At the Museum: October Days are Flying by at LRMA

October is promising to be the busiest month of 2009 for the education department at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art. On October 3, we held our annual Heritage Arts Festival on the front lawn of the Museum. We had our biggest crowd yet, and everyone enjoyed the free art activities, music, and beautiful weather. We hope that next year will be even better.

This past week, we had a visit from a wonderful Mississippi artist, Dot Courson. Ms. Courson is from Pontotoc, Mississippi, and creates beautiful landscapes in oil. She spoke at our October Art Talk on Thursday and held a one-day workshop on Friday. It was a great experience and we hope to have her back again.

This Tuesday and Thursday are going to be exciting days at LRMA because we are conducting our Fourth Grade Tours Program. For years, the Museum held its Third Grade Tours Program in the fall of the year but is gearing the program for fourth graders this year as this age level studies the state of Mississippi and Native Americans. The Fourth Grade Tours Program will introduce approximately 800 local students to our By Native Hands Basket Collection, as well as allow them to experience a Choctaw weaving demonstration and a dance by Choctaw dancers. The students will enjoy immersing themselves in Native American culture while creating art activities to take back to the classroom.

Is this all that we have on the schedule this month at LRMA? Of course not! On Thursday, October 29, we will hold our Trick Art Treat Halloween Art Class for children in grades K5 through sixth. The class is from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in the Museum Annex. Call the Museum today for prices and to reserve your child’s spot in this spooky class! If your children are home-schooled, don’t forget about our Home School Fridays, which will take place this month on Friday, October 30. This is a great opportunity for your child to create a fun and free craft and to socialize with other home-schooled children. This event is from 1- 4 p.m. in the Museum Annex. If you have any questions about any of the programs offered by LRMA, please call the Museum at (601)649-6374. We have something for everyone at LRMA, so come by this month!



Angela King is Education Outreach Coordinator at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.

Workshop this Friday: Dot Courson

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will offer an oil painting workshop by artist Dot Courson for beginning to intermediate level painters on October 15 - 17 in the Carriage House Studio. Times for the workshop are 6 - 8 p.m. (Thurs. Oct. 15) and 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. (Friday, Oct. 16 and Sat., Oct. 17).

Pontotoc artist Dot Courson, whose work has been featured throughout Mississippi, will lead this 3-day workshop. Through demonstration and instruction, the class will teach the elements of painting landscapes in plein air with a focus on trees in landscapes. Workshop participants will be instructed on basic compositions, design, and use of color in the southern landscapes. There will be lectures, slides, demos, and a closing critique of the students’ work.

Instruction will cover simplifying subject matter, values, color, and composition. Students will paint from their own landscape photographs and are asked to bring four or five of their own original photographs of landscapes. Participants should obtain a supply list upon registration. The workshop will be limited to 12 participants. The cost is $80 for LRMA members and $100 for non-members.

Call the Museum at 601.649.6374 to register for the workshop.

Art Talk, October 15

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art presents artist Dot Courson as its next ArtTalk speaker Thursday, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Lower Level Lecture Hall. Free and open to the public. For more information call 601.649.6374 or visit www.LRMA.org.

For more information about Dot Courson,visit her website at www.DotCourson.com