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IT’S MEOW OR NEVER.
divine felines Cats of Ancient Egypt february 10 – november 11, 2018 ORGANIZED BY THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM
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Director’s letter
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vividly remember the appearance of Warhol’s Mao Zedong portraits. It was the early 70s, I was in high school, and the portraits were the hot topic in our art club discussions: how did he combine photographs, silkscreen inks and oil paint; what was the meaning behind the wild color choices; were they a commentary on Nixon’s China trip; did Warhol see Mao as a cult figure? I hope a visit to our new exhibition, Chimera: Andy Warhol through the 1980s, will inspire similar discussions, and don’t forget to check our calendar for a terrific array of lectures and workshops on Warhol (who would have turned 90 on August 6). If you haven’t visited Divine Felines yet, you have until November 11 to experience the how cats (and dogs) were viewed and revered in ancient Egypt through mummies and coffins, bronze and stone sculptures, and even furniture decorations. On November 10, the museum will unveil the new Morgens West Foundation Galleries of Ancient Near Eastern Art. Closed for a ten-month renovation, the galleries were opened up and reconfigured to accommodate new case themes and displays as well as a variety of digital didactics. We are grateful for the generosity of the Morgens West
Foundation for making this important transformation of the galleries possible. Regarding staff news, the museum’s Parson Conservation Laboratory is expanding! Through the generosity of the Office of the Provost, a new position for the lab was recently established, and this past spring an international search was conducted. Brittany Dolph Dinneen, who came to us two years ago as an Andrew W. Mellon Advanced Fellow for Objects Conservation, applied and ultimately became the top choice of the search committee. In the Office of Educational Programs, we are excited to welcome Katie Ericson as our new Senior Manager of School and Volunteer Programs. And, we have a new Faculty Curator of Art of the Americas, Dr. Megan O’Neil, who began her tenure as an Assistant Professor in the Art History Department this fall. You’ll find additional information regarding staff news in the pages of this newsletter. And while most of us begin (the day) with coffee, I’ll end (my letter) with coffee. We are thrilled to have Ebrik Coffee Room move into the Level Three cafe space. The owner, Abbas Barzegar, has a fascinating Emory story, so enjoy the read. As always, I look forward to seeing you in the galleries.
B on n ie Speed Director left: Statuette of a Cat. Egyptian. Third Intermediate Period, ca. 1076–723 bc. Bronze. Gift of Anne Cox Chambers. Photo by Bruce M. White. cover: Head of a Deity. Babylonian. Old Babylonian Period, 1894–1600 bc. Clay, pigment. Partial gift in memory of Renee D. Beningson and partial gift of the Forward Arts Foundation. Photo by Bruce M. White.
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Museum prepares to open Morgens West Foundation Galleries of Ancient Near Eastern Art
balance. It’s a concept that has been uppermost in the minds of the team responsible for the forthcoming Morgens West Foundation Galleries of Ancient Near Eastern Art throughout the process of architectural planning, curation, and design. (This is especially appropriate given that the galleries will spotlight the art of the civilizations credited with the creation of weights and measures and administration.) Investment. Collaboration. Innovation. Though perhaps more redolent of today’s business practices, these words, too, are nevertheless apt descriptions of the renovation and reinstallation, funded by the Morgens West Foundation. Committed friends of the museum for more than 15 years, Sally and Jim Morgens invested in the museum’s future with a gift that has transformed the existing galleries of ancient Near Eastern art. Their gift has created an avenue for a new curatorial vision, the integration of technology, and new opportunities for enhanced viewership and learning. The creation of a new permanent installation almost from the ground up is a rare—and challenging—opportunity, one that Curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian,
and Near Eastern Art Melinda Hartwig and Director of Exhibition Design Joe Gargasz and his team were excited to take on. Their goal: achieve a well-balanced union of architecture, artwork, and technology that would in turn create an engaging and enlightening user experience. While Hartwig determined the themes of the installation, which focus on innovations like the development of writing and the wheel, the great empires, and the Holy Land in the time of Herod, Gargasz focused on creating a space that would support the narrative she had created. Both met with architects from the firm Lord Aeck Sargent and Emory design staff to determine the possibilities for the space.
above: Although the galleries maintain the same footprint, the renovation has increased the square footage of usable space. Photo by Emory Photo/Video. 4
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untouched since 1986, the cases have been updated with new lighting and air filtration systems, which the exhibition design team and museum conservators worked together to select and fine tune. According to Assistant Conservator Brittany Dinneen, the advanced technology will work to optimize air flow, creating a safer environment for the art. The built-in cases’ exteriors, designed by Graves, were retained; interiors, however, were painted a fresh green to evoke the landscape of the region known as the fertile crescent. Large-scale photography of Iraqi marshlands and the Zagros Mountains as well as Neo-Assyrian wall reliefs set within a drawing of its original context in Sennacherib’s Southwest Palace will provide The exhibition design team, which includes master mount maker further context for the art. The new galleries will also use Bruce Raper and master carpenter technology to provide context for and tech aficionado Caleb Plattner the artwork. One of the most imporin addition to Gargasz, created an tant elements, according to Hartwig, open space with clear visual pathis a video created in partnership ways that will better accommodate with Emory’s Center for Digital large school groups. New feature Scholarship. The video showcases cases will highlight objects like cylthe cultural groups and periods of inder seals, small stone impression the ancient Near East over 7,000 stamps incised with distinctive designs that were used in the ancient years. “The ancient Near East Near East for correspondence or business transactions. Formerly displayed deep inside built-in casework, the seals’ placement in the new galleries will offer visitors a closer view of their intricate details thanks to a shallow led-lit wall case. Utility and balance played roles in updates to the galleries’ wall cases. Original to the Michael Graves-designed space and with interior technology virtually above: Chosen as the public “face” of the new galleries, Head of a Deity is depicted with the traditional features of a Mesopatamian divinity: a long, curly beard and a headdress with four rows of bulls’ horns. Many gods shared a similar human form, making exact identification impossible. Photo by Bruce M. White.
encompasses a vast geographical area in which many cultures fought, traded, and influenced one another, much like today,” Hartwig explains. “The integration of technology is an exciting component for us,” notes Gargasz, “but we wanted to make sure that viewers focus on the art. The technology is here, just like the images on the walls, to support the narrative of the artwork and provide additional context.” A human touch will balance the new space, artwork, and technology. Docents will be the first non-staff members introduced to the galleries as they receive training on the new installation’s narratives as well as artwork not previously on display. Once open to the public, the Morgens West Foundation Galleries of Ancient Near Eastern Art will be the focus of programming for all ages, including a poetry reading, a Gilgamesh-themed Artful Stories, and a day of learning for homeschool families. The Morgens West Foundation Galleries of Ancient Near Eastern Art will open to the public on November 10. ✺
above: Bruce Raper prepares a mount that will support an object once installed. Photo by Holly Sasnett.
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Chimera: Andy Warhol through the 1980s highlights artist’s process THROUGH NOVEMBER 25, 2018 Warhol, whose silver gelatin prints, Polaroids, and screenprints are on view in the John Howett Works on Paper Gallery through November 25, 2018, as part of Chimera: Andy Warhol through the 1980s. In each of its forms, a chimera is a being or thing that is difficult to grasp and may be made of multiple parts. “Beyond the Warhol who worked obsessively, reveled in glamour, and was fascinated by fame, existed an artist who also systematically documented both intimate and ordinary moments from his everyday life and treasured even his preparatory and unfinished works,” McKenzie notes. Together, these aspects of Warhol’s personality allowed him to transform the art world. The works of art in the exhibition are largely unfinished, revealing aspects of Warhol’s private life and how he conceived of himself as an artist. Taking viewers beyond n greek mythology, a chimera Warhol’s famous images of soup cans and popular culture icons, was a fire-breathing, female creature with the head of a lion, these lesser known works, McKenzie the body of a goat, and the tail of a claims, “reveal a thoughtful and selfserpent. In genetics, it represents an reflective artist interested in multiple organism with two or more distinct techniques and stages of completion.” Two screenprints of Annie sets of dna. “Chimera” also refers to an elusive thing, something hoped Oakley, the renowned sharpshooter who rose to fame as part of Buffalo for but perhaps impossible to Bill’s Wild West Show, illustrate the achieve—a figment. According to various stages of completion to be Curator of Works on Paper Andi McKenzie, “chimera” is also an apt found in Warhol’s work. One, description for American artist Andy owned by the museum, is outside
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above: Andy Warhol (American, 1928–1987). Cowboys and Indians (Annie Oakley), 1986. Screenprint on lenox museum board. Extra, out of the edition. Designated for research and educational purposes only. © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. 6
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of the edition issued by Warhol in his Cowboys and Indians series. The other, on loan from Nita and Ralph Howard, is the part of the official edition. “The editioned print is replete with detail,” explains McKenzie, “from the intricate medals pinned on Oakley’s shirt to her individual strands of hair. The unfinished print displays fewer layers of ink than the finished version, most obviously lacking Warhol’s characteristic photo reproduction layer.” The prints’ side-by-side placement is striking and encourages comparison. While visitors are free to determine which version they prefer, McKenzie’s intent was not to provoke judgment, but to highlight Warhol’s multi-step working process, revelatory of the artist himself and screenprinting in general. “Process, not product,” a common concept in art education, aligns perfectly with the exhibition and workshops hosted for children and Emory students. The museum’s youngest visitors have experienced Warhol by creating their own series of repeating images and prints with teaching artist and illustrator Ande Cook. A special Artful Stories, the museum’s program for children ages three to five in which participants hear a story in the gallery and then create a related work of art, became a chimera itself, drawing inspiration from both Warhol’s artwork and that of Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt. After reading Uncle
Andy’s Cats, a picture book written by James Warhola about his uncle Andy’s love of cats, and viewing the exhibition, participants printed images of cats that they then sprinkled with diamond dust in imitation of Warhol’s diamond dusted screenprint of Queen Ntombi Twala of Swaziland. Still to come are programs for adults and teens that also focus on process: a screening of Warhol’s Lou Reed Velvet Underground films, curated by Emory alumnus Andy Ditzler, a film scholar and the
founder of Film Love; and for teens, Warhol Superstars, in which McKenzie will lead an exploration of Warhol’s Polaroids. Focusing on composition and the idea of imperfection, the workshop will provide teens with their own Polaroid cameras, which they will use to create their own Warhol-inspired portraits. ✺
above: Andy Warhol (American, 1928–1987). Sunset, 1972. Screenprint on white paper. Extra, out of the edition. Designated for research and educational purposes only. © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
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Students engage with museum collections in and out of the classroom
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he carlos museum is a destination for lifelong learners —the docents who lead school tours after receiving extensive training themselves, the members of the Carlos Reads book club, the faculty members who integrate the collection into their teaching, and the readers who spend hours browsing the museum bookshop — but as a university museum, it’s a place where students from Emory and other institutions of higher learning, both far and wide, are welcomed as integral members of the community. Faculty collaboration is a hallmark of the museum’s education program. In consultation with museum educators, faculty regularly bring to the museum students in classes as diverse as geology and dance. Museum educators work with faculty to create customized experiences ranging from tours of the galleries to workshops, including one workshop designed to help students in the Graduate Division of Religion incorporate objects from the museum’s vast collections into their teaching. Students interested in museum careers often take advantage of internships in areas as diverse as conservation, program development,
curatorial research, and communications. Carlos interns have parlayed their experience into opportunities at cultural institutions such as the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Emory graduates Leah Neiman 18c, who worked as a museum education intern, is now pursuing museum and gallery studies as a Bobby Jones
research a Jain painting of the cosmic man, which Carlos conservators will treat on public view in summer 2019. In addition to gaining conservation experience in a traditional classroom, undergraduate and graduate students from Emory and schools across the country also have the opportunity to learn in the
Scholar at the University of St. Andrews, and Nysa Louden 16c, a conservation intern, recently began graduate studies in archaeology at University College London. On Thursday afternoons this fall, the Tate Room becomes a classroom for Chief Conservator Reneé Stein and her students in Art History 388, Technical Art History: Examining Materials and Techniques, a course in which a mix of undergraduate and graduate students will learn methodologies used to examine how objects are made and how they change over time. Students will conduct self-directed investigations on objects from the museum’s collections and will collectively
Parsons Conservation Laboratory under the supervision of Stein and the museum’s newly appointed Assistant Conservator Brittany Dolph Dinneen. Over the past year the lab has hosted an undergraduate student cross-enrolled at Georgia State University and a graduate student in conservation who was completing her master’s degree in conservation at the University of California, Los Angeles. The museum is also a place where students can interact with art outside of their coursework. Emory students meet monthly in the Tate Room for Student Studio, a threehour period during which students are welcome to drop by to create art
above: Students express their creativity through their own versions of Indian paintings. 8
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for however long their schedules allow. Projects are based on objects in the museum’s special exhibitions and collections, and require no special skills, only a willingness to participate. Although the museum has previously hosted student workshops, often in conjunction with an artist-in-residence or a particular exhibition, the enthusiasm with which students have embraced the opportunity to create, coupled with research on the way that making art can reduce student stress levels, encouraged museum staff to offer Student Studio on a regular basis in collaboration with the student groups Emory Arts Underground and saw (Science.Art.Wonder).
Students who are interested in a different kind of museum experience have the option to train as docents for the upcoming exhibition DO or DIE: Affect, Ritual, Resistance by Dr. Fahamu Pecou, an experience which will help them develop soft skills like public speaking and encourage intellectual engagement with the art. Museum membership and admission are always free to Emory students. DO or DIE: Affect, Ritual, Resistance has been organized by the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston, in collaboration with the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University. ✺
above: Emory alumna Nysa Louden (foreground) worked in the Parsons Conservation Laboratory as a student and returned as a post-graduate. Michaela Paulson (background) of UCLA completed her graduate studies in conservation with an internship at the Carlos Museum. Photo by Holly Sasnett.
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In conversation with Native North America
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hey put the “camp” in Teen Camp—literally. In July, 10 teens ages 13–15, one camp counselor, and four adults spent the night at Red Top Mountain before waking to kayak down the Etowah River. The previous day they had visited the Etowah Mounds, a prehistoric archaeological site once occupied by the Mississippian culture and now recognized as ancestral land by eight Muscogee-Creek tribes. At the mounds, the group received a tour from a ranger, attended demonstrations of tools and weaponry, and then practiced throwing spears themselves. That night, before settling into sleeping bags and tents, campers pit-fired clay pots they had made back at the museum earlier in the week. Along the river the next day, they learned about the water source’s centrality to Mississippian trade and agricultural practices. In the past, the teen iteration of the popular Camp Carlos has mirrored the camps for younger students: five day-long sessions at the museum during which participants divided their time between the galleries and the studio, where they created their own versions of pieces in the museum’s collections. This year, the new installation of Native North American art within the Art of the Americas galleries (completed in March before the retirement of Faculty Curator of Art of the Americas Rebecca Stone) prompted something different. Inspired by the objects in the installation that had been discovered at the Etowah Mounds by archaeologists, including necklaces and gorgets, museum educators wanted campers to experience the culture
above: Alyson Vuley speaks to students about the 19th-century beaded bags (gifts from Philip Gainey and family), behind her. Photo by Holly Sasnett.
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that created them. Many of the campers had studied Etowah as part of the eighth grade Georgia studies curriculum, but none had experienced it Camp Carlos-style. “We wanted the campers to understand the environment in which the objects were created, and it was especially important that the campers understand that the culture of the Mississippian people is still alive through their ancestors,” Manager of Educational Programs Alyson Vuley explains. The idea of a living culture is underscored by other art in the gallery. The ceramic pots given to the museum by professors Walter Melion and John Clum were created by artists from the Southwest, many of whom are still living. While the museum has other work by living artists in its collection, the juxtaposition of historical and contemporary art in the Native North American gallery is significant as it purposely creates the opportunity for critical conversations about the history of native peoples in the United States. This spring the museum hosted Cannupa Hanska Luger, a multidisciplinary artist of Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Lakota, Austrian, and Norwegian descent. Having previously hosted a workshop to create clay beads for Luger’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Queer and Trans People Bead Project, the museum was pleased to introduce him to Emory students and faculty, and welcomed his participation in a panel discussion, “Who Tells the Story? The Ethics of Archaeology, Curatorship, and Indigenous Voices.” Coordinated by Holy Innocents Episcopal School, the panel also featured Stone and
paleoanthropologist Marc Kissel of Appalachian State University. The following day, Luger led a drop-in seed bomb workshop during which visitors, homeschool families, and Emory students, faculty, and staff filled pinch pots with the seeds of plants native to Georgia, which could then be left outdoors to flower in place. While participants worked, they had the opportunity to speak with Luger about growing up on North Dakota’s Standing Rock reservation, his artwork, and other topics such as land use. The conversations continue. This fall Artful Stories focused on Itse Selu, the Cherokee harvest festival, celebrated by other native cultures of the Southeast as the green corn festival. ✺ bottom: A teen camper draws inspiration from the gallery, including the Southwestern pottery pictured in the background (gifts of professors Walter Melion and John Clum). Photo by Holly Sasnett. top: Campers pose at the Etowah Mounds before heading to their Red Top Mountain campsite.
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A Many cultures play games involving hoops, a favorite of the Ancient Games campers. Photo by Taylor McGhee.
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B Local artist Catlanta created divine felines that were hidden across the city and on campus for people to find. Photo by Catlanta. C Camp Carlos balances in-gallery learning with time to create in the studio. Photo by Holly Sasnett. D A visitor looks closely at cat-shaped amulets in Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt, organized by the Brooklyn Museum. Photo by Emory Photo/Video. E Graduate student Elizabeth Caris and former curator Rebecca Stone examine West Mexican pottery for signs of pupa casings. Photo by Emory Photo/Video.
F Elizabeth Ingram and Alton Brown enjoy Veneralia. Photo by Ben Rose Photography. H
G A student explains a scene from the Ramayana at the gallery talk for “Tell the Whole Story from Beginning to End:” The Ramayana in Indian Painting. Photo by Emory Photo/Video. H Textile conservator Patricia Ewer repairs an Egungun, a traditional Yoruba mask, that will go on view in January 2019 in Dr. Fahamu Pecou’s DO or DIE: Affect, Ritual, Resistance. I After learning about Greek mythology and fossils, campers make their own griffins out of clay. Photo by Holly Sasnett.
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Around town: We love ATL
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hen the Michael C. Carlos Museum as it stands today was designed in the late 1980s by Michael Graves, the eminent architect was tasked with creating a new building that would reflect the diverse collections to be housed inside of it while also harmonizing with its architectural neighbors on Emory’s historic quadrangle, designed by Henry Hornbostel. Graves succeeded admirably, cladding the building’s walls in the same pink and white marble used by Hornbostel and incorporating the red tile roofs all quadrangle buildings held in common. This concept of reflection and connection drives the museum’s relationship with local communities. Solid though they are, the Carlos Museum’s marble walls are no match for the enthusiasm with which it reaches beyond campus borders, creating connections, reflecting its neighbors, and meeting their needs. The Georgia Department of Education’s stem (science-technology-engineering-math) and steam (science-technology-engineering-artmath) initiatives are well-matched in the Parsons Conservation Laboratory’s passion for the intersection of science and art. Carlos conservators are currently collaborating with Briarlake Elementary school in Dekalb County to pilot grade level and curriculum-correlated teacher resources that can be made broadly available online.
During the last school year, the conservation team coordinated a series of activities on the topic of light for the fourth grade and led a mud painting activity for kindergartners. Each of the activities drew upon the museum’s collections and engaged students in hands-on lessons tied to science, math, history, art, and even geography. Fourth graders measured light levels through a variety of window coverings, calculated energy use for different bulb types, and made their own sun prints. Kindergartners collected soil from the nearby Briarlake Forest and made their own versions of mud cloth from Mali, using stickers and tape to create designs. The Office of Educational Programs has taken a similar cue. The summer teacher institute, an interdisciplinary workshop, was dedicated to the theme “land, sea,
sky.” The institute paired experiences observing animal behavior in Lullwater Park, Zoo Atlanta, and the Georgia Aquarium with the opportunity to learn about depictions of animals in the museum’s collections. Teachers created their own works of art and left with lesson plans and ideas about how to recreate similar experiences for their students. The museum’s collections align with the teaching and research interests of Emory faculty; they’re also a recognizable link to the native cultures of many metro area immigrant communities such as in Clarkston, Georgia. For the fourth year, museum staff participated in the annual Tell Me a Story! Festival held at the Clarkston Community Center, sharing a llama paper craft and the bilingual children’s book Maria Had a Little Llama/María Tenía Una Llamita by Angela Dominguez.
above: Educators from a variety of disciplines learn about using STEAM activities in their classrooms. Photo by Holly Sasnett. 14
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The museum also promotes connections between communities and world cultures with which they may be unfamiliar. Acting as a hub, the Carlos has introduced its visitors to Ebrik Coffee Room, now open on Level Three. Beginning with one downtown location, Ebrik with its Turkish coffee was quickly embraced by Atlanta, opening a second location in Decatur (and even outgrowing the original space) before expanding to the Carlos. Ebrik’s success is reflective of Atlanta’s identity as a global gateway and a community that is eager to embrace local businesses. Through her work with the Atlanta BeltLine Parade, artist and parade founder Chantelle Rytter has helped Atlantans fall in love with their city. The event brings people together in a joyful procession aglow with colorful lanterns along the BeltLine, a pathway built on an old railway corridor encircling Atlanta. In September, Rytter visited the museum to host two lantern-making workshops, one for adults and one for families, in advance of the parade. Lantern makers took their inspiration from Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt and the museum’s permanent collections. Participants’ creations reflected an appreciation for world cultures and the city of Atlanta, leaving Carlos organizers satisfied with an event that closed the campus-culturecollections-community circle while simultaneously expanding it. ✺
clockwise from top: Lantern workshop participants debuted their creations at the Atlanta BeltLine Parade of September 22, and a teacher captures her observations of animal behavior at the Georgia Aquarium. Photos by Emory Photo/Video.
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Celebrating its 25th year, Museum Bookshop is a browser’s delight
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quare foot for square foot, it’s the best in Atlanta,” commented one customer, perfectly capturing the essence of the small but mighty Carlos Museum bookshop, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2018. Full to overflowing (the always popular sale and bargain books have a permanent home in front of the store), the bookshop is a browser’s delight. If a museum visitor enjoyed the galleries, he’s sure to find something to complement the experience in the bookshop. The selection is carefully curated by manager Mark Burell, who came to the museum with a background in anthropology/archaeology and bookshop management. Mark has been with the bookshop since the beginning, conceptualizing both the original space itself during the 1993 Carlos Museum expansion and the bookshop’s focus. “We sell books and gifts that relate to our permanent collection and special exhibitions. Our inventory changes all the time,” he notes. With Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt, organized by the Brooklyn Museum and currently on view, the children’s book Mummy Cat by Marcus Ewert has become =a runaway bestseller. (Adult readers interested in the subject, take note: Mark recommends Salima Ikram’s Divine Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt and Jaromir Malek’s The Cat in Ancient Egypt.)
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Though the bookshop does stock gifts like mugs and bookmarks, its focus is books and its mission educational. “We provide resources that help people better understand the objects in the museum and the history of the peoples who produced them,” Mark explains. University students and faculty trust the bookshop to meet their need for scholarly yet readable works, with the tomes of visiting lecturers well represented on the bookshop’s shelves (indeed, a flurry of readers rushed to purchase Ikram’s book when she lectured at the museum in March 2018.) Additionally, k–12 teachers and parents looking to introduce young readers to art, history, world cultures, and mythology are frequent shoppers. Children’s books on ancient Egypt are one of the bookshop’s specialties and always in high demand. So too are Rick Riordan books, with his Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series a current favorite with middle grades/young adult readers. The bookshop also supports the Office of Educational Programs, stocking titles that appear on the yearly Wrapped Up in Reading summer reading challenge book list and recommending new titles of interest, which in turn generate programming ideas. Over the years Mark has seen the popularity of certain adult books rise and fall, but he cites Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time by Mark Adams, Serendipities: Language and Lunacy by Umberto Eco, and The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge by Jeremy Narby as consistent favorites.
“I go to the bookstore every year to buy books to donate to the reading program I volunteer with. Everybody wins—the store is one of the few places where I can find kids’ books with characters of color. THX!” “One of the best museum bookshops I’ve visited —superbly curated.” “Barnes and Noble may be larger, but this store has far more books that I want . . . The best bookshop in town.”
In terms of subject matter, Mark has observed a notable upswing in readers’ interest in esoteric, spiritual, and specialized historical nonfiction as well as books with a cosmic focus; the Persian poet Rumi and Zen have each earned their own sections. Reassuringly, whatever the topic, physical books are still very much appreciated, especially by students, who seem to prefer them to digital versions. The bookshop is open TuesdaySunday and hosts an annual holiday sale at the beginning of December and a clearance sale at the end of Emory’s spring semester. Carlos Museum members enjoy a discount in the bookshop all year. ✺
“I am always delighted by the collection books in your shop. It is on par with larger museums nationally and even in London. Thanks for putting the time and effort into providing us with substance and not fluff.” “This place is a gem. Rare and irreplaceable . . . Does precisely what a great bookstore should do —provoke curiosity!” “A really imaginative selection of unusual books, just about all of which we would like to read.”
above: A shopper browses the bookshop’s colorful and eclectic selection. Photo by Holly Sasnett.
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Meet the Carlos: New and familiar faces Katie Ericson joined the museum in March 2018 as the Senior Manager of School and Volunteer Programs. At the Carlos Ericson oversees the Docent Guild, student guides, and teacher workshops. After beginning her museum education career in North Carolina, Ericson became the Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Zuckerman Museum of Art at Kennesaw State University in 2015. She brings to the Carlos extensive experience working with young adults, which informs her engagement with Emory students through Student Studio and the student guide program.
Brittany Dolph Dinneen, a familiar face in the Parsons Conservation Laboratory, joined the museum full-time in May 2018 as Assistant Conservator. Dinneen first arrived in 2015 and spent two years as the Andrew W. Mellon Advanced Fellow for Objects Conservation. Since January 2018 she has worked as Project Conservator for the renovation of the ancient Near Eastern art galleries. Her responsibilities include preventive maintenance for the collection and integrated pest management. Dinneen enjoys connecting with the Emory community through interdepartmental research projects, mentoring student interns, and assisting Chief Conservator Reneé Stein with university courses.
Andi McKenzie 18PhD, previously Associate Curator of Works on Paper, was promoted to Curator of Works on Paper in September upon completion of her doctorate. McKenzie specializes in early modern print culture and the art of colonial Peru (her dissertation, Andean Concepts and Scripted Pictures: Uhku, Sight, and Sound in the Drawings of Guaman Poma de Ayala, represents the intersection of these areas), but she relishes opportunities to learn about other areas represented in the museum’s wideranging collection of Works on Paper. This fall she will mentor Abbey Hafer, a graduate student in the Art History Department who was awarded the Mellon Graduate Fellowship in Object-Centered Curatorial Research. Hafer’s project centers around the etchings of Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, 1720–1778) held in the collections of the Carlos Museum and Emory Libraries, and will provide the basis for an upcoming exhibition.
above: Katie Ericson
above: Brittany Dinneen
above: Andi McKenzie
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Ebrik Coffee Room opened in early September to the delight of Carlos Museum staff, docents, members, and the Emory community. With fond memories of using the space (then known as Café Antico) as a quiet study spot while a doctoral student in Emory’s Graduate Division of Religion, proprietor Abbas Barzegar was excited to expand Ebrik to a third location on the Emory campus. Ebrik offers Turkish coffee, regular coffee drinks, pastries, and an assortment of other snacks and drinks Monday–Friday, 9 am–4 pm; Saturday, 10 am–5 pm; and Sunday, noon– 5 pm. Carlos Museum members receive a 10% discount on all purchases. Megan E. O’Neil is Assistant Professor of Art History and Faculty Curator of Art of the Americas. A specialist in ancient Maya and other ancient American cultures, she received her BA in Archaeological Studies from Yale College, MA in Art History from the University of Texas at Austin, and PhD in History of Art from Yale. She has published many essays and two books, Engaging Ancient Maya Sculpture at Piedras Negras, Guatemala and a revised edition of Maya Art and Architecture (co-authored with Mary Miller). O’Neil has taught at several universities, including Barnard College and Columbia University, and was Associate Curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), where she curated Revealing Creation: The Science and Art of Ancient Maya Ceramics, City and Cosmos: The Arts of Teotihuacan, and Forces of Nature: Ancient Maya Arts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which is touring in China. ✺
above: Megan O’Neil
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Your support matters
On behalf of Chairs Dirk Brown and Tim Burns, Patron Chairs Dina and Ed Snow, and the museum Advisory Board and staff, we would like to thank the following who donated to Veneralia this year: gold benefactors Nicole and Chris Carlos, Sally and Joe Gladden; silver benefactors Katie and Watt Boone, Eleanor Ridley, Dina and Ed Snow; bronze benefactors Tara and Richard Aaronson, Harshna and Pyush Patel, Caroline and Jeff Tucker; gold sponsor Times 3; silver sponsors Anonymous, Delta Air Lines, Emory Point, Fidelity Bank, National Distributing Company, Robert Long Flora Design, TD Bank; bronze sponsor Northern Trust To see more photographs from the event, explore the album on Facebook at bit.ly/veneralia2018. Thank you to Ben Rose Photography for capturing this lovely evening with Carlos friends.
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rom special fundraising events to endowments to volunteers and beyond, the Carlos Museum relies on a range of support from its friends. Every gift, whether of talent or treasure, creates a meaningful impact on the museum and its visitors. On April 29, an at-capacity crowd of close friends and supporters gathered for Veneralia, the museum’s signature fundraising effort. Dubbed veneralia@bacchanalia in a nod to the restaurant where it was hosted, the event brought together whimsical decor by Robert Long Flora Design with an exquisite spring menu fresh from the farm and outstanding service from chef Anne Quatrano and her esteemed team. One hundred percent of Veneralia proceeds benefit educational programs and exhibitions.
above: Honorary Veneralia co-chairs Gail and Michael Habif (left) with Patron Chairs Dirk Brown (center right ) and Tim Burns (right). Photo by Ben Rose Photography. 20
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In June, 10 friends of the museum, including board members, members, and docents, traveled to Boston with Director of Development Jennifer Long and Chief Conservator Reneé Stein. A conservation-focused itinerary took the group to Harvard University’s Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies, where conservators shared current projects and hands-on conservation activity. The group also toured the conservation lab at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. In witnessing the work of Gardner Museum conservators, the Atlanta visitors felt the impact of the Carlos Museum’s own Parsons Conservation Laboratory thanks to the Gardner’s Objects and Paintings Conservation Technician Sarah Towers 13c, who attributes her start in the field to the conservation work with Stein that she undertook while an art history major here at Emory. (Towers began graduate studies in conservation this fall.) As this trip demonstrated, traveling with the museum deepens
above: Sarah Towers (center) with Carlos staff and friends
friendships, broadens knowledge, and provides unique opportunities to experience art and culture with museum experts throughout the world. (Join the Carlos Museum in late November for a look at Asian art in New York City or on a grand trip to Egypt in late 2019.) Endowments offer invaluable support throughout the year. Emory alumna Sandra Still 83g 84g, a retired Emory librarian, deepened her support of the museum’s conservation program with the creation of the Alfred Still Conservation Support Endowment in memory of her grandfather. New endowment funding also comes from Eleanor Ridley, chair emerita of the museum’s Advisory Board. An expansion of the existing Eleanor and Clarence Ridley Fund, established in 2009 to provide supplementary funding for programs and initiatives that promote conservation, education, and exhibitions, the endowment will now also support digital exhibition projects, including catalogues and archives, to support exhibition interpretation.
at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum conservation lab.
Volunteer support is crucial to providing a great visitor experience and helping museum operations run smoothly. This summer long-time volunteer Lt. Col. Nesbit Shearouse ii 52ox 54c, called “Neb” by his friends, was honored with the Woolford B. Baker Service Award, established in 1999 by Sally and Joseph Gladden in honor of Joe’s grandfather, Dr. Woolford B. Baker, who served as museum director from 1953–1982. After retiring from careers in the United States Air Force and Sun Trust Bank, Shearouse took on a range of volunteer roles across multiple Atlanta cultural institutions. For 15 years he was a regular volunteer at the Carlos Museum (Shearouse retired from volunteer duties in late 2017).
Occasionally accompanied by his wife Ann, Shearouse fulfilled needs and closed gaps wherever his help was most needed, assisting with admissions at the information desk, taking on the role of membership representative at events both on campus and off, ushering concert programs, helping with educational programs, and working with the Membership department to complete their weekly mailings and finish miscellaneous office tasks. Before a gathering of Shearouse’s friends and family, the Gladdens unveiled a gold amulet in the shape of a lion. According to curator Melinda Hartwig, lion amulets were worn by warriors in ancient Egypt; this one was chosen to honor Shearouse’s military service, and it will join the museum’s permanent collection as a testament to his loyalty and faithful service. ✺
above: Nesbit Shearouse (left) and wife Ann (center) with Sally and Joe Gladden and Director Bonnie Speed (right) at the Baker Awards. Photo by Hillary Joy Photography.
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Coming soon
Mummies & Mixers is full of even more frights and delights in 2018 with the addition of master storyteller Barry Stewart Mann. Look for more details on this year’s event at carlos.emory.edu/mummiesandmixers or the Young Associate’s Facebook page. Wednesday, October 24 7:30–9:30 pm
Celebrate 100 years of learning when the Carlos Museum marks its centennial in 2019. Look forward to a year of special events, free admission days, and the stories behind the museum’s most memorable art and programs.
Baby New Year won’t be the only new arrival in 2019… Be among the first to hear the museum’s exciting news by renewing your membership and following along on Facebook and Instagram. Visit carlos.emory.edu/mummiesandmilkshakes to register for familystyle Halloween festivities at Mummies, Milkshakes, and Meows! Saturday, October 27 7 pm
Explore the intersections between African-based spiritual traditions and the political and societal violence against black male bodies
top:
Photo by Emory Photo/Video.
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bottom: Untitled 3. 2016. Archival pigment print (edition of 5).
in the U.S. with Dr. Fahamu Pecou’s DO or DIE: Affect, Ritual, Resistance, on view January 19 through April 28, 2019. Informed by Pecou’s doctoral research at Emory University, the exhibition will present Pecou’s artwork alongside historical Yoruba masks and divination tools from the museum’s permanent collection. This exhibition is organized by the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston, in collaboration with the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University.
Throughout his 20-plus year career, artist Tom Hück’s often brash sociopolitical commentary has drawn from great satirical artists like Hogarth and Daumier. His technique, on the other hand, is inspired by the famed German woodcut artists of the Northern Renaissance, including Albrecht Dürer and Martin Schongauer. From Bavaria to the Backwoods: Prints by Tom Hück and Albrecht Dürer, coming in February 2019, brings together Hück’s newest prints and woodcuts by Dürer, one of this printmaking heroes. Don’t miss Hück’s latest monumental triptych, Electric Baloneyland. Mark your calendars for Veneralia 2019 on May 18. Celebrate 100 years of sharing the stories of civilization, and raise your glass to 100 more. ✺
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e extend our gratitude to all who have become new members or who have renewed their Partner, Council, or Patron level memberships between January and August 2018. Your support is greatly appreciated and we look forward to seeing you at the museum for many years to come. Not yet a member? Visit carlos.emory.edu/join to join the ranks of these generous supporters. To upgrade your membership, call 404-727-2623. DI RE CT OR’S C O UN C IL
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Morgens Dr. William E. Torres and Mr. Donald Jack Sawyer, Jr.
Dr. and Ms. David S. Pacini Mr. and Mrs. Marion P. Rivers iii Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B. Vivona DO RIC PAT RO N
C URAT ORS ’ C O U N C IL
Mrs. Jean T. Astrop Ms. Robin Beningson Mr. Joseph Coplin Mrs. Dorothy T. Boynton Crawley Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence W. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Gladden, Jr. Dr. Jiong Yan and Mr. Baxter P. Jones Drs. John Laszlo and Patricia H. Laszlo Dr. Lucius Courtenay Beebe Sr. and Ms. Lindsay W. Marshall Mr. and Mrs. William Thomas Mobley, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Pyush R. Patel Mr. and Mrs. Charles William Ralston Mr. and Mrs. William C. Rawson Mrs. Ruth Magness Rollins Mr. and Mrs. William D. Roth Dr. and Mrs. Jagdish Nanchand Sheth Mrs. Michele Griffin Silver Mrs. Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel Mr. Glenn A. Weiss Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Getz Wilcox C ORI N T H I AN P A T R O N
Mrs. Lyn B. and Dr. Larry R. Kirkland Drs. Kirk W. Elifson and Claire Elizabeth Sterk Mr. William K. Zewadski IO N I C P AT R O N
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Enrico Bernardino Drs. Aubrey M. Bush and Carol T. Bush Dr. Daniel Bennett Caplan Ms. Carol E. Chatham Mr. Corey Dangar Mr. Kenneth Stewart Falck Mrs. Judy W. Hemenway Mr. James E. Honkisz and Ms. Catherine A. Binns Mrs. Susanne W. Howe Dr. and Mrs. Frank R. Joseph Dr. and Mrs. Graham Kerr Mrs. Jo W. Koch Dr. Sharon LeMaster and Mr. Larry Woodring
Ms. Mary Elizabeth Abbott Dr. Delores P. Aldridge Mr. Michael J. Andrechak and Ms. Kathryn Seybert Mrs. Ellen Agnor Bailey Dr. Klaas Pieter Baks and Ms. Monelle K. Lawrence Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Bancroft Ms. Diane Byrd Bartlett Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Boas Mr. Robert D. Smulian and Ms. Lynne Y. Borsuk, Esq. Mr. Jeff Davis Bragg iii and Mrs. Deborah Ann Johnson Ms. Danae Brennan Ms. Mary Kathleen Carroll Ms. Samantha Carstens Ms. Lorraine Rooks Cary Drs. Stewart Wright Caughman and Alison Youngs Caughman Dr. Stanley A. Cohen Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey M. Cross Ms. Dorothy Anne Cunningham Mrs. Cheryl Lee D’Amato Mr. Jefferson James Davis Mrs. Mary Dean Davis Dr. and Mrs. Shelley Carter Davis, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Digby Mr. and Mrs. Mike Dilbeck Dr. Robin Henry Dretler and Ms. Alice K. Michaelson Mr. Kenneth D. Driggs Mr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Dunham Mr. and Mrs. Steven Godarze Ebrahimi Mr. Morris N. Habif Mrs. Sally Willingham Hawkins Ms. Sarah Morris Hodge Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Ovidio Kaba Veronica and Richard Kaplan Ms. Vivien Nicole Kibble Mr. and Mrs. Arnold H. Kurth Mr. and Mrs. Nolan C. Leake Mr. and Ms. Daniel L. MacFarlane
Thank you Ms. Deborah Ann Marlowe Mr. and Mrs. Tony Martin Dr. Joe Brown Massey, Jr. Drs. John Michael Matthews and Linda McCarter Matthews Mr. and Mrs. Dileep Mehta Mrs. Dorothy H. Miller Ms. Martha Josephine Mills Ms. Sandra C. Morris Mrs. Melanie Murray Mr. Alexander Napier Ms. Jennifer Napier Mr. and Ms. William R. Newton Mr. and Mrs. Spalding McArthur Nix Mr. and Mrs. Melvin A. Perling Mr. Lamar Richard Plunkett, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Roger C. Press Ms. Patricia U. Rich Mr. Darryl C. Payne and Mrs. Lisa C. Richardson Dr. Henry C. Ricks, Jr. Mr. Frank C. Roberts Dr. Donna L. Sadler Dr. Robert J. Samuels and Ms. Patricia L. Stone Dr. and Mrs. Rein Saral The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Philip Daniel Schroeder Mr. and Mrs. Michael Carlton Selph Dr. Holli Annette Semetko Mr. and Mrs. Bruce A. Shecter Ms. Ruth C. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Barry Lee Spurlock, Sr. Dr. and Mrs. Gary W. Tapp Ms. Jan Thibadeau Mr. Desmond Way and Mrs. Tanesia L. Thomas-Way Dr. Garth Edward Tissol Drs. Paul F. Walter and Jonne Barney Walter The Rev. Edith Walker Woodling and Mr. Jim Dillon Ms. Ruth W. Woodling Dr. and Mrs. William N. Yang Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey E. Young
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michael c. carlos museum emory university 571 south kilgo circle atlanta, ga 30322 carlos.emory.edu
Member
Visitor information Hours Tuesday through Friday: 10 am–4 pm; Saturday: 10 am– 5 pm; Sunday: noon–5 pm; Closed Mondays and University holidays. Admission $8 general admission. Carlos Museum members, Emory students, faculty, and staff: Free. Students, seniors, and children ages 6–17: $6 (Children ages 5 and under free). Visit our website to learn about free admission days. Ebrik Coffee Room Serving coffee, pastries, and snacks Monday–Friday, 9 am–4 pm; Saturday, 10 am–5 pm; and Sunday, noon–5 pm. Carlos Museum members receive a 10% discount on all purchases. Public transportation marta bus line 6 Emory from Inman Park/ Reynoldstown & Lindbergh stations or 36 North Decatur from Avondale and Midtown stations. Parking Parking is available at the Oxford Road and Fishburne Decks. On weekdays before 4 pm, accessible
parking is available in the Oxford Road parking deck. Enter the Oxford Road building and take the elevator to top (Plaza) level, and follow the accessible route path markers to the rear (Plaza Level) entrance of the museum. On weekends and after 4 pm daily, handicap accessible parking spaces are available on South Kilgo Circle, adjacent to the rear (Plaza Level) to the museum. A governmentissued hangtag must be displayed. Tours Advanced booking required for weekday or weekend groups of 10 or more. For reservations call 404-727-0519 at least two weeks before your group would like to visit. Public tours Depart from the rotunda on Sundays at 2 pm. Call in advance, 404-727-4282. Multimedia audio guide $2. Free for museum members. Museum information 404-727-4282 Web access carlos.emory.edu
Stay connnected Stay connected on our Facebook page with event reminders, specials, notes from curators, and exhibition information. Subscribe to our Carlos Museum calendar and enjoy lectures, the Carlos Reads book club, AntiquiTEA, family events, and more. Visit carlos.emory.edu/connect
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