By Marguerite Curran, Muskegon Museum of Art
Summer at the Muskegon Museum of Art starts in May and celebrates Pop Culture and Rock ‘n’ Roll, along with displays from the permanent collection and paintings by first-ever Bennett Prize finalists. An array of special programs accompany the gallery shows.
Pop
Replay: The Exhibition celebrates American Pop and Geek culture through a variety of media, including large-scale LEGO® brick sculptures. The galleries housing the colorful show have been newly refinished with walls resembling giant LEGO bricks to make a backdrop for artwork that explores how iconic cartoons, video games, movies, and comic heroes and villains influence our culture. Kids of all ages can enjoy racing LEGO brick cars on a downhill racecourse, draw self-portraits on a mirror, practice figure drawing with wooden models, and build their own plastic brick creations. A $5 admission upgrade will be applied for entrance to the Replay exhibition galleries. Replay opened on May 9 and will run through Aug. 18, 2019.
Rock ‘n’ Roll
Lights, Camera, Rock ‘n’ Roll: Music Photography by Paul Jendrasiak spans the career of the veteran Michigan concert photographer. Stunning front-row photographs of rock stars performing at venues throughout the state over the past two decades will bring back memories for many viewers. The exhibition runs May 23 through Sept. 1, 2019.
Programs
Paul Jendrasiak will be at the MMA to talk about his work and experiences at the opening of the show on May 23.
A Rock Star Super Saturday family program on Aug. 10 will give budding artists a chance to create their own limelight-worthy artwork.
Guitar with Wings: The Photography of Laurence Juber features photographs by Juber from his 2014 book Guitar with Wings, which showcases the intimate photographs he took of the McCartneys during his days with Wings. The exhibition runs May 16 through September 1, 2019.
Laurence Juber in Concert: “A Master” – Pete Townshend (The Who) Laurence Juber will perform in concert at the MMA on June 14. $25 Advance Tickets are available at the MMA by phone at 231.720.2580 or online HERE. Tickets will be $30 at the door.
Juber was lead guitarist in Paul McCarney’s band Wings and has since established himself as a world-renowned musician, winning two Grammys. He fuses folk, jazz, and pop to create a multifaceted performance.
Ticket includes a 5:30 pm pre-concert reception.
The Bennett Prize
Rising Voices: The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters opened May 2 with an announcement of the first-ever $50,000 prize winner, Aneka Ingold of Tampa, FL. Twenty-nine paintings by the winner and the other nine finalists from across the country comprise the show. The works exemplify universal issues as well as stories specific to the artists. The finalists were chosen from a field of over 600 entries. The Bennett Prize exhibition project and accompanying show catalogue were organized by the MMA, The Pittsburgh Foundation, and Steven Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt—avid collectors of and advocates for women artists painting in the figurative realist style. Special films, a figure drawing workshop, and an original theatrical performance will accompany the exhibition. Rising Voices runs through Sept. 8, 2019.
The Muskegon Museum of Art is located at 296 W. Webster Ave. in downtown Muskegon. The Museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays and closed Mondays. Parking is free and bus parking is available. Go to www.muskegonartmuseum.org for up-to-date visitor information, including gallery and store hours.
