Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum Reopening to the Public on Dec. 22
By Lisa Padilla -
Wednesday Nov 11, 2020
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum will celebrate their reopening with three new exhibitions in December, one exhibition opening in January and two exhibitions in February 2021. Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum has been closed to the public since the pandemic began in March. Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum will reopen to Members starting December 18 and to the public on December 22.
Winter exhibitions include History Repeats an exhibition on socio-political concerns by Arizona artist Ann Morton; Forbidden Colors, an exhibition focused on male identity by Arizona artist Harold Lohner; Human Contrasts / â€â€¦Veterans of Creative Suffering,†a pop-up exhibition in conjunction with the Regional Unity Art Walk with Special Guest Curator Clottee Hammons, Creative Director, Emancipation Arts LLC; A Murmuration of Found Feathers in Flight, an immortalization in wood of 1,000 feather photographs by Arizona artist Alexandra Bowers; the 42nd Annual Contemporary Crafts exhibition with Guest Juror Gail Brown, Independent Curator of Contemporary Craft; and Becky McDonah, Juror’s Choice winner of the 41st Annual Contemporary Crafts exhibition.
History Repeats
Ann Morton
December 18, 2020 – March 28, 2021
Arizona artist Ann Morton exploits traditional textile techniques as conceptual tools for aesthetic, social communication to examine a society of which we are all a part - as bystanders, participants, victims and perpetrators. In addition to works that reflect her personal handwork, Morton’s practice is equally engaged in orchestrating public projects that call for collaboration between herself and community participants that advocate awareness of social issues of mutual concern. The works featured in this retrospective exhibition span from 2006 until today and reflect socio-political concerns that rose to consciousness during these years.
* Ann Morton is a 2018 proposal winner.
Forbidden Colors
Harold Lohner
December 18, 2020 – April 18, 2021
Arizona artist Harold Lohner is a font designer and printmaker, who rarely makes print editions. Instead, through bold, graphic shapes, Lohner captures the human figure in patterned layers and colors to create visually striking monoprints and one-of-a-kind artist books. His subject matter centers on male identity and dual concepts of revealed individuality versus concealed anonymity.
* Harold Lohner is a 2019 proposal winner.
Human Contrasts / â€â€¦Veterans of Creative Sufferingâ€
Pop-up Exhibition in conjunction with the Regional Unity Art Walk
Guest Curator: Clottee Hammons, Creative Director, Emancipation Arts LLC
December 18, 2020 – January 31, 2021
Human contrasts are those individuals that on the surface appear very dissimilar and disconnected. What might an old white man have in common with a young Black man? In “nowspeak†it might be expressed as intersectionality.
Perhaps they are poor… and employers will not hire “their kindâ€.
Perhaps they are both experiencing food insecurity… and depend on fleeting street kitchens.
Perhaps they are both military veterans… which has resulted in mental health issues and an unwieldy system has failed them.
Perhaps they are immigrants… scanning the air for a reassuring and familiar phrase.
Perhaps they are homeless… and lonely.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. referred to them in his famous “I Have A Dream†speech. They have always existed in the world, the country and in Arizona. In this exhibition artists Sebastiao Pereira, Leonard Wilson, JJ Westgate, Scott Chamberlain and Peter Votichenko look deep into humanity to render the Veterans of Creative Suffering that are all around us.
A Murmuration of Found Feathers in Flight
Alexandra Bowers
January 15 – April 4, 2021
Arizona artist Alexandra Bowers is known for her intricate nature inspired pyrographic (burned wood), watercolor, and wax pigment colored drawings. For this exhibition, Bowers uses her work to create a healing and tranquil space during this time of change and transition. Her latest installation, A Murmuration of Found Feathers in Flight, immortalizes in wood the 1,000 feather photographs she received from the community. The drawings, which are suspended from the gallery wall, are mobilized by a light breeze, simulating the effect of floating feathers.
* Alexandra Bowers is a 2020 North Gallery proposal winner.
42nd Annual Contemporary Crafts
February 12 – April 18, 2021
Highlighting the finest in contemporary crafts from across the country, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum’s Annual Contemporary Crafts exhibition has become a benchmark for innovation and quality. Representative of traditional craft mediums, this exhibition features ceramics, fibers, basketry, metals, wood, glass, jewelry, papermaking and book arts.
Guest Juror for the 42nd Annual Contemporary Crafts exhibition was Gail Brown, Independent Curator of Contemporary Craft, Oakland, CA.
Preserving Precious Elements
Becky McDonah
February 12 – April 25, 2021
Metalsmith Becky McDonah explores conversations on importance of prestige, presentation, and access or limited access to the contents. She uses the reliquary format as metaphor for “preciousness,†because of its ability to elaborately protect and display venerated objects. Through extensive ornamentation and materials of intrinsic value, McDonah initiates contemplation that elevates the ordinary into glorified symbolic contents. This consideration of the supposedly “little things†can open one’s mind to the larger picture of cultural practices and ideals.
* Becky McDonah is the 41st Annual Contemporary Crafts exhibition Juror’s Choice winner.
Distanced but not Separated
Now – January 3, 2021
The Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum Distanced but not Separated exhibition celebrates the extraordinary talents and history of Mesa Arts Center art studio programs and will run now through January 3. The artwork will be on display in Mesa Arts Center’s theater windows, creating a safe, alternate viewing experience. The exhibition contains artwork by twenty-eight artists, who currently teach or have made significant contributions to one of the four Mesa Arts Center art studio areas: Ceramics, Glass, Metals and Drawing/Painting/Printmaking. In addition to the artwork, each exhibition will feature timelines highlighting the studio accomplishments and milestones over the past 50 years. For information on Distanced but not Separated visit https://www.mesaartscenter.com/mcam. Admission to the exhibition is free.
Corinne Geertsen Jigsaw Puzzle
Preorder yours today!
Just in time for the holidays, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum is launching its first limited-edition puzzle based on Corinne Geertsen’s delightful digital photo collage The Board of Directors Takes Up the Cat Problem, which is part of the museum’s collection. Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum would like to thank artist Corinne Geertsen for her support and generosity in making this puzzle a reality. Corinne Geertsen is a digital artist from Mesa, Arizona, who draws from her amassed collection of more than 60,000 photographs to create whimsical visual narratives that span the psychological, the surreal and the humorous. Proceeds from the sale of this puzzle benefit the exhibition and educational programs of Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum.
12th Annual Original Art Print Calendar
Preorders begin November 13th!
Mesa Contemporary Art Museum is proud to present its 12th Annual Original Art Print Calendar for 2021! The prints, ranging from relief prints to screen prints as well as etchings to lithographs, are all hand produced on acid-free paper and adhered to the calendar with photo corners for easy removal for framing. Each of the twelve months has a different print and no two calendars are alike. This limited-edition calendar, with only 65 available for purchase, is a great way to begin your own art collection or give as a unique holiday gift. The juror for the 2020 calendar was master printmaker Ron Bimrose. Artists for this year’s calendar include: Marco Albarran (Mesa, AZ), Lillian Barker (Phoenix, AZ), Ron Bimrose (Tempe, AZ), Kimberley Boege (Phoenix, AZ), Jackson Boelts (Tucson, AZ), Brent Bond (Scottsdale, AZ), Timothy Chapman (Phoenix, AZ), Bev Beck Glueckert (Missoula, MT), Stephen Glueckert (Missoula, MT), Frank Gonzales (Mesa, AZ), Carol Hayman (Austin, TX), Peili Huang (Taipei, Taiwan), Marlys Kubicek (Phoenix, AZ), Harold Lohner (Phoenix, AZ), Carol Luc (Chicago, IL), David Manje (Mesa, AZ), Barbara Mason (Hillsboro, OR), Kathryn Maxwell (Tempe, AZ), Mark McDowell (Scottsdale, AZ), Kimiko Miyoshi (Long Beach, CA), Paulette Olive (Phoenix, AZ), Darshana Patel (Scottsdale, AZ), Kelsey Reiman (Mesa, AZ), Emily Ritter (Mesa, AZ), Michael Scheef (Papillion, NE), Katherine Sheehan (Long Beach, CA), Janet Towbin (Paradise Valley, AZ), Wendy Willis (Phoenix, AZ), Jonathan R Wright (Pine Bluff, AR) and Melanie Yazzie (Layfayette, CO). Purchases made before January 1, 2021, will receive $5 off every 2021 calendar purchase. Previous print calendars and prints are also available for purchase.
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum will reopen with robust safety protocols, informed by CDC guidelines, State health department guidelines, and best practices in the museum field nationally. Masks will be required of all visitors age 6 and older, and strongly encouraged for children 2-6 years old. In compliance with COVID safety protocols, museum capacity will be reduced and time slot reservations can be made online at https://mesaartscenter.com/mcam or by phone at 480-644-6560. Hand sanitizer stations will be readily available, and extra cleanings of high touch areas will occur throughout the day.
Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum is located at 1 East Main Street, in downtown Mesa, AZ, 85201. Admission is always free.
