The Hammonds House, our community museum, has a new exhibition featuring the artist Sam Middleton. Middleton was a pioneering mixed-media artist whose vibrant creations were influenced by the rhythms of Harlem Jazz which he experienced in his early life living near The Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom. The exhibition titled Rhythm of 0Resilience: The Artistry of Sam Middleton is on display now through August 18th.
On June 15th two events take place with art historian Dr. Julie McGee. There will be a Gallery Talk from 11AM - 2PM and 1:30PM - 3:30PM there will be a multimedia experience with sound and film. Halima Taha Artistic Director for Hammonds House joins us to discuss this work on loan from Spanierman Modern.
Taha speaks about the unique place that Middleton holds. He was born in 1927 and traveled around the world as a Merchant Marine to escape the oppression of living in the United States.
Franz Kline encouraged Middleton to leave the US and assisted in his obtaining a Whitney Fellowship to study abroad in Europe. Middleton settled in the Netherlands after World War II.
He worked for several decades in a range of mediums. Taha speaks about the feel of jazz in his work. She compares abstract art with its innovations, nuance, and shading. The art and the music have form and structure.
Listen to an extended interview about the renovation at the Hammonds House which uncovered a bit of history about one of the first free kindergartens in the historic West End.
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