LRMANewsFALL 2020

THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2020LOWER LEVEL GALLERIES

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art has been a source of inspiration,education, and reflection for four generations. Since our opening in1923, I doubt there has been a time when we needed the Museum tobe such a source for the world around us more than today. We arenot only a place of respite but so much more. When I see the workon display in our galleries or see images from fellow art museumsaround the country, I’m reminded daily of the power of art andcreativity to soothe souls, relieve tension, and lift people.

Likewise, I have never been more proud of our institution and itseducational mission than while we were closed for almost threemonths and during the summer. Hundreds of grabandgo art kitswere distributed either outside our front door, as part of the LaurelHousing Authority summer feeding program, or delivered to partneragencies in our community like Jones County Rest Home and PineBelt Mental Health. We will continue with our Art@Home programon Saturdays beginning September 12.

Part of our mission is to look at the time we are experiencing anddocument its effect on our lives. Artists of all skill levels and ages areencouraged to participate in Seeing 2020: Creativity During COVID�19, a virtual exhibition we are organizing this fall to mark this novelmoment in time. Works created and submitted will become a permanent part of our archives; more information can be found on page 8of this newsletter.

Of course, COVID has required a few changes in the Museum sincewe reopened on June 2. All visitors are asked to wear facecoverings, hand sanitizer is at our entrance, social distancing isrequired, and all of our handson areas have been removed orclosed. The larger effect has been on our programming which hasbeen moved to digital sources through the fall. We are grateful forsupport from the Mississippi Arts Commission and the MississippiHumanities Council which provided grant assistance to get us backopen and to offset lost revenue.

We are, however, excited to offer a few outdoor activities – weatherpermitting! Led by Ann Barrow, Yoga will resume on Wednesdays forthe month of October on our historic grounds. Paint Days withEducation Outreach Coordinator Kelly Rosa will be under our live

oaks on Tuesday mornings. We are pleased to work with the Pine BeltFine Arts Cooperative, a new group of local artisans, on Saturdaysthis fall. Artists working in various media will be demonstrating andselling their work on our front lawn.

We reopened the Museumwithout Thomas “Buddy”Penniston, our longtimehead security guard atLRMA. Mr. Buddy, as hewas affectionately called,passed away at the end ofMay following a briefillness. He was a fixture inthe Museum for twelveyears – he loved his job, andwe loved him.

An additional change to our staff came with the retirement in Marchof Elizabeth Patterson as our Visitor Services Coordinator and GiftShop Manager after six years in that position. Elizabeth was thewarm greeting on the telephone and the enthusiastic welcome as youcame in our front door. She also served the critical role as the staffliaison for our Guild of Docents and Volunteers. We will surely missher! I am pleased to welcome Angie Jolly back fulltime on staff toserve in this role. Angie held the position for almost five yearsbeginning in the late 1990s and has been our events coordinator forthe RogersGreen House since 2003.

One last major change over the past six months has been with ourBoard of Directors. Three board members – Bill Carter, Peyton Greenand Barbara Sauls – rotated off the board following two terms ofservice. Each of them has been outstanding in their service and leadership to this institution and its educational mission. They have beenwonderful ambassadors, supporters, and advisors. Moreover,Barbara’s leadership as Chair these past three years as well as Billand Peyton’s commitment of time, traveling to and from meetings, iscommendable!

I am excited to welcome Brad Kent, Laura Parish, and Larry Thomasas our three new Board members. I know they will contribute greatlyto the Board, and I look forward to working with them. Additionally,I am pleased to welcome Lillous Ann Shoemaker as the new Chair ofthe Board. Her leadership will be invaluable as we continue tomaneuver during these trying times.

As our world changes, so does our institution and its relevance. Forthe past 18 months, our Board has been participating in a newnational initiative, Facing Change, which looks at diversity, equity,inclusion, and accessibility. As the national narrative examines theseissues, so, too, is our Museum in our areas of collections, exhibitions,programs and leadership.

– George Bassi

DIRECTOR’SREPORT

2 Fall 2020

Security Guard Buddy Penniston duringthe Da Vinci: Machines exhibit

Art kits were distributed as part of the Laurel Housing Authority summerfeeding program

LRMA NEWS 3

Bill Scott is an Americanpainter known for his use ofanimated lines and blocks ofintense color to create vibrantabstractions. Showcasingworks produced from 2003through 2019, this exhibitiondemonstrates his status asone of America’s foremostcolorists. Scott’s artworks bridge abstraction andrepresentation by using lush color and fantastic formsinspired by nature. The gardenlike images hecreates are idealized remembrances of things he hasseen (or wished he had seen) in the world aroundhim. Scott paints stylized still lifes while he contemplates objects in his studio such as a bucket of silkflowers or a droopy philodendron, or landscapeswhile he looks out of his studio window at the urbanskyline. These scenes are filtered through hisimagination to become energetic lines and patternsthat he sets against backgrounds of overlappingrectangles of varying colors. The surfaces havediffering levels of opacity and transparency, givinghis paintings and prints the effect of having beencollaged from different materials.

continued on page 4

EXHIBITIONS

Bill Scott,Window Still Life, 2007, oil on canvas, 48 x 36, courtesy of the artist

Bill Scott

Exhibition generously sponsored by

ON THE COVER: Bill Scott, A Garden in the Studio, 2017, oil on canvas, 42 x 32 inches, courtesy of the artist and HollisTaggart Gallery

THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2020LOWER LEVEL GALLERIES

4 Fall 2020

EXHIBITIONS

continued from page 3

The artist begins each piece without predetermined ideas, allowing his subconscious to direct him. Scott works over thecourse of many weeks on several paintings at a time, building up texture and depth on each canvas as he applies,scrapes away, and reapplies paint to the surface. Only after a work is complete does he give it a title, based onassociations that come to him as he looks at the paintings.

Scott continues to live and work in Philadelphia and has exhibited extensively for three decades at venues such asSwarthmore College, Hollins University, the State Museum of Pennsylvania, the National Academy Museum, and theUniversity of Delaware. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the British Museum in London as well asnumerous museums throughout the United States, including the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museumof Art. In 2006, he was awarded a Distinguished Alumni award from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Throughout his career, Scott has transformed the objects that he sees in his studio into vivid gardenlike images that exude thepure joy of painting.

Bill Scott, May Landscape, 2003, oil on wood, 30 x 36 inches, courtesy of the artistand Hollis Taggart Gallery

Bill Scott, Late October, 2016, etching with aquatint in four colors on RivesBFK paper, paper: 22½ x 30 inches, plate: 14½ x 24 inches, edition of25 impressions printed by Cindi R. Ettinger, published by the artist

THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2020LOWER LEVEL GALLERIES

LRMA NEWS 5

EXHIBITIONS

Helen Hardin (Santa Clara Pueblo, 19431984),Messenger From the Sun, #1/50, 1980, copper plateetching, courtesy of Helen Hardin #1’s, LLC, a NevadaCorporation

Helen Hardin (Santa Clara Pueblo, 19431984),Changing Woman, #1/65, 1980, copper plate etching,courtesy of Helen Hardin #1’s, LLC, a NevadaCorporation

This exhibition displays a complete body of work byone of the 20th century’s most significant artists. HelenHardin was the daughter of artist Pablita Velarde fromthe Santa Clara Pueblo near Albuquerque, NewMexico. Unlike her mother, who painted scenes oftraditional Pueblo life, Hardin chose to interpret imagesof ancient pottery and rock art designs into contemporary, abstracted, highly individualized compositions.Spirit Lines features all 23 first editions of Hardin’scollection of copper plate etchings completed by theartist from 1980 to 1984.

Shortly after birth, Hardin was given the name Tsa�Sah�Wee�Eh, meaning Little Standing Spruce, in the Tewalanguage. As Helen’s father was Anglo, she was unable to participate in Puebloceremonies. Starting at a young age, Hardin won many awards and exhibited herwork at various galleries and markets including the Gallup InterTribal Ceremonials,New Mexico State Fair Indian Village, Santa Fe Indian Market, Western Artists Showin New Jersey and solo shows including one in Bogota, Colombia in 1968. In 1970,she was featured on the cover of New Mexico Magazine and in a segment onAmerican Indian artists produced by Public Broadcasting Service in 1976. Until herdeath in 1984 at age 41, Hardin continued to produce and sell her work across thenation as well as in her home state of New Mexico. Her work can be found inprivate and museum collections across the nation. Through her groundbreakingcareer, Hardin created avenues for other Native women to break from traditionalism.

Etching, practiced by artists since the early 15th century, has evolved to the presentday as an important form of artistic expression. Spirit Lines: Helen Hardin Etchingsillustrates the variety of techniques used in the copper plate etching process. The exactprocesses and precise techniques of copper plate etching were fitting for the laborintensive, detailed compositions created by Hardin. With the use of repeatedgeometric forms and layering techniques, viewers gain insight into a female artistwhose work is divided between traditional and modern worlds.

Spirit Lines: Helen Hardin Etchings is on loan from Helen Hardin #1’s LLC – aNevada Corporation.

THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2020 STAIRWELL AND CHRISTIAN GALLERIES

Helen Hardin

Exhibition generously sponsored bye Jean Chisholm Lindsey Exhibition Endowment Fund

6 FALL 2020

EXHIBITIONS

The latest installation in the Collections Interventions series,which places “guest” objects in our permanent collectiongalleries, features art professors at colleges and universitiesacross the state of Mississippi. The artists have created newworks in response to objects in the Museum’s collection thatinterest them in terms of the formal qualities, compositionaltechniques, and subject matter, or to which they share somepersonal connection. For example, Transitory Spaces: Mus�cadines & Fragments by Philip R. Jackson (The University ofMississippi), as well as the John Peto still life painting thatinspired it, turn the seemingly unimportant subject of ripenedgrapes into a monumental matter through composition anddramatic lighting. For Sue Carrie Drummond (MillsapsCollege), the Museum’s Georgian silver Candelabra symbolizes the historical use of women as vehicles for the exchangeof property and wealth between men, and A Dowry depicts a female figure using the design features of the candelabrum.Mark Rigsby (University of Southern Mississippi) created Tea Bones, Dangling from a Dark Thread in response to thedesign and craftsmanship of a set of Georgian silver tea canisters in the Museum’s collection and in contemplation of thedark history and cultural impact of tea as a commodity. In “Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb...,” Phoenix Savage(Tougaloo College) takes her inspiration from Elizabeth Catlett’s Mother and Child, contrasting that celebration of motherhood with her own lament for the vulnerability of the AfricanAmerican body. Inspired by the surface quality and limitedcolor palette of Frightened Figure by her teacher and friend Hiram Williams, Chatham Kemp (William Carey University)created an emotionally rich visual experience for the viewer in her painting Geography.

Additional artists in the exhibition include: Marcus Michels (University of Southern Mississippi), Critz Campbell (MississippiState University), Lauren Cardenas (The University of Mississippi), Virginia Rougon Chavis (The University of Mississippi),Janet Gorzegno (University of Southern Mississippi), and Cetin Oguz (Delta State University). Each of the artworks createdfor this exhibition is hung next to the inspiration piece and sheds new light on the works from our collection. The Museumis thrilled to provide a forum for the creativity of these artists and to showcase the diversity of art being produced by artfaculty in Mississippi today.

The exhibition is generously sponsored by

Philip R. Jackson, Transitory Spaces: Muscadines & Fragments, 2020, oil onpanel, courtesy of the artist

LRMA NEWS 7

EXHIBITIONS

Phoenix Savage, “Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb...(Detail)”, 2020,mixed media, courtesy of the artist

Chatham Kemp, Geography, 2019, oil on canvas, courtesy of the artist

Mark Rigsby, Tea Bones, Dangling from a Dark Thread (Detail), 2020,porcelain, wood, and black twine, courtesy of the artist

Installation of Sue Carrie Drummond (right), A Dowry, 2020, screenprints on handmade overbeaten abaca paper with Candelabrum (left), c. 1780, fused silverplate,gift of Thomas M. and Harriet S. Gibbons, 82.22

8 Fall 2020

EDUCATION

Submission Deadline:September 30

Lauren Rogers Museum of Artinvites artists from across ourcommunity to submit work forour Seeing 20/20: Creativityduring COVID online exhibition. A truly contemporaryexhibition, Seeing 20/20 seeksart produced since March 2020that represents a diversespectrum of perspectives, ideas,and reflections upon the past sixmonths of our lives.

In many ways, our collectiveworlds and everyday existenceshave changed dramatically inthe first half of 2020, and westrive to present an exhibitionthat showcases how artists –student, amateur and expert –have engaged with and considered this novel moment in time.

Works selected for Seeing 2020will be featured as part of thevirtual exhibition on the LRMAwebsite. Artists may be invitedand have the opportunity toshare the stories behind theirworks. There is no entry fee andall ages and skill levels areencouraged to apply. Visit ourwebsite for details on the digitalsubmission process.

ART@HomeSaturdays · September 12 – November 1410:00 a.m. until noon

Mark your calendars – ART@Home is back! Stop by the Museum for agrabandgo art activity inspired by our exhibitions and collections.Each kit includes all the needed instructions and supplies for a funfamily art experience! Available in the museum lobby whilesupplies last.

PPiinnee BBeelltt FFiinnee AArrttss CCooooppeerraattiivveePPoopp UUpp DDeemmoossSaturdays · September 12 – November 14 • 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.Each Saturday this fall, a member of the Pine Belt Fine Arts Cooperative will be onthe LRMA front lawn demonstrating and exhibiting their works. Each Saturday willfeature a different artist working in a variety of media; some will have works for sale.Check our social media weekly for information about participating artists. (Weatherpermitting.)

Paint DaysTuesdays · September 15 – November 1010:00 a.m. – noon

Join Kelly Rosa, LRMA Education Outreach Coordinator, onthe front lawn of the Museum to paint a landscape. Artists ofall skill levels are encouraged to pack their paints, set up theireasels, and spread out to safely let their creativity flow!(Weather permitting.)

LRMA Education Programs are supported in part by The Essmueller Company Education Endowment Fund.

AARRTTffuull YYooggaa:: OOuuttssiiddee!!Wednesdays · October 7, 14, 21 and 289:00 a.m. · FREEJoin us for a yoga class on the Museum’s historicgrounds and engage in a practice that focuses onrelaxation, balance, and strength. Ann Barrow, acertified yoga instructor, will lead each dropin class.Participants are encouraged to wear comfortableclothing and bring their own yoga mat. Beginnersare encouraged and no registration is required!

an LRMA Virtual Exhibition

LRMA NEWS 9

COLLECTIONS

RECENT ACQUISITIONExamples of British Georgian silver tea implements, including kettles, pots, and canisters, are abundant and are very well represented in the Museum’s collection. However,objects associated with chocolate, another popular drink of the Georgian era, arerarer. The Museum is thrilled to add a chocolate pot to its collection. Attributed to DanielSleamaker of London, the pot was produced in 1717, three years afterGeorge I came to the British throne.

The Spaniards first brought chocolate, served as a warm beverage and flavored withpeppers and spices, to Europe from Mesoamerica, and its popularity spread throughout Europe. In the early 1650s, chocolate drinks were sold in coffee houses in London,and beginning in 1657, chocolate houses were opened in luxurious neighborhoods.An elite clientele of men discussed politics and business while drinking the deliciousbeverage. Men and women alike consumed the drink at home at breakfast and bedtime.

Chocolate did not dissolve well in liquid and needed to be stirred with a mixing rod,called a mill, to keep it from settling to the bottom of the serving vessel. Chocolate potslook similar to coffeepots, including sometimes having a handle attached on the side instead of the back. However, they have amovable finial to accommodate the mill and allow the stirring of the chocolate with the lid down to avoid heat loss and splashing.

The Museum’s chocolate pot was purchased with funds given in memory of Betty Mulloy. Her close friend Michael Jefcoat comments,“If Miss Mulloy were reincarnated as a piece of Georgian silver, she would be this chocolate pot. For Betty, chocolate was asnecessary as beauty for a welllived life. This addition to the Museum’s silver collection, which she so admired, is a uniquelyappropriate memorial to her.”

Attributed to Daniel Sleamaker, London, ChocolatePot; 1717, silver and wood, a Lauren RogersMuseum purchase in memory of Betty Mulloy, 2020

MUSEUM PHOTO ARCHIVES ONLINEThe LRMA Archives contain hundreds of photos related to the early history ofLaurel to the founding of the Museum. Thanks to summer intern Jess Cooley,these photos are now available to view on the LRMA website (LRMA.org) undercollections.

DIGITAL RESOURCESONLINE

LRMA Curator Kristen Miller Zohnhas a series of artist interviewsavailable on the Museum’s YouTube channel. Artists from currentexhibitions and recent acquisitions are included and the videosare a great way to learn moreabout their work and career.

10 Fall 2020

DEVELOPMENT

New Memberships (12/16/2019 through 8/15/2020)PatronMr. and Mrs. Bill HollowayMs. Bonnie MenapaceFriendsMr. and Mrs. Bob GarnerMr. and Mrs. Cory ParkerAssociateMr. Larry BoucheaMr. Ronnie KempIncreased Memberships(12/16/2019 through 8/15/2020)EastmanMs. Becky RhinehartMrs. Fisk Halsted WalkerLaureateMr. and Mrs. David RatcliffGrand BenefactorMrs. John GuiceMr. and Mrs. Hunter McLeodMr. and Mrs. Chris PoseyBenefactorMr. and Mrs. Michael AxtonMr. George ChancellorMrs. Michael ShershinDonorMr. and Mrs. George BlackledgeMs. Susan Carruth and Mr. Dennis RyanMs. Tanya GrayMr. Stuart GroverDr. John HassellMr. and Mrs. Richard JacksonMr. and Mrs. Raoul JeromeMr. and Mrs. Matt MahanMr. and Mrs. Hart NelsenMr. and Mrs. Les RodgersMr. and Mrs. Glenn Smith Sr.Mr. and Mrs. Jeff TroykaDr. and Mrs. Greer WhitacreMr. and Mrs. Dal WilliamsonPatronMr. and Mrs. Scott AinsworthDr. and Mrs. Rex ApplewhiteMr. and Mrs. Will BurroughsMr. and Mrs. Casey ButtsMr. and Mrs. Risher CavesMr. and Mrs. Joseph FlickMr. and Mrs. Dale KeyesMr. Michael McKinnonDr. and Mrs. Lynn McMahanMr. and Mrs. Billy MontgomeryMr. Herbert MurrayDr. and Mrs. Hossein NasajpourMr. and Mrs. Howard Patrick Jr.Mr. and Mrs. David Thoms Jr.Mr. and Mrs. David Thoms IIIDr. and Mrs. Michael TrestMr. Ellis WisnerSponsorJean and Jim EnochsDr. and Mrs. James FortenberryMrs. Ralph JamesMSC/NMWAMr. and Mrs. William WellsFriendsMs. Joan BartikDr. and Mrs. William Burle Jr.Rev. and Mrs. Karl SchaffenburgMemorials(12/16/2019 through 8/15/2020)For: Mr. and Mrs. Miller Bankston (Lou)From: Mr. and Mrs. George Bassi

Mr. and Mrs. Jon BehrendsSherry, Chris and Mary BehrendsMr. and Mrs. William Mullins IIIMs. Margaret Phelps

For: Mrs. Frank Bowie (Peggy)From: Mr. and Mrs. Trent MulloyFor: Mr. Arnold Bush

From: Mr. and Mrs. William Mullins IIIFor: Mr. Wayne DavisFrom: Mr. and Mrs. Trent MulloyFor: Mrs. Robert Dean (Ann)From: Lisa and Tommy ThamesFor: Ms. Betty DickersonFrom: Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Abraham

Mr. and Mrs. George BassiMrs. Winfred Lightsey Sr.Mr. and Mrs. James Penley Jr.Mrs. Sam StriblingMr. and Mrs. Richard Thomson Jr.

For: Mrs. Stewart Gilchrist (Gene)From: Mr. and Mrs. Doug Boone

Ms. Catherine BoyleDr. and Mrs. Steve EllisMr. and Mrs. Clayton Harrington Lisa and Tommy Thames

For: Mr. Byron GoughFrom: Lisa and Tommy ThamesFor: Dr. John GuiceFrom: Dr. and Mrs. Steve EllisFor: Mrs. B.W. Howard Sr. (Linda)From: Mr. and Mrs. Doug BooneFor: Mr. Newton JonesFor: Mr. James KingFrom: Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner Green Jr.From: Mr. and Mrs. William Mullins IIIFor: Mr. Richard LibertoFrom: Mr. and Mrs. George Bassi

Mr. and Mrs. Trent MulloyFor: Mr. Walter Love IIIFrom: Mr. Mike Foil

Mr. and Mrs. Trent MulloyFor: Mr. George MelicharFrom: Mr. and Mrs. William GreenFor: Mrs. Alan Morgan (Kathy)From: Mr. and Mrs. Trent MulloyFor: Mr. Billy MoungerFrom: Mr. and Mrs. Trent MulloyFor: Ms. Betty MulloyFrom: Lisa and Tommy ThamesFor: Mr. Gordon MyrickFrom: Mr. and Mrs. George Bassi

Mr. and Mrs. Stevens Bateman Jr.Dr. Joe JacksonMr. and Mrs. William Mullins IIIMrs. Fisk Halsted Walker

For: Mr. Charles OwensFrom: Ms. Janice Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. William Mullins IIIDr. and Mrs. Loyrirk Temiyakarn

For: Mr. and Mrs. E. P. RussellFrom: Mr. & Mrs. James RussellFor: Mr. George StanleyFrom: Lisa and Tommy ThamesFor: Mrs. John Sullivan (Sylvia)From: Lisa and Tommy ThamesFor: Mrs. Gerald Tamme (Anita)From: Mr. and Mrs. Trent MulloyFor: Mr. Clemit TullosFrom: Mr. and Mrs. Trent MulloyFor: Mr. William WallaceFrom: Mr. and Mrs. Andy HarrellFor: Dr. Horace Watkins IIIFrom: Lisa and Tommy ThamesFor: Mrs. Charles Windham (Bunny)From: Mr. and Mrs. George Bassi

Mr. and Mrs. William CarterMr. and Mrs. Brooks EasterlingDr. and Mrs. Steve EllisMr. and Mrs. Webb FranklinMr. and Mrs. Gardiner Green Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie HamesMr. and Mrs. Robert Hauberg Jr.Ms. Betsy IveyDr. James JonesMr. John LewisMr. and Mrs. Clark Monroe IIMr. and Mrs. William Mullins III

Mr. and Mrs. Trent MulloyMr. and Mrs. William Nation Jr.Dr. and Mrs. John NeillThe Overby CompanyMr. and Mrs. Doug SeidenburgMr. Anthony ThaxtonMr. and Mrs. Richard Yoder

Tributes(12/16/2019 through 8/15/2020)For: Dr. and Mrs. Fred WaltersFrom: Lisa and Tommy ThamesDonations(12/16/2019 through 8/15/2020)Adopt�A�Bus FundMr. A.M. EllisThe Essmueller CompanyMr. and Mrs. Paul FelgnerMr. Stuart GroverMrs. John GuiceMr. and Mrs. Brett HarrisDr. and Mrs. Robert HeathMrs. John Dell HucabeeDr. and Mrs. Eugene OwensMr. and Mrs. Eric ParishDr. and Mrs. Robert PearigenDr. and Mrs. Joseph ProliDr. William SullivanMr. and Mrs. Raymond Swartzfager Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Jeff TroykaDr. John WallaceCol. and Mrs. Doyle WheatDr. and Mrs. Greer WhitacreMrs. John ZartmanPrograms, Events and ExhibitionsBlue Cross Blue Shield of MississippiThe Paul and Sherry Broadhead FoundationMr. and Mrs. Robert BullockBurson Entrekin Orr Mitchell & Lacey Mr. and Mrs. Lampkin ButtsMr. and Mrs. Mike ChancellorMs. Victoria Cherry Choctaw Resort Development EnterpriseCommunity BankMr. and Mrs. Louis Crumbley Jr.Dixie Electric Power AssociationEar, Nose & Throat Surgical ClinicThe FirstFirst State Bank Mr. and Mrs. Jim FordGilchrist Sumrall Yoder Yoder & LeggettMrs. Stewart GilchristMr. and Mrs. John HendricksonDr. and Mrs. Mark HorneHortman, Harlow, Bassi, Robinson& McDanielMr. and Mrs. Robert Hynson Jones County Medical SuppliesJones CountyMr. and Mrs. Brad KentKim’s ChryslerToyotaLaurel Rotary Club Laurel Machine & Foundry Co.Mr. and Mrs. Alexander LindseyMagnolia State Bank Mr. and Mrs. William McLeanMolloySeidenburg & Co. Kellon Lawrence, CFA, of Morgan StanleyWealth Mgt. in JacksonPiper Jaffray & Co.Mr. and Mrs. David RatcliffRoy Rogers Body ShopRuth Camp Campbell FoundationMr. and Mrs. Gary SaulsDr. Stover Smith Jr.Lisa and Tommy Thames Trustmark Dr. John Wallace In�Kind Donations(12/16/2019 through 8/15/2020)Mr. William Goodman

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Artprovides exposure to the visual arts throughfocused collections, diversified exhibitions,and educational programs; encouragesawareness of the aesthetic and culturalvalues of the visual arts; and seeks toenhance the quality of life in Laurel andJones County, the state of Mississippi, andthe Southern region.

LRMA is a private, nonprofit organizationoperating for the benefit of the public.

HOURS OF OPERATION:TuesSat, 10 a.m. 4:45 p.m.Sunday, 1 4 p.m.Closed Mondays

ADMISSION IS FREE.

LRMA is supported by Memberships,Donations, The Eastman MemorialFoundation, Jones County, Laurel ArtsLeague, Mississippi Arts Commission andThe National Endowment for the Arts. Thispublication is funded in part by a grant fromThe Mississippi Arts Commission and TheNational Endowment for the Arts.

LRMA CONTRIBUTIONS:HOW MUCH IS DEDUCTIBLE?If you have questions concerning thedeductible limits of your Museumcontributions for IRS purposes includingfundraising events (i.e. Gala), please callthe Museum Office.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSLillous Ann Shoemaker, Chair; Trent Mulloy,ViceChair; Robert Sumrall, Secretary;David Ratcliff, Treasurer; Kacey Bailey,Lampkin Butts, Bette Green, TrinaHeidelberg, Robert G. Hynson, Brad Kent,William Mullins III, Laura Parish, LisaThames, Larry Thomas, John Wallace

ADVISORY COUNCILWilliam Gartin, Jr., Chair, Karen Biglane,Hilary Burroughs, James Wray Bush,William H. Carter, Read Diket, KimberlyDobbs, Mike Foil, Jim Ford, William S.Granberry, Jr., Tanya Gray, GardinerGreen, Jr., L. Trimble Green, William T.Green, Nancy Guice, Anne Hannaford,Mark Herring, Mark Horne, Robert C.Hynson, Julia Lewis, Aubrey Lucas, JohnnyMagee, Cyndi Howard McCoy, Jo LynnMcLeod, Lynn McMullan, Dianne Mullins,Byron Myrick, Pam Oglesby, GeorgeOpenshaw, Scott Openshaw, EugeneOwens, Tommy Parker, Phoebe Pearigen,Whitney Pickering, Collum Posey, KathyPosey, Rhonda Proli, Jim Rasberry, BarbaraSauls, Ivory Shelby, Stover L. Smith, Jr., RuthTant, Truitt Taylor, Susan B. Vincent,Jeannette Walker, Debbie Walley,Toy Watts, and Ailrick Young

STAFFGeorge Bassi, Director; Mandy Buchanan,ArtistinResidence; Holly Green, Director ofDevelopment; Jo Lynn Helton, BusinessManager; Jean Jackson, CuratorialAssistant; Angie Jolly, Shop Manager andVisitor Services Coordinator; TommieRodgers, Registrar; Kelly Rosa, EducationOutreach Coordinator; Hillary Steinwinder,Curator of Education; Todd Sullivan,Building Superintendent; Kristen Zohn,Curator

LRMA NEWS 11

DEVELOPMENT

LRMA GALA 2020The Eastman Memorial Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Nancy and BobBillingsley will chair the 2020 LRMA Gala. The Billingsleys have tapped Jade and Lew Yoder as LiveAuction chairmen and Hilary and Michael Burroughs as Silent Auction chairs.

The Gala committee is hard at work securing items that will be appealing to bidders. Fabulous art,exciting trips, and unique jewelry will highlight the auctions along with dinners and travel opportunities, gifts for ladies and gents, artwork, and lovely items for the home and garden.

At the time of this publication, it seems unlikely this year’s event will look like the blacktie galas ofpast years. It is an understatement to say that the Museum staff and board have given thought to whatthis year’s Gala will look like and what format it will take; in reality, hours of discussion have takenplace around these decisions. All can be assured that Museumofficials will make these decisions in keeping with the most uptodate COVID19 and CDC guidelines to ensure the healthand safety of all Museum patrons.

If, when the moment arrives to finalize logistical details, it isdecided to hold auctions online in lieu of a fullscale onsiteevent, we hope our committed supporters will embrace thisyear’s event and support it generously! The LRMA Galaremains the single largest fundraiser for LRMA with proceedsbenefiting programs and exhibitions. The full and vigoroussupport of our donors is needed this year, as always before, toaccomplish our mission.

We appreciate your patience as we work daily to arrive atappropriate solutions for this year’s Gala and look forward tosharing details with you all in the very near future.

Nancy and Bob Billingsley2020 LRMA Gala Chairmen

GALA MMXXSILENT AUCTION COMMITTEE

Hilary and Michael Burroughs, Chairmen

Entertaining Travel* Elizabeth and Trent Mulloy * Bryn and Hoss NasajpourTan and Will Burroughs Chrissy and Parker LeggettLila and Risher Caves Molly and Paul Read

Ladies and Gentlemen Art* Lauren and Casey Butts * Laura and Eric ParishLindsey and Brian Schmoekel Elizabeth and Brad Kent

Ginger and Fred Walters Home and Garden* Amanda and Hunter McLeodAngela and Brad Payne * category chairs

William Goodman, Firebird, 2019, mixed media on canvas, gift of the artist

GIFT TO THE COLLECTIONFirebird is a mixed media work on canvas recently donated by artistWilliam Goodman, who lives and works in Jackson. Goodmancombines photography, graphic design, graffiti, and traditionalpainting to produce work that is inspired by the music and literatureof the American South. His photographs of architectural features,signage, and figures are printed on architecture paper in order totransfer them to canvas using polymer medium. The artist addslayers of imagery to the canvas with a variety of techniques andmedia, including painting and scrubbing away, charcoal, anddiamond dust, inks and acrylic paint, newspaper transfers, andairbrush. The artist says that his compositions “evoke their ownobscure and implied narrative.”

565 North 5th AvenuePost Office Box 1108

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Sign language interpreter is available fortours and programs upon request; oneweek’s notice is required.

AROUNDTHE MUSEUM

Follow LRMA on Facebook at Lauren Rogers Museum of Art andTwitter@LaurenRogersMoA.

Send your email address to info@LRMA.org if you would like toreceive membership e�blasts with updates on events and art classes.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONSCollections Intervention by

Kristen Tordella�Williams: HOME//WORKJanuary 26 – April 25, 2021

Poetry Out Loud participants representing south Mississippiat LRMA in February Poetry Out Loud judges in February were Katrina

Cox, Mark Malone, and Michael Marks.

Guild members enjoyed a drivethrough appreciation lunch in May.

Pianist Brenda Twyner Thordarson (third from left) with her familyand friends following her Museum concert in March

Bob Thibodeaux, Mary Anne Sumrall,Frank Thibodeaux, Sydney Swartzfager,and George Bassi in Gardiner Park inFebruary for the planting of a live oaktree donated by Bob’s Tree Preservation

Ailrick Young (left) and Felecia Jackson(right) of the Laurel Housing Authority withEducation Outreach Coordinator Kelly Rosa(center) at the opening of the LHA CoffeeHouse, where Rosa painted indoor muralsand art