Massillon Museum

Book Signing at The Massillon Club

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:28:00 +0000

Margy Vogt Signs Local History Book at The Massillon Club

Local historian and author Margy Vogt will be at The Massillon Club on Wednesday, December 16, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. to sign her new book, Massillon: Reflections of a Community. The event is open to the public with no reservations.

The new pictorial history of Massillon, Ohio, includes 700 local history images from more than 100 public and private collections in a 240-page hardbound volume spanning the community’s history. Photographs and identifications are arranged on horizontal 12-inch by 9-inch pages in a general chronological order, representing Massillon from the early 1800s to the present. Photographs include downtown views, businesses, fires and floods, carnivals, bridges, people, sports, houses, schools, churches, and more.

The Massillon Club, one of the few remaining city clubs in the nation, is located in a historic downtown Massillon building at 170 Lincoln Way East, next to the historic Lions Lincoln Theatre. Free parking is available on Lincoln Way or in the parking lot behind the building accessed from Federal Avenue Northeast. The book signing will offer an opportunity to see The Massillon Club, itself a historic building, beautifully decorated for Christmas. Dates remain available for private, organizational, and business holiday party bookings; call 330-833-3986.

Reflections is available ($39.90) at the Massillon Museum (121 Lincoln Way East), the Massillon Area Chamber of Commerce office (137 Lincoln Way East), the Village Bookshelf (746 Amherst Road Northeast), and Ernie’s Bike Shop and The Blue Heron at the Lake Avenue Trailhead, all in Massillon. The book can also be obtained from the author: 330-832-8469 or vogt@sssnet.com.

For more information contact Vogt at 330-832-8469 or vogt@sssnet.com or visit http://www.margyvogt.com.

Media Contact: Margy Vogt (330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525)

MassMu Renews AAM Accreditation

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:26:00 +0000

Massillon Museum Renews Highest National Recognition—AAM Accreditation

The Massillon Museum has achieved accreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.

AAM Accreditation is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability, and earns national recognition for a museum for its commitment to excellence in all that it does: governance, collections stewardship, public programs, financial stability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 35 years, AAM’s Museum Accreditation program strengthens the profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and to provide the best possible service to the public.

“The Massillon Museum has maintained its accreditation since shortly after the AAM instituted the process,” said Massillon Museum Executive Director Christine Shearer. “Mary Merwin, who was director during the early 1970s, set the precedent for our small staff to maintain high standards and reach for lofty goals. Our three decades of accreditation indicate that we continue on that path.”

Of the nation’s estimated 17,500 museums, 775 are currently accredited. The Massillon Museum is one of only 25 museums accredited in Ohio, two in Stark County (along with the Canton Museum of Art).

"Accreditation is significant for many reasons," said AAM president Ford W. Bell. "First, it is bestowed by a museum's peers in the field. Second, it is entirely self-motivated, and speaks volumes about a museum's commitment to excellence, in all that it does. And finally, it means the MassillonMuseum is one of the finest in the country, something in which the people of the community can take great pride."

Accreditation is a rigorous process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. AAM’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, review and evaluate the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation. While the time to complete the process varies by museum, it generally takes three years, which was the case with the Massillon Museum, even with a brief hiatus during the institution’s 75th anniversary celebration.

The Massillon Museum, founded in 1933, preserves and exhibits art and artifacts to enrich its community through education and experience. The staff cares for more than 100,000 objects while annually presenting about 20 rotating exhibitions in the main gallery, Studio M, and the permanent collections galleries; offering dozens of educational and outreach programs; inviting the public to about 50 events; and assisting patrons with research. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in the heart of downtown Massillon. For more information, call 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

The American Association of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. With more than 15,000 individual, 3,000 institutional, and 300 corporate members, AAM is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061 / cshearer@massillonmuseum.org

Alexandra Nicholis, Massillon Museum Curator - 330-833-4061 / anicholis@massillonmuseum.org

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator - 330-844-1525 / vogt@sssnet.com

To schedule a phone interview with AAM president Ford W. Bell:

Dewey Blanton, AAM Media Relations - 202-218-7704 / dblanton@aam-us.org

Art Explorers Collaborate for Studio M Exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:26:00 +0000

Art Explorers Collaborate for Studio M Exhibition

Members of the Akron Art Explorers and the Massillon Museum Explorers will collaborate to present a Studio M exhibition at the Massillon Museum from December 11, 2009 through January 3, 2010.

Although there will be no official exhibition opening reception, the public is invited to view the exhibit in the Fred F. Silk Community Room of the Massillon Museum during regular Museum hours—Tuesday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.—except when the Silk Room has been reserved for private functions. A call to the Museum office can confirm that the exhibit is available for viewing—330-833-4061. The Museum will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Chit Chat Coffee Shoppe and the Museum shop, OhRegionalities, are located in the lobby of the Massillon Museum.

The Akron Art Explorers group is hosted and organized by the Massillon Museum and facilitated through the Boy Scouts of America. Student members of the group are in high school and hail from all over Summit County. Their contribution to this Studio M exhibit are selections from a previous project, “Common Ground,” featuring work from a collaborative photography project with students of Standing Rock Gallery in Kent, Ohio. Supervising the Akron Art Explorers are Alexandra Nicholis, MassMu curator, and artists Jody Hawk, Bernadette Glorioso, and Todd V.

The Massillon Museum Explorers have been a club since April 2009. Members come from greater Massillon, Jackson Township, Perry Township, and Doylestown. They created the artwork for Studio M while working with artists Scot Phillips and Emily Vigil during “Do the Mu” art workshops. Work influenced by Phillips uses found materials, collage, screenprinting, spray paint and stencils. Artwork created with Vigil are monoprints.

Studio M enhances the collaboration between the Museum and the community by showcasing the artistic talents of local, regional, and national artists. The series of five-week shows will continue throughout the year, selected by jurors from proposals submitted by artists. Brochures containing guidelines and an application are available by contacting the Massillon Museum at 330-833-4061 or www.massillonmuseum.org.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East (Ohio Route 172) in the heart of downtown Massillon. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Director - 330-833-4061

Alexandra Nicholis, Massillon Museum Curator and Akron Art Explorers Supervisor - 330-833-4061

Jill Malusky Bacon, Massillon Museum Educator and Massillon Museum Explorers Supervisor - 330-833-4061

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum PR Coordinator - 330-844-1525

Massillon Museum Renovates Collections Storage Area

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Massillon Museum Renovates Collections Storage Area

The Massillon Museum is in the midst of renovating its main storage facility—the third floor of its building at 121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon, a project that will assure the continued safe storage of more than 100,000 works of art and historical artifacts that have been entrusted to it by the community.

The Museum’s 1931 building was home to department stores and small businesses until 1996, when the Museum moved from its previous location in the James Duncan home, now a wing of Massillon Public Library. At that time, public spaces were completed and opened to the public, but funding did not allow for the third floor to be equipped as a Museum-quality storage facility.

Through project-specific state appropriations, grant funding, and foundation support, the project is now possible. The State of Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Hoover Foundation, and the Timken Foundation have generously provided for the costs of the renovation. “This project could not have moved forward without the generous support of the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Timken Foundation and the Hoover Foundation,” said Massillon Museum Executive Director Christine Shearer. “We appreciate their belief in the importance of maintaining a secure, safe environment for the collections so that generations to come will be able to continue enjoying them.”

The Museum continues to raise funds for its share of the expenses by hosting the summer art show, Gallery on the Greens at Glenmoor Country Club; by accepting earmarked contributions from the community; and by offering specific gift opportunities: “adopt an archival box,” “adopt an archival drawer,” and the “preservation honor roll.” Curator Alexandra Nicholis, who is overseeing the collections storage renovation project, welcomes contributions of any amount.

Sol–Harris/Day Architects will manage the project, under the leadership of architect Bill Griffith. Harris/Day, a familiar firm in Stark County for 40 years, was recently presented with the Arts in Stark small business award. The construction phase of the project is slated to be completed by spring.

“Upon the completion of this project,” says Nicholis, “all of the collections will be stored in a safe, clean, temperature- and humidity-controlled, and organized environment. The incredible artifacts of this community deserve this level of care and commitment.”

The project will include creating a room-within-a-room in the existing space. It will be temperature and humidity controlled. New lighting will be installed that will not exceed 30 footcandles. (One footcandle represents the amount of light given off by one candle at a distance of one foot.) “The controlled lighting will minimize the collections’ exposure to light, which can be extremely damaging to textiles and photographs in particular,” explains Nicholis.

The concrete floors will be resurfaced. New heating, ventilating and air conditioning units will be installed to ensure the stability and longevity of collections.

The renovated space will include a research area where staff can examine, process, and photograph collections, as well as facilitate research requests for scholars, students, and members of the community. Naming opportunities for the new research room are also available.

Once the construction is completed and the space is monitored for a few months to ensure that the environment is safe and stable for collections, museum-quality cabinets and shelving will be installed, and the process of slowly moving the collections back into the renovated space will commence. It is estimated that this process will take from one year to one-and-a-half years. Every object will be easily accessible in a proper and safe home, free from overcrowding.

"We appreciate the patience of the community and our visitors with regard to Museum visits, donations, and research requests during this process," says Nicholis. The collections have been temporarily housed in part of the Museum's second floor, where space limitations make them nearly inaccessible. Using that space as storage limits the exhibition space on that level, but visitors can still enjoy The Immel Circus, the Photography Gallery, and the lobby display area.

To contribute to the Museum’s storage facility renovation project, contact Nicholis at 330-833-4061. To learn more about the Massillon Museum, visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

Media Contacts:

Bill Griffith, Vice President Sol–Harris/Day, Project Manager - 330-493-3722

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061 / cshearer@massillonmuseum.org

Alexandra Nicholis, Massillon Museum Curator - 330-833-4061 / anicholis@massillonmuseum.org

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator - 330-844-1525 / vogt@sssnet.com

"Stark Naked Salon" Exhibition Opening—Expect the Unexpected

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:55:00 +0000

"Stark Naked Salon" Exhibition Opening—Expect the Unexpected

Will you attend the art party of the summer? Come to the opening of the Massillon Museum’s “Stark Naked Salon” exhibition on Saturday, August 22. It’s a free public party on the lawn in the heart of downtown Massillon, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. No reservations are necessary.

Hooked on Tonics, a versatile group, will rock the downtown with love, peace, and music, playing funk that makes listeners dance and party from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Dan Monea, Adam Orin, and Nate Monea will perform their matchless original tunes interspersed with intriguing covers of popular songs by 311, Warren G, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Since the band started in early 2005, they’ve criss-crossed the American South, playing universities, pubs, and clubs in Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas, and Louisiana. Closer to their Canton home they’ve crowded McCarthy’s in the Cleveland Flats as well as the Blind Pig in the heart of the city, the Harbor Inn at Turkeyfoot Lake in Akron, and the Olde Jaol in Wooster. They make it a point to connect with their roots and their hometown fans often.

XainGO!, a local collective of artists and dancers, will perform at the "Stark Naked Salon" opening on August 22, at 7:00 p.m. “Water,” a performance art piece, will be showcased for this occasion. The result of their dancing and painting performance will be a large scale canvas, to be raffled at the event. Recently, the Plain Dealer listed XainGO! performances among the "Top 10 Art Events" of the Cleveland area.

“Stark Naked Salon, an eye-popping exhibition, showcases the multimedia work of 11 soon-to-be-well-known Stark County artists who were chosen for their fresh, non-traditional and inspired artistic styles: Bili Kribbs, Scot Phillips, and Derek Zimmerman of Massillon; Marti Jones Dixon, Nick Brewer, Joseph Close, and Dylan Atkinson of Canton; Thomas R. Wentling of Brewster; Steve Ehret of Perry; Erin Mulligan from Minerva, and Ron Copeland of Pittsburgh (formerly of Massillon). “Stark Naked Salon” is co-curated by Alexandra Nicholis (Massillon Museum Curator) and Dan Kane (Canton Repository Arts and Entertainment Writer).

About magazine, opening sponsor, will provide complimentary popsicles; the Chit Chat Coffee Shoppe will offer summer food, and the Stark Naked Saloon will sell beer and wine as well as soft drinks and water. Guests will be able to watch a “Stark Naked Salon” film and pose for their own photos in Nick Brewer’s photo studio.

Additional events will add to the excitement of the exhibition throughout its run: a free showing of “Rock-afire Explosion” at the Lions Lincoln Theatre on September 10, 7:00 p.m.; six-week Oil Painting Class with Dylan Atkinson, beginning on August 29 (advance registration required); “Do the Mu!” Ephemeral Art with Scot Phillips on September 5, a free family activity; free showing of “Beautiful Losers” on September 17, 7:00 p.m., at the Lions Lincoln Theatre; three-week Figure Drawing class with Marti Jones Dixon beginning on September 12 (advance registration required); and the free “Stark Naked Salon” Gallery Party on October 1 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Visit starknakedsalon.com for details.

Also on Saturday, August 22, the Canton Artists League’s exhibition, “A Splash of Color,” will open in Studio M in the Fred F. Silk Community Room of the Massillon Museum, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. That opening reception is also free and open to the public.

In addition to the About magazine event sponsorship, the Massillon Museum receives funding from the Ohio Arts Council and Arts in Stark.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East (Ohio Route 172) in downtown Massillon. For more information, contact the Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

The "Stark Naked Salon" exhibition will continue through October 4. The Massillon Museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Chit Chat Coffee Shoppe is open in the Museum lobby from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday; and 10:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free.

Media Contacts:

Christine Fowler Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director: 330-833-4061 or cshearer@massillonmuseum.org

Alexandra Nicholis, Massillon Museum Curator: 330-833-4061 or anicholis@massillonmuseum.org

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator: 330-844-1525 or vogt@sssnet.com

Photographs:

Hooked on Tonics

XainGO!

Fun Fest to Fill Downtown Massillon

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:09:00 +0000

Massillon Cable TV, the Massillon Museum, and the Downtown Massillon Association invite all area families to participate in this year’s Fun Fest, which will be held on Saturday, August 8, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Fun Fest, a Massillon Alive event, has entertained thousands of families in downtown Massillon for fifteen years.

Admission to the family-focused event is free. There is no cost for most activities; some have a minimal charge.

Children will enjoy games, story times, prizes, face painting, contests, art projects, dancing, crafts, health and safety activities, athletic events, and music. The Stump Hill Farm Petting Zoo, a rock climbing wall from the Ohio Army National Guard, and the Massillon Museum’s shirt tie-dyeing will be among the favorite activities. The Tuslaw Lions train ride; costumed characters; and the Massillon Public Library Bookmobile will be on hand.

Among the familiar organizations offering activities, demonstrations, and information will be Girl Scouts, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, churches, Massillon Parks and Recreation Department, the Salvation Army, Massillon Family YMCA, YWCA of Massillon, Massillon cheerleaders, Lighthouse Visions, Canton Ballet, Spring Hill Historic Home, and the William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum. Dozens more will join them.

The Lions Lincoln Theatre will show "Night at the Museum." A schedule of events and times will be available on the Museum corner of Lincoln Way and First Street on the day of the event.

The Health Plan will sponsor a giant slide. Bonnie’s Engravers Gallery will back the inflatable bounce house, and Rotary Club of Massillon will sponsor the rock climb slide. Massillon Cable TV will present the inflatable obstacle course and bungee run, while The Independent will sponsor the New England Garden Club’s popular flower arranging station. The Sons of Herman will sponsor the clowns, Philbee and Bertha. The Health Foundation of Greater Massillon will sponsor a hand-washing station.

Organizations, human services agencies, and businesses will distribute free items such as coloring books, pencils, balloons, banks, bookmarks, and puzzles. Emergency crews and vehicles—including Massillon Fire Department, art organizations, magicians, musical groups, and others who offer programs of interest to young people will help make Fun Fest a lively, safe, educational, and enriching experience.

Organizers Liz Gessner McAllister of Massillon Cable TV and Jill Malusky Bacon of the Massillon Museum, tout the event as “a great day for kids ages four to ninety-four and their families.” Fun Fest is intended to provide all the fun of a carnival with a focus on meaningful activities. Many of the organizations and businesses that offer activities provide valuable health, safety, and educational information to parents while entertaining the children.

Fun Fest is sponsored by Massillon Cable TV, the Massillon Museum, and the Downtown Massillon Association. Each year more than five dozen organizations and businesses make the event possible through their exhibits, performances, sponsorships, donations, and participation.

Fun Fest is centered on First Street and Lincoln Way East and on the lawn of the Massillon Museum. Free parking is available in city lots, the parking deck, and on adjacent streets. For more information, contact the Massillon Museum, 330-833-4061 or visit massillonmuseum.org.

Media Contacts:
Liz Gessner, Massillon Cable TV - 330-833-6655
Jill Malusky Bacon, Massillon Museum - 330-833-4061
Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum - 330-844-1525

“Do the Mu!”—Mega Murals with Bili Kribbs

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:07:00 +0000

On Saturday, August 1, the Massillon Museum will host its monthly “Do the Mu” program, a free family drop-in activity time. The theme “Mega Murals with Bili Kribbs” will accent the upcoming exhibition, “Stark Naked Salon.” Kribbs will be one of eleven emerging artists who will be featured in the eye-popping show, which will open in the Museum’s main gallery on August 22.

The artist will help visitors create several murals on a large scale to decorate the Museum in preparation for the upcoming exhibit. He will encourage experimentation with big shapes, bold colors, and creativity.

“See your work celebrated and displayed for the whole city to see for months to come!" says the Massillon Museum’s Educator, Jill Malusky Bacon, who instituted the “Do the Mu” program.

“Do the Mu!” is free and open to all. Participants may drop in any time between noon and 2:00 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month for a tour, an arts activity, and a snack. No pre-registration is required. “Do the Mu!” receives funding from ArtsinStark.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East (Ohio Route 172) in downtown Massillon. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free. For more information, call the Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

Media Contacts:
Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061
Jill Malusky Bacon, Educator - 330-833-4061
Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525

15th Annual Island Party- FREE!

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:55:00 +0000

The Massillon Museum’s Island Party on Friday, July 17, will be free family fun. The evening will be free and open to everyone; no reservations are necessary. Guests will be admitted at 5:30; food and beverage service begins about 6:00; and Carlos Jones and the P.L.U.S. Band will entertain from 7:00 until 11:00 p.m.

The Museum's annual event on the Museum lawn includes a pig roast by volunteers Joe Herrick and Rudy Turkal. Sidewalk supervisors are encouraged throughout the day.

A Caribbean supper of pork sandwiches, jerk chicken, pineapple salsa (the Massillon Museum’s secret recipe), fruit skewers, and grilled bananas with ice cream will be offered for sale. The cash bar will offer beer, wine, water, and soft drinks.

Carlos Jones and the Peace, Love, and Unity Syndicate deliver soulful roots reggae with lyrics that concentrate on a message of peace and harmony within the human race and the environment. The group creates a festival-like atmosphere everywhere they play, drawing crowds spanning all ages and backgrounds. The music is uplifting, incuding many original songs and an array of Bob Marley, Culture, and other recognizable covers. Voted "the Best Reggae/Ska Band" in Northeast Ohio by the Scene Magazine readers' poll, Carlos Jones and the P.L.U.S. Band have appeared onstage with The Wailers and Ziggy Marley.

Admission will be free and open to everyone. The food and beverages will be offered a la carte. T-shirts and light sticks will also be available. Try hula hoops and limbo challenges for all ages. Plan to come for the fun, rain or shine.

Guests will enter from First Street Southeast. Picnic tables will be scattered about the lawn, but guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets. Free parking will be available in the municipal parking lots, the parking deck on South Erie Street, and on adjacent streets.

For more information and volunteer opportunities, call the Massillon Museum at 330-833-4061.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525

The Unsinkable Molly Brown Visits the Massillon Museum Brown Bag Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:33:00 +0000

Bring a sack lunch or purchase lunch from the Chit Chat Coffee Shoppe for the Massillon Museum’s next Brown Bag Lunch on Tuesday, June 23. Sally Whiston of Massillon will arrive at the lunch dressed as Margaret Tobin Brown might have looked a century ago—a Victorian lady ahead of her time.

Assuming Brown’s character, Whiston will regale guests with stories about her life from rags to riches in Leadville, Colorado; her fight for women’s and workers’ rights; her quest for an education; her campaign for a U.S. Senate seat; and her world travels. A leader in life, Brown is best remembered as a survivor of the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, after which the media gave her the nickname, “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.”

Sally Whiston, an enthusiast of reading and history and a regular member of the audience at the Massillon Museum’s Brown Bag lunches, enjoys portraying significant women from the nation’s past, among them First Lady Julia Grant; Teddy Roosevelt’s First Lady, Edith; and Bella Abzug. Her costume, humor, and knowledge will create a memorable image of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” at the Massillon Museum.

The Brown Bag program will begin at 12:10 p.m. and conclude by 12:50 p.m. to accommodate those who wish to attend during the lunch hour.

The event, which is held in the Museum lobby, is free and open to the public; no reservations are required, but seats fill early. Bates Printing sponsors the Brown Bag Lunch series, which is in its seventh year.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon. For more information, call the Massillon Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Director - 330-833-4061

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum PR Coordinator & Lunch Series Chair - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525

Photograph:

Sally Whiston as The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Deco Tour Calls for 1920s and 1930s Vehicle Entries

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:14:00 +0000

Art Deco meets couture on Saturday, June 27. The Massillon Museum and the Kent State University Museum are collaborating to create a full day of Art Deco style—automobiles, architecture, fashion, graphic design, and dance.

The day will begin with a 1930s car show on the lawn at the Massillon Museum from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. At 11:00, the Museum’s curator, Alexandra Nicholis, will present a gallery talk in the midst of fifty black and white silver gelatin prints recording the 1930-31 construction of New York City’s iconic architecture—“The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building.” ("The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building" was organized by George Eastman House, Rochester, New York, with support of Bausch and Lomb.)

From 3:00 to 6:00. the Kent State University Museum will host a 1920s car show. At 4:00, the Museum will offer free gallery tours of three Art Deco exhibitions: “Great American Glass: The Roaring Twenties and Depression Era,” “The Kokoon Arts Club: Cleveland Revels,” and “Gazette du Bon Ton.” The grand finale of the Deco Tour is “Tangomania,” a masked ball at the Kent State University Museum at 8:00 p.m.

The museums are now accepting car registrations. A $10 fee secures a space at the appropriate venue as well as admission to the Kent State University Museum. (Admission to the Massillon Museum is always free.) Contact the Massillon Museum for 1930s vehicles: 121 Lincoln Way East, Massillon 44646-6633, 330-833-4061, www.massillonmuseum.org. To register a 1920s vehicle, contact the Kent State University Museum, P.O. Box 5190, Kent 44242-0001, 330-672.3450, www.dept.kent.edu/Museum.

Spectator admission will be free for both segments of the Deco Tour. (Tickets for Tangomania will be $25 each.)

For more information, call the Massillon Museum at 330-833-4061.

Media Contacts:

Alexandra Nichois, Massillon Museum Curator - 330-833-4061 / anicholis@massillonmuseum.org

Jean Druesedow, Kent State University Museum Director - 330-672-0303 / jdruesed@kent.edu

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum PR Coordinator - 330-844-1525 / vogt@sssnet.com

Do the Mu!—Architecture

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:14:00 +0000

On Saturday, June 6, the Massillon Museum will host its monthly “Do the Mu” program, a free family drop-in activity time. The theme “Architecture,” will be based on the current exhibition, “The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building.”

Families and individuals are invited to tour the exhibition, then join architect Don Allcorn to discuss details of the construction of the Empire State Building, learn more about architecture, and build their own structures. Don Allcorn is an Akron-based architect who has worked professionally for 22 years in northeast Ohio. He established his architectural office seven years ago. He has traveled extensively to New York and has studied its rich architectural, cultural, and geologic history.

The “Do the Mu” program, instituted by the Massillon Museum’s Educator, Jill Malusky Bacon, is free and open to all. Participants may drop in any time between noon and 2:00 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month for a tour, an arts activity, and a snack. No pre-registration is required. “Do the Mu!” receives funding from ArtsinStark.

“The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building” was organized by and is traveling under the auspices of George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. It includes fifty classic black and white images of the 1930-1931 construction of America’s iconic Empire State Building—which includes stainless steel fabricated in the Massillon Republic Steel plant. A supporting exhibition in the second-floor photography gallery features architectural images from the Massillon Museum’s permanent collection.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East (Ohio Route 172) in downtown Massillon. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free. For more information, call the Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061

Jill Malusky Bacon, Educator - 330-833-4061

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525

Canstruction® Opening Night Is Open to All

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:11:00 +0000

Canstruction’s® first annual Massillon area design/build competition spotlights hunger and showcases Stark County’s best designers. The gala opening will be held on Thursday, June 4, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The casual after-work event will be the first opportunity to see six incredible oversized sculptures created completely from canned goods. The public is invited to attend; no reservations are required. The party is free, but guests are encouraged to bring cans of food for donation to help feed the area’s hungry. Refreshments will, of course, be served.

Six teams of five members guided by architects, designers, and engineers will unveil sculptures they have built from thousands of cans of food. Size and shape of the cans as well as label colors will determine what products will be used to build works of art.

Winners will be announced at Thursday’s opening. The Canstruction® sculptures will remain on exhibition through Sunday, June 28.

Fishers Foods is the major sponsor for Massillon’s Canstruction® project. Organized by the Massillon Area Chamber of Commerce and the Massillon Museum, Canstruction® is expected to gather thousands of cans of food for the Akron/ Canton Food Bank and the Massillon Salvation Army. Competing teams will provide their own canned goods for building materials. They challenge exhibit visitors to fill food barrels at the Museum to add to the hunger relief effort. Collection barrels will also be located at the Massillon Public Library and Massillon Area Chamber of Commerce.

Canstruction® bills itself as “the most unique food charity in the world.” A foundation of the Society for Design Administration (SDA)—an affiliate of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Canstruction® is held in selected cities throughout North America. Since its inception, ten million pounds of food have been donated to aid in the fight against hunger.

The local committee, co-chaired by Sanderson and Shearer, includes architect Jeff Day and designer Yvette Otterman of Harris/Day; Museum staff members Jill Malusky Bacon, Chris Craft, Scot Philips, and Sandi Thouvenin; Captain Tawny Cowen-Zanders of the Salvation Army’s Massillon headquarters; and Margy Vogt of Margy Vogt Visions.

For information about the competition, call Christine Shearer at 330-833-4061 or Bob Sanderson at 330-833-3146, or visit massillonmuseum.org or canstruction.org.

Media Contacts:

Bob Sanderson, Massillon Area Chamber of Commerce President - 330.833.3146 / cshearer@massillonmuseum.org

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061 / bob@massillonohchamber.com

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator - 330-844-1525 / vogt@sssnet.com

Please consider sending a photographer during build-out on Wednesday, June 3, 3:00 to 8:00 p.m.

There should be some great visuals once the sculpture starts to take shape.

MassMu Brown Bag Features Popular Music Expert

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:12:00 +0000

Michael Lasser—music historian, author, and broadcaster—will speak about the popular music of a century ago on Tuesday, April 28, at Kent State University Stark Campus Main Hall Auditorium (6000 Frank Road Northwest, Canton) at 7:00 p.m. The lecture free and open to the public.

Lasser’s program, “The Hip-Hooray and Bally-Hoo: Popular Music’s Take on New York City,” will emphasize the romantic image of New York that appeared in thousands of popular songs in the early 1900s. He will illustrate how Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, George Gershwin, and other songwriters gave voice to America’s image of itself—symbolized by New York City— in tight, jazzy songs that spoke for the nation’s heart.

“[Life in New York] was a strange cacophonous dream never before imagined in all of human history, as pulsating and noisy as it was romantic,” Lasser said. “It was a dream about a place where people came to seek life at its most exciting and make a fortune in the bargain. They lived in a city that chose to believe anything was possible, and then acted as if it believed the dream.”

Massillon Museum Curator Alexandra Nicholis invited Lasser to Stark County to accentuate the Massillon Museum’s main gallery exhibition of 50 black-and-white photographs of 1930s New York—“The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building.”

Lasser and Philip Furia co-authored the recent book, America’s Songs: The Stories Behind the Songs of Broadway, Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley. After his program, books will be available for sale, and the author will sign copies for guests.

Since 1980, Lasser has hosted the nationally-syndicated public radio show, “Fascinatin’ Rhythm,” winner of a 1994 Peabody Award for letting “our treasury of popular tunes speak (and sing) for itself with sparkling commentary, tracing the contributions of the composers and performers to American society.”

A graduate of Dartmouth College, Lasser is the former theater critic for The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. For nearly 25 years has spoken at museums and universities across the nation, among them the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian National Museum of American Art. He is working on a new book, That Pleasant Ache: How Love Songs Sang About Us, 1900–1950.

Lasser will also speak at the Massillon Museum’s Brown Bag lunch at noon on Tuesday, April 28. The event, which will be held in the Museum lobby, is free and open to the public. No reservations are required, but seats fill early. Brown Bag guests may bring a sack lunch or purchase lunch from the Chit Chat Coffee Shoppe in the lobby of the Museum. The Museum will serve free cookies and coffee.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon. For more information, call the Massillon Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

Lasser’s programs are funded by a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council. “The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building” was organized by and is traveling under the auspices of George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Director - 330-833-4061

Alexandra Nicholis, Massillon Museum Curator - 330-833-4061

Margy Vogt, Museum Public Relations & Lunch Series Chair - 330-844-1525

Do the Mu!—Local Allegories, Stories of Massillon

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:11:00 +0000

On Saturday, May 2, the Massillon Museum will host its monthly “Do the Mu” program, a free family drop-in activity time. The theme “Local Allegories, Stories of Massillon” will be based on the current exhibition of the same name by artist Jody Hawk.

Families and individuals are invited to join Hawk, a visiting assistant professor at the University of Akron, for a tour of the second-floor exhibition of three-dimensional collages based on the oral histories of local women. Afterwards, participants will create their own art inspired by Hawk’s story boxes.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061

Jill Malusky Bacon, Educator - 330-833-4061

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525

MassMu Garners Top State Awards

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:58:00 +0000

The Massillon Museum received three prestigious awards at the annual conference of the Ohio Museums Association (OMA): the Award of Achievement and two Visual Communications Awards.

The Museum earned “The Best Exhibition of 2008,” one of only two Awards of Achievement presented, for its 75th anniversary exhibition, “Eclectic.Everyday.Elegant,” which filled the Museum last summer, June 7 through September 14.

The Massillon-manufactured steam engine was on the lawn; the locally-made Jewel automobile sat in the lobby. The main first-floor gallery spotlighted permanent collection objects deemed by the staff and exhibition committee to be the best 75 pieces in the collection, which numbers more than 100,000 items. The second floor galleries were divided into spaces for a curiosity cabinet, a sports area, a timeline paralleling the history of the town and the evolution of the Massillon Museum, a Native American display, costumes, and photographs. Two of the vignettes reminded visitors of the Victorian parlor and the pioneer kitchen that were popular in the “old” building, when the Massillon Museum shared quarters with the Massillon Public Library.

Massillon Museum Executive Director Christine Shearer led the exhibition planning effort, working closely with the Museum’s curator, Alexandra Nicholis; staff members Mandy Pond and Chris Craft; Margy Vogt; and volunteer John Sparks. Andy and Keith Rock installed the exhibit.

“This is a real honor,” said Shearer. “We were selected among Museums of all sizes throughout the state in every budget category. The award reflects the quality of our collection and the expertise of the staff and volunteers who helped plan and install the exhibits.”

The 120-page soft-cover catalog that accompanied the exhibition included essays and color photographs of the Massillon Museum’s 75 most important permanent collection objects. It took the gold award (first place) in the level three ($250,000-$499,999) 2008 visual communication competition.

In addition to the leadership and written contributions of Shearer and Nicholis, sections of the book were written by Negussie Ayele, Christine Bracken, Christopher Craft, Tirzah Julius, Scot Phillips, Mandy Altimus Pond, David W. Schultz, Elaine Snively, Leora Traynor, Margy Vogt, and Kathleen Walker. Edited by Ann and Hugh Brown and designed by Margy Vogt, “Eclectic.Everyday.Elegant.” remains available in the Museum shop.

The 28-page catalog, also a full-color soft-cover publication, for the Massillon Museum’s “In the Garden” exhibition earned the level three silver visual communication award (second place). Christine Shearer was the exhibition curator and catalog author; Margy Vogt designed the catalog.

“The energetic young staff at the Massillon Museum stands out in the state of Ohio,” said Terry Potenzini, Executive Director of the Ohio Museums Association, from her Columbus office. “It’s no wonder the Massillon Museum set the standard for exhibitions and activities. They surely must be the sparkle in their community’s crown.” She praised Shearer for her enthusiasm and effectiveness as president of the OMA for the past two years.

The Ohio Museums Association Annual Awards Program honors outstanding achievement and visual communication. The 2008 Ohio Museums Association Outstanding Achievement Award winners were recognized at the Ohio Museums Association’s Annual Conference at the Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls, April 5 and 6, 2009. Nominations and entries from the field are considered by a distinguished panel of five judges, selected to represent the diversity of the museum community.

Media Contacts:

Christine Fowler Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director: 330-833-4061

Terry Potenzini, Ohio Museums Association Executive Director: 614.297.2375

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator: 330-844-1525

Brown Bag Features Nationally Recognized Music Historian Michael Lasser

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Music historian Michael Lasser—a lecturer, writer, broadcaster, critic, and teacher—will speak on Tuesday, April 28, at the Massillon Museum’s monthly Brown Bag Lunch.

The program will begin at noon and conclude at approximately 1:00 p.m. The event, which is held in the Museum lobby, is free and open to the public. No reservations are required, but seats fill early.

Lasser’s program, “The Hip-Hooray and Bally-Hoo: Popular Music’s Take on New York City,” will focus on the romantic image of “The Big Apple” that appeared in thousands of popular songs between 1890 and 1940. The program will accentuate the Museum’s main gallery exhibition of 50 black-and-white photographs of 1930s New York—“The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building.”

“Popular music became distinctively American in the hands of Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, and George Gershwin, among others,” Lasser wrote of the early decades of the twentieth century. “It looked out over the nation from a vantage point on the east side of the Hudson River. For a while, New York stood for America, and our songwriters gave it voice. What we said, believed, and dreamed they gave expression in tight, jazzy songs that spoke for a nation’s heart.”

Lasser and Philip Furia co-authored the recent book, America’s Songs: The Stories Behind the Songs of Broadway, Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley. After his program, books will be available for sale in the Museum shop, and the author will sign copies for guests.

A graduate of Dartmouth College, Lasser is the former theater critic for The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. For nearly 25 years has spoken at museums and universities across the nation, among them the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian National Museum of American Art. He is working on a new book, That Pleasant Ache: How Love Songs Sang About Us, 1900–1950.

Brown Bag guests may bring a sack lunch or purchase lunch from the Chit Chat Coffee Shoppe in the lobby of the Museum. The Museum will serve free cookies and coffee.

“We usually begin the program at 12:10, but this month we’ll start early,” said Margy Vogt, volunteer chair of the Brown Bag series. “We’re very fortunate to be able to present a nationally recognized expert, and we want to enjoy as many of his entertaining stories as we can during the lunch hour.”

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon. For more information, call the Massillon Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

Bates Printing sponsors the Brown Bag Lunch series, which is in its seventh year.

Massillon Museum Curator Alexandra Nicholis, who has organized the Massillon Museum’s Lewis Hine photography exhibition, has also scheduled a lecture by Michael Lasser for the evening of April 28. He will speak at Kent State University Stark Campus Main Hall Auditorium (6000 Frank Road Northwest, Canton) at 7:00 p.m. That presentation is also free and open to the public. Lasser’s book will be available for purchase and signing following the program.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Director - 330-833-4061

Alexandra Nicholis, Massillon Museum Curator - 330-833-4061

Margy Vogt, Museum Public Relations & Lunch Series Chair - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525

MassMu and Glenmoor CC Last Call for Artists

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:54:00 +0000

The Massillon Museum will present, in collaboration with Glenmoor Country Club, the inaugural edition of an outdoor art fair, “Gallery on the Greens,” on Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12, on the grounds of Glenmoor. White tents filled with original art will line the boulevard that leads to the clubhouse.

Admission for spectators to the show on Saturday and Sunday will be just $5 (free for members of the Massillon Museum) to encourage artists’ sales. A VIP patron reception will be held on Friday evening. Each artist will be responsible for his own space and sales.

The entry deadline for artists who wish to be considered for the show is April 15. Any Ohio artist is eligible to submit a proposal. Tents (10x10 feet), tables, chairs, and overnight security will be provided as part of the $250 entry fee. Additional space, tents, tables, and chairs can be provided for an additional fee. The entry fee will not be due until the time of acceptance.

All media will be eligible. Artists will submit digital images of their work for consideration by the jurors. Cash awards totalling $600 will be awarded.

Artists may obtain entry forms with complete application information by contacting Sandi Thouvenin at the Massillon Museum, 330-833-4061 or sthouvenin@massillonmuseum.org.

Glenmoor Country Club is located at 4191 Glenmoor Road Northwest in Canton. The Gallery on the Greens will include a patron reception and silent auction on Friday, July 10, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; the two-day public outdoor show on July 11 and 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and a golf outing at Glenmoor Country Club on Monday, July 13. Proceeds from the preview night, the art show, and the golf outing will benefit the Massillon Museum.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer - Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061

Sandi Thouvenin - Massillon Museum Volunteer & Special Events Coordinator - 330-833-4061

Margy Vogt - Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator - 330-832-8469

MassMu “Mommy or Daddy and Me” Classes

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:53:00 +0000

The Massillon Museum will offer an art class for children ages three to six, “Mommy or Daddy and Me,” beginning on May 2. The class will meet with instructor Sandi Thouvenin weekly on four Saturdays (through May 30) from 11:00 a.m. to noon.

The $49 fee ($39 for Massillon Museum members) includes all instruction and materials for a variety of hands-on art and fun for parents and children inspired by the Museum’s exhibitions and collections. Each session will include a new project to take home and a snack.

“During previous sessions, we’ve also enjoyed having grandparents attend with the children,” said Thouvenin. “Our class is a happy, creative time to spend together.”

Massillon Museum classes are open to everyone. Advance registration with payment must be made for this class by April 27—in person, by phone (330-833-4061), or online (www.massillonmuseum.org). The Museum accepts cash, checks, Visa, and Mastercard.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East (Ohio Route 172) in downtown Massillon. For more information, call Museum Educator Jill Malusky Bacon at 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

Media Contacts:
Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061
Jill Malusky Bacon, Educator - 330-833-4061
Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525

Artist Jody Hawk to Exhibit Storyboxes at MassMu

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:52:00 +0000

The exhibition, “Jody Hawk: Local Allegories / Stories of Massillon,” will open in the second floor gallery at the Massillon Museum on Saturday, April 18, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., with a reception for the artist. The event is free and open to the public. The exhibition will continue through August 2.

The artist interviewed six Massillon women to assimilate their stories and create a storybox reflecting each subject. Each storybox is deconstructed as a digital composite and displayed as a photographic print above the real box. Some of the boxes were borrowed from the Massillon Museum.

Viewers hear each woman's voice—as she shares her interior strength, while viewing within each box reproductions from the Massillon Museum's photography collection as well as items from the women whose stories are represented. Hawk’s installations assemble each voice into a visual allegory. The boxes pull together different fragments of the women’s lives and interpret the wisdom and experience revealed through their stories.

“My artwork investigates the vernacular,” Hawk said. “Before 2006, my images primarily investigated the cultural landscape. I was fascinated by ornamentation to a piece of property and how a person might create a personal landscape.” When her grandmother died, she inherited a musical jewelry box full of mementos from trips; gifts of jewelry from relatives and friends; and scribbled directions, addresses, pictures, and notes. Her new work evolved from the jewelry box and its contents into an installation of objects with an oral history component.

A visiting assistant professor at the University of Akron, Hawk works with a group of local artists, Raw Umber, to organize art shows and was selected to present work at last year’s First Night in downtown Akron. For First Night, she collaborated with musician Gustave Aguilar, constructing a musical instrument made from found objects. The two were part of the Ingenuity Festival of Art and Technology in Cleveland. Hawk helps lead the Massillon Museum’s Art Explorers group of young people who have an interest in art as a career. She has shown her work nationally and her photographs grace public and private collections.

“Jody has interviewed a lovely array of local ladies with interesting stories to tell,” said Massillon Museum Curator Alexandra Nicholis, who is working with Hawk to install the exhibition. “It will be a joy to see the final exhibition, having watched it grow.”

The stories of seven women will be included in the exhibition: Amelia Sparks, Gloria Pope, Polly Cochran, Pat Beane, Isabel McFadden, Ann Arnold, and Mary Gibson (a tribute; she passed away before the interview).

The Museum’s Education Department of the Museum will base the May 2nd “Do the Mu!” free family activity time on the “Local Allegories” exhibition. After a tour of the exhibition, the artist will help participants create a project based on her concept.

On Saturday, April 18, visitors can enjoy two additional exhibitions, which will open concurrently with the “Jody Hawk: Local Allegories, Stories of Massillon” exhibition. “The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building” will open in the main first-floor gallery. In the Fred F. Silk Community Room in the lower level, the Studio M exhibition, “Image to Image,” photographs by Walsh University digital photojournalism students will also open.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East (Ohio Route 172) in the heart of downtown Massillon. For more information, contact the Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

The Jody Hawk exhibition may be seen during regular Massillon Museum hours from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Chit Chat Coffee Shop is open in the Museum lobby from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free.

Media Contacts:

Christine Fowler Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director: 330-833-4061 or cshearer@massillonmuseum.org

Alexandra Nicholis, Massillon Museum Curator: 330-833-4061 or anicholis@massillonmuseum.org

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator: 330-844-1525 or vogt@sssnet.com

MassMu Exhibits Photos of Empire State Building Construction

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:52:00 +0000

MassMu Exhibits Photos of Empire State Building Construction

The George Eastman House exhibition, “The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building,” will be displayed in the Massillon Museum’s main gallery from April 18 through August 2, 2009. The exhibition will open with a free public reception on Saturday, April 18, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. No reservations are necessary.

The exhibition of more than 50 black and white images by photographer Lewis Wickes Hine chronicles the entire construction of the Empire State Building in New York City. The project, which included a total of more than 1,000 photographs taken by Hine during the year-long construction (1930–1931), were meant to remind viewers that buildings and the cities that they shape are built only with the direction and innovation of humankind.

This exhibition is drawn entirely from the Eastman House’s photographic collection in Rochester, New York, which contains nearly 10,000 of Hine’s original photographs, negatives, and artifacts. The Hine collection, which was given to the Eastman House in 1955 by the Photo League of New York, is the world’s largest holding of his work. The images in the exhibition are modern gelatin silver prints made from copy negatives.

Born in 1874 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Hine was a sociologist whose photographs captured his abiding concern for immigrants and working-class people. Early in his career, he documented the newly arrived immigrants at Ellis Island and worked for the National Child Labor Committee as an investigator and photographer studying children working in sweatshops, canneries, coal mines, and cotton mills. After World War I, as America became infatuated with modern machinery, Hine began to photograph men and women at work in the newly mechanized environment, thus emphasizing the human side of modern technology.

“We are particularly pleased to present this exhibition because it emphasizes the Massillon Museum’s own very strong photography collection as well as the legacy of Massillon’s legendary steel industry,” said Massillon Museum Curator Alexandra Nicholis, who is organizing the traveling collection’s exhibition in Massillon. “In fact,” she said, “stainless steel from the Massillon plant of Republic Steel was used in the construction of the Empire State Building.”

A number of events between April and July will augment the exhibition itself. On April 28, author Michael Lasser will present a free lecture, “The Hip-Hooray and Bally-Hoo: Popular Music’s Take on New York City,” at the Massillon Museum’s Brown Bag Lunch at noon and again at Kent State University Stark Campus Main Hall Auditorium in the evening. On June 6, at the Massillon Museum’s monthly free “Do the Mu!” time, families will learn about architecture with architect Don Allcorn and build their own structures. Margy Vogt will lead an afternoon workshop, “Photographing Massillon’s Architectural Treasures: History and Composition Class,” on July 11. Curator Alexandra Nicholis will present a free gallery talk on July 19.

The Museum’s Education Department of the Museum has added an interactive component to the exhibition and the second-floor Photography Gallery will include related images from the Museum’s permanent collection such as the “Rohr Barnraising” and local steel industry photos.

On Saturday, April 18, visitors can enjoy two additional exhibitions, which will open concurrently with “The Rise of a Landmark.” On the Museum’s second floor, the “Jody Hawk: Local Allegories, Stories of Massillon” exhibition will open. In the Fred F. Silk Community Room in the lower level, the Studio M exhibition, “Image to Image,” photographs by Walsh University digital photojournalism students will also open. Visitors will be encouraged to meet Hawk and the Walsh students and to view their work.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East (Ohio Route 172) in the heart of downtown Massillon. For more information, contact the Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

The Massillon Museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Chit Chat Coffee Shop is open in the Museum lobby from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free.

Media Contacts:

Christine Fowler Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director: 330-833-4061

Alexandra Nicholis, Massillon Museum Curator: 330-833-4061

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator: 330-844-1525

Walsh Students Exhibit Photography in Studio M

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:51:00 +0000

Walsh Students Exhibit Photography in Studio M

Sixteen students enrolled in Professor Lee Horrisberger’s digital photography class at Walsh University are studying the work of outstanding photojournalists from the perspectives of artistic style, technique, and history. The course will culminate in an exhibition in the Massillon Museum’s Studio M from April 18 through May 24, 2009.

The public is invited to meet the student photographers, view their work, and enjoy refreshments at the exhibition opening on Saturday, April 18, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Fred F. Silk Community Room of the Massillon Museum. The party is free and open to all.

The fourth annual “Image to Image: A Comparative Study of Past and Present Photojournalists’ Images, Styles, and Shooting Techniques” exhibition will feature the work of Clinton Blossomgame III, Andrew Board, Adam Brately, Bryan Bush, Ben Daleiden, Ashley Dunnerstick, Megan Garin, Molly Hyland, Alexis Kyriakedes, Kate Lombardo, Amy Police, Mark Sexton Jr., Alexandra Shorac, Brittany Smart, Sterling Tatum, and Anna Wilson. The students will imitate the photography style, lighting, and content of an eminent photojournalist of their choosing to demonstrate the impact of style and technique on artistic content.

The students have emulated some of the best-known photograpers in the history of the art form: Henri-Cartier Bresson, Elizabeth Alice Austen, Lewis Hine (whose photographs will fill the Museum’s main gallery throughout the Walsh show), Alfred Stieglitz, Weegee, Neil Leifer, Imogen Cunningham, William Henry Jackson, Alfred Eisenstaedt, W. Eugene Smith, Dorothea Lange, Bruce Murray, Lisa Law, Aaron Siskind, and James Nachtwey.

Each student’s work will be printed, matted, and hung beside a reproduction of a photograph by his selected photojournalist, a bibliography, and the student’s photographic notes. The students and their professor will help Massillon Museum Curator Alexandra Nicholis install the exhibition.

Two additional photography-related exhibition openings will be held concurrently with the Walsh show. “The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building,” will be a main gallery exhibition of photographs taken in 1930 and 1931 as the building was constructed. “Jody Hawk: Local Allegories, Stories of Massillon,” a second-floor exhibition of storyboxes depicting the lives of local women incorporating sculpture, photographs, and recordings.

All three exhibitions may be seen during regular Museum hours, Tuesday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., except when the Silk Room has been reserved for private functions. A call to the Museum office can confirm that the exhibit is available for viewing—330-833-4061.

The Chit Chat Coffee Shop is open in the Museum lobby from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East (Ohio Route 172) in the heart of downtown Massillon. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Director - 330-833-4061

Alex Nicholis, Massillon Museum Curator - 330-833-4061

Lee Horrisberger, Professor, Walsh University - 330-490-7040

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum PR Coordinator - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525

Book Discussion for Week Five of The Big Read

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:35:00 +0000

MassMu Book Discussion for Week Five of The Big Read

Dr. Leslie Heaphy, Associate Professor, History, Kent State University Stark Campus, will moderate the final book discussion of The Big Read for 2009 at the Massillon Public Library’s main branch (208 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon) on Tuesday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m. The discussion is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required.

The Massillon Museum, in collaboration with the Massillon Public Library, encourages everyone in the community to read The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton—The Big Read book selection for this year.

Copies of The Age of Innocence may be checked out at the Massillon Public Library. They may be purchased at the Massillon Museum (121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon), the Massillon Public Library (208 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon), and The Village Bookshelf (746 Amherst Road Northeast in Massillon).

The Age of Innocence is an appropriate reading level for high school students and adults. Free readers' guides are available at the Museum, the Library, and at offices and businesses throughout the area. Anyone who reads the book is invited to sign a “Victorian calling card” to be displayed at the Museum or the Library.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents the Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.

Local organizations and individuals collaborating with the Massillon Museum include: the Massillon Public Library; the Lions Lincoln Theatre; Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli; Dr. Leslie Heaphy, Dr. Robert Sturr, and Kent State University Stark Campus; Jason Norris; John Kiste and the Canton/Stark County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau; Rotary Club of Massillon; the Massillon Area Chamber of Commerce; The Independent; the Fairless, Jackson, Tuslaw, and Massillon school systems; State Representative Scott Oelslager; Massillon Cable TV; the Chit Chat Coffee Shop; George Nicholis; Camille Leslie; Brian Centrone; Eric Myers; Gretchen Schrantz; Five Oaks and Massillon Woman’s Club; Richard Gercken; The Canton Symphony Orchestra; The Amherst Rose and Parlour Gift Shoppe; Kozmo’s Grille; St. Timothy’s Church; Massillon Family YMCA; Hampton Inn Massillon; and many community volunteers.

Massillon Museum Executive Director Christine Shearer leads the local project. Massillon Public Library Director Camille Leslie, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator Margy Vogt, Museum Assistant Chris Craft, Dr. Leslie Heaphy of Kent State University, and Massillon Area Chamber of Commerce President Bob Sanderson serve on the committee.

For more information about the book discussions or The Big Read, call 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org or www.NEABigRead.org.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer - Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061

Camille Leslie - Massillon Public Library Director - 330-833-9831

Margy Vogt - Massillon Museum PR Coordinator - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525

“Do the Mu!”—Circus

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:34:00 +0000

“Do the Mu!”—Circus

On Saturday, April 4, the Massillon Museum will celebrate The Immel Circus. Families and individuals are invited to join staff members for a tour of the second-floor circus exhibition and a visit to the lower level lobby to see cases full of circus artifacts. Participants will then create their own art inspired by the circus.

Denny Bowe will entertain as Bo Bo the clown. He will bring examples of costumes and make-up to show how he transforms himself into a clown.

The “Do the Mu” program, instituted by the Massillon Museum’s Educator, Jill Malusky Bacon, is free and open to all. Participants may drop in any time between noon and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, for a tour, an arts activity, and a snack. No pre-registration is required.

The Immel Circus is a one-hundred-square-foot miniature circus lot hand-carved by the late Dr. Robert Immel of Massillon. It includes thousands of figures—animals, crowds, performers, barkers, tents, wagons, everything that would be found on the grounds when the circus came to town. Little vignettes within the layout tell stories—a sick zebra, workers carpenters a burned wagon, workers feeding the animals, muscular men pounding tent stakes, a parade, and dozens more. The miniature circus lot comes to life with circus sounds, and it is surrounded by huge posters and authentic costumes.

On the first Saturday of every month, the public will be invited to “Do the Mu!”—free activities for families at the Massillon Museum. Do the Mu! receives funding from ArtsinStark.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061

Jill Malusky Bacon, Educator - 330-833-4061

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525

Dominick Farinacci Concert

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:06:00 +0000

Massillon Museum Hosts Dominick Farinacci Concert

Trumpeter Dominick Farinacci will perform at the Massillon Museum’s final Rhythms Concert of this season on Saturday, March 28. The doors will open for social time in the lobby at 7:30 p.m.; the concert will begin at 8:00 p.m.

A recent graduate of the Institute for Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School, Farinacci has recorded five records for the Japanese label, M & I Jazz. They garnered the "International New Star" Award from Japan’s Swing Journal Magazine in 2003—an honor previously awarded to Christian McBride and Diana Krall, among others. He received “Gold Disc Awards,” signifying a record of the month for Swing Journal, for three of those recordings.

Farinacci has toured several times throughout Japan and has performed in the United States with Tony Bennett, Ira Sullivan, Joe Lovano, Joey DeFrancesco, Mulgrew Miller, and Jason Miles. In 2000, he performed with one of his mentors, Wynton Marsalis, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra as a featured student in a Louis Armstrong tribute, which was broadcast on PBS’s “Live From Lincoln Center.” In 2005, Farinacci performed with his own groups at the Blue Note and Birdland Jazz Club in New York as well as at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival. His quartet recently recorded a live performance at the Kennedy Center for NPR's JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater.

The $25 per-person pre-sale ($23 for Massillon Museum members) may be purchased in advance by calling the Massillon Museum at 330-833-4061 or by visiting www.massillonmuseum.org. Tickets will be sold at the door ($28 non-members, $25 Massillon Museum members) as long as seats remain available. Cash, checks, and Visa and MasterCard are accepted. The concert is open to the public.

Community members have stepped forward to make the Museum’s music series possible: In Tribute of Kevin Alden Hunt; Mel and Ann Herncane; Affinity Medical Center; A.A. Hammersmith Insurance, Inc.; Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffith and Dougherty Co.; FirstMerit; The Health Plan HomeTown Region; and The Eye Clinic, Inc. WKSU is the media sponsor. Grant support is provided by the Canton/Stark County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, Ohio Arts Council, and Arts in Stark.

The Massillon Museum hosts five out-of-the-mainstream concerts in the intimate setting of its main gallery to broaden the arts that it offers to the community.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East, in downtown Massillon. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots. For more information, call the Massillon Museum at 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer, Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061

Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum PR Coordinator - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525

The Big Read Archery Demonstration

noreply@blogger.com (MassMu) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:06:00 +0000

MassMu Hosts The Big Read Archery Demonstration

The Massillon Museum, with the collaboration of the Massillon Public Library, will host an archery demonstration on the Museum lawn on Saturday, March 21, at 11:00 a.m. The event is one of two dozen that are scheduled as part of The Big Read to encourage people in the community to read The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, the 2009 book selection. A women’s archery competition is part of the novel’s plot.

Dustin Bounce, an archery instructor who operates Hadley’s Sports Store in Akron—an establishment featuring archery equipment and supplies, will present the program. He has been shooting bow and arrow for more than two decades; he has been shooting professionally for eight years. Bounce has won both the indoor and outdoor championship for the state of Ohio and has competed nationally and internationally. The archery team he sponsors has also won Ohio championships.

The demonstration is free and open to the public with no reservations necessary. In case of inclement weather, the archery demonstration will be held at the Massillon Family YMCA (131 Tremont Avenue Southeast, Massillon).

When attending the demonstration, visitors may also see the Victorian displays relating to the book in the Museum’s lower level and second-floor permanent collection galleries. A visit to the Massillon Museum is always free.

The Big Read is a month-long celebration of the classic work of fiction, The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton. The organizers selected the book because it depicts an era when Massillon’s industrialists and financiers reflected the social ways depicted in the novel. The Massillon Museum’s collections of furniture, clothing, art, china, and glassware represent their lifestyle.

Copies of The Age of Innocence may be checked out at the Massillon Public Library or purchased at the Massillon Museum, the Massillon Public Library, and The Village Bookshelf (746 Amherst Road Northeast in Massillon).

A complete schedule of events related to The Big Read is available at the Massillon Public Library, the Massillon Museum, or online at www.massillonmuseum.org.

The Massillon Museum is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon. For more information about the book discussions or The Big Read, call 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org or www.NEABigRead.org.

Media Contacts:

Christine Shearer - Massillon Museum Executive Director - 330-833-4061

Camille Leslie - Massillon Public Library Director - 330-833-9831

Margy Vogt - Massillon Museum PR Coordinator - 330-832-8469 or 330-844-1525