ART WITH HEART: AMERICAN PAINTING AND SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS
THURSDAY · SEPTEMBER 2 · 10:30AM 

Curator Graham C. Boettcher, PhD, discusses how American artists have historically used their work to address a multitude of problems and issues facing the country, including war, poverty, politics, race relations, and social issues.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 5–7 PM / FREE

An evening of classical Indian music, organized by the Indian Culture Society, features award-winning artists Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Pandit Subhen Chatterjee, who will present a musical program on modified guitar and tabla.

PATTERN, COSTUME AND ORNAMENT IN AFRICAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN ART
TUESDAY · SEPTEMBER 7 · NOON / FREE
Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Ron Platt presents a gallery talk on the exhibition, Pattern, Costume and Ornament in African and African-American Art. Don’t miss this opportunity to tour the exhibition with the curator before it closes September 12.

KIMONO CULTURE, DRESSING AND SEWING
TUESDAY · SEPTEMBER 14 · NOON / FREE
Michelle Slagle, certified kimono consultant, will deliver an interactive kimono talk and share examples from her own collection.

LIFETIME LOVE: COLLECTING DECORATIVE ART
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 21 · NOON / FREE
Associate Registrar Mary Villadsen shares the abbreviated story of how the Buten Collection came to Birmingham, making our Wedgwood collection one of the largest in the world and a rival to the Wedgwood Museum in England.
 
INTO THE WILD: EXPLORING NINETEENTH CENTURY LANDSCAPES
TUESDAY · SEPTEMBER 28 · NOON / FREE
Assistant Curator of Education Kristen Greenwood explores the development of nineteenth century landscape painting from its rogue beginnings to a respected genre.

SAVE THE DATES!!! 
2010 Soirée Weekend: September 11 and 12, 2010

Saturday, September 11
2nd Annual Sankofa Society Soirée
6:30 – 10:00 p.m.

SPIRAL: Moving Outward and Constantly Upward
Join us for an evening of live music, dancing, delicious
food, and a celebration of African-American art and
culture.  Tickets $100 per person ($125 after August
18), contact Susan Powers at 205-254-2567 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE!

***Special hotel accomodations are available for this weekend at The Historic Tutwiler Hotel, located approximately 3 blocks from the Museum.  The rate is $109 + 14% lodging tax for a standard king/double queen.  This rate includes hot continental breakfast, high speed internet access and airport shuttle.  Overnight valet parking is $16.00 + 10% tax.

Reservations may be made by calling 205.322.2100 or by clicking here.

Rooms must be booked by August 18th to receive this special rate.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2 PM / FREE

EMMA AMOS
ARTIST, RETIRED PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, MASON GROSS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, AND HONORED GUEST AT THE 2010 SANKOFA SOIRÉE

Emma Amos—renowned artist and educator—will look at her own work and the work of artists she grew up with and respected, including those in the Spiral collective, and offer her insights on art today.

Please stay for a reception following the lecture.

WABI SABI

SATURDAY · SEPTEMBER 18 · 11AM / FREE

A little cat in Tokyo on a quest to discover the meaning of his name.

READER: Ms. Blair, Our Lady of Sorrows School Librarian

JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER 24–26 / FREE

Join us for a Japanese Film Festival inspired by kimono and themes from the first half of the 20th century. Guest lecturer Bob Shelton, Professor of Film Studies at Birmingham-Southern College, will introduce the films and share insightful background information.

GATE OF HELL (JIGOKUMON)

FRIDAY · SEPTEMBER 24 · 6:00 PM 1953 / 86 MINUTES / WINNER, ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST FOREIGN FILM, 1954 / GRAND PRIX, CANNES FILM FESTIVAL, 1954 / DIRECTED BY TEINOSUKE KINUGASA

This exciting, colorful epic details the doomed love between a soldier and a married noblewoman in 12th-century feudal Japan. The film is lauded as one of the best examples of Japanese color photography of the 1950s.

SISTERS OF THE GION (GION NO SHIMAI) SATURDAY · SEPTEMBER 25 · 11:30 AM

1936 / 95 MINUTES / WINNER, BEST FILM, KINEMA JUNPO AWARDS, 1937 / DIRECTED BY KENJI MIZOGUCHI

Sisters of the Gion follows the parallel paths of the independent, unsentimental Omocha and her sister, the more tradition-minded Umekichi, both geishas in the working-class district of Gion. Mizoguchi’s film is a brilliantly shot, uncompromising look at the forces that keep many women at the bottom rung of the social ladder.

LIFE OF OHARU (SAIKAKU ICHIDAI ONNA) SATURDAY · SEPTEMBER 25 · 1:45 PM

1952 / 133 MINUTES / WINNER, INTERNATIONAL AWARD, VENCE FILM FESTIVAL, 1952 / DIRECTED BY KENJI MIZOGUCHI

This dramatic film examines one woman’s harsh life in Japan’s feudal society. Kinuyo Tanaka stars as Oharu, a lady-in-waiting who refuses to live outside her moral code. She eventually shames her family by loving a peasant, which leads to their exile and a sorrowful life of forced prostitution for Oharu.

FLOATING WEEDS (UKIKUSA)

SATURDAY · SEPTEMBER 25 · 4:30 PM 1959 / 119 MINUTES / DIRECTED BY YASUJIRO OZU

Shot in color by Kazuo Miyagawa, Floating Weeds was chosen by Roger Ebert as one of his top ten films of all time! This postwar remake of the original silent drama begins with a troupe of traveling players arriving at a seaport in the south of Japan.

KAGEMUSHA

SUNDAY · SEPTEMBER 26 · 12:00 PM 1980 / 162 MINUTES / WINNER, GOLDEN PALM AWARD, CANNES FILM FESTIVAL, 1981 / DIRECTED BY AKIRA KUROSAWA

In this sprawling epic, a petty thief in feudal Japan impersonates a recently killed warlord, and he begins to take on the fiery drive of his predecessor as he leads his clan into battle.

THE MAKIOKA SISTERS (SASAME-YUKI)

SUNDAY · SEPTEMBER 26 · 3:30 PM 1983 / 140 MINUTES / NOMINATED FOR WINS IN EIGHT CATEGORIES OF THE AWARDS OF THE JAPANESE ACADEMY, 1984 / DIRECTED BY KON ICHIKAWA

The third of three films based on the serial novel of the same name by Jun’ichiro Tanizaki. Set just before World War II, this film chronicles the experiences of four upper- class Osaka sisters, two of them married. We see the shifting political and social scene through their eyes.

VISIT OUR FRIENDS AT SIDEWALK FILM FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND TOO! Birmingham’s own nationally recognized film festival takes over downtown once a year to screen more than 160 films in some of the city’s coolest venues. In addition to the films, there will be networking events, master classes, educational workshops and tons of killer parties! New to Sidewalk this year is a video art show curated by J.D. Conley.

The Sidewalk Film Festival takes place September 24–26 in downtown Birmingham. Find out all you need to know about this don’t-miss event at Sidewalkfest. com.

October 5

BRIDGING CULTURES: HOW ART, ARTISTS AND MUSEUMS UNITE COMMUNITY. NOON. FREE.
Samantha Kelly, Curator of Education, will lead a group discussion around the contemporary installation piece Mpanqui, Jimagua (Brotherhood, Twins) by Cuban artist Jose Bedia. Discover how museums are uniquely positioned to transform and unite diverse communities and ideas through shared exploration of a work of art.

October 12

PORTRAITS AND PERSONALITIES. NOON. FREE.
Jeannine O’Grody, Chief Curator and Curator of European Art, shares insight on four eighteenth-century Italian portrait reliefs: Michelangelo, Galileo, Ficino, and Machiavelli.

October 19

THE ART OF ENTERTAINING. NOON. FREE.
Birmingham Museum of Art Special Events Manager Brynne MacCann and A Social Affair Senior Events Planner Kay Till give tips and samples that are sure to make your next party a success!

October 26

THE ARTIST AND MR. MUIR: AMERICAN ART AND THE BIRTH OF THE MODERN CONSERVATION MOVEMENT. NOON. FREE.

Curator of American Art, Graham Boettcher, PhD and Kelly Smith, Associate Director of Communications, explore an early “green” theme in the Museum’s American gallery.

November 2

DIRECTOR’S CHOICE. NOON. FREE.
Director Gail Andrews shares some powerful insight on her favorite works in the collection.

November 9

PRESENTING THE NEW AND IMPROVED BMA WEB SITE! NOON. FREE.
BMA Website Team members Sean Pathasema and Tatum Preston walk you through some of the cool new things you can do on the Museum's website, including registering for classes and events, looking at the collection, and keeping up with the latest programs.

November 16

BEYOND THE POLISH: ENGAGING WITH DECORATIVE ARTS. NOON. FREE.
Samantha Kelly, Curator of Education, and Anne Forschler-Tarrasch, PhD, The Marguerite Jones Harbert and John M. Harbert III Curator of Decorative Arts will explore new and unexpected ways to look at decorative arts in our collection.

November 23

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE. NOON. FREE.
Assistant Curator of Education, Kristen Greenwood, helps visitors explore the arena of sports from a very safe distance.

November 30

CLASSES, TOURS, AND CAMP–OH MY! NOON. FREE.
Lauren Williams, Education Coordinator, discusses the many offerings available through the Education Department.

December 7

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. NOON. FREE
In remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day, Assistant Curator of Education Kristen Greenwood explores the theme of war in art through George Bellows’ War Series.

December 21

HEARING THE MUSIC IN ART
Nancy Wingard, Assistant Professor of Music at Birmingham Southern College, explores the Museum collection through live piano.