Thaxton will participate with John Andersown in a question-and-answer session at 11 a . m . Saturday . Screenings of his and St . John ’ s award-winning documentary , “ Walter Anderson : the Extraordinary Life and Art of the Islander ,” are scheduled throughout the day at 10 a . m ., 1 p . m ., 2 p . m . and 3 p . m . The hour-long film looks at the genius of Anderson through poignant family interviews , never-before-seen artwork and breathtaking images from Anderson ’ s beloved Horn Island . The film debuted on Mississippi Public Broadcasting in 2021 before airing nationally on PBS stations .
Penny Kemp , president and CEO of The MAX , said museum guests will discover a piece of the artist with the study of each drawing or painting .
“ Often referred to as America ’ s Van Gogh , Walter Anderson ’ s influence is profound , and his work prolific ,” she said . “ We couldn ’ t be more excited to host this prestigious exhibit at The MAX .”
Anderson was born in New Orleans , Louisiana , in 1903 , to a grain broker , George Walter Anderson , and Annette McConnell Anderson , who had studied art in college and came from a prominent New Orleans family . He was the second of three brothers who all grew up to be artists . His eldest brother , Peter Anderson , opened Shearwater Pottery factory , which is still in business in Ocean Springs , and his youngest brother , James McConnell “ Mac ” Anderson , also was a painter , muralist , and designer and decorator in the family pottery business .
Classically trained as an artist at the New York School of Fine and Applied Art , now Parsons School of Design , Anderson also studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and spent a summer studying in France , where he was particularly impressed with cave paintings . In 1928 , he returned to Ocean Springs and worked as a designer and decorator for Shearwater Pottery , giving him enough income to marry Agnes Grinstead in 1932 and settle into family life .
In the 1930s , Anderson painted murals for the Ocean Springs Public School auditorium , called “ Ocean Springs : Past and Present ,” a commission funded through the Works Progress Administration . Then in the 1950s , he spent 15 months completing his most ambitious project , 3,000-square-feet of murals on the cinder-block walls of the town ’ s community center . Accepting a dollar for the work , Anderson considered it a gift to his beloved Ocean Springs
From Top to Bottom : “ Rowing At Night ,” “ Terror ,” “ Pamettos and Pines ,” “ Pelicans at North Key .” community , according to the biographies . Today , the community center and its murals are part of the Walter Anderson Museum .
In the mid-1940s , Anderson left his wife and children and moved back to a cottage on his family ’ s Shearwater property . From then until his death in 1965 , he often shunned the spotlight , preferring the quiet solitude of his cherished island , situated about 12 miles off shore from Ocean Springs . He would work a couple of weeks at the Shearwater family pottery factory , then travel back out by skiff to his beloved Horn Island . After his death , his family visited his cottage and discovered a monumental record of his life as an artist including hundreds of paintings , sketches , wall murals , watercolors , block prints and writings .
To archive and exhibit his large volume of work , the family established the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs in 1991 .
Kemp said The MAX is planning special events and cross promotions with several cultural arts organizations around the state in support of the Anderson exhibit .
“ We are equally excited to partner with various arts organizations locally and around the state to offer unique programming surrounding this exhibit ,” she said . “ We also look forward to welcoming school field trips across the state .”
Among the events will be two guided exhibit tours and lectures by Mississippi artist Brent Funderburk , a 2024 recipient of the Governor ’ s Arts Award , on Thursday , Sept . 12 , and Thursday , Oct . 3 . The onehour guided tour begins at 5:30 p . m . both days and is free with the purchase of museum admission . Registration is encouraged on The MAX website .
A longtime professor at Mississippi State University , Funderburk is an active artist who has exhibited across the nation . He has spoken nationally about Walter Anderson ’ s creative influence . The Sept . 12 lecture is titled “ Ecstasy : Walter Anderson ’ s Transcendent Moment ,” and the Oct . 3 lecture is titled , “ Inside Nature : Chasing the Path of Light Through Watercolor .”
Funderburk ’ s “ Watercolors , Drawings , Pastels – The Path of Light ” exhibit will be on display at Meridian Museum of Art from October through November , complementing the Anderson exhibit at The MAX .
“ The South ’ s Most Elusive Artist ” will run at The MAX through Nov . 23 . M www . meridianstar . com
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