Ava Gardner Blog /ava-gardner/blog/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:58:15 +0000 Meet Our Museum Manager /ava-gardner/blog/post/meet-our-museum-manager/ /ava-gardner/blog/post/meet-our-museum-manager/#comments /ava-gardner/blog/post/meet-our-museum-manager/ Fri, 21 Jun 2024 20:00:00 -0400

We thought it would be fun for our Ava Gardner Museum visitors, followers, and friends around the world to learn more about our new Museum Manager, Angelica Henry. Since starting in January 2024, she

]]> Singing Ava /ava-gardner/blog/post/singing-ava/ /ava-gardner/blog/post/singing-ava/#comments /ava-gardner/blog/post/singing-ava/ Wed, 08 May 2024 19:00:00 -0400

My personal journey to discovering Ava Gardner started in the autumn of 2014. On an off-chance, I found myself in North Carolina alone for a weekend. I had a car and a place to stay but no one around

]]> Gratitude for the Glamorous: Ava Gardner and Lana Turner /ava-gardner/blog/post/gratitude-for-the-glamorous-ava-gardner-and-lana-turner/ /ava-gardner/blog/post/gratitude-for-the-glamorous-ava-gardner-and-lana-turner/#comments /ava-gardner/blog/post/gratitude-for-the-glamorous-ava-gardner-and-lana-turner/ Thu, 07 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0500

Now, this may come as a shock to some, but the muddy, rainy British countryside is not the most glamorous place to grow up. Don’t believe what “Downton Abbey” or “Bridgerton” show you; for most of us,

]]> Director's Message for the New Year: "See You Soon!" /ava-gardner/blog/post/directors-message-for-the-new-year-see-you-soon/ /ava-gardner/blog/post/directors-message-for-the-new-year-see-you-soon/#comments /ava-gardner/blog/post/directors-message-for-the-new-year-see-you-soon/ Fri, 29 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0500

A new year. Turning the page. A new beginning. These phrases resonate with me right now, on my official last day as the Executive Director of the Ava Gardner Museum. It has been quite an adventure! I

]]> Holiday Greetings - December Newsletter /ava-gardner/blog/post/holiday-greetings-december-newsletter/ /ava-gardner/blog/post/holiday-greetings-december-newsletter/#comments /ava-gardner/blog/post/holiday-greetings-december-newsletter/ Tue, 19 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0500

Holiday Greetings from the Ava Gardner Museum staff and board of directors! As we wind down our two-year celebration of Ava’s 100th birthday, we want to revisit some highlights with all of you.

Ava 100 coconut cakeAva Gardner Festival attendees and board members

Ava

]]> An Open Letter to Ava Gardner at the Close of Her Centennial Celebrations /ava-gardner/blog/post/an-open-letter-to-ava-gardner-at-the-close-of-her-centennial-celebrations/ /ava-gardner/blog/post/an-open-letter-to-ava-gardner-at-the-close-of-her-centennial-celebrations/#comments /ava-gardner/blog/post/an-open-letter-to-ava-gardner-at-the-close-of-her-centennial-celebrations/ Tue, 12 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0500

As the Ava Gardner Museum celebrated a meaningful end to Ava’s centennial year this fall, one of the many activities included a visit to Ava’s Grave. Here is what I wish I could say to her:

Rebecca Johnson behind an Ava fan

Author

]]> 2023 Holiday Gift Guide /ava-gardner/blog/post/2023-holiday/ /ava-gardner/blog/post/2023-holiday/#comments /ava-gardner/blog/post/2023-holiday/ Tue, 05 Dec 2023 10:00:00 -0500

The holiday season is upon us once again and the countdown to Christmas is underway! As you plan to gather with friends and family over the holidays, let the Museum help you find the perfect gift for

]]> Breakfast at Dominique's & The Goddess Blend /ava-gardner/blog/post/breakfast-at-dominiques-the-goddess-blend/ /ava-gardner/blog/post/breakfast-at-dominiques-the-goddess-blend/#comments /ava-gardner/blog/post/breakfast-at-dominiques-the-goddess-blend/ Tue, 28 Nov 2023 12:00:00 -0500

Hello! My name is Dominique Benedict and I own Breakfast At Dominique's, the boutique coffee company creating the Official Ava Gardner Signature Coffee Blend fondly titled "The Goddess Blend."

My

]]> An Ava Fan in Madrid /ava-gardner/blog/post/an-ava-fan-in-madrid/ /ava-gardner/blog/post/an-ava-fan-in-madrid/#comments /ava-gardner/blog/post/an-ava-fan-in-madrid/ Thu, 19 Oct 2023 15:00:00 -0400

This past summer I visited Madrid in order to follow the life of Ava Gardner in the period from 1953 to 1968, when she lived in Spain. For a long time, I have wanted to travel to a place where Ava

]]> Recreating the Boxer Rebellion: 55 Days at Peking /ava-gardner/blog/post/recreating-the-boxer-rebellion-55-days-at-peking/ /ava-gardner/blog/post/recreating-the-boxer-rebellion-55-days-at-peking/#comments /ava-gardner/blog/post/recreating-the-boxer-rebellion-55-days-at-peking/ Thu, 12 Oct 2023 15:00:00 -0400

The film 55 Days at Peking (1963) takes us to Peking (now Beijing), China in the year 1900 at the time of the Boxer Rebellion. Ava Gardner stars as Russian Baroness Natalie Ivanoff, the love interest

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