X Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2018

Destruction of cultural artifacts and architecture is not new and much has been lost throughout the globe over the centuries through war as well as political and religious zealotry. The question is, why does this matter? Why is it important for these objects and edifices to remain? They matter because these sites, and objects that survive, are crucial components of the cultural identity of communities. They communicate the story of a time, place, and culture in a unique and powerful way. They give tangible understanding and insight about a people, a way of life, and a worldview that cannot be otherwise obtained. When libraries with ancient texts are set on fire, statues hacked from their entrance gates, and the Buddhas of Bamiyan dynamited from their centuries-old perch, our inheritance of world knowledge is diminished. Recognizing the necessity, or at least trying to structure protection for cultural treasures in times of war, the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property was issued by the Hague in 1954 stating, in part, “damage to cultural property belonging to any people whatsoever means damage to the cultural heritage of all mankind, since each people make its contribution to the culture of the world.”

What is especially distressing is that these acts of destruction and looting only seem to be increasing when the need for appreciating our shared cultural heritage is more important than ever. Furthering our knowledge of each other can lead to greater connections, tolerance, and perhaps peace. And then, of course, there is the beauty, wonder, and awe that so many of these places and objects inspire. Museums are important repositories for many objects that have left their places of creation. Our institution is rich in precious treasures that serve as material representations of cultural practices that have been obliterated by war, such as our collection of ceramics from Mali. Yet nothing replaces seeing these individual objects in their original context.

Continuing this line of thinking may challenge us as we face the question of what to save and what to erase in our own communities—from statues and murals to parks and buildings. We now appreciate the importance of preserving even the most vile aspects of our history as a part of our civic responsibility. Over time, we learn how to properly interpret historical events for the benefit of current and future generations, by placing them in a context where they stimulate dialogue and give us insight by understanding the past. As the Museum continues to collect objects for the preservation and appreciation of cultural heritages around the world, perhaps our approach can inform or inspire how Birminghamians memorialize important, if painful, events from our storied history.

History

Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Museum of Art has one of the finest collections in the Southeast supported by a strong educational program designed to make the arts come alive for children and adults throughout the region. More than 25,000 objects represent a rich panorama of cultures, including Asian, European, American, African, Pre-Columbian, and Native American. Highlights include the Museum’s collection of Asian art, considered the finest and most comprehensive in the Southeast, and its collection of Vietnamese ceramics, one of the finest in the world; a remarkable Kress collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts from the late 13th century to the 1750s; the collection of 18th century European decorative arts, which includes superior examples of English ceramics and French furniture; and the Museum’s world-renowned collection of Wedgwood, the largest outside of England.

The Museum connects with the community through educational programs and curatedexhibitions that engage, entertain, and enlighten visitors. Programs are designed around the Museum’s permanent collection and changing exhibitions, and provide opportunities for all ages and levels of experience to connect with art.

Birmingham Museum of Art is located in the heart of the City’s cultural district. Erected in 1959, the present building was designed by architects Warren, Knight & Davis of Birmingham, with a major renovation and expansion by Edward Larrabee Barnes of New York completed in 1993. The facility encompasses 180,000 square feet, including a splendid outdoor sculpture garden.

The generosity of the City of Birmingham and other private and municipal funders has allowed the Museum to remain free of charge to visitors since its opening.

The collection

The Birmingham Museum of Art, one of the finest regional museums in the United States, houses a diverse collection of more than 26,000 paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, and decorative arts dating from ancient to modern times. The collection presents a rich panorama of cultures, featuring the Museum’s extensive holdings of Asian, European, American, African, Pre-Columbian, and Native American art. The mission of the Birmingham Museum of Art is to provide an unparalleled cultural and educational experience to a diverse community by collecting, presenting, interpreting, and preserving works of art of the highest quality.

Museum facts

The Founding Date: 1951

Location: 3.9 acres in the heart of the cultural district, 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd (formerly 8th Avenue North), Birmingham, AL 35203-2278

Owner: City of Birmingham, Birmingham Museum of Art

Governed: Museum Board of the City of Birmingham

Present Building: Erected in 1959. Designed by Warren, Knight & Davis; Birmingham, AL

Major Additions: 1965, 1967, 1974 and 1980 by Warren, Knight & Davis

Major Renovation: Completed 1993; Designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes

Expansion: Edward Larrabee Barnes/John M.Y. Lee & Partners; New York, New York

Museum Facility: 180,000 gross square feet (150,000 square feet three-story structure; 30,000 square feet outdoor sculpture garden).

The Charles W. Ireland sculpture garden

The striking Upper Plaza was designed for and exhibits the museum’s most monumental pieces of permanent sculpture, including a major early sculpture by George Rickey. The focal point culminating the entire 13,000-square-foot Upper Plaza is Lithos II, a “waterwall” created by Elyn Zimmerman. This sculpture not only is a representation of the geological striations of Birmingham itself, but also masks the traffic noise from the nearby freeway.

In this elevated area, the overall scale is much larger than the other two spaces, as is reflected by the oversized pergola and the larger granite pavers. Numerous large-scale pieces are accommodated without overcrowding one another, and the space was designed to support extremely heavy loads. Enclosing the north side of the plaza is the wisteria-covered pergola, whereas Lithos II stands to the east, not far from a doorway connecting the garden to the Museum interior through a handicapped accessible entrance.

Lithos II, a 1993 Zimmerman creation, is set in the curved wall of the Upper Plaza. The sculpture measures 12 feet high by 32 feet long and has a pool that extends 8 feet into the plaza. It sits in front of a backdrop of Leyland Cypress trees and is flanked on either side by seating. The monumental water wall and pool of textured granite was designed in a variety of colors and textures that recall in an abstract way geological formation in Alabama.

While visiting quarries during early visits to Birmingham, Zimmerman was intrigued by the stratifications on quarry walls. These bands of colored stone were deformed over time into various shapes and dramatic surfaces. Lithos II (lithos is Greek for stone) was inspired by these formations. The massive blocks of granite are overlaid with the flow of water that further animates the surface of the relief.

Red mountain garden club memorial garden

Historically, the Red Mountain Garden Club Memorial Garden has been central to the ongoing act of welcoming visitors to the Museum. For many years, the garden formed the scenic path leading to the main entrance and the masterpieces awaiting within. Today it remains a peaceful oasis downtown, an intersection of the art of nature and man.

As visitors enter the Sculpture Garden they step into the Red Mountain Garden Club Memorial Garden, set apart by the beautiful Blue Pools Courtyard with reflecting pools created by artist Valerie Jaudon, as well as figural art created by Auguste Rodin, Fernando Botero, and Alabama folk artist Charlie Lucas, among others. While the Sculpture Garden is divided into three parts, it is fitting that the first part of it visitors see is the Red Mountain Garden Club Memorial Garden. That garden, site of many a social gathering, and afternoons of quiet contemplation, is the site of the Museum’s original garden, which was designed, built and maintained by the members of the Red Mountain Garden Club.

In 1957, members of the Garden Club came together to contribute toward the Museum, which was to transition from its original site in City Hall, to the space which we now occupy. The Red Mountain Garden Club Memorial Garden opened with the Museum in 1959, and serves as a living reminder of the contributions to the city’s cultural heritage made by members of the Club over the years.

Even when the Museum was expanded and renovated in 1993, incorporating the site of the original garden into the larger Charles Ireland Sculpture Garden, the Red Mountain Garden Club remained involved in the planning of the new space. They have remained intimately involved in the maintenance of the Red Mountain Garden Club Memorial Garden in the years since. Each year, the Club contributes funds and other resources to maintain and enhance the beauty of the memorial garden, including proceeds from their annual greenery sale, which raises money both for our garden and for the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

The Sculpture Garden is the site of several significant sculptures, exhibitions, and events, including the Museum’s annual Art On The Rocks concert series. While all parts of the sculpture garden attract visitors for various reasons, clearly the serene greenspace of the Red Mountain Memorial Garden, with its tree-lined walk and shaded benches, attracts the most visitors, who sit for quiet contemplation, for conversation, and for a respite from the hustle and bustle outside.

“Our sculpture garden is not only the legacy of great museum supporters, but also a very active, inviting space, an oasis which we’re happy to see serving visitors from all over the community and from all over the world,” says Gail Andrews, director of the Museum.

Largely because of the beauty of the Memorial Garden, the Sculpture Garden was recently designated one of the Great Spaces In America for 2010 by the American Planning Association. It is an honor for the Museum and a tribute to all who had a hand in planning this inviting space. “The Ireland Sculpture Garden, developed through the long-term efforts of the Red Mountain Garden Club, as well as through Museum planning committees and the vision of a team of landscape designers and architects, shows how successful public spaces can reflect collaboration and forethought,” says Mayor William Bell “It remains an excellent example of the way forward for future projects that respect their surroundings and impel pleasant interactions between people and public art.”

Lower sculpture garden

The Sculpture Garden’s sunken Lower Gallery is an open air space used for temporary exhibitions and art-making activities. Measuring 41 feet by 90 feet and located in the middle of the garden, the space is distinctly enclosed by walls, but still visually accessible from the other two areas. A special gravel floor designed with drains and water taps and a grid of electrical outlets has been installed for possible use by artists. The surrounding walls can be repainted or resurfaced, accommodating the artistic choices of contemporary fine artists such as Amy Pleasant (whose installation Suspended occupied the space for much of 2009 and 2010) and colorful populist graffiti artists who took over the space during recent Art On The Rocks events.

The Museum invites sculptors from all over the country and the world to come live and work in Birmingham, using the city’s active industrial sites and dormant foundries as their studios. Oftentimes the resulting work is installed in this space while Museum visitors on look.

References

Birmingham Museum of Art. [electronic resource]. -access mode: https://artsbma.org/

Great museums of the world. London collection, 2015.

Birmingham Museum of Art – Wikipedia. [electronic resource]. -access mode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Museum_of_Art

Museum & Art Gallery | Birmingham Museums. [electronic resource]. -access mode: http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag

Birmingham Museum of Art - Home | Facebook. [electronic resource]. -access mode: https://www.facebook.com/artsbma/

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