Montclair Art Museum Spring 2023 Programing

It’s an exciting time to be a part of MAM and we hope you will join us for another year of extraordinary art, engaging programs, fun events, and enriching art classes!

Gallery and Shop Hours

Friday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Events, Classes, Tours, and more

The Montclair Art Museum has programming for all ages. Check out our website to see what’s coming up.

Please check our website before visiting for ticketing options, parking and accessibility information, to confirm hours, and view our COVID policy.

MONTCLAIR ART MUSEUM

3 South Mountain Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042 montclairartmuseum.org

4–11

Exhibitions

vanessa german: …please imagine all the things i cannot say…

Meryl McMaster: Chronologies

George Inness: Visionary Landscapes

WOOLPUNK®: Sunflowers & Graffiti’d Sky in the Garden State

Transformed: Objects Reimagined by American Artists

12–15

Education

Classes and Camps: Kids and Teens

Classes and Workshops: Adults

16–30

Programs & Events

Fridays at MAM

Free First Thursdays at MAM

16th Annual AACC Film Forum

Building Montclair in Lego™

MAM Conversations: Meryl McMaster

An Evening with vanessa german

Spring Family Day

MAM’s Annual Spring Benefit Events

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Celebrating Our Community Support MAM

Join Volunteer Donate

vanessa german:

FEBRUARY 11–JUNE 25, 2023

This large-scale, immersive installation of mixed-media artworks from 2016-2022 will be the artist’s first solo museum show in the New York City area. She is a self-taught sculptor, painter, poet, and performance artist who refers to herself as a citizen artist and is interested in art as a form of healing, protection, and activism, especially for African Americans. Her mostly female power figures explore themes of strength, love, and justice, while engaging with the complicated history of race in the United States.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue—the only publication on the artist currently in print.

Sponsored by EXHIBITIONS

…please imagine all the things i cannot say…

vanessa german (b. 1976), Miracles and Glory Abound, 2018. Mixed-media assemblages. Installation view at Flint Institute of Arts, Courtesy of the Artist & Kasmin. Photo courtesy of Heather Jackson, Flint Institute of Arts.

MARCH 18–SEPTEMBER 17, 2023

Renowned Canadian artist Meryl McMaster crosses timescales with her dreamlike photographic self-portraiture. Working in Quebec and drawing from her nêhiyaw (Plains Cree), British, and Dutch ancestry, she constructs inventive sculptural garments and props to use in her large-format images. She then travels to site-specific landscapes important to family and cross-cultural history, wearing her ensembles to create cinematic scenes grounded in place, lineage, and the

Featuring prior and new photographs as well as a video, this exhibition explores McMaster’s disruption of time, blending moments, lifetimes, generations, and geological eras. The new works are from her 2022 series “Stories of my Grandmothers | nôhkominak âcimowina”— their first showing in the United States.

Meryl McMaster (b. 1988), Harbourage for a Song, 2019. From the series “As Immense as the Sky.” Chromogenic print. Courtesy of the artist, Stephen Bulger Gallery, and Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain.

Visionary Landscapes

Opened in September 2022, this recent period/ salon-style reinstallation features 19 works by George Inness (1825-1894). Universally acclaimed as a grand, lyrical master of late nineteenth-century painting, Inness was regarded by his contemporaries as America’s foremost landscape artist. Featuring a major recent acquisition from Inness’s Italian period, (1875), this installation is primarily based on works selected from the Museum’s comprehensive collection of 21 paintings, two watercolors, and one print. Every important period of Inness’s career is represented, from his earliest, more realist work of the 1840s, rooted in European landscape conventions, to the artist’s final, more abstract expressions of his belief in the total unity of material and spiritual existence—many of which were created in Montclair, where the artist was resided from 1885 to 1894 and was inspired by

George Inness (1825-1894), Twilight, 1875. Oil on canvas. Gift of Doug and Carol Ewertsen 2020. 11. Photo: Peter Jacobs.

WOOLPUNK®: Sunflowers & Graffiti’d Sky in the Garden State

THROUGH AUGUST 6, 2023

The site-specific, monumental Sunflowers & Graffiti’d Sky in the Garden State is based on a photograph of a community garden in the artist’s hometown of Jersey City, NJ. For this project, Woolpunk® partnered with the MAM community on a textile donation drive. The response was overwhelming and the donated materials were layered, re-stitched, and manipulated into the Sunflowers banner. This call to action brings attention to landfill waste, problems related to fast fashion, and our need, as a community, to work together to make better environmental choices.

Transformed: Objects Reimagined by American Artists

ARTWORKS IN ROTATION THROUGH FALL 2023

Inspired by a note Jasper Johns wrote to himself in his sketchbook in 1964, this exhibition features more than 60 artworks from 1829 to the present in which artists like Louise Nevelson and Jaune Quickto-See-Smith take objects as their points of departure, transforming them to reflect their varied cultural backgrounds and viewpoints. Over time, this show itself is transformed with rotations of work that reflect upon various object-related themes and approaches, including still-life, urban and industrial motifs, assemblage, construction, collage, and artists’ use of dolls and mannequins.

Jasper Johns, Untitled, 1983. Encaustic on canvas, on long-term loan from the artist.

Woolpunk® (b. 1971), Sunflowers & Graffiti’d Sky in the Garden State, 202. Donated, recycled, secondhand, studio scrap textiles, hand-stitched vinyl banner, Collection of the artist. Photo by Megan Maloy.

Classes and Camps: Kids and Teens

The Yard School of Art offers kids and teens an array of opportunities to enhance their creativity and develop artistic skills in a supportive and inclusive environment. Our small class size allows our superb team of teaching artists to provide individualized attention and specialized instruction in our spacious Fine Art, Digital Media, and Ceramics Studios. Students experiment with a range of media and learn new techniques for visual self-expression. Our Spring Break Camp, April 3–7, is a mixed-media mash-up extravaganza where kids explore a variety of materials, make friends, and have fun being creative while school is out. Spring registration begins March 6, and classes start April 10.

Stay tuned for information about our awardwinning SummerART Camp!

For more details visit montclairartmuseum.org/learn-create.

Classes and Workshops: Adults

Yard School studio art classes and workshops offer adults of all ages and abilities an opportunity to build artistic skills and explore creative ideas. Course offerings range from technical instruction in traditional media to classes encouraging exploration and experimental techniques. Our small class sizes ensure individual direction from our teaching artists in a community of people who are as enthusiastic about learning and creating as you are. We also offer one-on-one private studio art instruction tailored to individual interests, schedules, and needs of the student. Class offerings this season include Life Drawing, Beginning Printmaking, Introduction to Painting, plus workshops that let you sample a variety of art mediums and techniques. Spring classes begin the week of April 10 and meet for eight weeks.

MAM is an approved Goods and Services provider through the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD).

For more details visit montclairartmuseum.org/learn-create.

Fridays at MAM

FRIDAYS in SPRING

The Museum is the place to be on Fridays! Our new program, Fridays at MAM, includes a self-guided Scavenger Hunt in the galleries and Remote Workspace with free wifi in the Media Lab from 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sketching in the Galleries from 2–6 p.m., and refreshing beverages, hot coffee, and tasty treats from the new Cornerstone Café at MAM from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Museum admission required; free for MAM Members. Plus, MAM Members get 10% off their café purchases!

For more info, please visit montclairartmuseum.org/fridays-mam.

Free First Thursdays

FIRST THURSDAYS in MARCH, APRIL,

Free First Thursday nights are back at MAM! Guests enjoy extended hours, free admission to the galleries, studio art activities, cash bar, food trucks, docent-led gallery tours, and so much more. Experience a unique theme each month, culminating in June with thesecond annual kick-off of Montclair Pride in partnership with Out Montclair.

Free First Thursdays at MAM are made possible through the generous support of TD Bank.

Annual AACC Film

Forum: The August Wilson Center— Building on a Legacy

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

2 p.m.

This film documents the development of The August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh, PA. It includes interviews with the organizers who helped to create the center and with family, friends, and contemporaries who knew August Wilson and deeply understand the essence of his plays and his significance in Pittsburgh and the world. More than just the story of one center, LEGACY offers an example that emphasizes the importance of all such institutions to local and national culture and the uncertainties they face. This film screening will include a discussion moderated by playwright and screenwriter, Richard Wesley, in conversation with Billy Jackson, founder and principal of NOMMO Productions, and the film director of LEGACY. A lively performance of African drumming and dancing will accompany this event.

This event is sponsored by MAM’s African American Cultural Committee (AACC).

Photo: Ahmad Sandage

Photo: The August Wilson African American Cultural Center

Building Montclair in Lego™

SUNDAY, MARCH 12: two sessions, 1–3 p.m. and 4–6 p.m.

Work with architect Stephen W. Schwartz of Building Blocks Workshops to visualize Montclair as you’ve never seen it before. With over 60,000 LEGO™ building blocks at your disposal, families will learn basic architectural principles to recreate specific buildings in Montclair, such as the Museum, the library, and heritage houses. Pick your favorite local structure to construct and work together to create a scale model. At the end of the session, each family will place their building on a large-scale map and view a recreation of our shared community.

Co-presented with Montclair History Center in conjunction with Building Blocks Workshops.

MAM Conversations: Meryl McMaster

THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 7–8 p.m.

Join us for a virtual conversation with artist Meryl McMaster to open her new exhibition at MAM (p. 7). The artist will discuss her new body of work “Stories of my Grandmothers | nôhkominak âcimowina,” which recognizes the resilience of her Métis and Plains Cree grandmothers amid colonial duress. She will also share her process for her site-specific photography as well as video, a new medium for McMaster at a time of experimentation in her career.

Moderated by MAM Curator of Native American Art Laura J. Allen.

Photo: Neeko Paluzzi

An Evening with vanessa german

7th Annual Gaelen Family Artist Lecture

7 p.m.

Through her powerful work, vanessa german offers a redemptive space for visitors. Linked to her identity as an activist, german’s creative practice has its roots in Indigenous and West African folk traditions, as well as the Black Arts movements from the 1960s onwards.

The community at MAM will experience firsthand german’s reputation as a mesmerizing speaker, educator, and performance artist when she gives the prestigious Gaelen Family Artist Lecture in April 2023. This program is in conjunction with the exhibition, vanessa german: …please imagine all the things i cannot a large-scale, immersive installation of mixed-media artworks from 2016–2022 utilizing unique and found objects.

This event is made possible through The Gaelen Family

vanessa german, Kasmin Gallery, NY, 2022. Portrait by Joshua Franzos, 2022.

Spring Family Day

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

Celebrate Earth Day with MAM and artist WOOLPUNK®, whose monumental tapestry Sunflowers & Graffiti’d Sky in the Garden State is currently on view at the Museum. Made from upcycled fabric collected from our community, this piece showcases nature, conservation, and collective action. Learn about everyday steps you can take to protect the environment while making your own art inspired by the natural world. WOOLPUNK® will lead families in creating their own wearable art from recycled materials and in pledging to work together to care for our planet. Join in the fun while planting seeds, enjoying family-friendly performances, and getting creative!

MAM’s Annual Spring

Save the dates! MAM’s spring events are the must-attend celebrations of the year.

We are thrilled to honor five extraordinary agents of change who have helped shape our beloved community of Montclair as a premier destination for arts, culture, and learning:

MAM Trustees Linny Andlinger and Cheryl Slutzky, artist Tom Nussbaum, Montclair Center

BID President Jason Gleason, and Executive Director of Montclair Child Development Center Tanya L. Poteat. Join us this spring to recognize standout honorees and celebrate

Photo: Richard Titus

Celebrating Our Community

MAM celebrates the diversity of our community by partnering with local organizations, including the AACC, AAPI Montclair, Empower the Village, Latinos of Montclair, and Out Montclair, to feature cultural activities, performances, and art making for the whole family. Partner events this spring include the AACC Film Forum, Pride month festivities with Out Montclair, and a celebration of Juneteenth with Empower the Village.

The Museum is also honored to collaborate with community partners like Studio Montclair and the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights for special exhibitions in our Education Arcades. Admission to these exhibitions is free for all.

For more details visit montclairartmuseum.org.

Support MAM!

Join: we aim to inspire, educate and engage people of all ages. Free admission, free events, and deep class discounts are just a few of the reasons to become a member at MAM.

montclairartmuseum.org/membership

Donate: like all non-profits, MAM relies heavily on the generosity of its donors to continue its mission. montclairartmuseum.org/individual-giving

Volunteer: looking to get involved? MAM offers a host of engaging and rewarding volunteer opportunities.

montclairartmuseum.org/volunteer-mam

Photo: Empower the Village, Juneteenth celebration 2022

Photo: Frank Schramm/Montclair Art Museum

Thank you to our generous members and donors for their vital support of our programs, operations, and mission.

All MAM programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Vance Wall Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and Museum members.

Cover image: vanessa german (b. 1976), THE HERO, 2022. Mixed-media assemblage, courtesy of the Artist & Kasmin.