Oak Hill to showcase exhibition of bird paintings by Athos Menaboni

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

Oak Hill & The Martha Berry Museum will present “Menaboni’s Birds: Georgia’s Own Artist as Naturalist,” an exhibition of 37 paintings by Italian-born Georgia artist Athos Menaboni.

The exhibition will run from May 16 through Sept. 12 in the Berry College museum, located on the estate of Martha Berry, the college’s founder.

Menaboni was born in Italy and spent more than 60 years in Georgia, where he became one of the most beloved and prominent artists of the 20th century. He met Atlanta architect Philip Shutze in the 1920s and was commissioned to paint murals in iconic structures such as Atlanta’s Swan House and Sapelo Island’s R.J. Reynolds estate. Menaboni’s long friendship with Robert W. Woodruff produced many extraordinary works, including murals in Coca-Cola’s corporate jets and four decades of the Woodruff family’s annual Christmas cards.

Best known for his naturalistic oil paintings of birds, Menaboni has been referenced as the 20th century’s heir to John James Audubon. “Menaboni’s Birds: Georgia’s Own Artist as Naturalist” is the first exhibition in more than two decades to focus exclusively upon birds. Featuring 37 paintings from 18 lenders, the exhibition was curated by Russell Clayton, art collector and scholar who, in the last five years of Menaboni’s life, developed a friendship with the artist and his wife, Sara. “Menaboni’s Birds” has been a labor of love for Clayton, who maintains a listserv devoted to Menaboni scholarship.

The majority of the works of art in the exhibition have never been shown in public. While some are on loan from collections such as the Coca-Cola Company and Fernbank Museum of Natural History, most works are from private collections—and after the show ends on Sept. 12, the paintings will return to their owners.

“This is a rare treat to see these magnificent paintings together in the same location,” says Clayton. “We are grateful to the many lenders who have entrusted us with their treasures.”

“Menaboni’s Birds: Georgia’s Own Artist As Naturalist” continues the Berry museum’s commitment to relevant and creative programming.

“We hope that this exhibition will engage the public—not just in Rome, but throughout the Southeast,” says Museum Director Timothy Brown. “The thematic unity of the show is stunning—we’re honored to host such an important and beautiful exhibition at the Martha Berry Museum.”

Oak Hill & The Martha Berry Museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 .p.m. For more information, contact 706-368-6789 or oakhill@berry.edu.

Source: Rome News

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