Fall is Fun at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art

As I sit down to write this article, my head is buzzing with all of the things going on this fall for the education staff at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art. We have just finished two pottery classes, one for children and one for adults. Our annual Heritage Arts Festival was on Saturday the 1^st and with gorgeous weather it was better than ever. Heritage Festival is one of our most labor-intensive events of the year, but also one of the most enjoyable because it is filled with fun and excitement, mainly for the children who come, but also for adults.

On Thursday, October 6, the Concentrated Drawing class with teacher Cassie Marcellino will begin in our Carriage House Studio. The class runs for four weeks on Thursday nights from 6:00 to 8:00. This class is great for people who want to learn how to draw but don’t know where to begin. Anyone from junior high to adults are welcome and supplies are included. To sign up for this class, please call the museum at (601) 649-6374.

Later in October, we will have our annual Fourth Grade Tours program. We call this event our "Choctaw Days" because local Choctaw visit the museum to perform their traditional dances and demonstrate basket weaving to local school children. The students who visit are given a tour of our By Native Hands Basket Gallery and experience a truly interactive field trip with hands-on art activities and the Choctaw demonstrations. So far we expect about 500 students on October 18 and October 19.

At the end of October, our Trick Art Treat Halloween art class will wrap up the fun for the month. On November 11, we will have the annual Very Special Arts Festival at the Cameron Center in Laurel. This is one of my favorite days out of the year because Very Special Arts Festival is just for students with special needs, and every year the students who come have a wonderful time. This year’s theme is "Beach Party" and promises to bring the fun of summer into the cold days of November. This event is held in conjunction with the Laurel Junior Auxiliary and the Laurel Arts League.

The Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color exhibition is open through November 6. This is a fascinating show that allows the viewer to see the work of an important American artist over the span of her entire life. We also have wonderful family guides that go along with the show as well as a hands-on mask collage that kids can make in the gallery. I hope that you will be able to join us for some of the great things happening at Lauren Rogers.

At the Museum: All About Internships

Museum Internships

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art has partnered with the University of Southern Mississippi to offer unpaid internships to interested students. The Museum offers internships in the areas of education and outreach, marketing and public relations, library and archives and the curatorial department. These internships can be used for class credit with approval from the student’s department chairperson. Sessions mirror the fall, spring and summer class schedules with each internship consisting of 150 hours.

LRMA requires students to complete the Internship Application Form which can be found on the Museum's website www.LRMA.org (click on About and then Staff). The application can be found at the bottom of the page.

We also ask the student to submit a resumé with full contact information for three professional references and a cover letter explaining their reasons for applying. Applications are due 30 days prior to the beginning of the requested semester and a student must have completed at least two full years of college. Other requirements are listed in the application.

While USM has been our main source of college interns, the Museum will gladly accept students from other colleges and universities by following the same application process.

The Museum has been fortunate to have many dedicated and committed students to work through an internship program here at the Museum. Some of the past interns have accepted museum jobs in other locations after gaining experience at LRMA.
While student interns focus on work in one area, we feel it is important for the intern to work a few hours in other departments to get a well-rounded knowledge of the various departments.

This summer we welcomed Hayley Ivy, a Hattiesburg native and a USM art major, to the internship program. She has been invaluable to the curatorial department by assisting with exhibition display, label research and writing, and file organization.
When interviewed, Hayley stated, "my favorite part of the internship is seeing the process of how an exhibition comes together. There were things I have learned during my time at LRMA that I hadn’t considered before – such as taking an idea to the Board for approval, the marketing of an exhibition, the process of installation and making it available to the public along with the educational aspect of training docents for tours."

Hayley shared her reason for applying for the internship was for resumé building and exploring art as a career. "I'm unsure of what part of the art field I would like to pursue. I would be happy to apply for an internship at other museums to have a broader range of information," says Hayley.

Museum internships exist formally at most medium to large museums and informally at small institutions. Many small museums have only 1-5 staff members and welcome dependable help in the form of volunteers.

We have accepted assistance from students who can't devote their time to the academic schedule of a formal internship but would simply like to volunteer their time to learn more about the profession. Formal internships mean that the student can work on more sustained and long-term projects. Our limited staff prevents us from accepting multiple interns in one department at the same time, so if you're interested, please apply early.

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art is open to the public Tuesdays - Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. and on Sundays 1-4 p.m. For additional information, check the website at www.LRMA.org or call 601-649-6374.

Tommie Rodgers is the registrar at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.

Guest Blogger: George Bassi

“Are you busy at the Museum in the summer?” That is a question we are asked a lot this time of year at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.

Summer has become our busiest season, thanks to a terrific education program under the direction of Curator of Education Mandy Buchanan and Education Outreach Coordinator Angie King. From art classes in our two studios to off-site programs around our six-county area, the summer is full of hands-on activities for children and adults.

Two weeks of Art Camp were just completed, and it is fun to see children leaving the Museum with paintings, collages and t-shirts that they created. The educational role of museums is at the core of museum service to the public and is the founding principal of this institution.

Through our free admission and our strong programming, we work constantly to serve the public by preserving our cultural, artistic and historical heritage. That is our role in Laurel and Jones County, and that is the role of more than 17,500 museums across this country. Together, museums preserve and protect more than a billion objects in their collections, and Americans trust us to interpret them. According to a study by Indiana University, museums are considered a more reliable source of historical information than books or teachers.

This summer has also been one of our busiest in terms of visitors to our exhibitions. Two popular exhibits of local interest, Focus on Fashion and Laurel Collects: Vintage Toys, have attracted multi-generations of families into our doors. Our popularity mirrors that of other museums across the country. Americans from all income and education ranges visit museums, and the latest statistics indicate that two-thirds of American adults visit a museum each year. There are nearly 850 million visits per year to U. S. museums– more than the attendance for all professional sporting events and theme parks combined.

Once school begins in a few weeks, museums in our country will spend more than $2.2 billion during the year on education, with the majority spent on K-12 student programming. Museums annually receive more than 90 million visits each year from students in school groups. Here at LRMA, we follow suit by committing two of our ten full-time staff members to education and attracting thousands of school children each year from a primarily rural audience. Thanks to Museum members who support our “Adopt-A-Bus” fund, we can reach schools that might not otherwise be able to afford a bus trip.

Museums are also economic development engines, with U.S. museums contributing $21 billion to the American economy each year. Communities recognize that the arts, humanities and museums are critical to the quality of life and livability of American cities and towns.

Based on our busy summer here at the Museum, I think we are definitely adding to the livability of Laurel and Jones County.

George Bassi, Executive Director

Guest Blogger: Allyn Boone

Since opening in 1923, the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art has reached out to our community with an outstanding permanent collection, exciting temporary exhibitions, and innovative education programs. Today, LRMA is recognized across the United States as one of the best mid-sized art museums in the country.

LRMA members make this possible. Annual membership contributions allow LRMA to care for and expand the permanent collection, bring nationally significant temporary exhibitions to our area, and create education programs that introduce thousands of children and adults to the visual arts.

Members receive benefits ranging from personal invitations to exhibitions to discounts on Museum Show purchases to complimentary tickets to the LRMA Gala. Additionally, LRMA members have the benefit of knowing that they are making a difference in our community by supporting the Museum’s educational mission through their annual membership donations.

Throughout its history, LRMA has never charged an admission fee. The Museum’s founders felt that LRMA should be a gift to the community, and we do, too. More than 90 percent of LRMA programs and activities are open to the public free of charge, thanks to the generosity of LRMA members and supporters.

Many LRMA members choose to make an additional contribution to provide transportation stipends for schools that bring students to the Museum for tours and activities. The LRMA Adopt-a-Bus fund allows the Museum to reimburse schools for transportation expenses, ensuring that more children are able to visit LRMA.

Membership is the cornerstone of LRMA support. The generosity of Museum members allows LRMA to achieve the level of excellence for which we are known throughout the nation – from caring for our collections to presenting masterworks by lehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifgendary artists to creating learning opportunities for children and families. We consider our members to be our partners, and we invite you to join with us for an exciting year of high-quality collections, exhibitions, and education programs.

For information about joining LRMA, call the Museum office at 601-649-6374 or visit our website at www.LRMA.org. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Allyn Boone is Director of Development at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.

Vintage galore this summer...

We have vintage toys on display, vintage fashion photographs, and today I've just put up a small show of vintage travel posters. Although the travel and war posters in our vaults are not part of the official art collection, they've been part of the museum's history since the very beginning. Ella Bradley, the museum's first director and librarian, collected advertising and war posters and, according to legend, stored them under an Oriental rug in her office. In the late 1990s, Museum staff called on experts in vintage posters to help us decide which to keep, frame, and exhibit. That project resulted in the retention of 60+ high-quality vintage posters. We occasionally exhibit them here, and sometimes send them out on loan to other organizations.

Since we had some room left over in the Lower Level Galleries after installing the Vintage Toys and Games show, I went ahead and selected twenty travel posters to hang in the Lecture Hall. Of those, four are posters for travel to the Mississippi Gulf Coast via Illinois Central Railroad. These have never been exhibited at the Museum, having been unframed until a year or so ago. Two feature golfers, and two feature horseback riders. The styles of the posters range from illustration-style to Art Deco to somewhat Cubist, and locations from Biloxi to Germany.

Two shows opened this week

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will present two summer exhibitions for 2011 - Curator’s Choice: Focus on Fashion and Laurel Collects XI: Vintage Toys and Games. Both exhibitions will be on display from June 21 - August 14, 2011.

The public is invited to attend the opening for the exhibitions on Sunday, June 26. David Longest, guest curator for Laurel Collects XI, will give a Gallery Talk at 2 p.m. and LRMA Curator Jill Chancey, PhD will speak on photography. A reception will follow.

Curator’s Choice: Focus on Fashion features a selection of fashion photographs ranging from the 1940s to early 1960s. Laurel native Charlotte Payne worked in New York, Japan, and Europe during that time period, and her personal and professional photo collection is currently in local hands. Those who have been watching the TV show Mad Men, or who remember the styles of the ‘50s and ‘60s, will find a lot of familiar material in this exhibition. This nearly twenty-year survey will show how quickly fashion and images of fashion changed during the post-war years and how clothing and styling changed again around 1960.

Charlotte Payne was crowned “Miss Laurel” in the late 1930s. After a brief marriage and a stint working for the war effort in Jackson in the early 1940s, she moved to New York and signed with the prestigious John Robert Powers Agency. She began as a juniors model. Her baby face and “girl-next-door” look kept her in juniors for nearly ten years before she “graduated” to more sophisticated work. She appeared in hundreds of ads and on the covers of such magazines as Life, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Junior Bazaar, and many others.

The exhibition will feature approximately 60 photos, tear-sheets, proofs, and contact sheets that show the development of both the fashions in the photos, and the style of fashion photography. The show will also illustrate the career arc of a successful fashion model during the pre-supermodel years, from juniors catalogue work to the cover of Vogue, when models were meant to be anonymous chameleons, not celebrities.

Curator’s Choice is generously sponsored by Gilchrist, Sumrall, Yoder & Boone, LLC.

Laurel Collects XI, organized by LRMA and the Laurel Arts League, will feature vintage toys and games from Laurel and Jones County collections. Previous “Laurel Collects” exhibitions have been devoted to furniture, portraiture, Asian art, and the work of Laurel native Billy Ford. Toys in the show include rare early Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls – and even rarer, their nanny, Beloved Belindy; three different kinds of train sets; Barbie and GI Joe dolls and many more. Visitors will find familiar faces and traces of childhood memories in this exhibition.

David Longest, a lifelong collector of toys, has written nine books on antiques including Collecting Disneyana, Toys, Antique and Collectible, Character Toys and Collectibles, and Santa Claus Collectibles. He was a feature writer and contributing editor of the national Toy Shop news magazine as well as a feature writer for Collector’s Showcase magazine. Longest has been a guest lecturer on the subject of antiques for various regional organizations and is also a published playwright. He is an award-winning high school theatre director whose drama program has been featured on Showtime and The Movie Channel cable networks and in the arts section of The New York Times. Longest has won numerous national teaching awards including the D.A.R.’s National American History Medal and the U.S. Dept. of Education’s Presidential Scholar Teacher Recognition Award.

LRMA Director George Bassi said “Laurel Collects is a terrific tradition in our community, and we are pleased to present this latest installment with the continued cooperation and assistance of the Laurel Arts League. Over the decades, thishttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif unique exhibition series has staged a variety of collectible shows, and vintage toys will surely please visitors of all ages.”


Laurel Collects XI is generously sponsored by Laurel Arts League and Laurel Bone & Joint Clinic.

Visit us on Facebook to see installation views of each of these exhibitions.

Guest Blogger: Angie King

Summer Art is Hot at LRMA!

The summer is in full swing at Lauren Rogers Museum of Art. This Wednesday will be the last Free Family Art day for the summer, so don=t miss it! Swing by our Museum Annex between 1 and 4 p.m. on June 29 to create a fun, Fourth of July-themed project.

For more free art activities from the LRMA education staff, check out some of your local libraries. LRMA staff will offer an art activity on Monday, June 27 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Mize Public Library and an activity from 2 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 30 at the Petal Public Library. These collage activities are based on the summer reading theme, AOne World, Many Stories.@

Local art teacher Cassie Marcellino is offering a concentrated drawing class for ages junior high to adult every Thursday in July from 10 a.m. until noon beginning July 7. There are still a few spots open in this class, so call now to make your reservation! Also being offered in July is "Aqueous Painting" with LRMA Registrar Tommie Rodgers. This class will teach participants about alternative techniques for printing and painting with water-based media. This is a one-day workshop on Wednesday, July 13 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and includes lunch. This class is open for junior high students to adults. Both weeks of the annual LRMA Summer Art Camp are booked this July but there is a waiting list for those who are still interested. In August, the education staff is offering an all new class called "Girls' Night Art." This class is designed for adult participants of all skill levels to come and make a fun and creative still-life painting to take home that night. This class will be held on Thursday, August 25 from 6 - 9 p.m. in the Carriage House Studio. Make your plans now and call to sign up. Paint supplies will be provided. To find out more about dates or class information, please call the Museum at (601) 649-6374.

The Guild of Docents and Volunteers turned forty this year...

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art Guild of Docents and Volunteers held its annual Awards Luncheon Tuesday, May 17 at the Museum. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the LRMA Guild which began with its first class of docents in 1971.




Those present from the 1971 class of LRMA docents pictured from left to right are:
Mary Anne Sumrall, Read Diket, Stephanie Robinson, Bobbie Lou Green, Bonnie Jones, Jean Ellis Davis, Peggy Schneider, and Margie Hauenstein.




Past Presidents of the LRMA Guild were honored. Pictured from left to right are:
Read Diket (1974-75), Louise Welborn (2009-10), Mary Anne Sumrall (2006-07), Pat Chesser (1980-81), Beth Thompson (1997-98), Donna Applewhite (1999-2000), Dell Scoper (1991-92), Barbara Sauls (2002-03), Joan Brumfield (1998-99), Bobbie Lou Green (1978-79), Gay Morgan (2001-02), Margaret Ann Fortenberry (2005-06), Catherine Nowicki (2008-09), Peggy Schneider (1975-76), Bunny Windham (1989-90), Jean Ellis Davis (1976-77), Dianne Dudley (1986-87), Lizabeth Brumley (2004-05), and Rosemary Norton (2010-11).

Dive into Summer fun at LRMA

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art Education Department has a busy summer art program with a variety of classes for all ages.

Free Family Art will be offered Wednesdays in June from 1 until 4 p.m. in the Museum Annex. These classes will feature a variety of free art experiences for children and families. No reservations are required for these “make-and-take” summer classes.


LRMA will also offer free art activities at the Townley Center as part of the Laurel Housing Authority’s Summer Programs. These classes will be offered from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Mondays during June and July.


Art Camp will be offered twice this summer. Students may sign up for the July 12- 15th session or the July 19 - 22nd session. The theme for this year's Art Camp is “Celebrating Mississippi Artists.” Projects will include art work based on the works of several Mississippi artists in the LRMA collection. Students will make pottery, paint, and explore printmaking techniques. Be sure to sign up early before the classes are full!


In the Carriage House Studio, we will offer Children’s Pottery Camp Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 7, 9, 14 and 16. Grades K5-6 will meet from 10 a.m. - noon or 2 – 4 p.m.

Participants will create functional and sculptural pottery using hand-building and wheel- throwing techniques. This class always fills up quickly so we encourage anyone interested to sign up at their earliest convenience.



We are also offering two new studio classes for middle school students to adults in the Carriage House Studio.

Tommie Rodgers will lead an Aqueous Painting workshop Wednesday, July 13 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. This experimental process of painting is about moving paint with water. Painters of all levels are encouraged to participate in this class. Materials and lunch are provided and registration is required.

Cassie Marcellino will lead a Concentrated Drawing Class for the beginning to intermediate art student. This class will be offered Thursday mornings in July from 10 a.m. until noon. Students will be introduced to basic drawing techniques using different drawing media. Supplies are included and registration is required.

Because girls just want to have fun, we are offering “Girls Night Art” Thursday, August 25, from 6 until 9 p.m. This class promises a good time; so, ladies, get your girlfriends together and sign up! All materials are provided to create your own canvas masterpiece!

To register for any of these summer programs, please contact Liz Brumley at 601. 649. 6374 or info@LRMA.org. We have art programs for everyone in the family. Also, a tour of the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art is a great way to beat the heat on a summer afternoon! For more information, contact Mandy Buchanan or Angie King at 601.649.6374.

Mandy Buchanan is Curator of Education at Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will hold its 18th Annual “Blues Bash” Friday, June 3 from 6:30 - 10:30 p.m. on the Museum’s front lawn. This year’s event will feature The House Rockers, a well-known blues party band from Jackson, Mississippi.



The House Rockers, a 9-piece blues band, received recognition for their contributions to blues music when the State of Mississippi erected a Mississippi Blues Trail historical marker at the legendary Subway Lounge in Jackson where they played. For 15 years, the House Rockers was the lounge’s mainstay band and were fronted by singers Levon Lindsey, Abdul Rasheed, and the King Edward (Antoine) Blues Band. Featured in the Robert Mugge documentary Last of the Mississippi Jukes, the House Rockers’ brand of blues carries infectious grooves, screaming guitars and scorching horns.



Blues Bash tickets are $25 each and include a barbecue dinner from The Smokehouse of Laurel. Tickets may be purchased at the Museum or by contacting 601.649.6374 or info@LRMA.org by Wednesday, June 1. Guests should bring a lawn chair or blanket. In case of rain, Blues Bash will be held at The Reserve.



Blues Bash is sponsored by Southern Beverage Company, BancorpSouth, Chancellor Supply, Eagle Transportation, Ellis and Walters Dental Care, Gholson Burson Entrekin & Orr, PLLC, Kim’s Chrysler Toyota, The Koerber Company, Roy Rogers Body Shop, Coca-Cola of Laurel, Laurel Leader-Call, Rock 104, and WDAM-TV. Proceeds from Blues Bash support the Museum’s education program.

Guest Blogger: Holly Green

AT THE MUSEUM –


Just get ready – it’s going to be great! Lauren Rogers Museum of Art has an action-packed summer planned with activities and events to entertain and enlighten the entire family.

I’ll begin with our upcoming summer exhibitions which are interesting, and a bit whimsical. The 11th installment of Laurel Collects will open on June 21. The theme of this exhibition is Vintage Toys and Games. Laurel Arts League has again partnered with us to put together a show built around collections found in Laurel and Jones County, having had earlier exhibits composed of Asian art, furniture, and portraiture. This exhibition is sure to be appealing and nostalgic.

Word was put out via local media asking residents of Laurel and Jones County to dig through their attics for vintage toys, games, and dolls and bring them in for us to see. There were only two prerequisites - the items had to be manufactured prior to 1970 and they must be in good condition. Last weekend, we brought in an expert who selected the toys that would actually be in the exhibition. The Museum staff and guild members were even allowed to submit toys. Personally, I was a little rough with my childhood toys and they were not in exactly the most acceptable condition. If only I hadn’t colored in Miss Beasley’s polka dots and pierced her ears with my stapler – perhaps my favorite doll might be making her debut at LRMA.

A second summer exhibition, also opening on June 21, is our curator’s choice. Focus on Fashion will feature a selection of fashion photos ranging from the 1940s to the early 1960s. Laurel native Charlotte Payne worked as a model in New York, Japan, and Europe during that time period, and her personal and professional photo collection is currently in local hands. Our exhibition will feature approximately 60 photos, tear-sheets, proofs, and contact sheets from that collection. If you have an interest in fashion or photography or both, this is going to be a lovely and unique exhibition that shouldn’t be missed.

Probably our most laid-back event of the year, Blues Bash will be held Friday, June 3. Those of you who have been coming to this event for the past 18 years know how much fun it is to spend a summer evening on these beautiful grounds. If you’ve never been or it has been a while, you really need to make plans to be here. We always have good music, but the band this year is going to be outstanding. The Houserockers were the mainstay band at the infamous Subway Lounge in Jackson, now on the Mississippi Historic Blues Trail. This band has a faithful following and their slogan is “Ain’t no party like a Houserocker party, ‘cause a houserocker party don’t stop!” Smokehouse of Laurel will be cooking up some delicious barbecue to make the night complete. Go ahead and call now to get your tickets. And don’t forget your lawn chairs.

We also have a slate of art activities to entertain and educate the kids this summer. In June, we will offer Children’s Pottery Camp and Free Family Art. July will bring Summer Art Camp, a painting workshop by our own Tommie Rodgers (LRMA registrar), and a drawing class led by Cassie Marcellino. Then in August, I anticipate record participation for a new event we’re calling “Girls Night Art.” You can learn about these classes on the Museum’s website, www.LRMA.org ,or call 601.649.6374 for further details. Be sure and sign up early as the summer classes are always popular and space is always limited.

Check us out on the web, become our Facebook fan, or follow us on Twitter. However you choose to keep up, be sure and make Lauren Rogers Museum of Art your hub for summer fun and entertainment!



Holly Green is Director of Marketing at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.

Sarah Scott spoke at LRMA this afternoon

Look! We have proof! Scott, a member of Studio Art Quilts Associates, spoke about the art of quilting in conjunction with our exhibition, 12 Voices, which was organized by SAQA.

As a side note, some of you may have noticed that there are only *eleven* artists in the 12 Voices exhibition. It's true, art majors can't count.

Kidding! No, actually, one of the artists pulled out as the show was about to go on the road, which was a decision between SAQA and the artist, not a decision made by LRMA. We're sorry if you come to see the show and are disappointed that you only get to see the eleven artists - but the eleven we have ARE fantastic. Come see for yourself.

April Art Talk: Sarah Scott

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will present ArtTalk on Thursday, April 21 at noon in the Museum’s Stairwell Gallery. Gulf Coast quilt artist Sarah Scott will be the featured speaker.

Sarah Scott of Pass Christian, Mississippi, has worked with fiber and fabric since she was three years old when she first crocheted. She made her own prom dresses and eventually wedding gowns for her daughters. In 1999, she retired from her job at the Naval Research Laboratory and took up quilting as an art. She studied with many well-known quilters at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina. Scott says “my art quilts seem to take on lives of their own sometime after fabric selection and before binding.” Scott is a member of Studio Art Quilt Associates.

Art Talk, sponsored by West Quality Food Services, Inc., is free and open to the public. Guests are invited to bring a sack lunch. Desserts and beverages will be provided.

Did I mention there's a silent auction during A Taste of Art & Wine?

Linwood McClain, President of Trustmark Bank, and Rhonda Proli hold items that will be in the Silent Auction at A Taste of Art and Wine, the annual fund-raiser for the Rogers-Green House to be held Friday, April 15 from 7 - 10 p.m. Sponsors for the event are Trustmark Bank, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Sauls, and Dr. and Mrs. Joe Proli, as well as the LRMA Guild of Docents and Volunteers. This year’s event will feature dinner, wine and spirits, and a silent auction which will include artwork by Mississippi artists, as well as wines and wine accessories. Music will be provided by James Ducker of Laurel and Walt Lucas of Jackson. Tickets are $45 per person with proceeds from the event going toward the renovation and preservation of the house and grounds. To purchase tickets contact Liz Brumley at the Museum at 601.649.6374 or info@LRMA.org by Wednesday, April 13.

"12 Voices" exhibition open now!

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will present the exhibition Twelve Voices on display in the Lower Level Galleries through June 5, 2011. An opening reception will be held Sunday, March 27 following a concert in the LRMA American Gallery beginning at 2 p.m.

This exhibition of art quilts, organized by Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc., presents 26 works by 12 outstanding artists who use quilting as their means of artistic expression. Juror Penny McMorris, in her selections, offers the viewer a magnificent array of works by artists who present a diverse range of imagery in their quilts. McMorris notes that the exhibition offers a “rare, in-depth look at twelve of the finest quilt artists working today. Some are known worldwide. Others are fresh faces displaying a strong and promising talent.”

SAQA is a non-profit organization with more than 2,000 members in 29 countries. Its mission is to promote the art quilt through education, exhibitions, professional development, and documentation. Its artist members are leaders in the field, known for innovation and pushing the boundaries of the medium.

The exhibition is generously sponsored by Jefferson Medical and Robison Tire Co, Inc.

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art is a private, non-profit organization operating for the benefit of the public. The Museum is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street in historic downtown Laurel. The galleries are open from 10 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and I - 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. For more information call 601-649-6374 or visit www.LRMA.org.


IMAGE:

Kathy Weaver, Cyborg Female 6: Cunning Reversal, 2004

"Twelve Voices in Song" this Sunday, March 27

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will present “Twelve Voices in Song,” a Sunday Concert on Sunday, March 27 at 2 p.m. in the LRMA American Gallery. The concert is being held in conjunction with the opening of the LRMA exhibition Twelve Voices. An opening reception for the exhibition will immediately follow the concert.

The concert program will include songs by Donizetti, Gershwin, Gounod, Puccini, and Verdi. The vocalists are students of Dr. Maryann Kyle at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Cierra Hodo is a freshman from West Point, MS, majoring in vocal performance. At West Point High School, Hodo played the roles of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Laurey in Oklahoma!. She graduated from the Mississippi School of the Arts.

Sarah Childers is a junior Vocal Performance major from Fulton, MS. She recently sang the role of the Rose in Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince. She has performed in the musical Company (Jenny), Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi (Ciesca), Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci (chorus), Puccini’s La Bohème (chorus), and in Ragtime (chorus).

John White has performed throughout the United States and internationally as a soloist. Notable operatic roles include Schaunard in Puccini’s La Bohème, Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata, The Count in highlights from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and Blackbeard Teach in Moore’s Devil and Daniel Webster. As a concert soloist, White has sung numerous works including Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. White works frequently as a worship leader, Christian recording artist, and keyboardist.

Angeley Marullo-Butler is a sophomore Vocal Performance and Business Management major. She has performed in the Jackson area since 2005.

Hilary Bounds is a freshman Vocal Performance major. She recently appeared in The Little Prince as The Fox.

Grace Claire Cordes is a freshman Vocal Performance major. She recently appeared as the Rose in The Little Prince.

Danielle Adams, from Fulton, MS, is a junior Vocal Performance major. She recently appeared as The Fox in The Little Prince and the Grandmother in Little Red Riding Hood.

Sara Linger is a junior Vocal Performance major from Ocean Springs, MS. Linger was recently seen in The Little Prince, playing the title character, and La Bohème as the understudy for Musetta.

Mattie Obregon is a senior Vocal Performance major from Marion, Virginia. She has performed the roles of Mimi in Puccini's La Bohème, Donna Anna from Mozart's Don Giovanni, Nella from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and the title role in Puccini's Suor Angelica.

Tara Melvin is a New Orleans native with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Orleans and a Master of Music degree from Southeastern Louisiana University. Melvin is currently a doctoral student at U. S. M. She has appeared in such roles as Nella in Gianni Schicchi, Sally/Ida in Die Fledermaus and Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro.

Also from New Orleans, Tyrone Hayes is a second year doctoral student . He recently sung the roles of Marcello in La Bohème and Tonio in I Pagliacci. Hayes received his Masters degree in Voice Performance from Southeastern Louisiana University and Bachelor's degree in Music from the University of New Orleans.

Originally from Meridian, MS, Lori Joyner is a doctoral student at U.S.M. She has a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Mississippi. While at Ole Miss, Lori performed the roles of Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, and Mrs. Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor.

This Sunday Concert is presented by the Hattiesburg Civic Chorus and Concert Association and sponsored by Tim Lawrence of of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC of Jackson. The concert is free and open to the public.


The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street in historic downtown Laurel. For more information, call 601.649.6374 or visit the Museum’s website at www.LRMA.org.

Laurel Collects XI: Vintage Toys

Laurel Collects XI: Vintage Toys and Games

The 11th “Laurel Collects” exhibition, organized by the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art and the Laurel Arts League, will feature vintage toys and games from Laurel and Jones County collections. Previous “Laurel Collects” exhibitions have been devoted to furniture, portraiture, Asian art, and the work of Laurel native Billy Ford. The exhibition will take place in the Museum’s Lower Level Galleries from June 21 - August 14, 2011.

David Longest, an expert and author on vintage toys who teaches theater in New Albany, Indiana, will visit Laurel to select works for the show on April 30.

LRMA welcomes exhibition entries from any resident of Laurel or Jones County. The Museum will be looking for toys, games, and dolls made before 1970 that are in good condition, but will accept no more than five entries per person. Anyone interested in loaning to the exhibition is asked to bring their items to the Museum between 10 am and 4 pm on April 27-29. Please contact LRMA with a photo if objects are too large to be carried by one person. For a larger object, it may be possible to make other arrangements for the curator to view it.

For more information about “Laurel Collects XI”, contact Museum curator Jill Chancey at jchancey@LRMA.org or 601-649-6374.

A Taste of Art & Wine, 2011

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will host its annual event A Taste of Art & Wine to benefit the Rogers-Green House on Friday, April 15 from 7 - 10 p.m. at the Rogers-Green House.

This year’s event will feature dinner, wine and spirits, and a silent auction which will include artwork by Mississippi artists, as well as wines and wine accessories. Music will be provided by James Ducker of Laurel and Walt Lucas of Jackson. Tickets are $45 per person with proceeds from the event going toward the renovation and preservation of the house and grounds.

Built in 1903 by Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Rogers, the Rogers-Green House was the childhood home of Lauren Eastman Rogers and was donated to the Eastman Memorial Foundation by Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner Green, Sr. The house was occupied by the Museum in 2003, and is utilized for museum offices and activities and as a rental facility for private events and social gatherings.

A Taste of Art & Wine is chaired by LRMA Guild member Janet Blouin. The event is generously supported by Silver Sponsors Trustmark Bank and Mr. and Mrs. Gary Sauls, and Bronze Sponsors Dr. And Mrs. Joe Proli. The event is also sponsored by the LRMA Guild of Docents and Volunteers.

To purchase tickets contact Liz Brumley at the Museum at 601.649.6374 or info@LRMA.org by Wednesday, April 13.

Image: A Taste of Art and Wine fund-raising committee pictured left to right are:
Janet Blouin, Chair, Barbara McAlpin, Decorations, Pat Holifield, Decorations, Barbara Sauls, Fund-raising, Sherry Shows, Food, Sydney Swartzfager, Fund-raising, Mary Anne Sumrall, Fund-raising, Cynthia Sheppard, Decorations, Rosemary Norton, LRMA Guild President. Not pictured Patti Slocki, Food Chair.

March Art Talk: Adam Trest

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will present ArtTalk on Thursday, March 17 at noon in the Museum’s Lower Level Lecture Hall. Laurel artist Adam Trest will be the featured speaker.

A native of Laurel, Mississippi, Adam Trest is a graduate of Mississippi State University, where he received a bachelor of fine arts with an emphasis in painting. His work primarily being portraiture, Trest also addresses the idea of narrative happening within his work. Currently teaching art at St. John's Day School, as well as privately at Oak Street Place, he is an active member on the Board of Directors at the Laurel Little Theatre as Set Designer. Trest recently designed and built the sets for both LLT's To Kill a Mockingbird, and JCJC's production of Little Shop of Horrors. He also manages the Oak Street Place Gallery, and is currently illustrating a children's book written by Kathy Ellzey.

Art Talk, sponsored by West Quality Food Services, Inc., is free and open to the public. Guests are invited to use the North Garden Entrance and bring a sack lunch. Desserts and beverages will be provided.

At the Museum: Spring Art Classes

“Spring into Art Classes at the Museum”

March is going to be a busy month at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art. Our children's pottery class has just wrapped up, and the adult pottery class is getting into full swing. This class is full, but don't worry because we will offer another one very soon!

The education department has several exciting activities planned for children to keep them busy over Spring Break. On Tuesday, March 15, LRMA will host its fourth annual Spring Break Festival on the front lawn of the Museum from 1 to 3 p.m. Children of all ages are invited to enjoy an afternoon of free arts and crafts activities and face painting. A representative from the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science will be here with live animals for children to pet. Music will be provided by Jessie Howell of the Cowboy Blues Band. We hope to see you there!

For children who are having a "staycation" this Spring Break, sign them up for our Spring Break Art Break. This three day art camp is on Wednesday, March 16 through Friday, March 18 from 10 a.m. to Noon in our Museum Annex. Children in grades 5K through 6th may attend. We will create different art projects every day in a variety of media, from pottery to painting. There are only a few slots available so please call now to reserve a space for your child at (601) 649-6374.

To wrap up the month of March, we will have our Home School Friday class on Friday, March 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Museum Annex. All home-schooled children are invited to attend, and no reservation is necessary.

Check the Museum’s website at www.LRMA.org for updates on classes and activities. Even if you can't make it to one of our great Spring Break activities, come by and visit the Museum to see the new art quilt exhibition, 12 Voices, which will be up through June 9.



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

Mississippi Symphony Orchestra - concert in Laurel this Friday

MSO in Laurel and Vicksburg

From ROSSINI to RINGO - a program of light classics and pops music will serve as the fare for MSO concerts in Vicksburg and Laurel in February. Additionally, MSO ensembles have visited schools in Laurel, and full orchestra will present 2 school concerts in Vicksburg. If you missed Concertmaster Marta Szlubowska perform the 5th Mozart Concerto at Mozart by Candlelight (or if you would like to hear her again), here is your chance! The program includes Rossini's famous William Tell Overture and music of the Beatles, Carpenters, Rolling Stones and more.

LAUREL
Thursday, February 17, 7:00 PM
First Baptist Church
607 W Fifth, Laurel
Free and open to the public

It's the little things...

This morning we took down the Robert Henri in order to take it to the conservator on Friday. The Henri is going to go out on tour in April, so our go-to conservator is going to make sure it's fresh, stable, and possibly re-line it, so it looks great while it's on the road. In the meantime, I had to pick another painting to put in its place in the American Gallery. Tommie and I thought the John Sloan would be a good choice, but we had to check and see if it would fit, or we would have to be prepared to take down the whole section of wall and re-calibrate the hanging. Materials and tools for hanging one picture are different than bringing up a cart and tools for re-hanging 8 paintings.

Luckily, last year, we finished a project to fully catalogue our entire collection on a digital database, thanks in part to an NEA grant. And because our cataloguer measured the painting *and* its frame, it took me all of two minutes to open up PastPerfect, check the width of the frame, pop out to the gallery with a tape measure, and decide that there was, in fact, room for the Sloan without it turning into a major endeavor. Ya. Hoo.

Before this, I would've had to go to the Registrar's office to use the card file, find the location of the Sloan, go to the vault, measure the frame, and then go to the gallery to check the space. I know this seems like a minor blip in a curator's day, but I thought: this just saved me a bunch of time. Every time I use the database instead of sauntering down to the accession card file, time is saved. It's really quite nice.

February Art Talk: Clint Martin

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will present ArtTalk on Thursday, February 17 at noon in the Museum’s Lower Level Lecture Hall. Artist Clint Martin will be the featured speaker.

Born in McComb, Mississippi, Martin is an aviation artist and model builder. He has been associated with the Tuskegee Airmen since 1972 and this association has played a profound role in his art work. His work has been exhibited at Camp Shelby Military History Museum, Mississippi Museum of Art, The National World War II Museum, and the Pentagon. His models are on display at the Camp Shelby Museum. Martin is a retired dentist and resides in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Art Talk, sponsored by West Quality Food Services, Inc., is free and open to the public. Guests are invited to use the North Garden Entrance and bring a sack lunch. Desserts and beverages will be provided. For more information, call LRMA at 601.649.6374 or visit the website www.LRMA.org.

Guest Blogger: Mandy Buchanan

At the Museum: Free Art activities for Classroom Teachers and Families

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art education department has some great new programs for 2011! We have just introduced a new Folk Art trunk into our selection of art trunks. Art trunks are free art activity kits for classroom teachers. The kit contains instructions and materials for an art activity that is based on the Museum's collection or current exhibit. The new Folk Art trunk contains information and materials for students to create their own art inspired by the art of Mrs. L.V. Hull of Kosciusko, MS. Mrs. Hull's art is featured in the current exhibition Take Time to Appreciate: Photographs of Mrs. L.V. Hull and Reverend H.D. Dennis by Bruce West.

We now have five trunks available for teachers – a Native American basketmaking trunk, a printmaking trunk, an African American Heritage trunk, a Mississippi artists trunk, and the new Folk Art trunk. The LRMA art trunks are a great way to infuse art into the classroom!

Another exciting educational activity is coming up during spring break at LRMA. We are busy planning our annual Spring Break Festival. This fun event will be held on Tuesday, March 15, from 1- 3 p.m. on the LRMA front lawn. This free family- friendly festival will include spring time art activities, music and live animals. This day will be a great opportunity to visit the Museum, create art, and get up close to some Mississippi wildlife.

For more information, please contact Mandy Buchanan or Angie King at 601.649.6374.


Mandy Buchanan is Curator of Education at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.

Spring Classes

It's time for spring art classes at LRMA! Our Home School Fridays start up again tomorrow for local home schooled students. This class will take place on the fourth Friday of every month, January through April, from 1:00 to 4:oo PM in our Museum Annex. No registration is necessary, just show up and have a good time! There is still time to sign your child up for the spring pottery class! The class is for K5 to 6th grade students and it will be every Tuesday in February from 3:30 to 5:oo in our Carriage House Studio on Seventh Street. The cost is $40 for Museum members, and $50 for non-members. Don't think that everything here is for the kids! We also have an adult pottery class taking place on every Tuesday in March. The classes are from 5:30 to 7:30 at night, so you can fit it in after work. Beginners are welcome and we will do projects on the potter's wheel and by hand. The cost is $50 for Museum members and $65 for non-members. Call Liz at the museum to reserve your spot at (601) 649-6374.

Guest Blogger: Holly Green

AT THE MUSEUM -

Calling All Gardening Enthusiasts

February is not quite Spring, but almost. After cold, gray winter months have forced us indoors, most of us are looking forward to warm days, spring planting, and all things that bloom. In celebration of that theme, the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will host an event for avid gardeners and those of us who wish we were.

LRMA will present its 9th annual Garden Lecture at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, February 4, in the Museum’s American Gallery. The lecture is co-sponsored by the Laurel Garden Club, a member of The Garden Club of America.

The speaker for the event will be Dr. Jeff Kuehny of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Dr. Kuehny is a Professor of Horticulture at Louisiana State University. He has taught numerous horticulture classes and his research programs have included new plant introductions and sustainable landscape management. He is currently working on the implementation of a master plan for LSU’s Agricultural Department’s Burden Center. His lecture will focus on plants that can provide year-round enjoyment in any space – large or small.

The garden lecture will be followed by a brief question-and-answer period and then a luncheon at the historic Rogers-Green House located across the street from the Museum. Tickets for the event are $35 per person and include lunch. To purchase a ticket or for more information, call the Museum at 601.649.6374.

The Garden Lecture is just one of our many, exciting events at LRMA. Whether your passion is fine art, music, or gardening, there truly is something for everyone right here - at your museum.

Holly Green is Director of Marketing at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.

9th Annual Garden Lecture: Dr. Jeff Kuehny

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, along with the Laurel Garden Club. will present its 9th Annual Garden Lecture on Friday, Feb. 4 at 10:30 a.m. in the LRMA American Gallery.

Dr. Jeff Kuehny, Professor of Horticulture at Louisiana State University, will present "My Favorite Flora for the Southern Garden, Patio and Home" which will focus on plants that can provide year-round enjoyment for any space – large or small.

Dr. Kuehny grew up on a farm in Northern Oklahoma with a passion for horticulture. He pursued his interest, earning a B. S. degree from Oklahoma State University, an M. S. Degree from North Carolina State University, and a Ph.D. from Clemson University. He conducted postdoctoral research at Cornell University.

Kuehny has lived in the deep south for more than 16 years. He has taught numerous horticulture classes, and his research programs have included new plant introductions and sustainable landscape management. He has a passion for all types of gardens and the plant material within. He is currently working on the implementation of a master plan for LSU’s Burden Center, which will help meet the needs of horticulture in the 21st century by combining the historic gardens of Louisiana landscape architect Steele Burden and programs of research, extension, and education in one unique location.

Following the lecture and a brief question-and-answer period, lunch will be served at the historic Rogers-Green House which is located across the street from the Museum. Tickets are $35 per person and include lunch. Seating is limited. For reservations contact LRMA at 601.649.6374 or info@LRMA.org.

The Garden Lecture is presented by Lauren Rogers Museum of Art and the Laurel Garden Club, a member of The Garden Club of America.

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street in Historic Downtown Laurel.

Folk Art Symposium - January 20, 2011

Lauren Rogers Museum of Art will present a Folk Art Symposium in conjunction with the exhibition Take Time to Appreciate: Photographs of Mrs. L. V. Hull and Reverend H. D. Dennis by Bruce West on display in the LRMA Lower Level Galleries. The symposium will be held Thursday, January 20, 2011 beginning at 1 p.m.

Presenters will be Bruce West, Take Time to Appreciate photographer, Emilie Taylor, co-producer of the documentary “God’s Architects,” and Dr. Stanley Harkness of “The Friends of L. V. Hull.”

Bruce West is a Professor in the Department of Art and Design at Missouri State University. He has received a number of awards for his photographic work including fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ford Foundation for the Arts, and the Polaroid Corporation. His photographs are included in numerous public and corporate collections such as The Library of Congress, Saint Louis Art Museum, The Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Paine Webber Corporation. Recent exhibitions include Acts of Faith at the Noorderlicht Photofestival in Groningen, The Netherlands, The Mississippi Story at the Mississippi Museum of Art, Contemporary American Photography at the Internationale Fototage in Mannheim, Germany, and Recent Acquisitions in Photography at The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art.

God's Architects, produced by Zach Godshall and Emilie Taylor, tells the stories of five spiritually inspired artist-architects and their enigmatic creations. Taylor is a native of south Louisiana and works at the Tulane School of Architecture as an instructor and coordinator of design-build projects for the Tulane City Center. Taylor’s education includes a technical building background at the University of Southern Mississippi followed by a master’s degree in architecture at Tulane. Before the storm and the rebuilding efforts that followed, Emilie conducted a traveling fellowship across the south to meet, document, and study these self-taught builders. The lecture given at the end of that fellowship was a way of introducing these folk architects and their works to the design community. Between furniture making and screen printing experiments, Emilie is in the process of compiling a book on these makers and their inspired creations.

Dr. Stanley Harkness represents “The Friends of L. V. Hull.” Massey will discuss the group’s efforts to preserve the home of L. V. Hull in Kosciusko.

The symposium is generously sponsored by BancorpSouth, Laurel Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Kia, Mississippi Power Co., and Sanderson Farms.

At the Museum: Research and Copyright

With today’s availability of books, magazines, images, and ephemera, along with the ease of scanning, it's hard to resist the joy of research. Much of the desired information can be accessed through libraries, archives and museums but most institutions have limited staff and space. The downturn of the economy along with institutional closures, staff layoffs and the wide-ranging options available through computers and the Internet are factors influencing the future of long-term collecting, storage and access.

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art now has the art collection database online and available to the public. The database is an added tool for patrons and it allows the patron to view artwork that may be in storage or inaccessible by distance.

The local history archives will be the next collection to be scanned and digitally stored, but at this time, very little has been done. While requests for copies of local history photos have increased, access to the collection remains limited. To assure someone is available to assist you with your request, please call to make an appointment in advance to view the vertical files and archival material.

For those seeking images, the following process is available: Access the museum's website at www.LRMA.org, click on Collections, then click on Rights and Reproductions. At the bottom of the page, click on Download the Image Request Form. Complete the form and fax it to the Museum.

A fee schedule is also available on the Rights and Reproductions page. The process usually takes around 6-8 weeks depending on availability and staff time. Requests for artwork, library information and archives should all be submitted using this same form.

If you have taken the time to peruse the database from the Museum's website, you will see that each image is available for viewing but is watermarked with our name embedded in the image. This watermark exists to prevent any illegal use of the image. The word "copyright" bears a heavy burden for anyone writing a book, an article, or other intellectual information to be circulated in any form.

The copyright law does not allow for anyone, including scholars, students or just interested persons, to publish the work of others without the creator's written permission even if the original creator is deceased. In many cases, the descendants of the creator own the copyright of materials. Each case is different and must be investigated.

Photography is also a medium included in the law. While the Museum owns many early Laurel photographs, we also own the copyright to those images. In recent times, decorations in local restaurants and businesses include the images of early Laurel photographs. A quick Internet search will also reveal the use of the Museum=s images on web sites and in books. The problem we are now facing includes permissions for these uses. A handful of patrons have asked for permission over the years but most have not. While we must keep stringent rules for art researchers and scholars, we require the same permission requests from local historians.

Individuals generating copies of images to sell or share with others is not allowed. Permissions and copies must be obtained from the source of copyright ownership and not from an outside source. Some other rules for use of Museum-owned imagery include the submission of an image proof, no changes in the image such as cropping or filling in by using a photo editing computer program, a submitted final copy of the published material and the appropriate fees paid by the patron. If you have specific needs for images, please complete the form and submit any special requests by accessing the form found on the Museum's website.

The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art is open Tuesdays - Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. and on Sundays from 1-4 p.m. For specific events and programs, consult the web site at www.LRMA.org or call the Museum at 601-649-6374.


Tommie Rodgers is the registrar at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.