Montgomery Museum Of Fine Arts Association

LOOKING AT OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE PURPOSE AND PRACTICE, THE MMFA ENVISIONS A THRIVING ORGANIZATION, ONE THAT STEWARDS ITS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ASSETS-ART, FINANCES, FACILITY AND PEOPLE-RESPONSIBLY AND WITH AN EYE TO SUSTAINABILITY, AND PROVIDES COMPELLING EXPERIENCES CENTERED ON HUMAN CREATIVITY VALUED FOR THEIR SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE INDIVIDUAL WELLBEING OF ITS CITIZENS AND VISITORS AND TO THE RISING VIBRANCE OF THE CITY, COUNTY, AND REGION.

ARTWORKSARTWORKS INTERACTIVE GALLERY REMAINED CLOSED FOR ALL OF 2021. TO GIVE FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE AT THE MUSEUM, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OFFERED OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES THAT INCLUDED A SELF-PACED ART PROJECT, YARD GAMES, SIDEWALK CHALK. THESE ACTIVITIES, LED BY EITHER STAFF OR DOCENT VOLUNTEERS, TOOK PLACE ON THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND SATURDAY BEGINNING IN MARCH THROUGH THE SUMMER AT WHICH TIME THE ACTIVITIES WERE PROMOTED AS ARTWORKS AL FRESCO AND OFFERED ON SATURDAYS THROUGH OCTOBER. YOUTH AND FAMILY PROGRAMSDURING THE 2021 YEAR, THE MMFA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT KEPT SOME VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING THAT HAD BEGUN IN 2020 LIKE STORY TIME IN THE GALLERIES, AND CHALK-AT-HOME AS PART OF THE FLIMP FESTIVAL THAT WAS HELD AS A HYBRID FAMILY EVENT WITH EVENTS TAKING PLACE VIRTUALLY, AT-HOME, AND IN-PERSON WITH SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN PLACE. AS A WAY OF STAYING ENGAGED WITH OUR FAMILY AUDIENCES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE OFFERED FREE TAKE HOME ART KITS. THESE KITS FOCUSED ON THE CHINESE NEW YEAR, EARTH DAY, MILITARY APPRECIATION AND MORE. WE ALSO OFFERED STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR SEVERAL STUDIO AT HOME ACTIVITIES ON THE MUSEUM'S WEBSITE. IN 2021, MMFA BEGAN A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FIRST TEACHERS PROGRAM THROUGH THE FAMILY GUIDANCE CENTER. THESE FAMILIES PARTICIPATE IN WEEKLY VISITS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PARENTING, MILESTONES AND MORE. THE MUSEUM'S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GROUP BECAME A QUARTERLY MEETING AT THE MUSEUM WITH A THEMED ART MAKING ACTIVITY FOR THE FAMILY TO COMPLETE TOGETHER. SCHOOLSIN 2020, THE MMFA RESUMED VIRTUAL SYSTEM-WIDE TOURS, SEEING A LARGE NUMBER OF FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS IN SPRING 2020 AND ALL THE KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS IN FALL 2020. SUPPLIES WERE DISTRIBUTED TO ALL THE CLASSROOMS PRIOR TO THEIR TOUR THAT WAS HELD VIA ZOOM. WHILE IT WAS CERTAINLY NOT IDEAL, THE OVERALL FEEDBACK WAS POSITIVE. THE LEARNING THROUGH ART (LTA) PROGRAM WENT THROUGH MASSIVE CHANGES TO ADAPT TO THE VIRTUAL MODEL OF LEARNING. LESSONS WERE PRE-RECORDED AND SUPPLIES WERE GIVEN TO PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS IN INDIVIDUAL KITS FOR EACH STUDENT TO COMPLETE THE LESSONS AT HOME. IN ADDITION TO THE SCHOOLS WHO OPTED TO PARTICIPATE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, THE MUSEUM ALSO GAVE SUPPLIES TO THE CITY OF MONTGOMERY'S PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT SO THAT THEIR STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THEIR SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS COULD PARTICIPATE IN LTA. AS PART OF THE HYBRID FLIMP EVENT, SCHOOLS WERE GIVEN PACKS OF SIDEWALK CHALK FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND WERE ENCOURAGED TO SEND THE MUSEUM PHOTOS OF THE COMPLETED WORKS. 2020 ALSO BROUGHT AN EXTREMELY WELL RECEIVED EXHIBITION OF STUDENT ART IN THE ARTWORKS GALLERY. THE COMMUNITY TOGETHERNESS PROJECT, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MUSEUM'S LARGER COMMUNITY ART PROJECT OF THE SAME NAME, BROUGHT STUDENT WORK THAT WAS BOTH POIGNANT AND REFLECTIVE OF THE STATE OF THE WORLD IN 2020. WE WERE ABLE TO HOLD SUMMER CAMPS OUTSIDE WITH LIMITED CAPACITY THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND PARTICIPATED IN MGM LEAPS SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM PARTNERING WITH MONTGOMERY EDUCATION FOUNDATION. IN THE FALL, THE MMFA EDUCATION STAFF STARTED WORKING WITH SIX COLLEGE STUDENTS MAJORING IN MUSEUM STUDIES OR SCIENCE TO CREATE A CURRICULUM EXPERIENCE FOR SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS USING THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION. THESE STUDENTS MET ON A WEEKLY BASIS THROUGHOUT THE FALL SEMESTER, AND MANY WILL CONTINUE IN THE SPRING WITH THE EXECUTION OF THE TOURS. THE YEAR ENDED ON HIGH NOTE WITH A VERY SPECIAL HOMESCHOOL WORKSHOP WITH THE MAKERS FROM BIB & TUCKER SEW-OP IN BIRMINGHAM. THIS WORKSHOP, INSPIRED BY THE WORK OF LESLEY DILL, SHOWED STUDENTS HOW TO CREATE PRINTS AND THEN DIGITALLY TURN THEM INTO FABRIC THAT COULD BE PRINTED AND USED. THE MUSES TEEN COUNCIL CONTINUED TO MEET VIRTUALLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND CAME BACK ONSITE LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL. THIS YEAR, THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CURATE AN EXHIBITION ON A TOPIC OF THEIR CHOICE USING WORKS FROM OUR STUDENT ART COLLECTION. THEY CHOSE TO FOCUS ON THEIR EXPERIENCE DURING THE PANDEMIC AND TITLED THE EXHIBITIONS, PEACE AMID CHAOS, WHICH OPENED IN JULY. IN OCTOBER, WE BROUGHT BACK OUR CAREER NIGHT FOR TEENS, IN THE ARTS, WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL IN INTRODUCING NEW TEENS TO LOCAL PROFESSIONALS IN THE ARTS. ADULTSVOLUNTEERS: DOCENTS CONTINUED TO THRIVE WITH ONGOING ENRICHMENT LEARNING THROUGH A HYBRID MODEL ALLOWING ONSITE AND VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION. INTERNSHIPS: OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM CONTINUED TO GROW AND MATURE AS WE MOVED TO A PAID INTERNSHIP MODEL IN OCTOBER. DURING THIS YEAR, WE HOSTED FIFTEEN STUDENTS: SIX UNPAID IN THE SPRING SEMESTER, FIVE UNPAID IN THE SUMMER, AND FOUR PAID IN THE FALL. PUBLIC PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS INCLUDED: ARTFUL WELLNESS, A SERIES OF YOGA AND OTHER MINDFULNESS ACTIVITIES; EXHIBITION ON SCREEN, A COLLABORATION WITH THE CAPRI, OUR LOCAL ART HOUSE THEATRE; ART AFTER 5, WHERE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ENGAGE WITH AND HEAR FROM LOCAL ARTISTS AND MAKE ART THEMSELVES; WILDERNESS INSPIRES, AMID LESLEY DILL'S WILDERNESS EXHIBITION, A NEW PROGRAM FOR ADULTS WAS BORN. THE INSPIRES SERIES BROUGHT LITERARY ARTISTS FROM ACROSS THE STATE AND REGION TO THE MMFA TO WRITE ABOUT WORKS ON VIEW, THEN READ THOSE WRITTEN WORKS ALOUD IN THE EXHIBITIONS; ARTS + LETTERS, THE MUSEUM'S READING GROUP PROGRAM FOCUSED ON ART BOOKS, PARTICULARLY THOSE RELATED TO CURRENT EXHIBITIONS AND ISSUES; AND ARTS + ACTIVISM, WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER ARTISTS, ACTIVISTS, AND MUSEUM STAFF FOR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE ROLE THAT THE ARTS HAVE PLAYED AND CAN PLAY IN THE REALM OF ACTIVISM. ADULT PROGRAMMING ALSO INCLUDED A RAFT OF OFFERINGS FOR OUR LOCAL ARTISTS. THESE INCLUDED LOCAL ARTISTS LIVE, INSTAGRAM TAKEOVERS BY LOCAL ARTISTS; ART TALK, THE MUSEUM'S LONGEST-RUNNING ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR ARTISTS, AND CONTINUES TO MEET MONTHLY IN THIS ARTISTS-ON-ARTISTS CRITIQUE OF RECENT WORKS AND WORKS IN PROGRESS; THE MUSEUM SHOP REOPENED WITH A RENEWED FOCUS ON THE WORK OF LOCAL ARTISTS, 20 EACH FOUR-MONTH PERIOD; AND THE ARTIST MARKET, THE MUSEUM'S 10TH ARTIST MARKET BROUGHT LOCAL ARTISTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TOGETHER FOR FACE-TO-FACE CONNECTION OVER SALES OF HANDCRAFTED GOODS AND FINE ARTS.

PERMANENT COLLECTION ACQUISITIONSTHE MONTGOMERY MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS IS THE PREMIER ART COLLECTING INSTITUTION IN CENTRAL ALABAMA, AND SERVES THE TRI-COUNTY RIVER REGION BY EXHIBITING THIS COLLECTION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC. THE COLLECTION CENTERS AROUND AMERICAN ART, HOWEVER SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONS IN OTHER AREAS WERE ALSO IMPORTANT TO THE COLLECTION'S DEVELOPMENT. IN FY 2021, THE MUSEUM ACQUIRED 23 WORKS OF ART REPRESENTING VARIOUS MEDIA. ACQUISITION HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST PURVIS YOUNG'S CELEBRATION, ABOUT 1992, AMY SHERALD'S HANDSOME, 2020, HENRY FRANOIS FARNY'S INDIAN ENCAMPMENT, 1911, THORNTON DIAL, SR.'S LOST AMERICANS, 2008, AND YVONNE WELLS' AMISTAD, 1998.

EXHIBITIONSIN ADDITION TO SEMI-PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS OF ART FROM THE MUSEUM'S PERMANENT COLLECTION, THE MUSEUM OFFERS TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS THAT RANGE IN LENGTH FROM 6 TO 12 WEEKS. THE CADDELL SCULPTURE GARDEN, IS AN OUTDOOR VENUE IN WHICH PRIMARILY LOANED WORKS OF SCULPTURE ARE ROTATED ON AN 18 MONTH TO 2-YEAR SCHEDULE. KEY LOANS IN THIS CYCLE INCLUDE WORKS BY PATRICK DOUGHERTY, ROUGH N' TUMBLE (2020) AND A CAST BRONZE BY KAREN LAMONTE, RECLINING NOCTURNE 3 (2019).