Harn to mark 20th anniversary with two events

September 14, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Oct. 8, the evening before the UF vs. LSU football game, with a special birthday benefit “20 Candles: Come As You Art!” The party, offering a variety of entertainment and cuisine for attendees, will raise funds for exhibition development.

From 1 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 10, the Harn will host “Cake, Create, Celebrate: 20 Years of the Harn Museum of Art,” an afternoon of free activities planned especially for community members with children.

“It has been our privilege to serve the University of Florida and the Gainesville community for the past 20 years,” said Rebecca M. Nagy, Harn director. “We cordially invite you to celebrate our birthday with us during the weekend of the UF vs. LSU football game. The Harn is the art museum of The Gator Nation so this will be the quintessential UF weekend, with something for everyone.”

The benefit party “20 Candles: Come As You Art!” will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight Oct. 8. Entertainment features jazz musician Scott Wilson, UF co-ed a cappella group No Southern Accent, a visit by Albert and Alberta, and the Pazeni Sauti Africa Choir. The “After Party,” which begins at 9 p.m., will feature music by DJ Vi.

Guests may choose from a range of ticket packages, with different price points and entry times. Depending on the package chosen, guests will enjoy a sit-down dinner, cocktails, named exhibition sponsorship, game-day breakfast honoring 20-year Harn docents and artists represented in the Harn collection, and tickets for the UF vs. LSU football game. For more information on packages and to purchase tickets, please visit www.harn.ufl.edu/20candles.

On Oct. 10, children, families and the young at heart may commemorate the Harn’s anniversary by participating in art-making stations which include decorating cupcakes and creating and stamping birthday cards and hats using art imagery from the Harn’s collection.

Visitors will also engage in a scavenger hunt through the galleries highlighting the Harn’s collection and its history. Docent-led tours will be offered at 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Performances throughout the day will feature UF School of Theatre and Dance students, led by choreographer Neta Pulvermacher as well as violinist Geoffrey Fitzhugh Perry and guitarist Howard Watner. Admission is free. For more information call 352-392-9826 or visit www.harn.ufl.edu

The Harn opened its doors on Sept. 22, 1990. For more than a decade prior to the grand opening, University of Florida administrators, faculty in the College of Fine Arts, and local arts advocates dreamed of a sizable art museum that would serve the University of Florida and the Gainesville community. In 1983 Dr. David A. Cofrin and his wife Mary Ann made this dream possible by donating a generous founding gift toward the construction of an art museum that would be named after Mary Ann’s father Samuel P. Harn. At the time, their $3 million gift was the largest private gift ever received by the University of Florida. Other private gifts and state matching funds were secured to complete the construction.