The exhibition of over 90 original works of art commissioned by the United States Postal service continues through February 26, 2006 . During the museum’s Holiday Open House weekend, the cachet artist Gary Bennett gave a lecture about his origional designs for first day covers. One result was the addition of a lighted case display of Bennett’s envelope designs as an addendum to the exhibition. His lecture will be repeated in February on a Friday evening, February 17 due to its popular and interesting content. You can find more information inside this issue.
Take the time this winter to visit the musem at your leisure, take in the exhibit and browse the reading material provided by the MMAA Library & Archives about stamp design and collecting.
Dear Members and Friends,
Museums are invaluable assets to any community and the Midwest Museum of American Art is no exception. In 2005 over 20,000 people visited the museum and experienced our exhibits, classes, and concerts. As we strive to bring recognition to American artists, both locally and nationwide, we realize what a role art has in our society. Art is a great unifier for understanding. The Educational impact of the art has been proven. The U.S. Department of Education’s data base of 25,000 students showed that students with high levels of arts participation outperformed “arts poor” students on virtually every measure (Champions for Change Report, Arts Education Partnership, 1994, Washington, D.C.) We shouldn’t forget the economic Prosperity impact of the arts either. In a study Arts and Economic Prosperity conducted in 2001, researchers found that the nonprofit arts industry generates $124 billion in economic activity each year – $53.2 billion in spending by arts organizations and $80.8 billion in event-related spending by art audiences. Culural tourists spend more than all other U.S. travelers; sixty-five percent of all adults travelers included a cultural event while on a trip of 50 miles or more from home (Americans for the Arts, 2002 ). I know the Midwest Museum has touched our community in all of the above ways. I thank you for your continued interest and support. You are the museum. ~JANE BURNS
BUS TRIP to the The Field Museum
POMPEII: Stories from an Eruption Tuesday, FEBRUARY 7
Join us this Winter on the Midwest Museum’s first bus excursion of the New Year as we venture to Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History to see “Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption” . In addition plans are being made to visit “Little Italy” to see Our Lady of Pompeii , a Romanm Catholic Shrine and final stop for a tasting at one of the city’s oldest family bakeries near Taylor Street, the heart of this vibrant neighborhood. FEE: $60. Call the museum for times & dates at 293-6660.
Gary Bennett and the Art of Cachet
Friday, February 17
Due to the popularity of Gary Bennett’s first lecture in December, the Midwest Museum has invited the Elkhart artist and designer to return for another lecture on Friday evening, February 17 from 6:00 to 7:00PM . If you did not have the opportunity to hear the artist’s first talk then please join us and see the many examples of the unique and original envelope (cachet ) designs he has created.
A Special THANK YOU
to our CORPORATE SUPPORTERS
CORPORATE: Baker & Daniels
Barnes & Thornburg
Bayer Federal Credit Union
Beck Corporation
Billings Funeral Home
Elkhart Brass MFG. CO., INC.
Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Elkhart Evening Optimist Club, Inc.
Gaska Tape, Inc.
Heart City Kiwanis
Kappa Kappa Kappa – Alpha Rho
Kappa Kappa Kappa – Gamma
Key Bank
Lake City Bank
Merrill Lynch
National City Bank
Pearl Design Associates
Pickering Financial Services, Inc.
Rollie Williams Paint Spot
Seifert Drug Store, Inc.
Wagner Real Estate
Whisler & Lavery Attorneys
Yes Mobile Catering, Inc.
FOUNDATIONS:
Corson Family Foundation, INc.
Elkhart County Community Foundation
Genesis
with Mort Hibel, Stamp Collector & Stamp Dealer
The Midwest Museum will offer three FREE Sunday Afternoon Gallery Talks by stamp expert Mort Hibel. The talks will range from beginning through advanced stamp collecting and a stamp evaluation day. Times and dates are listed below. Don’t miss this opportunity to have Mr. Hibel give you the benefit of his 40 years of experience in the realm of stamp collecting and evaluating. Bring information to share and learn together. Call the museum for more information at (574) 293-6660.
*Sunday, January 29, 2:00-3:00PM INTERMEDIATE THRU ADVANCED STAMP COLLECTING
*Sunday, February 12, 1:30-3:30PM STAMP COLLECTING: AN OVERVIEW WITH EVALUATION
NOON TIME TALKS
A variety of Gallery Talks and Films
FREE Every Thursday at 12:20pm
Gallery Talks and films will examine various topics on American Illustration and related themes in conjunction with the exhibit of The Art of the Stamp .
JAN. 5 NORMAN ROCKWELL (1894-1978) Curator, Brian Byrn, discusses this famous master of 20th century illustration within the context of the reinstalled collection at MMAA.
JAN 12 J.C. LEYENDECKER (1874-1951) Curator, Brian Byrn, discusses Norman Rockwell’s teacher who created the second-most number of cover illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post.
JAN 19 FRANK SCHOONOVER (1877-1972) Curator, Brian Byrn, compares the work of Schoonover to his colleagues during Golden Age of American Illustration.
JAN 26 ROBERT HENRI & The Ash Can School Curator, Brian Byrn, discusses this early 20th century group of artists and their charismatic leader.
FEB 2 REGINALD MARSH (1898-1954) Curator, Brian Byrn, introduces the work of this important American Scene painter and the three new works donated by Joseph Sheppard to the MMAA permanent collection.
FEB 9 “Streamlines & Breadlines” film (50 min.) This splendid documentary narrated by Time Magazine Art Critic, Robert Heghes features the classic images of the 1920s and 30s – skyscrapers rising up in New York contrasted by the rural Heartland idealized by Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton.
FEB 16 Teaching Design & Illustration Elkhart Area Career Center Instructor, Janet Johnson discusses the basic education of a designer. Ms. Johnson has taught Advertising Design at EACC for over 28 years during which time techniques and technologies have changed the designer’s career immensely.
FEB 23 ROBERT INDIANA (b. 1928- ) Curator, Brian Byrn concludes the lecture series in conjunction with The Art of the Stamp by discussing the work of Pop Art icon Robert Indiana and his famous “love” painting.
TRIBUTES
The Midwest Museum of American Art gratefully acknowledges gifts in honor or in memory of special friends. Notes of acknowledgment are sent by the Museum to those honored or to the families of those memorialized. Recent memorials and donations to specific funds include:
In Memory Of
Eugenia W. Basquin (*by Jane Burns and Brian & Lisa Byrn)
Harold “Bud” Borneman (*by Isabel J. Kauffman)
John DeWeese (*by Isabel J. Kauffman)
Willie Harvey (*by Paul & Betty Thomas)
Kathryn E. Lansche (*by Paul & Betty Thomas and Anne & Dick Treckelo)
Phyllis Clark Melvin (*by Elkhart High School Class of 1941 and Jane Burns)
Patricia Myers (*by Jane Burns and Anne & Dick Treckelo)
Tom Naquin (*by Jane Burns and Anne & Dick Treckelo)
Harriet Parmater (*by Isabel J. Kauffman and Mr. & Mrs. Peter Parmater and Thursday Club)
Peter Sarantos (*by Dick & Anne Treckelo)
Dorothy Cross Whiteman (*by Tom & Dot Corson)
(DMR)