Academy Art Museum Announces December 2014 Events

The following are exhibitions, events, classes, lectures, lessons, and more, taking place at the Academy Art Museum during the month of December.

EXHIBITIONS

The following Academy Art Museum exhibitions are sponsored by the Talbot County Arts Council and the Maryland State Arts Council.

Bill Viola: The Dreamers

December 6, 2014 – March 1, 2015

Members’ Reception: December 5, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Curator Tours: Friday, January 30, 12 noon and Tuesday, February 24, 12 noon

Bill Viola (b. 1951) is internationally recognized as one of today’s leading artists. He has been instrumental in the establishment of video as a vital form of contemporary art and in so doing has helped to greatly expand its scope in terms of technology, content, and historical reach. For over 40 years he has created architectural video installations, video films, sound environments, electronic music performances, flat panel video pieces, as well as works for television broadcast, concerts, opera, and sacred spaces. Viola’s video installation – total environments that envelop the viewer in image and sound – employ state-of-the-art technologies and are distinguished by their precision and direct simplicity. Viola uses video to explore the phenomena of sense perception as an avenue to self-knowledge.

 

Frank Lloyd Wright: Architecture of the Interior

Through January 4, 2015

Frank Lloyd Wright: Architecture of the Interior is an exhibition exploring the design of Frank Lloyd Wright’s houses, often considered his greatest architectural accomplishment. Th­rough reproduction drawings, photographs, and photographic murals, the exhibition illustrates the myriad ways—both obvious and subtle – Wright created the visual character of interior space and objects within it, each an essential detail of the larger whole. Frank Lloyd Wright: Architecture of the Interior is organized by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC, in cooperation with Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, AZ.

 

Benson’s Waterfowl: Selections from the Peg and Bob Keller Collection

Through January 4, 2015

Frank Weston Benson (1862-1951) was as a successful portraitist and painter of interiors with figures and his plein-air works won critical acclaim at exhibitions. Benson joined “th­e Ten American Painters” (or “Th­e Ten”), a group of painters who left the established Society of American Artists in 1897. Most of them painted in an Impressionist style and exhibited independently. Beside Benson, members included Childe Hassam, John Henry Twachtman, and J. Alden Weir, among others. Benson, recognized as one of the best American printmakers of the 20th century, is credited with making wildlife prints a distinct genre.

Light

Tidewater Camera Club

Through January 4, 2015

The Tidewater Camera Club exhibition is a biennial event at the Academy Art Museum. In consultation with the Museum’s Curator, the Tidewater Camera Club members have been challenged to submit their best interpretations on the theme of “Light” to the jurors, Paul and Holly Fine. Now in its 51st year, the Tidewater Camera Club has long been a mainstay in the art community on the Eastern Shore. Th­e club is dedicated to improving member skills and to promoting interest and participation in the field of photography for all skill levels and ages.

 

LECTURES

How the Golden Age of Dutch Painting Influenced a Modern Bestseller

December 9, 12 noon

Free for Museum Members, $5 for Non-members

Registration required

Dr. Anke Van Wagenberg, Curator at the Academy Art Museum, discusses the role of Dutch art in Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Goldfinch.” The lecture takes place at the Academy Art Museum. Bring your lunch if you like.

 

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Fall Portfolio Night

Wednesday, December 10, 2014, 6 – 8 p.m.

FREE (Preregistration required)

The Museum is hosting its fifth Portfolio Night for area high school students. Students are encouraged to bring their artwork to receive expert tips on what makes a winning portfolio from a panel of art school representatives and professional artists. This evening is ideal for high school seniors who are considering applying to art school and underclassmen who would like to get a leg up on preparing a strong portfolio. Parents, teachers, and guidance counselors are welcome as well. Email Constance Del Nero, at [email protected] or call her directly at 978-902-1993 for more information.

Young Explorers

Accepting New Students

Classes continue through May 2015

For ages 2-5 years

The Young Explorers program puts art and museum objects at the center of a child’s day, encouraging exploration and discovery. Young Explorers introduces young children to new ideas through a thematic approach to learning that emphasizes the ability to make meaningful connections. The focus is on the process of learning through inquiry and sensory exploration of objects. Through this process children learn to make ideas their own.

Craft Saturdays at the Museum

(Ages 6-12)

 

CHRISTMAS

Saturday, December 13, 1 – 3 p.m.

Cost: $5 per child (Pre-registration is required. Scholarships available.)

Come join the Museum staff for an afternoon of holiday crafts. We will create one or more seasonal projects that children can take home to keep or give as gifts. Color your holiday with fun! Scholarship application forms can be obtained at the front desk of the Museum or contact Constance Del Nero at 410-822-2787 or [email protected].

Play with Clay for Kids

Ages 7 -1 3

Instructor: Dawn Malosh

Saturdays, December 6 &13

10 a.m. – 12 noon

Cost: $50 Museum Members, $55 Non-members

This fun clay workshop for kids will allow young clay lovers to explore their own imaginative ideas while learning new hand-building methods and techniques. Kids will learn how to make their own funny-faced pinch pot planters and cups, along with fairy bells, garden gnomes and more in this two-class clay adventure.

 

SPECIAL OFFERINGS

WINTERTHUR

Costumes of Downton Abbey® & Yuletide at Winterthur

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Fee: $80 Museum Members, $100 Non-members (Fee includes transportation, admission and all tours)

Costumes of Downton Abbey is an original exhibition of exquisite designs from the award-winning television series. Forty historically-inspired costumes from the television show are displayed and supplemented by photographs and vignettes inspired by the fictional program and by real life at Winterthur so visitors have the chance to step into and experience the world of Downton Abbey® and the contrasting world of Winterthur founder Henry Francis du Pont and his contemporaries in the first half of the 20th century. Holiday Garden tour also included.

 

MUSIC

Cocktails & Concert

Music of Three Faiths (includes music from Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions)

The Peabody Consort

Directed by Mark Cudek

Friday, December 12, 2014, 5:30 p.m. cocktails, followed by a 6 p.m. concert

Cost: $42 Museum Members, $75 Non-members

The Peabody Consort is a select group of early music students, alumni, and guest artists from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. The group was founded by Mark Cudek in 1996 for a tour of Rome, Italy, and has performed in several U.S. venues including the Kennedy Center, Baltimore’s Artscape Festival, as well as abroad. The instrumentation is varied to match the demands of a variety of repertoire and includes recorder, viola da gamba, plucked strings (lute, theorbo, guitar, cittern), percussion, and solo voice or voices.

 

ADULT CLASSES

Book Arts Studio*

Second Sunday of each month, 1-4:00 p.m.

Starts Sunday, December 14, 2014

For artists who would like to experiment with book-making techniques from the simple to the fanciful. There is no designated instructor. Participants should bring all materials from home. For additional information contact: Lynn Reynolds at 410-757-5542 or at [email protected].

Open Portrait Studio*

Mondays, 9:30 a.m. – noon

The group meets weekly with a live model. Model fee collected weekly. For additional information contact: Nancy Reybold at 410-822-0597, [email protected].

Open Studio with Live Model *

Mondays, 1-3:30 p.m.

This studio offers an opportunity to study the human figure and its action, volume, structure, anatomy, design and expressive potential. Money is collected weekly to cover model fees. For additional information contact: Nancy Reybold at 410-822-0597 or at [email protected].

Collage Studio*

Second Saturday of each month, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

For those interested in collage, assemblage or fibers. Artists are invited to come and work on a project they would like to start, or have begun. There is no designated instructor. For additional information contact: Susan Steward at 410-226-5742, [email protected]

*A Museum membership is required to participate.

 

LESSONS

Voice Lessons

Instructor: Erika Knepp

(443) 254-0157

Exploring vocal technique, performance skills, and even stress therapy can be a part of each individualized program. Contact the instructor directly for lesson schedule and cost. Erika Knepp holds a BA in Music and French Studies from Smith College, where she was named a STRIDE (Student Research in Departments) scholarship recipient, researching computational geometry and also compiling a digital catalogue of Beethoven’s music, a First Group Scholar, and a recipient of the Judith Raskin Memorial Prize for excellence in vocal studies. She has studied privately with Jane Bryden at Smith College, Ruth Drucker, formerly a faculty member of the Peabody Conservatory, and Dr. Thomas Houser in Pennsylvania.

Guitar, Bass, Banjo and Mandolin Lessons

Instructor: Curt Heavey

(410) 820-0950

Get away from the computer and learn an instrument! Fresh and fun lessons for guitar, bass, banjo and mandolin – all ages and all styles. Only your imagination is more fun. Contact the instructor directly for lesson schedule and cost or visit curtheavy.com.

Ballet Theatre of Maryland at the Museum

Register for ballet, tap, and jazz classes. Contact the Ballet Theatre of Maryland for additional information or to register for classes at 410-224-5644.

 

ADULT BALLROOM & LATIN DANCE CLASSES

Instructor: Amanda Showell

Tuesday and Thursday night dance classes in bolero, tango, East Coast Swing, Foxtrot, Waltz, Cha-Cha, Latin Variety, Rumba, and Bachata. Contact the instructor at (410) 482-6169 or visit www.dancingontheshore.com.

For further information or to register for these programs, classes and event, visit www.academyartmuseum.org or call 410-822-2787.