Mobile Museum of Art to Open Three New Special Exhibitions in January 2026
MOBILE, Ala. – On January 30, 2026, Mobile Museum of Art will open the last of three new special exhibitions: Louise Nevelson: Dawn to Dusk; Timeless Hats by Susie Mae Pugh-Williams: A Legacy of Creativity, Elegance, Reverence & Resilience; and Pictures of Resistance: The Wartime Photographs of Jewish Partisan Faye Schulman.
The three exhibitions cover a wide chronological and geographical range, from 1930s Europe to contemporary Mobile. The selections include works from major museum collections as well as locally sourced archives, offering a comprehensive look at how different artists have used their craft to document and respond to the world around them.
“These exhibitions highlight our mission statement’s focus on presenting exhibitions that invite visitors to see the world through a more expansive lens,” said MMoA Executive Director Jon Carfagno. “Each of these exhibitions has entailed collaborations that engage the perspective and expertise of our partners.”
Spanning nearly a century of creative history, the three upcoming exhibitions provide a diverse look at the intersections of art, identity, and history. Detailed descriptions follow below:
· Louise Nevelson: Dawn to Dusk traces the groundbreaking artist’s formative years to her emergence as a sculptor of international renown through 40 works selected from the Farnsworth Art Museum collection, located in Rockland, Maine. Spanning her career from 1929 to 1985, the exhibition includes a selection of early paintings and figurative sculptures in terracotta, cast stone, and bronze; later painted wood sculptures, reliefs, and collages; and examples of her unique, handcrafted jewelry. This exhibition is organized by Farnsworth Art Museum and guest curated by Suzette McAvoy. Support for this exhibition provided by Art Bridges, J.L. Bedsole Foundation, and Ben May Charitable Trust.
· Timeless Hats by Susie Mae Pugh-Williams: A Legacy of Creativity, Elegance, Reverence & Resilience: Susie Mae Pugh-Williams (1949 – 2020) was born and raised in Mobile, Ala. She taught herself the art of millinery (hat making) and created hats, wraps, fascinators, and other head wear for herself, friends, and clients. Those creations would have been worn to church or for events such as weddings, Mardi Gras festivities, and other celebrations. This exhibition was curated by Dr. Irma McClaurin, PhD and Bobby C. Williams, Jr. Programming for this exhibition is sponsored by Commissioner Merceria Ludgood and the Mobile County Commission.
· Pictures of Resistance: The Wartime Photographs of Jewish Partisan Faye Schulman — Faye Schulman was a Jewish photographer and partisan during World War II. Born in 1919 to Rayzel Migdalovich and Yakov Lazebnik in Lenin, Eastern Poland (now part of Belarus), Faye was one of seven children. At the age of 10, Faye began assisting her older brother in his photography studio in Lenin. Neither of them knew that her skills as a photographer would later save her life. This exhibition contains 29 photographs and informative panels detailing Faye Schulman’s life during the war as a partisan photographer. Support for this exhibition provided by Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation, Gulf Coast Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education, USA Jewish & Holocaust Studies Program, USA Department of History, and Ben May Charitable Trust.
The Museum’s exhibitions and programs are supported by the City of Mobile, Mobile County, the Alabama State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more details, visit MobileMuseumofArt.com.---
About Mobile Museum of Art (MMoA)
Located in the heart of Mobile, Alabama, MMoA is dedicated to a simple mission: To Bring People Together and Inspire Creativity Through the Power of Art. Since 1964, MMoA has served as a vital creative hub for the Deep South. As south Alabama’s only accredited art museum, MMoA houses an expansive collection of more than 6,400 artworks, including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, works on paper, and crafts. In the galleries, the Museum offers rotating special exhibitions and curated selections from our permanent collection, both of which showcase the talent of regional artists alongside works by nationally and internationally recognized figures. In addition to world-class exhibitions, MMoA proudly offers a full calendar of art classes for artists of all ages, outreach initiatives, and creative and engaging special events.
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Closed: Monday, Sunday, & all City of Mobile Holidays
