The exhibitions “FOLK MEMORIES: The Paintings of Emma Schrock ” and WIND in the WILLOWS: The Ceramic Garden Animals from the R. Douglas & Barbara Grant Collection continue through February 25, 2007 . During the museum’s Holiday Open House, all of the collectors who loaned works to these exhibits, were greeted by over 160 members and guests. Join us again int he upcoming weeks for some special talks and rememberances of Emma Schrock by those collectors who knew her.
Take the time this winter to visit the museum at your leisure, take in the exhibitions or browse the MMAA Library & Archives. The Midwest Museum of American Art is available for your continuing education. Visit as often as you can.
Grant Wood Painting to tour China
The painting titled, “Sheaves of Corn”, done in 1931 by Grant Wood (1892 – 1941), will tour China in 2007. Upon request from Thomas Krens, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, the Midwest Museum has agreed to loan the painting by Wood for the exhibiiton entitled, ”Art in America: 300 years of Innovation” . The Guggenheim working in conjunction with the Terra Foundation for American Art has organized a two-stop visit beinning in February at the National Museum of China in Beijing. The exhibit will continue to the Shanghai Museum in April and through June.
“Sheaves of Corn” was donated to the Midwest Museum of American Art in 1981 by a collector from Ohio who wished to remain anonymous. The painting has since become one of the cornerstones of the MMAA Permanent Collection. It has received national attention int he past due to its creator’s long standing legacy as a painter of “American Gothic” (held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago). The international acclaim which “Sheaves of Corn” will receive will be a positive and high-profile accord for the Midwest Museum of American Art and the citizens of Elkhart, Indiana. MMAA extends an invitation for all members to visit the painting by Grant Wood upon its return in the Fall of 2007 to say hello again to a well-traveled cultural assest to the community.
CORPORATE
Baker & Daniels
Barnes & Thornburg
Beck Corporation
Elkhart brass MFG. CO., INC.
Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Elkhart Evening Optimist Club, Inc.
Heart City Kiwanis
Kappa Kappa Kappa – Alpha Rho
Kappa Kappa Kappa – Gamma
Key Bank
Lake City Bank
Meridian Title
Merrill Lynch
National City Bank
Northern Box, Inc.
Rollie Williams Paint Spot
Wistler & Lavery Attorneys
FOUNDATIONS
Corson Family Foundation, Inc.
Elkhart County
Community Foundation
Genesis
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 Folk Art and the work of Emma Schrock. The public is invited to bring their own stories and share in the experience. MMAA will record the information for future archival purposes.
JAN 4 American Folk Art (*Curator Brian Byrn discusses the topic of American Folk Art and how the field of study has changed over te last 100 years.)
JAN 11 REMEMBERING EMMA SCHROCK ( Part 1) (*Collector and retired teacher Patricia Van Dyke shares her stories of the artist Emma Schrock.)
JAN 18 REMEMBERING EMMA SCHROCK (Part 2) (*Collector and artist, Mary Stipanovich of Chesterton, shares her remmeberances of Emma Schrock.)
JAN 25 COLLECTING AMERICAN ART POTTERY (*Collectors,, R. Douglas & Barbara Grant share insight into their collection of Weller garden figurals and other American Art Pottery they have collected over the past 30 years.)
FEB 1 THE OVERBECK SISTERS (*Curator, Brian Byrn, discusses the Overbeck Art Pottery Collection which was donated to the museum in 2004.)
FEB 8 MARY HUBBARD FIELDHOUSE (1851 – 1945) (*Curator, Brian Byrn, looks at the life and times of another primitive Elkhart artist who painted only a handful of works between 1890 and 1910. Mary, mother of Charlie Fieldhouse, was one of Elkhart’s earliest Patrons of the Arts.)
FEB 15 PRIMITIVE PORTRAITES FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION (*Curator,Brian Byrn leeds a discussion about two paintings from the MMAA collection entitled. “The Little Girl in the Velvet Dress” and “Portrait of Electa Sloan Butler”. Both paintings represent the earliest works dating from around 1830.)
FEB 22 LEE GODIE (1908 – 1994): BAG LADY / ARTIST (*Curator, Brian Byrn concludes a month of discussion about American Primitives or Naive artists by looking at the work of the late Chicago artist Lee Godie. Godie began her notoriety on the front steps of the Art Institute of Chicago by declairing herself “an artist as good as that Monet fella’.”)
A new fund has been established to honor the memory of the late Robert Boyer of Goshen. Robert and wife Mary Boyer moved to Goshen in 2000 having lived previously in Indianapolis and Florida. Their daughter, the artist Kathleen Zienty, encouraged them to join the Midwest Museum of American Art. Mary had been active in local art circles and remains a talented watercolorist.
The Midwest Museum wishes to thank all Boyer Family members for establishing the Robert Boyer Memorial Youth Art Fund . This special fund will enable the museum to continue exhibiting selected works by Middle School and High School students from Elkhart Community Schools art programs during National Youth Art Month every March. In addition, monies from this fund will be targeted to create awards for Middle School students who participate in the annual event.
Anyone interested in contributing to the Robert Boyer Memorial Youth Art Fund may contact the museum at 293-6660 or by sending a check to the Midwest Meseum of American Art at 429 South Main Street, Elkhart, Indiana 46516.
TRIBUTES
The Midwest Museum of American Art gratefully acknowledges gifts in honor or in memory of special friends. Recent memorials and donations to specific funds include:
In Memory Of
Winifred N. Cosbey (*by Marjory Hershberger)
Warren A Deahl (*by Anne & Dick Treckelo)
Frank Hatfield (*by Elkhart H.S. class of ’41)
Rosaeann Fairchild Ison (*by Virginia Chester)
Paul D. Keefe & Mary Jane Parmater Keefe (*by Carolyn Keefe)
Dr. Richard Mark (*by Rick & Cindy Burns)
Clista Neal (*by Elkhart H.S. Class of ’41)
Harry Payne (*by Dr. Howard L. Smith)
Malcolm D. Rahn (*by Jane Burns, Ken & Kathy Zienty)
Christine Rodino (*by Jane Burns, Brian & Lisa Byrn, Paul & Betty Thomas, Anne & Dick Treckelo)
Robert Boyer Memorial Youth Art Fund
(*by Mary Jo Arens, Mary Boyer, Verna Brinson, Jane Burns, Joan grimes, Wendell & Marty Culp, William & Jennifer Petty, David & Maria Solow, Paul & Edith Troyer, Kathleen & Kenneth Zienty)
In Honor of Jane Burns’ Birthday
(*by Brian & Lisa Fahey, Carolyn J. Keefe, Glen & Walda Sylvester)
In Honor of Our 60th Wedding Anniversary
(*by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Stackhouse)
(D.R.)