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Albany Institute For History and Art

Albany Institute’s Free, Discount Admission Days

June 28, 2010 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Albany Institute of History & Art has announced that it will offer a special discount admission program on Fridays and Saturdays in July and August 2010, as part of an ongoing effort to reach out to members of the Capital District community.

On each Friday in July and August, the Albany Institute will offer free admission to all visitors during regular museum hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There will be no charge for any visitors to enter the museum and see the galleries on these dates: July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, and August 6, 13, 20, and 27. Additionally, the Institute will offer buy-one-get-one-free admission on Saturdays during July and August during regular museum hours from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Any adult or child visitor purchasing one admission will be entitled to one free admission of equal or lesser value. Buy-one-get-one-free Saturday dates are: July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and August 7, 14, 21, and 28.

“We understand, especially in difficult economic times like these, that not everyone is able to include a visit to the Albany Institute in their entertainment and education budgets,” said Chris Miles, Executive Director of the Albany Institute. “However, economic ability should never be a barrier to learning. That’s why we’re thrilled to offer this opportunity for people who might not otherwise be able to see all that the Institute has to offer.”

This program is not available in combination with any other discount or coupon offers and does not apply to group tours, facilities rentals, or special events. For more information about the summer discount admission program, call (518) 463-4478. To learn more about current exhibitions and events, visit www.albanyinstitute.org.

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Albany County, Albany Institute For History and Art, Museums-Archives-Historic Sites, Public History

Ransoming Mathew Brady:Re-Imagining the Civil War

June 18, 2010 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

This Saturday June 19th the Albany Institute of History & Art welcomes a new exhibit entitled, Ransoming Mathew Brady: Re-Imagining the Civil War, Recent Paintings by John Ransom Phillips. The exhibit will be on display through Sunday, October 3, 2010.

In a series of 25 vibrant oils and watercolors, Phillips portrays the paradoxes and complexity of the famed 19th-century photographer. Born around 1823 in Warren County, New York, Mathew Brady visited Albany as a young man to seek medical attention for an inflammation of his eyes. While in Albany, he met the portrait painter William Page, who befriended him and encouraged him to become a painter. However, Brady demonstrated great talent in the new medium of photography, and quickly became a sought-after auteur. His iconic portraits of illustrious giants like Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman replaced paintings as the standard means of documenting the image of notable public figures. Lincoln and Whitman figure prominently into Phillips’s paintings.

“Whitman, who served in a hospital as a nurse for the war wounded, said the Civil War could never be portrayed because it was just too horrible; it was beyond human capacity to understand,” Phillips says. “Yet Whitman, like Brady, attempted to do so.”

At the peak of his success, Brady chose to move his profession to the field of war, a decision that would ultimately cost him, psychologically and financially. At the Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, Brady was lost in the woods for three days and was nearly captured by Confederate troops. Although his images of the battle would become legendary as the first photographic depictions of war, Brady was badly shaken by the death, destruction, and violence he encountered in the field. Thereafter, he hired teams of photographers to work under his direction, unable to stomach the carnage that would be wrought in the years of fighting to come. As a result, many of the famous Civil War images attributed to Brady were actually taken by his employees.

“Brady in many ways reminds me of Andy Warhol,” Phillips said. “There are a lot of interesting parallels between the two artists. Both had huge studios in New York, on Union Square, not too far from each other. They occupied a similar geography. They also each hired about 50 to 60 people who would prepare the sitter or scene for a depiction. Both were uncomfortable with human feelings and poured their passion into celebrities,” Phillips said.

Plagued by vision problems throughout his life, Brady wore dark blue glasses to protect his eyes, and also employed blue-tinted skylights in his studios, for effect in his portraits but possibly to provide additional protection for his eyes. Many of the paintings in the Ransoming Mathew Brady series reflect this condition through the prominent use of the color blue. Heavily in debt when the post-war government declined to purchase his Civil War images, Brady died broke and virtually blind in the charity ward of a New York City hospital in 1896.

Phillips says he was inspired by Brady’s ability to reinvent himself, at a time when doing so was unorthodox. “Today, a lot of artists, and in fact people in all aspects of life, are very interested in reinventing themselves,” he says. “Mathew Brady was very much ahead of his time in this regard. He was an accomplished celebrity photographer in the studio, who then became known for battlefield photography.”

In his book-length essay in the illustrated 244-page catalog that accompanies the exhibit—Ransoming Mathew Brady (Hudson Hills Press, 2010)—photography expert and Yale professor Alan Trachtenberg writes, “Ransoming Mathew Brady tells a story at once sensuous and cerebral, esoteric yet enticing. An intellectual discourse in paint and words, this extraordinary cumulative work by John Ransom Phillips fits no existing genre (history painting may come closest). It’s an essay on history, on vision and blindness, on violence, on color and space, on death and rebirth. It asks from its viewers/readers not only eyes wide open but a heart willing to take on such immensity.” The catalog will be on sale in the Albany Institute’s Museum Shop.

John Ransom Phillips’s work has been exhibited internationally at the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art in Chicago, the Museo de Arte Moderno in Buenos Aires, and the Heidi Cho Gallery in New York. He has been a faculty member of the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Chicago, and Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He has a Ph.D. in the history of culture from the University of Chicago.

The Albany Institute exhibition will be complemented by a concurrent exhibition of Phillips’s work, entitled, Ransoming Mathew Brady: Searching for Celebrity, at the Opalka Gallery of the Sage Colleges in Albany. For more information about the Opalka exhibit, visit www.sage.edu/opalka or call (518) 292-7742.

Illustration: Photographing You, John Ransom Phillips, 2006, oil on canvas, 28 in. x 26 in.

Filed Under: New Exhibits Tagged With: Albany Institute For History and Art, Art History, Civil War, Military History, Photography

Albany Institute Announces Summer Family Programs

June 13, 2010 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Albany Institute of History & Art has announced its summer art programming schedule for children and families. Programs are designed to offer children and their adult companions an opportunity to experience a wide range of artistic workshops and creativity-based lessons, experienced in combination with the museum’s current exhibits and collections. Programs to be offered are as follows:

THREE-DAY ART CAMPS

9:00 a.m.–noon (ages 6–8), 1:00–4:00 p.m. (ages 9–11)
Students will deepen their engagement in the artistic process and share their creations on the third day of the workshop at a show of the students’ work. Classes are taught by a NYS certified art educator. Program fee of $60 for non-members and $45 for members includes materials and museum admission for all three days.
June 29, 30, and July 1: Masterpiece Puppet Theater—Create an original puppet show with your own marionettes.

August 31, September 1 and 2: Art That Goes—Use art and objects related to transportation as inspiration for your own work.

THE ’TUTE FOR TOTS

Wednesdays through July and August, 10:00–11:30 am (ages 3–5)

An inspiring setting gives preschool children and their adult companions a chance to become familiar with the museum and explore and grow through art. Gallery visits are followed by an art activity in our studio. Workshops last one-and-a-half hours and are taught by a NYS certified art educator. Program fee: $5 per person for non-members or $4 per person for members.

July 7–Fishy Drawings

July 14–Resist Painting

July 21–Textures and Shapes

July 28–Funny Faces Sculptures

August 4–Popsicle Stick Buildings.

August 11–Animal Collage

August 18–Vegetable Growth Cycles Book

August 25–Landscape Collage

SUMMER IN THE CITY

Wednesdays through July and August, 1:00–4:00 p.m. (ages 12–15)

Experience the art of Albany. Instructors will lead neighborhood walks to examine shape, color, pattern, texture, and architecture. Use a variety of materials to create a collage inspired by the landscape design of Washington Park. Classes are taught by a NYS certified art educator. A fee of $20 per class for non-members and $15 for members per class includes materials and museum admission. Great for home school students.

July 7–One-Point Perspective Drawings

July 14–Watercolor Facades

July 21–Collagraph Building Prints

July 28–Ceramic Gargoyle Faces

August 4–Tunnel Book Cities

August 11–One Picture, Many Media

August 18–Botanical Brown Bag Books

August 25–Landscape Collage

THURSDAY ART WORKSHOPS

Through July and August, 9:00 a.m.–noon (ages 6–8); 1:00–4:00 p.m. (ages 9–11)

Emphasizing fine art techniques, materials and vocabulary, children will experience inspiration and the many ways in which artists work. Classes are taught by a NYS certified art educator. A fee of $20 per class for non-members and $15 for members per class includes materials and museum admission.

July 8–Creating Mystery Creatures

July 15–Still-Life

July 22–Fabric Collage Totes

July 29–Textured Tessellations

August 5–My Fantastic Room

August 12–Photography: Making the New Old

August 19–Botanical Brown Bag Books

August 26–Narrative Collage

More information and online registration is available through the Albany Institute’s website at www.albanyinstitute.org. Public requests for additional information should be addressed to Barbara Collins, Education Coordinator, (518) 463-4478, ext. 405; collinsb@albanyinstitute.org.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Albany, Albany Institute For History and Art

Albany Institute Honors Family, Artist at 2010 Gala

June 8, 2010 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

This Friday, June 11, 2010, the Albany Institute of History & Art will honor two longtime supporters at the 2010 Museum Gala: The John D. Picotte Family/Equinox Foundation and renowned artist Stephen Hannock.

Stephen Hannock is renowned for his atmospheric landscapes: compositions of flooded rivers, nocturnes, and large vistas that often incorporate text inscriptions that relate to family, friends, or events of daily life. One of Hannock’s masterpieces employing this technique is “The River Keeper,” which is currently on view in the Albany Institute’s galleries. “Many critics have compared Hannock’s paintings to Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church, and other 19th-century masters,” Miles said. “It is an honor to include Stephen Hannock’s work in exhibitions like Hudson River Panorama.”

Hannock’s paintings are represented in many private and public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the National Gallery of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the National Museum of American Art; Smith College Museum of Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, and the Albany Institute of History & Art. In 1998, Hannock’s work won an Academy Award for “Special Visual Effects” in the motion picture, What Dreams May Come. Hannock divides his time between his studios in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and New York City.

Also being honored at the 2010 Museum Gala is the John D. Picotte Family/Equinox Foundation, who have been a generous supporter of the Albany Institute. The 2010 Museum Gala recognizes them for their courage and vision in supporting the three-year planning, research, and design phases of the Institute’s landmark exhibition, Hudson River Panorama: 400 Years of History, Art, and Culture, now on display through January 2011.

“Few foundations support the planning and research phase of projects because tangible evidence is not obvious in a short period of time,” said Christine Miles, Executive Director of the Albany Institute. “However, it is impossible to create a multidimensional product without this essential support. Thanks to the Equinox Foundation, the Albany Institute has been able to advance our community’s understanding of our regional culture and heritage while working to build the area’s self-esteem.” The multi-pronged project included the involvement of renowned history and science scholars, community groups, teachers, parents, students, and other audiences throughout the design phase, which ultimately resulted in the most successful exhibition and programming in the Albany Institute’s 219-year history.

Tickets for the 2010 Museum Gala are still on sale, and may be purchased online by visiting www.albanyinstitute.org/gala.htm. For more information about the gala, its honorees, or donors, please contact Michael Weidrich, Director of Corporate Development, (518) 463-4478, ext. 414, or weidrichm@albanyinstitute.org.

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Albany Institute For History and Art, Art History, Public History

Albany Institute to Host Free Exibition Preview

June 3, 2010 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Tomorrow, Friday, June 4, 2010, the Albany Institute of History & Art will host a free reception and preview of the Tomorrow’s Masters Today exhibition, and will name a Master Class of 10 artists. Recently, the Art Auction Committee of the Albany Institute selected 50 original works of art from Capital Region artists to be included in Tomorrow’s Masters Today, an art exhibit and silent auction which will be a feature of the Institute’s 2010 Museum Gala on Friday, June 11, 2010. Tomorrow’s Master Today is part of an effort to promote up-and-coming artists of the Capital Region and highlight the growing artistic wealth of this area. Proceeds from the June 11 auction and gala will support the ongoing programming of the Albany Institute.

The June 4 reception and preview will be held at the Institute, 125 Washington Ave., Albany, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Additionally, on Friday, June 4, the Institute will remain open until 8:00 p.m., and admission to the galleries will be free as part of 1st Fridays, the downtown arts walk that showcases the thriving and lively art scene in downtown Albany. Live music by The Next Station will also be featured.

The Tomorrow’s Masters Today exhibition will be on display at the Albany Institute from June 4 through June 27. To view any of the 50 selected works online, visit www.albanyinstitute.org/tmt.htm. For more information about, or to purchase tickets online for the 2010 Museum Gala on June 11—honoring philanthropists John D. Picotte Family/Equinox Foundation and renowned artist, Stephen Hannock, visit www.albanyinstitute.org/gala.htm.

Filed Under: New Exhibits Tagged With: Albany, Albany Institute For History and Art, Art History

Albany Institute’s 50 ‘Tomorrows Artists Today’

May 27, 2010 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Albany Institute of History & Art is pleased to announce the 50 artists selected for its Tomorrow’s Masters Today Exhibition and Silent Auction. Selected from more than 120 entries, these 50 artists represent some of the Capital Region’s most promising new artists. Tomorrow’s Master Today is part of an effort to promote local artists and highlight the area’s growing artistic wealth.

The exhibition will be a highlight of the Albany Institute’s 2010 Museum Gala on Friday, June 11, and the works will be available for purchase in a silent auction to benefit the Albany Institute. An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Friday, June 4, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Ten of the exhibiting artists will be named to a “Master Class,” which will be announced at the reception. The exhibition will be on view at the museum throughout the month of June.

The 50 artists selected for the Tomorrow’s Masters Today Exhibition and Silent Auction are: David Arsenault, Gabrielle Becker, David Brickman, Joleen Button, Lorraine Chesin, Peter Combe, John Connors, Kristin DeFontes, Paul Deyss, Scott Donohue, Chip Fasciana, Raymond Felix, Jim Florsdorf, Mark Gregory, Audrey Grendahl Kuhn, Robin Guthridge, Theresa Hayes, Brian Hofmeister, Stephen Honicki, Tony Iadicicco, Sylvie Kantorovitz, Jenny Kemp, Chloe Kettlewell, David Kvam, Christopher Lislio, Stacy Livingston, Patricia Loonan Testo, Jason Blue Lake Hawk Martinez, Sarah Martinez, Gary Masline, Jessy Montrose, Gail Nadeau, Clifford Oliver, Dorothea Osborn, Wren Panzella, Bill Pettit III, Laurie Searl, Amy Shafer, Scott M. Smith, Susan Sommer, Susan Stuart, Marie Triller, Carl Voegtling, Catherine Wagner Minnery, Eileen Rice Walker, Sarah Walroth, Tommy Watkins, Michael Weidrich, John W.Yost, and Leif Zurmuhlen.

The selected works may be viewed online.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Albany, Albany County, Albany Institute For History and Art, Art History

Len Tantillo on Painting The Hudson Valley: History and Process

April 23, 2009 by Editorial Staff 3 Comments

Len Tantillo, an artist born and raised in upstate New York, will speak on “Painting the Valley: History and Process,” this Sunday, April 26, 2009 at 2pm at the Albany Institute of History and Art. Tantillo is New York’s premiere painter of historical subjects.

In 1980, Tantillo was commissioned to depict a series of 19th-century structures from
archeological artifacts and historic documents. Similar projects followed, many of which were located along the banks of the Hudson River near Albany. In 1984, Tantillo left commercial art and began the full-time pursuit of fine art. He has spent the last 25 years creating numerous historical and marine paintings, which have continued to draw a wide audience. Tantillo’s work shows the combined influence of the luminists of the 19th century and the great marine artists of the past.

You can see much of his work on the web here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Albany Institute For History and Art, Art History, Len Tantillo

Tammis Groft and Museum and History Advocacy

August 22, 2008 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

One of New York’s museum leading lights, Tammis Groft, was recently mentioned over at Suzanne Fischer’s Public Historian blog in a post calling for more blogging about museum and history advocacy:

Among AAM’s projects is museum advocacy on a national level. Recently, they sent Tammis K. Groft, deputy director of collections and exhibits at the Albany Institute of History and Art [above], to Washington as a “citizen-lobbyist” to speak to a committee about the importance of NEH Preservation and Access Grants. She wrote a few blog posts on the subject on the AAM’s advocacy blog. PAG grants are a major way museums of all sizes fund collections stewardship projects, and the funding for the program is slated to be cut by 50% next year. Contact your elected officials to advocate for NEH conservation programs!

The Humanities Advocacy Network is also a great resource for humanities advocacy, including preservation and history programs. You can sign up to get action alerts and email your representatives from the page.

I’d love to see more blogging from AAM or other organizations on museum and history advocacy issues. The wrangling over appropriations can be very opaque, and a human voice really helps to clarify issues and make advocacy work seem much more possible for small museum professionals and those without much lobbying practice. (My occasional posts about Minnesota cultural legislation don’t cut it.)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Albany Institute For History and Art, Museums-Archives-Historic Sites

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