Noyes spreads its wings
Museum broadens appeal with World War II art
By STEVEN V. CRONIN Staff Writer, (609) 272-7242
Published: Friday, April 13, 2007
Atlantic City Press
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP — There's a certain gracefulness, even a lethal beauty, to the P-47 Thunderbolt.
But is the khaki-colored World War II fighter plane art? And if not, what's it doing hanging on the wall at the Noyes Museum on Lily Lake Road in Oceanville.
There it is, tearing across a German airfield as the centerpiece of William S. Phillips' “In Through the Back Door,” coming in for a landing in Bill Levers' “Peel-off Over Millville” and flying in formation in Bill Force's “The Spirit Lives On.”
The paintings are all part of “Aviation Art — The Beauty of Flight,” an exhibition featuring prints and lithographs of the Thunderbolt and other fighters and bombers from World War II.
The exhibit isn't the kind of thing you'd expect to find at a fine art museum such as the Noyes, but that's exactly the point.
The exhibit, mounted in conjunction with the Millville Army Air Field Museum, is part of the Noyes' effort to broaden its appeal and reach out to potential patrons who might not be inclined to sample its other fare.
“It's a different way to bring people in,” said Karen DeRosa, director of communications and development for the museum. “What we hope is that once they are here, they'll stay and look at the other exhibits we have.”
By DeRosa's account, the plan is working. The museum has seen a steady stream of aviation enthusiasts and older veterans come in to check out the images of the Thunderbird and its winged companions. There are bombers over Germany in T.S. Deneen's “Attack at Bridge at the Rhine,” P-51s pulling escort duty in “Tuskegee Red-Tailed Angels” and even a few paintings of German Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs.
“We got a lot more interest in the show than we expected,” DeRosa admitted. “I don't know if it is that people can relate to it more, but there was a lot of interest.”
That's good news for the museum, which attracts about 15,000 visitors annually and is always looking to increase that number.
As part of that effort, the museum has set aside one wing for community art events such as the flight exhibit — events sure to appeal to a broad audience and bring bodies into the Noyes.
“We have four galleries. Two are dedicated to museum-quality professional artists, another is dedicated to showing the works of our professional members. We thought why not use the wall space to bring in what we call community art. It just makes for a better atmosphere and gives another outlet for art,” she said.
In coming weeks the community gallery will host an exhibition by students from Oakcrest High School (opening May 1) and then by Hammonton artist Betty Ann Bembry, which will run from May 15 to June 30.
The community gallery is just one example of how the Noyes has been aggressively expanding its outreach efforts since Michael Cagno came on last year as executive director.
The museum recently opened an annex at Dante Hall in Atlantic City, is involved with the ArtPort gallery project at Atlantic City International Airport and will have a presence in the new AtlantiCare facility when it opens in Atlantic City.
“This is one of the things Michael Cagno is known for. When he worked at the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts in Millville, community outreach was something he was really involved in. It's something that he's transferred here. It's all part of Michael's vision for the museum,” DeRosa said.
If you go ‘Aviation Art — The Beauty of Flight' through May 1 at the Noyes Museum, Lily Lake Road, Galloway Township.
Admission $4 for adults, $3 for
seniors and students. Call (609) 652-8848.
