From the Director The theme of connecting art with individual experiences of joy and discovery has guided the Worcester Art Museum since the creation of our Vision 2020 Statement over four years ago. At our annual meeting on November 28, 2017, WAM Corporators will be presented with a renewed Mission Statement, which underscores our commitment: The Worcester Art Museum connects people, communities, and cultures through the experience of art.
One of our proudest moments of connecting was at the beginning of this year, when we had the privilege to host a naturalization ceremony in the Renaissance Court. Surrounded by art from many cultures and periods, 40 new citizens proudly waved their certificates and then visited with their families and friends in our galleries.
This past summer and fall, Reusable Universes: Shih Chieh Huang, which repurposed everyday objects into lifelike, underwater creatures, mesmerized everyone from babies in strollers to senior citizens. The sculptures reached out to touch and draw people in— even to lie on the floor beneath them and become part of the surrounding “sea.” One mother wrote on our Facebook page: “My son loved it and still talks about it a week later.” In July, Huang’s three-day Organic Concept installation in the Renaissance Court surprised, enthralled, and teased visitors into thinking about art in a new way.
Late this summer, our Lancaster Street Welcome Center was a mural site for POW! WOW! Worcester 2017—creating a different kind of connection. During the 10-day, citywide event, visitors from around the region watched as art transformed the city. Massachusetts artists, Josie Morway and Scott Listfield, created two dramatic landscapes murals as our visitors watched.
Rediscovering an American Community of Color: The Photographs of William Bullard, which opened in October, has connected a community not only with art, but to each other. The images have brought a forgotten neighborhood back to life, one story at a time, as researchers connected with descendants of Bullard sitters. A Clark University student involved with the exhibition said, “There was nothing more rewarding than showing my research to the grandsons of Raymond Schuyler. Listening to their family stories over a cup of coffee reminded me how these narratives are not just in the past, but rather are timeless, living histories.”
We know that experiences such as these enhance our own lives and the lives of our community. In addition, your support, enthusiasm, and appreciation for the Worcester Art Museum—whether by visiting often, becoming a member, or offering financial support—are so important.
On behalf of all of us at WAM, I thank you for all of the ways you are involved and invite you to share our passion for connecting people, communities, and cultures through the experience of art.
Matthias Waschek C. Jean and Myles McDonough Director
WORCESTER ART MUSEUM
Board of Trustees 2017
Lisa Kirby Gibbs, President James C. Donnelly, Jr., Vice President Phyllis Pollack, Vice President John Savickas, Vice President James E. Collins, Treasurer Herbert S. Alexander Susan M. Bassick Sarah G. Berry Karin I. Branscombe Catherine M. Colinvaux Susan M. Foley Mark W. Fuller Gabriele M. Goszcz Abraham W. Haddad Andrew T. Jay Rachel Kaminsky William D. Kelleher, Jr. Dana R. Levenson Ronald L. Lombard Patricia S. Lotuff Lisa H. McDonough Philip R. Morgan Marc S. Plonskier Malcolm A. Rogers Anne-Marie Soulliere Matthias Waschek (ex-officio)
Valid through Annual Meeting on November 28, 2017
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Learn more at worcesterart.org
Shih Chieh Huang, Organic Concept, July 20, 2017, Worcester Art Museum