Letter from the Director – Summer 2023

Dear Friends and Members,

I hope this letter finds you ready to embrace the vibrant summer season ahead! WMA is buzzing with excitement as we gear up for an incredible summer quarter filled with art, creativity, and community engagement. There’s so much happening, and we can’t wait to share it with you all.

I’m thrilled that Dothan’s Messiest Art Camps are back and better than ever! These camps provide a unique opportunity for young artists to explore their creativity, learn new techniques, and make lasting memories with new friends. From mixed media and painting to clay and stop motion animation, our talented instructors will guide students through a variety of artistic adventures. Be sure to secure a spot for your aspiring artist before they fill up! In addition to our art camps, we will continue to provide art tours and hands-on artmaking to our outreach partners, reaching up to 300 students from the Boys and Girls Club of the Wiregrass, Hawk Houston Enrichment Center, and more. Our commitment to making art accessible at every age remains strong, and through these outreach initiatives, we aim to inspire and engage diverse communities across the Wiregrass region.

But that’s not all! We are opening several new exhibitions this quarter that highlight a diversity of artistic styles. In addition to the exhibition of works from our permanent collection, we have also partnered with Florida State University’s Museum of Fine Arts to bring a significant collection of modernist prints to the Wiregrass. This is the first time the University has traveled an exhibition from their collection to another institution and I’m so excited to share it with our community. Ann Trondson’s body of work, The Day Series, includes 260 individual works made over the course of a year, never before exhibited in its entirety. We are also opening an exhibition of works from students at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) right here in Dothan. Each first-year student is required to create an artwork, in any medium, as an assignment in the Foundations of Modern Health Care I course which discusses the role of art in medicine and healing.This exhibit and partnership emphasizes WMA’s commitment to Art and Healing, a core focus of our most recent Strategic Plan: The Way Ahead 2023-2025.

And mark your calendars for the HOTTEST party of the Year: Yard Party for Art! This year, we are taking the celebration to new heights with an awe-inspiring lineup of music, art, and technology. Join us in the museum’s garden for an unforgettable evening of live performances, interactive art installations, and a showcase of cutting-edge technological innovations. This event promises to be the highlight of the summer, and we can’t wait to share the magic with you.

Thank you for being an essential part of our museum team. Your continued membership and support enable us to bring unique art experiences to our community and nurture the creative spirit in all of us. I hope to see you soon and often this summer!

All the best,

Dana-Marie Lemmer
Executive Director