The Walter Anderson Museum of Art is excited to bring Walter Anderson Week to the Ocean Springs area with a variety of events themed to the local legend and his interests. Events kick off Sept. 22. The week is touted as a celebration of kinship with nature inspired by the American Master, Walter Anderson, and the museum will honor Anderson’s love of the Gulf Coast’s flora, fauna, and culture through art, literature, music, food, and outdoor exploration and preservation. “The Anderson family has been the foundation of the arts community in Ocean Springs for over 90 years,” said Corey Christy, director of Membership and Community Development. “The museum brings in thousands of visitors that come to town to experience the legacy that Walter has left behind. Walter Anderson Week will highlight and celebrate with a variety of events that will offer something for a wide range of interest.” The week kicks off on Saturday with a number of events including the Historical Anderson Trail Bike Tour and the Beach Cleanup. The cleanup is based on what Walter would do and is an effort to help keep Front Beach beautiful. The bike trail is a leisurely ride for all ages beginning at The Greenhouse on Porter that will then visit several spots that have a connection to the Anderson family. “We started this event to offer a new way to learn about the history of the Anderson family in Ocean Springs,” said Corey Christy, director of Membership and Community Development. “It also combines two loves of Walter; biking and art.” The week continues on Sept. 23 with Luther Dickinson’s, along with special guests, third annual performance of his music inspired by Walter Anderson’s mural “The Seven Climates of Ocean Springs.” Tickets are $100 and include reserved seating, signature cocktails during the show and a private after-party with a special solo performance by Dickinson. On Sept. 25 there will be Anderson-inspired tours at the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center, and Sept. 28 will see the Walt-Ohr Anderson Clay Relief Tile Workshop at the Ohr O’Keefe Museum of Art as well as the Horn Island Experience on the Biloxi Schooner at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum. A special event for the week will be the Walter Anderson Legacy Celebration on Sept. 27. The celebration event is a cocktail reception honoring the legacy of Anderson as expressed today through his children, grandchildren and friends. The week closes with Walter Anderson day on Sept. 29, which includes free admission to the museum as well as a day full of free events, including Yoga in the Galleries with Moira Anderson, guided tours of the Shearwater at 90 Exhibit, a book signing and reading by Jack Davis, Walter Anderson plate designing for kids, the Unveiling of “Osprey Nest” a newly acquired original painting by Walter Anderson, and a time of recollection of the early days of the museum from former Executive Director Mark Tullos. For more information on Walter Anderson week, you can visit the WAMA website or find them on Facebook.
