Albany Museum of Art

PROGRAMMING AND THE NEW SITE

The Albany Museum of Art has resumed in-person programs and events. Now, AMA officials are looking for a “new normal” while keeping the museum’s move downtown on track.

"THIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING BUT ALSO REMARKABLE TIME," SAID AMA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANDREW JAMES WULF. "I DO NOT THINK ANYONE COULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THE MAGNITUDE OF THE INTERRUPTION THAT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAD ON BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS AND SOCIETY.

“It forced us to find innovative ways to bring the museum to the community after we closed to the public on March 18.”

It was a challenge that greeted Wulf and his staff just six months into his tenure as executive director. Before coming to Albany last October, Wulf was executive director at the New Mexico History Museum and the Palace of the Governors, a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, in Santa Fe, N.M., from 2015-2019. Before that, he was supervisory museum curator for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, a division of the U.S. National Archives, from 2010-2015.

THE AMA REOPENED IN THREE STAGES. SUMMER CAMPERS RETURNED JUNE 22, FOLLOWED JULY 9 WITH A MEMBERS-ONLY WEEK. THE MUSEUM REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC JULY 17.

“We learned some important things during the closing,” Wulf noted. “We found ways to bring our programming into homes through computers, tablets and smartphones. We contracted to create virtual tours of our exhibitions, and we videoed our own online series on the artists.

“We even managed to expand our programming, with ‘Art of Selfies,’ ‘Life Imitating Art’ and ‘Art in Residence’ challenges that not only reached people out of state, but overseas. We profiled members of the community who have risen to the occasion through our ‘Creative & Courageous’ series.”

AMA Director of Education and Public Programming Annie Vanoteghem was instrumental in the outreach efforts. Vanoteghem transformed monthly programs for toddlers and homeschool students into online sessions, created a thrice-weekly art blog with do-at-home projects, facilitated online sessions for the AMA book club, partnered with Albany Yoga Project for weekly meditation and monthly yoga sessions, and reinvented four summer art camps into online Camps in a Box. Families picked up supplies at the museum and connected with art teachers online.

“We wanted to make sure that kids sheltering at home could stay engaged in the arts in meaningful ways,” Vanoteghem said. “The arts play an important role in educational success. We wanted to ensure young

students continued to benefit despite difficult circumstances.”

Wulf says many of the innovations will stick. “We shall continue to have a more robust video presence and develop ways for our members, friends and others to engage with us. We are planning to create behind-the-scenes experiences. Our museum shall reach beyond its walls.”

Museum officials are excited about two important moves. One is the return of the AMA’s permanent collection, which has been safely stored in Chicago and Atlanta since since hurricane-force winds breached the museum's roof on

THE ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART, WHICH JUST RECENTLY REOPENED ITS DOORS AMID THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, MODIFIED ITS PROGRAMMING TO CONTINUE CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY.

Jan. 2, 2017. “During the closure, we have been hard at work,” Wulf said. “We have revamped our children’s area and created a children’s gallery.

“A major project has been the renovation of our vaults and the upstairs gallery for our permanent collection. We expect to have our collection home before the end of the year. It’s important to note that these new vaults will come with us when we move downtown, so in doing this we are preparing for the future.”

THAT FUTURE INCLUDES THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RELOCATION OF THE MUSEUM TO THE FORMER BELK DEPARTMENT STORE ON THE 100 BLOCK OF WEST BROAD AVENUE.

The $10 million renovation project will double the AMA’s space, enabling expansions of exhibitions and programming.

“Our active and highly engaged Board of Trustees wants to make sure we start with a solid foundation, as do I,” Wulf said. “We are revising our overall strategic plan, establishing needed committees for the upcoming capital campaign, and taking the other steps necessary to ensure this monumental undertaking will be successful. AMA OFFICIALS SAY SAFETY IS THE

PRIMARY CONSIDERATION FOR IN-PERSON

“The recent EPA approval of the RESTARTS OF PROGRAMMING AND Brownfields grant to mitigate EVENTS, INCLUDING ITS POPULAR AMA soil contamination at the site CONTEMPORARIES. was critical. Its benefit to the museum with the latest guidelines from federal, is obvious, but it also is a great victory state and local health agencies. for Albany, creating a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.” “Our AMA Contemporaries events have been extremely popular, and the One of the challenges the AMA is group has helped us reach so many of facing as it restarts physical programs the young professionals in our region,” is determining the forms they will take. AMA Director of Development and Museum officials are working to make Membership Chloe Hinton noted. “We sure all programs and events comply don’t want to lose that momentum.”

She said planning is starting on a third season of Contemporaries events, which usually kick off in late summer with Bar Fight. At that live music event, three local bartenders vie to create Albany’s signature summer cocktail.

“We want to continue to reach young adults in ways that enable them to have entertaining evenings while also supporting art and developing future museum leadership,” Hinton said.

Wulf said he is excited about the formation of a Friends of the AMA group that is being headed by Kirk Rouse, a former AMA board president and co-chair of the museum’s Supper Series fundraiser.

“I am absolutely thrilled that Kirk has agreed to serve in this capacity,” Wulf said. “He is a strong supporter of the arts and the museum, and we The museum also is reaching out to young adults through the creation of a new organization, the AMA College Art Board. Last year, the museum established a Teen Art Board. Members will work with Vanoteghem to create programming and events to engage their respective groups.

“It’s important that those who are in the Contemporaries and the teen and college boards come up with ideas for activities,” Wulf said. “They know what appeals to their peers.”

Planning is underway, too, on this fall’s AMA ChalkFest, the third annual chalk art, craft beer and live music

2019 CHALKFEST

street festival. Last year, ChalkFest drew more than 4,000 people to the 100 block of Pine Avenue.

“We shall make an announcement soon on ChalkFest,” Wulf said. “Our first consideration is the health safety of those who participate and attend. We also expect to have some other exciting announcements soon, so stay tuned!”