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May 2015
SAVE THE DATE
May 14, 2015
Glenn Lowry
“In Between Places:
Contemporary Art
and the Middle East”
Ticketed Luncheon
Following
THE FRIENDS LECTURE SERIES | THURSDAY, May 14 | PILLSBURY AUDITORIUM, 11 A.M.
Sponsored by the Mark and Mary Goff Fiterman Lecture Fund
Glenn Lowry “In Between Places: Contemporary Art and the
Middle East”
For nearly 20 years, art
historian Glenn Lowry has
directed New York’s Museum
of Modern Art, the most
influential modern art
museum in the world. He
came to MoMA as an
acclaimed specialist in
Islamic art. Lowry returns to
his scholarly roots for this
lecture. Contemporary art in
the Middle East can be seen
as the continuation of the
historical tradition or as a radical break with the past; as a
market driven phenomenon fueled by the wealth of a new
Gulf-based clientele; or as a searing critique of the social
and political conditions of the region often made by artists
living in a diasporic condition.
Dr. Lowry will explore how a number of artists from this
region, including Wael Shawky, Shirin Neshat, Walid Raad,
Rania Stephan, and Shahzia Sikander, navigate these
complicated and highly charged issues through their varied
practices that range from film-making and photography to
painting and animation.
Dr. Lowry became the sixth director of the Museum of
Modern Art in 1995. He has significantly developed the
Museum’s holdings in all mediums, adding entire
collections of contemporary drawings, Fluxus, Conceptual
Art, and the archives of Frank Lloyd Wright. A strong
advocate of contemporary art and artists who are shaping
art, he has overseen acquisitions by artists such as
Matthew Barney, Louise Bourgeois, Richard Serra,
Gerhard Richter and Robert Rauschenberg.
Dr. Lowry’s initiatives include the successful merger of
The Museum of Modern Art and P.S. 1 Contemporary Art
Center (now MoMA P.S. 1). He also established the
Contemporary and Modern Art Perspectives in a Global
Age Initiative (C-MAP), a research program for the
exchange of knowledge and ideas among arts experts
around the world. He is currently leading a renovation and
expansion project that will offer visitors a more welcoming
and participatory experience and unprecedented access to
MoMA’s collections and programming.
Dr. Lowry received his B.A. from Williams College and
an M.A. and Ph.D. in art history from Harvard University.
He began his career as the first director of the Joseph and
Margaret Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of
William and Mary. He was curator of Near Eastern Art at
the Smithsonian Institution’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
and Freer Gallery of Art. He was also director of the Art
Gallery of Ontario.
Following the lecture by Dr. Lowry, please join the
Friends in the Target Reception Hall for a delicious spring
luncheon of mixed greens, grilled chicken, roasted beets,
Moroccan spices, pickled onion, candied pecans,
manchego and sherry vinaigrette. A tequila Lime Tart
with orange whipped cream will complete the menu. You
may request a vegetarian option when you reserve. Call
(612) 870-6323 today to reserve your luncheon space.
The cost is $25, and all reservations must be received by
May 8.
9 p.m., May 8.
Ticketing for Friends Annual Meeting and Lecture
May 14, 2015
Thursday, May 14, the Friends Annual Meeting will be held before the lecture presented by Dr. Glenn Lowry.
The meeting will begin at 10:40 with only twenty minutes to impart a year’s full of Friends highlights, as well as
announce the new slate of board of directors for 2015-2016. Free tickets are available for Pillsbury Auditorium
seating. Doors will open for Ticket holders at 10:00 a.m. All must be seated by 10:30 to insure our speaker his
full allotted time. The Friends Annual Meeting will begin promptly at 10:40. Guests without tickets may attend a
live broadcast of the meeting and lecture in overflow seating in the Wells Fargo Community Room on the first
floor. Seating in Pillsbury Auditorium is currently full.
Tickets are available for Friends members on the 15th of each month preceding the lecture.
General ticketing is available to the public beginning the 17th of the month.
A Letter from Friends President
Pamela Friedland
I look back at the last two years of
my life and of course recall all the
personal fortunes in my life such
as moving into a new home my
husband and I helped design and
welcoming our first grandchild
Greyson, into our lives. This
would certainly be enough to fill
anyone with happiness it would
seem.
But I have had the good fortune of
continued fulfillment by leading
the Friends of the Institute through
an incredible two years. Doing it with the most loyal, diligent, and
genuinely warm group of board members I have worked alongside,
has so greatly added to these successful two years. Seeing our
Office Administrator Kate Smith everyday, has given me great
support and introduced me to someone with the most amazing smile
ever and incredible competency to boot!
Our Friends Lecture Series has enjoyed a year of tremendous
success. As the auditorium fills each month, our members have
learned an incredible amount about so many different art topics. We
continue to be grateful to the Mark and Mary Goff Fiterman
Fund for its generosity in supporting this enormous endeavor. We
look forward to a stellar lineup, beginning once again this
September.
Our Transportation Fund this year is spending nearly $17,000
for 90 buses bringing almost 4,500 schoolchildren through our doors
for guide-led tours. Our goal in the next year is to offer
transportation to older children also, exposing and capturing their
future interest in the arts.
We continue our long tradition of decorating the front MIA lobby
with lovely fresh flowers weekly calling upon the generosity of the
Harris/Phelps Fund.
This year, like so many others, we generously provided via our
Friends Endowment for Education Fund over $80,000 to the
Learning and Innovation Department, allowing them the proper
outreach to the community the museum prides itself on. Our
Children's Fund works closely with this department also targeting
specific projects.
Perhaps Friends is most proud this year of speaking up first to
become one of the MIA's three top Presenting Sponsors honoring
the museum’s 100th Birthday Year. We are proud to say we have
now paid off $250,000 of our $500,000 gift to the museum!
We have our members to thank for helping raise this kind of money.
Your belief in our mission, tireless support of our fall fundraisers
and our annual community favorite Art in Bloom, as well as
countess volunteer hours, allows us to be this generous. This
organization is nonexistent without all of you, not only your time,
financial support, but personal interactions so important to the
success of a volunteer organization.
We certainly have the MIA staff to thank also. Our partnership with
everyone in the museum is cherished and enjoyed.
I leave you all in great hands as Connie Sommers takes over as
president in July. I certainly hope I may speak for all of you, as we
plan to bop into the Friends office often to see Connie and Kate, and
continue to be a part of the growth and success of the Friends.
With very warm wishes,
Pamela Friedland
The Gift of Art in Bloom
The 32nd Art in Bloom was a welcome gift to the community. It was
made possible because of the outstanding volunteer efforts of more
than 500 volunteers! Thank you to our dedicated Art in Bloom
Committee which has been planning all year. Thank you also to the
volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure that all the events and
activities ran smoothly. Much appreciation goes to the Pedestal
Floral Artists and the Commercial Florists for their beautiful
arrangements and displays. They captured our imaginations and
delighted us with their creativity!
Kudos to Kate Smith, Friends Office Administrator, for her hard
work and superlative organizational skills, along with all the efforts
of the Friends interns, Caroline Byrd and Kaitlin Gross. What great
support they provided!
We thank Friends President, Pamela Friedland, for her valuable
guidance throughout the planning process and we also acknowledge
the amazing support of our Art in Bloom Advisors, Carolyn Dahl,
Betsey Whitbeck, and Carol Burton Gray.
Our appreciation would not be complete without thanking the
hardworking staff of the MIA who worked with us to help ensure
that Art in Bloom would be successful. We could not have done it
without their topnotch teamwork.
In closing, we are pleased that Art in Bloom raised much needed
funding to support transportation for K-12 students to come to the
MIA.
A big thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the 32nd Art
in Bloom so successful!
JeanMarie Burtness and Arna Yetter
Art in Bloom 2015 Co-Chairs
Lead Sponsor:
Honorary Chairs: Teresa Pfister and Joan T. Smith
Generous support provided by Gabberts Design Studio & Fine
Furniture, Lakewood Cemetery, Martha Head, Nordic Ware,
SpartanNash, Lucy and Bob Mitchell, and Tom and Lynn
Schaefer.
Additional support provided by E.M. Birt, Edina Eye Physicians
& Surgeons, Olson Law Firm, Caldrea, Helen W. Leslie, Mary
Grau, Patty and Sam McCullough, D’Amico Catering, Acendas,
Len Busch Roses, Susan Arndt, JeanMarie Burtness, Pamela
Friedland, Julie Holland, Katie Remole, Connie Sommers, Arna
Yetter, Maxine Wallin, B.T. McElrath Chocolatier, and Prism
Research.
Media Partner:
Friends-Only Lecture Day Tour
Please join us for the final pre-lecture tour of the 2014-2015 lecture
series on Thursday, May 14. The tour is titled Heaven on Earth:
Arts of Islam and will complement the lecture “In Between
Places:Contemporary Art and the Middle East,” presented at 11:00
by art historian Dr. Glen Lowry.
Space is limited and these popular tours fill quickly, so reserve with
Friends-Only Events co-chair Diane Skrien (651)-222-0054 or
dianeskrien361@msn.com. Tour participants will receive tickets
and reserved seats for the 10:40 Annual Meeting and the 11:00
lecture. The tour begins promptly at 10:00 a.m. in the MIA’s Third
Avenue lobby across from the security desk.
Friends-Only Art and Architecture in Duluth
June 17-18, 2015
Journey to Duluth for an insider’s tour lead by renowned Architect David Salmela. Tour his home and office, several stunning homes, the only
University of Minnesota Platinum Lead Certified Building, The UMD Bagley Classroom Building and the award winning Hawksboots
Sustainable Manufacturing Facility.
“Salmela's buildings resolve a central question of our time: how to balance the various extreme positions that characterize contemporary
architecture and culture. Salmela accomplishes this by juxtaposing opposites: modernist and traditional forms, open and cellular plans, large
and small scales, familiar elements used in unfamiliar ways. His projects range from a small stand-alone sauna to commercial spaces visited by
thousands of people, and his buildings, mostly situated in the upper Midwest, have become nationally and internationally known.” Tom Fisher,
Dean, University of Minnesota College of Design
Enjoy touring the fabulous, historic Glensheen Mansion and gardens on the shore of Lake Superior. The exclusive Friends tour will be lead by
Glensheen Director Dan Hartman. Dan tells us that he has the keys to places rarely seen by the public…what an opportunity to see hidden gems!
We’ll also hear from the staff of Hess Roise Historical Consultants about the vast art and decorative art collections at the mansion. “…here’s the
amazing part, the collection is intact. The top hat in the closet? That was Chester Congdon’s. The letters in the desk drawer? Those were written
by Clara. The sheets in the linen closet? Organized by the Congdons’ 2nd floor maid nearly 100 years ago. And that’s just inside the
mansion …”
Check out these links for a peek at what’s in store
http://www.salmelaarchitect.com
http://www.architectmagazine.com/architects/david-salmela-architect.aspx
http://www.hawksboots.com
https://glensheen.wp.d.umn.edu
Tour Fee: $158
Includes motor coach, two lunches, one dinner,
admission to Glensheen, and 6-guided tours.
Hall House designed by Architect David Salmela
Step 1: Registration:
Tickets go on sale May 4th
Call the museum, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. (Thursday 9 a.m. to 8:45p.m.), Saturday 10
a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at (612) 870-3000.
This is a Friends only event and space is limited
Registration Deadline: Friday, May 29th
Step 2: Hotel:
Pay on your own. Call Fitgers Inn or the Sheraton Duluth to make a reservation
Fitgers Inn: $174.99 plus tax $23.40 total of $198.39 Same rate for all rooms.
Limited number of rooms with two beds. Most rooms have one King bed, or one Queen bed.
Call for reservations: 218-722-8826 or toll free 888-348-4377 ID: “Friends of the Institute Retreat”
Includes Complimentary Continental Breakfast, High Speed Internet, 24-hour Fitness Center, discounts at Fitger’s shops
and restaurants.
Special room rate available until Friday, May 29th
Sheraton Duluth Hotel: $159 plus tax $21.27 total of $180.26 Same rate for single and double rooms.
Ample supply of two bed rooms if you plan to share a room.
Call for reservations: 218-733-5660 or toll free 800-325-3535 “Friends of the Institute”
Lakeside views, Fitness Center with heated indoor pool, whirlpool. High Speed Internet.
Breakfast is available at your expense in Restaurant 301
Special room rate available until Sunday May 24th
Activity Level:
This tour is moderately active.
You’ll be on your feet standing and walking for up to 1-1/2 hours. You’ll be climbing stairs at most tour sites. There is
no passenger elevator at Glensheen.
Help with luggage is available loading and unloading the bus and at the hotel.
Travel on a bus with comfortable seating and a toilet.
Special Diet? :
Vegetarian meals are available. Let us know. Call Kate Smith in the Friends office (612) 870-3045 by Friday, May
29th
MIA Parking:
Cars may be left overnight on June 17th in the Museum Parking lots. Regular fees apply.
If you plan to leave your car over night, please call Kate Smith with your license plate numbers at 612-870-3045.
We’re looking forward to a fun, interesting and invigorating view of Duluth Art and Architecture. Please join us!
Collection Connection
Hudson River School Artists in
Arkansas? Who knew?
Bring on the Yellow School Buses!
I recently visited Crystal Bridges, the American art museum
founded by Alice Walton. The museum designed by Moshe Safdie,
opened in 2011 and it is well worth a visit. Set over a body of water,
it is architecturally quite stunning. From inside the museum, one can
see the water and outdoor environment as one walks the hallways
between the galleries. The restaurant is also set over water, and is
very open and filled with light. A large metallic gold colored Jeff
Koons heart hangs from the ceiling and reflects the interior of the
restaurant.
The collection covers painting and sculpture from colonial times to
present day. One of my favorite galleries at the museum consists of
an extensive collection of Hudson River school artists. Several of
the artists in our MIA collection are represented so I got to see
works by old familiar friends such Jasper Cropsey, Thomas Moran,
and Albert Bierstadt. One of the gems in the collection is Asher
Durand’s Kindred Spirits, a painting he made in homage to Thomas
Cole after Cole’s death. Walton purchased it from the New York
Public Library in 2005 when the library sold it to raise money for its
endowment fund. Many New Yorkers were not happy about the
sale. Walton’s deep pockets also allowed her purchase of Georgia
O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed (White Flower No.1) in 2014 for 44.4
million dollars, the highest price ever paid for a painting by a
female artist. The museum’s modern collection also includes some
of our MIA artists such as Marisol, Grace Hartigan, Larry Rivers,
Roy Lichtenstein, Nick Cave, and several others.
To complete my day at the museum, I walked outdoors around the
grounds and saw several outdoor sculptures by Mark di Suvero,
Robert Indiana, and Paul Manship. They were surrounded by
flowering red buds, magnolias, and peach trees. A spring visit to
Crystal Bridges was just what I needed after a Minnesota winter.
The Friends of the Institute plays a key role in bringing students to
the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Our Transportation Fund, an
endowed fund, annually awards MIA transportation grants to Twin
Cities public and private schools. This school year, the Fund,
bolstered by additional funding from the Friends, extended grants
totaling $16,835 to 54 schools. The Friends’ generosity will allow
approximately 4,500 students in grades K-8 to take advantage of
tours of the MIA’s outstanding permanent collection and special
exhibitions. As a Friend of Institute member, you helped make this
happen!
The Transportation Fund grant application for schools K-8 will be
available in August on the MIA website at
http://new.artsmia.org/discover/school-tours/.
Transportation Fund Co-chairs,
Joan Kampmeyer and Mary Bachhuber
Catch Up On The Lectures You’ve
Missed
All lectures from the Friends Lecture Series are now available to
watch online. It provides easy access to all lectures both past
and present.
http://new.artsmia.org/third-av/#/lectures
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Article by Laura Miller, Art Adventure Guide
MAY AT THE MIA
May floral arrangements at the Visitor & Member Services Desk are created
by Arts and Flowers.
Please call the Friends office for more information about our florists.
NEW MEMBERS
GIFTS TO THE FRIENDS
Anne-Edmee Carayon
Dianne Defresne
Dr. Eugene and Joanne Di Magno
Jennifer Koehl
Jan Malmaquist
Carol Randall
In Memory of
Lucille Franke,
Linda Boelter's Mother
and Carrie Kilberg's Grandmother.
Friends President
Pamela Friedland
Newsletter Editors
Terry Edam
Barbara Scott
Office Administrator
Kate Smith
Friends Office
(612) 870-3045
Friends Fax
(612) 870-6315
Friends E-mail
friends@artsmia.org
MIA Info
(612) 870-3000
MIA Ticket &
Phone Center
(612) 870-6323
Friends Web Site
artsmia.org/friends
Live Lecture Videos
new.artsmia.org/thirdav/#/lectures