Category Archives: Art Speaks: Contemporary Connections with the BCIU Collection

Astrid Bowlby Deinstalls Her Work, SNAG

January 10th, 2011
Astrid Bowlby deinstalling her work, SNAG, January 10, 2011. Photo courtesy of Education Department, James A. Michener Art Museum.

Astrid Bowlby deinstalling her work, SNAG, January 10, 2011. Photo courtesy of Education Department, James A. Michener Art Museum.

Today, artist Astrid Bowlby is here deinstalling her work, SNAG, from our Putman-Smith Galleries. She has brought a small crew of helpers to assist her in taking her work down. Each piece of this work must be individually wrapped for safe transport. In addition, our Exhibitions Registrar, will be helping her transport the materials back to her studio.

Along with carefully packing all the components, it was also necessary to photograph many detail shots of this work before it came down. These photos are particularly useful if the work is installed in a different gallery space. Often contemporary artists are part of the installation and deinstallation process in museums and galleries. In the event that they are not available, museum installers and curators must use the photographs as a reference. Read More »

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Sneak Peak: Ordinary to Extraordinary Installation

December 9th, 2010

YouTube Preview Image This video features some behind-the-scenes footage of the work that is being done in preparation for the Art Speaks installation, Ordinary to Extraordinary. Patricia Goodrich, guest curator, shares information about the background of the project. The installation opens December 14th!

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Upcoming Ordinary to Extraordinary Installation

December 7th, 2010
Member of Bucks County Youth Center Working on Chair Project, Image Courtesy of the Michener's Education Department, 2010.

Member of Bucks County Youth Center Working on Chair Project, Image Courtesy of the Michener's Education Department, 2010.

Next week, on December 14th, will be the opening for the special installation, Ordinary to Extraordinary, to be featured in our Children’s Gallery.

In August, 2007, the Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded a grant to the Michener Art Museum that gave birth to Art Speaks/Bucks County, a project that brought contemporary art into the schools and the community. The installation celebrates the creativity of the many people who participated in Art Speaks workshops from 2008-2010, led by artist and educator, Patricia Goodrich. These workshops took place at community centers, senior centers, and homeless shelters, engaging such diverse organizations as the Bucks County Youth Center, the Family Service Association, and Bucks County’s housing shelters in art making activities. Participants learned about the ideas and techniques of contemporary art, and were asked to give new meaning to everyday objects by evoking memories and seeking new connections with these objects. Over 140 Bucks County residents took part in this project, from ages three to ninety-three. Ms. Goodrich is the guest curator of this installation. Read More »

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Visitors Interact: Art Speaks Comment Kiosk

December 3rd, 2010

Image Courtesy of Education Department, James A. Michener Art Museum.

Image Courtesy of Education Department, James A. Michener Art Museum.

With our new exhibition, Art Speaks, we have included a special comment kiosk in the central area of the exhibit for visitors. This kiosk connects to our blog page, so you can even post your comments after you have visited the show. Staff select responses from our blog page to incorporate onto the walls of the exhibit, featured in the yellow frames. The red and blue frames display quotes by Bucks County artists, along with other famous artists and people, including Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, Walt Disney, and even Aristotle. Read More »

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Art Speaks Exhibition and Upcoming Programs

November 5th, 2010
YouTube Preview Image

This video explains the background and history of the Art Speaks program, a collaborative outreach program between the Michener Art Museum and the Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22, that grew out of the program Art on the Move. This video is featured in the exhibition, Art Speaks: Contemporary Connections with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit Collection currently on view until January 2, 2011, and tells the story of the recent activities from the past two years.

On December 14, 2010, as part of the Art Speaks project, a special installation will open to the public in the Michener’s Children’s Gallery until January 23, 2011, called Ordinary to Extraordinary: An Art Speaks Installation. This multimedia installation will feature the works created by Bucks County residents from various community sites such as the Eastern Upper Bucks Senior Center, the Milford Square Housing Shelter, the Teen Center through Family Services Association, and the Bucks County Youth Center. The installation will be curated by artist Patricia Goodrich. Stay tuned for more information!

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