Monday, May 20, 2019

“Mildred Thompson’s” art on display at the Cummer

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is excited to announce the acquisition of “Magnetic Fields,” a new work of art by abstract artist Mildred Thompson (1936-2003), born in Jacksonville, Florida.  The acquisition was made possible through the generous support the Rushton William Hays Revocable Trust and the Morton R. Hirschberg Bequest.

“Magnetic Fields” (1991), part of a series by the same name, shows a rich yellow ground with arcs and lines drawn in kinetic expression with vibrant reds, oranges and blues in thick impasto.  The upper portion of the painting shows concentric arcs of red around an implied midpoint, with darts of blue and orange shooting off in many directions, suggesting centripetal and centrifugal forces.  Inspired by the scientific principles governing magnetism, “Magnetic Fields” connects the scientific with the metaphysical.  Thompson’s interests were broad and included the study of quantum physics, cosmology, and theosophy.  The piece emanates a pulsing, frenetic energy that is unique to her painting style, a visual language she developed to interpret phenomena one experiences, but cannot see.

Mildred Thompson was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1936.  She graduated from Howard University in 1957 with a Bachelor of Art degree.  While at Howard, she studied under James Porter, a pioneering African-American art historian.  She attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 1956, earned a Max Beckmann Scholarship to study at the Brooklyn Museum School from 1957 to 1958, attended the Art Academy of Hamburg from 1958 to 1961, participated in a residency at Castle Roccassinibaldi, Italy in 1959, and in 1961 and 1962 was selected for the prestigious MacDowell Colony residency in New Hampshire.  Though the Museum of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Museum each purchased works from Thompson in the early 1960s, she spent the majority of the 1960s and ‘70s in Germany, in response to racial and gender discrimination in the United States. During this time abroad, she taught, traveled, and exhibited her art across Europe, creating a vast body of work in printmaking, painting, and sculpture.

In the early 1970s, Thompson, influenced by the abstract paintings of the early modernists such as Wassily Kandinsky, consciously turned away from the creation of representational imagery to fully focus her craft on the abstract. She was among the second generation of Abstract Expressionists, and one of the few women of color in that group. In lieu of falling into the societal trap of ever-changing art trends and politically-driven content, Thompson artistically interpreted varied scientific and musical theories that are not visible to the naked eye.

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens

   
829 Riverside Avenue
   Jacksonville, Florida 32204
   (904) 356-6857
   
Hours of Operation & Admission

The 19th annual Camp Broadway registration underway

Camp Broadway®, presented by the FSCJ Artist Series, returns to Jacksonville for its 19th year from Monday, June 10 – Friday, June 14, 2019 from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the FSCJ Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts on Florida State College at Jacksonville’s South Campus.  Bring Broadway to your kids direct from New York!

Camp Broadway®
introduces young people to the world of life on-stage and behind the scenes.  Campers work with Broadway directors, choreographers, and musical directors to receive training in acting, scene study, improvisation, music theory, solo and ensemble singing, movement, and dance.  This five-day performing arts program offers each camper the opportunity to expand his or her creative talents, build self-esteem, learn the art of collaboration, and gain a fuller respect and understanding of musical theatre.

Camp Broadway® has been proclaimed the “Camp of Dreams” for starry-eyed kids who are just beginning to dream of being on Broadway.  It is a self-contained summer workshop that travels around the country bringing Broadway to kids.  The 40 hours of camp include singing, dancing and master classes for kids ages 10 to 17.  No singing, dancing or acting experience necessary - just a willingness to have fun and a curiosity about what happens on stage and behind the curtain.

Applications will be accepted digitally for Camp Broadway® this year, and tuition is $575 per camper and includes daily lunch, snacks and two t-shirts.  Spaces are limited and Camp Broadway® fills up quickly, so be sure to register your camper soon!  Register
HERE.  Contact Amanda Scott with any questions or for additional details at (904) 357-8934 or email.

With authentic Broadway instructors teaching dance routines and musical numbers at the same break-neck speed as a real Broadway show, Camp Broadway® is a fun-filled week of activities designed to teach kids about the serious business of live theater.  One activity is our annual Salute to Singin' and Dancin' Kids™ (a special luncheon where campers meet and hear about the various theater jobs from real theater professionals).

About Camp Broadway®: The National Tour is offered once a year in Jacksonville.  Founded in 1995, Camp Broadway® is Broadway's Original Summer Program for theatre-loving kids.  Since then, Camp Broadway LLC has worked at the intersection of entertainment and education to become the industry leader in theatre arts youth programming, special events and educational publishing.  The company serves the Broadway industry by being an authorized channel for families, schools and social organizations who believe in the essential value of the arts as a means of life-long learning.  Proclaimed “The Camp of Dreams” by Live Magazine, Camp Broadway has hosted nearly 20,000 children from all 50 states and dozens of countries at its annual summer programs leading with its flagship programming New York City, as well as cities such as Atlanta, Buffalo, Jacksonville, Providence, Tempe, and elsewhere in America.  Camp Broadway has also been featured regularly on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® telecast; performed with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall; and appeared in Broadway on Broadway®, an annual free concert in Times Square.

The FSCJ Artist Series has been recognized by the State of Florida as a Major Cultural Institution and receives funding from the State of Florida, through the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council.