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FAMILY PROGRAMS

Family Learning Lab
3rd floor – Elevator Lobby

Families are invited to visit our third floor Family Learning Lab to explore the exhibition Cézanne and American Modernism through a hands-on art project. Lying to the east of his home in Aix-en-Provence, France, Mont Sainte-Victoire was a favorite subject of Paul Cézanne. He painted the mountain in a series of works from different angles, at different times, and in different weather. Visitors are invited to create their own versions of this famous scene.


Imagination Station
Saturdays 1 – 2 pm
Instructors: Julie Healy and Aggie Wszolkowski
Member adults free, nonmember adults $12, children $6

Our popular drop-in weekend program returns every Saturday. This program will be held in the Museum galleries and will focus on a different artwork or theme each week. Families will be engaged in active looking, lively discussion, interactive activities, and scavenger hunts, and have a unique opportunity to sketch in the galleries. Visit our website for weekly themes. Space is limited.

 

• February 6 – Myth Memories and Inspirations Canceled due to Snow
• February 13 – Hot Art (Willie Cole)
• February 20 – Tools (Jacob Lawrence)
• February 27 – In Motion – Rose Piper (1917-2005) Slow Down Freight Train
• March 6 – Me and Matisse (Janet Taylor Pickett)
• March 13 – Sweet Treats (Sharon Con – Pie Counter & Martha Rosler – Cakes and Kitchen)
• March 20 – Generations (Elizabeth Catlett)
• March 27 – Lets Dance (William Merrit Chase – A Tambourine Player)
• April 3 – Identity – Lorna Simpson
• April 10 – Pop Art (Robert Rauschenberg & Andy Warhol )
• April 17 – Warm Breeze (Edward Hopper –Coast Guard Station)
• April 24 – Out at Sea (James McNeal Whistler – The Sea Antonio Jacobsen – City of Berlin)
• May 1 – Memories and Heritage (Whitfield Lovell – Trap & Melvin Edwards – Mamelodi)
• May 8 – Laughter (Steve Wheeler (1912-1992) Laughing Boy)
• May 15 – Faces Faces (William Ellisworth Artis – Bust of Miss Colemas Richard Barthe – Blackberry Woman Auguste Savoge –Gamis)
• May 22 – Textiles (Lamar Baker - Textile Tangle and Fabric)
• May 29 – Cancelled - Memorial Day Weekend
• June 5 – Hudson River School (Asher B. Durand – Early Morning at Cold Spring)
• June 12 – In Your Face - Portraits of Children
• June 19 – Ah Architecture
• June 26 – Summertime (Childe Hassam (1859-1935), Summer at Cape Cod) 

 


Homeschool Day, 12 – 2 pm (Ages 4 – 13)
$6 per child. Adults $12.
(FREE for ADULT members)
Please RSVP to bbalsimelli@montclairartmuseum.org or (973)746-5555 ext. 267.

The Montclair Art Museum invites you and other Homeschooling families for a fun and educational afternoon. These two-hour programs will include a gallery tour and studio art project led by a Museum educator.

  • February 17 — Painting on Canvas
  • March 18 — Drawing Into Sculpture
  • April 21 - Illustrating a Narrative with Mixed Media
  • May 20 - Native American Symbols and Patterns
  • June 16 - Georgia O'Keeffe Large Scale Nature Drawing



MAM PARK BENCH
Second Wednesday of the month, 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Free with Museum admission
STORYTELLING IS NOW AVAILABLE IN BOTH SPANISH AND ENGLISH

Parents with young children will enjoy MAM Park Bench, a program that introduces children to the Museum and provides them with an artistic social outing. Get acquainted with other parents and young children, work on fun art projects, and experience a guided tour of the Museum. Storytelling in the galleries is provided courtesy of the Children’s Services Department of the Montclair Public Library. Local native Spanish educator Nieves Cespedes will conduct storytelling in Spanish.

  • February 10 —  Family
  • March 10 — The City
  • April 14 — Totem Poles
  • May 12 — Color!
  • June 9 — The Ocean

Scholastics Art & Writing Competition
Northern NJ Regional Gold Key Exhibition
February 11 – March 10

The Montclair Art Museum has been selected as the Northern New Jersey Regional Affiliate for the Alliance for Young Writers and Artists Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a national program that recognizes outstanding visual art and writing created by teenagers. Approximately 30,000 artists and writers in grades 7­–12 from across the United States receive recognition annually on the regional level. This exhibition features artworks that received top honors by our jury and will then be considered for national awards later in the spring.

Building Montclair in LEGOTM
Sunday, March 7, 2 – 4 p.m.
$30 per family (advance registration required)

Work with architect Stephen W. Schwartz of Building Blocks Workshops to visualize your community as you’ve never seen it before. With over 50,000 LEGOTM building blocks at their disposal, families will be given a photograph of a specific building in Montclair to turn into a LEGOTM model. These building models will then be placed on a 30 x 20 ft map of downtown Montclair. Suitable for families with children ages 5–14. Maximum four persons per group, with at least one adult per group. Space is limited to 50 families for the two-hour event and a parent or adult must accompany children.

Registration available at Coldwell Banker, 736 Valley Road, Upper Montclair. Registration for the event begins February 20. For registration and map call Coldwell Banker (973) 233-2300; for more information about the event, call MAM (973) 746-5555, ext. 253.


Co-presented by the Montclair Historical Society and the Montclair Art Museum in conjunction with Building Block Workshop. This Building Block Workshop is designed by Stephen W. Schwartz, AIA Architect of SWS ARCHITECTS of Livingston, NJ. The proud sponsors of this year’s event include Jeff Farrell of Cambridge Restoration and Construction and Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 736 Valley Rd. Upper Montclair.

FREE Family Day
Sunday, March 28, 1 – 5 p.m.
FREE

This Museum-wide Family Day celebrates the nature of African American art and culture through dance themes and choreography. Montclair State University’s Dance Department, both faculty and students, will be performing works by various African American choreographers throughout the day. The Leir Hall performances will spotlight important works of African American choreography, including the work of Pearl Primus (1919–1994). Primus herself is a Rosenwald Fund recipient, dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. A Force for Change: African American Art and the Julius Rosenwald Fund exhibition will provide the perfect inspiration for a full day of Museum exploration, including gallery activities and fun art projects for the entire family to enjoy.

Free Family Days are made possible, in part, by The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey.

WBGO and NJPAC KIDS JAZZ Concert
Saturday, April 17, 12:30 p.m.
FREE

Discover America’s musical art form at the WBGO Kids Jazz Concert series. Guest artists will play, and a discussion will take place about jazz with rhythms. These interactive, hour-long concerts give kids the opportunities to learn about the distinct qualities of jazz and why it’s a reflection of our community, our nation, and our world. Q&A sessions with the artists will follow the concert. Adults must be accompanied by a young person.

The WBGO and NJPAC Kids Jazz Series is sponsored by JP Morgan Chase and NJPAC’S Wachovia Jazz for teens.

ADULT PROGRAMS

Advance ticket sales available through the Museum Store or by calling (973) 746–5555, ext. 237.

LA COUMBITE POUR HAITI

Musicians coming together for Haiti
Saturday, Jan.30, 2010, 8pm

In response to the devastating earthquake which affected the Port-Au-Prince region of Haiti on January 12th, 2010, leaving more than 3 million people homeless and injured with the possibility of over one hundred thousand people killed, the United States and the global community have begun the efforts in aiding this ravaged country. This, as we know, is just the beginning of these efforts. As musicians, it is within our nature to use our gifts to help the greater good with money, food, water, medicine, clothing and shelter to the people of Haiti.

Flutist, Carla Auld and From Bach to Broadway Concert Management, in association with The Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, NJ will present “La Coumbite pour Haiti”, a concert in which 100% of all proceed collected will go to help Partners in Health's efforts in the recovery of Haiti – Evening of Saturday, January 30th.

Featuring:

Carla Auld, Flute
Ana Maria Rosado, Guitar
The Halcyon Trio
Members of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra String Section
UpTown Flutes
The Haitian Voices Quartet
Mark Fitzgerald Wilson, Vocalist

With a Geological Presentation Given By Highland Environmental Services

Prime seating: $60.00
General admission: $40.00
All donations/admission are tax deductible.

Join us for the 3rd Annual Montclair African American Film Festival!

Sunday, February 21, 2 p.m.: Anne Spencer Revisited and Garden Story: Inspiring Spaces, Healing Places
FREE

Sunday, February 28, 2 p.m.: Tap, starring Gregory Hines, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Savion Glover
FREE

The Montclair Art Museum’s African American Cultural Committee (AACC) proudly collaborates with the Montclair African American Heritage Committee for the third Annual Film Festival. The festival will include film screenings and discussions on topics relevant to the evolution of black American cinema from the early 20th century to the present. Two short films will be presented on February 21 (approx. 30 minutes each) on Anne Spencer. A poet during the Harlem Renaissance, she was also an avid gardener. Two of Ms. Spencer’s granddaughters will be present at the screening. MAM will also be screening the 1989 film Tap, on February 28, starring Gregory Hines, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Savion Glover. Yvette Glover (Savion’s mother) will be present at the screening. Running time: 110 minutes. This film is rated PG-13.

The African American Film Festival is sponsored by the Montclair African American Heritage Committee, MAM, Montclair Public Library, Township of Montclair, Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs, the Montclair Chapter of Drifters Incorporated, and The Positive Community, Funding provided by Bank of America.

March Women’s History Month
Film Screening and Discussion
Who Does She Think She Is?
Friday, March 12, 1 p.m.
FREE MAM Members, $12 nonmembers

In honor of Women’s History Month, MAM will be screening the compelling documentary film on women artists, Who Does She Think She Is? This film explores the barriers to the creative process and how art ultimately transforms women’s lives and those around them. The film follows five women artists as they navigate the challenges of making work outside the elite art world. Includes interviews with experts: Riane Eisler (The Chalice and the Blade), The Guerrilla Girls, Maura Reilly (Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Brooklyn Museum) and Leonard Shlain (The Alphabet vs. The Goddess).

 

Peter Ascoli

Lecture and Book Signing
Thursday, March 25, 7pm
$10 members, $15 nonmembers

Peter Ascoli, author of Julius Rosenwald;The Man Who Built Sears, Roebuck and Advanced the Cause of Black Education in the American South, is the fascinating biography of one of America’s most influential philanthropists. Peter Ascoli is on the faculty of the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago. He taught at Utah State University and later served as director of development for Chicago Opera Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He is the grandson of Julius Rosenwald. Copies of the book by Peter Ascoli will be available in the Museum Store. Advance purchase can be made by calling (973) 746-5555, ext.237.

MAM AND THE ADULT SCHOOL OF MONTCLAIR
A Force for Change: African American Art and the Julius Rosenwald Fund
Exhibition Tour, Buffet Luncheon, and Discussion
Wednesday, March 31, 11 a.m.
Registration through the Adult School of Montclair
Call (973) 746-6636 to register
$25 MAM Members, $30 nonmembers

Enjoy a docent-guided tour as you explore the work of important African American artists, made possible by support from the Julius Rosenwald Fund (1917–1948). Explore African American heritage through the works of various artists, such as Jacob Lawrence, Aaron Douglas, and Elizabeth Catlett. After your tour engage in discussion with fellow art enthusiasts over lunch. Delight your palette with the taste of fine Southern and Caribbean cuisine provided by local Montclair establishment, Sweet Potato & Pecan Restaurant.
Special guest speaker: Dr. Robert Steele

Sponsored by the Adult School of Montclair and MAM in partnership with Chef Ricardo Belnavis of Sweet Potato & Pecan Restaurant, 103 Forest Street, Montclair.

The David C. Driskell Center
Elizabeth Catlett Lecture
Thursday, April 15
Depart MAM 9 a.m.
Return 10 p.m.
$100 Members, $115 nonmembers

Join us for a special day trip to the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland in College Park  that will culminate with a unique opportunity to hear artist Elizabeth Catlett (born April 15, 1915) in dialogue with Professor Driskell. Don’t miss the chance to celebrate Catlett’s 95th birthday with her. Elizabeth Catlett’s bold and powerful prints are featured in our current exhibition A Force for Change: African American Artists and the Julius Rosenwald Fund. The Driskell Center is committed to collecting, documenting, and presenting African American art as well as replenishing and expanding the field. Transportation, group lunch, guided  tour of the Driskell Center, and reception and lecture are all  included. Light dinner at rest stop on return trip not included.  For additional information and registration form, visit the Museum website or e-mail tours@montclairartmuseum.org.

MSU/MAM Art Talks
Lorna Simpson
Thursday, April 22, 7 p.m.
FREE

Lorna Simpson first became well-known in the mid-1980s for her large-scale photograph-and-text works that confront and challenge narrow, conventional views of gender, identity, culture, history, and memory. With the African-American woman as a visual point of departure, Simpson uses the figure to examine the ways in which gender and culture shape the interactions, relationships, and experiences of our lives in contemporary multiracial America.

This series is a collaboration between the Master of Fine Arts degree program of Montclair State University and the Montclair Art Museum. This African American Cultural Committee program is made possible by a grant for the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Co-sponsored by Harlem Brewing Co.

MAM and the South Orange–Maplewood Adult School
A Force for Change: African American Art and the Julius Rosenwald Fund with Beth Stein and Janet Mandel
Thursday, May 6, 7 p.m.
Registration through the South Orange–Maplewood Adult School.
Call (973) 378-7620 to register
$15 MAM Members, $20 nonmembers

Between 1928 and 1948, the Julius Rosenwald Fund awarded grants to hundreds of African American artists, writers, and scholars. The works these artists produced illustrate the success of the Fund’s intention to foster black leadership through the arts. Janet Mandel and Beth Stein, award-winning New Jersey educators, will present a digital tour of a variety of dazzling paintings and sculptures by Rosenwald fellows, followed by a tour of MAM’s exhibition, A Force for Change: African American Art and the Julius Rosenwald Fund. Join us for a memorable evening exploring this remarkable collection.

Sponsored by the South Orange–Maplewood Adult School and MAM.

Pictures 2010 Concert
5th Annual New Jersey Student Composition Contest
Saturday, May 8, 1 p.m. Pre-Concert Talk
1:30 p.m. Concert
$10 Members and students, $15 nonmembers

Join us for a unique concert experience as New Jersey students explore the intersection of music and visual art. For the fifth annual edition of one of New Jersey’s premiere Composition Contests, NJ students were asked to compose music inspired by visual art exhibited in the Montclair Art Museum. Guest artists, John McMurtery (flute), Brett Deubner (viola), and Kimberly Burja (percussion) will perform works written by the students as well as the premiere of the 2010 Ionisation Commisioner by New Jersey’s own Amanda Harberg. Come early to hear student honorees discuss their art-inspired music in a pre-concert talk.

This program is produced by the New Jersey Arts Collective.

Hampton University/Howard University Trip
Saturday and Sunday
May 22 and 23
$250 per person, $200 w/roommate

Join us for a weekend of African American Art at the collections of two of our country's most prominent historically black colleges. Buses will depart the Montclair Art Museum on Saturday to travel to the Hampton University Museum. Founded in 1868, it is the oldest African American museum in the United States. The collections feature over 9,000 objects. Within its fine arts collection is the largest existing collection of works in any museum by the artists John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthe, and Samella Lewis. After an overnight stay in Hampton, VA, we will depart for a brief visit to the Howard University Museum. From its first acquisition of a painting by Henry O. Tanner, to its most recent donation of a lithograph by Elizabeth Catlett, the African American Collection at Howard is one of the most comprehensive representations of black artists in existence. This jam-packed weekend includes all food, travel, and accommodations.

CLOSER LOOK

First Friday of the Month, 2 p.m.

Come learn more about featured artwork at MAM. These informal 20-minute gallery talks offer visitors an in-depth examination of one work of art on view in the galleries. Education staff and docents lead the discussions.

Friday, February 5
Kara Walker                      
Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated), 2005, Alabama Loyalists Greeting the Federal Gun-Boats

Friday, March 5
Sandy Skoglund                                 
A Breeze at Work, 1987

Friday, April 2
Gordon Parks (1912-2006)
American Gothic, Washington, DC, 1942

Friday, May 7
Childe Hassam (1859-1935)
Summer at Cos Cob, 1902

Friday, June 4
Aaron Douglas (1898-1979)
Harriet Tubman, 1931

SATURDAY TOURS

1 p.m. FREE with Museum Admission

These 45 minute-long docent led tours take place once a month on Saturday. The topics and themes change, so you can experience something new at the Museum every month.

Saturday, March 13
MAM Celebrates National Women’s History Month, explore Women Artists in our collection, paintings to pottery.

Saturday, April 17
A Force for Change African American Art and the Julius Rosenwald Fund.

Saturday, May 22
Wondrous nature, view artwork inspired by nature.

Saturday, June 12
Photography at MAM.

Saturday tours are made possible with support from the Bloomingdale’s Fund of the Federated Department Stores Foundation.