Who is ‘the South’s most elusive artist?’ MS Coast museum has big plans for 30th year
The Walter Anderson Museum of Art has a lot to look forward to in 2021: the 30th anniversary of the museum, a special exhibit honoring its namesake, “the South’s most elusive artist,” and a concert inspired by Anderson’s murals.
Since opening in 1991, WAMA has become a cornerstone of the Mississippi Gulf Coast arts community, with its innovative exhibits, classes and community events.
“The staff and volunteers of the museum have always celebrated the power of creativity and nature, sharing the Anderson legacy with young and old,” said Julian Rankin, museum executive director.
“The South’s Most Elusive Artist” exhibit includes over 85 works of art by Anderson, the well-known as well as the obscure, in a variety of mediums.
“When visitors tour the new exhibition, they’ll see rare examples of Walter Anderson’s woodworking and furniture, such as the beautifully crafted ‘Blue Jay Table’ with winged and painted birds composing the table’s legs,” said Rankin.
“The exhibition also includes Horn Island watercolors from the collection of the family of Walter Anderson that have hardly ever seen the light of day, plus some of the oldest and earliest examples of block prints made by Anderson in the 1940s, which have since become popular across the country.”
The show, running March 15 through Jan. 31, 2022, approaches Anderson’s life and art through the concepts of space, form, color and shape. These concepts were the means by which the artist experienced his connection to nature.
“He was an enigmatic creator who lived a mythic and often misunderstood life,” said Rankin.
“Through the building blocks of space, form, color and shape, this exhibition situates Anderson within the larger art historical context, while helping visitors decode some of the philosophies and approaches that made him one-of-a-kind.”
The celebration of all things Anderson continues on May 15, when locals can enjoy Luther Dickinson’s 5th annual “Music Inspired by the Seven Climates” on the streets of downtown Ocean Springs.
The event kicks off at 5 p.m. with food trucks and local openers, followed by the special-guest opening act and the main event at 8:30 p.m. Admission starts at $20.
Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars has brought together a cast of professional regional musicians for a night of rock, funk, blues and musical experimentation in tribute to Anderson’s works.
“As Anderson writes, ‘nature loves to surprise,’ and this concert series is all about surprise and improvisation,” said Rankin.
The music that Luther Dickinson and his collaborators perform is inspired by the rhythms and patterns of Walter Anderson’s murals, which makes for a dynamic fusion of the visual and the auditory.
It’s definitely one of the most unique musical experiences you’ll find, and one we believe Walter Anderson would have truly appreciated.”
WAMA is located at 510 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, MS, 39564. For details and ticket info, contact 228-872-3164 or https://www.walterandersonmuseum.org/