The evening also marks the first solo exhibition in Georgia by Alabama artist and educator Jillian Marie Browning, whose exhibition Rootwork is the first curated by AMA Curator of African and African-American Art Sidney Pettice.

In addition to the two Southern artists’ solo exhibitions, Sixty Years of Masterpieces and Memories featuring highlights from the AMA’s Permanent Collection, and the third installment of the year-long exhibition Old Master Drawings from the Shaffer Collection will open on Aug 29.

“We’re beyond thrilled to present David Lanier’s stunning landscape paintings that deliver a fresh, intimate perspective via scenes that resonate with local tradition, as well as Jillian Marie Browning’s heartfelt exploration of the deep history of healing and spirituality from the past and its ongoing impact on Black communities today,” AMA Executive Director Andrew J. Wulf, Ph.D., said. “And to wrap up our 60th-anniversary celebrations, we pay tribute to the incredible generosity of our supporters, whose contributions to our art collections have been vital to our growth and success over the decades."

The opening reception for the fall exhibitions is 5:30-7 pm on Aug 29 at the AMA, 311 Meadowlark Drive. The event includes drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and the opportunity to meet Lanier, who will speak about his exhibition. The reception is complimentary for AMA donors at the Reciprocal level and higher, $10 for Artist Guild donors, and $15 for non-donors. An online RSVP link may be found at www.albanymuseum.com/event/fall-2024-reception/.

Lanier said he is excited to have his first retrospective exhibition at the AMA. “It’s like a family reunion when you see your work displayed all together,” Lanier said. “This represents several years of my life. I’m looking forward to seeing them all on the wall again. They bring back memories, and there’s so much of life that I get to go back and revisit. I remember most of the paintings fairly well, but there are a few that I haven’t seen in a long time.”

“It has been a tremendous pleasure for me to work with David on his first retrospective exhibition,” AMA Director of Curatorial Affairs Katie Dillard said. “Since our first meeting, David has been so forthcoming about his work, and it’s been a joint goal of ours to share with audiences the importance of the artistic process, about slowing down and finding all the little details that go into completing a finished work.

“I’m so grateful he agreed to let me take nearly everything off his studio walls for this show. It must be an incredible feeling to see many of one’s artistic accomplishments throughout the years together in one unified exhibition.”

The Haley Gallery exhibition of nearly 130 artworks includes studies for many of the finished paintings on display, studies and works he created as a student at Ringling College of Art and Design, and works he produced later as an illustrator.

“It’s going to be fun,” Lanier said. “I think a lot of people who have loaned works have expressed an interest in coming to see everything.  I don’t know if they’re as excited as I am, but they say they’re excited to see everything together in one place.”

Browning, whose exhibition Rootwork is in the AMA’s East Gallery, has been in Georgia many times, but this is the Florida native’s first visit to Albany.

“Albany looks very similar to where I grew up,’” Browning said. “I’m from a very rural place in Central Florida. A lot of people assume Florida is not Southern, but this looks like the place where I grew up.”

Browning, whose preferred pronouns are they/them, is based in Birmingham, Ala., where they are an assistant professor of photography at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Browning earned a Bachelor of Science at the University of Central Florida and a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts from Florida State University. Their work has been exhibited across the Eastern region.

In the exhibition, Browning creates intersections between Black hair practices and culture with botany and vegetation. Rootwork refers to the roots of the hair, which are connected to spirituality, and to the Southern healing tradition that interweaves hoodoo and conjuring with resources directly from the environment.

“Browning’s work brings some important visibility to the AMA,” Pettice said. “Their exhibition showcases their art practice and continued dedication to depicting Black Southern culture as meticulous, beautiful, and dynamic.”

Browning said they want to connect with Albany and Southwest Georgia residents who see their work.

“I am a Southern artist. I’ve lived in the South, grew up in the South, and now I live and work in Alabama,” Browning said. “It’s really important for me to be making work about the South, but also showing my work in the South. I’m making this work to tell these stories and to have these connections with people, and it’s important to me for people who live there to see that work and understand it.

“I think it hits differently when I’m showing this work up north or out west and have to explain what something is. I love when someone can walk into a space and they point and go, ‘Oh, I know what that plant is.’”

Old Master Drawings in the Hodges Gallery again takes viewers back in time. This is the third and final iteration of the year-long exhibition highlighting works donated by Randolph Shaffer, Jr. The drawings originate from Western Europe during the 15th to 18th centuries and are some of the oldest works in the AMA’s Permanent Collection.

The AMA is displaying one of the drawings, The Death of Adam and Eve, for the first time thanks to anonymous donors whose generous contributions allowed the museum to frame the work so that it will be preserved for years to come. A remarkably well-preserved ink-and-wash drawing, The Death of Adam and Eve was drawn in the 17^th century by Italian artist Salvator Rose.

To close out the AMA's diamond anniversary year in style, Sixty Years of Masterpieces and Memories in the upstairs McCormack Gallery presents a focused selection of the permanent collection curated to highlight some of the donors who helped launch the museum.

“Without their generosity and aid in growing its collection, the AMA would not be where it is today,” Dillard said. “This exhibition is a warm and sincere thank-you to all staff and board members, both past and present, the AMA’s partners, and the many visitors who have made it a wonderful 60 years.”

The Albany Museum of Art is located at 311 Meadowlark Drive. The museum is open 9 am-5 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays, and admission is free for everyone.

AMA EXHIBITIONS

• Beauty in the Humble Places, a David Lanier Retrospective, is Aug 29, 2024-Jan 4, 2025, in the Haley Gallery.

• Rootwork, recent works by Jillian Marie Browning, is Aug 29, 2024-Jan 4, 2025, in the East Gallery.

• Sixty Years of  Masterpieces and Memories, highlights from the Permanent Collection, is Aug 29, 2024-Jan 4, 2025, in the McCormack Gallery.

• Old Master Drawings from the Shaffer Collection, Part 3 is Aug 29, 2024-Jan 4, 2025, in the Hodges Gallery.

• Escape Plan, an installation by Elinor Saragoussi, is in the West Gallery.