University of Mississippi Museum Education Blog

Virtual Open Studio: Wacky Faces On this Virtual Open Studio adventure, check out Paris Review by Alex Katz and create a wacky face inspired by his portraits with BIG, silly, features!  Alex Katz was born in 1927 during the height of the Great Depression in Brooklyn, New York. Katz is known for his landscapes, portraits, and collages. His work is recognizable for its dramatic, stylized features, as seen in this large scale cropped portrait used for the cover of The Paris Review in 1991. Katz has been featured in hundreds of exhibitions, and his style has been influential to many artists.  Watch the full demo video below:

 Virtual Open Studio Check out the  Abstraction of Lake George by Georgia O’Keeffe.  Georgia O’Keeffe  grew up in Wisconsin and attended the Art Institute of Chicago and participated in the New York Art Students League, under important artists of the time like William Merritt Chase to learn traditional painting techniques. She later began experimenting more with her own style of art and is most known for her abstractions. She is known for her abstractions of flowers and in 1929 her trips to New Mexico began to inspire her art greatly with her scenes of the bright colors of the desert. She lived to be 98 years old and painted for as long as she was physically able. O’Keeffe has been given the title of “Mother of American Modernism”. Today, we are going to create a work of art inspired by female artist Georgia O' Keeffe! Check out the full video below: Materials: - White cardstock or construction paper - Oil Pastels (or crayons, paint, markers) - Pencil - Optional: Pri...

  Virtual Open Studio Born July 22, 1898, Alexander Calder is best known for his kinetic sculptures, dubbed “mobiles”, and his brightly colored paintings. Before he became an artist, Calder spent time as an engineer, and part of ship’s crews. It was during one of these journeys while on a ship that he saw the sun and the moon, perfectly aligned on opposite horizons of the ocean. He would cite this on many occasions in his life, and some would even attribute the event as the inspiration for his career in art. His artistic life was as widely varied in its venues and projects as his young adulthood was.    His most famous works, large public sculptures that feature long curving wires attached to leaf shaped sheet metal that hung from ceilings. They were dubbed “mobiles” because they were designed to move with the air currents. The mobiles were constructed of wires and shaped sheet metal attached at the ends, and each one was balanced and free, open to turn and sway with any ...

 Virtual Open Studio In 1848, John Millington was hired as one of the first professors at the University of Mississippi, and with him he brought his scientific instruments for class demonstrations. About five hundred 19th century scientific instruments, used by John Millington and Frederick Barnard to teach University students from 1848 to 1861, are preserved in the University Museum's collections. Included are telescopes, models of large machines, and demonstration devices for the teaching of natural philosophy and astronomy. The hiring of Millington not only brought the University an abundance of scientific instruments but also an incredible teacher. Today, we are going to create 'Optical Drawings' inspired by the optical paintings in our Millington and Barnard collection of scientific instruments. Check out the full demo video below: Materials: -Black paper -Pencil -Circular items (cups, bowls, caps) of varying sizes -Glue -Chalk or chalk pastels 

 Virtual Open Studio Sugar Skulls are a folk art tradition from central and southern Mexico, made as part of the Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration.   Traditionally, a sugar mixture was pressed into a clay mold to make a skull shape that was dried and then inscribed with the name of the deceased on its forehead. The decorations were used as a way to honor the deceased and enjoy memories of them.  Sugar Skulls are still an important part of Dia de Muertos, and today they are decorated with colorful icing and sometimes non-edible sequins, beads, or feathers. They are designed to be whimsical and humorous icons. Colorful and ornate images of Sugar Skulls often decorate costumes, are painted on faces, or are worn as jewelry.  Students can create and decorate a long-lasting skull from clay pressed into a common tablespoon used as a mold. Add colorful designs with paint or markers!    Check out the video below to make your own Dia de los Muetros Sk...

 Virtual Open Studio Horace H. Walton, an Oxford merchant, built the house in 1880. He and his wife, Lydia Lewis Walton, lived there with their three children. After her husbands death in 1892, Lydia boarded university students upstairs to provide for her family. In 1895, Lydia married Dr. Alfred Young from Como, MS. Their wedding service took place in the parlor of the house. Dr. Young moved in with his son, Stark, and daughter, Julia. Stark Young became a well known novelist and playwright and was the most famous resident of the Walton-Young House. The Walton-Young Historic House became part of the University Museum in 1998 and is currently interpreted as a middle-class Victorian era home. The house is a registered Mississippi Historic Landmark.  In this week's Virtual Open Studio, we will be creating Spooky Scenes inspired by the Walton-Young House! Full video below: Materials: -White paper (watercolor paper preferred) -Black paper -Watercolor paint -Paintbrush -Water -Pape...

 Virtual Open Studio Welcome to this week's Virtual Open Studio! This week, we will be focusing on ancient Egypt. The first Egyptians were nomads (wanderers) who settled by the Nile River. The Nile River provided a source for crops and life in an area largely surrounded by deserts. The Egyptians were known for many unique historical developments such as pyramids and tombs.  Cats were revered in the culture of Ancient Egypt as being very important creatures. Some very important cats were even mummified in the same was as pharaohs were. Scarabs were tokens shaped like a bug with engravings that were supposed to ward off evil spirits or protect the owner from harm! The Egyptians also developed a written language, known as hieroglyphics, in which over 700 symbols were used to express ideas. These symbols were carved into pyramids to tombs.  Today, we will be making our very own scarab! Check out the full demo video below! Materials: -Bar of Soap -Carving Tool (plastic utensil...

 Virtual Open Studio In today's Virtual Open Studio, we will be creating Pop Art Portraits inspired by a work of Pop Art in the UM Museum's collection by Andy Warhol! Andy Warhol, born in Pittsburgh, PA, was one of the founders of the American Pop Art movement. "It all began with the first Campbell's soup can in 1962...With this simple image, the concepts of appropriation, and commodification were let loose for good." After painting, Warhol would create silk screen prints of the work, making him the first to utilize this method.  Pop Art is an art movement that emerged in the 1950s and flourished in the 1960s in America and Britain, drawing inspiration from sources in popular and commercial culture. In Pop Art works, you will often see artists incorporate irony, bold colors, and flat imagery.  Materials: -1 sheet of Cardstock -Pencil -Black marker -Paint -Q-tips

 Virtual Open Studio Theora Hamblett, born is Paris, Mississippi, is a self-taught American folk artist who did not begin her painting career until she was 55 years old! We all know Theora for her bright paintings of everyday life in Mississippi, but especially her trees! Her tree painting technique is very unique and almost pointillist in nature. It involves individually painting each leaf in multiple layers to create an explosion of color that immediately draws the eye. Hamblett is so well known for her oil paintings that many do not know: she also wanted to be a stained glass artist! Check out The Ascension, 1958 in our new Southern Folk Art Exhibit, Remaking Tradition. Hamblett painted onto the glass with oil paint. In today's Vritual Open Studio, we are going to experiment with painting on a unique surface, unlike a traditional canvas! Watch Below! Materials: - A clear plastic plate - Tissue paper - Glue - Paintbrush - Paint - Water

 Virtual Open Studio Marty Vinograd inspired Fall Trees! Today, we are going to learn about an artist with deep connections to our community and museum, Marty Vinograd! Marty entered the art world through quilt making. Working in this manner, she was able to 'paint' without paint. She applied the same principles of quilting, piecing an assortment of scraps and materials together, to her mixed media collages, including a number of unique portraits. The artistic challenge she faced was visualizing the likeness of her subject in her mind's eye using string, feather, yarn, thread and snips of fabric, paper, leather, beads and any other material that would come in reach of her imagination. Check out the video below to see Marty Vinograd's trees in our Seymour Lawrence Collection of American Art . What materials do you see? How is each tree different? Vinograd used gold, copper, and silver leaf to create this series. Materials: - Black cardstock or construction paper - Oil pa...

 Virtual Open Studio Join us on this virtual open studio adventure! We will explore our David Robinson Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities! This collection can be described as the finest collection of its kind in the South and one of the finest in the nation. Much of this collection was brought to the university as the personal collection of Professor David M. Robinson, a world renowned archeologist and teacher.  Dr. Robinson excavated these artifacts between 1928 and 1938 in the Greek city of Olynthos. Olynthos was destroyed by enemy action in 348 BCE, its population sold into slavery, and the houses and contents left undisturbed until excavators found the ruins. Olynthos is still primary source of knowledge of Greek town planning and domestic life in the classical period. These artifacts provide an incomparable insight into the life of ordinary people in a prosperous Greek town.  Let's make a Mythological Creature Shield! Materials: 1. A piece of cardboard 2....

  Wishing everyone good health and safety!  We have truly missed seeing y'all in the museum.  Currently, the University Museum is open to university faculty, staff, and students   by advanced appointment only.   F or the general public, we are adopting a cautious and deliberative approach: given the current notably-increasing Covid case counts and positive-test percentages statewide, we are not yet establishing a Museum galleries re-opening date. Initially having considered opening immediately following Labor Day, we will adhere to original CDC national re-opening guidelines of awaiting 14 consecutive days of case declines, and 14 consecutive days of positive-test percentage declines. After much consideration, planning, and  guidance from university health professionals, we have made the extremely difficult decision to postpone all in-person museum programming until that 14-day decline is seen.  The health and safety of you and your children ...

  Virtual Open Studio Join us on this virtual open studio adventure! We will explore our  Seymour Lawrence Gallery of Contemporary American Art,  check out three works created by Oxford artist, Glennray Tutor, and then create our own work of art inspired by Tutor's 'photorealistic' style! Materials: 1. Your favorite toys 2. A canvas or a piece of thick paper 3. Pencil 4. Paint 5. Paintbrush 6. Water 7. Paper towel

Virtual Open Studio Join us on this virtual open studio adventure! We will explore our new folk art gallery, check out two works of art by artist L.V Hull, and then create our own work of art inspired by  Untitled , a painted high heel shoe! L.V Hull (b. McAdams, MS 1942-2008) Untitled, n.d. Painted high heel shoe Gift of Milly West in Memory of "Miss Collie" Rogers and her brother, Sulton Rogers   Materials: 1. An old shoe 2. Paint  3. Paintbrush 4. Water 5. Paper towel 6. Glue (optional) 7. Sequins, gems, buttons (optional)

Virtual Open Studio! Marty Vinograd, an Oxford, MS quilter, painter and mixed media collage artist was trained at the Corcoran Museum School in Washington, D.C. She later won a student show with her portrait of Golda Meir, which was purchased by an Israeli bank in D.C. and led to a commission for portraits of all of the Israeli prime ministers for the bank’s boardroom. Vinograd has shown all over the world with exhibitions in France, Costa Rica, New York, and New Orleans, and many others. Vinograd made her art and her home in Oxford, Mississippi. The artist recalls, “Images of quilt making were imprinted in my nervous system – cutting, fitting, and pinning to see if it’s right, before gluing down… In some instances I cut without looking.  I move to the art piece and glue instantly, and it is ‘right.’  So inside my head, the image arises to claim its own.” Working in this manner, she was able to ‘paint’ without paint.  The artistic challenge she faced was vi...

Mystery Message Watercolor Painting Check out our first ever Virtual Open Studio!  Inspired by Walter Anderson   Materials needed:     1. Watercolor paper     2. White wax crayon     3. Watercolor paint     4. Paint brush     5. Water     6. Paper towels

Write to Mosey! Hi everybody! Our friend Mosey is feeling lonely and cooped up all alone in the UM Museum during this COVID-19 pandemic, and he’s looking for penpals of all ages! Please write a letter to Mosey, telling him about your time at home, your summer plans, past travels, what you miss the most about the museum, and more! You can also ask Mosey questions! He is looking forward to reading your letters.  Letters can be mailed to:  University of Mississippi Museum Attn: Mosey 412 University Ave.  Oxford, MS 38655 Creature, 1983 Mose Toliver House paint on plywood featuring a red monster on light blue background. Hattie Mae Edmonds Collection 2010.007.0001

Make your Own Creature of the Sea! UM Museum Inspiration: Sister Gertrude Morgan The Beast From the Sea Born in 1900 in Lafayette, Alabama, Sister Gertrude Morgan, was a self-taught African American musician, preacher, poet, and folk artist. Raised as an active member of the Southern Baptist Church, it is no surprise that religion plays a central role throughout her life and is at the very core of her art. Morgan moved to New Orleans in the late 1930s to further spread His word through prayer and song. It was here that she adopted the title "Sister" after becoming associated with two other street missionaries. It was at age 56 that she received two new divine revelations--one instructing her to paint, and another telling her that she was the chosen Bride of Christ. Morgan's body of work combines mediums such as acrylic paint, watercolor, wax crayons, ballpoint pens, etc. on anything from paper fans to cardboard window shades--essentially, whatever was readily available wh...