As part of its efforts to involve the community, the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) allows members to join one of its eight support groups. Members of these groups focus on an area of interest within the MAM's collection. This year one of these groups, the African American Art Alliance (also referred to as AAAA or Quad A), celebrates its 20th anniversary.
African American Art Alliance members coordinate activities and raise funds to help bring African-American art and artists to the museum. Activities include educational workshops, lectures and special exhibitions. One highlight included a visit by Margaret Burroughs, founder of Chicago's DuSable Museum of African American History.
Dorothy Nelle Sanders helped to establish AAAA in 1990. Sanders, along with Gloria Wright and Lucinda Gordon, recruited docents and sponsors to help the group with its mission.
AAAA has added more than 15 artworks to the museum's permanent collection, as detailed in the pamphlet “The African American Artists Collection Tour.”The tour spotlights African-American artwork throughout the museum, including works by Henry Ossawa Tanner, Lois Mailou Jones, Aaron Douglas, Wisconsin artist Simon Sparrow and Kehinde Wiley.
Quad A coordinated a fund-raising campaign with another support group, the Contemporary Art Society, to bring “On Site: Chakaia Booker” to MAM's Baumgartner Galleria overlooking the lake. Booker constructs installations from automobile tires by splicing, twisting and weaving the rubber into extraordinary works. “On Site: Chakaia Booker” continues through Feb. 13, 2011.
Sandra Robinson, president of Quad A, is finalizing the current fund-raising campaign to purchase another significant artwork. An announcement about the artwork could come next spring.
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Art Happenings
“BFA Exhibition I”
Peck School of the Arts' Inova/Arts Center
2400 E. Kenwood Blvd.
Graduating BFA students from UW-Milwaukee present artwork in an exhibition that opens with a 5-7 p.m. celebration at Inova/Arts Center on Dec. 18.
“Milwaukee Art Quilters”
Cedarburg Cultural Center
W62 N546 Washington Ave., Cedarburg
Through Jan. 23, 2011, members of the Milwaukee Art Quilters present more than 70 quilts. Meanwhile, the center's Main Street Gallery features the Cedarburg Artists Guild in the exhibit “Blizzard of Art.”
