AMoA wants to thank all the paddlers and sponsors, all the volunteers, committee members, and employees – and Wayne Denley for making the first ever Louisiana Dragon Boat Races a great day in downtown Alexandria! Thanks go out to all the vendors who added to the experience on the riverfront with terrific food and artwork. Good spirit was abundant with creative costumes and decorative team areas. The Museum is proud to have hosted this team building, community-building event along the Downtown River Front in the Cultural Arts District. The profits will go a long way toward achieving museum goals of sustainability. With collaboration in mind, the Alexandria Museum of Art will seek out creative ways to accomplish its mission while providing for the needs of our community.
Summer Camp Sessions are June 13th – 17th, June 20th – 24th, July 18th – 22nd,and July 25th – 22nd, and will feature projects in watercolor, recycled art, printmaking, papermaking, collage, and assemblage. Call the museum at (318) 443-3458 or visit the website at www.themuseum.org to sign up – it’s going to be lots of fun.
To reduce stress and build flexibility and strength, join us for Yoga in the Gallery on Tuesday evenings from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, and Friday mornings from 8:30am to 9:30am. Yoga at the museum is a multi-level class where beginners can feel welcome and personal practice is the focus. Classes take place on the wood floor in the serene third floor gallery overlooking the river. After the May 31st class, AMoA welcomes Professor GaziBakioglu who will be speaking and sharing his Mandala paintings with members and guests.
Second Saturday Market falls on June 11th, when everyone will be glad to enjoy the coolness of the downstairs galleries while browsing vendors and the exhibits. “Faculty and Friends Invitational,” “George Rodrigue: Saga of the Acadians” and the “George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts 2011 Art Contest” winners grace the galleries on the first floor through the month.
Museum Afterhours events on Thursday nights this month start on the 2nd with George Rodrigue giving a painting demonstration of his iconic Blue Dog. His wife Wendy will speak about the artist, his work, and the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts. Don’t miss the opportunity to watch this modern master in action or to by a raffle ticket to win a signed and numbered print of “Three Amigos.”
Museum Afterhours on June 9th, is the Curator Tour with Sara Fuhrer of the current exhibits including “Copley to Warhol: 200 years of American Art Celebrating the Centennial of the New Orleans Museum of Art.” This exhibit is a collection of 30 paintings by American master artists representing numerous artistic styles and trends throughout America’s history. This is a momentous opportunity to view major works of art. The Alexandria Museum of Art is proud to bring an exhibit of this caliber to our members and the Central Louisiana Community. Many thanks to NOMA for offering this wonderful show to Louisiana museums.
And finally, AMoA announces its participation in the Blue Star Museums partnership with the National Endowment for Arts, offering free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2011. Leadership for this program was provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families and the complete list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.
See you at the museum!
