Professor Elected for National Exhibit

UAB’s Sonja Rieger, M.F.A., professor of art, and Janice Kluge, M.F.A., professor of sculpting, are two of 12 Alabama women selected to represent the state in the national exhibit “Voices Rising: Alabama Women at the Millennium.” The exhibit will be displayed at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in Washington, D.C., June 1 through September 17. The exhibit will then come home to Alabama for six shows around the state beginning with the Birmingham Museum of Art January 21 through April 1, 2001.

March 24, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, AL — UAB’s Sonja Rieger, M.F.A., professor of art, and Janice Kluge, M.F.A., professor of sculpting, are two of 12 Alabama women selected to represent the state in the national exhibit “Voices Rising: Alabama Women at the Millennium.” The exhibit will be displayed at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in Washington, D.C., June 1 through September 17. The exhibit will then come home to Alabama for six shows around the state beginning with the Birmingham Museum of Art January 21 through April 1, 2001.

“Voices Rising” began as an idea, which took form in 1981 with the birth of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. This institution was the inspiration of Wilhelmena Cole Holladay, collector and patron of women’s art, and is designed to give new credence and integrity to women artists throughout history. Catherine Cabaniss, prominent artist and former member of the board at the Birmingham Museum of Art, met Holladay in the 1980s and then visited NMWA in 1995. Returning to Alabama, Cabaniss and a number of others joined to form the Alabama Committee, a coalition of women who believe in the importance of the creative contributions made by women, and to arrange for their state’s exhibition in Washington. They began by choosing curator Ruth Stevens Appelhof, Ph.D., former Birmingham Museum of Art curator and current director of Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York, to organize the exhibition.

In a variety of media ranging from photography and painting to mixed media installations, the 12 artists selected projects unique to their particular region.

“The qualities of the narrative voice, the love of family and friends, the inspiration of the agrarian land, the fascination with mysticism and exotic religions, a passion for their subjects, these aspects and more are seen in the works in ‘Voices Rising,’” said Appelhof.

Other artists chosen for the exhibit include: photographer Pinky Bass of Fairhope; painters Frances de la Rosa of Uniontown; Susan Downing of Mobile; Lucy Jaffe of Birmingham; Dale Kinnington of Dothan; and Mary Ann Pope of Huntsville. Also included are self-taught artist Annie Lucas of Prattville, photographer Melissa Springer of Birmingham and Annie Tolliver of Montgomery, daughter of famous artist Mose T.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts, founded in 1981 and opened in 1987, is the only museum dedicated solely to celebrating the achievements of women in the visual, performing, and literary arts. Its permanent collection contains about 2600 works by almost 700 artists, including Judith Leyster, Maria Sibylla Merian, Mary Cassatt, Camille Claudel, Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Elizabeth Catlett, Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, and Louise Bourgeois.

The museum also conducts multidisciplinary programs for diverse audiences, maintains a Library and Research Center, publishes a quarterly magazine, and has 22 state committees. Since 1984 nearly 200,000 people have joined as members in support of the museum and its mission.

NMWA is located at 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., in a historic building near the White House. It is open Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm, and Sunday, noon-5pm. A donation of $3 for adults and $2 for students and seniors is suggested. For information call (202) 783-5000 or visit the museum’s Web site, www.nmwa.org.

Tour dates for the exhibit in Alabama:

  • Birmingham Museum of Art:
    January 21 through April 1, 2001

  • Huntsville Museum of Art:
    May 27 through August 5, 2001

  • Montgomery Museum of Art
    September 1 through October 21, 2001

  • Wiregrass Museum, Dothan:
    January 8 through April 28, 2002

  • The Center for Cultural Arts, Gadsden:
    January 8 through April 28, 2002

  • Mobile Museum of Art:
    August 1 through October 31, 2002

“Voices Rising: Alabama Women at the Millennium,” is organized by the Alabama Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Catherine Cabaniss is chairman of the Board. A 36-page, fully illustrated catalogue, including an essay by the curator as well as artist biographies, will be available for sale in the museum shops.