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Fort Wayne Museum of Art
- Address: 311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN 46802
- Phone: (260) 422-6467
- Fax: (260) 422-1374
- Website: Visit Website
American Art Museum offers diverse exhibitions of contemporary and historical art. Activities include tours, lectures, workshops and parties. The Paradigm Gallery has fine art and craft for sale and the Early Learning Center offers hands-on fun for youngsters.
Open Tue-Sat 10am-6pm; Thur 10am-8pm; Sun Noon-5pm. Closed Holidays.
Admission:
- $8 Adults/ $6 Students (K-College) and Seniors/ $20 Families
- Free admission Thursdays 5-8 pm
- $3 with EBT card and valid ID
Visit the Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Fort Wayne Museum of Art 360 Tour
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2019-02-09
2019-04-06
2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
<h2>2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards</h2>
<h2>February 9 - April 6, 2019</h2>
<p>The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards features the Gold and Silver Key winning art and writing by students in grades 7-12 from Northern Indiana and Northwest Ohio. It has grown into what is now a model program for the rest of the country, exhibiting the best student artwork and writing of the region in the FWMoA galleries. The exhibition features hundreds of paintings, drawings, sculptures, graphics, photographs, mixed-media projects, and all genre of written pieces, each expressing topics that inspire creative teens today.</p>
<p>The students whose work is awarded at the regional level are eligible to compete for national awards, and each year, dozens of our region's students gain national recognition. Our national award-winning students join the ranks of many celebrated American artists and writers which includes luminaries such as Richard Avedon, Andy Warhol, Bernard Malamud, Robert Redford, Sylvia Plath, Joyce Carol Oates, Luis Jimenez, and Truman Capote, among others.</p>
<p>In 2013, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art was awarded the<strong> Gold Key for Excellence in the Field</strong> by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. This annual award is given to only one organization that demonstrates extraordinary dedication to providing opportunities to creative young people; perseveres through challenges over time; and expands the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program to reach more participants, among other program attributes.</p>
<p>2016 was the ninth consecutive year FWMoA has been ranked in the top-10 for national awards given to its regional Scholastic Awards participants, and the fourth consecutive year for top-5 ranking in the same category. Since 2003, The Fort Wayne Museum of Art has been focused on providing opportunities for our area students by providing outreach services and enrichment opportunities through an after-school Art Club and teacher support throughout the school year.</p>
<p>To learn more about how your students can submit their creative work to this competition, <strong><a href="https://www.fwmoa.org/PreK-12" target="">visit this page.</a></strong></p>
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<p>With thanks from our generous sponsors<br /> Wells Fargo<br /> Indiana Tech<br /> LBC - Lawrence Building Corpt</p>
311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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2019-02-14
2019-02-23
Daniel Clayman: Shift
<h2>Daniel Clayman: Shift</h2>
<h2>November 17, 2018 - February 24, 2019</h2>
<p>'Shift' marks a departure from Clayman’s previous modes of production, in that this installation is a group of diverse forms and presentation methods that, together, form a cohesive experience for the viewer. Clayman has said he often explores a form or material through multiple iterations over 2-3 years, resulting in a series, or family, of similar sculpture. With 'Shift', we encounter utterly distinct concepts made manifest in sculpture through Clayman’s signature minimalist style.</p>
<p>The exhibition will feature 8-10 large scale works that, together, create an experiential installation rather than a traditional exhibition of individual works. </p>
<p>"<span>Over the course of my career I have frequently addressed my ideas through sculpture made in series. Each object tends to inform the next with themes lasting two or three years. I always know when a series is done because of an emotional/somatic twinge. If I don’t pay attention to that feeling, the next object is made without passion and is usually abandoned.</span></p>
<p>However, there are times when I am working in the studio when I come upon ideas that intrigue me but do not result in a long period of exploration. The objects chosen for this exhibition are the waypoints in my ongoing inquiries. The exhibition title SHIFT recognizes important times in the studio that dictate a “shift” in direction. These periods are among the most important moments that make up years of studio inquiries about form and occupation of place." - Daniel Clayman</p>
<p><em>This exhibition is made possible in part by a grant from the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to further the development and appreciation of art made from glass.</em></p>
311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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Lingering Spirit: Photographs of a Changing Indiana by John Bower
February 16, 2019 - April 28, 2019 (Select Dates)
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2019-02-16
2019-04-28
Lingering Spirit: Photographs of a Changing Indiana by John Bower
<h2>Lingering Spirit: Photographs of a Changing Indiana by John Bower</h2>
<h2>February 16 - April 28, 2019</h2>
<p><em>Due to our use of the exhibition galleries for a major special event, this exhibition will be closed from February 25-March 1. </em></p>
<p>John Bower’s photography captures the soul of Indiana’s forgotten past in <em>Lingering Spirit</em>. As a photographer, Bower is motivated by the excitement in rediscovering what has been ignored or cast aside. To him, the abandoned houses and rusting automobiles populating the state’s countryside display not only Indiana’s unique heritage, but still retain the energy of their former owners. By employing the inherent drama of black and white photography, Bower is able to capture the essence of his subjects. His main goal is to preserve the richness that surrounds Hoosiers, yet often goes unnoticed.</p>
<p><strong>April 24, 6:30pm: Lecture with John Bower<br /></strong>Join us to hear from Bower himself as he explains the inspiration for his work. Bower is an Indiana Artisan and the latest artist to join the FWMoA Special Collections and Archives Program. Free with museum admission.</p>
311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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Stone Truths: Lithographs from the Collection
February 14, 2019 - April 14, 2019 (Select Dates)
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2019-02-14
2019-04-14
Stone Truths: Lithographs from the Collection
<h2>Stone Truths: Lithographs from the Collection</h2>
<h2>January 19-April 14, 2019</h2>
<p><em>Due to our use of the exhibition galleries for a major special event, this exhibition will be closed from February 25-March 1. </em></p>
<p><span>Lithography, the process used in creating all works of art in this exhibition, was </span><span>invented in 1796 by Alois Senefelder. Senefelder was a German inventor who first happened upon this revolutionary printmaking process. He’d polished a piece of limestone to emulate the smoothness of a copper plate, initially planning to </span><span>merely practice the art of writing backwards. After etching the surface, Senefelder attempted to ink the surface and suffered a couple false starts. He then cleaned the stone with water, and on his next attempt Senefelder noticed the damp areas of the stone rejected ink while the greasy lettering attracted it. He’d discovered the basic principle required in lithography - the fundamental inability of oil and water to mix.</span></p>
<p>To create a lithographic print, first a stone is drawn on with oil-based drawing <span>materials. Then it is etched with the help of acid and gum arabic to produce a chemically unique surface upon which the oil-based ink will adhere to the </span><span>drawing, but be repelled by the moist stone in the negative areas. The naturally </span><span>smooth surface of limestone allows artists to create prints with the same tonal qualities and fluid lines of a painter or draftsman, and by 1830 lithographic prints were being created with up to 15 colors.</span></p>
<p>Though invented in Germany, it was in France where artists truly tested the boundaries of lithography and made it a fine art. In the 19th century lithography was mostly used by commercial printers – it was fast and yielded a high number of prints, useful during the Belle Époque when theaters were frequently bringing in singers and dance troupes. One artist saw an opening and bridged the gap <span>between fine art and advertisements, and it was Henri du Toulouse-Lautrec. His dramatic lines and flamboyant compositions for the Moulin Rouge popularized </span><span>color lithography for fine artists and collectors. Other artists soon followed him into this foray such as Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Joan Miró.</span></p>
<p><em>Stone Truths: Lithographs from the Permanent Collection</em> displays the wide range of styles possible within the realm of lithography. Contemporary artists are <span>continually pushing the boundaries of the medium, adding their own flair and </span><span>interpretation to its elements, and at times even combining it with other printing </span><span>applications. Through each artist’s interpretation we’re given a glimpse into the versatility of lithography, and while each work of art has been crafted with the same basic technique, no work resembles another.</span></p>
<p><em>This exhibition has been curated by Associate Curator of Special Collections and </em><em>Archives Lauren Wolfer.</em></p>
<p><strong>March 7, 12:15pm: Curator's Tour</strong><br />Chief Curator Charles Shepard will lead you on a lively and engaging tour of this exhibition. Free with museum admission.</p>
311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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Stream of Consciousness: Recent Work by Bob Cross
February 14, 2019 - February 24, 2019 (Select Dates)
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2019-02-14
2019-02-24
Stream of Consciousness: Recent Work by Bob Cross
<h2>Stream of Consciousness: Recent Work by Bob Cross</h2>
<h2>December 15 - February 24</h2>
<p><span>Bob Cross is a painter, printmaker, and sculptor. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Art Degree at the Atlanta College of Art in 1981, and a Master of Fine Art </span><span>Degree at Ohio University in 1990.</span></p>
<p>“Over the past twenty years I fell into the habit of <span>drawing small impressions of the world around me, along with my abstract thoughts. Over time these became the point of entreé into many of my paintings, prints, and sculptures. This process is an ongoing stream of my consciousness, a continuous record of my visual thoughts, with a tangible connection to the time and area of the world I inhabit.</span></p>
<p>I am pleased to include a large group of these little thought bubbles in a show for the first time. The small drawings are more fun than they are ‘precious,’ and hopefully the larger works that grow out of them retain the spontaneous sense of freedom I enjoy every day making them.”</p>
<p>From 1981 to 1988 Cross worked as a Master Printer at Tyler Graphics LTD in New York, collaborating on published projects with Frank Stella, David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, Helen Frankenthaler, Anthony Caro, Richard Smith, Michael Heizer, Alan Shields, and <span>Steven Sorman.</span></p>
<p>Since 1993, Cross has resided in Northern Indiana. In addition to his work in fine art, he co-owns and <span>operates Haselrick & Cross Inc., a company which </span><span>creates murals and unique painted finishes and </span><span>surfaces in historic homes.</span></p>
<p><em>This exhibition is curated by Paradigm Gallery Director Abby Leon.</em></p>
311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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FWMOA Bilingual Tours (in Spanish)
February 21, 2019 - August 15, 2019 (Select Dates)
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2019-02-21 18:30:00
2019-08-15 19:30:00
FWMOA Bilingual Tours (in Spanish)
<p>Launched last year, FWMoA partnered with the Fort Wayne-based Language Services Network to offer bilingual tours of our current exhibits! The tours are free and no RSVP is required. However, if you have questions, please contact the Language Services Network at 260.426.6764.<br /><br />This tour will be in Spanish and English.</p>
311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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2016-01-01
2019-08-15 19:30:00
1st Thursday Curator's Tour
<p>President & CEO and Chief Curator Charles Shepard will take you on a new gallery tour each month. From his specialized and personal point of view, Shepard offers a unique perspective as the visionary for all exhibitions at FWMoA.</p>
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<p>$8.00 – adults $6.00 – students and seniors $20.00 – families Free for all after 5pm on Thursdays<br />Special admission guests who provide an EBT card and a valid ID can enter the museum for $3 per person.</p>
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311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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Leni Sinclair: An Era of Photographic Journalism
March 2, 2019 - April 21, 2019 (Select Dates)
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2019-03-02
2019-04-21
Leni Sinclair: An Era of Photographic Journalism
<p>Leni Sinclair: An Era of Photographic Journalism<br />March 2 - April 21, 2019</p>
<p>Leni Sinclair was born in Königsberg, Germany in 1940, under Hitler’s reign of terror. After the war and many hardships, her family was relocated to the small farming village of Vahldorf in Soviet controlled East Germany, where opportunities were limited. When she was twelve years old Leni would listen and dream to forbidden Western music from a prized radio she won by killing the most potato bugs in the village. ”I used to sit up in our attic surrounded by thick dusty volumes of Lenin’s writing and Soviet propaganda and press my ear to the speaker,” said Leni. “I couldn’t get enough of Chuck Berry and Harry Belafonte.” Leni made her escape to the land of rock ‘n roll in 1959 with help from relatives in Detroit. “The Berlin Wall hadn’t been built yet,” said Leni, “so all I had to do was take the subway, get off in the Western sector of Berlin, and turn myself in at the refugee camp, which was the best way to get papers to come to America.”</p>
<p>She took a camera to America in order to stay in touch with her family and send back photos of her new home. Leni’s first job was cleaning houses in the suburbs of Detroit but she always drifted to the University area. “I wanted so badly to be a beatnik and meet others so I walked around with a copy of Ginsberg’s Howl, until I met some beats. We would hang out at the Village club to hear folk music and also the Cup of Socrates coffee house. In 1963, a group of us started the Red Door Gallery, a co-op of avant-garde art.” The Red Door gallery became a model for the Artists’ Workshop Society, another arts collective which formed the following year.</p>
<p>Leni often speaks of herself as a participant observer, a term used in cultural anthropology as someone documenting observations, or doing research while actively working within the population under study. She was a propagandist of ‘Rainbow Nation’ and her photographs are some of the essential records of this mythic time. Leni’s story is a unique journey, from the repression of Nazism and Communism to participating in some of the defining moments of the turbulent ‘60s.</p>
311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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Charcoal Testament: Drawings by Joel Daniel Phillips
March 9, 2019 - May 12, 2019
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2019-03-09
2019-05-12
Charcoal Testament: Drawings by Joel Daniel Phillips
<h2>Charcoal Testament: Drawings by Joel Daniel Phillips</h2>
<h2>March 9 - May 12, 2019</h2>
<p>“<em>The only way to truly understand something is to draw it.</em>”–Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (Le Corbusier)</p>
<p>“This is the center of my work—an attempt to sincerely grasp what I see around me through the tip of a pencil and a piece of charcoal. At its root, the act of drawing necessitates a concentrated study of not only the physical attributes of the subject, but the emotional as well. We live in a world that consumes images at an exponentially increasing rate. Smartphones, social media and the internet have made the creation and the consumption of images not just commonplace, but unavoidable, and with this ever-growing consumption comes a numbness to the complex reality of the images we gorge ourselves upon.</p>
<p>My process is inherently about labor, and against the modern backdrop of instant, image-driven gratification, I have found the physical process involved in the painstaking, craft-driven and anachronistic rendering of a subject or a moment to be ever more important. The rigorous, meditative labor of observation through draughtsmanship is a means to an end. This end being, for me, a deeper and richer understanding of the world around me and the complexity of its histories.”</p>
<p>-Joel Daniel Phillips</p>
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<p>Joel Daniel Phillips is an American artist whose work focuses on the tenets of classical draftsmanship employed in monumental formats. Inspired by the depth and breadth of human experience, he strives to tell the personal and societal histories etched in the faces of those around him. Through the tip of his pencil, the artist seeks to find moments where our projected senses of self are transparent, allowing deeper, more truthful emotions to become visible.</p>
311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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The Ideal Sketching Ground: Prints by the Artists of Brown County
April 20, 2019 - August 4, 2019
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2019-04-20
2019-08-04
The Ideal Sketching Ground: Prints by the Artists of Brown County
<h2>The Ideal Sketching Ground: Prints by the Artists of Brown County</h2>
<h2>April 20-August 4, 2019</h2>
<p>In 1905, the Illinois Central Railroad connected Indianapolis with northeastern Brown County, Indiana. Not long after, numerous artists—particularly landscape painters—began making the journey from Indianapolis and Chicago to the small town of Nashville, where they discovered camaraderie with fellow artists and an unspoiled, picturesque place for inspiration. Painter Adolph Shulz described the area as “the ideal sketching ground” with its rolling hills, creek beds, rustic cabins, and opalescent haze. From 1890 to 1910, artists were forming their own schools and communities across the country, like Cape Ann, Laguna Beach, Taos, and Woodstock. Brown County emerged as the best known artist colony in the Midwest and continues to attract artists today.</p>
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<p>Many Brown County artists were highly skilled printmakers, representing some of Indiana’s earliest examples in the graphic arts. Gustave Baumann and L.O. Griffith were highly prolific and created complex, innovative works in woodcut and etching, respectively. Several of the artists were founding members of etching societies and received honors and recognition in national exhibitions for these works. This exhibition brings together the significant number of artists working in etching and woodcut in Brown County, including Gustave Baumann, Charles Dahlgreen, Homer Davisson, L.O. Griffith, Evelynne and George Jo Mess, Frederick Polley, Kenneth Reeve, and Will Vawter, among others drawn from area collections.</p>
311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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2019-04-24
2019-04-24
Artist Lecture: John Bower
<h2><strong style="font-size: 11pt;">April 24, 6:30pm: Lecture with John Bower</strong></h2>
<p>Join us to hear from Bower himself as he explains the inspiration for his work. Bower is an Indiana Artisan and the latest artist to join the FWMoA Special Collections and Archives Program. Free with museum admission.</p>
311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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2019-04-27
2019-08-04
Dox Thrash: The Hopeful Gaze
<h2>Dox Thrash: The Hopeful Gaze</h2>
<h2>April 27 - August 4, 2019</h2>
<p><span>Dox Thrash (1893–1965) was an African-American artist who was famed as a skilled draftsman, printmaker, and painter of African American life and as the co-inventor of the Carborundum printmaking process.</span></p>
<p>The artist spent much of his career living and working in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In much of his work, Thrash portrays black families <span>transitioning from the South to the North during the Great Migration, making a hopeful, daring leap to attempt to be equal members of the society that has historically oppressed them. Their hopeful gazes convey the optimism of the scores of African Americans who left the countryside to pursue better job opportunities, health care, and education in </span><span>urban centers.</span></p>
311 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN
America/Indiana/Winamac
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