Image: New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe
The Columbia Museum of Art has outlined a compact midsummer program that brings together a Renaissance fresco tour, an accessibility-focused collection visit and an artist lecture later in July. The museum’s newsletter also notes the appointment of Laura J. Mueller, Ph.D., as executive director, with her new role beginning August 3 after she recently served as interim executive director of the New Mexico Museum of Art and Vladem Contemporary in Santa Fe.
On Thursday, July 16, the museum will offer ‘Focal Points Tour: Christmas in July’ from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The gallery talk is led by docent Carol Hunter and centers on Sandro Botticelli’s ‘The Nativity’ (c. 1473–1475). According to the museum, the tour is designed to explore Botticelli’s skill as “one of the most remarkable Renaissance artists” and to examine details that make his treatment of the Christmas story distinctive.
The event also highlights the work’s unusual history. The museum describes ‘The Nativity’ as Botticelli’s only fresco outside Europe, making it a focal point for visitors interested in both Renaissance technique and the artwork’s transatlantic presence. The tour is part of the museum’s ‘Focal Points’ series, which the institution says features gallery talks built around topics and themes of particular interest to docents and staff.
The same day, the museum is also presenting ‘Collection Spotlight: Contemporary Disruptions’ from 1:00 to 1:45 p.m., led by Deputy Director Joelle Ryan-Cook. That program looks at contemporary works among historical objects in the CMA Collection, including Audrey Flack’s ‘Self-Portrait with Flaming Heart’ (2022), Roberto Lugo’s ‘Self-Reflection’ (2023), Mario Joyce’s ‘He Hears Echoes’ (2024) and the small exhibition ‘Winston Wingo: Who Would We Be/Who Could We Be?’. The museum says the tour is free with membership, South Carolina residency or admission.
Later in the month, on Thursday, July 23, the CMA will hold ‘Multisensory Tour: The CMA Collection’ from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The museum says the program is intended for visitors who are blind or have low vision and combines detailed verbal description with touch and other senses. Participants may bring one guest for assistance, guide dogs are welcome, and trained staff and docents will be on hand to help. Registration is required, and the museum says the tour is free with space limited.
Also on July 23, the museum will host ‘Artist Talk: Winston Wingo’ from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wingo’s work is part of the CMA Collection, and the museum says his recent work, on view in the collection exhibition ‘Winston Wingo: Who Would We Be/Who Could We Be?’, engages questions around artificial intelligence and humanity’s evolving relationship to technological advancements. The museum says Wingo has examined relationships between technology, identity and society through representations of Black figures since the 1970s, and that attendees are invited to view his art in the galleries before the talk in the theater.
The museum’s July programming is framed by broader institutional changes and ongoing access initiatives. In its July 9 press release, the CMA said Mueller’s appointment followed an extensive seven-month search that drew national and international interest. Separately, the July events are supported in part by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program, and the museum provides accessibility accommodations for visitors who request them. The Columbia Museum of Art is located at 1515 Main Street in downtown Columbia.
