The Academy Art Museum is pleased to announce three new exhibitions: Spatial Reckoning: Morandi, Picasso and Villon, 2023 Artist in Residence Laura Letinsky, and Amy Boone-McCreesh: Visual Currency. An opening reception for all three exhibitions and an artist talk with Letinksy will be held on Thursday, August 3 at 5:30 pm.

“Our latest slate of exhibitions—thoughtfully conceived and organized by curator Mehves Lelic—showcase diverse forms of creative expression, from the quiet still life paintings of modernist master Giorgio Morandi to the maximalist mixed media works of contemporary artist Amy Boone-McCreesh. At any given time at the Museum, we want our visitors to experience a wide range of artworks across art history, get inspired, and encounter new ideas—the new shows deliver on our goal,” commented Director Sarah Jesse.

“Our Artist-in-Residence Program is now in its fifth year, and it has given us incredible opportunities to bring artists here to the Eastern Shore to produce work at the Museum and engage with our community. Laura Letinsky’s seminal work questions what a photograph is through intricate yet quiet still lifes. This question resonates deeply with many of us due to the ubiquity of images and cameras in today’s world. We are looking forward to our visitors reflecting on this question through Letinsky’s moving work,” notes Curator Mehves Lelic.

“Letinsky will also produce a limited-edition print for our Emerging Collectors Circle members,” Lelic continues. “This group of art appreciators come together throughout the year for studio visits and fair trips, and their dues support free public programming at the Museum. I am excited to see the piece Letinsky will make here in her studio at the Museum!”

Spatial Reckoning: Morandi, Picasso and Villon
August 1 – October 22, 2023

This exhibition charts the myriad ways in which three prolific European artists used space and perspective as gateways to modern abstraction in the 20^th century. Building on—and later breaking canonical rules of—perspective, spatial composition, and ratio, Jacques Villon (French, 1875 – 1963), Giorgio Morandi (Italian, 1890 – 1964), and Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881 – 1973), created works that evoked spirituality and emotion and slowly frayed the knot between reality and artistic representation. The resulting depictions of figures and still lifes helped define these artists as pioneers of a trailblazing aesthetic and inspired new frontiers in art, from Modernism and Cubism to Expressionism.

AAM is grateful to the Cincinnati Art Museum, National Gallery of Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Christian Keesee Art Collection, and Conrad Graeber Fine Art for their generous loans of artwork.

2023 Artist in Residence Laura Letinsky
August 1 – October 22, 2023

Laura Letinsky (Canadian, b. 1962, lives and works in Chicago) is a lens-based artist whose still lifes have transformed the medium in the 20th century. Inserting the aftermath and the human presence into her layered, symbolically-charged still lifes, Letinsky interrogates both the meaning of domestic space and women’s role in it, and the indexical and representational power of photographs. Letinsky is a Guggenheim Fellow, and her work is held in the collections of the Guggenheim Museum; the Getty Museum; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; and the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and has been exhibited internationally.

Letinsky will present a masterclass during her residency in August 2023 on how the camera shapes our understanding of the world.

The Artist in Residence program is generously supported by Mary Ann Schindler.

Amy Boone-McCreesh: Visual Currency
July 28 – November 5, 2023

Baltimore-based artist Amy Boone-McCreesh works in sculpture, collage, and mixed media to present colorful, maximalist takes on luxury and access. Critiquing preconceived notions of adornment and decoration, especially as they relate to interior space, and reconstructing imagined interiors in a brightly colored and explosive manner, Boone-McCreesh points to the arbitrariness of taste and opens a door to imagining how else our collective understanding of exclusivity and poshness might manifest. Her brand of luxury speaks the language of abundance and is derived from distinctly unrarefied materials: wall paint, acrylic, paper, and beads are just some examples. The result is a blossoming world of excitement that flaunts the language of high fashion and design of our time.

Boone-McCreesh received her MFA from Towson University in Maryland and shortly thereafter was awarded a two-year Hamiltonian Artist Fellowship in Washington, DC. Her work has been included in exhibitions across the country and she is a two-time recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award.

As the premier art museum on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Academy Art Museum presents high-quality exhibitions and a full range of art classes for visitors of all ages. Past exhibitions have featured artists such as James Turrell, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, Pat Steir and Richard Diebenkorn. The permanent collection focuses on works on paper by American and European artists from four centuries including recent acquisitions by Graciela Iturbide and Zanele Muholi. Arts educational programs range from life drawing lessons to digital art instruction, and include lunchtime and cocktail hour concerts, lectures and special art events, as well as a Fall Craft Show celebrating 26 years. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To continue the institutional movement of offering free public programming and to give barrier-free access to art, AAM eliminated admission fees in 2023.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday-Friday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Saturday-Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: Free

The Academy Art Museum, in collaboration with Brea Soul, presents Exchange: A Pop-up Art Show. In its second year, Exchange will host ten artisans and creative entrepreneurs from around the region at the museum on Saturday, August 5 from 12-5 pm. The pop-up will include a variety of artworks, industry experts, a food truck, a community photo booth, youth giveaways, and adult beverages. From paintings and photography to fashion design and ceramics, there is plenty of art for the community to browse through and take home. Exchange celebrates artists, and takes on many characteristics associated with the idea of “community” – exchange of ideas, craft, and support!

RSVP for Exchange here.

Featured Artists

Returning as a Fan Favorite, Gentry Pack, (a.k.a G. Pack) is an artist, illustrator, animator, graphic designer and clothing designer for his company, For Glory. From Baltimore, MD, Pack received his BA in Studio Art & Design from the University of Maryland. With a strong influence from the early Venetian, Baroque, and Renaissance periods, G.Pack focuses on combines classical compositions and techniques with modern-day figures, and symbolism deriving from contemporary Black culture.

K.JEAN is a visual artist based in southern Maryland that specializes in drawing, painting, murals, fashion design, and accessories. Her painting style combines multiple art movements, such as abstract, surrealism, mixed-media, and expressionism. She uses unconventional materials and embraces non-binary identities in fashion, extending beyond traditional boundaries. She hopes to inspire others to do the same through her unique vision.

Yusuf Kazmi is a multi-medium artist specializing in cinematography, photography, and visual arts. Yusuf’s passion for visual arts is delivered through CCKASE, the artist’s brand approach to visual storytelling in producing captivating videos and designing unique clothing pieces.

Kait McNeil is an abstract painter from Canada and is now based in Maryland. Her creative process flows strongly through worship music and is inspired by nature, timeless designs, and architecture. McNeil desires to evoke inspiring and uplifting emotions and joy through her artistry with earthy tones, textures, and unique color palettes with soft, moody undertones.

Originally finding his voice through music, Kassim is a Nigerian-American self-taught digital artist from the DMV. Although known for his rap style and performances in the community, he began to teach himself digital art-making techniques using A.I. and code in 2023. Instead of fearing change and the unknown, he embraces it with the goal of pioneering the intersection of tech and hip-hop.

Featured Makers

Black Squirrel Company – Returns as a Fan Favorite! Based out of Washington, DC, Renata Philippe opened the doors of Black Squirrel Company as a creative outlet in 2014. Philippe creates improvisational sewn quilts and functional art (personal & home accessories). After earning a BS in Apparel Design from the University of Delaware, she worked as a commercial retail merchandiser/store planner and communications engineer for organizations including IKEA, Restoration Hardware, and the U.S. FDA.

Hilary Bruns is a ceramist and began taking pottery lessons in New York City in 1979. Her career as a TV news producer became all-consuming, so she returned to clay as a creative medium once retiring in Easton, MD, and discovering the Academy Art Museum in 2004. Burns has received awards and continues to showcase her artwork at local shows and from her home studio.

Nomen (which means “NAME”) –  Was founded in 2016 out of Tomisin’s (also known as “Tomiboxers”) profound desire to share and explore stories about culture and identity. The brand is a medium to express himself and create art centered on African culture, drawing inspiration from his Nigerian heritage. Being interested in fashion from a young age, Tomisin recognized a streetwear brand as the perfect outlet to amplify his artistic voice. Each Nomen piece and collection is grounded in shedding light on the past as we continue to live and create stories for the future.

Khadija Brand – Pulling from her South Asian roots, Khadija creates wearable, hand-painted art using traditional textile techniques.Giving a classic yet modern twist to textile arts, she started her brand to revive and introduce people to an ancient art form in the U.S. Khadija often collaborates with women artists from her native home country to continue passing this art form on to future generations.  Based in Northern Virginia, her work varies from different textures to different color schemes.

CreTAYtive Customs – Based in Easton, MD, Taylor Wheatly started CreaTAYtive Customs to provide creative solutions for her local community. Specializing in realism and expressionism, Taylor Wheatly’s mission is to grow the brand into an all-purpose creative service.

About Organizer/Event Curator, Brea Soul

Brea Soul is a digital native who has been bringing visibility to arts and culture for over a decade. She received a B.A. in Fine Arts and an M.S. in Strategic Communications from the University of Maryland, College Park. Originally, from Trappe, MD, and now residing in Miami, FL, Brea serves as Perez Art Museum – Miami’s Marketing Manager. Through Soul Studios Gallery, Brea curates artful experiences dedicated to creating opportunities for emerging creatives and among communities with opportunity disparities.

About AAM Summer Series

The Academy Art Museum enlisted local creatives to design and execute summer programs at the museum from June through September. AAM’s Community Programmers include Kerry Folan, Francisco Salazar and Brea Soul.

Programs and Dates:
June 22, July 13, & August 10: Summer Book Club with Shore Lit
August 5: Exchange: A Pop-Up Art Show
September 22: 48-Hour Video Race

About the Academy Art Museum

As the premier art museum on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Academy Art Museum presents high-quality exhibitions and a full range of art classes for visitors of all ages. Past exhibitions have featured artists such as James Turrell, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, Pat Steir and Richard Diebenkorn. The permanent collection focuses on works on paper by American and European artists from four centuries including recent acquisitions by Graciela Iturbide and Zanele Muholi. Arts educational programs range from life drawing lessons to digital art instruction, and include lunchtime and cocktail hour concerts, lectures and special art events, as well as a Fall Craft Show celebrating 26 years. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To continue the institutional movement of offering free public programming and to give barrier-free access to art, AAM eliminated admission fees in 2023.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday-Friday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Saturday-Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: Free

Something for Everyone!

The public is invited to the Academy Art Museum for an Instructor’s Studio Sale on Saturday June 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The instructors are bringing their studio works to you. Enjoy perusing their bins and racks of paintings, pastels, fine art prints, drawings, pottery, photographs and more. Plus art books, supplies and frames. Who knows what hidden gems you might find? All in a festive outdoor market atmosphere. Rain location is in the AAM performing arts room.

Participating instructors include Barrie Barnett, Bernie Dellario, Diane DuBois Mullaly, Mary Pritchard, Sheryl Southwick, Meg Walsh and Stewart White.

While you’re there, it’s a great time to visit the current exhibits inside the museum.

The Academy Art Museum is located in Easton, Maryland at 106 South Street, corner of S. Harrison Street. Convenient on and off-street parking.

The Academy Art Museum (AAM) received a generous grant from Art Bridges Foundation to offer a series of free public programs related to tintype photographs of Native American people by contemporaryDiné artist Will Wilson that are on view in AAM’s latest exhibition In Praise of Shadows.

The slate includes three film programs—a selection of Sky Hopinka’s short films, followed by a conversation with the artist; short films by Indigenous American directors and producers; and a lecture by scholar Rebecca Weaver-Hightower that addresses depictions of Native American people in film throughout history. The programs complement and expand on themes that Wilson explores in his work, offering audiences a greater understanding of the racist and genocidal mythologizing at work in non-Native art and film about Native American people, and the settler colonial gaze that Wilson and many Indigenous artists and filmmakers are resisting.

All programs are generously supported by Art Bridges arts patron Alice Walton’s visionary program that subsidizes loans of major artworks and related programming in rural museums. Details about each event follow.

An Evening with Sky Hopinka
Tuesday, June 6, 6 pm
Free
Register Here: https://academyartmuseum.org/an-evening-with-sky-hopinka/

View a selection of short films by renowned experimental filmmaker Sky Hopinka, followed by a post-screening discussion with the artist and Dr. Ryan Conrath, Salisbury University professor and film programmer. Conceived in connection to Diné artist Will Wilson’s portraits of Native American people on view in the exhibition In Praise of Shadows, the program examines representations of Indigenous people and worldviews in art and film.

Sky Hopinkais a 2022 MacArthur Fellow. He received a BA from Portland State University and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. He is currently Assistant Professor in the Film and Electronic Arts Program at Bard College. His work has been shown at many film festivals and exhibited at the Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Rochester, Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Hopinka is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and a descendent of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians.

Rebecca Weaver-Hightower: The Settler Colonial Gaze
Thursday, June 8, 6 pm
Free
Register here: https://academyartmuseum.org/rebecca-weaver-hightower-the-settler-colonial-gaze/

Dr. Rebecca Weaver-Hightower offers a thought-provoking talk on the construction of settler colonial ideology and its visual manifestations in cinema, photography, and museum exhibition practice. Offered in connection to Diné artist Will Wilson’s portraits of Native American people on view in the exhibition In Praise of Shadows, the lecture examines representations of Indigenous people and worldviews in art and film over time.

Weaver-Hightower is a professor in the Department of English at Virginia Tech. She recently co-authored Cinematic Settlers: The Settler Colonial World in Film, and she authored both Frontier Fictions: Settler Sagas and Postcolonial Guilt and Empire Islands: Castaways, Cannibals and Fantasies. She is also a co-editor of Archiving Settler Colonialism: Culture, Space and Race and Postcolonial Film: History, Empire, Resistance.

Shorts Program: “Critical Indigenous Cinema”
Thursday, June 15, 6 pm
Free
Register here: https://academyartmuseum.org/critcal-indigenous-cinema/

Join us for a program of short experimental films by contemporary Indigenous producers who use cinema to provide counter-images to settler narratives in visually and conceptually daring ways. Curated by Dr. Ryan Conrath, Salisbury University professor and film programmer, and conceived in connection to Diné artist Will Wilson’s portraits of Native American people on view in the exhibition In Praise of Shadows, the program examines representations of Indigenous people and worldviews in art and film. Following the screening, Conrath and B.L. Strang-Moya, filmmaker and Ocean City Film Festival organizer, will discuss the films and their contributions to contemporary film culture as well as to a rethinking of Native American people’s involvement in cinema more broadly.

About the Academy Art Museum

As the premier art museum on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Academy Art Museum presents high-quality exhibitions and a full range of art classes for visitors of all ages. Past exhibitions have featured artists such as James Turrell, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, Pat Steir and Richard Diebenkorn. The permanent collection focuses on works on paper by American and European artists from four centuries including recent acquisitions by Graciela Iturbide and Zanele Muholi. Arts educational programs range from life drawing lessons to digital art instruction, and include lunchtime and cocktail hour concerts, lectures and special art events, as well as a free block-party style Juneteenth Celebration and Fall Craft Show celebrating 26 years. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To continue the institutional movement of offering free public programming and to give barrier-free access to art, AAM eliminated admission fees in 2023.

Location: 106 South Street, Easton, Maryland
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursday-Friday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Saturday-Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays and Federal holidays.
Admission: Free