Brian Willmont, a Brooklyn, N.Y., artist whose works are on exhibition in the East Gallery of the Albany Museum of Art, will take visitors on a virtual tour of his New York studio at 7 pm on Monday, Oct 19, 2020. 

The Facebook Live event will be held on the AMA’s Facebook page—www.facebook.com/AlbanyMuseumOfArt. Online access to the event is free.

“With its richly overbright colors, layers of commentary on contemporary values, and sleekly crisp design, Brian Willmont’s artwork has been popular with AMA visitors of all ages,” AMA Executive Director Andrew J. Wulf, Ph.D., said. “The virtual tour of his studio will give everyone unique insight into how this talented artist works.”

Facebook users can join the online tour anytime between 7 pm and 8 pm. Questions and observations may be entered through the Facebook commenting feature. 

“This is another way in which we are taking the museum outside of its walls and into the homes of art lovers,” AMA Education & Public Programming Director Annie Vanoteghem said. “If you haven’t had a chance to view Brian’s work, you may be inspired by the virtual studio tour to come out and see it before his exhibition closes on Friday, Oct 23.”

The AMA opens to the public at 10 am Tuesdays through Fridays and closes at 5 pm. On Thursdays, the museum is open until 7 pm to accommodate those who want to visit after work. Also, AMA members may call and schedule a special Member Monday tour on Mondays at no cost.

A Boston, Mass., native, Willmont is a curator in addition to being an artist. He runs Greenpoint Terminal Gallery in Brooklyn. He has a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art, where he graduated with high distinction.

Willmont works with an airbrush, which enables him to create paintings that show no brushstrokes. While the resulting artworks are hyper realistic, colorful and slick, he says, they also harbor an underlying cynicism. That comes from his interest “in our highest technological advances are intertwined with our lowest animal instincts.”

“On the surface, my work embraces sleek perfection but is decidedly handmade, which begs the question: are we pursuing unrealistic standards or bold ideals?” Willmont has said. 

A virtual tour of Willmont’s exhibition at the Albany Museum of Art is available on the AMA social platforms—Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter—and on the AMA website, www.albanymuseum.com/brian-willmont. 

The AMA’s #FallinLoveWithArt membership drive is in full swing this fall. Find out more about joining the AMA at www.albanymuseum.com/join.