The Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia has received five awards from the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) Awards Committee in 2020 for its outstanding work.
The awards included Best in Show from the SEMC Excellence in Publication Competition for the exhibition catalogue “Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi,” published with the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art and designed by Fold Four/Roy Brooks. It also received an honorable mention for the exhibition catalogue “Material Georgia 1733 – 1900: Two Decades of Scholarship,” designed by Thomas Dang.
The museum also received awards for Excellence in Exhibitions (two honorable mentions for “Mary Lee Bendolph: Quilted Memories” and “Material Georgia”) and a bronze award for digital marketing in the SEMC Technology Competition for its Daily Inspirations series on Instagram. That series began on March 17, when the museum closed due to the pandemic, and has been running every weekday since, highlighting different works from the museum’s collection and temporary exhibitions. The award winners were announced on October 14, during the virtual 2020 SEMC Annual Meeting.
Museum director William U. Eiland said, “We are excited and pleased to be recognized by the Southeastern Museums Conference with awards for our exhibitions, publications and technological advances during the pandemic. As important as these honors are to the museum, they are equally significant for the curators, writers, designers and artists who contributed so much to their excellence. We are particularly humbled by yet proud of the ‘Best in Show’ Award for ‘Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi,’ as it was a joint project with Spelman College.”
“Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi” followed the exhibition on the same name, on view at Spelman College from January to May 2018. The book was the first major publication of Roberts’ work and features over 80 full-page and full-color illustrations of her art.
SEMC is a nonprofit membership association of museums, museum staff, independent professionals and corporate professionals focused on the southeastern United States. It works to improve the exchange of ideas and information within the region’s art community and provide educational and professional development opportunities for members.
Aisha Abdullahi|Nekabari Ereba
Michael Lachowski
