Art Links: Connecting Children to the Arts—Exploring Abstract Expressionism & Jazz
WHEN: Saturday, March 3, 11 AM – 3 PM
WHERE: Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown
ADMISSION: Free with museum admission
Space is limited and pre-registration is required. To register call 973.971.3708 or e-mail mzarcone@morrismuseum.org.
Children will create their own masterpieces in workshops at the Morris Museum exploring Abstract Expressionism and Jazz on Saturday, March 3. A sampling of participants’ artwork will be on view in a special museum exhibition on March 8. This educational program is offered in conjunction with the current exhibition, Celebrating Our Legacy: The 20th Anniversary Exhibition of Art in the Atrium, on view at the Morris Museum through March 18, which features the work of Abstract Expressionist artist Norman Lewis and 29 other African-American artists.
Children’s Art Workshops
- Workshop 1 - 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM for ages 6-8
- Workshop 2 - 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM for ages 9-12
This educational program offers an opportunity for children to study and create their own artworks in the style of artist Norman Lewis (1909-1979), who was the first major African-American member of the art movement known as Abstract Expressionism. The workshops will be led by Maureen Palmquist, art teacher at Red Oaks School, an independent school (pre-K to grade 6) in Morristown, NJ. Ms. Palmquist has been teaching art for over 20 years; she seeks to connect children to art as an extension of life, and “to open children’s eyes, through the creative process, to universal values like compassion and tolerance”.
Support for this program is provided by Morris County Chapter: The Links, Inc.
About Art in the Atrium
Art in the Atrium, Inc. (ATA) is a non-profit arts organization located in Morris County, New Jersey, that showcases fine art by established and emerging African-American artists through an annual exhibition, the largest of its kind in New Jersey. ATA’s mission is to increase community understanding and awareness of African-American art and artists.
About Featured Artist Norman Lewis (1909 – 1979)
Norman Wilfred Lewis was born in Harlem, New York, to Bermudian immigrant parents. A skilled painter, sculptor, tailor, pianist, dancer, puppeteer, and educator with a passion for drafting, calligraphy and needlepoint, Lewis was the first major African-American member of the art movement known as Abstract Expressionism. As such, he occupies a unique position in the canon of American art. During the Harlem Renaissance, Norman was a founding member of the Harlem Artists Guild and part of the “306 Group” that included artists, writers and musicians from various big bands, including Duke Ellington’s. Norman Lewis enjoyed a long and prolific career that spanned decades, achieving notable milestones and ground-breaking exhibits, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum. (Top: Untitled, 1947, Norman Lewis, Collection of Tarin Fuller)
About the Morris Museum
The Morris Museum is an award-winning, community-based arts and cultural institution which serves the public through the presentation of high caliber permanent and changing exhibitions in the arts, sciences and humanities. The Museum also offers educational programs, family events, and is home to the Bickford Theatre and its wide range of performing arts offerings. Continuously serving the public since 1913, the Morris Museum has been designated a Major Arts Institution and has received the New Jersey State Council on the Arts’ Citation of Excellence, among other awards. In 2013 the museum will celebrate its Centennial Anniversary. These programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; the F.M. Kirby Foundation and the New Jersey Cultural Trust.
HOURS: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 11 AM to 5 PM; Thursday, 11 AM to 8 PM; and Sunday, 1-5 PM. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults and $7 for children, students and senior citizens. Admission is always free for museum members and is free to the public every Thursday between 5 and 8 PM. For more information, call 973.971.3700, or visit www.morrismuseum.org
