The Columbus Museum Quarterly Magazine
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Spring 2022
Letter from the Director
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think of springtime as a season that brings wonderful things, and that is certainly true at the Museum. We are pleased to present Sand Unshaken: The Origin Story of Alma Thomas, an exhibition about Alma Thomas’ years in Columbus and her family’s history in our region. On view in the Nordhausen and Callaway Galleries, it is based on extensive research conducted by the Museum’s Curator of History, Rebecca Bush. Sand Unshaken is a complement to Alma W. Thomas: Everything Is Beautiful, the national traveling exhibition coming to the Museum this summer that we co-organized with the Chrysler Museum of Art. We are excited to mount these exhibitions about this great American artist-educator. More information about the opening reception and special programs for Alma W. Thomas: Everything Is Beautiful will be shared in the coming months. The Museum has a new special event this spring that celebrates the Bradley Olmsted Garden as well as our permanent collection. Museum Alive! Celebrating the Bradley Olmsted Garden will take place over three days in April and feature floral interpretations of works in our collection as well as floral ar-
ranging classes and a family-friendly, outdoor event in the garden on its final day. This much-anticipated event is a wonderful way to celebrate springtime in Columbus, and I hope you’ll join us! We continue to seek new ways of connecting our community to our collections, exhibitions, and the enlightenment and pleasure that are found in art and historical artifacts. This issue of The Muse spotlights our Museum PALS program for Pre-K students. Created by our talented education staff, Museum PALS has grown substantially in the two years since its inception. Twenty-four Pre-K classes in Muscogee County School District (MCSD) schools currently participate in this monthly program, and our goal is to reach all Pre-K classrooms within the District in the next few years. I am happy to report that our tour program, both in-person and virtual, has seen greater attendance in this second year of the pandemic, as have our other educational programs. In addition, since spring 2020, we have distributed 2,475 activity kits and 3,900 activity booklets to children through the MCSD and Phenix City Schools, the Housing Authority of Columbus, Georgia, and throughout our programs.
Recently, the Museum acquired an important oil study of the Parthenon by the nineteenth-century American painter Sanford Gifford, an acquisition that is particularly exciting because it is related to a drawing of the same subject in our collection. Our cover story tells more about this acquisition and both works’ relationship to the artist’s last great painting, The Ruins of the Parthenon, which is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington. Renovation of the Museum’s collections storage vault has progressed well, and we anticipate completion in March. More details on the project and its importance for our growing collection is available in these pages. We are grateful to the Muscogee County School District and to the people of Columbus for the ESPLOST funding that made the project possible. I hope spring brings wonderful things to you and your loved ones, and I look forward to seeing you at the Museum!
The Columbus Museum brings
The Columbus Museum: 1251 Wynnton Road Columbus, GA 31906 | 706.748.2562 | columbusmuseum.com
life for the communities of
Museum Hours: Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thurs. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. | Sun. 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
American art and history to the Chattahoochee Valley.
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Museum Shop Hours: Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Thurs. 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Sun. 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
On the Cover:
Sanford Robinson Gifford, Study for The Ruins of the Parthenon (detail), 1869, oil on canvas mounted on board, The Art Acquisition and Restoration Fund, The Columbus Museum G.2021.66
Sand Unshaken: The Origin Story of Alma Thomas
New Exhibition | May 21 – October 2, 2022 | Nordhausen and Callaway Galleries Long before Alma W. Thomas became a beloved teacher or a celebrated artist, she grew up in Columbus, the daughter of a successful business owner and an in-demand dressmaker. Her parents turned their suburban Victorian home into a center of cultural pursuits, and Thomas’s family became founding members of a nascent Black middle class in Columbus. However, their lives were still marred by discrimination and the threat of violence. This exhibition seeks to challenge traditional myths about Thomas’s upbringing while spotlighting the achievements and challenges of an African American family in the Deep South between Reconstruction and World War I. The project draws heavily from Thomas and Cantey family archives in The Columbus Museum’s permanent collection. Featured artifacts include family portraits, books and musical instruments used by family members, furnishings from the Thomas family home in Rose Hill, and a locket purchased by Thomas’s grandfather for her grandmother while both were enslaved. This exhibition will complement the landmark art exhibition Alma W. Thomas: Everything is Beautiful, opening at the Museum on July 1.
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This exhibition is generously sponsored by
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Images: 1.-2. Unknown artist, Amelia C. Thomas and John H. Thomas, ca. 1888, crayon portrait, Gift of Miss John Maurice Thomas in memory of her parents John H. and Amelia W. Cantey Thomas and her sister Alma Woodsey Thomas, The Columbus Museum G.1994.20.83-.84 3. Columbus souvenir piggy bank, ca. 1900, Bequest of Miss John Maurice Thomas, The Columbus Museum G.2011.74.12 4. Locket owned by Fannie Sammons Cantey, ca. 1850, Gift of Miss John Maurice Thomas in memory of her parents John H. Thomas and Amelia W. Cantey Thomas, The Columbus Museum G.1996.17.3
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Do You Follow? Artists Working in Series and Suites New Exhibition | April 30 - October 16, 2022 | Woodruff Gallery
Artists work in different ways. Sometimes they focus on singu- from The Columbus Museum’s holdings, this project seeks to lar objects that stand alone. At other times, they think in terms of provide insight into the creative process by investigating a particgroups of objects that relate to each other. This show foregrounds ular way of working in the studio. the latter aesthetic strategy. A series might imply a narrative, a Images: storyline that connects the objects. Or a series might provide the 1. Robert Motherwell, Lyric Suite, 1965, ink on rice paper, Gift of the Dedalus Foundation, artist the space to fully plumb innovative subjects, materials, or Inc. in honor of Tom Butler, The Columbus Museum G.2000.13.10 processes. Suites of objects might explore the same subject from 2. John James Audubon and Robert Havell, Jr., Ferruginous Thrush, 1834, etching, aquaand watercolor on Whatman paper, Museum purchase, The Columbus Museum different viewpoints or might gather singular objects whose sim- tint, G.1977.51 ilarities and differences create an inventive and compelling new 3. Douglas Witmer, Sequence Bleu I-V, 2017, acrylic on Arches 140 lb. hot press paper, The whole. Drawing on recent acquisitions and longtime favorites Shannon Amos Fund, The Columbus Museum G.2020.2.E 1
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The Columbus Museum is proud to announce the recent acquisition of five photographs with regional connections by renowned American photographers. Ruth Orkin (1921-1985) grew up in Hollywood and received her first camera at the age of 10. She took classes in photojournalism before becoming the first messenger girl at MGM Studios and then joining the Women’s Army Corps. Orkin moved to New York in 1943 to become a freelance photographer, and her images of celebrities and street life appeared in Life, Look, the New York Times, and other major publications. She was named one of the “Top Ten Women Photographers in the U.S.” by the Professional Photographers of America in 1959. Her work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Columbus native Carson McCullers published her third novel, The Member of the Wedding, in 1946 and then adapted it for a Broadway production starring stage and music legend Ethel Waters and Julie Harris. Orkin’s image depicts Waters, McCullers, and Harris backstage at the Empire Theatre in the early morning hours of January 6, 1950, as rave reviews 1
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for the play’s opening night had begun to arrive. This photograph depicts the relief and exhaustion of one of McCullers’ most triumphant evenings and complements the Museum’s two portraits of McCullers taken by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, another freelance NYC photographer. Prentice Herman Polk (1898–1984) grew up in Bessemer, Alabama, and left to attend Tuskegee Institute in 1916. Though his dreams of becoming a great painter were dashed by the school’s vocational focus, Polk soon became the first student of the Tuskegee photography program. Barred from attending white institutions to further his studies, Polk took a correspondence class in photography in 1922 and moved to Chicago, where he was mentored by a white studio photographer while working as a painter for the Pullman Palace Car Company. In 1927, Polk returned to Tuskegee, where he opened his own studio and eventually became the official campus photographer, a post he held until nearly the end of his life. His work began to attract national attention in the 1970s and is now found in the collec-
tions of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the High Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The four Polk photographs acquired by the Museum reflect the breadth of his subject matter: portraiture, Tuskegee campus life, and rural scenes in Macon County, Alabama. A photograph of George Washington Carver crocheting is the first photographic portrait of Carver to enter the Museum’s collection, a particularly fitting addition given his ties to Columbus’ Tom Huston Peanut Company. Carver was proficient in needlework, embroidery, knitting, weaving, and basketry, with the bulk of his fiber arts output deriving from crocheting. Image: 1. P.H. Polk, George Washington Carver, 1930s, gelatin silver print, Gift of Thom Pegg and Black Art Auction, The Columbus Museum G.2021.69.1 2. Ruth Orkin, “The Member of the Wedding” opening night party, 1950 (printed 1971), gelatin silver print, The Gladys Dudley History Fund, The Columbus Museum G.2021.59
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SPRING 2022 HISTORY ACQUISITIONS
Photography Acquisitions Illuminate Regional History
SPRING 2022 ART ACQUISITION
Sanford Robinson Gifford, Study for The Ruins of the Parthenon This fall, the Museum was the successful bidder at auction for an oil study of the ruins of the Parthenon (fig. 1) by Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823–1880). It is a work that is directly related to a striking architectural drawing in the collection, which the Museum acquired in 2008 (fig. 2). The two works offer insight into Gifford’s working methods in conceiving and creating the painting the artist considered the crowning achievement of his entire career, The Ruins of the Parthenon (fig. 3). Encouraged by his well-off family to study portraiture in New York City, Sanford Robinson Gifford instead decided to stake his reputation on landscape images, following in the footsteps of the field’s reigning master, Thomas Cole. Gifford’s persistent practice of his craft paid off: he was elected an associate of the National Academy of Design in 1850 and made a full academician four years later. After the Civil War broke out, Gifford served in New York’s Seventh Regiment; during this time, he documented military life. The artist took his second and final trip overseas in 1868. There he spent more than a year exploring Europe and the Middle East. Gifford figured among the notable artists and civic leaders of the day who helped establish the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1870. After Gifford’s demise in 1880, the Metropolitan subsequently honored the artist with its first ever monographic retrospective, as well as a memorial catalogue of his extant pictures. In May 1869, during his second trip abroad, he spent time in Athens, where he made numerous studies of the Acropolis, including the Parthenon. He completed the architectural drawing in the Museum’s collection while there. Gifford’s scrutiny of the site grew to include sketches of the famous marble friezes, drawings of various architectural details, and a handful of mid-ground views, with the temple at left, rubble in the center, and an anomalous medieval tower at right. The oil sketch the Museum recently acquired is one of four autograph oils that reprise the scene. Gifford scholar Ila Weiss 6 | THE MUSE SPRING 2022
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suggests that it was painted from the architectural drawing, rather than en plein air. Gifford created these painstaking and lively studies in preparation for his monumental work, The Ruins of the Parthenon. The artist hoped an American museum would acquire the fully realized painting—what he described as “not a picture of a building, but a picture of a day.” While the canvas remained unsold at Gifford’s death, the Corcoran Gallery of Art did, in fact, purchase the work at the artist’s estate sale for $5,100, at the 2
time the highest price paid for one of his works. Now with two preliminary studies in its possession, The Columbus Museum is well positioned to tell the story of how Sanford Gifford’s “last great picture” came to be. Image: 1. Sanford Robinson Gifford, Study for The Ruins of the Parthenon, 1869, oil on canvas mounted on board, The Art Acquisition and Restoration Fund, The Columbus Museum G.2021.66 2. Sanford Robinson Gifford, Study for The Ruins of the Parthenon (detail), 1869, pen and gouache on paper, Wade H. and Teresa Pike Tomlinson Fund in memory of Wade H. Tomlinson, Jr., The Columbus Museum G.2008.34.32 3. Sanford Robinson Gifford, The Ruins of the Parthenon, 1880, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Corcoran Collection, Museum Purchase, Gallery Fund 2014.79.20
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Vault Storage Update Did you know? With the help of ESPLOST funds through our partners in the Muscogee Country School District, the Museum’s collections storage area is currently being renovated. Our storage capacity is expanding to meet the needs of our growing collections of art and history artifacts. The Museum will also have a dedicated workspace that can be used by both staff and researchers for cataloguing and examining objects. Removing the old storage units, laying a new concrete floor and adding a brand-new coat of paint have created a bright and improved
space. Updated museum-specific storage equipment is currently being installed, including new painting racks and collapsible shelving. We are grateful to the MCSD and the community of Columbus for the ESPLOST funding to make this much-needed renovation a reality. Images: 1.-3. Before Renovation: Collection Vault Storage 4.-6. Current Renovation Progress: Collection Vault Storage
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Museum Program Highlights
The Museum has had the opportunity to impact increasing numbers of Members and guests during recent programming. Please see highlights of our latest programming attendance numbers.
Civil Rights Documentary in Production
Artful Babies and Mini Makers
Classes returned in September 2021 and all have reached maximum registration capacity since reopening
Master Circle Dinner - 105 Members
Curator Chat: Unexpected Objects 68 guests
Members’Trip to Atlanta - 16 Members
Journey Toward Justice: The Civil Rights Movement in the Chattahoochee Valley
Opening Day Public Tours - 71 guests
Direct Action Roundtable Discussion - 196 guests Direct Action Roundtable Discussion for Local Schools - 550 children
Youth Art Month - 571 guests
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Image: 1. Youth Art Month in the Galleria | 2. Members’ Trip to Atlanta 8 | THE MUSE SPRING 2022
In conjunction with the current exhibition Journey Toward Justice, The Columbus Museum is producing a short film documenting the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the Chattahoochee Valley. In partnership with Mickell Carter, an Auburn University doctoral student and Columbus native, the Museum is facilitating interviews with current and former residents of the Valley who played a role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and ‘70s, as well as historians who connect local activism to the national movement. Interviewees so far include Rev. Rudy Allen, Dr. Virginia Causey, Bunky McClung Clark, Ibrahim Mumin, Prof. Judy Purnell, and Dr. Gary Sprayberry. A core goal of the project team is to encourage the teaching of local Black history within area schools. Carter, the project’s lead documentarian, attended and taught in Columbus public schools before beginning doctoral studies in history. She will partner with the Museum’s education staff to ensure the film meets Georgia Standards of Excellence and national Common Core Standards for students in grades 6–12, and the team will create additional teaching resources, assisted by local educators. Artifacts and images from the Museum’s permanent collection will be featured organically throughout the film, making it an excellent teaching tool in future years. Public screenings in the fall of 2022 will bring awareness to the significance of Columbus’s extensive civil rights history while creating opportunities for community dialogue about civil and human rights today. Time is running out to capture the experiences of Columbus’s Black 20th-century leaders and activists. Recording their voices for the future is more vital and timely than ever before. This project has received generous grants from the Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest at Villanova University (one of six grants awarded nationally), as well as Georgia Humanities, and the Museum continues to seek funding to complete this meaningful film. For more information and details on how you can support this project, contact:
Rebecca Bush, Curator of History/Exhibitions Manager, curatorial@columbusmuseum.com, 706.748.2562 ext. 3231.
Launched in 2019, the Museum PALS (Pre-K Art & Literacy in Schools) program has become a signature outreach initiative for The Columbus Museum. In the current school year, PALS is serving over 500 pre-K students in 24 classrooms across six schools each month. Every PALS lesson is inspired by an object from the Museum’s collection, encouraging critical thinking and expressive language skills in participating students. An educator from the Museum facilitates a discussion about the collection object, then reads a related picture book and leads an art-making activity as part of an hourlong classroom visit each month. Participating teachers have shared that the program “creates happiness” in their students
who “look forward to it each month” in addition to supporting their learning goals for students. The PALS program supports classroom teachers through high-quality art education, builds relationships with students, and raises awareness of the Museum as a resource within our local community. Over the course of the school year, students have the opportunity to learn about artists of all different genders, races, and ethnicities. For example, PALS includes two lessons about Native American objects from two different time periods. A stamped ceramic jar from the Woodland period is used to explore traditional Indigenous decorative practices of our area. This object is paired with a clay activity in which students experiment with the stamping method and the book Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard to learn about Indigenous culture. Later in the year, the work of contemporary Native American artist Jeffrey Gibson is used to learn about shapes, colors, and patterns, connecting to the earlier lesson with a contemporary lens. Other lessons explore the role of Black artists and female artists in creating a vibrant and diverse cultural landscape. Community Outreach Coordinator Ima-
SPRING 2022 EDUCATION
Museum PALS Education Impact
ni Jones-Pugh says, “PALS is the greatest start to my morning. There is such a good feeling associated with seeing students having fun while creating and learning. One of my favorite classroom quotes so far occurred between four little boys who shared a table. One of them stated, ‘Guys, this is the best fun of my life,’ as we worked on our watercolor resist abstract art pieces inspired by Lee Krasner’s Still Life.” The Columbus Museum is proud to support the Muscogee County School District and its pre-kindergarten students through this engaging educational initiative. 2022 SPRING THE MUSE | 9
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Black is Beautiful Exhibition closes
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Glass Maker’ s Workshop 10 AM, Noon, 2 PM, 4 PM, & 6 PM
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Mini Makers 10:30-11:30 AM
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Look at Lunch 12:15 PM
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Black is Beautiful Closing Reception & Discussion 6 PM
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Open Studio 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
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Art with the Masters 6-8 PM
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The Life and Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted 6 PM
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Docent/Volunteer Appreciation: Luncheon: 11 AM - 1 PM Experience: 1 PM - 3 PM
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Yoga at the Museum 10:30 AM-Noon
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Parent & Child Workshop 2-3:30 PM
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Glass Maker’ s Workshop 10 AM, Noon, 2 PM, 4 PM, & 6 PM
Yoga at the Museum 10:30 AM-Noon
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Yoga at the Museum 10:30 AM-Noon
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Gallery Quest 1-4 PM
Do You Follow? Exhibition opens
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March: Unknown photographer, Rep. Albert and Dorothy Thompson on election night (detail), 1966, gelatin silver print, The Gladys Dudley History Fund, The Columbus Museum G.2021.61.57 | April-May: David Driskell, Gabriel (detail), 2018, Gift of Black Art in America and Seteria and Najee Dorsey, The Columbus Museum G.2020.71.9 May: Beatrice Virginia Elizabeth Jenkins Phillips, Pinwheel variation quilt (detail), early 1900s, cotton, Gift of Dr. Paul M. Goggans, The Columbus Museum G.2019.78.9
Quilts from the Collection of Paul M. Goggans, Part 2 on view through October 2, 2022
Journey Toward Justice: The Civil Rights Movement in the Chattahoochee Valley on view through October 16, 2022
The Meaning of Home on view through July 31, 2022
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Photography 101 6 PM
Museum Shop One Day Sale
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Museum Alive! Bloom Bash
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Black is Beautiful: Recent Gifts from Black Art in America & Najee & Seteria Dorsey on view through April 10, 2022
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SPRING 2022 EDUCATION
Upcoming Programs Artful Babies
March 5 & 8 | 10:30-11:30 A.M. April 2 & 5 | 10:30-11:30 A.M. (Ages 6-24 months and caregivers)
Babies love art! Join us and learn about the world of art with your child. Each month we will explore a different theme and discover what our youngest visitors are drawn to during their museum visit. Each session includes a playtime to explore books and hands-on objects as well as an art activity for children and their caregivers to complete together. Space is limited, so sign up today!
Registration required. Free
Look at Lunch
March 8, April 12, May 10 | 12:15 P.M.
Take a break from your normal routine and spend your lunch hour at The Columbus Museum! Enjoy a short, collaborative conversation about an artwork from the Museum’ s collection with Curator of American Art, Jonathan Frederick Walz, Ph.D.
The Life & Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted & The Olmsted Brothers Firm with Laurence Cotton March 17 | 6 P.M.
Join us for a lecture about the acclaimed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and the Olmsted Brothers firm, formed by his sons. The Olmsted family made an indelible mark on the American landscape through their work on outdoor spaces across the country, including Central Park in New York and the Museum’ s own Bradley Olmsted Garden. Cotton served as principal researcher and consulting producer on the 2014 PBS film“Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America.”Before the lecture, visit the Bradley Olmsted Garden to experience their vision for yourself and enjoy the blooming azaleas.
Registration required. Free
Mini Makers
March 12 & 15 | 10:30-11:30 A.M. April 9 & 12 | 10:30-11:30 A.M. (Ages 2-4 years and caregivers)
Your child will discover their inner artist during our Mini Makers program! During each session, children will learn about art through story time, songs, and games. Each session includes a chance to explore new art materials and create mini masterpieces to take home! Space is limited, so sign up today!
Registration required. Free 12 | THE MUSE SPRING 2022
Yoga at the Museum
March 26, April 16, May 21 | 10:30 A.M.-Noon
De-stress with a yoga class at The Columbus Museum, surrounded by art and history! Start with a short mindfulness-focused gallery experience, then relax with a gentle, all-levels yoga session led by Sue Tomkiewicz. Some yoga mats are available on a first come, first served basis.
Registration required. Free for Members/$5 for Future Members
Parent & Child Workshop April 2 | 2-3:30 P.M. April 6 | 10:30 A.M.-Noon
Take inspiration from the Museum’ s Camella by Russell Vogt during this special Spring Break Parent and Child Workshop! Participants will visit Camella to gather inspiration before creating their own mosaic-inspired artwork.
Open Studio
April 7 & 8 | 10:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M.
Create during the break! Spend your Spring Break at the Museum as we explore art making activities!
Registration required. Free
Registration required. Free
Black is Beautiful Closing Reception & Roundtable Discussion April 7 | 6 P.M.
Join us for a closing reception celebrating Black is Beautiful: Recent Gifts from Black Art in America and Najee & Seteria Dorsey. Dr. Jonathan F. Walz, Curator of American Art, will be joined by Dr. Kelli Morgan, Director of Curatorial Studies at Tufts University, and Najee Dorsey, Founder of Black Art in America, to discuss the exhibition and the significance of this gift. A closing reception will follow.
Registration required. Free
Gallery Quest May 7 | 1-4 P.M. (Ages 12-18)
The Teen Advisory Group invites you to join them for an afternoon of fun and exploration. Participants will work with a team to solve puzzles and clues as they collect items that will help them complete the final quest challenge.
Registration required. Free
To register for our events, visit columbusmuseum.com/programs-events 2022 SPRING THE MUSE | 13
MEMBERS MAKE MUSEUMS
Upcoming Member Programs
Photography 101 April 28 | 6 P.M.
Join us at The Columbus Museum as Eliza Daffin, a local photographer with a BFA in Photography from CSU, shares some insights on how you can elevate your photo-taking skills to get the right picture for social media, scrapbooks, or just for capturing the moment. This event is designed for people with little-to-no photography experience and all you will need to bring is your smartphone or a simple point-and-shoot camera! Seats are limited so register soon!
Register online by April 21 to Shiv Desai, sdesai@columbusmuseum.com, 706.748.2562 ext. 5400 $10 for Museum Members | $20 for Future Members*
*Future Members can use $10 of their event fee towards the purchase of any Museum membership level, excluding Civic Level membership.
Art with the Masters: Tony Pettis March 24 | 6-8 P.M.
Join us at The Columbus Museum for a night of art and inspiration as local artist Tony Pettis shows us a thing or two about expressionist painting. Tony will share a history of the style and discuss how he came to become an artist, and then guide the class on making their own painting they can take home. Light hors d’oeuvres and libations will be served. Supplies and materials will be provided. Seats are limited so register soon!
Register online by March 17 to Shiv Desai, sdesai@columbusmuseum.com, 706.748.2562 ext. 5400 $35 for Museum Members | $50 for Future Members*
*Future Members can use $15 of their event fee towards the purchase of any Museum membership level, excluding Civic Level membership.
Membership Appreciation Month May 2022
The Columbus Museum is grateful for your membership and we would like to say“thank you”for being a part of our Museum family! Here are some extra benefits that Members will receive during the month of May: Additional 10% discount in the Museum Shop A Members’ice cream social in your honor
Members’Preview Night of an upcoming exhibition, Sand Unshaken: The Origin Story of Alma Thomas ... and much more!
Discounts and benefits only apply to current members. Keep an eye out for more updates in the coming months!
Not sure if your membership is up-to-date? Please reach out to sdesai@columbusmuseum.com or call (706) 748-2562 ext. 5400. 14 | THE MUSE SPRING 2022
Opening Event: Bloom Bash
Floral Arranging Classes
Closing Event: Garden Fest
Delight in cocktails and hors d’ oeuvres as you tour astonishing floral sculptures created and inspired by works in the Museum’ s permanent collection.
Explore the fundamentals of floral arranging in this interactive, outdoor class.
Enjoy an afternoon in the Museum garden with music, lawn games, beer-tasting, and more!
Thursday, April 21
Friday, April 22
Saturday, April 23
MEMBERS & CONTRIBUTIONS OCTOBER 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 2021
The Columbus Museum is grateful to recognize our President, Director, Collector, Master Circle, & Patron members. Those who joined or renewed within the last quarter are in bold print. **Continuous member for 20+ years *Continuous member for 10+ years
President Circle
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel P. Amos** Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Hecht** Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth M. Henson, Jr.** Mr. & Mrs. John C. Martin II** Mr. & Mrs. W. Michael Ogie** Mr. & Mrs. Alan C. Ramsay, Jr.** D. Steven Sharp**
Director Circle
Mrs. Lovick P. Corn** Mr. & Mrs. Raymond E. Crowley** Mr. & Mrs. A. Comer Hobbs, Sr.** Dr. & Mrs. Thornton F. Jordan** Mr. & Mrs. Mason Houghland Lampton** Maxine R. Schiffman** Mr. & Mrs. Wright B. Waddell** Mr. & Mrs. Ronald L. Wilson**
Collector Circle
Mrs. Donald F. Broda, Jr.** Mr. & Mrs. Stephen T. Butler** Dr. & Mrs. Richard S. Robbins** Mr. & Mrs. Otis J. Scarborough** Dr. & Mrs. Otis E. Tillman, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Wade H. Tomlinson III** Dr. & Mrs. John Waldrop Mrs. Davis Ronald Watson** Ms. E. Worth Williams Dr. & Mrs. Sidney H. Yarbrough III**
Master Circle
Dr. & Mrs. A. C. Alvarez** Catalina Aranas Dr. & Mrs. Champ Baker** Bo Bartlett & Betsy Eby* Catherine & Rennie Bickerstaff** Mrs. James J. W. Biggers** Zack & Amanda Bishop Mr. Wilson W. Blackmon** Mr. & Mrs. James H. Blanchard** Mrs. Minnie R. Bradley** Mr. & Mrs. Richard Y. Bradley** Mr. & Mrs. Jeremy Brewer* Dr. & Mrs. Philip L. Brewer** Mr. & Mrs. Lance Brooks Ed & Suzanne Burdeshaw** Sara & Keith Chambless Mrs. Forrest L. Champion, Jr.** Craig & Traci Courville* 16 | THE MUSE SPRING 2022
David Durant Mr. & Mrs. J. Robert Elliott, Jr.** Mr. & Mrs. John F. Flournoy, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Flowers** Mellie Fountain** Cindy & Spencer Garrard Mr. & Mrs. James E. Gates** Mr. & Mrs. Jack C. Goldfrank** Mrs. Ben M. Greenblatt** James E. & Kelli Hall Mrs. Richard Hallock Mr. & Mrs. Kerry W. Hand** Mr. Christopher R. Harman** Judye S. Harris** Dr. & Mrs. Ed P. Helton James G. & Kathryn A. Hillenbrand Darren & Becky Horne Mrs. Lula Huff Mr. & Mrs. Randolph B. Jones III Dr. William P. Kendall** Mrs. Erwin D. Key** Mr. & Mrs. Jack B. Key III** Dr. & Mrs. Edward B. Kinner** Mrs. Donald M. Leebern, Jr.** Mr. & Mrs. W. Fray McCormick** Mr. & Mrs. Roy E. Martin III** Mr. & Mrs. L. Pierce Miller Mr. & Mrs. Jerry B. Newman** Dr. & Mrs. Eddie Obleton* Ms. Marleen De Bode Olivié & Mr. Marc Olivié* Mr. & Mrs. John Hunter Peak Mr. & Mrs. William Roland Peek** Thom Pegg, Black Art Auction Mr. & Mrs. Ben B. Philips** Dr. & Mrs. Andrew W. Pippas* Mr. & Mrs. Robert S. Poydasheff, Jr. Ms. Marianne Richter Mr. & Mrs. Chandler Riley* Mrs. Kathy J. Riley** Mrs. Benno G. Rothschild** The Honorable & Mrs. William C. Rumer** Ms. Charlotte Alexander Saunders** Mr. & Mrs. James Kimbrough Sheek IV Ms. Melanie Slaton & Mr. Ben Holden Dr. & Mrs. J. Lacey Smith Melissa Murray Smith Dr. Eva Sperk Ms. Rose H. Steiner* Bobsie Swift** Ms. Jeanne R. Swift** Patty Kimbrough Taylor** Jim & Melissa Thomas Townsend Wealth Management Mr. & Mrs. James Trotter, Jr.** Dr. Amandah S. & Mr. John T. Turner* Mr. & Mrs. Jack G. Turner* Mr. & Mrs. William B. Turner, Jr.** Dr. Thomas A. & Sherry F. Wade** Mr. & Mrs. John W. Walden, Jr.** Whitni & Mulford Waldrop
Ms. Christine D. Weaver** Susan Smith Wiggins Pat & Jack Wilensky** Mr. & Mrs. Joe V. Windsor** Kay & Billy Winn** Mr. & Mrs. Joel O. Wooten*
Patron
Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey G. Adams Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Adams, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. W. Mizell Alexander** Ms. Betty L. Auten* Drs. Karin & Champ Baker III* Mrs. Marjorie B. Bickerstaff** Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Bickerstaff Mr. & Mrs. Gary O. Bruce Mrs. Otis B. Burnham** Mrs. Ann P. Burr** Ms. Jan Carter** Lacrecia Cade Dr. & Mrs. Hunter Champion Drs. Kathryn & Benjamin Cheek** Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Culpepper* Mr. William J. Cunningham, Jr.** Mrs. Frank S. Etheridge III** Mr. Robert T. Flournoy** Mr. & Mrs. Frank D. Foley III** Mr. & Mrs. Gardiner W. Garrard, Jr.** Mr. & Mrs. Pace Halter Mr. & Mrs. Seth L. Knight III** Mr. & Mrs. R. J. Krieg* Ashok & Mary Kumar Drs. Kevin T. & Amanda McPherson Mr. Patrick Martin Dr. & Mrs. Michael Metry Mr. & Mrs. Richard Olson** Dr. & Mrs. Douglas Pahl Mr. & Mrs. J. Donald Peek** Ms. Gwendolyn H. Ruff Dr. & Mrs. Lloyd Sampson** Mr. & Mrs. Claude G. Scarbrough III** Kenneth A. Shaw** Mr. & Mrs. Sam Singer Celia & Murray Solomon* Mr. & Mrs. Matthews D. Swift Mr. & Mrs. Thomas P. Swift** Ms. Elizabeth A. Taylor** Mr. & Mrs. John P. Thayer Mr. & Mrs. Philip Tomlinson** Mr. & Mrs. William Clark Turner* Mr. & Mrs. James D. Yancey** The Columbus Museum is grateful to recognize our Reciprocal, Family, Supporting, & Civic members who joined or renewed within the last quarter. **Continuous member for 20+ years *Continuous member for 10+ years
Reciprocal
Jean R. Anderson** Jack & Rebecca Basset Jacob & Claire Beil** Helen Elaine Clayton Gloria Cohen** Stan Floyd** Dr. & Mrs. Jerry Goldsmith** Mr. & Mrs. Seth Harp** John M. House Ms. Helena G. Hunt Mr. & Mrs. Brock Jones** Col. (Ret.) & Mrs. Robert S. McGurk** Mr. & Mrs. Larry H. Mize** Ms. Judith M. Nail** Ms. Marnie S. Salter** Mrs. Lothar Tresp Mr. Cliff Tucker** Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Ussery** Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Yarbrough IV
Family
Mr. Ray L. Allison** Mr. & Mrs. George G. Boyd Mr. & Mrs. Mike H. Buckner** Dr. Kay E. Campbell Tom & Myra Converse* Mr. Bainbridge & Dr. Karen Cowell Betsy & Bill Fortson Ms. Finn H. Fountain Kay Gudger** Mr. & Mrs. W. B. Hardagree, Jr.** Mr. & Mrs. Travis C. Miller, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Jack J. Pease III** Emma Jo Jones Ploeger** Mr. & Mrs. Gregory K. Pridgen** Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Robinson** Mr. & Mrs. Ed Tante
Supporting
Mr. & Mrs. Neil Block Mr. & Mrs. Jesse G. Bowles III** Ms. Patty H. Branch** Belle P. Brightwell & Thomas Ford, IV Virginia Causey Ms. Martha Cole** Mr. & Mrs. James H. Creek Deanna & Shane Darrah Mr. & Mrs. Clifton C. Fay, Sr.** Ms. Ann M. Hall Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth S. Janke, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Gary L. Johnson Mr. & Mrs. David M. Jordan** Vicki & Tom Ladshaw Dr. Donna Livingston** Ms. Jeanette Marshall Dr. & Mrs. Scott O. McLaurin Ms. Anne Mims*
Celia G. Page** Mr. & Mrs. Eugene H. Polleys, Jr.** Seth Pound Stacy L. Poydasheff** Mike & Geri Regnier John E. Richardson Mr. Cameron Saunders Rabbi Beth Schwartz Mr. & Mrs. T. Christopher Shadburn II** Mrs. Billie C. Smith** Antonia KT Treverton Col. & Mrs. Ronald P. West** Mattie K. Wright**
Civic
Mrs. Bette Barr Jacqueline Campbell Truman & Herb Cawthorne** Ms. Geraldine W. Goodman J. Bruce Griffin Mrs. Stanley Hirsch** Elsa L. Hirsch Margaret L. Ingersoll* Peggy K. Luker** Mary Ann Marshall Deborah Pugh Steve & Adleyn Scott Ann Spencer* Mr. & Mrs. Frank Stewart Meredith Walters Mr. & Mrs. W. Richard Wilson
The Columbus Museum is proud to recognize our active Affiliate Group Members who joined or renewed within the last quarter. Alma Thomas Society Drs. Karin & Champ Baker III Catherine & Rennie Bickerstaff Mrs. Donald F. Broda, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth M. Henson, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Thornton F. Jordan Mary Ann Marshall Thom Pegg, Black Art Auction D. Steven Sharp Mr. & Mrs. William B. Turner, Jr.
Young Art Patrons Seth Pound Mr. Cameron Saunders Mrs. Billie C. Smith
The Columbus Museum gratefully acknowledges the following friends for their contributions. Donation of artifacts Gift of the Corn Family
Donation of artwork by Burton Silverman Estate of Paul W. Doll, Jr.
Donation of Wynnton Delicatessen menu, 1930s Gift of Fred & Cathy Fussell
Donation to the African American Art Fund Ms. Geraldine W. Goodman
Donation of 1940s Christmas cards Gift of Rebecca Bush in memory of her paternal grandfather, Duane Bush Donation of black parasol carried by Mary Lewis Redd, Columbus, ca. 1900 Gift of Sarah Callaway Brabant, Ph.D. Donation of photographs by P.H. Polk Gift of Thom Pegg, Black Art Auction Donation of photograph of John Maurice Thomas at the opening of A Life in Art: Alma Thomas, 1891-1978 Gift of James E. & Kelli Hall Donation of artifacts Gift of Jonathan Frederick Walz, Ph.D. Donation of research books for The Museum’s Library Mrs. Davis Ronald Watson Donation of Georgia Bankers Association/ Columbus Banks calendar, 1917 Vernon Champlin Donation of objects related to treatment of COVID-19 Piedmont Columbus Regional
Donation for education programs Mr. & Mrs. Stephen T. Butler Friends of the Museum Donation for history programs Ms. Sandra S. Hudson Donation for history acquisition Mr. & Mrs. Daniel P. Amos Donation for general operations Mr. & Mrs. Raymond E. Crowley J. Barnett Woodruff Charitable Annuity Lead Trust Grant for Journey Toward Justice documentary Georgia Humanities Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest, Villanova University Sponsorship of Sand Unshaken: The Origin Story of Alma Thomas exhibition Synovus Financial Corp. Sponsorship of Family Fall Festival Synovus Financial Corp.
Mr. William J. Cunningham, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John F. Flournoy, Jr. Ms. Geraldine W. Goodman Ms. Kay Gorday Mr. James B. Griffin Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Griffin Mrs. Sally S. Hall Debbie Hamric Mr. Alan Harkness Dr. Edwin L. Page & Pamela Harmann Page through The Harmann Family Fund Dr. & Mrs. W. Lloyd Hudson, Jr. Sandra Kidd Louise P. Laney Drs. Francye & Joseph Largeman Ms. Patricia W. Layfield Dr. & Mrs. David F. Lewis Ms. Anne Mims Marjorie & Jerry Newman Mr. & Mrs. J. Edward Norris, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Charles Pavlick Mr. & Mrs. J. Norman Pease PPC Foundation Ms. Lisa Pyburn Mr. & Mrs. James Kimbrough Sheek IV Warren & Lorie Steele Ms. Suzanne Taylor W.C. Bradley Co. Dr. Thomas A. & Sherry F. Wade The Willcox-Lumpkin Foundation Lacey Yeend Margaret G. Zollo
2022 Year End Gifts Clarence L. Brantley Rhonda Pritchett Clippinger Tom & Myra Converse Creek Stand Partners, LP
The Columbus Museum gratefully acknowledges the following contributions in honor or in memory of special friends. In honor of Tom Wade for his 75th Birthday Mr. & Mrs. Travis F. Wade
In honor of Jonathan Walz and all he is doing to shine light on The Columbus Museum Ms. Betty Krulik
In honor of Mary Lu and Mason Lampton Mr. & Mrs. Richard Y. Bradley In honor of Marianne Richter Mr. & Mrs. Jack Ceccato In honor of Patty Kimbrough Taylor Margaret Gardzina
2022 SPRING THE MUSE | 17
MUSEUM SHOP NEWS
Museum Shop
The Gift Shop saw an increase in sales this holiday season, compared to last year! Our participation in Steeplechase for the Arts, the Holiday Ornament Glass Maker’ s Workshop, and the Holiday Market at the Museum were all key contributors to the success.
New Volunteers
Meredith Walters, Gift Shop Ann Lester, Gift Shop
Events
Docent/Volunteer Appreciation: Luncheon March 25 | 11 A.M. - 1 P.M.
Docent/Volunteer Appreciation: Experience March 25 | 1 P.M. - 3 P.M.
Glass Maker’ s Workshop March 25 | 3 P.M. & 5 P.M.
March 26 | 10 A.M., Noon, 2 P.M., 4 P.M., & 6 P.M. March 27 | 10 A.M., Noon, 2 P.M., 4 P.M., & 6 P.M. The Glass Maker’ s Workshop in November, highlighting holiday ornaments, was very successful! Registration was sold out for the weekend, and the Museum saw increased visitor numbers and increased gift shop sales. We are looking forward to having Kelly Robertson and his crew, from Calvary Glass, back at The Columbus Museum for a Glass Maker’ s Workshop featuring Spring Flowers on March 25-27.
18 | THE MUSE SPRING 2022
Spring Market March 26
One Day Sale
April 28 | 10 A.M.-7:30 P.M.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2021 –22 D. Steven Sharp, President Chris Henson, Vice President Thomas A. Wade, Jr., Corresponding Secretary Marianne Richter, Museum Director/Recording Secretary Tyler A. Townsend, Treasurer Carolynn Obleton, Immediate Past President
Daniel P. Amos, Kathelen V. Amos, Zack Bishop, Kay Broda, Lance Brooks, Lark Champion, J. Robert Elliott, Jr., Gail B. Greenblatt, James E. Hall, Pace Halter, Robert Hecht, Helen Hobbs, Dori Jones, Thornton F. Jordan, Tricia Llewellyn Konan, Mary Lu Lampton, Sallie Martin, W. Fray McCormick, Becky Miller, Elizabeth C. Ogie, Deani Pahl, Dionne Rosser-Mims, Gwendolyn H. Ruff, Otis J. Scarborough, Jack Schley, Melanie Slaton, Melissa Murray Smith, Javonne Stewart, Otis E. Tillman, E. Worth Williams
MUSEUM STAFF Marianne Richter, Director Lacey Yeend, Assistant to the Director
COLLECTIONS & EXHIBITIONS
Jonathan Frederick Walz, Director of Curatorial Affairs & Curator of American Art Rebecca Bush, Curator of History/Exhibitions Manager Aimee Brooks, Collections Manager
EDUCATION
Lucy Kacir, Director of Education & Engagement Jessamy South, Youth & Family Programs Manager Rachel Vogt, Academic Programs Manager Imani Jones-Pugh, Community Outreach Coordinator Kristin Andris, Gallery Teacher
LIFE TRUSTEES:
Philip L. Brewer, Elizabeth T. Corn, Evelyn T. Crowley, Judye S. Harris, F. Clason Kyle, Betsy T. Leebern, Jerry B. Newman, Rebecca K. Yarbrough
HONORARY TRUSTEES:
James H. Blanchard, Representative Calvin Smyre, J. Barrington Vaught
MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS
Larry Hunter, Security Deputy
Marcolm Tatum, Graphic Designer
Al Johnson, Security Deputy
Cesar Colon Torres, Marketing & PR Coordinator
Edward Diamond, Maintenance Engineer
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
DEVELOPMENT
Cameron Faucette, Exhibition Coordinator & Designer
Kelly Cargill, Event Sales Manager
Paula Evans, Accounting Specialist
Morgan Wilson, Campaign Coordinator
Brooke King, Gift Shop Manager/Volunteer Coordinator
Shivkumar Desai, Membership & Grants Coordinator
Rick McGowan, Security Chief
Kristen Hudson, Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Miles Kirkpatrick, Assistant Collections Manager
Keith Smith, Lead Preparator/Art & Artifacts Handler
Gabriella Castleberry, Shop Associate
Kimberly Beck, Deputy Director for Operations
Sam Willis, Maintenance Technician Custodians: Martha Culp, Alice Holmes, Dorothy James Gardeners: Tracy Leopard, Rusty McConnell
Rosaline Anderson, Visitor Services Representative
TRUSTEE SPOTLIGHT TYLER TOWNSEND
I have been a Trustee of The Columbus Museum for five years, starting in 2017. After attending Brookstone School, I graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Industrial Engineering. I am currently the managing partner of Townsend Wealth Management. I am happily married to my wife, Eleanore, and we have two sons, Aiden, who is 18 years old, and Chase, who is 15 years old. My favorite parts of the Museum are the historic objects that help tell the story of the Chattahoochee Valley. Supporting the Museum is important to me because it means supporting our community. The Museum is free and it welcomes everyone. It has strong education programs that partner with the Muscogee Country School District to reinforce, at an early age, the availability and importance of the arts.
2022 SPRING THE MUSE | 19
THE
COLUMBUS
MUSEUM
1251 Wynnton Rd. | Columbus, GA 31906 706.748.2562 | columbusmuseum.com
The Columbus Museum is supported in part by Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts also receives support from its partner agency - the National Endowment for the Arts.
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