As a contributor to Talent Within: NCMA Staff Art Exhibition, opening August 14, I look forward to seeing many of my colleagues’ artwork on the Museum’s walls. Having worked at the NCMA for over 34 years, I’ve gotten to know many works of art intimately and am often inspired by the permanent collection. As an artist I’m also inspired by the interplay of language and visual representation …
This portrait of my son, Jackson, who is a talented young musician, is made up of brief, handwritten biographies of 12 of Jackson’s favorite composers. They are:
- Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
- Ludwig van Beethoven (1771–1827)
- Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
- Modest Mussorgsky (1839–1881)
- Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908)
- Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
- Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
- Gustav Holst (1874–1934)
- George Gershwin (1898–1937)
- John Lennon (1940–1980)
- Paul McCartney (born 1942)
Talent Within: NCMA Staff Art Exhibition runs August 14, 2021–February 13, 2022, and features 25 works by staff members who represent a cross-section of the Museum’s broad range of departments and professions.
Michael Klauke is associate registrar for collections at the NCMA.
Talent Within: Julia Caston
In her fascinating art installation featured in Talent Within, artist and NCMA staffer Julia Caston explores the connection between mental health challenges and community.
Talent Within: Christopher Ciccone
NCMA collections photographer Chris Ciccone discusses the portrait he has featured in the staff-artist exhibition on view through February 2022.
I visited the museum again today. I visited my favorites but also found the exhibit of NC Museum of Art employee’s personal works. I must say that many were quite amazing in their execution and many held their own when compared with permanent acquisitions already hanging full time at the museum..Bravo to the people responsible for recognizing talent from “within.†The museum should seriously consider keeping this area as a rotating space always housing works of art by aspiring artist not necessarily recognized in any gallery or other venue.
Certainly was a delightful time spent at the museum today. Well done!
I had the pleasure of working with Mike Klauke at the NCMA sometime around 1989 when a piece of his was included in an exhibition of NC artists. I’m thrilled (and not at all surprised) to see how successful he has become.