Executive Director Pamela L. Myers. Image David Huff. Dear friends of the Museum,
It’s February, our days are getting slightly but noticeably longer, and there’s some hope for change on the horizon. The cultural sector at large has fought hard to keep creativity alive throughout these turbulent and difficult times. The Museum has dedicated itself to making space to create memories with family and friends, virtually and in person; space to escape, educate, inspire, and enrich. During this lockdown, cultural experiences are different from before but still powerfully valuable—valuable to us as individuals and to our ability to make and create community.
I want to recognize our generous foundation partner who made it possible to launch our Asheville Art Museum COVID-19 Matching Challenge last fall. Together we met and exceeded our goal. To each of you who gave, I thank you for your commitment and dedication to the Museum and for your belief in the essential nature of our work now and in the future.
With your help the Museum opened its long-awaited new facility in fall 2019, only to close in March 2020. When the state allowed us to reopen in fall 2020, the Museum found itself in a unique position. During construction we installed entirely new, state-of-the-art heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems and controls. Designed to protect the Collection we hold in the public trust and our visitors, these systems also far exceed the Center for Disease Control, ASHRE, and OSHA COVID-19 safety standards. We continue to review, revise, and add protocols to protect your well-being. When the time is right for you, I hope you’ll visit with us.
Vantage Points: Contemporary Photography from the Whitney Museum of American Art, Across the Atlantic: American Impressionism Through the French Lens, Question Bridge: Black Males, and the new works of art installed in Intersections in American Art—as varied as they are—each provide room for contemplation and learning. Coming soon, Meeting the Moon commemorates the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Apollo space program at NASA and lets us explore the heavens through the creative endeavors of artists over time and in many media. Always inspiring, the 2021 WNC Regional Scholastic Art Awards exhibition highlights and celebrates the indomitable spirt of our art teachers and students in grades 7–12. These artists’ exceptional resilience shows us the way.
I look forward to seeing you.
Pamela L. Myers
Executive Director
