EASTON, MD – The Academy Art Museum has introduced a regular series called a Virtual Studio Visit on Friday nights at 6 p.m. To date, these events have alternated between live interviews and pre-recorded interviews with selected artists and gallerists with connections to the Eastern Shore.
The Museum’s first live Zoom Virtual Studio Visit was with the Museum’s first Artist-in-Residence Emily Lombardo (2018) who lives and works in the Bronx, NY. During the event, staff revisits Lombardo’s 2017-18 exhibition pairing Francisco Goya’s Los Caprichos with her own complete set The Caprichos inspired by Goya. Participants got to hear about the direction of Lombardo’s work following her Artist Residency and the course of her most recent work, as well as a glimpse into a work-in-progress, as well as a virtual studio, followed by Q&A facilitated by Museum Curator Mehves Lelic.
The Museum continues its Virtual Studio Visits on Friday, May 29 at 6 p.m. with a conversation with Baltimore-based artist Antonio McAfee, its current Artist-in-Residence for 2020 and the subject of the Museum’s upcoming exhibition “Antonio McAfee: Legacy,” his solo show scheduled to open now in August. McAfee won the $1,000 Best in Show Prize in the 2018 AAM “New Photography: National Juried Exhibition.”
According to Lelic, “Antonio will talk about the historical basis of his work and give us a tour of his studio in Baltimore. He is an emerging artist and we will discuss how is he coping with the quarantine and what current projects he is working on. We are hoping this event will introduce him to the community and generate interest for his upcoming digital negative workshops at the Museum.”
Virtual Studio Visits scheduled for the future include one with Philadelphia-based artist Amze Emmons, the Museum’s second Artist-in-Residence (2019), and a pre-recorded visit with artist Greg Mort.
Lelic adds, “To have an event at a set date feels like a communal experience to me. We are trying to do these virtual events regularly on Friday nights to allow the community to meet some of the artists we are featuring. The Question and Answer format of the Virtual Studio Visits afford intimate conversations with the artists. To participate in the Virtual Studio Visits, visit the Museum’s website academyartmuseum.org or Facebook page. The event is free, but pre-registration is required.
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~ Academy Art Museum