Canton Museum Of Art Offers Free Family Night During July's First Friday

The Canton Museum of Art (CMA), one of Northeast Ohio's premier American art museums, is offering a free family night for July's First Friday, on Friday, July 1, 2022, from 5:30PM - 7:00PM.

All local families are invited to attend this event which will focus on Canton First Friday's July theme, Chalk the Walk. Guests in attendance will experience a live, interactive chalk mural lead by CMA Staff Member Cas Rosenberg. Ohio musician Brenna Geyer will sing and play guitar from 5:30PM - 7:00PM. The first 100 guests will receive a free frozen treat from an on-site ice cream truck. Make-and-take art activities, including Kool-Aid inspired sensory ice painting and popsicle lick-n-stick stenciled dreamscapes, will be available to guests of all ages. All activities will be held outside in the CMA's parking lot. In the case of inclement weather, all activities will be moved inside of the CMA.

CMA's Galleries, Artisan Boutique and Lobby will be open extended hours, from 10:00AM - 8:00PM. All guests are encouraged to visit CMA's Membership booth (inside the Lobby) to partake in a special Buy One, Get One offer: guests who join or renew their CMA Membership during July's First Friday will receive a free gift membership at the same level.

Summer Exhibitions On-View Now through July 24th:
Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diary of Takuichi Fujii introduces a modernist painter who left a remarkably comprehensive visual record of his experience during World War II as a Japanese American detainee. Fujii left a remarkably comprehensive visual record of this important time in American history, and offers a unique perspective on his generation.

Fujii's illustrated diary spans the years from 1942 to 1945, taking viewers inside the daily life of inmates forced into the incarceration camps. The exhibition includes ink drawings and watercolors, along with several oil paintings and sculptures, notably a carved double portrait of Fujii and his wife. This stunning body of work sheds light on events that most Americans did not experience, but whose lessons remain salient today.

Abandoned America: Everything Must Pass will take visitors inside declining gems of the rustbelt and highlight the beauty in the decay of the industrial era in America. Photographer Matthew Christopher has had an interest in abandoned sites since he was a child. He started documenting them a decade ago while researching the decline of the state hospital system. He has published the books "Abandoned America: Dismantling the Dream" and "Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences" featuring his work. His photography has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the L.A. Times, NPR, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, Catholic Sun, Yahoo News, the Daily Mail, New York Post, Buzzfeed, the Weather Channel, the Huffington Post, the Discovery Channel Magazine, the Harrisburg Patriot, and many others. He has lectured on the art of ruins, abandoned spaces, preservation, and mental health history for Preservation Austin, the Pennsylvania State Museum, Preservation Pennsylvania, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and many others. His website, Abandoned America, has gained international attention and is considered one of the leading collections of images of abandoned spaces.

Asian Voices: From the CMA Collection addresses the increasing need to understand the diverse culture and rich history of Asia, especially as hate crimes towards Asians continue to rise. Asian artists have long sought fresh new opportunities in the United States, arriving as refugees, economic migrants, students, or professionals. In celebration of these artists, CMA presents "Asian Voices," an exhibit of work by Asian artists from our collection whose voices speak to the fluidity of an individual's sense of place and self. Featured artists will include Yuko Kimura, Patti Warashina, and more.

Visions 2022: Artwork from the Canton Artists League is an exhibition that honors and highlights the strong diversity of talent that is part of Canton/Stark County's rich visual arts heritage and future. Many of the artists featured in the exhibition are prominent both regionally and nationally for their work, including watercolor, oil painting, and beyond.

The Canton Museum of Art's exhibitions, related programs, and operations are made possible in part through generous support from Arts In Stark, Visit Canton, Stark Community Foundation, The Hoover Foundation, the Paparella Family Foundation, the Canton Museum of Art Exhibition Endowment at Stark Community Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts and Institute of Museum and Library Services. CMA FREE Thursdays, offering free admission all day, is sponsored by PNC Foundation.

Recognized for powerful original exhibitions and national touring exhibitions focused on American art and its influences, the Canton Museum of Art makes the discovery and exploration of art accessible to all. The Museum's education outreach programs, School of Art classes, and workshops serve thousands of students of all ages. CMA's acclaimed Collection focuses on American works on paper, primarily watercolors, and contemporary ceramics. CMA's Artisan Boutique is open during regular Museum hours. Founded in 1935, CMA serves more than 45,000 visitors each year.

Visit cantonart.org and follow the Museum on Facebook for updates, or call 330.453.7666 for more information.