“Thompson, an expansive thinker and a force of nature who knew no boundaries, made an indelible imprint on Atlanta,” Dr. Brownlee stated. “The timely opportunity to present her work at Spelman—the institution that invited her to establish a relationship with the city—and examine the breadth of her work and the evolution of her career is particularly rewarding.”
Messina stated, “As the accomplishments of Black female abstract artists are being revitalized today, so too is the late Mildred Thompson’s work prompting renewed appreciation. We are very pleased to be working with Dr. Brownlee and Spelman College to bring Thompson’s work to a broader public and to the Atlanta community.”
In homage to Thompson’s many influences and other creative contributions, the exhibition will also feature a selection of objects and ephemera from the artist’s papers on loan from Emory University and the Estate’s collection, including books, photographs, music and writings.
The Museum’s 2019 – 2020 exhibition season is made possible by the Wish Foundation and the LUBO Fund. Additional support provided by the Massey Charitable Trust.
For more information, visit museum.spelman.edu or @spelmanmuseum on Instagram and Twitter.
RELATED EVENTS
Opening Program
Mildred Thompson Remembered
Wednesday, Sept. 11
6:30 p.m.
Join the Museum for a conversation with exhibition curators Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D., director, Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, Melissa Messina, curator of the Mildred Thompson Estate, and Donna Jackson, Thompson’s partner of 17 years and executor of the Thompson Estate. Invited comments from artists, friends, and colleagues, including Wes Cochran, Kerry Davis, and Karen Comer Lowe, will enliven the conversation. A reception follows.
Register now at http://bit.ly/SpelMildredThompson.
For more information about the Museum see museum.spelman.edu.
Yoga in the Museum
Mondays at noon
Sept.16 – Dec. 2
Enjoy a yoga class surrounded by works of art and engage in a practice led by African American certified yoga instructors that emphasizes balance, focus, and strength. Yoga in the Museum is open to all with mats and props available on a first come, first served basis.
Artist Guides
Wednesday, Sept. 18
6:30 p.m.
Artist Guides invite Black women cultural producers to lead public tours of the Museum’s current exhibition. Join us for an engaging walkthrough of Mildred Thompson: The Atlanta Years, 1986 – 2003 with celebrated artist and scholar Tina Dunkley.
Community Day
Saturday, Oct. 5
12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Created for artists and art enthusiasts of all ages, join us for an afternoon of art-making activities, guided tours, and more.
Community Day is free, but registration is strongly encouraged. Please contact us at 404.270.5607, museum@spelman.edu, or follow @spelmanmuseum on Twitter for more information.
Homecoming Day Party
Friday, Oct. 25
3 – 5 p.m.
Celebrate homecoming and join alumni from the Atlanta University Center in the Museum for this annual gathering. Enjoy interactive tours of Mildred Thompson: The Atlanta Years, 1986 – 2003, music, food, and so much more.
This program is organized in collaboration with the Spelman College Office of Alumnae Affairs.
When, Where, and How We Enter: Honoring the Legacies of Black Women Abstract Painters
Thursday, Nov. 7
6:30 p.m.
Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby, Ed.D., Academic Center Auditorium
Join the Museum for a landmark conversation with women curators who are leading the charge to increase the visibility of Black women abstract artists. Panelists include Valerie Cassel Oliver, Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Lauren Haynes, Curator of Contemporary Art, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Melissa Messina, Curator of the Mildred Thompson Estate, and Hallie Ringle, Curator of Contemporary Art, Birmingham Museum of Art. Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D., Director, Spelman College Museum of Fine Art will moderate the conversation.
Surrender at Fort Negress: A Repossession Performance
Sunday, Dec. 1
3 p.m.
In observance of Day With(out) Art*, Spelman College associate professor of Dance Performance & Choreography, T. Lang will explore the process through which individuals fundamentally shift how they conceptualize, strategize around, and tactically address struggles related to complex inequalities that affect their everyday lives. Through movement, and process-based community research with alumnae at Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University, Surrender at Fort Negress physically unpacks the questions of physical, social, economic, and political survival in moments of crisis and extreme distress.
About Spelman College Museum of Fine Art
The Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, which was established in 1996, inspires and enriches the Spelman College community and the general public primarily through art by women of the African Diaspora. In “Six Reasons to Love Atlanta,” CNN.com praised the Museum for its “fantastically curated exhibitions.” As the Museum’s 25th anniversary approaches in 2021, it is even more focused on its priorities: continuing its legacy of presenting thought-provoking exhibitions such as Amy Sherald (organized by the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 2019), PRESENCE: Meditations on the Spelman College Collection (2019), Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness (organized by Autograph London and curated by ReneĢe Mussai, 2018), and Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi (2018) that have garnered critical and popular attention; organizing dynamic and empowering programs; and expanding its relevant collection.
The Museum’s milestones include being selected as the first institution from the United States that jointly, along with the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, represented the United States at the 2012 Havana Biennial in Havana, Cuba. In 2015, with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Museum, in collaboration with the Department of Art & Visual Culture, launched a Curatorial Studies Program, a pilot initiative to prepare and develop the next generation of curators. With enthusiastic support from the Walton Family Foundation, this program has expanded and in 2018, Spelman College established the Atlanta University Center for the Study of Art History & Curatorial Studies, currently supported by the Alice L. Walton Foundation. For more information about the Museum, visit museum.spelman.edu.
About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Spelman is the country's leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The College’s status is confirmed by U.S. News and World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 51 among all liberal arts colleges and No. 1 among historically Black colleges and universities. The Wall Street Journal ranked the College No. 3, nationally, in terms of student satisfaction. Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, Starbucks Group President and COO Rosalind Brewer, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna president Audrey Forbes Manley, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones. For more information, visit www.spelman.edu.