volunteer newsletter, VISTAS

newarkmuseum.org

NEWARKSTORIES

...Page 2

SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Also in this issue...

Museum's Deputy Driector of Institutional Advancement................04

Recap of

NMVO Initiatives .........10

Nettleton Tribute.........11

And our newsletter, Volunteer Vistas, each issue of which is chock full of arresting articles about the vital work volunteers and staff do, is without doubt one of the finest volunteer

publications.

Please see page 10 for a recap that outlines the NMVO initiatives: for example, recognition award and volunteer orientation programs, development of the volunteer handbook and our ongoing efforts to update the volunteer content on the Museum's website. Without your invaluable ideas, we could not have successfully created any of these. All in all, as we mark 40 years of service to the Museum, these are substantial accomplishments of which we should all be proud. I now look forward to passing the baton to Prudence Bradley. As I join the ranks of other Past Presidents, I will continue to help realize the NMVO's objectives in any way I can...and I will enjoy every minute doing it.

To the volunteers, NMVO Board and the staff, I extend my heartiest thanks for the generous support you've given. Brenda

MODERN

HEROICS...Page 3

It has been

an honor and

my pleasure

to serve as NMVO president.

Since the fall of 2014, both

during general meetings and as

we’ve undertaken our various

volunteer activities, I have had

the opportunity to get to know

many more of you.

Your commitment to the Museum has been reflected in so many ways—from schlepping through the snow to the New York Winter Antique Show, to acting as ambassadors for the Museum’s Ahead of the Curve exhibit, to working on Second Sundays. I’ve watched you in action, greeting visitors and answering their questions. I’ve marveled at how well our fantastic docents conduct their informative tours.

Whether your focus has been the Annual Tea, Hot Chili and

Cool Brew event or the Holiday

Shopping Spree, the enthusiasm and spirit you’ve shown has been

impressive and truly amazing.

Brenda Jackson,NMVO President

LYNCH FRAGMENT

SERIES ...Page 9

2 | VOLUNTEER VISTAS Spring/Summer 2016

NEWARK MUSEUM STAFF

Steven KernDirector & Chief Executive Oficer

Deborah KasindorfDeputy Director of Institutional Advancement

Shunzyu HaiglerDirector of Membership Services

Amanda WatersManager of Membership Services

Leland ByrdMembership Associate

VOLUNTEER OFFICERS

Brenda JacksonPresident

Prudence BradleyVice President

Gwynne McConkeySecretary

Arlene GerencserTreasurer

Tom ForgashPast President

Hugh Michael Brown Volunteer Vistas Editor

DEADLINE FOR

SUBMISSIONS

TO THE FALL 2016

VOLUNTEER VISTAS

IS FRI., AUGUST 12, 2016.

SEND SUBMISSIONS TO:

Hugh Michael Brown,

Volunteer Vistas Editor at:

[email protected]

important early supporter of modern American art. Howard W. Hayes

was a world traveler who brought masterworks into the Museum’s Asian collections. W. Clark Symington was a trustee who collected and donated English silver to help the Museum teach its audience about how things were made and used in the home. Each of these people brought to the Museum different interests and perspectives; and their collections as well as their ideas helped shape the institution in the irst half of the twentieth century.

Above Left: Meiping Vase with Seven Horses and Willow Tree China, Kangxi Period (1661-1722), Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Porcelain, under-glaze blue and copper-redGift of Mary Vanderpool Pennington, 1949 Howard W. Hayes Collection 49.482

Above Right: Cake basket in the rococo style, 1743 Eliza Godfrey, LondonSilver Gift of W. Clark Symington, 1959 59.106

NEWARK STORIES: Four Newarkers Who Made a Difference

June 18, 2016 through January 8, 2017

All museums exist

to serve their

communities; but all

museums also survive and

thrive because of the support

of those communities. The

Newark Museum has many

audiences, and its network

of supporters expands far

outside the City of Newark’s

boundaries—reaching across

the state, throughout the

nation, and around the world.

As part of the Museum’s commemoration of Newark’s 350th anniversary, the curators have collaborated to showcase the stories of four Newarkers who were key benefactors of the Newark Museum. Lida Clanton Broner

fulilled her dream of traveling to Africa, and made possible the irst exhibition of South African art in an American museum in the 1940s. Caroline Bamberger Fuld was a department store heiress and an

Editor's Note: Volunteer Vistas thanks Ulysses Grant Dietz, Chief Curator and Curator of Decorative Arts for this article.

NMVO MISSION

The primary purpose of the Newark

Museum Volunteer Organization is

to serve, to support and to interpret

the Newark Museum and its goals

through volunteer participation.

In the words of founding director

John Cotton Dana, “A good mu-

seum attracts, entertains, arouses

curiosity, leads to questioning—

and thus promotes learning.”

newarkmuseum.org | 3

Right: Robert Thompson (1937-

1966). St. George and the Dragon, ca. 1961-62. Oil on canvas, 90.5

x 82.5 in. The Members’ Fund Purchase, 1982

82.95 © Estate of Robert Thompson, Courtesy of

Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY

Editor's Note:Volunteer Vistas thanks

Tricia Laughlin Bloom, Ph.D, Curator of American

Art for this article.

MODERN HEROICS

75 Years of African American Expressionism at the Newark Museum June 18, 2016 through January 8, 2017

This exhibition presents selected works from Newark’s permanent collection of African-American art.

Taking a fresh look at heroic themes in modern and contemporary art, this unique exhibition features 32 paintings and sculptural works, with an emphasis on storytelling and expressive imagery. Mythical and universal subject matter, the bold use of color and dramatic scale, and the artists’ direct physical engagement with their materials are all themes explored in this exhibition.

Modern Heroics brings together rarely exhibited works by leading historical and contemporary African-American artists, placing in dialogue several generations and a range of self-taught and formally trained approaches. The exhibition will feature large-scale paintings by Norman Lewis, Purvis Young, Emma Amos, Bob Thompson and Mickalene Thomas among others; and sculptural works by Chakaia Booker, Thornton Dial, Kenseth Armstead and Kevin Sampson.

Left:Chakaia Booker (born 1953). Bitches Brew (Act 1), 2002. Rubber, steel, and wood, 48 x 45 x 41 in. Friends of American Art Purchase, 2003 2003.29 © Chakaia Booker

Right: Dmitri Wright (born

1948). Black Couple in Bed Looking at

TV, 1971. Acrylic on canvas, 54 x 54.5 in. Gift of the Prudential Insurance Company,

1971 71.167 © Dmitri Wright 1971

DEBORAH KASINDORF IS

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT


Deborah Kasindorf,

Deputy Director

of Institutional

Advancement

D eborah Kasindorf joined the Newark Museum’s executive team on November 2, 2015 as Deputy Director of Institutional Advancement. She is responsible for managing the Museum’s fund raising and marketing departments—

which include Development, Membership, Public Relations, Special Events, Publications and the Museum Shop. Upon naming her to the post, Newark Museum Director and Chief Executive Oficer Steven Kern said, “I’m pleased to welcome Deborah to the Museum’s leadership team. I have great conidence that her depth of knowledge in marketing, advertising and fundraising will serve the Museum well, as we work to grow support for the extraordinary exhibitions and educational programs that we bring to the community.”

Prior to joining the Museum, Deborah was the Director of External Relations at the Seattle Children's Theatre, one of the most prominent theaters for young audiences in the country. She was responsible for the generation of all ticket revenues, and for the theater's contributed income and marketing programs. She also served as a Trustee on the Theatre's board, before joining its staff.

Additionally, Deborah has been Vice President of Hydrogen Advertising, where she led account management and strategic planning for all clients. And, at Starbucks Coffee Company, she worked in several capacities—most recently as Marketing Director of US Promotions, where she developed marketing strategies and led cross-functional teams.

Born and raised in northern California, Deborah, who studied American History in school, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mills College in Oakland, California. She is a former Seattle, Washington resident, and now resides in Hoboken, New Jersey. Says Deborah, “I believe in supporting my teams by being strategic and decisive, so everyone feels they are making progress together. I'm pleased to have joined such an impressive team and look forward to helping this prestigious institution continue to grow and serve its communities.” When asked which of her accomplishments made her most proud, she replied, “I am most proud of having made a career shift to the non-proit arts, after many years in the corporate world of marketing and advertising. I am also proud of the fact that both my children are pursuing areas they are passionate about.”

volunteer spotlight


V olunteer Spotlight articles help volunteers learn a bit more about each

other. Here are informative excerpts about the volunteer experiences of

Nathalie Bailey, Gary Ostroff and Linda Peoples Thomas.

Nathalie Bailey holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics. A retired Professor

Emeritus of English, Lehman College, CUNY, she began docent training in 2009. As a member of numerous resource teams, she has helped other docents by researching and modelling tours of featured exhibitions and permanent collections. When preparing docent tours, she strives to tie objects together with a narrative low that is easy for docents to remember and for visitors to follow.

She says, "The Museum's philosophy of collecting things of beauty from everyday life and across cultures broadens my perspective. "Taking advantage of all the Museum provides has developed my skills as an art educator. It's as if I have undertaken a master’s degree in art education.”

G ary Ostroff, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley, Los

Angeles, CA., has a degree in Civil Engineering. A new NMVO member, he is training to become a Speakers Bureau presenter. In addition to his irst speaking assignment in May 2016, he has volunteered at the Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration and the Greater Newark Mini

Maker Faire on April 30, 2016.

Says Gary, “My goal is to present all the Museum’s works as part of a living tradition of art and culture—no matter where they are from, or how old they are. All art traditions tend to deal with similar issues and all serve similar functions for their audiences. I try to understand the context of the art and look

for similarities across traditions.” He adds, "By passing this information on to community groups, I hope to increase their enthusiasm for art."

Linda Peoples Thomas,

who currently works for the Newark Housing

Authority, began volunteering in the 1990s as part of the Museum’s Special Exhibit Docent Initiative, a program that allowed her to take a full two years of docent training. Says Linda, “I was thrilled to be part of the irst special exhibits. For example, I Dream a World, was a magniicent photographic display of notable African American women. And, Wrapped in Pride, which featured Ghanaian kente cloth, was an extraordinary experience."

Linda is a Ballantine House docent, an NMVO board member, and serves as co-chair of the Education/Enrichment committee. The committee has recently created and implemented a well-received Orientation Program for new volunteers. As an Ask Me volunteer and trainer, she helps visitors ind their way around the Museum during special events.


VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION

Right: NMVO member Judy Cohen and volun-teers from Americorp are all smiles during the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Day event.

Right: At the December 2015 Holiday Lun-

cheon event, the NMVO and the NMBCC presented the Museum with a check for $12,000, the proceeds of which were from the jointly sponsored 2015 Hot Chili and

Cool Brew evening.

Left to right are: Brenda Jackson, NMVO President; Barbara Kaufman, 2015-16 President of the Newark Museum Busi-ness & Community Council (NMBCC) and Vice President of the Newark Regional Business Partnership; Andrea Cunnell, 2015-16 Vice President of the NMBCC and Communications Director of Rutgers Business School; Lauren Hall, NMBCC member and Director of Marketing and Ad-vertising for Greater Newark Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Steven Kern, Director & Chief Executive Oficer.

Left: NMVO member Bernice Friedman and Americorp volun-teer Bruce Woodley welcome visitors at the membership desk during the Museum's 2016 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event.


Left: During a 2016 Members Morn-

ing gathering, Arlene Gerencser (second from left), Prudence Brad-ley and Barbara Sorini (print jacket) enjoying breakfast with two Museum members in the Trustees room.

VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION

Left: NMVO member Boma Briggs is ready to welcome guests to the Museum at the 2016 Dr. Martin Luther King,

Jr. Day event.

Left: In the Membership ofice, Co-Chair Arlene Gerencser pauses while working on preparations for the 2016 Annual Tea.


RYAN REEDELL

REVAMPS MAKERSPACE

Ryan Reedell received a BFA in Printmaking at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. He was the Program Director (and sole employee) of the Boys & Girls Club of Newark Bike Exchange.

Says Ryan, “I was born and raised in Warren County, among the ields and forests of the North Jersey Skylands. I believe that access to information, tools, and materials is a key to personal and social stability and growth."

Ryan continues, "We are all Makers in one way or another, and to be fulilled, we all need the ability to create, improve, or modify the world around us. Making is empowering. Making is creative. Making is scientiic. Making is human.” He now resides in Newark with his wife and two sons.

to empower the students through Making and to give them a deeper appreciation for the design considerations and techniques used in Making.

Recently, Ryan focused on pro- ducing the 3rd annual Greater

Newark Mini Maker Faire (GNMMF), held April 30, 2016. This one-day, Museum-wide event typically draws about 50 Makers and over 1,000 visitors from around the region.

When asked to describe a recent accomplishment, Ryan replied. “Receiving the Cognizant® grant is noteworthy. I am pleased to have written the proposal to fund both the Young Makers program and to further equip the Makerspace with specialized tools. We’ve been awarded this grant for the past few years; however this year’s grant: $25,000, was the maximum amount. Luckily, the funders saw my vision and are fully supportive of our efforts to engage Museum visitors in the process of Making.”

Ryan Reedell joined the Newark Museum in October, 2015 as Manager

of the Makerspace. He has worked closely with the exhibitions department to design a prototype for the more than 3,000-square- foot space. His goal has been to develop programming that engages visitors.

The newly designed space not only includes room for creating Makerspace projects, but also room to display objects from the collections; educational and reproduction objects; as well as interactive displays, which highlight aspects of the objects on display. Additionally, the space will house various tools—such as saws, screwdrivers, a laser cutter and looms, plus storage for such materials as random broken toys, electronics, 3D printing plastics and plasticine clay.

The Young Makers program is the irst to inaugurate the expanded Makerspace area. This 16-class program, funded by Cognizant®, is a stepping stone to helping 13 Newark high school students dabble in varied aspects of Making—from deconstruction and composition building via the Museum’s Louise Nevelson assemblages to laser-cut jewelry to soldered sculptures to circuit building and computer programming. The program aims

Big Picture high school students in the Young Makers program, at work on a Nuevo-Nevelson project. They disassembled broken electronics into component pieces and then reconstructed them into a Louise Nevelson-like composition.


Melvin Edwards' LYNCH FRAGMENT SERIES

by Mary Courtien

docent's choice

Resolved, by Melvin Edwards, is one

of four black, metallic sculptures

hanging in the newly installed Art

of the Civil Rights Movement and the Art

of Identity gallery. Edwards has produced

more than 200 pieces in his Lynch Fragment

series, spanning from the 1960s to the

present day. He has been inspired by such

political and social issues as the Civil Rights

movement, the African American identity

and the African Diaspora. His works are

constructed by manipulating such found

objects as chains, hammer heads and

spikes—which seem to struggle against

one another.

In the 1960s, the assumption amongst black artists was that if you made abstract art you were choosing to be with the mainstream. Nevertheless, Edwards boldly embraced the abstract, and in doing so, was very successful in delivering powerful, pertinent messages. He produced his irst Lynch Fragment art piece in 1963, one year after Los Angeles police raided a local Nation of Islam mosque, killing aa worshiper in the process. For Edwards, this was "an epiphany moment". "I realized," he said, "I had come onto something rooted in what I was

interested in, politically and aesthetically."

After that epiphany, his work became recognized early. His irst solo show, at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in 1965, took place when he was just 26 years of age. Three years later, he left for New York, where he was included in the second exhibition of the newly-minted Studio Museum in Harlem. And, in 1970, he was the irst African American artist to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum.

For years, Edwards has felt deeply connected to Africa, where he taught metalworking in several different countries. In Zimbabwe, they call him Grandpa Blacksmith. He currently spends several months each year sculpting in Senegal. Melvin Edwards is not only one of the most signiicant players in the arts of the Civil Rights era, but he has remained relevant in the global art world due to his continued exploration of the art of Third World countries. Having taught at Rutgers University from 1972 until 2002, and having maintained a studio in Plainield, NJ since 1976, he has become an adopted son of New Jersey.

Please come experience Resolved up close and personal. You will also ind many other exciting works on view in the two brand new galleries: Art of the Civil

Rights Movement and Art of Identity and The Harlem

Renaissance. What an impressive job by Curator of American Art, Tricia Laughlin Bloom, Ph.D.

Resolved, 1986

Melvin Edwards

Welded Steel,

12 x 8.25 x 7.75 in.

Purchase 1989 Estate of

Gertrude Woodcock Simpson

in memory of Marshall

Simpson 89.54

© the artist


In 2014, the NMVO board developed

a set of key initiatives, which were to

be implemented within a two year time

frame. Here's the status of each:

1. VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION

The Volunteer of The Year Award was implemented in 2015. In addition to the Emma Fantone Distinguished Volunteer Service award, which requires ten years of service, a new award was created to recognize outstanding contribution by a volunteer in a year.The 2015 awardees were Audrey Haimowitz and Gwynne McConkey.

2. DIGITAL

VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK

The Digital Volunteer Handbook has been completed and is scheduled to be distributed to volunteers in September 2016.

3. VOLUNTEER EDUCATION

AND ENRICHMENT

The goal is that as the volunteers increase their knowledge of the Museum, each of them will become an even better Museum ambassador. They will also feel more a more integral part of the Museum family.

UPDATE ON NMVO INITIATIVES

To that end, an email was sent to each volunteer asking their opinion about training/education offerings. The following goals have been completed, based on the thoughts of the volunteers who responded.

In Fall 2015, a PowerPoint NMVO Orientation Program was developed and implemented. It’s aim was to familiarize new and veteran volunteers with key members of the staff, important historical facts and major aspects of the volunteer experience at the Newark Museum.

4. UPDATE VOLUNTEER SECTION

OF MUSEUM WEBSITE

The volunteer-related information on the Museum’s website is in the process of being updated.

5. RECOMMENDATIONS

—Increase the number of volunteer General Meetings from two to three times a year.

—How To Look at Art Program:During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Museum’s Education Department will conduct training sessions designed to teach volunteers how to look at art and how to better appreciate it.

2016 JAZZ IN THE GARDEN

Thursdays, July 7,14,16,21,28, Aug. 4...12:15—1:45 pm.

The following ticketed events are from 6:30—9pm (Doors open at 6 pm): Jam Session: Fri., Aug. 12;Closing Party: Sept. 16. For more info, log on to www.newarkmuseum.orgkwel

l i

2016 NEWARK BLACK

FILM FESTIVAL

Adult Cinema: Wednesdays @ 7 pm: June 29, July 6, 13, 20, 27 & Aug. 3 (Paul Robeson Awards). Youth Cinema: Wednesdays @ 1 pm, July 6 thru Aug. 10. To learn more, log on to www.newarkmuseum.org


A TRIBUTE TO LINDA GATES NETTLETON

Linda Gates Nettleton, Senior

Manager of Adult Learning &

Public Programs, is retiring

at the end of June 2016. For over 20

years, whether working before the

public or behind the scenes, she has

been the guiding force of the Newark

Museum’s Docent program.

A Smith College alumna, who did post graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania, Linda designed and directed a gallery-focused, two-year art history study course for each member of ive Docent classes. She has to her credit a dazzling array of thematic lecture series, topical seminars, joyous festivals and performing arts presentations that sparked cross-cultural conversation, engaged the intellect, spurred the imagination and stirred the heart. Her work has showcased the Museum’s renowned permanent collection, its groundbreaking featured exhibitions and has exempliied the principles founder John Cotton Dana held dear.

Whether the tours were public, reserved, specialized for seniors, military families, or those with sight impairment, or memory and cognitive challenges, she constructed compelling narratives for the Museum’s six world-class collections with great sensitivity—and some in four languages. Her presentations are scholarly, fully participatory and always illuminating. They are the very model of continuing education, and have empowered Docents to arouse a sense of wonder in audiences. Through shared experience of art, she has invited visitors to bond, not as mere strangers, but as fast friends.

Since hearing of Linda’s retirement, many have applauded her professionalism and supportive leadership style. These include community leaders, scholars, colleagues, and of course, the Museum's volunteers and Docents. Here are just two such heartfelt sentiments:

“Linda has had a remarkable tenure. Her passion for teaching and learning has been a beacon for the whole community.” —Steven Kern, Director & Chief Executive Oficer “Linda has set an incredibly high bar for generosity and grace. She has been a public face of the Museum, ensuring that thousands of artists, performers, scholars, students, families, and general visitors, feel welcome. Programs she established will continue as a testament to her tremendous understanding of how to engage a diverse, ever-changing community. I will miss her wisdom, guidance and friendship.” —Sonnet Takahisa, Deputy Director of Education

We wish Linda all good things, as she looks forward to spending more time with her husband, John and sons, Jacob and Jesse. A line from the poem Abou Ben Adhem by English poet Leigh Hunt is appropriate: “I pray thee then, write me one that loves his fellow men.”

As Linda did what she loved exceedingly well, so is she loved by her friends at the Newark Museum. Exceedingly.

Editor's Note: Volunteer Vistas thanks the committee of Docents, who asked not to be credited individually, for submitting this tribute within tight time constraints.

VOLUNTEER VISTAS Spring/Summer 2016

ALICE RANSOM DREYFUSS MEMORIAL GARDEN:A PARKLIKE OASIS

It 's almost t ime for

the Al ice Ransom

Dreyfuss Memorial

Garden to take center

stage again. Situated

serenely behind the

Museum, it 's the perfect

place to enjoy programs,

performances and

changing exhibit ions

throughout the summer.

Whether you’re having a fr iendly lunch

break conversation, just relaxing with

a book or communing with nature, this

parkl ike oasis, which is graced by a

wide variety of trees—most of which

were planted in the early twentieth

century— makes an ideal sett ing to

recharge or ref lect.

In addit ion, the Garden is home to

the 1784 Old Stone School House,

Hugh Michael

Brown, Volunteer

Vistas Editor a one-room structure that hosted

generations of students. As wel l , the Newark Fire Museum, housed in the circa 1860 Ward Carriage House,displays historic f ire apparatus and relates the chal lenging stories of val iant 19th century f iref ighters.

Here is also where the annual Jazz in the Garden music series happens (see bottom of page 10). This year ’s l ineup wil l include such jazz greats as Lenny White, Woody Shaw Legacy Ensemble and Ron Carter.

Come be refreshed by some cool sounds!

49 washington street

newark, nj 07102-3176

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volunteer newsletter, VISTAS