Catch Up with the Claremont Museum of Art

August 2014 News, Programs and Events

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FALL CMA EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 13
Harrison McIntosh's 100th birthday celebration and exhibition opening
reception at AMOCA, Saturday, 6-9 p.m.

NOVEMBER 2
Padua Hills Art Fiesta, Sunday 11a.m.-4 p.m.

NOVEMBER 8
Johns Svenson exhibition opens at Rancho Santa Ana Gardens, Daily 10am-4pm through February 22, 2015

DECEMBER 13
Santa Lucia celebration at a Claremont collector’s beautiful home,
Saturday, 5-8 p.m.

Other Exhibitions

Rebecca Hamm: Wild Transcendence
Ontario Museum of History and Art
225 South Euclid Ave., Ontario
Through August 10, Thursday-Sunday noon-4pm

Large As Life: Betty Davenport Ford, Elaine Katzer, Lisa Reinertson
American Museum of Ceramic Art
399 N. Garey Ave., Pomona
Through August 31, Wednesday-Sunday noon-5pm

Mid-Century Modern: Retro, Classic, Cool
Millard Sheet Center for the Arts at Fairplex
1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona
Fair dates and hours, August 29-September 28

Harrison McIntosh at his Mt. San Antonio Gardens home.

Harrison McIntosh 100 Year Celebration at AMOCA

The American Museum of Ceramic Art, in conjunction with the Claremont Museum of Art, is honored to announce HM100: A Century through the Life of Harrison McIntosh, an exhibition on the life and work of legendary ceramic artist Harrison McIntosh. Working in his Claremont studio for over 60 years, McIntosh continued to refine his work to strive for perfection and a sense of serenity.

This exhibition of 100 of his pieces will offer an in-depth view of the artist’s career, which spans eight decades. HM100 also will provide insight into McIntosh’s influences and his close relationships with his contemporaries Karl Benjamin, Rupert Deese, James Hueter, and Sam Maloof. The exhibition will be open through October 25 with free admission for CMA and AMOCA members.

The opening reception, Saturday, September 13 at AMOCA, will serve as a 100^th birthday party for Harrison McIntosh as we celebrate his work. You may also honor McIntosh’s 100 years by sending a personal message and donation to the American Museum of Ceramic Art, 399 N. Garey Ave., Pomona, CA 91767 or to the Claremont Museum of Art, P.O. Box 1136, Claremont, CA 91711. Click here for more information on the HM100 exhibition.

Artist Jeanne Steffan, right, chats with a visitor in her studio on the OpenART Studio Tour in June. Click here to see MORE PHOTOS

OpenART Studio Tour

Thanks to all the Claremont artists who opened their studios for the 2014 OpenART Studio Tour in June. Attendees enjoyed a full day exploring Claremont’s many hidden creative spaces. A big thank you to OpenART sponsors Wheeler-Steffen Sotheby’s International Realty and State Farm agents Randy Prout and Eric Martinez, and to all the volunteers who made the evening Artist’s Party a big success.

ARTstART students pose inside the Urban Lights installation by Chris Burden on a visit to LACMA in April. Click here to see MORE PHOTOS

ARTstART

Moving Parts and an Old African Proverb

By Lori Evans Lama
I’ll never forget a conversation I had back in 2011 with Rich Deely, director of Project ARTstART, the Museum’s successful arts education mentoring program. High school students, working with college mentors, provide exhibit-based art lessons for underserved and low- income Title 1 elementary school students. The program brings high-quality art appreciation classes, activities, and exhibition field trips to the Claremont school system to inspire, to promote the understanding of art, and to highlight Claremont’s rich artistic history.

On this particular day I’m remembering, Rich was telling me about the plan for the yet unnamed ARTstART project he wanted to create and produce for the Claremont Museum of Art. I recall telling him that as great as the project sounded, it had so many “moving parts” that I couldn’t imagine how he was going to make it all work.

Now, fast forward to the summer of 2014. Project ARTstART just celebrated the successful conclusion of its third year. ARTstART serves three elementary schools--Oakmont, Sycamore (not a Title 1 school), and Vista del Valle. During the program’s three-year run, it has involved visits to numerous exhibitions by an estimated 1,000 elementary, middle, and high school students (including the 129 ARTstART-trained high school student “teachers”) plus 11 college mentors. During this last year alone there were 50 training sessions, meetings, volunteer activities, or enrichment trips offered to ARTstART students. ArtstART’s high school mentors clocked in more than 1,500 community service hours including training times, meetings, teaching, and planning. This fall, ARTstART will add students from a fourth elementary school, Mountain View, plus a new batch of high school students and college mentors that is estimated to bring the total number of students served to over 1,200 by the summer of 2015.

In addition to Rich’s expertise, hard work and belief in the program, it took a lot of help to work with all those “moving parts.” That’s really what this story is about. As the old African proverb says, “It takes a Village….” — in this instance, the Village of Claremont. Specifically, it took

• three CUSD elementary schools (Oakmont, Sycamore and Vista del Valle), one middle school (El Roble) and Claremont High School…all working together;
• 44 dedicated teachers from all of these schools;
• support and encouragement from the Claremont Unified School District curriculum office and the superintendent of schools;
• cooperation and support from several Claremont Colleges, many local artists, more than eight cultural venue partners (exhibition sites), and a CMA Board with a vision.

Funding the Future
Last, but definitely not least, ARTstART has required generous funding. It takes the type of individuals, organizations, foundations, service groups, and a city government with the ability to see the big picture and take a chance. This past year the following entities provided funding for ARTstART: the LA County Arts Commission, the Flourish Foundation, the Claremont Rotary Club, and two CMA members who support arts education programs.

In addition, we’re pleased to be able to announce publicly for the first time that everybody mentioned above will continue to support the ARTstART program in fall 2014 through spring 2015 — including the Claremont Rotary who will once again be supporting ARTstART with a grant to help buy art supplies. The Scripps College Fine Arts Foundation will be funding one ARTstART Community Curator Internship position, which will provide learning experiences for a Scripps student with both ARTstART and the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery. And confirmation recently came from the City of Claremont that CBO (Community Based Organization) grant funds were allocated for ARTstART by the City Council at the June 24 meeting.

While every individual contribution, grant or gift helps secure the future of the ARTstART program, we’re only part way there to completing our funding for the coming school year. If you or your place of business can join the growing list of ARTstART funders, please contact the Museum at 909.621.3200 or info@claremontmuseum.org to help us reach our funding goal.

Yes, “it takes a village” to put all the “moving parts” together to make Project ARTstART available year after year to the hundreds of Claremont students this unique and valuable program serves. How important is the service ARTstART provides? Why not ask one of the almost 1,500 students from Oakmont, Sycamore, or Vista del Valle Elementary schools or Claremont High School. Next year, I’m sure you’ll also enjoy speaking to a student from Mountain View..

Film on Claremont Artists Nears Completion

The documentary Design for Modern Living: Millard Sheets and the Claremont Art Community 1945-1975, which Paul Bockhorst is producing in cooperation with the Claremont Museum of Art, is now at an advanced stage of production. Completion is expected later this fall. Once finished, the documentary will provide a vivid panorama of life in the Claremont art community in the postwar period, along with profiles of many individual artists.

In June, Claremont Heritage hosted a preview screening of the first half of the one-hour documentary followed by a panel discussion focusing on critical factors in the emergence of Claremont as an important art center in the postwar years. Panelists included Alan Hess, Tony Sheets, Catherine McIntosh, Alba Cisneros, Brian Worley, and Paul Bockhorst. David Shearer was the moderator.

Paul Bockhorst recently was given the Honorary AIA Award for his many documentaries on art and architecture. The American Institute of Architects noted that his films have contributed to greater public understanding of the role of architects and the impact of the built environment on the quality of human life.

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The Claremont Museum of Art is a private, non-profit, tax exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Project ARTstART is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and by the Flourish Foundation. Our exhibitions and programs are supported by public and private organizations as well as many individual donors, members and volunteers.