Morris Graves Museum of Art reopens
Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka has reopened
The Humboldt Arts Council has reopened the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka after a lengthy closure due to the coronavirus crisis.
“The HAC staff and board are excited to reopen the MGMA. In the past 20 years, we have consistently opened our doors to the community and, these past four months, have been difficult to not be able to fulfill our mission of bringing the rich heritage of North Coast arts into community life,” said Humboldt Arts Council Executive Director/Curator Jemima Harr in an email interview with the Times-Standard.
“In times like this,” she said, “art has the power to lift people up and to give them hope, comfort and strength. It has been challenging to predict what lies ahead in light of declining financial support from admission, museum store sales and general donations, but I do know we will persevere and continue to offer art experiences to all.”
The Morris Graves Museum of Art — located at 636 F St. — is open to Humboldt Arts Council members only through July 19. (During this time, new memberships are 50% off, with annual memberships starting at $15.) On July 22, the museum will open to the public. Museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. (All public programming, including Arts Alive!, remains suspended at this time.)
To ensure the safety of staff members, volunteers and visitors, several protocols have been established at the museum. Face coverings are required for all. Social distancing signage is in place and museum attendance is limited to 20 visitors at a time. Also, hand sanitization stations are located throughout the building and plexiglass shields have been installed at the front desk and retail locations.
“Our reopening is the result of weeks of behind-the-scenes work to guarantee the safety of your visit, and to ensure we meet or exceed every single guideline from the Centers of Disease Control, the State of California and the County of Humboldt,” Harr said.
While closed, Humboldt Arts Council staffers stayed busy engaging remotely with the public daily via Instagram and Facebook posts, as well as working to adapt the exhibition schedule, publications, programming and artist support “to reflect the current surreal situation,” Harr said.
“On top of that,” she said, “through the generous support of an anonymous donor, we have administered the Art in Place COVID-19 Artist Grant Program that invited Humboldt County visual artists to apply for support in the creation of new work during the shelter-in-place directive. A committee reviewed over 55 applications and selected 15 local artists to receive $665 to create work reflecting the current pandemic.”
The “Art in Place” exhibit is now on display at the museum through Sept. 6. Participating artists are Amy Fowler, Amy Granfield, April Sandoval, Dan Molyneux, Dylan Steinart, Emily Reinhart, Erica Brooks, Erin Austin, Joan Gold, Megan Atherton, Patrick Garcia, Peggy Loudon, Regina Case, Susanna Gallisdorfer and Taylor Snowberger Macias.
Other new exhibits include “A Voyage Home,” featuring artwork by Humboldt State University graduate Elijah Howe, and
“Artnauts: Globalocation II.”
Howe combines the fragmentation of images seen in David Hockney’s photographic work and imbues it with the photodiary narrative structure of JH Engstrom’s projects.
“This project takes many different images of one scene. Each frame exists as its own unique picture and, only when combined, will they tell the whole story,” said Howe, who received the Tom Knight Award for Photography in 2019.
“Artnauts: Globalocation II” gives insight into the 24-year history of the collective. The mission of the Artnauts is to use the visual arts to help address global issues while connecting with artists and communities from around the world. “Globalocation II” is a selection of works from the Artnauts’ archive.
Admission to the Morris Graves Museum of Art is $5 for adults; $2 for seniors age 65 and over, military veterans and students with an ID; and free for children 17 and under, families with an EBT card and valid ID and museum members.
For more information, go to https://humboldtarts.org or call 707-442-0278.
Admission to the Morris Graves Museum of Art is $5 for adults; $2 for seniors age 65 and over, military veterans and students with an ID; and free for children 17 and under, families with an EBT card and valid ID and museum members.