December at the University of Mississippi Museum | View in browser
DECEMBER 2023
NEWS FROM THE MUSEUM
Purchase your 2023 Keepsake today!
To purchase a 2023 Keepsake from The University of Mississippi Museum and Historic Houses please visit the UM Museum Store. Hours are Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday, 10am-4pm. Keepsakes are $25 each and can be shipped within the contiguous United States for $10. To purchase a keepsake to be mailed, please call the front desk at 662-915-7073. Sales tax is required for all sales shipped within Mississippi.
Celebrating 175 years of
The University of Mississippi
The 175th anniversary celebration is themed “A Legacy of Calling”, a partial reference to Dave Isay’s book “Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work”, which details the role that passions and occupations play in leading a fulfilling life. Since the founding of the University of Mississippi, thousands of students have found their calling through their attendance at the University.
The subject of the 2023 keepsake is one of two champion trees on the University of Mississippi campus, the beloved Northern Catalpa tree is situated adjacent to the Student Union and the Grove. Many may assume that this tree has earned the title of “Champion” due to its age, which is believed to be as old as the University, or its proximity to the Walk of Champions. However, the title of “Champion” is bestowed upon any tree which is the largest of its species in a state.
FROM THE DIRECTOR
Greeting everyone, from the University Museum and Rowan Oak, where Fall weather has taken a delightfully chilly turn from this Minnesota native’s Nordic-origins perspective. Writing here in the closing days of November gives me calendar leeway to adopt a thankfulness approach and theme to this month’s 5th & University communication to you all.
The Museum and our Faulkner site have so very much to be grateful for, MORE...
NEWS FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE MUSEUM
New Publication Features Preeminent Artists, Authors, and Scholars Reflecting on Landscapes in Art and Literature during a Time of Unprecedented Change
“American Landscapes: Meditations on Art and Literature in a Changing World”
(University Press of Mississippi, November 2023)
American Landscapes: Meditations on Art and Literature in a Changing World
Oxford, MS…The University Press of Mississippi (UPM) in association with University of Mississippi Museum and Historic Houses (UMM/the Museum) is celebrating the release of its latest volume in a series featuring artists and works in UMM’s collection: “American Landscapes: Meditations on Art and Literature in a Changing World.”
The publication is a vibrant result of UMM’s 2019 acquisition of William Dunlap’s seminal painting Meditations on the Landscape in Origins of Agriculture in America (1987). The acquisition was presented in an exhibition of 40 works by Southern artists curated by Dunlap and Melanie Munns Antonelli, UMM Curator of the Collections, revealing a range of interpretations of landscape. On the occasion of the exhibition, Friends of the University of Mississippi Museum and UMM organized a symposium featuring artists, authors, and scholars held in Oxford in March 2019 that included several of the book’s contributors. {read more}
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Continued Artistry
AUGUST 1, 2023 – JUNE 1, 2024
Crafts of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Navajo Nation, and the Pueblo of Zuni.
Image above: Jocla Necklace (Navajo)
Recent Acquisitions, 2012–Present
MAY 9, 2023 – MARCH 23, 2024
From its inception, the University Museum has thrived due to the generosity of its many supporters. With an expansive range of historical, artistic, and cultural objects the Museum is able to offer a regular rotation of diverse and compelling exhibits. This exhibition celebrates recent donations and purchases to the Museum over the past decade featuring work by acclaimed artists such as Dean Mitchell, Purvis Young, Hale Aspacio Woodruff, Maude Schuyler Clay, Katja Oxman, Georgia Speller, William Dunlap and more.
Image above: The Diver, by Jere Allen.
Friends of Theora
JANUARY 17–DECEMBER 9, 2023
Most people know Theora Hamblett for her paintings of her childhood memories, dreams, visions, and her faith; however, this exhibit examines the external influence of other artists that inspired Hamblett as an emerging artist, student, and observational painter searching for her own artistic voice. Many of the works on view were from her personal collection, collected through art exchanges with artists that she befriended.
Image above: Jacob’s Ladder, ca. 1951–1955, by Stuart Purser.
FAMILIES AND CHILDREN
FOR EVERYONE
DECEMBER 1, 2023
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (drop-in)
COST: FREE!
BAILEY WOODS
Bailey Woods Trail remains open from dawn until dusk daily. We ask that all trail visitors practice appropriate social distancing while enjoying this National Recreation Trail, which connects the two sites.
Scavenger hunt kits are available at the beginning of the trail from the museum's parking lot.
MEMBERSHIP
Being a member provides you with the special distinction of being part of a dynamic group of supporters of the University of Mississippi Museum and Rowan Oak. Now its easier than ever to become a member or renew a current membership online!
A CONVERSATION WITH THEORA HAMBLETT
Watch this delightful 1975 Mississippi Public Television interview of Theora Hamblett by famed famed potter, Lee McCarty.
REMINDERS AND LOOKING AHEAD
The Beautiful Mysterious: The Extraordinary Gaze of William Eggleston, co-published by the University Museum and University Press of Mississippi, is an examination of the life and work of William Eggleston. Widely considered to be the father of color photography, Eggleston helped establish the artistic medium and has inspired photographers and artists around the world.
Get the Memphis Flyer at the Museum!
Available in the Museum Lobby rack, the only free distribution site in Oxford.
COVID-19 STATUS UPDATE
Museum Galleries & Exhibitions are Open to All
The University of Mississippi Museum and Historic Houses follows the guidelines set by the University.
The Chancellor announced this update to campus protocols:
“Effective March 2, face coverings are required only on transportation networks and in healthcare settings such as University Health Services and University Counseling Center, regardless of vaccination status.
Face coverings are optional in all other indoor spaces, including classrooms, laboratories, studios, residence halls, libraries, dining facilities, the Student Union, Campus Recreation facilities, retail spaces, offices, conference rooms or extracurricular activities held in indoor on-campus spaces.
Faculty and staff may continue to require face coverings for visits to their private offices."
To stay up-to-date with the University’s ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic, please visit coronavirus.olemiss.edu
