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Taft Msueum of Art — Calendar of Events May 2011 Special Exhibitions Through May 15, 2011 The American Impressionists in the Garden Spring begins a bit early in 2011, withThe American Impressionists in the Garden. Bringing together brilliantly colored paintings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the exhibition features 40 pictures of European and American gardens created by American Impressionists and four bronze sculptures for gardens by American sculptors. This exhibition explores the importance of gardens in American art and society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During that time, American impressionist painters turned their attention to the garden, finding it an ideal subject for the study of light and color in landscape, and they were not alone.  Some celebrated American artists included in the exhibition are John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, Gari Melchers, Ernest Lawson, and Frederick Frieseke. The relationships between the gardening movement and the fine arts of painting and sculpture is the focus of this exhibition, which is organized by the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art in Nashville, Tenn. Admission to this exhibition is $13 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and fFree for children under 18. On Sundays, admission to the exhibition is $5 for adults, $4 for students and seniors, and free for children under 18, with with FREE admission to the historic house  and collections. Presenting Sponsors: Fifth Third Foundation, Fifth Third Private Bank; Sponsors: Chellgren Family Endowment Fund and Cincinnati Horticultural Society Exhibitions Support Provided by Ellen and George Rieveschl Endowment  Media partner: WKRC Local 12; Operating support provided by ArtsWave, Ohio Arts Council; ArtsWave Partner: P & G Programs & Events Highlights of the Taft Sundays, 1:30 p.m. After lunch or before a concert on Sunday afternoons, join a Taft docent for a tour of the highlights of the Museum’s world-renowned collection. Free with Museum admission. No reservations are taken. For information call (513) 684-4515. Drop-in Tours: The American Impressionists in the Garden Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. A Taft docent will lead a tour through the special exhibition Wednesdays, 12:45 and 1:15 p.m. Taft in 10 Come for lunch—stay for a quick (sound) bite in the galleries. Enjoy an informal ten-minute conversation every Wednesday as we serve up some of the Museum’s many masterpieces as well as some lesser-known nibbles. Free with Museum admission or lunch in the café. May 4 – Jean-François Millet, Maternity: A Young Mother Cradling Her Child May 11 – Joshua Reynolds, Mrs. Stephen Payne-Gallway and Her Son Charles May 18 – Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Mercy, China May 25 – Gerard ter Borch, The Sleeping Soldier FREE with Museum admission or café/shop purchase, no reservations taken. For information call (513) 684-4515 Sponsor: Mike and Digi Schueler Sunday, May 1, 2–4 p.m., Over-the-Rhine Art in the Afternoon: Jymi Bolden, photographer A graduate of the Art Academy of Cincinnati, Bolden is a fine art and commercial photographer with more than 25 years’ experience. His work appears regularly in CityBeat, where he served as photo editor for several years, and in other publications. Bolden is currently director of Art Beyond Boundaries Gallery, a professional, mainstream gallery whose purpose is to promote awareness and understanding of artists with disabilities. Sunday, May 8, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Mother’s Day Brunch What’s the perfect gift for the mother who has everything? Time with her family. This year, treat Mom to a delicious brunch prepared by Executive Chef Mark Bowers and served in the Museum’s garden. After brunch, visit the exquisite blooms featured in The American Impressionists in the Garden. Price includes brunch, admission to the special exhibition, tax, and gratuity. The regular café menu will not be available. Cost: $30 Adults. $20 Children 4–15. Free Children 3 and under. Reservations required: (513) 352-5140 Evening in the Garden Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 6–9 p.m. Get set for an adventure at this year’s Evening in the Garden when you embark on Travels with the Taft. The journey begins with delicious dinner-by-the-bite options from Jeff Thomas Catering as you hear songs from exotic locales courtesy of the Steve Schmidt Trio. Throughout the evening, art will be on sale from local artists Wayne Bates, Leslie Goshorn, Vernita Henderson, Teri Kern, Bruce Neville, Nancy Neville, Jose Nunez, Stacie Seuberling, Spencer Vanderzee, Fran Watson, Trish Weeks, and Rebecca Weller. The chairs for this year’s Evening and Day in the Garden are Patty Crotty, Claire Ficke, and Susan Walker. Tickets for Travels are $100 per person. Tickets will be available in March at www.taftmuseum.org. Evening and Day in the Garden presenting sponsor: Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati; First class sponsors: St. Rose Church, RiverPoint Capital Management, A Friend of the Taft Museum of Art, Katz, Teller, Brant & Hild, Laura and Chip Pease, Betty Pogue, Betsy and Marvin Schwartz, and Diane and Kerry Warner. Sunday, May 15, 2–4 p.m., Mount Washington Art in the Afternoon: Stephen Geddes, sculptor Stephen Geddes carves his naturalistic, often whimsical and surrealistic sculptures from basswood. With an MFA in sculpture from Ohio University in Athens, Geddes is the senior sculptor at Kenner Products and sculpture manager at Warner Brothers Toys. He has received numerous commissions from regional and national institutions including Great American Ball Park and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Sunday, May 22, 2 p.m. Chamber Music: Oboe Quartets Led by Dwight Parry, principal oboist for the CSO since 2007, this ensemble includes violinist Anna Reider, violist Joanne Wojtowicz, and cellist Alan Rafferty. In addition to oboe quartets, they will perform a string trio (so Parry can rest his embouchure). A highlight of the program is a newly commissioned oboe quartet by composer David Schneider, professor at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Northern Kentucky University.
The Taft Museum of Art is at 316 Pike St., in downtown Cincinnati. The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors and free for children under 18. The museum is free to all on Sundays. Call 513-241-0343 or visit the website at www.taftmuseum.org for additional information. ###### The Taft Museum of Art is supported in part by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Taft Museum of Art is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is affiliated with the Association of Midwest Museums and the Ohio Museums Association. Mission Statement The Taft Museum of Art welcomes people of every background to experience a world-renowned collection in a beautiful historic house. Through its intimate presentation of the Tafts' treasures and its engaging exhibitions, programs, and activities, the Museum creates enjoyment and learning opportunities for all. Diversity Statement The Taft Museum of Art respects the dignity of all people and values what each member of our team brings to the organization. Accordingly, the Museum is committed to building an inclusive environment that welcomes and values diversity. This includes our staff, board of directors, volunteers and visitors. As an organization we recognize the importance of attracting and retaining talented people of different backgrounds. We understand how a diverse work team of staff, board of directors and volunteers benefits our organization by enabling us to draw upon a richness of resources. We want all our team members to feel appreciated for their uniqueness, so we work to foster an environment that provides everyone equal access to information and opportunities. This ensures that each person learns, grows, excels and maximizes his or her personal contributions. The Museum will thus be able to tap into a greater wealth of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences to develop and deliver programs and services to an increasingly diverse audience.