Every year, the Everson hosts its annual Summer Picnic, a fundraiser honoring members of the community who have helped shape Central New York through their gifts of leadership and strong convictions that art and creative expression enhance our quality of life. The Picnic takes place outside of the Museum on the Community Plaza, where honorees receive the Everson Medal thanking them for their service and recognizing their incredible support of the Museum. In 2001, the Everson selected a “Sports and Arts” theme for the Picnic as a way to recognize the multiple talents of its two honorees, Jim Ridlon and Roy Simmons Jr. Both Ridlon and Simmons are sports legends as well as artists with a long history of exhibiting their work at the Everson. Ridlon first exhibited his work at the Everson in a solo exhibition in 1974, then in many group shows over the years. His work is currently on display at the Museum in Jim Ridlon: The Garden. Simmons had solo exhibitions at the Everson in 1966 and 1975 and participated in several group shows as well. Both are represented in the Everson’s collection. With a sense of humor, the Everson advertised the Summer Picnic with this poster, which is a clever reinterpretation of Édouard Manet’s nineteenth century painting Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe (The Luncheon on the Grass). Manet’s figures are replaced with caricatures of Ridlon, a newscaster, and Simmons, surrounded by a picnic lunch and their art-making materials. While the Everson is currently closed, you can visit our Facebook page to experience a 360° tour of Jim Ridlon: The Garden.
-Steffi Chappell, Assistant Curator Note: Records do not indicate who designed this poster. Please contact the Museum if you have any information about the artist!
