FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2010

The Enduring Gifts of Martin Ryerson, Jr. opens Muskegon Museum of Art
centennial series
Muskegon Museum of Art Wiener Gallery
November 11, 2010 through January 16, 2011

The Muskegon Museum of Art will present a series of  exhibitions
highlighting many of the finest works from its permanent collection as
the institution's 2012 centennial year draws closer. The first of
these, The Enduring Gifts of Martin A. Ryerson, Jr., features artwork
donated by Ryerson and artifacts that share his personal history.

The beneficence of Chicago philanthropist, art collector, and Grand
Rapids native Martin Ryerson, Jr. has significantly enhanced the MMA
collections. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Hackley
Art Gallery (now the MMA) in 1932, Ryerson donated six important
European and American paintings to the Museum shortly before his
death. Among these, works by French Impressionists Alfred Sisley,
Armond Gukillaumin, and Maxime Maufra, for example, represented [WINDOWS-1252?]“a
field entirely [WINDOWS-1252?]untouched” in the collection at that time,
according to
former MMA director Frank Atwood Almy. The Ryerson estate gifted eight
additional pictures to the Museum in 1938, providing an enduring body
of work that has been enjoyed by generations.

Martin Ryerson, Jr., whose father, Martin Ryerson, Sr., was a
prominent figure during the lumber era in Muskegon, was an impeccable
record keeper. Many of the original bills of sale for his art
purchases are preserved in the archives of the Ryerson Library at the
Art Institute of Chicago and are represented in the exhibition.

The MMA will present Pictures of the Best Kind: The Centennial Lecture
Series featuring Martin Ryerson, Jr. on the evening of the
exhibition's opening day, Thursday, November 11. The talk will be held
at 6:30 pm in the museum auditorium. This Lecture by Sr. Curator E.
Jane Connell kicks off a series of talks that provide insight into
selected works acquired during the past century for the MMA's
permanent collection. Cheese, wine, and punch will be served at the
lecture, which is free and open to the public. Donations will be
gratefully appreciated.

###

IMAGE CAPTION

Alfred Sisley
(French, 1839-1899)
La Seine à St. Mammès
Oil on canvas
ca. 1880
Gift of Martin A. Ryerson on the 20th Anniversary of the Hackley Art Gallery
1932.5

VISITOR INFORMATION
The Muskegon Museum of Art is located at 296 W. Webster Ave. in
downtown Muskegon. Call

231-720-2570 or visit www.muskegonartmuseum.org for information.

Admission:
$5.00 (Free on Thursdays)
Free admission for MMA Members,
Students (with I.D.) and ages 17 and under.
Extra admission may be charged for special exhibitions and events.

Hours:
SUN noon-4:30pm
MON closed
TUES closed
WED 10am-4:30pm
THURS 10am-8pm
FRI 10am-4:30pm
SAT 10am-4:30pm

Hours during Festival of Trees, November 18-28:
DAILY 10am-5pm
SUN 12-5pm

-- 
Marguerite Curran-Gawron
Communications and Public Relations Coordinator
Muskegon Museum of Art
296 W. Webster Ave.
Muskegon MI 49440
t. 231.720.2574
f. 231.720.2585
www.muskegonartmuseum.org