Artifacts Summer 2015

S U M M E R 2 01 5 A Publication of The Grace Museum | Abilene, Texas

F r o m t h e B o A r D

m e L o D Y h U N t, B o A r D C h A I r

( 2 0 1 4 - 2 0 1 5 )

GRACE MUSEUM STAFF Administrative | Laura Moore, Executive Director | Vicki Butts,

Director of Finance and Human Resources | Emerald Cassidy, Director of Marketing and

Communications | Sheila Richardson, Director of Events | Sarah Tenison, Director of Guest

Services and Volunteers | Kasie Kidd, Guest Services Specialist | Curatorial Department | Judy

Tedford Deaton, Chief Curator and Director of Exhibitions and Collections | Rebecca Bridges,

Registrar | Erika Aragon Parker, Collections Manager | Education Department | Kathryn

Mitchell, Director of Education | Sarah Collins, Special Programs Coordinator | Facility | Rick

Logan, Museum Security | Douglas Daye, Event Staff | Daniel Pierce , Event Staff | Thomas

Pierce, Event Staff | Marcus Washington, Event Staff

GRACE MUSEUM BOARD OF TRUSTEES Tiffany Lamb, Chair | Jay

Hardaway, Vice Chair | Melody Hunt, Past Chair | Jerry Love, Treasurer

| Kaye Price-Hawkins, Secretary | Karen Turner, Advisory Board | Joann

Adcock | Kay Alexander | Randy Armstrong, Ed.D. | Meredith Back | Ben

Bailey | Melanie Brown | Cade Browning | Becky Colman | Amy Dugger | Pat

Fite | Jesse Fletcher, Ph.D. | Mary Gill | Judy Godfrey | Dr. Gary D. Goodnight

| Sandra S. Harper, Ph.D. | Rev. Felicia S. Hopkins | Mishi Mathur | Patti Jo

Mendenhall | Bob Nutt | Alice Specht | Kirk W. Thaxton | Sam Vinson | Rick

Weatherl | Alice Yates

W hat a great year The Grace had during it’s 2014 - 2015 season and we owe it all to

you! The Grace opened its doors to over 55,000 visitors that took the opportunity to experience six major exhibitions, numerous lectures, art classes for both children and adults, children’s art camps, Dreamnight for special needs children and the list goes on and on. If you have not participated in The Grace programming lately I encourage you to do so. Please check out the calendar in the back of this publication to learn more about our summer and fall programming.

One of the highlights of the past year was the blockbuster Home on the Range exhibit that celebrated the art and history of Central West Texas, an area of 200,000+ square miles. This exhibit garnered the 2014 Excellence in Exhibitions Award by the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA). This

award represents the hard work and many accomplishments of The Grace Museum.

Be sure to stop by the museum this summer for the current exhibition, Texas Modernists. The entire museum has been transformed into a mid-century vibe! In the main gallery you will experience the work of one of the founders of Texas Modernism, Seymour Fogel (1911-1983) and original furniture from Ray and Charles Eames. The second floor hosts the exhibit The Abstract Impulse, and the History gallery tells the story of Abilene in the 1950s and 60s.

The Grace Museum is your award-winning museum. It is a great place to spend a hot summer afternoon or enjoy an evening film in the courtyard. There is something for everyone and we would love to see you soon.

GRACEfriendsJoin theGrACe FrIeND

You’ve signed up for Grace Friends, now what? Whether you are a Museum Member or occasional visitor to the Museum, Grace Friends is an innovative program that offers special rewards for your participation.

1. ACTIVITY CODESEarn points by participating at The Grace Museum. Activity codes are available around the Museum.

2. BADGESBadges are bundles of activities that give you new ideas about ways to use the Museum and are awarded when you participate in activities listed in the badge descriptions. 3. REWARDSEarning points unlocks special rewards like free exhibition catalogs, discounts on educational classes and workshops, just to name a few.

6 Flashback to Abilene in the Fifties

8 Membership

13 Education

15 Meet Me at The Grace

hoUrS

Tuesday - Saturday10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Thursday10 a.m. - 8 p.m.Free Admission 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Closed major holidays.

ADmISSIoN

$6 Adults$3 Seniors/Students/ Non-Active Duty MilitaryFree Children ages 3 and underMuseum members and active duty military personnel and their families (with ID) are always free.

PArKING

Plenty of free parking is available on the west side of the museum.

CoNtACt

(325) 673-4587www.thegracemuseum.org

GroUP toUrS

Kathryn [email protected]

SPeCIAL eVeNt reNtALS

Sheila [email protected]

VoLUNteer oPPortUNItIeS

Sarah [email protected]

3t h e g r a c e m u s e u m . o r g

79

ON THE COVER: Seymour Fogel (1911-1983), Totemic Form (detail), c. 1950, oil on masonite, Collection of C. Matthew Taylor

About Artifacts magazine

Artifacts is a publication of The Grace Museum in Abilene, Texas. The magazine is published three times per year in March, July and November. Artifacts is written by the dedicated staff of The Grace Museum.

S U M M E R 2 01 5 | Issue XXXI A Publication of The Grace Museum | Abilene, Texas

The Grace Museum’s exhibitions and educational programs are supported in part by: Grace Museum members | a Gift from the Juanita T. Pollard Cultural Fund at the Community Foundation of Abilene | a Gift from the Roy Helen Mingus Ackers Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation of Abilene | and grants from: O’Donnell Foundation | Texas Commission on the Arts | Dodge Jones Foundation | Shelton Family Foundation | Dian Graves Owen Foundation | Humanities Texas | Abilene Cultural Affairs Council | Priceless Literacy | Hunt Direct Marketing, Inc. | National Endowment for the Arts | Abilene Education Foundation | T&T Family Foundation | Abilene Teachers Federal Credit Union | United Supermarkets | Los Aficionados | Still Water Foundation | First Financial Bank and First Financial Trust & Asset Management Company | Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA)

exhibition of the Year Award Winner

Fall Benefit

exhibitions

4 A r t i F A c t S | S U M M E r 2 0 1 5

Seymour Fogelon the Wall and BeyondJ U D Y t e D F o r D D e At o N

C h I e F C U r At o r A N D D I r e C t o r o F

e x h I B I t I o N S A N D C o L L e C t I o N S

S eymour Fogel (1911 - 1983) was a founding father of Texas Modernism and important American muralist and painter. This long overdue solo

exhibition features Fogel’s paintings during the 14 years he lived and worked in Texas.

Fogel was born in 1911 to immigrant artisans from Eastern Europe and grew up in South Bronx, New York. He graduated from high school in 1929, the year Wall Street crashed. A scholarship to the National Academy of Design allowed Fogel to attend evening classes while he worked during the day doing odd jobs.

In 1933, Fogel worked as an assistant to Diego Rivera on his ill-fated Man at the Crossroads mural at Rockefeller Center. He joined the crew working with Ben Shahn and other aspiring young artists who were accepted into Rivera and Frida Kahlo’s circle of successful and upcoming artists.

Fogel was awarded important New Deal murals during The Depression working with Philip Guston, Bourgoyne Diller, Arshile Gorky, and many other artists who would become well-known modernists after WWII. In 1936, Fogel was selected to exhibit in the exhibition, New Horizons in American Art at the Museum of Modern Art.

In 1946, Seymour Fogel left his hometown of New York City to join the newly established art department at the University of Texas in Austin. The move to Austin

marked a new era of exploration of modernist abstraction for Fogel. Fogel’s titles typically reveal his source of inspiration.

Fogel completed many mural commissions in Austin, Waco and Houston experimenting with ethyl silicate and dynamic geometric designs to compliment the modernist architecture of the day. A reproduction of Fogel’s newly restored 1953 Austin National Bank Mural (now the offices of McGarrah Jessee) is included in th exhibition on view at The Grace Museum.

Success in New York brought Fogel back to the East Coast where he continued to experiment with radically different styles until his death in Connecticut in 1983. He was an artist of his time with a missionary zeal for the pubic role of art in society and for the personal quest for artistic inspiration through self-revelation.

“When an artist discovers for himself an element of this truth, he paints because he must. he paints with no thought of the hazardous preoccupation with tomorrow, nor the doctrinaire concepts of today. my paintings are my test-tubes in my laboratory. each is a separate analysis of something newly discovered.” - S e Y m o U r F o G e L

Seymour FogelLimestone X

1950Oil on Masonite

The Summers Collection

cENtEr

Seymour FogelCity in Rain

1955Oil on Masonite

Collection of Katherine Albritton


the Abstract Impulsea group exhibition featuring fifty famous texas modernistsJ U D Y t e D F o r D D e At o N



B efore Abstract Expressionism of New York City was canonized as American postwar Modernism, the United States was filled

with localized manifestations of Modern Art. One such place where considerable Modernist activity occurred was Texas, where artists absorbed and interpreted the latest, most radical formal lessons from Mexico, Taos, the East Coast, and Europe. This unique group of paintings demonstrates veracity of The Abstract Impulse across the state during middle years of the twentieth century. The artists loosely classified as Texas Modernists pushed the boundaries and embraced The Abstract Impulse of Modernism. By the 1930s, European and American Modernism was making slow but steady in roads into Texas. Artists and artwork also came to Texas from throughout the country and abroad. The Museum of Fine Art Houston hosted the traveling survey bringing art by Piet Mondrian, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Moholy-Nagy and Henry Moore and many other accomplished modern artists to the state. The decade of the 1940s was a transitional time in Texas art. The art selected for this exhibition demonstrates Texas artists experimenting with the influences of Picasso and Surrealism. During this same period, pioneering Texas art institutions began to expose Texans to Modernist abstraction. Local organizations, museums, and galleries also began to provide opportunities for artists to exhibit “new art.”

For Texas Modernists, The Abstract Impulse led to limitless explorations of personal responses to the radical changes that revolutionized the modern era. Fifty important Texas artists, from throughout the state, who created personalized visions of the Modernist

aesthetic are featured in this group exhibition. Important modernist artwork by Charles Williams, Ben Culwell, Michael Frary, Donald Weismann, Ralph White, Ward Lockwood, David Brownlow, Dorothy Hood, Jack Boynton, Robert Preusser, Bror Utter, William Lester, Loren Mozley, Everett Spruce, McKie Trotter and many others were selected from private and public collections.

tOP

ralph White (1921-2004)The Road to San Antonio from Austin

c. 1950Oil on Masonite

Collection of James and Kimel Baker

BOttOM

Donald Weismann (1914-2007)Electronic Icon

c. 1958 Oil and metallic leaf on canvas

Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas, Austin, Gift of D. D. Feldman, 1964

exhibitions

A r t i F A c t S | S U M M E r 2 0 1 56

exhibitions

ray and Charles eamesmasters of 20th Century Design

J U D Y t e D F o r D D e At o N



C harles Eames and Ray Kaiser Eames were the embodiment of the inventiveness, energy, and optimism at the heart of midcentury

modern American design, and have been recognized as the most influential designers of the 20th century. As furniture designers, filmmakers, artists, textile, and graphic designers and even toy and puzzle makers, Charles and Ray Eames were a visionary and effective force behind the theory that design should be an agent of positive change. Several of their original midcentury designs on view, are still in production; a testimony to their unique design philosophy that continues to inspire creative innovation in all areas of design. This selection of original designs by Ray

and Charles Eames, courtesy of Collage 20th Century Classics owners Abby and Wlodek Malowanczky of Dallas is a rare opportunity to view original Eames furniture designs from the 1950s.

Flashback to midcentury AbileneJ U D Y t e D F o r D D e At o N

C h I e F C U r At o r A N D D I r e C t o r o F e x h I B I t I o N S A N D C o L L e C t I o N S

A bilene has always been ambitious but for many locals, the 1950s and 1960s were the golden years of record-breaking

accomplishments in commerce, culture and high school football.

The oil industry expanded significantly after World War II. Parallel expansion occurred in banking, construction, and retail and wholesale business. Employment expanded dramatically, as it did statewide. From the beginning, there was an attempt to tame the frontier and make Abilene a town congenial for families. In the 1950s, jobs and good schools were a priority.

In the 1960s, citizens approved bonds for the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the

Taylor County Coliseum. The Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra gave its first concert in 1950. In 1959, Abilene

made extensive improvements to the downtown area. The 1906 Carnegie Library building was razed and replaced in 1954 by the modern library on Cedar Street that is still in use today.. In 1955, Abilene High was moved to its current location at N 6th and Mockingbird and the crosstown rivalry began when Cooper High School opened in 1960.

Abilene remains a unique blend of past and present and The Grace Museum plays an important role in the

presentation and preservation of Abilene-area history through exhibitions and collections.

charles and ray EamesPre-Production LCW Chair

1945Molded plywood and metal shock mountsCourtesy of Collage 20th Century Classics

calliope n.d.

University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History; Crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library, Abilene, Texas

t h e g r a c e m u s e u m . o r g 7

exhibitions

the Grace museum wins state-wide exhibition award for home on the range

Fabulous Fifties Fashion and Designe r I K A A r A G o N PA r K e r , C o L L e C t I o N S m A N A G e r

C lothing and fashion changed dramatically after World War II as fabric, threads, and needles were no longer rationed. Ready-to-

wear manufacturers and top designers suddenly had access to different types and larger quantities of these materials. As the country changed and consumerism grew considerably in the 1950s, so did fashion and individuals were given options to have more freedom with their style choices. New styles incorporated differing silhouettes and changed waistlines to go along with the changing society and culture. With the assistance of fashion expert Steven Porterfield of roadshow fame, the History Gallery houses Fabulous Fifties Fashion and Design, an exhibit highlighting fashions and furniture from the 1950s.

t he Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA) recognized institutions with outstanding achievement awards during

the 13th Annual Symposium in Houston, Texas, April 24 – 26, 2015. CASETA annually gives awards to recognize institutions who have made significant contributions to the advancement and study of early Texas art during the previous calendar year.

The Outstanding Exhibition Award was presented to The Grace Museum for the exhibition, Home on the Range, Where the Prairie Meets the Plains in Central West Texas, exhibited May 8 – August 9, 2014. This exhibit was a celebration of the art and history of Central West Texas. The region’s 22 sparsely populated counties share a 19th and early 20th century history as an important concourse for indigenous people, ranchers, farmers, and merchants. Artwork by important artists who documented early impressions of the area, historic photographs, maps, oral histories, and rarely-seen artifacts from private and public collections revealed a cherished historical link to the past that still exists in the area. The exhibition was co-curated by Judy Tedford Deaton, Chief Curator and Director of Exhibitions and Collections, The Grace Museum and Michael Grauer,

Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs/Curator of Art and Western Heritage, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon, Texas.

The Grace Museum has also received recognition from CASETA for the presentation of Alexandre Hogue: American Visionary exhibition in 2012 and for contributions to the 2013 Outstanding Publication, Loren Mozley: Structural Integrity.


Save the Date

August 222015Fall Benefit


2015 Fall Benefit honoring Lynn Barnette m e r A L D C A S S I D Y, D I r e C t o r o F m A r K e t I N G A N D C o m m U N I C At I o N S

t he Grace Museum is pleased to honor one who has faithfully contributed to the efforts of The Grace. We invite you to join us on Saturday, August 22nd for the Fall

Benefit as we shine a spotlight on “our” good friend, Lynn Barnett. Lynn is an inspired choice as the 2015 honoree! Although she is a Massachusetts native, her home is here and we are a better city because of that choice

This black-tie event will feature the fantastic cuisine of Perini Ranch Steakhouse. Mr. Pink from Seattle will play in the Museum’s courtyard, while a jazz band will play inside the Museum. The Fall Benefit will also feature a silent auction and raffle.

Sponsorship and single tickets are available for purchase. Call (325) 673-4587 to secure your reservation.

Save the Date

August 222015Fall BenefitHonorary Leadership

committeeSindy and David DurhamMary and Larry GillKay and Dick SpaldingBillye and Glynn RayJimmy TittleAlice and Bill WrightTootsie and George Nichols

Steering committeeBecky ColmanMary GillTiffany LambMelody HuntBob Nutt

Fundraising committeeKirk Thaxton*Cade BrowningJoe Ed CanonJudy GodfreyJay HardawayKaye Price-HawkinsSam VinsonCourtney Vletas

Silent Auction committeeCallie Harris*Molly Moser*

Melanie BrownLisa Chavez-OwensLeila DarbyAmy DuggerTrish DressenPat FiteAshley HallGwen KaiserLeah MazzarelliMari Kay Morrison Judy Voelter

raffleDonna Albus

StaffLaura MooreEmerald CassidySheila RichardsonSarah Tenison

Sponsors $5,000 & AboveAbilene Teachers Federal Credit Union

Dian Graves Owen Foundation

Dodge Jones FoundationSindy and David DurhamWendy H. Durham

First Financial Bank, N.A.First Financial Trust and Asset Management Company

Shelton Family FoundationTejon Exploration CompanyUnited Supermarkets

Sponsors & HonorariumsAbilene Chamber of Commerce

Abilene Christian UniversityAbilene Cultural Affairs Council

Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau

AEP TexasBaack’s Florist and Greenhouses

Barber FoundationBarr RoofingBatjer and Associates, IncBrowning Law Firm, PLLC – Cade and Katie Browning

Busch JewelersRuth and Lee CaldwellMr. and Mrs. Joe Ed CanonNancy and Jay CapraCarl Childers, Jose Delucchi

Condley and Company, LLPLaura and Dave CopelandBart and Jackie CoxRosanna and Clifford DePrang

Nita and Doug DraweScott DueserMr. and Mrs. Bob EagleFirehouse FitnessMary and Larry Gill Dr. and Mrs. Gary GoodnightBeverly and Russell GuthrieLee and Rae Ann HamiltonLindsay and Jay HardawayDr. and Mrs. Bill HaynesHendrick Health SystemHigh’s Flowers and GiftsMelody Hunt Jeff Luther ConstructionPatti JonesKathryn KeathleyKelly McCartyMcMahon Surovik Suttle, P.C.McM Athletics Sue and Glenn McWilliamsMr. and Mrs. Bynum MiersKathy and Phil MoreheadMaggy Morford

The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature

Nygaard Construction, LLCKaye Price-Hawkins and Joe Hawkins

Billye and Glynn RaySharon and Tom RileyLynn and Carl RoederSimply LinensSoftSearch Investments, PLSnaparazzi - A Photo Booth Outside the Box

Kaye and Dick Spalding Alice and Joe SpechtCindy and Scott Taliaferro, Jr.Dr. and Mrs. Leigh TaliaferroTexas Roadhouse - Sam HoltThe Tittle Luther Partnership/PSC

Karen and Lloyd TurnerWeatherl and AssociatesJim and Kathy WebsterCarol Windham and James Harding

Dr. Larry WolzZachry Associates

*as of June 30, 2015

“Lynn has mastered the old maxim that great leaders have always practiced; “There is no limit to how much you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.” For over 30 years she has suggested and dreamed of the next right things to do and then masterfully inspired others to do those things. If she has made a single enemy in those 30 years I have never met them.”

- DICK SPALDING

“What a great honor for mom to be named the Fall Benefit Honoree. Her commitment to the arts, particularly as it relates to youth education and revitalization in downtown Abilene, has been her passion throughout her long career in Abilene. She’s been supported by an incredibly generous community and places like the NCCIL and designations like the “Storybook Capital of Texas” are fruits of that labor.”

- BArNett FAmILY


education

t his year’s summer camps have started out with a surge of excited campers. Both Culinary Camp and Kaleidoscope Camp sold out! The talented

chefs at the Texas State Technical College (TSTC) Culinary Institute taught our Grace Academy campers. Culinary Camp is a five-day camp showcasing skills on mixing, rolling, decorating, stuffing, chopping, and cooking. Students truly experience the art of cooking. On the heels of Culinary Camp is Kaleidoscope camp. This camp introduced 45 students from K-6th grades to a variety of art mediums. Students get to create fun and funky sculptures, drawings, paintings, and collage. This year’s projects included mobiles, street art, aboriginal drawings, 3-D drawings and much more. If all of this sounds fun and your kids need to get out of the house, please visit The Grace Museum’s website for a complete listing of Grace Academy Summer Camps. These camps include art, science and etiquette classes.

Limited availability - register soon!

Grace AcademyK At h r Y N m I t C h e L L , D I r e C t o r o F e D U C At I o N

the Grace Museum was very excited to be invited in June to Chisholm Place, an assisted living facility for Alzheimer’s and memory care patients, as well as

patients needing help with mobility. In June we explored watercolor painting and the participants tried their hand at painting simple flowers. Some of the residents had painted before, while others had never held a paintbrush in their lives, but we took our time and everyone created bright, cheerful paintings. There are numerous benefits to art-making for people of all age levels, including reduced stress and anxiety, encouraged socialization, improved cognition, and exercising motor skills. We greatly enjoyed meeting about 15 of the people living at Chisholm Place and are pleased that we have been invited to return on a monthly basis. The Grace Museum hopes to continue providing a positive art experience for the residents.

Art outreach at Chisholm PlaceS A r A h C o L L I N S , S P e C I A L P r o G r A m S C o o r D I N At o r


education

t he Grace Museum, in partnership with Region IVX Education Service Center, taught a three-day workshop called All About Art. Eighteen area art

teachers and art enthusiasts from eight school districts participated this summer from June 8 - 10. These teachers were given hands-on instruction from Grace Museum staff and other area professionals. Additionally, teachers received required continuing education hours for attending.

Local artist and museum teacher, Jana Bailey and Abilene High School art teacher, April Desai Rifenburgh, presented the first day of class. The participants worked on sculptures and mixed media projects.

Day two of class included presentation of art projects from The Grace Museum education staff. Also, teachers were encouraged to bring a “show and tell” of their favorite art projects. Teachers talked about the projects and brainstormed new ideas for their classrooms.

The final day of the workshop was held at Hardin-Simmons University’s art building. The teachers spent

the day learning from art professor, Steve Neves who taught the teachers about creating dry point prints. A teacher from the workshop shared that, “The three days are packed with excellent diversity of projects, venues, presenters and valuable information. The peer mini-presentations were helpful as well.”

teaching teachersK At h r Y N m I t C h e L L , D I r e C t o r o F e D U C At I o N


education

Adult ProgrammingS A r A h C o L L I N S , S P e C I A L P r o G r A m S C o o r D I N At o r

W e are so pleased with the interest that has been shown in our history programs here at The Grace. Jay Moore’s recent presentation on

“Our Abilene in the 1950s and 60s” was so well attended we offered an encore presentation just to accommodate everyone who wanted to come! It is wonderful to see people take an interest in local history. We hope that you will join us for other history-related programs we are offering this summer, like our documentary series relating to our current exhibition of Texas Modernists. A showing of The Real Mad Men and Women of Madison Avenue was presented in late June, and other films will follow later this summer and fall. For hands-on activities, the museum held an archival storage workshop, led by Collections Manager, Erika Parker. The workshop showed how to store family photos and documents in a way that ensures they will be kept in safe conditions and preserved for the future. We are also organizing a photography tour of midcentury structures, so get your cameras ready and join us on July 25th as we learn about architects and design from Abilene in the 1950s and 60s. Finally, we will host the ACU Jazz Ensemble on August 6th to provide midcentury tunes while you browse the galleries.

If you want to learn more about art, we always have an art class at least once a month. Tamberley Thomas will return in July for another session of watercolor painting that is welcoming to all skill levels, from those picking up a paintbrush for the first time to seasoned painters. Of course, our popular Bottles and Brushes class continues every month, typically on the third Thursday unless otherwise noted. Instructor April Desai Rifenburg, art teacher at Abilene High School, walks you through painting an image and creating something of your own. While everyone starts from the same reference image, she encourages participants to play with composition and colors so that everyone’s painting looks unique. Bring your favorite beverage and a friend (or a few!) and join us. Don’t be shy if you have never painted before.

We are also working to schedule more art classes in the fall, covering other mediums besides painting. Interested in learning something in particular? Feel free to send suggestions to [email protected].


education

2015 West texas triangle featuring Ben Woitena, echo: Waves of reflectionJ U D Y t e D F o r D D e At o N

C h I e F C U r At o r A N D D I r e C t o r o F e x h I B I t I o N S A N D C o L L e C t I o N S

t he Grace Museum welcomes Ben Woitena back to Abilene as the West Texas Triangle’s 2015 featured sculptor. Woitena was an early

participant in the Abilene Outdoor Sculpture program of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council that began in 1980. His sculpture, Rainmaker, is permanently installed at the corner of North 6th and Pine Street adjacent to the Abilene Civic Center. Oasis was exhibited as part of the 19th Annual Abilene Outdoor Exhibition in 1999.

This year, Echo will be on view in Abilene through 2015.

Woitena’s large-scale steel sculptures proudly assert their materials, the process and the vision of the artist. Speaking of Echo, he states that, “this body of sculptural steel work was influenced by an exploration of the essential nature of the medium, its suggestibility, and the processes utilized in combining dissimilar shapes of materials typically used in construction.“ The artist’s abstract constructions echo a gestural and symbolic presence that bares mark of the maker and his creative process.

The West Texas Triangle, established in 2006, is a consortium of five nationally accredited fine art museums located in Central West Texas. The Grace Museum in Abilene partners with The Old Jail Art Center in Albany, the Museum of the Southwest in Midland, the Ellen Noél Art Museum in Odessa and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts in San Angelo to create an annual summer sculpture exhibition at all museums.

JAy MooRE PRESEnTS

Our American PastMaking Sense of America’s Past

(So We Can Understand Our Present)

A four-part educational series presented this fall at the Grace Museum.

You are invited to spend four Monday evenings refreshing your memory of America’s past and bringing today into sharper focus. Register and take your seat in the classroom (no tests or homework!) Enjoy a fresh look at the people, events and decisions that shape our lives (and find out answers to some interesting questions.)

Our American Past comes alive at 7:00 p.m. on…

1 Monday, October 5 - An American Overview

2 Monday, October 12 - Important Papers and Why They Matter

3 Monday, November 2 - War Briefs – How’d We Wind Up in This Mess?

4 Monday, November 9 - Presidents: Their Powers and Occasional Abuses Therein and How Nine People Have Affected Your Life

There is no cost for this Grace event. Generously underwritten by the Dian Graves Owen Foundation.

Can the British still sail up the mississippi river without asking?how did the mayflower end up shooting John Wayne?

And who are these creepy lookin’ guys?

to register, please visit thegracemuseum.org or call (325) 673-4587. Seating is limited.

education


news

Welcome to the 2015-2016 officersS A r A h t e N I S o N , D I r e C t o r o F G U e S t r e L At I o N S A N D V I S I t o r S e r V I C e S

Once again Los Aficionados had a great year! Established in 1969 as the support organization of The Grace Museum, Los Aficionados (L.A.) has played a fundamental role in raising funds, planning social events and assisting the museum staff in countless ways. In April, L.A. members held a fundraising event at the historic Sayles Landmark house. Attendees received a personal tour from the owner, Terry Browder, and ate a gourmet lunch on the beautiful patio. Artwork from local artists were also on display. The Sayles House Tour was a very successful fundraiser with all proceeds generously given to The Grace Museum. Every month, from September through May, L.A. members hold a luncheon meeting and present programs in a wide range of interests.

We are excited for the upcoming 2015 - 2016 year and are very thankful to the Los Aficionados members for their time and effort in supporting The Grace. The newly elected officers are already off and running with great fundraising ideas and appealing monthly programs.

If you would like to know more about joining this fun group of volunteers, or other volunteer opportunities,

please contact Sarah Tenison at (325) 673-4587 or e-mail [email protected].

Back Row (L – R): Joann Adcock, Mary Pizzorno, Louella Penrod, Carol Parker, Jo Etter, Sandra Broesche, Karen Turner, and Judith Phaneuf

Front Row (L – R): Gayla Neal, Martha Kiel, and Janeene Kerley

Not pictured: Carlene Markham, Courtney Vletas, Gwen Kaiser and Linda Kaiser

Volunteer recognized at Abilene Arts AwardsS A r A h t e N I S o N , D I r e C t o r o F G U e S t r e L At I o N S A N D V I S I t o r S e r V I C e S

Congratulations to Melody Hunt, the 2015 Arts Awards recipient for The Grace Museum. Every year the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council provides the opportunity for non-profits to recognize outstanding individuals who donate their time and talents to promote art in Abilene. Melody Hunt has contributed to The Grace Museum in so many ways. She is the Past President of The Grace Board and has always played an essential role in exhibitions, fundraising events and membership development. In her “spare” time, she runs her own company, Hunt Direct Marketing, Inc., which is a database and direct response marketing firm that specializes in the New York Broadway and performing arts markets.

We love our volunteers and invite you to explore all the volunteer opportunities at The Grace. Our educational programs continue to grow and help is always welcome

in preparing art materials or guiding school tours through our galleries. If you like meeting new people, you might enjoy being a gallery attendant and welcoming visitors to the museum. We have something for everyone and if you would like to know more, call Sarah Tenison at (325) 673-4587 or email [email protected].

15

AT

To submit a photo for the next issue, email [email protected].

meet me at the Grace

The Grace Museum102 Cypress Street

Abilene, Texas 79601

Non-ProfitUS Postage

PAIDPermit No. 26

Save the Date!THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8

Get ready for an exclusive special event featuring

The Casserole Queens

Documents

Artifacts Summer 2015