Tag Archives: Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum

Embrace the Unexpected

Posted on October 26, 2016

My husband, Ernie, and I recently returned from a magical adventure in Peru. From our arrival in Lima to our departure a week later, everything we did – and ate! – exceeded expectations. I thought about the timeliness of our immersion in Peruvian ceramics as the Woodson Art Museum looks ahead to next summer’s focus on contemporary Japanese ceramists.

Enhancing the Collection

Posted on October 19, 2016

One of the most exciting aspects of my career at the Woodson Art Museum is working with the artists. Just recently, following the 2016 opening of Birds in Art, I contacted fifteen artists to purchase or accept gifts of their work for the permanent collection. Those fifteen paintings, sculptures, and works on paper join 486 others that have been acquired from Birds in Art exhibitions over the past forty-one years. By any standards that is an amazing commitment to supporting artists and building a world-class collection for future generations.

Post-it® Note Promises

Posted on September 21, 2016

Whenever I participate in some sort of large, group gathering for work, I always leave with “Post-it® Note promises,” whether literal or in the form of a mental note. These notes consist of follow-ups and reminders for myself stemming from conversations with members of the group. As is true for many people, meetings with staff or community members always yield mental notes, which are usually fairly easy to address and check off the list. Multi-day events, though, like the opening of Birds in Art is another story.

Seek and Find Inspirational Spark

Posted on September 14, 2016

Make up your own seek-and-find game to play when you visit the Museum to experience Birds in Art with friends and family this fall. Which artworks incorporate the mere suggestion of a bird, perhaps with only a feather, a shadow, or traces left on a sandy shore?

Stress Baking

Posted on September 07, 2016

Finding ways to cope in stressful situations varies from person to person. Some take the healthy route – hours in the gym or a miles-long run. Several friends advocate for yoga. Occasionally, a glass of wine or a cocktail can soothe shattered nerves. For years, I’ve opted for this: when tension puts calm thinking at risk, I take refuge in my kitchen. I take a deep breath, choose one of hundreds of recipes I’ve saved, and mix flour, sugar, eggs, and other ingredients into baked goods – mostly cookies.

Finding Favorites

Posted on July 27, 2016

What is Project Postcard? Birds in Art artists are asked to consider donating postcard-sized artworks which then are sold to members and guests during the Friday evening exhibition preview to raise funds for Woodson Art Museum acquisitions. Last year 156 postcards were available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Anonymity is part of the fun; purchasers must make their selections quickly – you have one minute to make a choice – without knowing who created the artworks, and artists are asked to help keep the secret.

Inviting Use

Posted on July 06, 2016

Signs encourage visitors of all ages to delve into the hands-on activities that enliven themes from this summer's chair exhibition, The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design, that focuses on purposeful art — objects like chairs that function well, with style. What do you suggest as an inviting invitation?

The Art of Transformation

Posted on June 29, 2016

I spent time last week watching artists-in-residence Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein, known as The Myth Makers, climb thirty-foot-tall scaffolding like a jungle gym, artfully weaving towering saplings into the biomorphic forms of a sandhill crane pair for their sculpture, The Dance.

A Colorful Process

Posted on June 15, 2016

The sentiment “it takes a village to raise a child” is a bit shopworn, but the premise is sound. At the Woodson Art Museum, it takes the entire staff to manage the various aspects of Birds in Art. We tackle this yearly challenge for many weeks each summer.

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