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Jenenne Whitfield became president of The Heidelberg Project in 2017. Under her direction, The Heidelberg Project (founded by Tyree Guyton) has risen to international prominence and is currently recognized as one of the most influential art environments in the world. Her leadership and commitment have enabled the project to extend its reach by participating in joint projects with museums, universities and other organizations throughout the world. Together, Whitfield and Guyton coined and trademarked the idiom, Heidelberg-ology, defined as the study of discarded materials incorporated into the fabric and structure of an urban community and the effects on that community. Under Whitfield's leadership, the work of the HP spans six continents and has collected over 27 awards, locally, nationally and internationally.In addition to her role as executive director of The Heidelberg Project, Whitfield lectures regularly, has taught courses at Wayne State University and the University of Michigan on art as a social practice, and serves as a mentor to the next generation of art thinkers and activists. She is also co-founder of a new art collective in Detroit called United Artists of Detroit (UAD).Rebecca Alban Hoffberger stated: “From idea to sustained fruition, the American Visionary Art Museum has occupied more than half my life. Without reservation, and with unanimous AVAM Board and staff accord, I have the utmost peace and joy in our rightful selection of Jenenne Whitfield as my successor.”About the AVAMThe American Visionary Art Museum—a Congressionally-designated national museum and education center dedicated to showcasing intuitive, self-taught artistry and thought—welcomes only its second director in its 30+-year history with the appointment of Jenenne Whitfield by the Board of Directors to succeed Founder, Director and Primary Curator Rebecca Alban Hoffberger. Ms. Whitfield was previously the President & CEO of The Heidelberg Project and worked with the Detroit-based outdoor artistic organization for 28 years. Ms. Whitfield formally takes-up her new role with AVAM in September, 2022.Interview conducted in October 2022.The Truth In This ArtThe Truth In This Art is a podcast interview series supporting vibrancy and development of Baltimore & beyond's arts and culture. To find more amazing stories from the artist and entrepreneurial scenes in & around Baltimore, check out my episode directory. Stay in TouchNewsletter sign-upSupport my podcastShareable link to episodeThis season of The Truth in This Art podcast is generously supported by The Gutierrez Memorial Fund and The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation. The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation invests in innovative people, projects, and ideas that improve the quality of life in Baltimore and beyond. The Gutierrez Memorial Fund was established in the spring of 2010, to honor the life of artist, visionary and community leader, John K. Gutierrez. The Gutierrez Memorial Fund is committed to supporting arts organizations and individual artists who are residents of Maryland and whose programs or projects serve Maryland communities. Thank you to both of these foundations for their support and making this season possible. ★ Support this podcast ★
Rebecca Alban Hoffberger is the founder, director and principal curator of the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM). As a life-long devotee of the power of intuition and fresh thought, Rebecca is constantly challenging the status quo. In this episode we explore how Rebecca founded the museum, delve into her view on the art world, and share her vision for the future.
Welcome to Baltimore and the American Visionary Art Museum. The dynamic rotating exhibitions, really speak to the AVAMs prodigious use of space, making the building seem less like a collection of collections, and more one seamless Art installation. But the stories, Particularly the stories found in the museums permanent collection speak to the heart of the AVAM mission. There are certain running themes; mostly About a compulsion to create for the purposes of personal transmutation. What is being transmuted is often a discomfort or acknowledgment of sorts between the artist and their interpretation of the world around them; often time speaking to something like pain, or confusion. I asked Gage to point out a favorite of his. Links www.Artifications.com https://www.avam.org/history https://www.britannica.com/place/Baltimore#:~:text=Baltimore%20was%20established%20in%201729,being%20harnessed%20for%20flour%20milling. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Calvert,_2nd_Baron_Baltimore https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/70650/25-things-you-should-know-about-baltimore https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Hill,_Baltimore https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Alban_Hoffberger#:~:text=Rebecca%20Alban%20Hoffberger%20(born%20September,of%20the%20outsider%20art%20world%E2%80%9C.
Welcome to Getting To The Truth In This Art.This week I have the pleasure of speaking with Rebecca Alban Hoffberger is the founder, director, and principal curator of the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM). Her extraordinary vision for the museum was promptly recognized in 1998 by The Urban Land Institute, with its coveted National Award for Excellence, making AVAM the first museum ever to be so recognized by the organization. It was quickly followed by her election to the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce in 1999. She was inducted into the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame and awarded the President’s Award of the Maryland YWCA in 2006. She holds Honorary Doctorates from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Stevenson University, McDaniel College, and the Pennsylvania College of Art, as well as Loyola College’s highest civic honor, the Andrew White Award. Before becoming AVAM’s founder and director, Hoffberger was a published author and development consultant for 28 years. The title of “Dame” was bestowed upon her for her work on behalf of establishing medical field hospitals in Nigeria. She has been the recipient of numerous mental health advocacy and equal opportunity awards and has served as a director of Jewish education and on the Board of the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Center. At age 16, she became the first American to apprentice with famed mime Marcel Marceau in Paris. Of her more recent honors, they include the prestigious Visionary Award from the American Folk Art Museum in 2017, the 2019 Images and Voices of Hope Journalism Award, induction into the Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame, and the 2019 Roger D. Redden Award from the Baltimore Architecture Foundation for her “significant role and many accomplishments in advancing Baltimore’s built environment and cultural community through the American Visionary Art Museum." ***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It really makes a difference and it's always nice to read kind words.For the full list of podcasts be sure to subscribeSign up for our email newsletter at newsletterFollow MTR Podcasts:Twitter: twitter.com/mtrpodcastsInstagram: instagram.com/bmoreartsmtrAVAM's Instagram: instagram.com/avam
The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland is monument to outsider art, the creative spirit, and the search for truth. Step inside this glittering temple to intuition and inspiration to experience the museum’s marvelous “shows,” each of which comes from the singular mind of the museum’s founder and envisioner, Rebecca Alban Hoffberger. Download Transcript. This episode is sponsored by The Lyndhurst Group. The featured songs in this episode are by The Preschoolers. Find more information on the museum and photos on my website, hhethmon.com. If you enjoy Museums in Strange Places, please help me keep it going by leaving a review on iTunes or sharing this episode with a friend. Let me know what you think by sending me a tweet @hannah_rfh. Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits.
Rebecca Alban Hoffberger is the founder, director and principal curator of the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM). As a life-long devotee of the power of intuition and fresh thought, Rebecca is constantly challenging the status quo. In this episode we explore how Rebecca founded the museum, delve into her view on the art world, and share her vision for the future.
Have you seen “The Great Mystery Show” featured at the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) until September 2nd of this year? “From psychics to physicists, it artfully peels away the veil of the unknown, playfully exploring mystery as that one secret power behind great art, science, and pursuit of the sacred.” My guest today is Rebecca Alban Hoffberger — the founder, director, and principal curator of AVAM. She is a force to be reckoned with. She exudes genius. It’s hard to keep up with her rapid-fire thoughts and insights; her quotes and scientific journals; her sheer joy and wonder — but what a delight to try! She opens worlds for us to explore together. For this hour, you will be treated to a discussion between two friends about the mystery of life, the role of the sacred, what is authentic joy, how does art and politics and spirit and community all interrelate? Do you know that the human heart has taste bud receptors? What does that mean? How does that relate to any of this? Oh, you will find out!! We end our conversation with an exploration of the seven education goals she has used to frame the vision of her work at the museum — an institution that has always been dedicated to the work of freethinking self-taught innovators.
Located at the base of Federal Hill, the American Visionary Art Museum showcases works by self-taught artists that empower the singular voice of the individual. At the museum, which features a mosaic exterior crafted by youth at risk, visitors will find pieces like the outdoor Giant WhirliGig, a family of robots and a huge sculpture of Divine. In 1995, inspired by working with hospital patients with chronic mental illness, Rebecca Alban Hoffberger founded the museum, and she still serves as its director and principal curator. Rebecca talked about some of her teenage adventures, social justice as performance art and why she doesn’t like the term outsider art.
This week the American Visionary Art Museum is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The museum highlights the work of so-called “outsider” artists as many of the artists are self-taught visionaries. Back in the early 90s now-retired Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski spearheaded a movement to pass a resolution in Congress that made the American Visionary Art Museum an official national museum. For more than two decades the museum has served as an education center and repository for intuitive, self-taught artistry. The founder and director of AVAM, Rebecca Alban Hoffberger , joins us today in Studio A to talk about the museum and its current exhibits.