Programs

Chalk Walk entertains, engages, and educates the 22,000 viewers who flock to see the spectacle unfold.  The event is based on an Italian tradition of street painting that dates to the 16th century, known as i madonnari (street painters). Using pastels, artists may choose to reproduce existing artworks or create their own in their designated square. Held in conjunction with the Three Rivers Festival, Chalk Walk is truly a community event and will draw on the amazing talents of area, regional and national artists. Individuals and families with no training in art especially encouraged to participate.

This event draws thousands of people in the community to the heart of downtown Fort Wayne for artists and spectators alike to witness the transformation of Main Street into the colorful canvas of the city. Year after year, our goal is to draw the city's most creative citizens for one long weekend each summer to contribute to the largest community art project in the region, attracting families, friends, and supporters of a vibrant cultural life in downtown Fort Wayne.

Prizes are awarded to winners in each Chalk category. This year, the categories are:

Trompe l’oeil - French for "fool the eye"
Chihuly in Chalk
Depictions of Dia de los Muertos
People’s Choice (voted by the attending public)
Best Use of a Street Blemish (only for those with cracks and manhole covers in their square)

2013 Registration Information:

$10.00 for one 8x8 square - Includes T-Shirt and box of 48 pastels
**8x8' squares are no longer available. To participate in Chalk Walk 2013, you may register for a 4x4' square.
$5.00 for one 4x4 square - Includes coupon for $5.00 off T-shirt and box of 24 pastels

REGISTER HERE 

Chalk Walk is a family-friendly event. The Chalk Walk Committee reserves the right to prevent a square to be created that promotes violence, racism/sexism, illegal activity, or uses sexual/vulgar imagery.

Interested in Volunteering for Chalk Walk?
The Chalk Walk committee is always looking for fabulous volunteers to help with the event!  Email Justin at clupper@fwmoa.org today.

Distinguished Lecture Series 2013

April 10, 6:30pm
Cesáreo Moreno, Visual Arts Director and Chief Curator for the National Museum of Mexican Art

$5 - FWMoA Members
$12 - Guests

Visual Arts Director and Curator for the National Museum of Mexican Art Cesáreo Moreno will present a discussion on contemporary Mexican folk art, including the illustrious history of the horse and equestrian motifs throughout Mexican folk art.

Cesáreo Moreno, Chief Curator at the National Museum of Mexican Art, has been part of the museum since 1995. Since 2004, when he was selected the first full-time curator, he has curated Dia de los Muertos and many other exhibits with a focus on turning them into informative and entertaining experiences for the visitors, and for him as well.

This lecture, in conjunction with El Caballo: The Horse in Mexican Folk Art, is sponsored by Tower Bank.

February 8, 6:30pm
Dr. Elizabeth Kuebler Wolf, PhD

Program director of Art History at the University of Saint Francis Elizabeth Kuebler-Wolf will speak about Hidden Treasures: The John Whittenberger Collection of G. David Thompson at Peru High School, the storied collection of American and European masterpieces discovered at this rural Indiana high school.

Silver members and above are invited for cocktails with Charles Shepard at 5:30pm.

Enhance your exhibit experience and broaden your perspective with an interactive gallery talk, given by artists and knowledgeable speakers.

June 28
6:30pm
Members Only Preview: Chihuly and the Summer of Glass 
Celebrate the first exhibit of the work of studio glass pioneer Dale Chihuly in Fort Wayne in over a decade with a members only preview party and gallery talk by the founder and director of Habatat Galleries, the country's premier house for studio glass. Become a member to attend this once in a decade event. A cocktail reception will follow.

FWMoA Members only: $10

First Thursday Gallery Talks - 12:15-12:45pm
A gallery guide will take you on an in-depth exploration of current exhibits. Free with gallery admission. 

June 6
Afros: A Celebration of Natural Hair by Michael July
Over five years, photographer Michael July approached a variety of individuals and asked them to participate as subject models for a volume he was creating to chronicle the evolution of the Afro in America. He was able to capture the crème de la crème of Afros as worn by people of virtually every shade, ethnicity, country and age group. This exhibition shows pictorially the power, beauty and glorious nature of the 'Fro and tells the deeper "hairstory" of each of its models.

July 4
The Museum is closed this day. No gallery talk for this month.

August 1
Chihuly: Secret Garden
One of Dale Chihuly's most daring innovations was to challenge the notion that glass was best displayed on a pedestal by creating pieces intended to interact with architecture and the natural environment. This exhibit, in collaboration with the Franklin Park Conservatory, exemplifies that concept by showcasing several of Chihuly's most beloved series such as Macchia, Fiori, and Niijima Floats.*

*Please note that this special exhibit requires a ticket beyond general museum admission for non-members. FWMoA Members receive free general admission and a complimentary ticket to this special exhibition.

Bookbinding with Marianne Kelsey

Learn the time-honored art of bookbinding with single classes or the three-part series each last Saturday June-August.

June 29: Icicle Binding 
10-6pm
This lovely book has an exposed spine, across which is stitched an icicle design.  Learn how to create your very own icicle stitch binding in this hands-on daylong workshop.  Each participant will create a 6x9" icicle stitch book and learn the simple techniques essential to create more icicle books at home. Limited to ten participants.  Cost:  $40

July 27: Japanese Stab Binding
10-2pm
This introduction to Japanese bookbinding will teach you how to create two softcover notebooks. You'll learn variations of the traditional Japanese Stab Binding and the basic techniques of bookbinding, including working with sewing templates, and stitching decorative patterns. We will be using high-quality handmade and decorative papers for the covers of the books and colorful waxed linen thread for the binding. You will leave the class with multiple pocket-sized notebooks, and the skills to create more hand-bound books in the future. Limited to ten participants.  Cost:  $25.

August 24: Postcard Box
10-2pm
Do you ever wish you had a special container for meaningful letters and postcards from loved ones?  Create a one-of-a-kind keepsake box for your handwritten ephemera.  Participants will choose from a variety of handmade papers to cover their own unique postcard box crafted from binder's board.  Limited to ten participants.  Cost:  $35

Register here for all workshops.

Please contact Anne Hall at 260.422.6467 or hall@fwmoa.org  if you have specific questions.

About Marianne Kelsey:

Marianne Kelsey has been involved in the field of Book Arts for fifteen years.  She earned her B.A. in Art with a focus in Handpapermaking & Bookbinding from Earlham College in 2001.  In 2006, she completed a two-year apprenticeship in traditional Japanese and European-style Papermaking at the University of Iowa Center for the Book Paper Research Facility.

Kelsey is one of a handful of people who have completed apprenticeships with world-renowned handpapermaking master Timothy Barrett, recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship (nicknamed the Genius Award.)  It was during this apprenticeship that she became interested in book restoration.  Kelsey has taught book arts at the University of Iowa, Manchester University, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, IPFW,  Earlham College and Penland School of Crafts.  She has worked as an Assistant Conservator for Etherington Conservation Services since 2007.

ArtScene is a dynamic program featuring living artists and curators discussing their work in contemporary life through diverse topics such as motivations, struggles, influences, life experiences, and artistic inspirations.

May 11: Brilliant Optics
6:30pm / Free - Members, $5 - Guests
Panel discussion with exhibiting artists and curator Josef Zimmerman; snacks and cash bar.

This exhibit  revolves around a single word: color. This simple word, but complex concept, was the guiding force for curator Josef Zimmerman’s journey throughout the United States to find the most adventurous use of color by today’s artists. What he found in the best work was that great use of color transcended mediums, and that subject matter and genre wouldn’t be the things unifying the work. 

My Hair Story: Open Mic Night
Thursday, May 16
6:30pm

Free

Poetry, essays, and tales of woe or triumph: all are invited to participate in open mic night to share about hair amid the galleries of Michael July's photographic exhibition Afros: A Celebration of Natural Hair. 

Tune in to 89.1FM Northeast Indiana Public Radio during Morning Edition and All Things Considered for Executive Director Charles Shepard's American Stories, an original narrative which explores American art through the personal and professional lives of its makers. Join Shepard as he tells the tales of our country's greatest creative minds, with stories about their inspirations, their achievements, and their struggles. Listen to archived stories here. 

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art Internship Program offers a variety of positions throughout the year, with positions during each semester and summer. Internships are in the areas of PreK-12 Education, Curatorial and Exhibitions, and Programs and Administration. Not all areas for internships are offered during every internship cycle.

We welcome applicants from across the country for summer internships, although internships during the Spring and Fall semester are generally available to local students only.

Internships for Summer 2013 will be offered in the curatorial department only. The Curatorial Internship provides a general overview of the curatorial department, which is responsible for the stewardship of the permanent collection as well as the design and installation of permanent and temporary exhibits. Because this department is comprised of a small staff relative to the high volume of quality exhibition output, this internship will allow the student to explore every responsibility, from handling artwork to researching the permanent collection, that this varied and dynamic department manages.  A unique strength, and simultaneous challenge, of a mid-size museum is the necessity for each staff member to have a wide variety of skills, adaptable to many situations.

Each ideal candidate will possess excellent computer and communication skills with a major in studio art, art history, or museum studies. The individual should be motivated, can efficiently multi-task, and take initiative on projects. Attention to detail and organization skills are a must. All potential interns must apply for their desired position and complete an interview before being considered for the internship. 

The internship program is open to college and graduate students and recent graduates. The summer internship is offered on a volunteer basis. Students desiring academic credit for their internship must arrange for it themselves with their academic institution. To correspond with class or work, interns can arrange flexible schedules. However, some nights and weekend hours may be required during special events.

The deadline to apply for a Summer 2013 internship is April 19. Applications are accepted only at Indiana INTERNnet.

Please contact Amanda Martin at 260.422.6467, ext 322 or martin@fwmoa.org with any questions or for additional information.

Throughout the year, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art plans excursions throughout the United States and abroad, each trip specially curated by a team of art, travel, food, and wine experts. FWMoA has traveled to Sante Fe, NM; Tuscany; Philadelphia; Austin, TX; and Ann Arbor, MI. 

The next depARTure for 2013 is to the Ann Arbor Art Fairs!

Over 1600 juried artists from all over the country working in all media participate in this remarkable event in Ann Arbor, MI. Visit distinctive shops, restaurants, and galleries in Ann Arbor, as well as a free visit to the Alumni Invitational Exhibit at the University of Michigan's Slusser Gallery in the Art and Architectural Building.

When: July 17, 2013
Cost: $50 per person; non-refundable
Includes: Transportation, continental breakfast, box dinner and wine on return trip, bid on raffle items plus a chance to win an art collectible
Where: Bus at Meijer parking lot on Lima Road leaves at 6:30am. Bus returns to parking lot at 7:30pm.

To attend, please download the registration form to your right.