Events

Free public reception: Friday, September 6, 5-7 pm
with a talk from visiting curator, Annemarie Sawkins, PhD. at 6 pm

This very special exhibition comes from a private collection in Milwaukee and has never before been exhibited outside of its home city. Art Nouveau and its related movement, Arts & Crafts, developed in the late 1800s as a reaction against previously popular academic styles and the heavy ornamentation of the Victorian era. Instead, these movements emphasized handcrafting and design inspired by nature, most notably an appreciation of flowing lines and contours. The exhibition features decorative objects and furniture, sculpture, prints, and paintings from the 1890s – 1930s that capture the spirit of this stylistic era and demonstrate how it permeated all types of art and design.

Highlights of this exhibition include glassware and lamps by Louis Comfort Tiffany, cameo vases by Emile Gallé, European claret jugs, sculptures by Emmanuel Villanis and Charles Drouet, and a variety of wooden furniture. The exhibition also features a wonderful array of lithographs by Alphonse Mucha, Paul Berthon, Emile Bertrand, and Eugène Grasset among others, plus paintings, drawings, and other prints of the era.

Reception Thursday, May 30, 5:30-7:30 pm with remarks from the Director and Curator at 6:30. Refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public

2019 is about celebrating the history of the Masur Museum of Art: the building, the collection, and the community. Built as a family home in 1929, the Masur Museum building celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. The house was donated to the City of Monroe in 1963 to become an art museum and acquired its first work of art in 1964. The collection that developed since tells the story of evolving artistic styles and movements throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, and especially celebrates notable artists from our own region. Artists in the exhibition include Ida Kohlmeyer, George Rodrigue, Salvador Dali, Robert Motherwell, Lynda Benglis, and many more of regional, national, and international importance.

In April of 2017, however, tragedy struck. A fire in an off-site collections storage building caused smoke and soot damage to over 90% of the permanent collection. Thanks to a team of volunteers, donors, and interns, we were able to save every single work of art affected by the fire. This exhibition would not have been possible without their hard work and dedication.

Our Story is not just about the history of the Masur Museum of Art. This is also a story of the future: preserving and displaying the collection for public access and education for years to come. Join us in this celebration of art, local history, and community triumph.

Reception with Juror’s Talk and Prize Announcements: Thursday, April 25th, 5:30-7:30 pm

The Masur Museum of Art’s Annual Juried Competition showcases contemporary artists throughout the United States of America working in any medium. This long-running juried competition also showcases some of America’s best curatorial talent. Recent jurors include Joel Parsons, Cough-Hanson Gallery at Rhodes College; Daniel Stetson, LSU Museum of Art; Gia Hamilton, Joan Mitchell Center; Holly Hughes, Albright-Knox Art Gallery; Sandra Firmin, Colorado University Art Museum; Kelly Shindler, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis; George Shackelford, Kimbell Art Museum; Liza Simone, Phantom Galleries, Los Angeles; Alison Greene, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; David Houston, currently Bo Bartlett Center; and Miranda Lash, currently Speed Art Museum.

The juror for the 56th Annual Juried Competition is Catherine Futter, Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO.

Participating Artists
Elizabeth Abaravich, CA; Abe Abraham, NY; Trenton Brown, GA; Richard Buswell, MT; Paula Campbell, TN; Norm Diamond, TX; M. M. Dupay, OH; Leslie Elliottsmith, LA; Farimah Eshraghi, MA; Amy Faggard, TX; Ashley Gardner, AR; Gale Gibbs, TX; Stephanie Gonzalez, TX; Sarah Granberg, OR; Richard Greene, CA; Crummy Gummy, FL; Gao Hang, TX; Lewinale Havette, GA; Dianne Hebbert, NY; Pato Hebert, CA; Ming Ying Hong, MS; Jennifer Hoskins, SC; Shreepad Joglekar, KS; R. J. Kern, MN; Noelle King, NY; David Knox, LA; Sena Kwon, NY; Joshua Littlefield, MD; Gabi Magaly, TX; A.M. Martens, IL; Andy Mattern, OK; Corinne McAuley, AZ; Daniel Melo, CA; Rebecca Miller, MO; Jason Nelson, LA; Jim Pearson, IL; Sandi Pfeifer, FL; Nikii Berry Richey, TN; Evie Richner, TN; Sharon Shapiro, VA; Annisty Thompson, AL; Chad Thompson, SC; Tonja Torgerson, IN; Rhonda Urdang, AZ; Kevin Vanek, MS; Jiawei Zhao, NY