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Artists in Mississippi Libraries Centennial Celebration of The Mississippi Library Conference
in conjunction with the Sam Woods Collection - exhibit from Oct. 21 through Nov. 12
American Masters of the Mississippi Gulf Coast:
George Ohr, Dusti Bonge`, Walter Anderson, Richmond Barthe`
American Masters of the Mississippi Gulf Coast is a traveling exhibition organized by the Mississippi Arts Commission that will feature the works of George Ohr, Dusti Bonge`, Walter Anderson and Richmond Barthe`. The exhibit will visit eight venues across Mississippi, between August 2008 and January 2010. The exhibit is underwritten by the National Endowment for the Arts and is the second in a series highlighting the cultural contributions of historic Mississippi personas in art, literature, theatre and dance. William P. Andrews, Gallery Director with Mississippi State University’s Department of Art, serves as the project coordinator.
Additionally, the Mississippi Arts Commission, the Starkville Area Arts Council, and the Mississippi State University Department of Art have published a 104-page, full-color, hardback catalog on the lives of the artists and artworks of the exhibition that will be circulated by the University Press of Mississippi. Noted Mississippi writer, Patti Carr Black, is providing her expertise to the project by serving as curator and as editor of the catalog.
“It is a privilege for the Mississippi Arts Commission to partner in this rare and remarkable project that honors and recognizes these gifted Mississippians through the American Masterpieces Initiative,” said Malcolm White, MAC Executive Director. “Through this exhibition and publication, we hope to offer a thoughtful and respective view of these legendary visual artists who drew life and inspiration from our beloved Mississippi Gulf Coast.”
This is a fantastic opportunity,” says Andrews of the exhibit, “to examine modernism in Mississippi. Much of the time art history paints these individuals in a vernacular or naïve light. The truth is they were avant-garde, and exceptionally devoted to their unique vision.”
Noted Mississippi writer Patti Carr Black is providing her expertise to the project by serving as curator and as editor of the catalog, currently available at Off Square Books.
The National Endowment for the Arts created this initiative to acquaint Americans with the best of their cultural and artistic legacy. The performances, exhibitions, tours and educational programs across many different art forms, held as a result of this initiative, are geared to reach large and small communities in all 50 states. Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts. Additional funding for the concerts comes from a grant from The Phil Hardin Foundation.
Malcolm White added, “The exhibit seeks to illuminate the intersection of these important artists’ lives and work and to further examine the history of the abundantly creative region of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”
Exhibit dates and locations are as follows:
August 8 - September 21, 2008 | Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Laurel
October 2 – October 30, 2008 | MSU Dept. of Art Gallery, Starkville
November 7 - December 19, 2008 | E.E. Bass Cultural Center, Cleveland
December 30 - February 26, 2009 | GumTree Museum of Art, Tupelo
April 11 – July 12, 2009 | Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson
July 25 – August 29 2009 | University of Mississippi Museum, Oxford
September 10 - October 15, 2009 | USM Museum of Art, Hattiesburg
November 6, 2009 - January 10, 2010 | Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Ocean Springs
The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency, funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Wallace Foundation, The Phil Hardin Foundation, Donna and Jim Barksdale, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation and other private sources. MAC is the official grants-making and service agency for the arts in Mississippi. The agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and in arts education.
For more information contact the Mississippi Arts Commission at 601/359-6030.
The University of Southern Mississippi Museum of Art is located in the Fine Arts Building at the southwest corner of campus. The hours are Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m-5 p.m., and Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission to the museum and reception is free and open to the public. School and community groups are welcome. Call the Museum of Art at 601.266.5200 for more information.