Florida Prize in Contemporary Art include: Bhakti Baxter [Miami]; Cesar Cornejo [Tampa]; Michael Covello [Tampa]; Rob Duarte [Tallahassee]; Jennifer Kaczmarek [Pensacola]; Nicolas Lobo [Miami]; Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz [Orlando]; Alex Trimino [Miami]; and Antonia Wright [Miami].

"This was a difficult decision to choose one from these ten exceptional artists, whose work varies so widely," said Hansen Mulford, curator and head of the collections and exhibitions department at the Orlando Museum of Art, and exhibition curator of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. 

"[Hansen Mulford] made the task of selecting a single artist extremely difficult as he chose exemplary artists embracing a full range of artistic practices," Roselione-Valadez said. "Many of the strongest works were as poetic as they were political. After much debate, we selected Farley Aguilar's singular, dystopian paintings."

Aguilar’s paintings combine the bizarre and the familiar in nightmarish scenes filled with anxiety and dread. “My work deals with the underbelly of American history," he explained. "I use everyday snapshots from the past and expose the hidden transcendental qualities within the mundane photograph."  Underlining much of the work is a suspicion of the pressure on individuals to confirm to a larger social order and vilify the non-conformist. He calls this the violence of socialization, saying that in his paintings, “I depict my feeling of how history, the past, filters through time and influences the fear and injustices we must deal with in our everyday lives.”

Aguilar was born in Managua, Nicaragua in 1981 and grew up in Miami where he attended  Florida International University. He only began painting after he leaving the University, teaching himself the techniques and concepts needed to realize his artistic vision. In the relatively short time that he has worked as a painter, Aguilar has gained strong recognition in the South Florida art community and beyond.

"The process of selecting this year's winner was difficult, to say the least," Thompson stated. "However, in the end, all of the jurors felt confident that the recipient should be Farley Aguilar. I had an immediate and visceral reaction to Farley's paintings upon entering the exhibition. It can probably be best described as an overwhelming fascination, an urge to know more about the nightmarish world within the work. The environment within his paintings is foreign but strangely familiar, they have moments of epic grandeur and quiet poignancy, they attract and repel the viewer, but in the end, leave you wanting more."

This is the second year that the Orlando Museum of Art has held its Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. The purpose of the exhibition is to bring a new level of support to Florida's most progressive artists by recognizing their contributions to the field and their impact on the cultural vitality of Florida. The exhibition includes artists whose studio practices cross all platforms including film, video, painting, sculpture, mixed-media, and large scale installations created specifically for the exhibition. Last year's winner of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art was Miami-based artist Agustina Woodgate.

“My vote for Farley Aguilar as this year’s winner was a reaction, first viscerally, to the work -- the oddly surreal subject matter, the formal qualities of the painting, the color choices -- and second, after learning more about the subject matter and Aguilar’s approach," Gregg Duggan added. "The phenomenon of group behavior that he addresses feels incredibly timely, particularly given the movement toward a more and more divided world view, continually reaffirmed by our choice of television news programming and social media circles.  The layering of meaning in Aguilar's paintings speak volumes about where we are today vis a vis the warped lens of the past.”   

-30-

Image credit: Farley Aguilar, School, 2015, oil on linen, 68 1/2 x 95 in., Courtesy of the artist and Spinello Projects, Miami, Florida. © 2015 Farley Aguilar. Photo by Raymond Martinot.

Universal Orlando Foundation Donates $20,850 to OMA Education Program

June 15, 2015

Family ArtReach @ The Coalition - delivers multifaceted arts enrichment programming for children and families living at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. The program consists of 100 hours of instructor guided studio art classes and workshops delivered at the Women and Children’s Resource Center at the Coalition, plus five interactive field trip tours of exhibitions at the Museum.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FAMILY OUTREACH PROGRAMS >

Ten of state's top artists converge upon Orlando as OMA's Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibit opens Thursday night [June 11]

June 10, 2015

ORLANDO, Florida -- Ten artists from Florida will have their work displayed for three months in one of the state's top art museums, as the Orlando Museum of Art hosts its Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibition.

The annual invitational exhibition -- that focuses on the production of contemporary art in the State -- will kick off with a preview this Thursday, June 11, from 7-8:30 p.m. [Cost is $5; free for OMA Members. Museum Members will also be able to attend a Free Members Preview Reception at 6 p.m. that evening.]

The exhibition's three-month run will end September 6, 2015.

This is the second consecutive year that OMA has invited a select group of outstanding artists for the exhibition, with one to receive the Florida Prize monetary award.

"We really wanted to find a way to not only enhance what is going on in contemporary art throughout Florida, but to find a way to really acknowledge the work that is being done here," stated Azela Santana, OMA's associate curator.

"So I thought, what can we do to enhance our engagement with artists living and working here in Florida," explained Glen Gentele, director and chief executive officer of the Orlando Museum of Art, "and we came up with the idea for this exhibition."

The purpose of the Orlando Museum of Art Florida Prize in Contemporary Art is to bring a new level of support to the State's most exciting artists by recognizing their contributions to the field, and their impact on the cultural vitality of Florida. The exhibition includes artists whose studio practices cross all platforms including film, video, painting, sculpture, mixed-media, and large scale installations created specifically for the exhibition.

This year's selected artists include: Farley Aguilar [Miami]; Bhakti Baxter [Miami]; Cesar Cornejo [Tampa]; Michael Covello [Tampa]; Rob Duarte [Tallahassee]; Jennifer Kaczmarek [Pensacola]; Nicolas Lobo [Miami]; Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz [Orlando]; Alex Trimino [Miami]; and Antonia Wright [Miami].

Three jurors will select this year's recipient of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art: Juan Roselione-Valadez, director of the Rubell Family Collection; Ginger Gregg Duggan, independent curator; and Ben Thompson, curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville.

For more information, phone 407.896.4231, or CLICK HERE.

PRESS INFORMATION

• Image 1
• Image 2
• Credit Lines

-30-

Anew Foundation Donation Supports Family ArtReach @ The Coalition

May 29, 2015

$3,000 Anew Foundation Donation Supports Family ArtReach @ The Coalition for the Homeless. Family ArtReach @ The Coalition - delivers multifaceted arts enrichment programming for children and families living at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. The program consists of 100 hours of instructor guided studio art classes and workshops delivered at the Women and Children’s Resource Center at the Coalition, plus five interactive field trip tours of exhibitions at the Museum.

THE COMBINED AWARDS FROM UNIVERSAL ORLANDO FOUNDATION AND ANEW FOUNDATION FUND THE PROGRAM FULLY DURING 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FAMILY OUTREACH PROGRAMS >

Winifred Clive Johnson Foundation Grant Supports School Learning Trips

April 24, 2015

A Winifred Clive Johnson Foundation grant for $17,095 supports School Learning Trips to the Orlando Museum of Art.

The grant for School Learning Trips to the Orlando Museum of Art helps 50 Central Florida classes from schools that would not otherwise be able to participate in these enriching educational experiences due to economic challenges. Also includes funding to provide a subsidy on School Learning Trip bus transportation costs for those schools that lack sufficient funding to fully cover this expense.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCHOOL LEARNING TRIPS >

Orlando Museum of Art receives $10,675 donation from SunTrust Foundation...

April 10, 2015

Orlando Museum of Art receives $10,675 donation from SunTrust Foundation to support Youth ArtReach program

Orlando, Florida -- Thanks largely to a donation of almost $11,000, the Orlando Museum of Art will offer new and ongoing learning opportunities for at-risk/low-income students, OMA director and CEO Glen Gentele announced today.

SunTrust Foundation has pledged $10,675 to fully support the Orlando Museum of Art's Youth ArtReach program, effective Summer 2015. The program will operate from August 2015-April 2016 at three to-be-determined Central Florida locations.

"We are grateful for SunTrust Foundation for joining the Orlando Museum of Art in supporting local underprivileged children through the arts and culture," Gentele stated. "Thanks to SunTrust Foundation’s financial support, the Museum's education department will provide young students with opportunities to connect with positive, structured and quality creative outlets and develop lifelong learning skills such as critical thinking, communication, visual literacy and problem-solving."

David Fuller, president of SunTrust Bank’s Central Florida division, speaking on behalf of The SunTrust Foundation, added: “SunTrust is proud to support Orlando Museum of Art’s Youth ArtReach program to assist children in Orlando's lower-income communities. This initiative aligns with our commitment to supporting youth education programs and building stronger communities.”

ArtReach will provide six (6) outreach studio art workshops at each location, based on art in the Orlando Museum of Art's permanent collection, and two (2) field trips per year from each location to the Museum for students to view original art on weekends or school holidays. Each attending student will receive an art kit that includes basic art supplies, which will allow them to continue to create art at their place of residence. Kits will consist of supplies such as watercolor paint sets and paper, sketchbooks, pencils, crayons and glue sticks.

The program is expected to serve up to 180 students annually during the 2015-16 academic school year.

As part of the program, the Orlando Museum of Art will send instructors to each location, to teach students how to create with various art utensils. Organizers hope the classes will foster healthy communication and relationships, develop compassion, a sense of purpose and acceptance as participants gain empathy for fellow classmates of various age and abilities.

SUNTRUST FOUNDATION: The SunTrust Foundation’s mission is to support nonprofit organizations and institutions engaged in activities promoting education, health and human services, culture and art, and civic and community involvement that contribute to the social and economic development of the communities we serve.

ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART: Founded in 1924, the Orlando Museum of Art is a 501(c)(3) educational institution whose mission reflects the continued growth of Florida, ardent community support for the arts, and the Museum’s role as a leading cultural institution in the region. Since its inception, the Orlando Museum of Art’s purpose has been to enrich the cultural life of Florida by providing excellence in the visual arts. To meet this objective, the Museum has dedicated itself to collecting, preserving, and interpreting notable works of art; to presenting exhibitions of local, regional, national and international significance; to develop first-rate educational programs; and to presenting creative and inclusive programs to reach every segment of a diverse community.

-30-

Carlos Vega: See You Now

March 12, 2015

Orlando, FL - - The Orlando Museum of Art is pleased to present this thematic exhibition by the contemporary Spanish artist, Carlos Vega. The exhibition celebrates a period in Spanish history when Christianity, Judaism and Islam coexisted and flourished on the Iberian Peninsula. Vega explores this dynamic period of intellectual exchange and spiritual tolerance in complex works that are both beautiful and rich with symbolic meaning. See You Now! is a call for exhibition visitors to consider the aspirations of this golden age of humanism and embrace them again today.

Vega expresses these philosophical ideas in paintings and relief works that are poetic and visually seductive. His distinctive works use of a wide range of materials and a creative practice that combines elements of craft, sculpture and painting.  Included in the exhibition are a number of his large scale wall reliefs that are fabricated with sheets of lead. The lead is cut through, punched and etched with evocative images of figures and natural forms. Through the cut areas the viewer glimpses a second layer of painting and collage. This technique allows Vega to present layers of images that form relationships underneath and across the surface of the work. Other works also present densely layered iconography in assemblies of canvases, wooden planks and transparent plastics.

The exhibition presents sections that focus on three leading intellectual figures of medieval Spain: Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher; Averroes, an Islamic philosopher; and Alfonso X, King of Castile, Leon and Galicia. Each of these individuals advanced knowledge in such fields as mathematics, science, law and philosophy; and were widely influential throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. What is perhaps most important for Vega, however, is that their search for knowledge transcended their cultural and religious differences. For a short period, prejudice and bloodshed was set aside. Vega believes we are at a new crossroads where cultures can chose to rise above strongly held differences or sink further into the morass of hate and conflict. 

Vega was born in Melilla, a Spanish city on the coast of north Africa. He studied at the University of Fine Arts, Seville; the University of Fine Arts, Madrid; the Talleres de Art Actual, Madrid; and completed graduate work at the Art Institute of Chicago. His work has been included in numerous exhibitions in the United States and Europe. He is represented by the Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

-30-

Maya Lin: A History of Water

December 3, 2014

Orlando, FL - - The Orlando Museum of Art is pleased to present, Maya Lin: A History of Water. This exhibition brings together sculptures, drawings and large-scale installations, as well as the artist’s multimedia memorial to the earth’s vanishing biodiversity and habitats. These works resonate with Maya Lin’s deep regard for the natural world, while revealing a creative practice that is informed by close observation, research and scientific data. Through works of expressive beauty, she challenges viewers to see the world in new ways and reconsider their relationship to the environment.

Landscape, global geography and the earth’s ecology are central concerns of Lin’s art. Within the broad scope of these themes, water has been a particular focus of ideas expressed in her work. This exhibition presents sculptures and drawings Lin has created since 2006 that address aspects of water ranging from its seductive visual appeal to its critical importance for natural and developed environments worldwide. Her work includes references to maps of Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge, networks of waterways that comprise the world’s great rivers, shrinking contours of endangered bodies of water, hidden undersea topography, permeable boundaries between land and water and dynamic wave forms.

Lin examines the natural world through the lenses of 21st century science and technology. She begins her work with extensive research that may include complex scientific data provided by sources such as remote satellite sensing imagery and sonar resonance scanning. Her work merges this systematic and technological interpretation of the world with her chosen sculptural materials by what she calls a “purely intuited gesture.” She says, “It’s a process that balances scientific data with the handmade. If the end form only looks like the idea of information, it fails. It has to become its own form – evocative, beautiful and strange.”

These works often reveal features of the natural world that individuals cannot easily see because of their geographic size or because they are concealed underwater. By reducing the scale of a river system, isolating a sea from its surrounding topography or removing an ocean to view undersea terrain, Lin provides new ways to understand these entities. Lin’s series of Silver Rivers and Pin Rivers present vast waterways on a gallery wall so they can be viewed as a comprehensive whole. Similarly, the series, Bodies of Water, presents enormous lakes and inland seas as three dimensional objects, lifted out of the landscape and set on pedestals to allow viewers to examine them above and below the water’s surface. “People focus on what they can see. In order to protect it, you have to see it in its entirety,” says Lin.

Pin River, Kissimmee, brings attention to a river currently undergoing a major project to restore its historic course. In the 1960s, the Kissimmee River was made into a straight channel with devastating environmental consequences. Lin uses thousands of straight pins pushed directly into the gallery wall to map the river’s original meandering course through Central Florida to Lake Okeechobee. The dense multitude of pins illustrates the river’s complex winding shape. The open arrangement of the pins further suggests the river’s permeable banks that allow its overflow to nourish surrounding wetlands and support an abundance of Florida wildlife.

Three works in this exhibition, Waterline, Flow and 2x4 Landscape are room-sized sculptural installations that create dramatic physical and psychological encounters for the viewer. Waterline is an immersive three- dimensional drawing that visitors can enter and explore. The lines, made with thin aluminum elements suspended in the gallery, depict the contours of immense mountains that rise from the ocean floor in the remote south Atlantic. Flow and 2x4 Landscape are each made with thousands of 2x4 boards assembled with their cut ends up. The flat rectangular ends have the appearance of pixel-like data points that collectively become monumental physical forms. Flow represents a succession of waves that progressively rise and dissipate over a span of 35 feet. 2x4 Landscape is an immense 2,400 square foot mound that rises to a height of 10 feet and can be interpreted as a hill or wave.

Maya Lin creates compelling and beautiful works that reveal facets of the natural world we may not be thinking about. She says, “I believe that art, at times, can look at a subject differently and in doing so, can get people to pay closer attention.” Lin designed her multimedia collaborative project, What is Missing?, to bring awareness to the worldwide crisis of species extinction and loss of natural habitats. What is Missing? is an ongoing, cumulative project presented in different forms at different exhibition locations. An interactive feature of the project invites exhibition visitors to add personal stories about long term changes in the environment they personally witnessed. These stories become part of the project’s collective natural history. It is another way Maya Lin uses art to encourage people to experience and protect nature worldwide.

This exhibition is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art.

Artist’s Talk

ARTIST’S TALK at the ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART
January 29, 2015  /  7pm

Maya Lin’s talk is presented by the Orlando Museum of Art and the Rollins Winter Park Institute. Learn more at www.omart.org and www.winterparkinstitute.org.

Artist Biography

Maya Lin (born 1959, Athens, Ohio) has maintained a careful balance between art and architectural design throughout her career, creating a remarkable body of work that includes large-scale site-specific installations, studio artworks, architectural projects and memorials. Lin graduated cum laude from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981 and a Master of Architecture degree in 1986.

Lin has been drawn to the critical social and historical issues of our time and addressed them in her memorials including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.; the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Ala.; and the Women’s Table at Yale University, New Haven, Conn. Currently she is working on the Confluence Project, a multi-sited installation spanning the Columbia River system in the Pacific Northwest that intertwines the history of Lewis and Clark with the history of the Native American tribes who inhabit those regions.  Her architectural projects include the new master plan and main building for Novartis Cambridge Campus, Mass.; the Museum for Chinese in America, New York, N.Y.; the Riggio-Lynch Chapel and Langston Hughes Library facilities for the Children’s Defense Fund, Clinton, Tenn.; and a private residence in Colorado that was honored as one of Architectural Record’s Record Houses in 2006. Her designs create a close dialogue between the landscape and built environments, and she is committed to advocating sustainable design solutions in all her works.

Lin’s studio artwork has been the subject of solo exhibitions at museums worldwide including the Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio; the American Academy in Rome, Italy; the Wanås Foundation, Kinslinge, Sweden; the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Penn.; and the Arts Club of Chicago, Ill. A major touring exhibition, Systematic Landscapes, was presented at the Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, Wash.; the Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, Mo.; the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Calif.; the de Young Museum, San Francisco, Calif.; and the Corcoran Museum of Art, Washington, D.C. She has created permanent outdoor installations for public and private collections including the California Academy of Science, San Francisco (San Francisco Arts Commission for the Civic Art Collection, Calif.); the Wanås Foundation; the Wexner Center for the Arts; Storm King Art Center, Mountainville, N.Y.; and her largest earthwork to date, Fold in the Field, is at Gibbs Farm, Kaipara Harbour, New Zealand.

She is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards including the Presidential Design Award, the Mayor’s Award for Arts and Culture, a National Endowment for the Arts artists’ award, the William A. Bernoudy Resident in Architecture fellowship from the American Academy in Rome, the Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an American Institute of Architects Honor Award and the Finn Juhl Prize. In 2009, Lin was awarded the National Medal of Art by President Barack Obama and in October of 2014, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. She has also received honorary doctorates from Yale and Harvard Universities and Smith College among others.

She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 2005 was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. She has been profiled in magazines such as Time Magazine, The New York Times Magazine and The New Yorker. In 1996, a documentary about her work, Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Lin lives in New York City with her husband and their two children. She is represented by the Pace Gallery.

-30-