May 19, 2024 - June 30, 2024
3rd Floor Mezzanine Gallery
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Art plays a role in all of our lives. This is captured in a special project by humanitarian and renown photographer Randy Bacon in honor of Hickory Museum of Art’s 80th anniversary. Members of our community were invited to spend time with Randy Bacon, reflecting on their personal journeys with art and with the Museum. The result is a breath-taking exhibition of still photography portraits, written narratives and conversation films.
Randy Bacon is an award winning American photographer with an extensive history in portrait, commercial and documentary photography, both motion and still. Randy is also co-founder and artist behind the photography and cinematography of the nonprofit, people empowering story movement, 7 Billion Ones. The Museum premiered his exhibition of the same name, 7 Billion Ones, in 2022.
While working on-site, artist Randy Bacon transformed HMA’s library into a photography studio.
Exhibition Sponsors
Hailey & Scott Lail | The Reyes Family
Annual Sponsor
Foothills Painters
April 20, 2024 - June 9, 2024
Windows Gallery
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The Foothills Painters invite you to a
Meet the Artists Reception
Thursday, May 9 | 5:30 - 7 PM
Artists Include:
Lonny McSherley
Victoria Morales
Donna Robinson
Heidi Schoener
Julie Stephan
Chris Whitherspoon
Lee Woodard
Debbie Yandow
Andrew Atkin
Pat Flachbart
Peggy Floyd
Anne Fredley
Susan Grant
Meredith Janssen
Irina Khudyakov
Karin Koval
M. Monica Lord
FOUNDATIONS: Building Our Collection (1944-2024)
December 9, 2023 - June 9, 2024
All Galleries
In anticipation of the Museum’s upcoming 80th Anniversary on February 4, 2024, this permanent collection take-over of our galleries pays homage to our roots and celebrates where we are going. 80 years of collecting will be anchored by HMA’s foundational artists – artists who helped make the museum a reality – Paul Austin Wayne Whitener, Wilford Seymour Conrow, and Frederick Ballard Williams.
For eight decades, Hickory Museum of Art has been a cornerstone of artistic expression, a source of inspiration, and a learning environment for all ages. To honor this milestone, we have curated an exhibition that provides insights into our entire collection which has grown to over 2,700 works through the years. Treasured fan-favorites such as Jane Peterson’s The Windowseat and George Pearse Ennis’ The Beachcombers will hang with never-seen-before works including new acquisitions by Jeffrey Gibson – who was recently selected to represent the U.S. in the 2024 Venice Biennale!
Text panels highlight collection stories, including the recent conservation of four new acquisitions by the first woman artist in HMA’s collection – Ella Richards, the painter of The Violinist, collected by first director Paul Whitener in 1950. Visitors will see the documentation of a century’s worth of grime removed from the surface of her paintings, and glimpse the paintings restored to their full glory.
Dont’ miss getting behind the wheel of a 1954 Dodge Coronet Station Wagon for a photo! This section tells the story of Paul Whitener borrowing $1,000 and a station wagon to go to NYC to purchase artwork for the Museum from the estate auction of famed art collector George Zabriskie.
FOUNDATIONS will be up for several months which will allow us to refresh artwork throughout the exhibition’s run. It is our goal to show as much of our collection as possible.
A kiosk in the exhibition asks, “What do YOU want to see?” Visitors will be able to make requests on what should to be exhibited next.
Exhibition Sponsors
Annual Sponsors
Meet Your Neighbor: KEVIN SPARKS
March 16, 2024 - May 19, 2024
localHMA Gallery
Meet Your Neighbor is an exhibition series that showcases the artistic side of individuals in our community who you may know for something completely different.
Our current artist is Kevin Sparks, who explores the Japanese art of Kumiko.
Kumiko is a delicate and sophisticated technique of assembling wooden pieces without the use of nails. Thinly slit wooden pieces are grooved, punched and mortised, and then fitted individually using a plane, saw, chisel and other tools to make fine adjustments.
The technique was developed in Japan in the Asuka Era (600-700 AD), and has since been refined and passed down through generations of craftsmen who are passionate about the tradition of Kumiko.
This series is presented in conjunction with FOUNDATIONS.
Who will be the next artist?
Kevin Sparks