New Show at AVAM co-curated by Matt Groening of Simpson’s Fame!

When I was 12, I wanted to be a museum curator.  My parents took me to the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Museum (back then called the Walters Art Gallery) pretty frequently (lucky me!).  Anyway, I distinctly remember, and I suppose this desire never left me, that I wanted to be the person who got to set up the rooms, who got to select and (gasp!) TOUCH everything!!  The (then) small re-creations of the Cone sister’s rooms behind thick glass were like a tractor beam to my 12 year old imagination.  Oh, if I could JUST get behind that glass and arrange things!!!  Now, at the BMA you can go on a touch-screen interactive of their apartment and are no longer separated from the treasures by glass, but still…

http://www.artbma.org/collection/overview/cone.html

So when our pals at the Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore told us a month or so ago that the word on the street was that the NEW show would be curated by Matt Goening and “the guy that worked on Pee-Wee’s Playhouse”, I nearly jumped for joy!  What might those kooks dream up?

Alfred E. Newman Headboard, detail Patty Kuzbida

Turns out JOY is just what they’re thinking of.  In October of 2010, we will all be delighted I’m sure to see “What Makes Us Smile”:  the theme of the new exhibition at AVAM.  “This mega exhibition on the timeless and global phenomena of smiling, laughter and humor will include contributions by dozens of artists…”  PLUS it will mark AVAM’s 15 year aniversary!!

If you are a student of mine, you can be sure these happy themes will be making their way into our art lessons.  Not to minimize the importance of some of the major tragedies happening on our planet right now, but it may do us all a lot of good to embrace a little humor!  And you better just get used to the idea again now, because you know that like last year, every day I’ll be bugging all of you to get out and see the show!  Till then, read more here

http://www.avam.org