fall 2015 members magazine

FALL 2015

MEMBERS MAGAZINE

Greetings!

It is my pleasure to inaugurate the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art newsletter. This newsletter is designed to provide information on exhibitions, educational programming, Museum Association events, and other important happenings at the museum.

The museum will host several exciting exhibitions in the latter half of 2015. Hopefully, many of you had the opportunity to attend the opening of Enter the Matrix: Indigenous Printmakers on June 4; that exhibition will continue through early 2016. Enter the Matrix explores how printmaking has become a vehicle for cultural exchange among indigenous communities in North America and around the world.

Coming in the fall, the museum will open Immortales: The Hall of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums, Rome, which will be the first and only opportunity to see these important sculptures in the United States. From Octavian, the future Augustus Caesar, to the emperors of the late empire, this exhibition offers a fantastic opportunity to study the legacy of ancient Rome and how power, prestige, and beauty were recorded in marble for public and private veneration.

This fall, the Jerome M. Westheimer, Sr. and Wanda Otey Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair is sculptor James Surls, who has led a noted career that spans over four decades. The exhibition will open on October 2 during a week of activity in which Surls will guest lecture at the OU School of Art and Art History and participate in programs at the museum. The associated exhibition will feature Surls’ evocative, hybrid forms in wood, steel, and bronze inspired by flowers, the human body, and rock formations.

More information on each of these exhibitions and related programming is provided in this newsletter, and we hope you will enjoy the other features included. As always, we appreciate your ongoing support of the museum, and we look forward to seeing you soon. I am especially pleased to be serving you in a new capacity as museum director.

Best,Mark WhiteThe Wylodean and Bill Saxon Director and Eugene B. Adkins Curator

EXHIBITIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS

INTRODUCTION

Through January 17, 2016

Enter the Matrix: Indigenous Printmakers joins work from the museum’s permanent collection with work on loan from private collections such as Crow’s Shadow Institute (Oregon), Melanie Yazzie (Colorado), and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

The exhibition explores how printmaking has become a matrix for cultural and artistic exchange, critical sites of engagement, and key figures. In recent decades, printmaking has become a medium facilitating global cultural exchange for indigenous artists. Historically, for tribal communities, paper has been used as a weapon of cultural dominance, manifesting dispossession of lands and forced cultural assimilation. For indigenous artists, using paper as a medium for artistic expression manifests paper as a tool for self-determination, fosters dialogue about culture and identity, and contributes to cultural survival.

Related Programs:Print-paloozaSaturday, Sept. 12Noon - Gallery Talk by Heather Ahtone, Associate Curator of Native American and Non-Western Art, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art (Ellen and Richard L. Sandor Photography Gallery)1 p.m. - Panel Discussion (Mary Eddy and Fred Jones Auditorium)2 p.m. - Printmaking Demo (OU School of Art and Art History, 3rd Floor, Printmaking Studios)

Lecture6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 5Mary Eddy and Fred Jones AuditoriumNancy Marie Mithlo, Associate Professor of Art History and Visual Arts, Occidental College and Chair of American Indian Studies at the Autry National Center InstituteTalk Back/Back Talk: Native Art’s Visual Re-mixAs a curator, teacher, photographic archivist, and critic, Mithlo explores how distinct identities are negotiated and how history is chronicled through the visualization of culture. Using images from Enter the Matrix, Mithlo will discuss how artists are creating images that promote self-determination and foster dialogue about matters of culture and identity that contribute to cultural survival.

Gallery Talk12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10 Ellen and Richard L. Sandor Photography GalleryW. Jackson Rushing III, Adkins Presidential Professor of Art History and Mary Lou Milner Carver Chair in Native American Art, OU School of Art and Art History

Rushing will lead a walking tour discussing selected works from Enter the Matrix.

Cover: James Surls (U.S., b.1943)Walking Through the Thorn Vine [detail], 2014 Bronze and stainless steel, 135 x 133 x 64 in. On loan from the artist1

Greetings!

It is my pleasure to inaugurate the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art newsletter. This newsletter is designed to provide information on exhibitions, educational programming, Museum Association events, and other important happenings at the museum.

The museum will host several exciting exhibitions in the latter half of 2015. Hopefully, many of you had the opportunity to attend the opening of Enter the Matrix: Indigenous Printmakers on June 4; that exhibition will continue through early 2016. Enter the Matrix explores how printmaking has become a vehicle for cultural exchange among indigenous communities in North America and around the world.

Coming in the fall, the museum will open Immortales: The Hall of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums, Rome, which will be the first and only opportunity to see these important sculptures in the United States. From Octavian, the future Augustus Caesar, to the emperors of the late empire, this exhibition offers a fantastic opportunity to study the legacy of ancient Rome and how power, prestige, and beauty were recorded in marble for public and private veneration.

This fall, the Jerome M. Westheimer, Sr. and Wanda Otey Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair is sculptor James Surls, who has led a noted career that spans over four decades. The exhibition will open on October 2 during a week of activity in which Surls will guest lecture at the OU School of Art and Art History and participate in programs at the museum. The associated exhibition will feature Surls’ evocative, hybrid forms in wood, steel, and bronze inspired by flowers, the human body, and rock formations.

More information on each of these exhibitions and related programming is provided in this newsletter, and we hope you will enjoy the other features included. As always, we appreciate your ongoing support of the museum, and we look forward to seeing you soon. I am especially pleased to be serving you in a new capacity as museum director.

Best,Mark WhiteThe Wylodean and Bill Saxon Director and Eugene B. Adkins Curator

INTRODUCTION

Through January 17, 2016

Enter the Matrix: Indigenous Printmakers joins work from the museum’s permanent collection with work on loan from private collections such as Crow’s Shadow Institute (Oregon), Melanie Yazzie (Colorado), and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

The exhibition explores how printmaking has become a matrix for cultural and artistic exchange, critical sites of engagement, and key figures. In recent decades, printmaking has become a medium facilitating global cultural exchange for indigenous artists. Historically, for tribal communities, paper has been used as a weapon of cultural dominance, manifesting dispossession of lands and forced cultural assimilation. For indigenous artists, using paper as a medium for artistic expression manifests paper as a tool for self-determination, fosters dialogue about culture and identity, and contributes to cultural survival.

Related Programs:Print-paloozaSaturday, Sept. 12Noon - Gallery Talk by Heather Ahtone, Associate Curator of Native American and Non-Western Art, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art (Ellen and Richard L. Sandor Photography Gallery)1 p.m. - Panel Discussion (Mary Eddy and Fred Jones Auditorium)2 p.m. - Printmaking Demo (OU School of Art and Art History, 3rd Floor, Printmaking Studios)

Lecture6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 5Mary Eddy and Fred Jones AuditoriumNancy Marie Mithlo, Associate Professor of Art History and Visual Arts, Occidental College and Chair of American Indian Studies at the Autry National Center InstituteTalk Back/Back Talk: Native Art’s Visual Re-mixAs a curator, teacher, photographic archivist, and critic, Mithlo explores how distinct identities are negotiated and how history is chronicled through the visualization of culture. Using images from Enter the Matrix, Mithlo will discuss how artists are creating images that promote self-determination and foster dialogue about matters of culture and identity that contribute to cultural survival.

Gallery Talk12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10 Ellen and Richard L. Sandor Photography GalleryW. Jackson Rushing III, Adkins Presidential Professor of Art History and Mary Lou Milner Carver Chair in Native American Art, OU School of Art and Art History

Rushing will lead a walking tour discussing selected works from Enter the Matrix.

Cover: James Surls (U.S., b.1943)Walking Through the Thorn Vine [detail], 2014 Bronze and stainless steel, 135 x 133 x 64 in. On loan from the artist1

Through September 6, 2015Nancy Johnston Records Gallery

Artist Oscar Brousse Jacobson arrived at the University of Oklahoma in 1915, and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art commemorates the centennial of his appointment at OU with a retrospective of his influential career. Jacobson completed in excess of 600 works of art during his fifty-year career and looked to the landscapes of (continued next page...)

RELATED PROGRAMS:Gallery Talk12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 22Lissa & Cy Wagner GalleryFrancesca Giani, Exhibition CuratorGiani will lead a walking tour of Immortales: The Hall of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums, Rome.

Symposium1:30-5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 22 with reception to followPresented in conjunction with the exhibition Immortales: The Hall of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums, Rome, this symposium explores the history and art history of imperial Rome. Speakers include Susan B. Matheson, the Molly and Walter Bareiss Curator of Ancient Art at the Yale University Art Gallery; Dr. Noel Lenski, Professor of Classics and History at Yale University; and Dr. Christopher Celenza, Co-director of the Singleton Center and Charles Homer Haskins Professor of Classics and German and Romance Languages and Literatures at Johns Hopkins University. The symposium is a joint program of the University of Oklahoma Office of the Provost; the Department of Classics and Letters; the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics; and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma for inspiration. During his tenure at OU, Jacobson oversaw tremendous growth in the School of Art, helped to create the first art museum on campus in 1936, and promoted the visual arts in the Southwest, especially the work of Native American fine artists. The exhibition includes over 50 works by Jacobson and explores the vital role he played in encouraging the visual arts in the region.

Below:Oscar Brousse Jacobson (U.S., b. Sweden, 1882-1966)In the Navajo Country, 1938Oil on canvas, 20 x 26 in.Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, The University of Oklahoma, Norman; 1987

September 4 - December 6, 2015 Lissa and Cy Wagner Gallery

Immortales: The Hall of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums, Rome brings to the United States for the first time a selection of 20 busts from the collection of the world’s oldest museum, the Capitoline in Rome. The exhibition offers a survey of Roman portraiture from the age of Augustus (1st century, B.C.) to the late Roman Empire (5th century, A.D.). Sculpted busts of emperors, empresses, and patricians reveal how portraits helped craft private and public images of distinguished individuals for ancient Roman audiences as well as for posterity. This exhibition is made possible by the generous support of Enel Green Power North America.

Distinguished Visiting Artist:James SurlsOctober 2, 2015 – January 3, 2016Nancy Johnston Records Gallery

The Jerome M. Westheimer, Sr. and Wanda Otey Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair: James Surls

Nature figures prominently in the work of sculptor James Surls. Over the course of four decades, he has developed evocative, hybrid forms in wood, steel, and bronze inspired by flowers, the human body, and rock formations. His recent work explores his previous inspirations as well as the microcosmic worlds of neurons and molecules. Drawn from recent drawings and sculptures, this exhibition showcases Surls’ intriguing investigation of the natural world. Surls serves as the fifth guest artist in the University of Oklahoma’s Jerome M. Westheimer, Sr. and Wanda Otey Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair program.

Gallery Talk12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 6Lissa and Cy Wagner GalleryPresented by Robert Bailey, Assistant Professor of Art History, OU School of Art and Art History

Bailey will lead a walking tour discussing selected works from the James Surls exhibition.Above:Lucius Verus [detail], 160/170 A.D.Luna Marble

Above:James Surls (U.S., b. 1943)Walking Through the Thorn Vine [detail], 2014 Bronze and stainless steel 135 x 133 x 64 in. On loan from the artist

Through September 6, 2015Nancy Johnston Records Gallery

Artist Oscar Brousse Jacobson arrived at the University of Oklahoma in 1915, and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art commemorates the centennial of his appointment at OU with a retrospective of his influential career. Jacobson completed in excess of 600 works of art during his fifty-year career and looked to the landscapes of (continued next page...)

RELATED PROGRAMS:Gallery Talk12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 22Lissa & Cy Wagner GalleryFrancesca Giani, Exhibition CuratorGiani will lead a walking tour of Immortales: The Hall of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums, Rome.

Symposium1:30-5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 22 with reception to followPresented in conjunction with the exhibition Immortales: The Hall of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums, Rome, this symposium explores the history and art history of imperial Rome. Speakers include Susan B. Matheson, the Molly and Walter Bareiss Curator of Ancient Art at the Yale University Art Gallery; Dr. Noel Lenski, Professor of Classics and History at Yale University; and Dr. Christopher Celenza, Co-director of the Singleton Center and Charles Homer Haskins Professor of Classics and German and Romance Languages and Literatures at Johns Hopkins University. The symposium is a joint program of the University of Oklahoma Office of the Provost; the Department of Classics and Letters; the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics; and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma for inspiration. During his tenure at OU, Jacobson oversaw tremendous growth in the School of Art, helped to create the first art museum on campus in 1936, and promoted the visual arts in the Southwest, especially the work of Native American fine artists. The exhibition includes over 50 works by Jacobson and explores the vital role he played in encouraging the visual arts in the region.

Below:Oscar Brousse Jacobson (U.S., b. Sweden, 1882-1966)In the Navajo Country, 1938Oil on canvas, 20 x 26 in.Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, The University of Oklahoma, Norman; 1987

September 4 - December 6, 2015 Lissa and Cy Wagner Gallery

Immortales: The Hall of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums, Rome brings to the United States for the first time a selection of 20 busts from the collection of the world’s oldest museum, the Capitoline in Rome. The exhibition offers a survey of Roman portraiture from the age of Augustus (1st century, B.C.) to the late Roman Empire (5th century, A.D.). Sculpted busts of emperors, empresses, and patricians reveal how portraits helped craft private and public images of distinguished individuals for ancient Roman audiences as well as for posterity. This exhibition is made possible by the generous support of Enel Green Power North America.

Distinguished Visiting Artist:James SurlsOctober 2, 2015 – January 3, 2016Nancy Johnston Records Gallery

The Jerome M. Westheimer, Sr. and Wanda Otey Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair: James Surls

Nature figures prominently in the work of sculptor James Surls. Over the course of four decades, he has developed evocative, hybrid forms in wood, steel, and bronze inspired by flowers, the human body, and rock formations. His recent work explores his previous inspirations as well as the microcosmic worlds of neurons and molecules. Drawn from recent drawings and sculptures, this exhibition showcases Surls’ intriguing investigation of the natural world. Surls serves as the fifth guest artist in the University of Oklahoma’s Jerome M. Westheimer, Sr. and Wanda Otey Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair program.

Gallery Talk12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 6Lissa and Cy Wagner GalleryPresented by Robert Bailey, Assistant Professor of Art History, OU School of Art and Art History

Bailey will lead a walking tour discussing selected works from the James Surls exhibition.Above:Lucius Verus [detail], 160/170 A.D.Luna Marble

Above:James Surls (U.S., b. 1943)Walking Through the Thorn Vine [detail], 2014 Bronze and stainless steel 135 x 133 x 64 in. On loan from the artist

PROGRAMSEDUCATION

Art After Noon

Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m.Dee Dee and Jon R. Stuart Classroom

Get acquainted with recent gifts of three-dimensional art on display at the museum and around campus in these 30-minute discussions. You are invited to bring your lunch; dessert and drinks will be provided.

Aug. 18 - Toshio Iezumi (b. 1954), M051101 Glass Sculpture, 2006

Sept. 15 - Robert Indiana (b. 1928), LOVE, c. 1966 -1997

Oct. 20 - Beatrice Wood (1893-1998), Large Gold Lustre Chalice, n.d.

Nov. 17 - Jesús Moroles (1950-2015), Moonscape Bench, 2007

Endings and Beginnings After 27 years (can you believe it?), we say farewell with fondness to Susan Baley, former Director of Education, as she begins her next exciting chapter as the executive director of the Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana. We thank her for all her good work with docents, children, families, and other visitors over nearly three decades at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. But as they say, the end is just the beginning. We are excited to announce the appointment of our new Director of Education: Melissa Smith! Melissa joins us after serving as the Community Arts Initiative Liaison at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she promoted the museum through outreach, event planning, and collaborative curriculum design. She also led educational tours and planned art programs for preK-12 audiences and coordinated collaborative programs for special exhibitions. Previously, she served as Assistant Director and Program Director at the Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club in Tulsa, where she directed, taught, and evaluated member programs and curriculum, including studio and performing arts, and collaborated with nonprofit partners and corporate sponsors to create special events. Before beginning her master’s degree, Melissa coordinated youth programs at the Zarrow Regional Library in Tulsa to encourage interaction with library resources, community involvement, and literacy.

Family Days Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Dee Dee and Jon R. Stuart Classroom

Explore art in the museum’s permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, and enjoy a variety of hands-on art activities for the entire family.

Sept. 20 - Experience centuries of Roman history in Immortales: The Hall

of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums, Rome.

Nov. 15 - Explore the drawings and sculptural forms of Distinguished

Visiting Artist: James Surls and then create 2D and 3D art of your own.

Tuesday Noon Concerts

Tuesdays at NoonSandy Bell Gallery

The Tuesday Noon Concert series is a cooperative effort between the OU School of Music and the museum. Please join us on your lunch hour for these 30-minute concerts performed by OU music students and faculty. Selected Tuesday Noon Concerts are followed by gallery talks or Art After Noon programs at 12:30 p.m.

Sept. 15 - Voice (Les Flanagan)

Sept. 22 - Opera Preview

Sept. 29 - Piano (Jeongwon Ham)

Oct. 6 - Saxophone (Jonathan Nichol)

Oct. 13 - Organ (John Schwandt) – concert held on 1st floor of Catlett

Oct. 20 - Bassoon (Rod Ackmann)

Oct. 27 - Oboe (Dan Schwartz)

Nov. 3 - Violin (Greg Lee)

Nov. 10 - Voice (Les Flanagan)

Nov. 17 - Viola (Mark Neumann)

Nov. 24 - Tuba/Euphonium (Brian Dobbins)

Art Adventures Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.Dee Dee and Jon R. Stuart Classroom

Young artists are invited to experience art through books and related art projects for children ages 3 to 5 accompanied by an adult. Art Adventures are made possible by generous support form the Kimball Foundation. Please visit the museum’s website for a full list of dates and books.

Melissa earned a master of arts degree in art history at the State University of New York in Stony Brook, as well as a bachelor of arts degree in art history and studio art at Webster University in St. Louis. After a honeymoon trip this summer, Melissa joined us in mid-July. We hope you’ll help us give an Oklahoma-sized welcome to Melissa Smith at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art this summer!

PROGRAMSEDUCATION

Art After Noon

Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m.Dee Dee and Jon R. Stuart Classroom

Get acquainted with recent gifts of three-dimensional art on display at the museum and around campus in these 30-minute discussions. You are invited to bring your lunch; dessert and drinks will be provided.

Aug. 18 - Toshio Iezumi (b. 1954), M051101 Glass Sculpture, 2006

Sept. 15 - Robert Indiana (b. 1928), LOVE, c. 1966 -1997

Oct. 20 - Beatrice Wood (1893-1998), Large Gold Lustre Chalice, n.d.

Nov. 17 - Jesús Moroles (1950-2015), Moonscape Bench, 2007

Endings and Beginnings After 27 years (can you believe it?), we say farewell with fondness to Susan Baley, former Director of Education, as she begins her next exciting chapter as the executive director of the Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana. We thank her for all her good work with docents, children, families, and other visitors over nearly three decades at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. But as they say, the end is just the beginning. We are excited to announce the appointment of our new Director of Education: Melissa Smith! Melissa joins us after serving as the Community Arts Initiative Liaison at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she promoted the museum through outreach, event planning, and collaborative curriculum design. She also led educational tours and planned art programs for preK-12 audiences and coordinated collaborative programs for special exhibitions. Previously, she served as Assistant Director and Program Director at the Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club in Tulsa, where she directed, taught, and evaluated member programs and curriculum, including studio and performing arts, and collaborated with nonprofit partners and corporate sponsors to create special events. Before beginning her master’s degree, Melissa coordinated youth programs at the Zarrow Regional Library in Tulsa to encourage interaction with library resources, community involvement, and literacy.

Family Days Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Dee Dee and Jon R. Stuart Classroom

Explore art in the museum’s permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, and enjoy a variety of hands-on art activities for the entire family.

Sept. 20 - Experience centuries of Roman history in Immortales: The Hall

of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums, Rome.

Nov. 15 - Explore the drawings and sculptural forms of Distinguished

Visiting Artist: James Surls and then create 2D and 3D art of your own.

Tuesday Noon Concerts

Tuesdays at NoonSandy Bell Gallery

The Tuesday Noon Concert series is a cooperative effort between the OU School of Music and the museum. Please join us on your lunch hour for these 30-minute concerts performed by OU music students and faculty. Selected Tuesday Noon Concerts are followed by gallery talks or Art After Noon programs at 12:30 p.m.

Sept. 15 - Voice (Les Flanagan)

Sept. 22 - Opera Preview

Sept. 29 - Piano (Jeongwon Ham)

Oct. 6 - Saxophone (Jonathan Nichol)

Oct. 13 - Organ (John Schwandt) – concert held on 1st floor of Catlett

Oct. 20 - Bassoon (Rod Ackmann)

Oct. 27 - Oboe (Dan Schwartz)

Nov. 3 - Violin (Greg Lee)

Nov. 10 - Voice (Les Flanagan)

Nov. 17 - Viola (Mark Neumann)

Nov. 24 - Tuba/Euphonium (Brian Dobbins)

Art Adventures Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.Dee Dee and Jon R. Stuart Classroom

Young artists are invited to experience art through books and related art projects for children ages 3 to 5 accompanied by an adult. Art Adventures are made possible by generous support form the Kimball Foundation. Please visit the museum’s website for a full list of dates and books.

Melissa earned a master of arts degree in art history at the State University of New York in Stony Brook, as well as a bachelor of arts degree in art history and studio art at Webster University in St. Louis. After a honeymoon trip this summer, Melissa joined us in mid-July. We hope you’ll help us give an Oklahoma-sized welcome to Melissa Smith at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art this summer!

Dear Members,

This fall is going to be one of the most exciting semesters for the Museum Association! Later this year, we will be announcing additional benefits and new add-on options for members. For example, take this Members Magazine. We’ve combined the calendar with a newsletter to bring you this new publication, which is printed for museum members.

A new event for all members, “Members Meet-Up,” will feature a members hour at the museum, an increased discount of 30 percent at Muse, refreshments, and an opportunity to meet museum staff and other Association members! You will also hear more about upcoming exhibitions and events. Following the Friday event, everyone will be encouraged to attend the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk. Look for more details on our website at www.ou.edu/fjjmamembers.

For the Fall Association Trip, we will be taking a two-day trip to Bentonville, Arkansas, to visit the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. At the museum, we will have the opportunity to see the newly-opened Bachman Wilson House, designed by acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. During our trip, attendees will be led on a tour of 1940s to Now with curator Chad Alligood. This trip is not to be missed!

As you can see, there is much happening with the Museum Association, and right now is the perfect time to get involved or upgrade your membership. Our fall events are listed on the following pages and online, but do not hesitate to call the Association office with any questions.

Join us to be part of the museum community!

Jessica Farling Kathleen ThompsonDirector of Public Engagement Public Engagement and Communication Assistant(405) 325-5990 (405) [email protected] [email protected]

MUSEUM ASSOCIATION

Dear Association Members,

My term of presidency has come to an end. I am humbled and grateful for the experience and the opportunity to meet many of you. I want to express my sincere appreciation to our fabulous Association Board. This past year was challenging, but our board ensured continuity, kept momentum, and held up our mission. We have many wonderful things coming down the pike, and I am confident that the best is yet to come for the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

I wish to thank the Association members and museum staff, who are second to none. It was a privilege to serve with our new director, Mark White. I also encourage you to meet Jessica Farling, who serves as the Director of Public Engagement and now addresses Association matters.

I wish my good friend and new Association Board President Brad Benson all the best and will continue to offer my support on the board as Past President.

Boomer!

Kindest regards,

Stephanie O'Hara

Brad Benson and Stephanie O’Hara took a selfie following the Annual Board Meeting in July.

Dear Members,

This fall is going to be one of the most exciting semesters for the Museum Association! Later this year, we will be announcing additional benefits and new add-on options for members. For example, take this Members Magazine. We’ve combined the calendar with a newsletter to bring you this new publication, which is printed for museum members.

A new event for all members, “Members Meet-Up,” will feature a members hour at the museum, an increased discount of 30 percent at Muse, refreshments, and an opportunity to meet museum staff and other Association members! You will also hear more about upcoming exhibitions and events. Following the Friday event, everyone will be encouraged to attend the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk. Look for more details on our website at www.ou.edu/fjjmamembers.

For the Fall Association Trip, we will be taking a two-day trip to Bentonville, Arkansas, to visit the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. At the museum, we will have the opportunity to see the newly-opened Bachman Wilson House, designed by acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. During our trip, attendees will be led on a tour of 1940s to Now with curator Chad Alligood. This trip is not to be missed!

As you can see, there is much happening with the Museum Association, and right now is the perfect time to get involved or upgrade your membership. Our fall events are listed on the following pages and online, but do not hesitate to call the Association office with any questions.

Join us to be part of the museum community!

Jessica Farling Kathleen ThompsonDirector of Public Engagement Public Engagement and Communication Assistant(405) 325-5990 (405) [email protected] [email protected]

MUSEUM ASSOCIATION

Dear Association Members,

My term of presidency has come to an end. I am humbled and grateful for the experience and the opportunity to meet many of you. I want to express my sincere appreciation to our fabulous Association Board. This past year was challenging, but our board ensured continuity, kept momentum, and held up our mission. We have many wonderful things coming down the pike, and I am confident that the best is yet to come for the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

I wish to thank the Association members and museum staff, who are second to none. It was a privilege to serve with our new director, Mark White. I also encourage you to meet Jessica Farling, who serves as the Director of Public Engagement and now addresses Association matters.

I wish my good friend and new Association Board President Brad Benson all the best and will continue to offer my support on the board as Past President.

Boomer!

Kindest regards,

Stephanie O'Hara

Brad Benson and Stephanie O’Hara took a selfie following the Annual Board Meeting in July.

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AugustNEW! Members Meet-Up5:30-6:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 14Sandy Bell GalleryMembers are invited to visit the museum after hours! Enjoy light refreshments before stopping by Muse, the museum store, for an increased discount from 20 percent to 30 percent for one night only. Members will have an opportunity to learn more about upcoming exhibitions from museum director Mark White, as well as meet the staff of the Association office and hear about fall events. Come mingle with other museum members and head to the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk in Downtown Norman following the event. For more information about participating galleries, visit www.2ndFridayNorman.com.

NovemberAnnual Fall Party7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13Sandy Bell GalleryMark your calendars for the next Annual Membership Party and Silent Auction! This event boosts museum membership and raises money to fund new acquisitions for the museum’s permanent collection. Please save the date for this annual event because you will not want to miss it! Separate invitations will be mailed to members in October.

ASSOCIATION EVENTS

TRIPINFORMATION

Association TripOct. 20 and 21Crystal Bridges Museum of American ArtJoin us for a journey to Bentonville, Arkansas for fall foliage and Frank Lloyd Wright! The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Association will sponsor a two-day trip to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to visit the newly-opened Bachman Wilson House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. On our way to Northwest Arkansas, the group will stop for a freshly-cooked, homemade lunch served in a family-style atmosphere at the Amish Restaurant and Country Store. Following lunch, we will take a detour to experience the fall foliage as we wander through the foothills of the Ozark Mountains on Highway 10, one of the most scenic drives according to Travel Oklahoma.

In Bentonville, trip attendees will have time to explore downtown, which is home to the Walmart Museum, as well as local shops and galleries. We will also visit the 21c Museum Hotel for a guided tour of their collection of contemporary art. At the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, there will be time to explore the trails surrounding the museum to see works by Robert Indiana, James Turrell, and many others. Later that morning, we will be greeted by curator Chad Alligood, who will guide us through his installation, 1940s to Now. The installation includes works such as Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter and Mark Rothko’s No. 210/211. Following our time in the galleries, we will enjoy lunch at Eleven, the museum’s restaurant, before exploring the Bachman Wilson House, which was acquired by the museum in 2013 and moved from its original location along the Millstone River in New Jersey.

The deadline for reservations is Friday, August 21. For more details and pricing information, call (405) 325-2297 or visit us online at www.ou.edu/fjjmamembers.

Photo by Timothy Hursley

AugustNEW! Members Meet-Up5:30-6:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 14Sandy Bell GalleryMembers are invited to visit the museum after hours! Enjoy light refreshments before stopping by Muse, the museum store, for an increased discount from 20 percent to 30 percent for one night only. Members will have an opportunity to learn more about upcoming exhibitions from museum director Mark White, as well as meet the staff of the Association office and hear about fall events. Come mingle with other museum members and head to the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk in Downtown Norman following the event. For more information about participating galleries, visit www.2ndFridayNorman.com.

NovemberAnnual Fall Party7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13Sandy Bell GalleryMark your calendars for the next Annual Membership Party and Silent Auction! This event boosts museum membership and raises money to fund new acquisitions for the museum’s permanent collection. Please save the date for this annual event because you will not want to miss it! Separate invitations will be mailed to members in October.

ASSOCIATION EVENTS

TRIPINFORMATION

Association TripOct. 20 and 21Crystal Bridges Museum of American ArtJoin us for a journey to Bentonville, Arkansas for fall foliage and Frank Lloyd Wright! The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Association will sponsor a two-day trip to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to visit the newly-opened Bachman Wilson House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. On our way to Northwest Arkansas, the group will stop for a freshly-cooked, homemade lunch served in a family-style atmosphere at the Amish Restaurant and Country Store. Following lunch, we will take a detour to experience the fall foliage as we wander through the foothills of the Ozark Mountains on Highway 10, one of the most scenic drives according to Travel Oklahoma.

In Bentonville, trip attendees will have time to explore downtown, which is home to the Walmart Museum, as well as local shops and galleries. We will also visit the 21c Museum Hotel for a guided tour of their collection of contemporary art. At the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, there will be time to explore the trails surrounding the museum to see works by Robert Indiana, James Turrell, and many others. Later that morning, we will be greeted by curator Chad Alligood, who will guide us through his installation, 1940s to Now. The installation includes works such as Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter and Mark Rothko’s No. 210/211. Following our time in the galleries, we will enjoy lunch at Eleven, the museum’s restaurant, before exploring the Bachman Wilson House, which was acquired by the museum in 2013 and moved from its original location along the Millstone River in New Jersey.

The deadline for reservations is Friday, August 21. For more details and pricing information, call (405) 325-2297 or visit us online at www.ou.edu/fjjmamembers.

Photo by Timothy Hursley

RECENT GIFTSAND ACQUISITIONS

The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art has received a number of important acquisitions to the permanent collection over the past few years, but among the most interesting is the purchase of Morris Kantor’s Afternoon (1942) and Ben-Zion’s Thistles (n.d.) in 2012.

In 2011, I was actively seeking the location of both paintings, as well as Max Weber’s Fruit and Wine (ca. 1945), for our 2012 exhibition, Art Interrupted: Advancing American Art and the Politics of Cultural Diplomacy. Art Interrupted hoped to reunite all 117 paintings originally included in the ill-fated 1946 U.S. State Department exhibition Advancing American Art, which was intended as a form of cultural diplomacy following World War II. The government purchased modern art by contemporary American painters for exhibitions to tour the world with the objective of celebrating the freedom of expression enjoyed by artists in a democracy while demonstrating America’s artistic coming of age.

The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art joined with the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University and the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia to recreate the exhibition. Between the three museums, we owned 82 paintings from the original exhibition, and we knew where approximately 20 others were located. I partnered with my co-curator on the project, Dennis Harper at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, to find the remainder.

Advancing American Art had been recalled in the spring of 1947 by Secretary of State George Marshall and sold at auction in 1948. Controversy over the program had erupted in the American media, government forums, and public discourse, and detractors criticized the project as un-American, subversive, and communistic. Facing intense criticism by Congress and President Harry S. Truman, the State Department chose to recall the exhibitions and sell the paintings through the War Assets Administration.

The primary clue we had to the ultimate disposition of the paintings was a July 1, 1948, article from The Art Digest. In the case of the Ben-Zion, Kantor, and Weber, the article listed “N.Y. Mills H.S.” or New York Mills Union Free School District as the purchaser with prices of $150, $600, and $1,800, respectively. I made contact with the superintendent

of schools, Kathy S. Houghton, in hope that the paintings had not disappeared in the intervening 63 years.

To my surprise, the three paintings had been of recent concern to Superintendent Houghton. All had been discovered in a janitor’s closet a few months earlier, and the school district had no clear idea as to whether they owned them. I shared The Art Digest article and other documentation with them to help determine their ownership. Superintendent Houghton agreed to loan the paintings to the exhibition, but all needed conservation. We also suggested that if the district would be interested in selling the paintings, then the museum consortium I represented might acquire them.

With the help of our Museum Association, we proposed to purchase the Ben-Zion and Kantor for the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art collection, while a donor to the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art proposed to purchase the Weber. Superintendent Houghton and her board consented to the purchase, securing three additional paintings for Art Interrupted.

Kantor’s paintings are often characterized by poetic and sometimes surrealistic representations rendered in a bright palette. Afternoon depicts a shoreline on Cape Cod near Wellfleet, Massachusetts, empty except for a rustic boathouse and three beached vessels. Kantor paints a golden swathe that extends from a lofty, rolling thunderhead to the objects spread across the nearby shore, marking a dramatic passage from clear skies to squall and suggesting the impression of vulnerability or peril.

Similarly, Ben-Zion’s broadly-rendered watercolor of a pot of thistles examines the intertwined qualities of beauty and menace in the natural world. The artist depicts the plant’s innate contrast of grace and thorn in a deceptively simple, botanical still-life. The image also evokes an impression of human forms whose buoyant offspring manage to escape the ties that so rigidly hold them in place.

Both works add to a strong American collection at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, and the museum is grateful to the Association for expanding the works connected to Advancing American Art.

— Mark White

Above:Benzion Weiman (Ben-Zion) (U.S., 1897-1987)Thistles [detail], n.d.Mixed media on paper mounted on artist board, 23 1/2 x 18 in.Purchased with funds from the Museum Association, 2012

Below:Morris Kantor (U.S., 1896-1974)Afternoon [detail], 1942Oil on canvas, 20 x 25 1/4 in.Purchased with funds from the Museum Association, 2012

Anton Refrigier (U.S., b. Russia, 1905-1979)End of the Conference, 1945Oil on canvas, 32 x 15 ½ in.Purchase, U.S. State Department Collection, 1948Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, The University of Oklahoma, Norman