More than 100 of the Academy Art Museum’s closest supporters and donors gathered on October 22, to celebrate the centennial of visionary artist Robert Rauschenberg. The intimate evening—filled with champagne, storytelling, and reflection—honored one of the most influential figures in modern art and previewed the Museum’s upcoming exhibition, Rauschenberg 100: New Connections, opening December 11. 

Guests enjoyed a Rauschenberg-inspired cake and heartfelt remarks from Don Saff, Rauschenberg’s longtime collaborator and Easton, Maryland resident, who shared personal stories from their creative partnership. Curator Lee Glazer offered an inside look at the exhibition and screened a short preview of 100 Foot Photo, the documentary chronicling the making of Rauschenberg’s monumental 100-foot work Chinese Summerhall. 

A centerpiece of the upcoming exhibition, Chinese Summerhall is among the artist’s most fragile and rarely exhibited works. The Rauschenberg Foundation is highly selective in granting loans of such magnitude due to the artwork’s sensitivity and size. 

“Now I’m really letting you in on some insider information,” shared Charlotte Potter Kasic, Museum Director. “This exhibition almost didn’t happen if it weren’t for our tenacious curator. These works require an extraordinary level of care to display, and being approved for a loan of this caliber is a true testament to our team’s professionalism and our donors’ commitment. We are so fortunate to share such significant works with our community.” 

In concert with the Rauschenberg Foundation’s global centennial celebration, the Academy Art Museum proudly represents the Eastern Shore among museums worldwide honoring

The Academy Art Museum (AAM) will honor the 100th birthday of iconic American artist Robert Rauschenberg (1925–2008) with Rauschenberg 100: New Connections, opening December 11, 2025. Presented in partnership with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, the exhibition joins an international roster of institutions commemorating the artist’s centenary. 

“Rauschenberg’s belief that art could nurture empathy and cross-cultural connection is as vital today as it was in his lifetime,” said Charlotte Potter Kasic, Director of the Academy Art Museum. “We are honored to celebrate his centennial in partnership with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and to share this story from the Eastern Shore to the world.” 

At its center is Chinese Summerhall (1982)—a one-hundred-foot-long color photograph created in collaboration with Graphicstudio at the University of South Florida. Rarely exhibited due to its monumental scale and fragility, the work will be on loan from the Foundation and shown alongside more than twenty Rauschenberg works from the Museum’s permanent collection. 

“Something happened to painting around 1950,” wrote critic Leo Steinberg. That “something” was Rauschenberg: an artist whose openness to popular culture, everyday materials, and cross-disciplinary collaboration redefined what art could be. Rauschenberg 100: New Connections captures that spirit of experimentation and exchange, focusing on the artist’s groundbreaking 1982 trip to China and his creative partnership with Donald Saff, who has lived and worked on Maryland’s Eastern Shore since 1991. 

The exhibition will also feature the premiere of 100 Foot Photo, a new film directed by Matt Kresling and presented at the Chesapeake Film Festival. The documentary chronicles the making of Chinese Summerhall, with commentary from Saff and other collaborators. 

Local Connections, Global Impact 

In 1982, Rauschenberg and Saff traveled across China, photographing everyday moments—from back alleys to rural landscapes. Using 52 of those negatives, Rauschenberg composed Chinese Summerhall with assistance from George Holzer, a researcher at Graphicstudio, who oversaw the intricate printing process.

Rauschenberg’s connection to Maryland continues through Saff, who with his wife, Ruth, donated 28 Studies for Chinese Summerhall to the Museum in 2001. Their contributions and first-hand insight have deepened AAM’s role in preserving and contextualizing Rauschenberg’s legacy. 

Rauschenberg 100: New Connections invites audiences to explore the artist’s global vision while celebrating how his pioneering projects were grounded in collaboration—including those with artists and makers connected to Maryland’s vibrant creative community. 

From China to the World 

Rauschenberg’s 1982 journey laid the foundation for the Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange (ROCI)—a seven-year, Saff-led project that brought the artist to politically isolated nations including Cuba, the Soviet Union, East Germany, and Tibet. ROCI sought to foster global dialogue through art, culminating in a landmark exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in 1991. 

Exhibition Details 

Raschenberg 100: New Connections 

On view December 11, 2025 – May 2026 

Opening Reception: December 12, 2025 

Curated by Lee Glazer, Academy Art Museum 

Supported by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation 

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About the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation 

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation builds on the legacy of artist Robert Rauschenberg, emphasizing his belief that artists can drive social change. Rauschenberg sought to act in the “gap” between art and life, valuing chance and collaboration across disciplines. As such, the Foundation celebrates new and even untested ways of thinking. 

About Rauschenberg 100 

Robert Rauschenberg’s (1925-2008) strong conviction that engagement with art can nurture people’s sensibilities as individuals, community members, and citizens was key to his ethos. The Centennial celebrations seek to allow audiences familiar with him and those encountering the artist for the first time to form fresh perspectives about his artwork. 

A year of global activities and exhibitions in honor of Rauschenberg’s Centennial reexamines the artist through a contemporary lens, highlighting his enduring influence on generations of artists and advocates for social progress. The Centennial’s activation of the artist’s legacy promotes cross-disciplinary explorations and creates opportunities for critical dialogue.

About the Academy Art Museum 

Founded in 1958, the Academy Art Museum is the Eastern Shore’s leading cultural institution, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It combines the dynamism of an ambitious contemporary art museum with the intimacy of a community space. With five working studios, a 24,000 sq. ft. facility, and innovative programs including a robust artist-in-residence initiative and major commissions for its soaring atrium, the Museum is a destination for artists, scholars, collectors, and families alike. 

 The Academy Art Museum is pleased to announce a special three-part lecture and screening series led by Loretta Howard, Co-founder of On This Spot, an acclaimed nonprofit project that brings women artists’ stories to life through short-form documentary videos.

Over three consecutive Thursday evenings, audiences will experience short archival films that illuminate the lives and legacies of women artists who shaped the artistic and cultural landscape of the postwar era. Through scholarly and entertaining biographical storytelling, Howard will guide audiences into the worlds where these artists lived and worked, dreamed and built communities that fueled their creativity.

The series will highlight women artists represented in the AMA collection, offering fresh insight into their work through a biographical and feminist lens, with selected artworks on view. Artists Martha Diamond, Nancy Graves, Grace Hartigan, Kiki Smith, Pat Steir and Susan Weil will be amongst those discussed. 

On This Spot

On This Spot NYC is a nonprofit dedicated to reclaiming the histories of women artists who shaped New York City’s cultural landscape. Through short-form documentary videos, interactive maps, and public programs, the organization highlights where pioneering artists lived and worked, bringing their often-overlooked contributions to life. Founded by gallerist Loretta Howard and producer Tony Ganz, On This Spot NYC has created more than 50 films since its 2023 launch, making women’s stories in art history widely available to audiences around the world.

Dates:
Thursday evenings — October 16, 23, & 30 at 5:30pm

Cost for three-lecture series:
$45 members / $60 non-members

This program is ideal for anyone curious about art, women’s history, and diverse voices—those who love stories that inspire and connect across generations.

For more information or to register, please visit the website or contact [email protected].

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About the Academy Art Museum

Founded in 1958, the Academy Art Museum is the Eastern Shore’s leading cultural institution, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It combines the dynamism of an ambitious contemporary art museum with the intimacy of a community space. With five working studios, a 24,000 sq. ft. facility, and innovative programs including a robust artist-in-residence initiative and major commissions for its soaring atrium, the Museum is a destination for artists, scholars, collectors, and families alike.

The Academy Art Museum proudly presents its first international exhibition, To the Edge of Your World by internationally recognized Dutch Irish artist Anita Groener. The exhibition will be open to the public from August 16 to October 26. An opening reception will be held on August 16  from 2 to 4 PM. 

Using humble materials – twigs, cardboard, cut paper – Groener explores themes of loss, displacement, and resilience. Her intricately constructed sculptures and drawings reflect on the shared human impact of migration, conflict, and remembrance, shaped in part by her travels through the American South and global regions affected by upheaval.

In 2022, Groener, accompanied by John Relman, one of the United States’ most prominent civil rights lawyers, travelled across the American South. With Relman as her guide, she visited historic sites important to the Civil Rights Movement: museums, trails, and memorials in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama. America’s unfinished struggle for equality and justice made starkly tangible on this journey profoundly informed Groener’s most recent sculpture and drawings, adding a new aspect to her ongoing engagement with the world’s past decade of war and upheaval in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa, and elsewhere.

To the Edge of Your World is accompanied by Shelter, a new animated film made in collaboration with documentary filmmaker Matt Kresling and the Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) in Easton. Based on interviews relating individual stories of people facing hardship and their determination to rebuild their lives, Shelter addresses the urgent social and political realities of homelessness and celebrates the transformative work of TIS. The video resonates with the exhibition’s themes, displacement, belonging, and the fragile architecture of memory.

The world premiere of Shelter will be on August 16, with a special showing on August 17 with the Talbot Interfaith Shelter. 

One of Ireland’s most distinguished artists, Anita Groener, has recently shown her work at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris, France; the Museum Rijswijk in The Hague, Netherlands; and Highlanes Gallery in Drogheda, Ireland. In 2005, she was elected a member of Aosdána, the official association of Ireland’s preeminent artists and cultural producers.

For more information, visit AcademyArtMuseum.org. 

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About Academy Art Museum

As the premiere art museum on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Academy Art Museum presents high-quality exhibitions and a full range of art classes for visitors of all ages. Past exhibitions have featured artists such as James Turrell, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, Pat Steir and Richard Diebenkorn. The permanent collection focuses on works on paper by American and European artists from four centuries including recent acquisitions by Graciela Iturbide and Zanele Muholi. Arts educational programs range from life drawing lessons to digital art instruction, and include lunchtime and cocktail hour concerts, lectures and special art events, as well as a Fall Craft Show, now in its 27th year. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To continue the institutional movement of offering free public programming and to give barrier-free access to art, AAM eliminated admission fees in 2023.

 The Academy Art Museum is thrilled to announce the appointment of Matthew Moore as its new Director of Education. An accomplished artist and dedicated educator, Matt brings a unique blend of creative vision, academic leadership, and deep community engagement to this important role.

As Director of Education, Matt will guide the strategic direction of the Museum’s education programs, overseeing K–12 initiatives, adult education offerings, and public programs designed to ignite and sustain curiosity for art throughout our community.

Matthew Moore’s own artistic practice reflects his thoughtful approach to exploring history, place, and collective memory. His photographic work examines patterns in the built environment that reveal the ways in which historical narratives are constructed and remembered. His recent series, Post-Socialist Landscapes, has been the focus of solo exhibitions at the Gormley Gallery in Baltimore, Blue Sky Gallery in Portland, and right here at the Academy Art Museum. His work has been featured in Time Magazine, The Daily Mail, Atlas Obscura, Musee, BmoreArt, Lenscratch, Deep Baltic, and more.

Matt holds a BFA in Photography from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and an MFA in Photography from Georgia State University. He is currently a tenured Professor at Anne Arundel Community College and has built a reputation as an innovative educator and mentor who inspires students to think critically and creatively about art and its role in the world.

“Matt’s deep commitment to both teaching and artistic practice makes him an exceptional fit for this role,” said Charlotte Potter Kasic, Director of the Academy Art Museum. “His experience in higher education, passion for fostering meaningful connections with our diverse audiences, and his ties to the Eastern Shore community will be invaluable as we continue to grow and expand our impact.”

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About Academy Art Museum

As the premiere art museum on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Academy Art Museum presents high-quality exhibitions and a full range of art classes for visitors of all ages. Past exhibitions have featured artists such as James Turrell, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, Pat Steir and Richard Diebenkorn. The permanent collection focuses on works on paper by American and European artists from four centuries including recent acquisitions by Graciela Iturbide and Zanele Muholi. Arts educational programs range from life drawing lessons to digital art instruction, and include lunchtime and cocktail hour concerts, lectures and special art events. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To continue the institutional movement of offering free public programming and to give barrier-free access to art, AAM eliminated admission fees in 2023.

In 2025, the Academy Art Museum will take a thoughtful pause from its annual Craft Show. This is a moment of transformation for the Museum as we build a new five-year strategic plan, focus our energy on breaking ground on the Freeman Annex and Hormel Research Center and give our new team the time and space to acclimate and establish a sustainable annual cadence. This pause will allow us to do important internal work and plan thoughtfully for the future.

We know this news will come as a disappointment, especially to those who have been part of this tradition for many years. As an artist myself — traditionally trained in glassblowing — I understand the time, labor, and love that go into an artistic practice. Please know this decision was not made lightly. This show holds deep significance for artists, collectors, volunteers, families, and supporters of handmade work, and this pause is our way of honor that dedication while we continue to grow with thoughtfulness and care.

We are grateful for the support our members have given to the Craft Show over the years. While we are pausing the show this fall, we remain committed to celebrating craft through our related current and upcoming exhibitions, including Anne Lindberg’s seen and unseen, Piper Shepard’s Field, Voids and Translations: Works on Paper, and the upcoming More Clay.

There are many reasons to visit the Academy Art Museum — from our free admission to world-class exhibitions, or perhaps you’ll consider taking one of our hands-on classes. Additionally, we are excited to announce our major exhibition opening later this year: Rauschenberg at 100, celebrating the centennial of his birth and his connection to this region.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time of transition. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out, and we invite you to participate in the survey, via the button below to help shape the museum‘s future.

Get ready, Eastern Shore—on Saturday, May 3, the Academy Art Museum is shaking things up with what promises to be the boldest gala of the year. This year’s celebration trades the traditional gala for an unexpected twist: a massive industrial warehouse just north of Easton. For one night only, the raw space will be transformed into a sleek, city-loft-style venue that’s all about modern edge and creative flair.

The inspiration? The razor-sharp realism of photorealist legend Richard Estes, whose exhibition Urban Landscapes, opens at the Academy on May 1. His intricate urban scenes spark a sense of connection and astonishing detail—setting the tone for a night that blurs the line between art and experience.

Setting the sonic mood is none other than local music legend Kentavius Jones, debuting an original soundscape composed exclusively for the event. Expect grooves that echo with the energy of city streets, crafted to perfectly complement Estes’ visual world.

It wouldn’t be a true Academy Art Museum night without incredible food. Gourmet by the Bay returns with a menu as bold and creative as the art on display—yes, you’ll want to Instagram it before you take a bite.

“We wanted this year’s gala to feel like a turning point—a moment that reflects the scale of our ambition and the energy of our community,” said Charlotte Potter Kasic, Director of the Academy Art Museum. “It’s not just a celebration of what we’ve done, but of everything we’re about to do. This is a party with purpose.”

More than a night of music, art, and conversation, this gala fuels the museum’s mission: supporting dynamic exhibitions, hands-on classes for all ages, and year-round programming—while keeping admission free for everyone.

So mark your calendar, put on something fabulous, and prepare for an evening that’s as visionary as the art that inspired it.

For information and to purchase tickets, visit here.

At the Academy Art Museum, art is not just something to passively observe—it’s something to actively make, fearlessly explore, and generously share. Tapestry: Art by AAM Instructors, on view from December 19, 2024, through March 16, 2025, highlights the work of over 20 AAM faculty members, the dedicated teaching artists who bring creativity to life in our studios and classrooms.

This exhibition offers a glimpse into the personal artistic practices of AAM’s instructors, showcasing the diverse range of styles, mediums, and perspectives they bring to both their own work and their teaching. Whether through painting, drawing, sculpture, or ceramics, Tapestry underscores the deep connections between making and mentoring. These are artists who do not simply teach technique—they model what it means to sustain an active creative practice, to experiment, and to evolve.

Curated by Bernard Dellario, AAM’s Education Coordinator, the exhibition reflects the creative strength of the museum’s teaching artists. In his role, Dellario helps cultivate and support AAM’s growing community of instructors while also being a dedicated teaching artist himself. An accomplished painter, instructor, and president of the Washington Society of Landscape Painters, Dellario exhibits widely across the Eastern Shore and Washington, D.C. regions. He saw Tapestry as an opportunity to celebrate the artists who shape AAM’s studio program and to invite the community to experience their work in a new way.

“Diversity was the catalyst,” he said. “I knew full well that a call for work to showcase their talents as artists and teachers would bring in their best work. I was not disappointed.”

AAM’s studio art instructors come from a range of backgrounds, each with their own specialty, approach, and artistic philosophy. Some are painters steeped in traditional techniques, refining their skills over decades, while others work in experimental media, pushing boundaries and embracing new ways of making. Many of them exhibit nationally and internationally, while others are deeply embedded in the fabric of the Eastern Shore arts community. What unites them is a shared dedication to teaching and an understanding that learning is a lifelong process, one that is reciprocal—teachers learn from students as much as students learn from teachers.

Although the exhibition brings together a wide range of artistic styles and mediums, Dellario noted how naturally the works exist alongside each other. “I didn’t see any common themes, but somehow, the variety of work goes very well together,” he reflected. This sense of cohesion speaks to the power of a shared creative environment, where different perspectives and aesthetics can exist in dialogue with one another.

For many visitors, Tapestry offers a deeper understanding of the instructors they may know primarily as teachers. Seeing their work in a museum setting reinforces that these instructors are not just educators but practicing artists, engaged in the same processes of exploration, experimentation, and refinement that they encourage in their students.

“Throughout the exhibit, I’ve heard students talking about the work, stepping out of their classes to take a closer look,” Dellario said. “On occasion, I’ve even taken students into the gallery to point out specific techniques or how an artist handles certain things. It’s been very informative to all.” This connection between the classroom and the exhibition space creates a dynamic learning environment where art is not just something discussed in theory but actively practiced and examined.

Certain works stood out to Dellario for their craftsmanship and unique perspectives. “Naomi Clark-Turner’s painting of farm equipment in a shed caught my attention for its strong value contrast and composition. It’s one of those paintings that engages you from across the room despite its small size,” he said. “I also really appreciate Loretta Lohman’s pottery boxes—the surface texture is so tactile and beautiful, and the piece invites curiosity about its meaning.” These pieces exemplify the attention to detail and creative problem-solving that AAM instructors bring to their students.

This exhibition is not just an opportunity to admire art—it’s an invitation to participate in the culture of making that defines the Academy Art Museum. Tapestry highlights the incredible talent of AAM’s teaching artists, and it also serves as a reminder that anyone can take part in the creative process. The Academy offers a wide variety of classes for all skill levels, from painting and drawing to ceramics and printmaking, allowing visitors to learn directly from the artists featured in this show.

Taking a class at AAM is more than just learning a technique; it is about becoming part of a community. The museum’s teaching artists are mentors who guide students through the creative process, helping them to find their own artistic voices. Many students return year after year, building relationships with their instructors and with each other, forming a network of support and shared inspiration. Whether someone is picking up a paintbrush for the first time or refining their skills after years of practice, AAM provides an environment where growth is encouraged, and curiosity is rewarded.

Visitors are encouraged to explore Tapestry during museum hours and take the next step in their own artistic journey. The Academy Art Museum is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is always free.

For more information on Tapestry: Art by AAM Instructors and upcoming studio art classes, visit www.academyartmuseum.org or stop by the museum. Creativity is waiting—you just have to step inside.

The Academy Art Museum has elected four new Trustees to serve on its Board. The Museum is thrilled to welcome Ron Flohr, Denise Grant, Victoria Gomez-Lozano and Holly Townsend. Board Chair Donna Alpi says, “We are delighted to have this talented group of Trustees join our Board and are grateful for their commitment to furthering the Academy Art Museum’s mission of making art available to everyone on the Eastern Shore.” These Trustees collectively bring a wealth of financial and business expertise and non-profit Board experience.

Ron Flohr has more than 20 years of experience in financial services. As a Certified Financial Planner, his professional focus is to work with individuals and businesses to identify their financial goals and customize investment and wealth management strategies to achieve them. An active community member, Ron has served as president of the Easton Waterfowl Festival, a past board member of the Easton Rotary Club, the Mid Shore Early Learning Center, a past board member and president of the Talbot Country Club and a past board member and commodore of the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Club.

Denise Grant is an accomplished executive with over 30 years of experience developing strategies and implementing solutions in the corporate, public and social impact sectors around the world. She is the founder and CEO of Overlook Strategies and serves as a Senior Advisor to Heidrick & Struggles, the leadership and organizational consulting firm. She has worked with boards and CEOs of some of the world’s most high-profile NGOs and social impact organizations on a wide range of matters. She has led broad organizational assessments and initiatives, counseled boards regarding governance and other matters, and conducted top leadership succession projects. Early in her career, Denise practiced law for nearly a decade, including as an attorney with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. Denise is a Presidentially appointed Trustee of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board which governs the nearly $500 million global Fulbright cultural and educational diplomacy program. She has served as a Trustee at Transylvania University and on numerous Boards of Directors including the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the Bryce Harlow Foundation, the Avalon Foundation and the East Tennessee State University Development Corporation.

Victoria Gomez Lozano was born and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico and has lived in the United States for 16 years. She is a graduate of Tecnologico Espiritu Santo, Guayaquil, with a Banking and Finance degree. During her career in the fields of banking and industry, she realized her desire to serve the people in her community as a leader, mentor and interpreter. Now in her sixth year as a member of the Chesapeake Multicultural Center’s administrative staff, she serves as their Hispanic Outreach Coordinator. Victoria has served on the board of Talbot County Public School’s Education Foundation Board, Talbot Mentors, and the East-End Neighborhood Association. She is currently the Board Chair of the Department of Social Services.

Holly Townsend is the founder of the Townsend Group, a company that provided a variety of services designed to increase non-dues revenues for associations and foundations. These services included sales, custom research, video production, cross-platform media programs, creative services and financial services. As its President and CEO for 35 years, she set the company vision, made all strategic decisions, and oversaw all business operations. Her clients included scores of national blue-chip associations and foundations in a wide range of industries and professions including housing, education, healthcare, the arts, design, architecture and urban planning, engineering, criminal justice, and law. Holly previously served on the Board of Trustees of the Avalon Foundation.

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As the premier art museum on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the Academy Art Museum presents high-quality exhibitions and a full range of art classes for visitors of all ages. Past exhibitions have featured artists such as James Turrell, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, Pat Steir and Richard Diebenkorn. The permanent collection focuses on works on paper by American and European artists from four centuries including recent acquisitions by Graciela Iturbide and Zanele Muholi. Arts educational programs range from life drawing lessons to digital art instruction, and include lunchtime and cocktail hour concerts, lectures and special art events, as well as a Fall Craft Show celebrating 26 years. AAM also provides arts education to school children from the region and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. To continue the institutional movement of offering free public programming and to give barrier-free access to art, AAM eliminated admission fees in 2023.