Impressions Spring 2021

January | April 2021

I M P R ES S I O N S A MEMBER MAGAZINE

FROM THE DIRECTOR

As we continue to navigate a world with COVID-19, the McNay continues to serve its mission thanks to you and your ongoing support. In these challenging times, restorative moments with art and nature are getting us through it together.

Recognizing the challenges of serving San Antonio during a pandemic, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation—the nation’s largest funder for the arts—recently awarded the McNay transformational operating support through 2021 to help the Museum continue to engage absolutely everyone through the healing power of art.

Since the start of the pandemic, “outside” has become the new “inside” as cultural institutions across the country create safe, innovative ways to engage their audiences.

Fortunately, the marriage of art and nature has defined the McNay experience since our origins as the home and collection of Marion Koogler McNay. As we look ahead to a truly inspiring spring season, nature is the inspiration behind countless artworks featured in many of our temporary exhibitions, both indoors and out.

Large pumpkins anchoring Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Room All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins mingle with transfixing digital gardens by Jennifer Steinkamp and dreamlike landscapes by Sandy Skoglund. The McNay proudly celebrates the work of these women artists along with the art of Letitia Huckaby and Martine Gutierrez in our groundbreaking exhibition, Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art. Flora and fauna take center stage in The Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts’ newest exhibition, and we take a walk on the wild side of our renowned Print Collection in El Rancho McNay: Animals in the Collection. Outside, you will discover a monumental sculpture of the largest white-tailed doe in Texas tucked away in our newly transformed Museum grounds.

The McNay’s natural beauty—a San Antonio destination since 1954 when we opened as the first modern art museum in Texas—is being truly transformed through Phase I of Photograph by Josh Huskin

our Landscape Master Plan, now nearing completion. A more visible, more accessible, and—if possible—more beautiful McNay campus awaits you in the months ahead.

Because of you and your ongoing support, we will be here through it all, delivering our mission on an expanded campus where limitless possibilities render the McNay San Antonio’s place of belonging.

Yours with boundless gratitude,

Richard Aste Director and CEO

MISSION

The McNay Art Museum engages a diverse community in the discovery and enjoyment of the visual arts.

VISION

The McNay will be San Antonio’s place of belonging, where the Museum’s expanding community is reflected in transformational art experiences.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Don Frost, President of the Board of Trustees

Don Frost President

Sunday Noon–5 PM Monday Closed Tuesday Closed Wednesday 10 AM–6 PM Thursday 10 AM–6 PM Friday 10 AM–6 PM Saturday 10 AM–5 PM

Amy E. Stieren Vice President Carolyn Jeffers Paterson Secretary

Closed New Year’s Day, July 4, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

During Daylight Saving Time, grounds are open 7 a.m.–7 p.m.

During Standard Time, grounds are open 7 a.m–6 p.m.

Kirk Saffell Treasurer J. Bruce Bugg Jr. Darryl Byrd Caroline Carrington Graciela Cigarroa Brooks Englehardt John W. Feik Walton Vandiver Gregory Rick Liberto J. David Oppenheimer Corinna Holt Richter Harriett Romo, PhD Bruce A. Smith Lucille Oppenheimer Travis Alice B. Viroslav, MD

EMERITUS TRUSTEES Curt Anastasio Laura Bertetti Baucum Steve Blank Toby Calvert Francisco G. Cigarroa, MD Barbara Seale Condos Betty Murray Halff† Marie M. Halff Sarah E. Harte Joan Buzzini Hurd Harmon W. Kelley, MD John C. Kerr Jane Stieren Lacy Peggy Pitman Mays† Bill McCartney Connie McCombs McNab Barbie O’Connor Allan G. Paterson Jr. Ethel Thomson Runion George F. Schroeder Thomas R. Semmes Alice C. Simkins Joe Westheimer

HOURS

ADMISSION McNay Members FREE Children 12 and under FREE Teens 19 and under $10 Adults $20 Students with I.D. $15 Seniors (65+) $15 Active Military $15 Photograph by Josh Huskin

Entry to Main Collection Galleries is free on H-E-B Thursday Nights from 4-6 p.m., and every first Sunday of the month courtesy of Dickson-Allen Foundation.

DINING WITH THE MASTERS The Board of Trustees and Director and CEO of the McNay Art Museum invite you to join them from the comfort of your home for a virtual soirée celebrating the Museum and San Antonio-based artists.

Recipients of SNAP, WIC, and MAP receive free admission through Museums for All, a cooperative which encourages families of all backgrounds to visit museums. Simply present an EBT card and a photo ID.

COVER: Yayoi Kusama, All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins, 2016. Wood, mirror, plastic, acrylic, LED. Collection of Dallas Museum of Art, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art Fund. ©YAYOI KUSAMA. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts and Victoria Miro

HONORARY TRUSTEE Mrs. Nancy B. Negley

For more information, please visit mcnayart.org/gala

McNay Art Museum 6000 North New Braunfels San Antonio, Texas 78209 210.824.5368 mcnayart.org

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February 25–September 19, 2021 Tobin Exhibition Galleries

Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art grew out of the McNay’s highly successful 2018 exhibition Immersed: Local to Global Art Sensations. Like Immersed, Limitless! includes a room-sized environment by the phenomenal Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Joining Kusama’s installation are striking works of art by Martine Gutierrez, Letitia Huckaby, Sandy Skoglund, and Jennifer Steinkamp. While the McNay has a history of exhibiting and collecting the work of women artists— grounded in the Museum’s founding by Marion Koogler McNay—Limitless! pushes this museum-wide commitment in exciting new directions.

Letitia Huckaby’s wall installation in the McNay’s AT&T Lobby initiates the groundbreaking exhibition experience with the artist’s haunting imagery.

Martine Gutierrez’s fanciful videos explore the intersections of film, fashion, and music, and are presented in a club-like setting that echoes the stylish character of the videos. Sandy Skoglund’s whimsical The Cocktail Party, from the McNay Collection, pairs with the newest installation by the artist, titled Winter. Jennifer Steinkamp’s mesmerizing video, Botanic 3, also from the McNay’s Collection, appears as a swirling, wall-sized animation. Finally, Kusama’s fantastical pumpkin patch immerses viewers in a world that only this artist can envision.

Limitless! is organized with a focus on exploring how artists of different generations manifest their ideas and make them relevant to their own and future audiences. The artwork of these five reflects the dynamic and dramatic shifts occurring in the visual arts over the past several decades. No matter their age or approach, one thing is common among all five: each artist defies categorization and has followed her own singular vision regardless of art world trends and industry expectations.

Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art is organized for the McNay Art Museum by René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs, with Lauren Thompson, Assistant Curator.

Presenting sponsorship most generously provided by Bank of America. Lead funding provided by the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation. Major funding provided by the McCombs Foundation.

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Martine Gutierrez

Jennifer Steinkamp, Photograph by Kitman Lee, Courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, and London.

“Art has the power to help economies thrive, enrich communities and share the legacy of our vibrant San Antonio community,” said Jessica Miller, San Antonio market president, Bank of America. “Bank of America is committed to supporting arts and culture programs throughout the city, and the McNay’s Limitless! experience gives patrons an opportunity to escape and immerse themselves in truly unique contemporary art. We are delighted to play a role in supporting this exhibition and celebrate the pioneering work of diverse women artists and their impact on the world.”

Yayoi Kusama, Courtesy of the artist, Ota Fine Arts and Victoria Miro ©YAYOI KUSAMA

Letitia Huckaby, Photograph by Rambo

Sandy Skoglund

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Yayoi Kusama, All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins (detail), 2016. Wood, mirror, plastic, acrylic, LED. Collection of Dallas Museum of Art, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art Fund. ©YAYOI KUSAMA. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts and Victoria Miro

Jennifer Steinkamp, Still from Botanic 3, 2016. Video Installation. Museum purchase with funds from the McNay Contemporary Collectors Forum. © Jennifer Steinkamp

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SKOGLUND & STEAM ACTIVITY (SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING ART MATH) True or False? This work by Sandy Skoglund is made from real Cheez Doodles? True.

How does the artwork stay protected from someone sneaking a taste in an art museum?

The Cheez Doodles are all coated in resin, a clear substance used to protect or encase an object, and then painted. While on view, our security team members observe the galleries to kindly remind people not to touch (or taste) any of the art.

How is this work cared for when it is not on view?

This installation piece is stored in parts, and each part gets its own specially cushioned, wrapped, and labeled storage space. Our Collections team check in on the pieces regularly to make sure they are staying safe while they hibernate between showings.

How did Sandy Skoglund create human shapes out of Cheez Doodles?

Skoglund used store mannequins to create the figures in her installation. Some of these mannequins are even motorized, meaning they have the ability to move like robots.

Sandy Skoglund, The Cocktail Party, 1992. Inkjet print. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Given anonymously. © Sandy Skoglund

Why Cheez Doodles?

The artist used the Cheez Doodle as a distinctly American, mass-produced product, to underscore themes of decadence, conformity, and reality versus unreality.

Skoglund also tested a variety of cheesy snack items to see which would survive the preservation process. Cheez Doodles retained their bright color and signature shape best in her experimentation. With its eye-popping color, the snack food emerged as the perfect candidate for creating a fantastical scene that twists reality.

Special thanks to Jeremiah Teutsch, McNay Matting Technician, for the behind-thescenes facts on The Cocktail Party.

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DIVE INTO WATER MARKS London, Paris, Rome, San Antonio. What do these cities have in common? First, all were founded on the banks of life-giving rivers. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in our own San Antonio River, with artists celebrating the importance of the waterway and its interface with the city. New public art lines the river and draws attention to its history and the communities that developed along its banks, from the days of the Payaya people living in the village of Yanaguana (present day San Antonio) to today. This greater awareness of our river inspired this exhibition dedicated to our most precious natural resource—water.

Drawn entirely from the McNay’s Collection, Water Marks: Images of Water in the Collection represents a wide array of media and time periods. Among the highlights are Vija Celmins’ intricately rendered and amazingly detailed study of the surface of the ocean, San Antonio artist Ivan McDougal’s hyperrealistic watercolor of shell hunters on the Texas coast, and Isca GreenfieldSanders’ nostalgic views of families swimming in backyard pools. In addition to McDougal, a significant group of Texas artists are represented including George Bunker, Kelly Fearing, Juan de Dios Mora, Bill Reily, and Everett Spruce.

Water Marks: Images of Water in the Collection is on view in the Lawson Print Gallery through April 25, 2021.

Water Marks: Images of Water in the Collection is organized for the McNay Art Museum by Lyle W. Williams, Curator of Collections.

This exhibition is a program of the Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Ivan McDougal, The Shell Hunters. Watercolor on paper. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Gift of the Texas Watercolor Society.

Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Blue Suit Bather, 2006. Aquatint. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Transferred from the San Antonio Art Institute, by exchange. © Isca Greenfield-Sanders Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Green Suit Bather, 2006. Aquatint. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Transferred from the San Antonio Art Institute, by exchange. © Isca Greenfield-Sanders Vija Celmins, Untitled (Ocean), 1975. Lithograph. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Gift of the Friends of the McNay. © Vija Celmins

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LIONS, AND TIGERS, AND BEARS, OH MY! Animals of all types have long called the McNay home.

When the property was a working farm, goats and other livestock grazed on the landscape. After Marion Koogler McNay built her Sunset Hills residence, peacocks strutted around the gardens and dogs roamed the patio. Founding director John Leeper lived in a house on the grounds and had a succession of pampered cats. It is not surprising that animals also populate the McNay’s Permanent Collection.

Inspired by the recent acquisition of Luis Jiménez’s monumental lithograph, Alligator, this exhibition—titled El Rancho McNay: Animals in the Collection—includes images of animals in a range of media, from etchings depicting dogs on the McNay patio in 1930 by Mary Bonner, to Richard Armendariz’s large woodcut Red Saturn and His Children from 2016. Other artists represented in the exhibition are the Bay Area master printmaker Beth van Hoesen, Chicano pioneer Frank Romero, Modern master Pablo Picasso, and Raoul Dufy, a favorite of Mrs. McNay. El Rancho McNay: Animals in the Collection is on view in the Charles Butt Paperworks Gallery beginning January 21.

El Rancho McNay: Animals in the Collection is organized for the McNay Art Museum by Lyle W. Williams, Curator of Collections.

This exhibition is a program of the Arthur & Jane Stieren Fund for Exhibitions.

Richard Armendariz, Red Saturn and His Children, 2016. Woodcut. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Gift of Harriett and Ricardo Romo. © Richard Armendariz

EXPLORE THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF DESIGNING NATURE IN IS IT REAL? STAGING NATURE Theatre designers manipulate building materials—metal framing, Styrofoam, muslin, wood, paint, and electrical equipment—reimagining stages as dense forests, winter wonderlands, swirling oceans, or surreal landscapes. Costume designers stretch their imaginations, as well as the limitations of fabric and embellishments, to transform a performer into a tree creature, a flying owl, a supernatural fairy, or an earthly element. The new Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts exhibition, Is It Real? Staging Nature, explores the technical side of recreating aspects of nature—flora, fauna, air, water, fire, and earth—in performance.

To illustrate examples of these designs, Is It Real? Staging Nature presents artworks from The Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts that highlight nature as depicted in stories from opera, ballet, and musical theatre. Artworks by theatre artists Boris Aronson, Franco Colavecchia, Natalia Gontcharova, Helen Pond, and Tony Straiges create conversations with sculptures by artists like Mary Frank and Barbara Hepworth. In addition, a magnificent set-piece— an expansive tree trunk and four projected canopies—both anchors and umbrellas the exhibition, giving guests the impression of standing center stage.

Is It Real? Staging Nature takes root in the McNay’s Brown Gallery on April 22, 2021, and remains on view through September 2021.

Tony Straiges, Maquette element for Mother's Tree in Into the Woods, ca. 1987.

Painted board and paper, with found objects. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Gift of the artist. © Tony Straiges

Is It Real? Staging Nature is organized for the McNay Art Museum by R. Scott Blackshire, Ph.D., Curator, The Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts.

This exhibition is a program of The Tobin Theatre Arts Fund.

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McNAY STAFF MEMBER FEATURED IN LATEST ARTISTS LOOKING AT ART SERIES This spring the McNay presents the artwork of Dan Guerrero as part of the Artists Looking at Art series. Guerrero is the McNay’s Associate Registrar in addition to being a visual artist. Head of Curatorial Affairs, René Paul Barilleaux, spoke with Guerrero about his background and work.

RPB: Were you always interested in art? When did you think about being an artist?

DG: I have been interested in drawing since I was a kid, and draftsmanship still factors heavily in my work, even in my paintings. I remember having to write a “what do you want to be when you grow up?” report in 6th grade and I wrote about my desire to be an artist.

RPB: Did you get encouragement and support from your family and teachers?

DG: My mom was always supportive of being creative, and my dad instilled a sense of craft in me. Teachers are another story; when you’re a kid and you work representationally, they love your work, but as I got older, teachers and professors tried to steer me away from working with recognizable subject matter.

RPB: Did you study art in college?

DG: I did. When I started college, I was interested in the architecture program and ended up not liking it.

Then, moved to the design program but wasn’t happy there either. I finally felt comfortable in the art program but stopped for a while

because I got a full-time job as a medical illustrator, and after that I worked as a designer/fabricator in the woodworking field. It took me 18 years to start up again, but I received my BFA in painting at UTSA in 2016.

RPB: What’s your creative process like? Do you have a studio? Do you work on your art every day?

DG: A lot of my process involves going on walkabouts. Found objects inspire automatic drawings that can serve as studies or components of a larger piece. I like using parallels between everyday objects and the surreal and metaphysical.

I have a room in my house that is set up with a large drafting table and easel, and I count my daily walks with the dogs as working on my art; that’s when clarity and unexpected ideas come to me.

WILLIE COLE’S THE SOLE SITTER SELECTED FOR SPOTLIGHT 2021 The beginning of the 2020-21 school year marked the 10th anniversary of the Spotlight program, as well as one of the most unusual school years on record. A year-long salute to a masterpiece in the McNay Collection, the program invites students to make a creative response that is featured in the annual Spotlight exhibition. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 program concluded with a virtual celebration of Sue Fuller’s String Composition #W-253 and artworks made at school. These inspiring creations are on view in the Patio Gallery through May 2021.

Each summer, teachers who participated in Spotlight the previous year vote on the selection for the coming school year. With three new outdoor sculptures joining the McNay grounds as part of the transformative Landscape Master Plan, the choices seemed obvious.

“We wanted to offer artworks that teachers, students, and their families could explore in person as a group or on their own,” said Rosemary Hickman, Semmes Foundation Education Manager and coordinator of the Spotlight program.

Teachers overwhelmingly selected The Sole Sitter by New Jersey-based artist Willie Cole. Made completely of oversized shoes, the bronze seated figure references African sculpture, a significant influence on the artist. Willie Cole is the second African American artist to be featured in Spotlight, after Leonardo Drew in 2014. The Sole Sitter is also the first-ever outdoor sculpture acquisition to the McNay’s Collection by an African American artist.

Major support for Spotlight is provided by The Charles Butt Foundation, Semmes Foundation, Inc., and Texas Commission for the Arts.

RPB: What should visitors expect to see when you present your artwork this spring?

DG: Ordinary objects re-presented with elements of religion and Pop/ Hispanic culture.

“I like using parallels between everyday objects and the surreal and metaphysical.”

Willie Cole, The Sole Sitter, 2013. Bronze. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Museum purchase with funds from the Russell Hill Rogers Fund for the Arts. © Willie Cole

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McNAY COLLECTION ON THE MOVE From Baltimore to Paris, two beautiful paintings from the McNay’s Permanent Collection make trips around the world this year as part of two new exhibitions highlighting artists Joan Mitchell and Édouard Manet.

Édouard Manet, Morning Glories and Nasturtiums, 1881.

Oil on canvas. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Gift of Margaret Batts Tobin.

Morning Glories and Nasturtiums by Édouard Manet travels to the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, this spring and The National Gallery, London, in the fall as part of the exhibition, Décorations impressionistes / Impressionist Decorations.

Hudson River Day Line by Joan Mitchell travels beginning this fall to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and The Baltimore Museum of Art.

Joan Mitchell, Hudson River Day Line, 1955. Oil on canvas. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Museum purchase with funds from the Tobin Foundation. © Estate of Joan Mitchell

SELENA FOREVER… OR AT LEAST UNTIL AUGUST AT THE McNAY! Conceived as a 90s complement to Fashion Nirvana: Runway to Everyday (2020), the exhibition Selena Forever/Siempre Selena drew record media attention and viral social media engagement. A time-lapse video of the exhibition installation shattered previous McNay video view records, and a virtual cumbia workshop expanded McNay virtual engagement within and beyond the San Antonio community. Building on the welcoming community response, the exhibition of John Dyer’s photographs of Selena Quintanilla Pérez remains on view at the McNay through August 1, 2021.

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MEET THE NEW 2020–21 SEMMES FOUNDATION INTERN IN MUSEUM STUDIES Last fall, Isabel “Al” Servantez joined the McNay as the 2020-2021 Semmes Foundation Intern in Museum Studies. The internship prepares individuals interested in embarking on a curatorial career by providing significant experience in several areas of specialization. Lauren Thompson, Assistant Curator and former Semmes Foundation Intern, spoke with Al about his experiences and career goals.

LT: Do you remember your first visit to the McNay? What was it like?

AS: I do remember my first trip to the McNay. I came as part of a school field trip in 1st grade. What stands out most is seeing Monet’s Nympheas. The Docent leading the tour took each of us to the side of the painting and one at a time showed us the raised texture of the painting. I was amazed by this altered perspective and whenever I go to the McNay I always think about that painting and moment, fondly, as an important part of why I would pursue art.

LT: What aspect of this internship are you looking forward to the most?

AS: The part of the internship I am most looking forward to is working with and observing the work of the McNay staff. In 2015 I was able to be a mentee to René Paul Barilleaux as part of the Diversity Mentoring Initiative for the Center for Curatorial Leadership. I learned a great deal by being able to observe René and others in the Curatorial, Collections, Education, and Development Departments. I’m looking forward to this internship being a deeper dive into that sort of experience.

LT: How did you become interested in a career working in museums?

AS: A few years after finishing my undergraduate work in art history from UTSA, I realized I wanted to make working in museums my career. I was already aware of how important and special the McNay was and hoped that I could make it a part of my career as well. The first thing I did towards making that a reality was starting as a volunteer greeter at the front desk. After a year of doing that I was hired on as a Front Desk Associate.

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LT: What are your long-term career goals?

AS: My long-term career goals involve a lot of different aspects of art. Mainly I’m trying to find my way towards working full time as a curator in a museum. I’ve also done some independent art writing since finishing graduate school. I’d like to see that writing evolve into a full book. Finally, I’d like to teach. My focus of study in graduate school and since graduating has been on Chicana/o/x art. I’ve always seen it as a gift shared with me that I’d like to share with others.

LT: What is your favorite work of art in the McNay’s Collection?

AS: My favorite work in the McNay’s Collection is Barbara Hepworth’s Hollow Form. I was introduced to Hepworth’s work as a visitor to the McNay and to this day am drawn and held by this piece. Something about the strength and elegance of this work gives me great pause. I look forward to spending time with it whenever it is on view.

VIRTUAL & ANALOG EXPERIENCES BRING INSPIRATION AND HOPE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS

Virtual visitors cite “learn something new” as the number one reason for attending a Virtual Field Trip. Each week McNay educators combine 3 artworks, 3 engaging questions, and 1 universal theme—Activism, Labor, Power. Lively discussion ensues. By leveraging partnerships with the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, virtual field trippers gain double exposure and connect with art lovers across Texas and beyond.

Join us for our weekly Virtual Field Trips Wednesdays at Noon. Learn more at mcnayart.org/events.

“Thank you for providing these virtual tours, I’ve been enjoying them and it helps me feel like a real person again.” ~Virtual Field Trip Participant VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS

Designed with input from families, McNay educators approach artmaking in a variety of ways. Virtual workshops draw inspiration from McNay artworks or exhibitions and offer families an opportunity to exercise creativity using commonly found household materials and make art synchronously with an artist educator.

CREATIVITY KITS

Recognizing the digital divide in the San Antonio community, McNay educators Jenelle Esparza and Juan Zavala Castro fabricated 100 creativity kits and distributed to partners at NXT Level Youth Opportunity Center, San Anto Cultural Arts, and San Antonio Parks and Rec. These popular kits include a tote, activity, and all the necessary supplies inspired by McNay artworks. Goals for this initiative include adding community partners and increasing distribution of Creativity Kits.

DOCENTS GO VIRTUAL Fourteen new Docents started virtual training in September 2020—amid the pandemic and cancellation of most in-person field trips. Faced with the “new normal” of museum and school partnerships, a hopeful group of new Docents meet each week to learn about McNay artworks and practice inclusivity and student engagement, open-ended question strategies, and making personal connections to works of art.

In Memoriam

PEGGY PITMAN MAYS Peggy Pitman Mays, Emeritus Trustee, was a longtime supporter of the McNay, beginning with her role as a founding member of the docent program in the 1960s. She was elected to the McNay Board of Trustees in 1998, and served as Board Secretary from 1999–2001 and Board Vice President from 2002–2006. Mrs. Mays continued her service to the Museum as an Emeritus Trustee from 2009 until her passing on November 11, 2020.

Mrs. Mays and the Mays Family Foundation created a legacy of beauty, education, and transformation at the McNay through the Peggy Pitman Mays Docent Program fund, the Peggy Pitman Mays Gallery, and the soon-to-be-unveiled Mays Family Park, which recognizes the family’s lead gift to Phase I of our Landscape Master Plan.

BETTY MURRAY HALFF Betty Murray Halff, Emeritus Trustee, was a longtime and dedicated member of the Board of Trustees, serving from 2002–2013 and then as an Emeritus Trustee until her passing on September 9, 2020.

She held various positions, including Chair of the Development Committee (2003–2013) and Board Vice President (2008–2011). A well-respected community volunteer, she and her late husband, Howard, were generous supporters of the McNay. The Betty and Howard Halff Orientation Gallery at the McNay was named in their honor with support from their family.

Both Peggy and Betty were true leaders and visionaries who will be missed by many in the community and especially at the McNay.

A New Addition You DOEn’t Want to Miss René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs, shares how he discovered our latest outdoor sculpture.

IMAGE PLACE HOLDER

We were driving along a winding country road in upstate New York—me, my husband, Tim, and our friends Jacqueline and Doug—when we spotted this monumental deer to our left. We all did a double-take but continued, looking for Art Omi, an arts center tucked in the countryside. After taking a brief tour and meeting Omi’s artist residents, we ventured back to the deer only to learn it signaled Omi’s sculpture park, a treasure of monumental artworks spread across the New York landscape. Despite the nearly three-digit heat, Doug and I ventured up to the deer sculpture and learned it is a work by Chicago-based artist Tony Tasset. My love for the sculpture began then, nearly a year and a half ago. McNay Director and CEO, Richard Aste shared my enthusiasm and Deer has made its way to the Museum’s revitalized campus for all San Antonians to enjoy.

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UPCOMING EVENTS TEEN NIGHT: ART AFTER DARK One night a year, high school students are invited to enjoy an evening of exclusive access to the McNay and its major exhibition. Art After Dark is planned by teens for teens to offer art activities, music by local bands, Limitless! tours, and more.

Stay tuned for more details about the event, including time, date, and access/location, at mcnayart.org/events.

McNay Print Fair CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY For a quarter of a century, the beloved McNay Print Fair has remained the only print fair of its kind in the Southwest. Known for helping to cultivate a vital collector base in the community, the annual event has also introduced thousands of people to the art market and art collecting, and has built relationships between the McNay and dealers from across the U.S. This year more than a dozen print dealers from Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Santa Fe and elsewhere present thousands of works of art— prints, drawings, watercolors, and photographs—for sale during the two-day event in the McNay’s Leeper Auditorium.

Please mark your calendar for this momentous occasion and opportunity to develop relationships with respected dealers, learn about art, and perhaps take home a new treasure.

Saturday, May 1, 2021 | 10 AM to 5 PM Sunday, May 2, 2021 | Noon to 5 PM Leeper Auditorium 14

EVENING FOR EDUCATORS: WONDER WOMEN Evening for Educators offers a night of sharing new ideas and networking with fellow art appreciative teachers. This year, more than ever, the McNay celebrates the monumental work of classroom and parent educators who adapted to new technology, new strategies, and new ways to connect. Similarly, the artists featured in this season's major exhibition, Limitless!, utilize emerging technologies, blur lines between museum visitor and participant, and expand the definition of art. Evening for Educators is open to classroom educators, museum educators, and parent educators!

The date and time for this event are to be determined. Stay tuned for event and registration updates at mcnayart.org/events.

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS Members Virtual Tour: Selfies, AKA the Self-Portrait Wednesday, January 20 | 5–6 PM For centuries, artists have captured their own likeness. Sometimes these “selfies” are the focus of an artwork, and other times they are hidden within a larger composition. Celebrate “Museum Selfie Day” with a deep dive into the classic genre of self portraits.

Must be subscribed to Member emails to receive registration link for the virtual tour. This event is free and open only to Members.

Members Preview Day + Tour Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art Wednesday, February 24 | 10 AM–6 PM Enjoy early access to Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art all day during our regular business hours. At 6 p.m., join exhibition curator and Head of Curatorial Affairs, René Paul Barilleaux, for a virtual tour of the exhibition.

Must be subscribed to Member emails to receive registration link for the virtual tour. This event is free and open only to Members.

Members Virtual Tour: The Future is Female: Celebrating Women Artists Monday, March 8 | 5–6 PM Founded by a woman artist in 1954, the McNay has a long history of collecting and celebrating the incredible contributions women have made to the arts.

Celebrate International Women’s Day and explore how strong women have shaped the history of the McNay, from its founding to the current exhibition, Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art. Must be subscribed to Member emails to receive registration link for the virtual tour. This event is free and open only to Members.

Members Virtual Tour: Marion’s Legacy Tuesday, April 13 | 5–6 PM On April 13, 1950, Marion Koogler McNay passed away. She bequeathed her residence, its twenty-three acres, and more than seven hundred works of art to San Antonio, founding the first modern art museum in Texas. Discover Marion’s legacy and how she wanted to give San Antonio, in her own words, "a place of beauty with the comforts and warmth of a home."

Must be subscribed to Member emails to receive registration link for the virtual tour. This event is free and open only to Members.

o took rents wh have pa er graduating to y k c was lu ts. Aft ck nio and nd even oved ba San Anto ums, concerts, a ears and just m d one of in p u w y e e “I gre remain es, mus bout 30 al librari ere for a , the McNay has d is what I still us to loc l, I lived elsewh e hil m c ti a d s is oo 0. All th enced a p-quality art an high sch g of 202 h. What I experi to in of f n o le in ll p g o fu e ome n eart the pe at the b places o tifully detailed h usly offered to daily te f ri o o v rt a fa u ro p my bea ene ith, racious, world, g as to be lived w s for my love: a g om around the artwork l art w a t a in g fr th ri s e treasure io. It showed m ek out modest o ollege. n se fter c San Anto inspired me to settled a it mes e once I m o h life, and n uple of ti w w o o g by a co n in d p n p a ro d ere r, I enjoy ed out of the h e b m e m ft ist and a ed and li mic).”

As an art st to be refresh ring this pande ju u d lly a month (especia

- Matthew Priest, McNay Member

CUMULATIVE GIVING Cumulative Gifts, July 1, 2020 – October 31, 2020 $1,000,000 and Above The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation $100,000 and Above John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation $25,000 and Above Mr. Chris Cheever Howard and Betty Halff Fund $10,000 and Above Amy Shelton McNutt Charitable Trust Mr. Charles C. Butt Kerr Family Charitable Foundation Marcia and Otto Koehler Foundation Methodist Hospital Metropolitan Semmes Foundation, Inc. Amy E. Stieren Texas Commission on the Arts The Tobin Theatre Arts Fund $5,000 and Above Alamo Colleges Mr. and Mrs. William H. Atwell II Broadway Bank Mr. and Mrs. Jim Dicke II Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Englehardt Mr. and Mrs. John Feik Mr. and Mrs. Don Frost Harper/Huddleston HEB Grocery Company Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. Jones McCombs Foundation Mr. Todd A. Romano The Brown Foundation, Inc. The Jesse H. and Susan Oppenheimer Foundation The Smothers Foundation Trinity University Drs. Sergio and Alice Viroslav Wayne F. Yakes MD, FSIR, FCIRSE

Mr. James S. Calvert Mr. and Mrs. William C. Carrington Dr. and Mrs. William J. Chiego Jonathan Clarke Ford Foundation Susan Toomey Frost and Craig Bunch Mr. Pat Frost and Dr. Kelley Frost GPM Life Insurance Company Hannah Foundation Harry Halff Fine Art, Inc. Keller Henderson Christopher C. Hill John E. Dempsey Fund John Seidenfeld and Mary Barad Dr. Johnny Clay Johnson Mr. Michael L. Kreager Mr. and Mrs. James M. McNeel Mrs. Lewis J. Moorman III Dr. James F. Nelson Mr. Guillermo C. Nicolas and Mr. Jim Foster Mr. Tim Seeliger and Mr. Bradley J. Parman Mrs. Jane Cheever Powell Jon and Beverly Purdy Judy W. Renick Rose Rodriguez Ms. Ethel T. Runion Mrs. Ferol E. Senter Mr. Robin Teague and Ms. Sher L. Brooks The Arch and Stella Rowan Foundation Mr. and Mrs. James H. Travis University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dr. Karen A. Waldron Dr. Elly Xenakis Dr. Raul J. Yordan-Jovet and Ms. Norma C. Bodevin Employee Benefits Business Partners AIM Education Services Catto and Catto LLP City of San Antonio DOCUmation SWBC

$2,500 and Above Mr. and Mrs. Curt Anastasio Audi Dominion Berman Family Fund J M. Francis Mr. and Mrs. John C. Korbell Mr. and Mrs. Steve Q. Lee Dr. and Mrs. Jon Maust Mr. Epitacio R. Resendez and Mr. Hunter H. Resendez Mr. and Mrs. Clay P. Richmond Rose Marie and John L. Hendry III Charitable Trust Ms. Wendy Stieren Texas Youth Development Corporation The Ruth and Roy Schapira Family Fund William and Salomé McAllen Scanlan Foundation $1,000 and Above Anne Zanikos Art Conservation Dr. Richard Aste and Mr. Max Goodman Mrs. Ann K. Barshop Benson Family Fund Ms. Yvonne Broussard Mr. Robert Brown and Mr. Dennis Karbach Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Brown Jr. 15

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PA I D San Antonio, Texas Permit No. 2978

6000 North New Braunfels | PO Box 6069 San Antonio, Texas 78209-0069 210.824.5368 mcnayart.org Address service requested

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ELEGANT AND SOPHISTICATED The Lang Galleries at the McNay Art Museum offer an artful setting for entertaining, surrounded by artworks from Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Joan Mitchell, Piet Mondrian, Claude Monet, and more. Beloved artworks in the McNay’s Collection from across disciplines, movements, and eras are juxtaposed in the galleries to create exciting and provocative conversations. This special space is perfect for intimate seated dinners and small events.

For pricing and availability, please call 210.805.1782 or email rentals@mcnayart.org.

To view the McNay’s Special Events brochure, visit mcnayart.org/rentals.