What does it mean to communicate? A new exhibition, Mother Tongue: The Language of Families, at the Steffen Thomas Museum of Art (STMA) shows how communication affects the way we see the world.
On view now through August 20th, Mother Tongue revolves around language—the centrality of language to families, its influence on our personal evolution, and how speech sparks creativity in other artistic media. STMA’s West Gallery will feature Steffen Thomas's art inspired by his Germanic roots and his literary influences. In this show, visitors will find paintings, drawings, and sculptures shaped by powerful prose and poetry from Goethe, Whitman, Lao Tzu, and others.
During the run of the show, STMA will host related events. The Father’s Day Poetry Workshop (suggested ages 8 and up) is on June 11th from 2 to 3:30 PM. Guest poet Josina Guess will teach how to express appreciation, love, and humor in an illustrated poem made for Dad. Josina is a poet, farmer, and senior writer for The Bitter Southerner based near Athens, Ga. Tickets are $10 and includes all materials and a guided tour of the museum.
Later this summer, join us for Spoken Word Night on August 20th from 4:30 to 6 PM. STMA is proud to bring Linqua Franqa, Christopher Martin, and returning guest poet Josina Guess for an evening of powerful spoken word poetry performances. Linqua Franqa, a.k.a. Mariah Parker, is a Clarke County Commissioner, linguist, and hip hop artist rooted in Athens, Georgia with a PhD in Language and Literacy Education from the University of Georgia. Christopher Martin is a writer-in-residence for Georgia Writers and author of the poetry collection Firmament (Wandering Aengus Press, forthcoming 2023).
The Steffen Thomas Museum also invites fans of this exhibition to visit the sister show Mother Tongue: Expressions of Steffen Thomas at Oxford College at Emory University in Covington, GA. Assistant Professor of German Language and Linguistics Dr. Dan Walter and his students interpreted German phrases written on select Steffen Thomas pieces. For those who appreciate Steffen Thomas, German culture, and how difficult it is to read someone else's handwriting…this exhibition will be on view and open to the public in the Oxford College Library until September 5.
This exhibition is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation, and the generous donations from STMA patrons.
About STMA
The Mission of the Steffen Thomas Museum of Art (STMA) is to provide an opportunity to engage, to learn, and to be inspired through Steffen's life, art, and legacy. Steffen Thomas (1906-1990) was a German-American artist known for his involvement in the Atlanta arts scene, his public sculptures (such as the Trilon sculpture at 15th St and Peachtree St in Midtown Atlanta), and employing a wide variety of artistic techniques. Established in 1997, STMA is one of a handful of single-artist museums in the United States. In addition to creating art exhibitions, STMA hosts art education programs, events, and workshops for children and adults.
The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 4 PM, located at 4200 Bethany Rd in rural Buckhead, GA. General admission is $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and free for children ages 6 and under. STMA continues to observe safety measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. For groups of ten or more, guests are asked to schedule their visit in advance to guarantee enough space for social distancing – call 706-342- 7557 or email info@steffenthomas.org.
-Contributed