THE AMERICAN VISIONARY ART MUSEUM
by Skylaire Alfvegren
Future exhibitions are no less imaginative or thought-provoking. "We Are Not Alone: Angels and Other Aliens," will open next Spring, with visionary depictions of extraterrestrials, elves and other spirit guides, as well as mediumistic art and man-made UFOs. "Lifestyles of the Down and Out: We Are All Lying in the Gutter But Some of Us are Looking at the Stars" will focus on the survival techniques and artistic creations of hermits, street people, the mentally ill, and the imprisoned. "History of Addiction: Colonial America through Today" will examine the profound influence drugs have had on mankind, from sacred use of mushrooms and mescaline to '60s LSD art. "People don't realize how widespread addiction to laudanum, opiates and alcohol was even 150 years ago. I would like to see something that gets drugs out of a racial or economic context and that places it into a human one." says Hoffberger.
"The city of Los Angeles has offered us ten acres for a west coast branch, but I'm still cleaning the toilets in the afternoon," says Hoffberger, who has devoted 14 years to the planning, fundraising and direction of the museum and puts in over 60 hours each week as an unpaid volunteer. While the museum became eligible to apply for federal money in November, lack of funds is a constant threat. "If we go under, it won't be because we didn't believe in what we were doing." says Hoffberger, who directs AVAM and its 15 full-time staffers with a $1.4 million annual budget. (In contrast, New York's Folk Art Museum, smaller than AVAM's second floor, operates on $3.4 million yearly).
AVAM is a testament to spirit conquering reality; both in its contents and its existence. "I think it was Alice Bailey who predicted Baltimore would be the spiritual capital of the world by the year 2000." says Hoffberger. There will be no place more fitting to celebrate its arrival.
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