| From the Director |
Spring Art Walk |
Madison Museum of Fine Art, Inc.
PO Box 814/ 300 Hancock Street
Madison, GA 30650 mbechtell@prodigy.net |
| 706-485-4530 |
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Letter from the Director
Posted September 28, 2004
Dear Member,
Autumn has arrived, and you have been exceedingly patient while we have worked enthusiastically, often unseen, building the foundation for the Madison Museum of Fine Art in this seminal year of operation. We have much to report:
Thanks to the families and friends of several special people, the Museum has a growing number of magnificent teak and iron benches on the front terrace of the Museum. Brass plates will arrive later this fall to commemorate the honored individuals with an inspiring quote from a famous Art Master. So come spend a little bench time with us, and revisit your favorite Museum pieces inside.
Speaking of visiting, the Museum is now open daily with the help of four volunteer docents. And the number of works in the Museum’s collection is steadily growing. After touring the Museum in March, Fitzhugh Fowke of Atlanta donated a signed and numbered Picasso lithograph portrait of Frederick Juliot Currie, the Nobel prize winner and son-in-law of Madame Currie. And in April, Museum Friend Elizabeth Shearer of Winterville donated a second work to the collection, a 1959 modern abstract painting titled “Traffic” by Joseph Perrin who directed the Georgia State University art department for many years and whose work hangs in the High Museum of Art and the Georgia Museum of Contemporary Art. Look for the traffic light, telephone poles, and pedestrians hidden in this cosmopolitan puzzle piece. Then compare and contrast the peaceful nurturing interior of our Museum
Both donations arrived in time to welcome over 600 Morgan County parents and children who viewed original art by the primary, middle, and high school students in May. Reflecting their growing knowledge of art history, many students paid homage to such masters as Picasso, Magritte, Van Gogh, and O’Keefe. The exhibit also served a well deserved tribute to our dedicated public school art teachers. The students are still glowing from discovering that their work was displayed in the same room as a Picasso! They will display their work again at the Museum for everyone’s viewing pleasure on May 5, 2005, this time with a museum quality lighting system donated by Museum Member and Southern art collector Mathew Hicks of Athens, Georgia.
In July, Belgian national Thomas Bouckaert of Chattanooga, Tennessee, donated three paintings by renowned Belgian artists. On your next visit, look for “Tango,” a vibrant pastel by pop artist Ivan Theys whose work hangs in the Museum of Tourcoing, a large abstract oil by Phillipe Van den Berge, and a painting by Roger Nellens whose works are held in London’s Tate Gallery. Thomas also donated a fourth painting by living Contemporary American painter Lynne Golub Gelfman whose works are held in the collections of the Baltimore Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Norton Museum of Art. And for Clementine Hunter fans, you will find a folk art watermelon slice by this important original “outsider” African American Louisiana artist whose works are held in the collections of many U.S. museums and was donated by Dr. and Mrs. Ron Mc Gough of Marietta. These paintings all now grace the walls of the large interior gallery leading to the Tea Terrace.
Speaking of the Tea Terrace, many of you joined us in May for our first fundraiser that featured five private afternoon art receptions and a benefit dinner with live jazz. We are most grateful to the homeowners who graciously welcomed art appreciators from throughout Georgia to view their art collections. With only a few glitches, the event was declared a success with many requests for a repeat performance. Our next Art Walk will take place on April 16, 2005 with six collector’s homes already committed.
In June our beautiful new sign arrived from Iron Art Company in Decatur. Our Corporate Membership from Bard Manufacturing Company enabled us to purchase the sign with bold brass letters on black steel background. And thanks to Madison WalMart, you may now sit and visit with friends at smart café tables and chairs on the tea terrace. They arrived just in time to welcome the hard-core Madison NewComers group who braved the July heat to visit the Museum for summer wine, hors d’oeuvres, and a tour of the Museum.
The Museum is now “live” on the internet thanks to the design expertise of Museum Member Chris Cook and his partners at Wave Mechanix. So please visit us at www.madisonmuseum.org and tell us how we can improve the site to meet your Art Museum needs. Look for our Calendar of Events, archive of e-Newsletters, recent Press Coverage, and four monthly MuseumStore gifts that can be purchased on-line to grace your home, office, or personal attire and support the Museum at the same time!
Watch for an exciting 2004/ 2005 season filled with art lectures and films, wine tastings, Spring Art Walk, a benefit auction, a Family day for Members, and a Friends and Patrons evening. We will schedule a Grand Opening after we complete the Sculpture Garden that you can watch developing from the Tea Terrace. In the meantime, do consider the Museum for your holiday entertaining with your favorite caterer. Over the last several months, the Museum has provided a lovely rental setting for luncheons, bridal showers, and a sit down dinner for 40 managers. And we have booked an adult birthday celebration and a sit down Wedding Rehearsal Dinner for 50 guests.
The most important news of all is that you chose to support the new Museum by becoming a founding year Member. You are our most important asset, and we need your continued support as we move forward, so please call us with any and all questions and suggestions. We look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you, again, for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Michele L. Bechtell,Director
Select a News Story
Aug 30, 2008:
Letter From the Director
Dec 8, 2006:
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Sep 20, 2005:
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Dec 28, 2004:
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Sep 28, 2004:
Letter from the Director
Feb 27, 2004:
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