Art After Hours at WMA celebrates summer exhibitions

Matt Boster

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Posted by: Matt Boster
Date: Jul 11 2017 7:23 AM

DOTHAN, Alabama - July 11, 2017 - The Wiregrass Museum of Art (WMA) is pleased to announce the opening of its summer exhibitions, "Museum of Wonder" and "Full Circle - A Decade in the Deep South," on the evening of July 20 at Art After Hours.

Museum of Wonder

"Museum of Wonder" features the work of Butch Anthony, a self-taught artist, storyteller and collector of oddities. This exhibition of work by the longtime resident of Seale, Alabama, explores the power of place and the influence the artist's environment has on the art created there. Anthony will temporarily relocate his Museum of Wonder from Seale to the galleries of WMA, including large mixed media works and a "cabinet of curiosities" fashioned after the encyclopedic displays of art, antiquities and collections of natural specimens that became popular during the Renaissance. Visitors will be able to wander through the exhibition in WMA's Main Gallery and Blumberg Gallery and immerse themselves in the re-created environment.

Anthony will also create a mobile drive-thru museum in an Airstream trailer modeled after his original drive-thru, dubbed "World's First Drive Thru Art and Antique Gallery" and housed in shipping containers with cut-out windows, located off U.S. Highway 431 in Seale. The mobile drive-thru will be parked in WMA's parking lot and will be available to visitors 24 hours a day.

"Museum of Wonder" was organized by the Wiregrass Museum of Art in recognition of the 2017 Alabama bicentennial theme "Discovering Our Places."

Full Circle - A Decade in the Deep South

Mark Leputa's WMA exhibition, "Full Circle - A Decade in the Deep South," is a retrospective of work the glass artist has created over ten years while living in Ft. Payne, Alabama. "Full Circle" will feature 25 pieces of blown and cut glass selected by Leputa from six different series of work, the first of which he began during an apprenticeship in New Zealand before moving to the South.

Leputa has exhibited work in Philadelphia, at the prestigious SOFA International Art Expo and around Europe. His work was included in "B16: Wiregrass Biennial" at the Wiregrass Museum of Art during the summer of 2016. "Full Circle - A Decade in the Deep South" is Leputa's first solo museum exhibition.

Additional exhibition information

Art After Hours is held quarterly at the Wiregrass Museum of Art. The summer event will take place on Thursday, July 20, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Light snacks will be served and drinks will be available for purchase. Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members. Memberships to the Wiregrass Museum of Art can be purchased online at WMA's website and in person at the museum.

In celebration of Alabama's bicentennial, a selection works from WMA's permanent collection by artists from around the state will be on display in the Entrance Galleries through the end of the year and available for viewing at Art After Hours.

After opening on the evening of July 20, "Museum of Wonder" will run from July 21 through September 30. "Full Circle - A Decade in the Deep South" will run through December 30.

WMA is open to the public every Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Private tours and studio activities can be arranged by appointment on Mondays and Tuesdays by contacting Amanda Holcomb, WMA's art educator, at 334.794.3871 or [email protected].

"Museum of Wonder" has been made possible by the Alabama State Council on the Arts in celebration of the bicentennial of Alabama's statehood and by The Daniel Foundation of Alabama.

"Full Circle - A Decade in the Deep South" has been made possible by The Daniel Foundation of Alabama and grants by the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Images of artwork available upon request.

About the Wiregrass Museum of Art

The Wiregrass Museum of Art inspires a lifelong appreciation for the visual arts by providing innovative educational programs that engage diverse audiences through the collection and exhibition of quality works.

Since its founding in 1988, WMA has offered educational programs, nationally acclaimed art exhibitions and community events throughout the year. Its Board of Trustees guides the long-term vision and strategic goals, while its membership, City and County support, and grant funding provide the resources needed to fulfill its mission. Because of the scarcity of art education in schools, the WMA Board of Trustees and staff have the responsibility to provide quality, accessible exhibitions and to reach out into the community through art education efforts. WMA fills crucial cultural needs in the Wiregrass area.

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