Artful events and exhibitions fill final month of summer at MMA
As the summer winds down, the Muskegon Museum of Art will present several final special events relating to the season’s exhibitions, along with hosting a community booksigning and sculpture dedication. The 90th Michigan Regional Exhibition, opening on August 30, is the start of a fall season celebrating Michigan artists.
SPECIAL AUGUST EVENTS
Thursday, August 2 5:00 – 7:00 pm Book Signing Event Authors Norma Lewis and Christine Nyholm will visit the Muskegon Museum of Art to talk about their new book, Muskegon, and to sign copies. The book, published by Arcadia Publishing, highlights many points in Muskegon history, will be available to purchase at the event and in the MMA Museum Store. Light refreshments will be served and wine and beer will be available at a cash bar. The event is free and open to the public. MORE
Thursday, August 9 6:00–7:00 pm Crash Course Wax Casting with Michael Peoples Michael Peoples, creator of the Perchance to Dream installation will demonstrate wax-casting techniques on the MMA loading dock. Free and open to the public. MORE
RELATED SHOW Perchance to Dream: The Art of Michael Peoples Final Day: September 16 Michael Peoples creates cast wax sculptures of pop culture objects and icons, including the towering cast wax honey bear bottles and carpet of multi-colored peanuts in this installation.
Saturday, August 11 10:00 am–3:00 pm Motorcycle Super Saturday Free Family Fun Day Celebrate motorcycles and their cool designs with a family film, tours, and art activity. Free and open to the public. Underwritten by Arconic/Whitehall Operations 11:00 am and 1:00 pm Family Film: The Mouse and the Motorcycle 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Guided Look Check out American Icon: The Art of the Motorcycle with aN MMA docent. 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Make & Take Motorcycle Collage Make your own moving work of art with photos and mini wheels.
RELATED SHOW American Icon: The Art of the Motorcycle Final Day: August 12 American Icon offers a glimpse at the artistry of the motorcycle over the years, through vintage and custom bikes drawn from Muskegon-area collections and photographs by Michigan photographers Bill Chardon and Jennifer Green that highlight the artistry of customized motorcycles and men and women who ride them. Underwritten by Harbor Steel & Supply. MORE
Thursday, August 16 Dedication of New Downtown Sculpture Niikonii Kiinaa, or All My Relations, by Jason Quigno 5:30 pm Sculpture Dedication at The Old Indian Cemetery, Morris Avenue 6:00 pm Reception and Artist Talk with Jason Quigno at the Muskegon Museum of Art The newest addition to the Downtown Muskegon Public Art Collection will be unveiled August 16 at the site of The Old Indian Cemetery on Morris Street in downtown Muskegon. The Old Indian Cemetery has been documented as burial grounds for Native Americans of the region as early as 1750. Jason Quigno, Michigan Anishinaabe artist, is creating Niikonii Kiinaa, or All My Relations, out of 12,000 pounds of black granite. This project is enthusiastically supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Community Foundation for Muskegon County, Downtown Arts Committee, Muskegon Museum of Art, City of Muskegon, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, and a dedicated and generous cadre of individuals and businesses. The dedication of Niikonii Kiinaa will be at The Old Indian Cemetery on Morris Avenue across from the MATS Terminal, August 16, 5:30 pm, followed by a 6:00 pm reception and program by the artist at the Muskegon Museum of Art. The public is invited.
Thursday, August 30 5:30–8:00 pm Opening Reception and Awards 90th Michigan Regional Exhibition Join with the artists to celebrate their achievements and to celebrate the opening of the 90th Michigan Regional Exhibition. Award ceremony will start at 7:00 pm. Event is free and open to the public. The exhibition is underwritten by Warner. Awards are underwritten by Swanson Pickle Co.
Thursdays, August 5:00 – 7:00 pm Open Evening Tours Drop in for guided tours on Thursday evenings. Admission is free on Thursdays, from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, compliments of The Meijer Foundation.
MORE SUMMER EXHIBITIONS
Through August 12 Up Close and Personal: The Ultra-Realistic Sculpture of Marc Sijan Hyper-realistic, life-sized sculpture of the human figure by Milwaukee-based sculptor Marc Sijan. Underwritten by Hooker DeJong. Media Sponsor is WGVU Public Media.
Through August 12 Whiskey Ridge: The Summer of ‘51 Twelve photographs that Dorothy “Dot” Thompson took with her Kodak Brownie box camera in the summer of 1951 at the Whiskey Ridge Raceway near Grant, Michigan.
Through August 12 Picasso in Print: 20th Century European Masters Important prints from the MMA’s own permanent collection and an anonymous loan.
Through August 12 Pictures of the Best Kind: Treasures from the Permanent Collection Masterworks by legendary artists from the MMA’s permanent collection. Display is underwritten by DTE Energy Foundation, Dr. Don and Nancy Crandall, Mary Price and Tom Schaub, and Steve and Rebecca Westphal.
Through September 9 The 150th Anniversary of Edward Curtis: 150 Masterpieces from The North American Indian 2018 marks the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Edward Curtis. Curtis is today know best for his masterpiece, The North American Indian, a monumental project that catalogued images and ethnography of the Native American tribes of the western United States. This exhibition presents 150 photographs that represent the breadth of subjects touched on in the project and further examines criticism of Curtis’s works. The show will also premiere newly acquired copper plates used to create the photogravures. Underwritten by Nichols Products, Fifth Third Bank, Northern Machine Tool, the Verplank Donor Advised Fund of the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, Deborah DeVoursney, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, and WGVU Public Media.
The Muskegon Museum of Art is located at 296 W. Webster Ave., in downtown Muskegon, Michigan. www.muskegonartmuseum.org.