Go behind-the-scenes with IA&A’s Traveling Exhibition Service Director Eddie Hayes, and Exhibition Project Manager Seth Dorcus, as they reflect on their recent road trip across Indiana and Michigan. In four action-packed days, they checked in with museum directors and curatorial staff to learn about their exhibition needs and to explore their remarkable collections.
Whether you're from the Midwest or just visiting, don't miss these ten great museums!
1. Newfields - Indianapolis, IN
We started our trip at Newfields (Indianapolis Museum of Art) and were welcomed by Kayla Tackett, Director of Exhibitions. Kayla shared how they were able to engineer this incredible lobby installation by an Amsterdam-based artist collective called Studio Drift. Great way to kick off the trip…
2. Fort Wayne Museum of Art - Fort Wayne, IN
We pulled into the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, just ahead of a rainstorm. Safely inside, we met with President & CEO Charles Shepard and Vice President & COO, Amanda Shepard. Charles and Amanda’s enthusiasm for their museum and artist archives was compelling. They shared so much about the FWMA, its goals and exhibition priorities. Afterwards, we walked through the galleries to see the great lineup of current exhibitions, and had an insightful conversation with Security guard Jack Cantey. We will be in touch soon again, as our traveling exhibition American Impressionism opens in Fort Wayne next year.
Contemporary works of art by Washington, DC artist Tim Tate were on view concurrently with an extensive photography exhibition of Imogen Cunningham. Yes, she photographed Frida Kahlo!
3. Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum - Auburn, IN
Tuesday began with a trip to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, where we had a riveting day meeting with the museum’s Executive Director & CEO Brandon Anderson, as well as Curator Sam Grate and Collections Manager Diane Hall. We saw their extensive collection of cars and learned a lot about the remarkable ingenuity of the design behind the Duesenberg, Cord, and Auburn automobiles. A big thank you to Brandon and his staff for a great day!
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Deusy. Fun fact: “It’s a Deusy!” refers to a Deusenberg-manufactured car.
An original clay model.
4. South Bend Museum of Art - South Bend, IN
Tuesday afternoon we headed to the South Bend Museum of Art for a meeting with Executive Director Susan Visser and Curator Mark Rospenda. Susan and Mark walked us through the museum’s galleries, provided an informative overview of the SBMA, showed where our exhibition Blurring Boundaries will be presented in 2020, and even allowed us to get up close and personal with the art.
Seth pulled himself into Gary Sczerbaniewicz’s Neil Before Zod - Clementine:
What Seth saw inside:
5. Kalamazoo Institute of Arts- Kalamazoo, MI
Wednesday morning, we had the pleasure of meeting with the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts’ Executive Director Belinda Tate (second from right) and Chief Curator Rehema Barber (far left). They gave us an in-depth tour of their current exhibitions, as well as KIA's Art School. We are thrilled they will be hosting IA&A's Cultural Encounters next year!
6. Kalamazoo Valley Museum - Kalamazoo, MI
That afternoon at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, we met with Director Bill McElhone, Assistant Director for Material Culture Tammy Barnes, and Design Assistant Alecia Cross. We received a grand tour of the museum, "played" with some great exhibition tech, and saw where IA&A's The Global Language of Headwear will be displayed when it arrives at the KVM in 2021.
7. University of Michigan Museum of Art - Ann Arbor, MI
Next, we made the two hour drive to the University of Michigan Museum of Art, where we met with Curator of Asian Art Natsu Oyobe, and the Helmut and Candis Stern Associate Curator of African Art Laura De Becker. Natsu and Laura gave us a tour through their encyclopedic collections and stunning contemporary art installations, including Jason DeMarte: Garden of Artificial Delights.
8. Flint Institute of Arts - Flint, MI
Thursday morning we drove to the Flint Institute of Arts for our meeting with Associate Curator, Sarah Kohn. Sarah provided a wealth of information about the museum, and gave us a generous tour of FIA's amazing collection which includes contemporary craft, 19th century American paintings, Renaissance Tapestries, and much more.
Above: Sarah walks us through their juried glass exhibition From the Flame.
Above: FIA's glass collection, part of their Contemporary Craft Wing.
9. The Henry Ford Museum - Dearborn, MI
After a few more hours on the road, we arrived in Dearborn to meet with Exhibits Manager Kate Morland at the Henry Ford Museum. Over lunch at the museum café, we learned about the strengths of their collection and exhibition-related interests of the museum, and later had a chance to view Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds, on display in the same gallery where the IA&A exhibition Louis Comfort Tiffany will be on view in 2021.
10. Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History- Detroit, MI
The final stop of our tour was the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. IA&A’s history with the Charles Wright goes back to 1998 when we organized their inaugural art exhibition, Richard Hunt: Affirmations. This time, we visited to meet with President and CEO Neil A. Barclay, and Curator of Collections & Exhibitions Patrina Chatman. We received insights into the museum’s art-related interests, and ended with a very engaging tour of the museum by Patrina—a big thanks to her for her time at the end of a long day!
Above: Work by Charles McGee in the main rotunda
A heartfelt thank you to all the Midwest museums we visited for welcoming us from Washington, DC. IA&A could not do what it does without our extensive network of museum partners in the Midwest, throughout the United States, and beyond. It's rewarding to see the level of public interest, engagement, and support at all these museums. Together, we're making art accessible to the benefit of all. Please stay tuned for future road trip reports.
We'd love to work with you! Learn more about IA&A's Traveling Exhibition Service here or contact us at travelingexhibitions@artsandartists.org
