The City of Orlando, the Friends of the Mennello Museum of American Art, Mennello Museum Board of Trustees, and museum staff are deeply saddened to share that Michael A. Mennello passed away on December 18 due to COVID-19-related illness.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer expressed, “I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of one of Orlando’s greatest supporters of the arts and generous philanthropists, Michael A. Mennello. Orlando would not be the cultural city it is today without Michael’s influence, enthusiasm and investment in the arts. He has left a lasting legacy with his devotion and passion for generations to come and made our community a more diverse and creative place to live.”
Walter Ketcham, Vice President of the Friends Board of Directors, shared, “We lost a true icon in our community. The Friends of the Mennello Museum of American Art will continue our effort in supporting the museum in a way that both Marilyn and Michael Mennello would be proud of.”
Commissioner Robert F. Stuart expressed his condolences to the Mennello family and Michael’s many friends stating, “We are saddened by the passing of Michael Mennello and will continue to honor Michael and Marilyn’s appreciation of art and their love of this community.”
Shannon Fitzgerald, Executive Director, shared, “As we mourn the untimely loss of our Founder, Michael A. Mennello, we remain committed to sharing his and Marilyn’s love of art through the stewardship of their outstanding American Art collection and the many gifts they generously gave to our community. Michael envisioned a bright future for the museum and we have important work to continue in honoring that legacy.”
In lieu of flowers, the family requests those who wish to express sympathy and honor Michael’s memory donate to the Friends of the Mennello Museum’s “Building Our Future” campaign. Contributions may be sent to Friends of the Mennello Museum of American Art, 900 E. Princeton Street, Orlando, Florida 32832 or online at www.mennellomuseum.org/building-our-future/.
The Mennello Museum of American Art plans Phase One reopening of the museum beginning June 2, 2020 with new safety provisions and limited capacity in place. We are excited to welcome you back to a safe place for you to be inspired through art and culture. During this new Phase One period, we are pleased to allow access to our wonderful exhibitions and collection of art once again.
We ask for your patience as we open with new safety protocols. Guidelines allow only 25% capacity access, and we will require masks for all visitors for your safety and ours. We have a new online booking option, so you will be able to schedule your visit in advance. There will be no group tours, workshops, or events in the first stage of reopening. Some programs, such as virtual tours and other events, will continue to be offered online-only at mennellomuseum.org. We have taken enhanced health and safety measures, and request guests follow all posted instructions while visiting the museum. First Friday Tours, Free Family Day, and Bank of America’s Museums on Us program are cancelled for June. Our Yoga in the Sculpture Garden on June 28 will take place with additional social distancing for stretching.
We are excited to reopen our building as a place for learning, inspiration, reflection, and comfort, but do so with cautious optimism. All current exhibitions that had opened before the museum closed on March 17 will be extended. We are tremendously appreciative of the enthusiastic cooperation of the artists and collectors who have worked so diligently with us to make our schedule adjustments possible.
New dates for current and upcoming exhibitions —
Construct: Our Orlando featuring local artists Don Remix and Lemmon Press originally scheduled to open May 28 will open October 2, 2020 and close January 10, 2021.
American Artists in the Southwest: Prints from the Melanson Holt Collection originally scheduled to open September 25, 2020 will now open January 22, 2021 and run through April 25, 2021.
Our Collection and Earl Cunningham exhibition galleries are open.
Our Marilyn L. Mennello Sculpture Garden is open every day and is a beautiful spot to enjoy wellness and respite on Lake Formosa while experience the work by renowned artists Alice Aycock and Albert Paley and more!
We look forward to welcoming members, friends, visitors and new audiences to the museum. Enjoy your visit and we thank you for your kindness.
COVID-19 Warning
We have taken enhanced health and safety measures—for you, our other Guests, and Staff. You must follow all posted instructions while visiting the museum.
An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and Guests with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable.
By visiting the Mennello Museum of American Art you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.
Help keep each other healthy. Thank you.
About the Museum The Mennello Museum of American Art, owned and operated by the City of Orlando, is located on the beautiful shore of Lake Formosa in Orlando’s Loch Haven Cultural Park. The museum provides residents and visitors welcoming opportunities to understand and value creativity through innovative experiences with art further connecting it to nature and communal gathering. Our goal is to encourage creative and diverse experiences with art that nurtures audiences while reflecting the dynamic relationship between art and society. In addition to housing the permanent collection of folk modernist Earl Cunningham, the museum presents temporary exhibitions that feature a broad range of American art from traditional to contemporary practices.
The Mennello Museum is located at 900 E. Princeton Street, Orlando, FL 32803
This decision was made in an effort to remain cautious regarding our members, visitors, docents and team, and the Orlando community as a whole. All events and programs through May 1 will be postponed until further notice.
We will continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice and guidance from government and health officials.
Please revisit this page of our website or social media channels for the latest updates. If you have immediate questions or concerns, please contact us at 407.246.4278 or mennello.museum@cityoforlando.net.
Thank you for your patience and support. We look forward to welcoming you back to the museum when we reopen.”
Mira Lehr’s entire career as an artist has focused on the natural world and our relationship with our surroundings. Her residence in Miami, with a studio nestled right on the water, has unmistakably navigated her work toward the waterways and open ocean that form a unique and integral part of a life in Florida.
A “high water mark” indicates a literal measurement for the highest point the water level reaches in a given area at a particular time. However, alternate meanings of the term suggest maximum value in various other sectors of life. It seems fitting, then, that this phrase should be applied to the work of an artist whose career spans five decades, building ever forward toward a well-earned new heights. Lehr’s recent work has been lauded by critics for the meaningful and contemplative commentary she offers on a timely and contentious subject — the state of our natural world.
Guest Curator, Ginger Gregg Duggan, states —
“Mira’s sense of wonder and faith in humanity’s ability to rise to the occasion with solutions, guides both her life and work. It is precisely this character trait that inspired the theme of this exhibition, High Water Mark.” She continues,“The experience of standing in the gallery, surrounded on all sides by the expansive panel painting, Siren’s Song, is not unlike visiting an aquarium viewing area, with windows granting vistas of mysterious underwater life.”
MIRA LEHR: HIGH WATER MARK is tailored to the Mennello Museum’s galleries and will feature four distinct installations in each of the main gallery spaces. Visitors will be greeted by a site-specific installation of Lehr’s haunting, lighted sculptural cages, which will dance along the right side of the entry hall, opposite a newly ignited painting, Magenta and Green Mangroves. Once in the reception area, viewers will find an environment comprised of multiple mangrove sculptures, suspended from the ceiling, growing into the space, thus forming a fully immersive experience for visitors to walk in, and among. Another focal point will be a seven-foot-wide suspended glass sculptural installation titled Below the Surface — a commentary on jellyfish and their role in our environment. Along the perimeter walls Lehr’s large-scale panel painting, Siren’s Song, will be further enriching the space. Within the Mennello’s intimate front gallery, viewers can discover another immersive experience, where they will be surrounded by bare, suspended light bulbs reflecting the mirrored, coral wall sculptures as if underwater. Titled, Below Mixing Currents, this installation serves as a tribute to the diminishing coral reefs that play such a vital role in the Earth’s overall health and balance.
In her new essay on Lehr’s work, which can be found in the special publication accompanying this exhibition, Curator, Duggan writes:
“This atmospheric condition of the underwater experience carries with it a vulnerability that can understandably be either intimidating or inspiring. Without being open to the unknown, one may never reap the rewards of a new adventure or experience. Considering Lehr through this particular lens reinforces her fearless and enthusiastic approach to both life and art.”
Speaking about the upcoming exhibition, Shannon Fitzgerald, Executive Director, states —
“We are honored to work with Mira Lehr as she enters the sixth decade of her career as a pioneering artist, whose radical artmaking and community building advanced the arts in Miami, starting in 1960, long before Miami had evolved into what it has become today. Interested in the plight of women artists, and relocating from New York where she had worked with some of America’s most prominent artists such as Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Motherwell, and Hans Hoffman, Lehr was shocked in Miami, yet dedicated her career to carving out a place where she could create the art she wanted, and garner the visibility she deserved. I applaud Lehr’s legacy and celebrate her desire to share it with us and the Orlando community.”
Mira Lehr is an eco-feminist artist
from Miami whose career spans five decades. Her nature-based imagery
encompasses painting, design, sculpture and video installations. Lehr’s
processes include non-traditional media such as resin, gunpowder, fire,
Japanese paper, dyes, and welded steel. She has affected a new generation of young
artists, serving as a mentor and collaborator, teaching master classes with the
National Young Arts Foundation, and has been an artist in residence at the
Bascom Summer Programs. Lehr’s solo and
group exhibitions number over 300, and she is presently represented by
Rosenbaum Contemporary in Boca Raton, FL. A monograph about Lehr, Arc of Nature, was published by Hard Press Editions and Hudson
Hills Press in the Spring of 2015. In
2016, a major show was installed at Fairchild Gardens reflecting her love of
nature and her interest in protecting the environment. She went on to receive the Centennial
Commission for a multimedia work at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. In 2018,
Lehr was invited to mount a one-person exhibition of her work at the MOCA
Museum in North Miami. This critically-acclaimed project once again reflected
her interest in the environment. Her most recent solo exhibition Mira
Lehr: A Walk in the Garden, at the Jewish Museum of Florida-Florida
International University, Miami, on view from October 15, 2019 through February
3, 2020, is receiving critical national praise.
Please save the date for the opening reception of MIRA LEHR: HIGH WATER MARK.
The artist will be in attendance.
Opening Reception
Friday, January 24, 2020
Members-only Preview 5:30–6:30 pm
Public Reception
6:30–8:00 pm
Free
for members | $10 for Guests
Artist Talk & Curator Talk and Reception Saturday, April 18, 2020 | 1 pm
First Friday Talk & Tour Each First Friday fo the month | 11am
PLEASE NOTE THE BELOW REQUIRED CREDITS FOR IMAGES:
Mira, Lehr, Invisible Cities (detail), 2018 Brass, burned and dyed Japanese paper, lights, and fabric. Courtesy of the artist Mira Lehr, Siren’s Song, 2017 Silver emulsion on panel, ignited gunpowder, burned and dyed Japanese paper, and acrylic. Courtesy of the artist Mira Lehr, Mixing Currents (detail), Light bulbs, video projection with sound, and mirrored acrylic. Courtesy of the artist Mira Lehr, Mangrove Labyrinth (detail), 2018 Marine rope, steel, resin, burned Japanese paper, and latex paint. Courtesy of the artist Mira Lehr, Magenta and Green Mangroves, 2019 Burned and dyed Japanese paper, ink, ignited fuses, and gunpowder on canvas. Courtesy of the artist Mira Lehr, Creation, 2017 Silver emulsion on panel, ignited gunpowder, burned and dyed Japanese paper, and acrylic. Courtesy of the artist
About the Museum The Mennello Museum of American Art, owned and operated by the City of Orlando, is located on the beautiful shore of Lake Formosa in Orlando’s Loch Haven Cultural Park. The museum provides residents and visitors welcoming opportunities to understand and value creativity through innovative experiences with art further connecting it to nature and communal gathering. Our goal is to encourage creative and diverse experiences with art that nurtures audiences while reflecting the dynamic relationship between art and society. In addition to housing the permanent collection of folk modernist Earl Cunningham, the museum presents temporary exhibitions that feature a broad range of American art from traditional to contemporary practices.
The Mennello Museum of American Art and its exhibitions are generously supported by the City of Orlando and Friends of The Mennello Museum of American Art. Additional funding is provided by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program and United Arts of Central Florida. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture
Jeremy Kemp Marketing & Graphic Design Coordinator Mennello Museum of American Art and Public Art, City of Orlando Jeremy.kemp@cityoforlando.net 407.246.4113
The Mennello Museum of American Art proudly presents, John Baker: Mind Wealth — the
captivating photography of artist John Baker, whose work unveils a moment in
time where light interacts gracefully among crowds or an individual within
charming human-built spaces. Baker brilliantly captures the interplay of human
interaction surrounded by highly contrasted shadow and bright light cast onto
the smooth metals and the textured brick of city streets encountered during his
travels.
The title of the exhibition is
drawn from a photograph taken by the artist, which asks the viewer to confront
philosophical ideas associated with idealism and youth or materiality and
maturity in an art filled space that encourages the same attention to
thought. Inspired by the ephemeral and
profound moods evoked in Edward Steichen’s early photography, the soft-focused
documentation of urban life by Alfred Stieglitz, the architectural abstraction
of Paul Strand, and the high contrast drama commanded by Henri Cartier-Bresson,
Baker’s photographs continue a long tradition of considering place and people
through contemporary black and white photography.
Katherine Navarro, Curator of Art
and Education states “On the occasion of our major exhibition with pioneering
photographer Edward Steichen, I am delighted to have the opportunity to share
the photography of an outstanding local artist, John Baker, who has long
admired the avant-garde work by photographers at the turn of the last century,
and employs this creative exploration in his own work. Through his photography,
Baker presents a wonderful consideration of the splendor of contemporary
society with a modernist lens of location. Baker elegantly frames the world he
sees, reminding us all to find the wonder in the lives we walk through every
day.”
John Baker is a recognized black and white film photographer and multimedia artist living and working in Orlando. He teaches photography at the Crealdé School of Art, holds a gallery studio at FAVO, is an annual Indie-Folkfest artist at the Mennello Museum and, among other accolades, has won Best of Show at the Orlando Museum of Art’s First Thursdays.
Please save the date for the opening reception of JOHN BAKER: MIND WEALTH
Public Reception Wednesday, December 11 | 5:30–7:30 pm
PLEASE NOTE THE BELOW REQUIRED CREDITS FOR IMAGES:
John Baker (b. 1966, NY) Mind Wealth Bruges, 2016, silver gelatin print. Courtesy of the Artist
John Baker (b. 1966, NY) Bus Stop, 1998, silver gelatin print. Courtesy of the Artist
About the Museum The Mennello Museum of American Art, owned and operated by the City of Orlando, is located on the beautiful shore of Lake Formosa in Orlando’s Loch Haven Cultural Park. The museum provides residents and visitors welcoming opportunities to understand and value creativity through innovative experiences with art further connecting it to nature and communal gathering. Our goal is to encourage creative and diverse experiences with art that nurtures audiences while reflecting the dynamic relationship between art and society. In addition to housing the permanent collection of folk modernist Earl Cunningham, the museum presents temporary exhibitions that feature a broad range of American art from traditional to contemporary practices.
The Mennello Museum of American Art and its exhibitions are generously supported by the City of Orlando and Friends of The Mennello Museum of American Art. Additional funding is provided by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program and United Arts of Central Florida. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture
Jeremy Kemp Marketing & Graphic Design Coordinator The Mennello Museum of American Art and Public Art, City of Orlando Jeremy.kemp@cityoforlando.net 407.246.4113
Friends of the Mennello Museum of American Art are pleased to
announce they have hired renowned architects Brooks + Scarpa & KMF
Architects as the design team for the 40,000 square-foot museum expansion. In a
special presentation, preliminary plans and a stunning architectural model were
unveiled by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and museum director Shannon Fitzgerald at
the museum’s White Canvas Party on Friday night, October 4.
Michael A. Mennello, the museum’s founder, is thrilled with the design planning and states:
“My late wife, Marilyn, and I opened the museum in November 1998. We were avid art collectors who had a dream to create an intimate cultural gem. Never in a million years did I dream I would be alive to see our museum become a global destination for world-class American Art for all to enjoy.”
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer shares his support of the museum’s vision and
expansion:
“World-class cities place enormous value on their museums and expect them to deliver art and culture that enriches lives. I believe that the Mennello Museum is one of Orlando’s most beautiful cultural assets for our residents. As it reaches more people in our community through family-friendly programs, compelling exhibitions, and timely events, I am happy that the museum has developed a road map for the future that includes an expansion with a design that can help define what an art museum can be in the 21st Century.”
Walter Ketcham, Chairman, Friends Board shares:
“For nearly 21 years, the Mennello Museum has enriched our community with thought-provoking exhibitions. The future looks bright as we are now poised to add 40,000 square feet of enrichment opportunities; world-class exhibitions, innovative educational programs, and multi-purpose event spaces. This planned addition will make the museum a world-class destination experience.”
Shannon Fitzgerald, Executive Director, states:
“Our plan is inclusive, welcoming, and sustainable. With the open expansion, we will serve more in our community with a mission-driven building designed to seamlessly merge art, education, nature, dwell, respite, function, and form. We started with visionary ideas on how to make the museum more cohesive and increase public access and with Brooks + Scapa and KMF Architects’ brilliant partnership, the visionary has been put into action—a very exciting moment for us all!”
The museum will move forward cautiously to ensure all the private funds are raised to continue to work with such dynamic partners in dreaming the future together, and making it a reality. “The Friends of the Mennello Museum of American Art, along with the City Of Orlando, have mapped out a success story that is so powerful as we will become a cultural destination for both our local community and visitors,” states Jim Southall, Finance Chair, Friends Board.
The $20 million expansion includes:
40,000 square-foot museum facility integrated around the current 12,000 square-foot museum building
Increase the number and quality of programs, opportunities, and amenities to better serve our growing audiences
Create a cultural destination on beautiful Lake Formosa designed to preserve and reimagine our green space, the intimacy of the Dr. Phillips Home, walking and bike paths, and sculpture garden
Welcoming and inclusive space for the highest caliber of exhibitions and programs to best attract audiences
Expand family-friendly and diverse art education programs to serve the community
Multi-purpose spaces for earned income; events, weddings, classrooms, and conference room
Ability to seat 250 and accommodate 400+ for standing indoor & outdoor events
Attract larger audience through new branded tourism efforts
Greater impact in the art and economic prosperity of the region
Lawrence
Scarpa’s vision beautifully aligns with the museum’s goals:
“The Mennello Museum’s design is both futuristic and timeless. The design mirrors the objective of the artwork inside: It tells a story and furthers the Museum’s mission to be a place of education, culture, and inspiration. More than just a building, it is a civic place for social interaction, bringing people closer to art, each other and to nature, providing an opportunity for new, immersive, art experiences. The building is organized as a series of highly engaging spaces where the Museum’s mission of using art to connect people to the world around them can unfold.”
Museum Expansion Architect Team
Brooks +
Scarpa is a collective of architects, designers, and creative thinkers
dedicated to enhancing the human experience. Honored with some of the most
prestigious design awards, including the Smithsonian Cooper- Hewitt National
Design Award and the American Institute of Architects National Firm Award,
Brooks + Scarpa is a multi-disciplinary practice that includes architecture,
landscape architecture, planning, environmental design, materials research,
graphic, furniture, and interior design services that produces innovative,
sustainable iconic buildings and urban environments.
KMF Architects
has been active in Orlando for 20 years, bringing quality vision and
implementation to a diverse portfolio of award-winning projects. A knowledge
and passion for local history and infrastructure has led to a meaningful
interaction with our community here in Orlando and has left a substantial
impact in helping to inform its future. KMF features a diverse array of talent
and experience, offering a personalized service unmatched in the
industry. Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects have had a professional
creative relationship for over a decade, leading to award-winning solutions on
diverse program types.
The Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects partnership provides a team that merges unparalleled design with localized service and expertise. The team is excited about the opportunity to establish a new sustainable icon for the City of Orlando and Orange County, creating a place that merges art, architecture, and people, telling the story of Orlando’s rich and diverse communities.
PRINCIPLES:
Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA – Brooks + Scarpa
Eric Kleinsteuber, AIA – KMF Architects
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
The Friends
Board now embarks on the silent phase of a capital campaign to fully fund the
building expansion. The project will strengthen the Mennello Museum of American
Art as one of Central Florida’s preeminent art, culture, and education
institutions and enable us to advance how we celebrate the diversity of
American Art and the Central Florida community.
To find out how you can be part of our future and support our capital campaign please contact Genean McKinnon at genean@mckinnonstrong.com, 407. 341. 0341 or Kim Strong at kim@mckinnonstrong.com, 407. 619. 1711.
About the Museum The Mennello Museum of American Art, owned and operated by the City of Orlando, is located on the beautiful shore of Lake Formosa in Orlando’s Loch Haven Cultural Park. The museum provides residents and visitors welcoming opportunities to understand and value creativity through innovative experiences with art further connecting it to nature and communal gathering. Our goal is to encourage creative and diverse experiences with art that nurtures audiences while reflecting the dynamic relationship between art and society. In addition to housing the permanent collection of folk modernist Earl Cunningham, the museum presents temporary exhibitions that feature a broad range of American art from traditional to contemporary practices.
The Mennello Museum of American Art and its exhibitions are generously supported by the City of Orlando and Friends of The Mennello Museum of American Art. Additional funding is provided by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program and United Arts of Central Florida. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture
PLEASE NOTE THE BELOW REQUIRED CREDITS FOR IMAGES:
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Exterior (1), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Exterior (2), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Exterior (3), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Exterior (4), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Exterior (5), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Exterior (6), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Interior (1), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Interior (2), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Interior (3), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Interior (4), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Interior (5), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Interior (6), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Interior (7), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Interior (8), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Interior (9), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, Preliminary Expansion Renderings, Interior (10), Brooks + Scarpa and KMF Architects, 2019.
Mennello Museum of American Art, White Canvas Party, (from left to right – Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA (Brooks + Scarpa Architects), Shannon Fitzgerald (Director, Mennello Museum of American Art), Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (City of Orlando), Eric Kleinsteuber, AIA (KMF Architects). Courtesy: Jeremy Kemp, City of Orlando, 2019. Mennello Museum of American Art, White Canvas Party, Proposed Expansion Model (2), Courtesy: Matt Kaiser, City of Orlando, 2019
EDWARD STEICHEN: IN EXALTATION
OF FLOWERS presents paintings and photography from the collections of Art
Bridges, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, George Eastman Museum, and the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, on view from September 20th 2019 –
January 12th, 2020 at the Mennello Museum of American Art in
partnership with Orlando Museum of Art.
Opening reception will take place at both the Mennello Museum and OMA on
Friday, September 20th starting at 5:30pm – shuttles will be
provided between museums.
Co-organized by the Mennello Museum of American Art
(MMAA) with Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) and in partnership with Art
Bridges, a pioneering new foundation dedicated to dramatically expanding
access to American art across the country, this exhibit includes 20 photographs
and a rare large-scale mural by groundbreaking, turn-of-the-last century artist
Edward Steichen. Through fashion and flowers, Steichen presents portraits of
the cultural luminaries of the day: actors, writers, dancers, and singers of
the early 1920s in intimate black and white photography and seven stunningly
grand, large-scale gold-leaf mural paintings filled with portraits of his
friends (the creative icons) and their floral counterparts. The murals, In
Exaltation of Flowers, had not been seen in over 100 years, until Art
Bridges purchased them from MoMA, who was gifted the murals from the Meyer
family, who commissioned them from Steichen in 1910. Art Bridges supported their conservation at
Dallas Art Museum where they were unveiled again in 2018.
Executive Director of the Mennello Museum, Shannon
Fitzgerald stated, “I am delighted that this innovative shared exhibition and
partnership with collection-rich museums is creating a new standard for
museum experimentation and shared resources, and that both our museums are
part of this national dialogue moving the dial forward on how museums can truly
come together – in this instance, a significant first in the cultural
community that I hope will be part of a lasting model in national
museum practice, with gratitude to Art Bridges for such leadership.”
This pioneering collaboration between MMAA and OMA is only
made possible by Art Bridges’ visionary mission to make collections of American
Art more accessible through the forging of collaborations and partnerships with
collection-rich museums and our smaller museums in Orlando. Speaking on the collective efforts needed to
make this exhibition a reality, Director and CEO of OMA, Glen Gentele, said, “The
opportunity for the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) to collaborate with the
Mennello Museum of American Art (MMAA) on co-organizing this important
exhibition featuring the photography and painting of Edward Steichen, one of
the most celebrated artists of the early 20th century, is extraordinary and
would not be possible without the support of Art Bridges.”
The exhibition, Edward Steichen: In Exaltation of Flowers
brings the multi-disciplinary art of Edward Steichen to our communities in
Central Florida for the first time, through a tightly-focused consideration of
his masterpiece painting, In Exaltation
of Flowers (1910-13; Art Bridges Foundation) and related photographs from
1906-1923 handpicked for their close association with the murals. The
seven-panel mural will be shown at OMA and twenty photographs from the
collections of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, George Eastman Museum, and the
Metropolitan Museum of Art will be presented at the MMAA. The two presentations together explore the
important relationship between the artist’s painting and his early photography,
and give an in-depth look at the world in which Steichen made his art.
The murals tell the story of philanthropists Agnes Ernst
Meyer, Eugene Meyer, Jr. Charles Lang Freer (Smithsonian Institution’s Freer
Gallery of Art), the mezzo soprano and dancer Mercedes de Cordoba, the artists
Katharine Rhoades and Marion Beckett, and the dancer Isadora Duncan, along with
their floral counterparts, inspired in part by the Symbolist writer Maurice
Maeterlinck’s 1907 book The Intelligence of Flowers. The
photographs feature the same friends along with multiple images of Steichen’s
wife, his most beloved muse, Dana Steichen.
Edward Steichen: In Exaltation of Flowers shares multiple facets of Steichen’s early work as a photographer and painter while also sharing a symbolic narrative about his circle of friends in both intimate and grand iterations. The exhibition seeks to celebrate Steichen’s genius in both mediums.
Edward Steichen: In Exaltation of Flowers is co-curated by
Shannon Fitzgerald, Executive Director, Mennello Museum and Coralie
Claeysen-Gleyzon, Associate Curator, Orlando Museum of Art.
This exhibition and education programs are made possible
with the generous funding support of Art Bridges.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer echoed his support for the project,
stating, “As a city, we are grateful for the continued support of Art
Bridges, who has already provided the Mennello Museum of American Art with
leadership that helped secure the valuable loans from three outstanding museums
in our country; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art,
and the George Eastman Museum. This
partnership not only further distinguishes our museum, but also allows the
various audiences of the Mennello and Orlando Museum of Art to further share in
programming and engage more of our community in the vibrant arts and culture
offerings of Orlando.”
This is a new program with a new foundation representing the
first dual museum project for Art Bridges, that reflects a pioneering national
model they are employing with collection-rich museums across the nation.
The leadership of MMAA and OMA have been working with Art Bridges
leadership on this project for nearly two years – in a complex development and
defining of the program, and it has only been possible because of a true
sharing of resources and working across museums and departments. The funding includes support for shipping,
crating, museum loans fees, installation materials and labor, education, and
marketing that otherwise would have been too cost prohibitive for either
museum.
Art Bridges, is a nonprofit founded by Alice Walton in late
2017 and is dedicated to sharing outstanding works of American art. The murals
are owned by Art Bridges which maintains a separate collection of art from the
Walton-founded Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.
Edward Steichen: In Exaltation of Flowers at the Mennello
Museum of American Art is also generously supported by the City of Orlando and the
Friends of the Mennello Museum of American Art. Funding is provided by Orange
County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program and United
Arts of Central Florida. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department
of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and
Culture.
Funding for the Orlando Museum of Art is generated through
earned income, the Board of Trustees, OMA Ambassadors, Council of 101,
Acquisition Trust, Friends of American Art, and contributions from generous
individuals, corporations and foundations. Additional funding is provided by
Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program, sponsored
in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural
Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the City of Orlando, the
Clive Foundation, A Friendsʼ Foundation Trust, Bank of America, the Warren and
Augusta Hume Foundation, Rita and Jeffrey Adler Foundation, Walt Disney World
Company, the Chesley G. Magruder Foundation, the Martin Andersen-Gracia
Andersen Foundation, United Arts of Central Florida with funds from the United
Arts Campaign, Williams Family Foundation, Celebrity Cruises, UCF Foundation,
Advent Health, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, CNL Charitable Foundation, Hunter
Vision, PNC Foundation, Sam Flax Art & Design Supplies, Sun Trust
Foundation, and anonymous donors.
This will be a dual opening
at both the Mennello Museum and OMA
– shuttle between museums
will be provided.
Public Reception Friday, September 20 | 5:30–8:30 pm
Free for members | $15 for Guests
PLEASE NOTE THE BELOW
REQUIRED CREDITS FOR IMAGES:
About
the Museum
The Mennello Museum of American Art, owned and operated by the City of Orlando,
is located on the beautiful shore of Lake Formosa in Orlando’s Loch Haven
Cultural Park. The museum provides residents and visitors welcoming
opportunities to understand and value creativity through innovative experiences
with art further connecting it to nature and communal gathering. Our goal is to
encourage creative and diverse experiences with art that nurtures audiences
while reflecting the dynamic relationship between art and society. In addition to housing the permanent
collection of folk modernist Earl Cunningham, the museum presents temporary
exhibitions that feature a broad range of American art from traditional to
contemporary practices.
The Mennello Museum of American Art and its
exhibitions are generously supported by the City of Orlando and Friends of The
Mennello Museum of American Art. Additional funding is provided by Orange
County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program and United
Arts of Central Florida. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department
of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and
Culture
This Call for Artists is open to all artists of the City of Orlando, Orange County, Osceola County, Lake County, and Seminole County (must have resided here from July 2018 – May 2020). It is not open to students or previous Our Orlando artists. Media eligible includes drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, installation, film/video/digital.
About the Exhibition
The Mennello Museum will expand on the success of Our Orlando, an exhibition established to feature a diverse range of emerging local artists enlivening our City Beautiful. In 2020 MMAA will relaunch the show with a new biennial structure, bringing amplified visibility and financial support to talented artists in Orange County. As Central Florida’s population and the arts and culture scene within continue to grow, it is crucial to promote the varied contemporary artistic voices and to contextualize their work amongst one another in critical thought. Our Orlando artists selected after an application and studio visit process will be awarded a stipend prior to exhibition and on selection by curator, Katherine Navarro.
The title for the exhibition, CONSTRUCT, draws on the word’s plurality to inspire new levels of reflection. Construct can be an action of creation, shaping, and framing, displayed by artist or curator, but also a way to identify complex themes or concepts, explored within artwork and the space of the museum.
APPLICATION
There is a limit of four artwork uploads per artist, please be sure to submit the work that best fits the theme and your talents.
Application deadline: August 31, 2019, midnight 7 semi-finalists chosen: September 2019 Studio visits: September 23 – October 4, 2019 Winners announced: November 2019 Exhibition on view: May 22– September 13, 2020
The Mennello Museum of American Art will soon be undergoing a transformation of its gallery spaces – creating a richer, more unique experience for its visitors and its community.
The museum will temporarily close while the interior renovations take place from May 13th– June 6th.
As part of the renovations, the gallery spaces will be recreated with modern lightings systems, interior design modifications, and a completely new presentation of its celebrated Earl Cunningham collection.
Executive Director, Shannon Fitzgerald said, “Exciting changes are coming. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to revitalize to our space and develop even better showcases for our collections. These changes will allow us to create a more immersive and complete presentation for our artists’ works, the visitors, and our community as a whole. We can’t wait to share the enhancements with everyone.”
The Mennello Museum apologizes for the temporary closure but encourages everyone to help them celebrate the reopening on June 7thby attending the opening reception of Immersion into Compounded Time and the Paintings of Firelei Báez.
The Marilyn L. Mennello Sculpture Garden will remain open, featuring pieces from world-renowned sculptor, Alice Aycock.
About the Museum The Mennello Museum of American Art, owned and operated by the City of Orlando, is located on the beautiful shore of Lake Formosa in Orlando’s Loch Haven Cultural Park. The museum provides residents and visitors welcoming opportunities to understand and value creativity through innovative experiences with art further connecting it to nature and communal gathering. Our goal is to encourage creative and diverse experiences with art that nurtures audiences while reflecting the dynamic relationship between art and society. In addition to housing the permanent collection of folk modernist Earl Cunningham, the museum presents temporary exhibitions that feature a broad range of American art from traditional to contemporary practices.
The exhibitions and
the Mennello Museum of American Art are generously supported by the City of
Orlando and Friends of the Mennello Museum of American Art. Additional funding
is provided by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs
Program and United Arts of Central Florida. Sponsored in part by the State of
Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida
Council on Arts and Culture.
Download this Press Release
Jeremy Kemp Marketing & Graphic Design Coordinator The Mennello Museum of American Art and Public Art, City of Orlando Jeremy.kemp@cityoforlando.net 407.246.4113
As a Smithsonian Affiliate, The Mennello Museum of American Art is proud to partner with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in the presentation of the exhibition Art of the Airport Tower at Terrace Gallery, City Hall through April 19, 2019.
Celebrating beautiful photography of airport towers across the globe, Carolyn Russo’s work expands our understanding of architecture form and function, including Orlando International Airport.
Free and open to the public at City Hall, first floor.
New Views on Airport Form and Function featured in Smithsonian Photography Exhibition “Art of the Airport Tower”
Showcased at City of Orlando’s Terrace Gallery at City Hall
Touring Smithsonian Exhibition Provides New Views on Airport Form and Function. “Art of the Airport Tower” opens at the City of Orlando’s Terrace Gallery at City Hall. The exhibition is composed of 50 photographs by Smithsonian photographer Carolyn Russo and explores the varied forms and functions of airport traffic control towers in the U.S. and around the world. The exhibit is on view beginning February 4 and will remain on display at Orlando City Hall until April 19, 2019.
Russo traveled to 85 airports in 23 countries to capture images of these towers. The resulting photos interpret them as monumental abstractions, symbols of cultural expression and testimonies of technological change. What started out as a strictly functional structure, the airport tower has become a symbol of its airport, its community and even its country. Visitors to the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in Sweden, for example, are greeted by two lookout points perched like birds at the top of the control tower to evoke protective ravens from Nordic mythology, while the crescent-shaped tower at the Abu Dhabi International Airport resembles the sail of a dhow boat to emphasize the area’s proud maritime heritage.
“Airport traffic control towers have a powerful presence—they watch over the vastness of the airport and sky, are a nonjudgmental cultural greeter, a choreographer or conductor of the aircraft dance, a mother bird caring for her flock and an omniscient, intelligent structure keeping humans safe,” said Russo. “I saw them as the unsung heroes of the airport landscape and tried to elevate them beyond their height and amazing architecture.”
Russo attempted to humanize the contemporary towers by focusing on their anthropomorphic properties, while others became abstractions. The photos of the historic, inactive airport towers were captured in their natural state, as witnesses to aviation history. They tell the story of changing technology, design and architecture, making the case for their continued care and preservation.
The exhibition is sponsored by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Air Traffic Control Association, Harris Corp., Rockwell Collins, Saab and Thales. Epson America Inc. and Manfrotto provided in-kind support.
A companion book, Art of the Airport Tower, published by Smithsonian Books, is for sale online and wherever books are sold. It includes 100 photos by Carolyn Russo and an introduction by F. Robert van der Linden, curator of commercial aviation at the National Air and Space Museum, and tells the history of airport traffic control towers to contextualize the photos.
“Art of the Airport Tower” premiered at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. from November 2015 through November 2016. The National Air and Space Museum, composed of the flagship building on the National Mall in Washington and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., is home to the world’s finest collection of flight artifacts. From aircraft and space vehicles to engines, art and models, the wide array of the museum’s holdings tells the story of the history and technology of air and space exploration. The museum is also a key resource for research into the history, science and technology of aviation and space flight. The exhibition is on tour December 2017 through January 2020. For more information about the exhibition, visit airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/airport-towers.
Orlando support is provided by the City of Orlando’s Public Art Advisory Board.
The exhibit is in conjunction with the A View from the Top: Orlando International Airport exhibition in the Mayor’s Gallery at Orlando City Hall. The exhibit features photographs from the collection of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority’s archives. The photos consist of images taken from the Orlando International Airport over the last 4 decades. From the interiors of the airport and the first Airport Tower, to present day including Orlando’s current airport tower and the recent expansion that will join travelers making their way through the City of Orlando via train, bus or automobile.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
National Air and Space Museum
Independence Avenue at Sixth Street SW
Washington, DC 20560.0312
Telephone: 202.633.2389
Fax: 202.357.4579
E-mail: russoc@si.edu
About the Mennello Museum of American Art
The Mennello Museum of American Art, owned and operated by the City of Orlando, is located on the beautiful shore of Lake Formosa in Orlando’s Loch Haven Cultural Park. The museum provides residents and visitors welcoming opportunities to understand and value creativity through innovative experiences with art further connecting it to nature and communal gathering. Our goal is to encourage creative and diverse experiences with art that nurtures audiences while reflecting the dynamic relationship between art and society. In addition to housing the permanent collection of folk modernist Earl Cunningham, the museum presents temporary exhibitions that feature a broad range of American art from traditional to contemporary practices.
The Mennello Museum of American Art and its exhibitions are generously supported by the City of Orlando and Friends of The Mennello Museum of American Art. Additional funding is provided by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program and United Arts of Central Florida. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.
Jeremy Kemp Marketing & Graphic Design Coordinator
The Mennello Museum of American Art and Public Art, City of Orlando Jeremy.kemp@cityoforlando.net
407.246.4113
