Archive for July, 2010

Friday Photo Post: Texas Space

Published July 30, 2010 Friday Photos , works of art 2 Comments
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People often say that Texas has a unique quality of space, and some artists have tried to capture this sense of space.  Look at a few artist’s images of Texas in the DMA’s collections.  Then, show us your idea of Texas space in a photograph.  You are invited to contribute photographs to an interactive display that will be part of the next Center for Creative Connections exhibition Encountering Space, which opens on September 25, 2010.  Visit TEXAS SPACE on Flickr and upload your photographs.  Look below for more details about this opportunity to show off your photographs!

Dallas Skyline by George Grosz

West Texas Landscape by Harry Callahan

El Paso St., El Paso, Texas, July 5, 1975 by Stephen Shore

Guidelines for submitting photos of Texas Space:

  • Feel free to submit multiple photos.
  • Both color and B/W images are welcome.
  • The higher the resolution, the better to show off your photos.
  • It is our intention to include all images; however, the DMA staff reserves the right to omit submissions that are inappropriate in nature.
  • By submitting your photograph, you allow the DMA the right to display it on a monitor within the exhibition and on the Museum’s website. Your name will not be attached to the image.
  • Special Note: In order to have your photos appear in a Flickr Group, you must first create your own personal Flickr account, and that personal account must have at least five images uploaded on it. Please check your account, and if necessary, upload a few more images to ensure your photos are included in the C3 group.
  • To submit, upload your photos to this Flickr group: Texas Space at Flickr  http://www.flickr.com/groups/dmatexas/

Nicole Stutzman
Director of Teaching Programs and Partnerships

A Sense of Place

Published July 29, 2010 Art & Teaching Closed

Last week, fifteen middle school and high school teachers from around the area participated in the 2010 Museum Forum for Teachers: Modern and Contemporary Art.  During the full day sessions, teachers deepened their understanding of contemporary art and architecture through gallery experiences and discussions with Museum staff, as well as with each other.   Each day was spent at one of five Dallas–Fort Worth institutions: Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Kimbell Art Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and The Rachofsky House.

There were five themes and ideas that were discussed throughout the week and each institution addressed one or more these through writing, sketching, discussion, or creative responses.

  • A Sense of Place
  • Absence and Presence
  • Memory and Fragmentation
  • Collecting and the Creative Process
  • History as Subject

For me, the thematic connection to “place” was the most thought-provoking and inspiring.   Although a museum is a place that protects works of art and objects, the building itself can be a treasure.  Many of the museum buildings visited during the Forum, like the Kimbell, The Modern, and the Nasher Sculpture Center,  were designed to have a direct relationship with natural light and the outside world.

No space, architecturally, is a space unless it has natural light.    –  Louis Kahn

Place is also communicated through the artwork of Richard Long, Hamish Fulton, and Robert Smithson as they relay their experiences with the natural world through words and materials like sand and stones.  All of these experiences with place, whether I was responding to a work of art or feeling the texture of a wall or column, allowed time for me to look closely and thoughtfully consider my surroundings.

Here are a few images from the 2010 Museum Forum:
Continue reading ‘A Sense of Place’

Cast Your Vote for the DMA and Nickelodeon's Parent's Picks!

Published July 27, 2010 Museum Insight Closed
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The Dallas Museum of Art is nominated for Nickelodeon’s Parentsconnect Parent’s Picks Awards for Best Museum in DFW!  The Parents’ Picks Awards is a nationwide online poll that allows parents to vote for their favorite family places, products and parenting tips.  Help us make the DMA a TOP PICK.  Vote for the DMA online at www.parentsconnect.com/parents-picks from July 7th until August 31st.

Friday Photo Post

Published July 23, 2010 Friday Photos , works of art Closed
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 The Dallas Museum of Art  is full of works of art from around the world. In today’s post, I am focusing on my favorite paintings from Europe and America. Buckle your seatbelt and enjoy your trip!

Amy Wolf
Coordinator of Gallery Teaching

Coming Soon: The 2010-2011 School Year

Published July 21, 2010 Art & Teaching , Museum Insight Closed
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It’s hard to believe that the summer is almost over.  It seems like just yesterday that Amy and I were blogging about the end of the 2009-2010 school year and now we’re both preparing to schedule Go van Gogh programs and Museum visits for the 2010-2011 school year.

The Museum has an exciting exhibition schedule for the fall, and we will offer a variety of programs, including Teacher Workshops, Go van Gogh programs, and docent-guided visits, inspired by these exhibitions.  You can find more information on our Web site.

I am especially excited to offer the following special exhibition visits for the coming year.  These are topics that will appeal not only to art teachers, but to English and social studies teachers as well:

A complete listing of Teacher Workshops will be available in August, and we will begin taking reservations for Museum visits and Go van Gogh on August 1st (request forms will be available online).  Our calendars fill quickly, so schedule your programs early. We look forward to seeing you and your students at the DMA during the coming year!

Shannon Karol
Coordinator of Museum Visits

The Color Yellow

Published July 16, 2010 Friday Photos , works of art Closed

Today’s post reveals  more about the way I see the world.   I often have a “color of the day” that I look for in my everyday surroundings.   My color for today is  yellow. Thus far, I have noticed 9 business signs, 14 automobiles, 3 shirts, and 4 houses with yellow flowers near the front entrance.   

This morning I went into the galleries and the following artworks caught my eye.    

Gerald Murphy, Watch, 1925

Miguel Covarrubias, Genesis, The Gift of Life, 1954 

Robert Delaunay, The Eiffel Tower, 1924

Panel with rectangles of blue and yellow feathers, c. 650 – 840 A.D., Peru

If you had to choose a color of the day, what color would you choose?

Until next time….

Jenny Marvel
Manager of Programs and Resources for Teachers

July Late Night

Published July 15, 2010 Museum Insight Closed
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Late Nights at the Dallas Museum of Art

Visit the Web site for a complete schedule of events.

Community Connection: It's All About the Kids

Published July 14, 2010 Community Connection , People Closed
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Even though school is not in session, we work with many children through tours and outreach programs during the summer months.  We partner with YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas in a weeklong program that includes two interactive Museum tours along with three art-making visits to the branches.  Town North YMCA and Oak Cliff Boys & Girls Club have participated in this partnerhip for several years, and their staff (Katherine from Town North YMCA and Cherri from Oak Cliff Boys & Girls Club) participated in planning sessions for this summer’s program.

 
 

Katherine Ansley, Child Care Director of Town North YMCA

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Katherine:  The best thing about it is working with the kids.  When everything on the administrative side is crazy, I know I can go and play a game of Battleship and relax for a bit.  Spending time with the kids reminds me that everything is not as bad as I think it is.  It helps you forget about yourself for a second, which is really great.

Cherri:  The kids. I get paid to be around kids every day.

You have been a strong supporter of the DMA partnership program.  What motivates you to make sure your students have this experience?

Katherine:  I think it’s valuable. I always remember a field trip to a museum in elementary school.  I saw a piece of art and I just wanted to sit there and look at it.  I was fortunate to have a teacher who let me do that, and I want to make sure other kids can have that moment.

Cherri:  I want the kids to be exposed to everything.  I don’t want them to be limited. We live in an urban area, and I want to expose them to as much as possible.  Art is for everyone, and that is my belief.  Plus, I love art.

 

Cherri Rowe, Program Coordinator at Oak Cliff Boys & Girls Club

The YMCAs and Boys & Girls Clubs are very busy places during the summer.  How do you unwind after a full day or week of work?

Katherine:  When it’s been a real stressful day, my best friend usually takes me for sushi.  That is the best way for me to chill out.  Sushi is fun because you can try new things.

Cherri:  I love to read and I love to bowl – I’m crazy about bowling.  I go to the movies.  I sleep.  I’ll go outside and sit on my porch and write. Sometimes I have to get out of the house and relax, and sometimes I want to stay in. I love to hang out with my sisters or my mom.

One of our summer tours is called Summer Vacation, and we ask the students where they would most like to travel during the summer.  If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Katherine:  I would love to go to Rome, because I want to see the ruins and architecture there.  It’s fascinating to see how they did all that stuff without modern technology.

 Cherri:  Italy. I would take two months off work and tour the entire country.  I would stay two or three days in each city.  Italy seems so beautiful and has so much history.

Melissa Nelson
Manager of Teaching in the Community

DFS + DMA = Summer Film Fun

Published July 9, 2010 Art & Teaching Closed
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Mark Menza teaches sound design for film at the DMA.

The second annual offering of Film Workshops for youth are in full swing this summer at the DMA.  Dallas Film Society is a key partner for these workshops, recruiting film industry professionals from the area to lead workshops at the Museum.  Workshop topics include cinematography, sound design, costuming and set design, animation, acting, and screen writing.

Nicole Stutzman
Director of Teaching Programs and Partnerships

Zombie make-up for these young stars!

Stop-motion animation set

What's Not to Love About Being a Teen Docent?!?

Published July 7, 2010 Art & Teaching , Creativity , Museum Insight , People 4 Comments
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Did you know that we have a group of twenty-seven Teen Docents who lead tours at the DMA each summer?  We are lucky to be the fearless leaders of the Teen Docent program, and we both love working with this talented and enthusiastic group of students.  The Teen Docent program was started because the Museum believes that teens have a unique ability to capture the interest of our youngest visitors and help them to see how works of art relate to their lives.  

Amy and Shannon with some of the Teen Docents

 

Teen Docents are wonderful at sparking imagination in the children they tour, and their enthusiasm in the galleries is contagious.  Some of the teens are new to the program this summer, and some have been with us for three or more years.  The Teen Docents come from a variety of backgrounds, but one thing that they all have in common is their excitement for sharing works of art with children.  

Amy and Shannon with even more Teen Docents

 

We asked some of the teens to reflect on their role at the Museum, and here are their responses: 

  • “If I were able to better someone’s experience at the DMA, and not only mine, it would make being a Teen Docent at the DMA worth every minute of my time.”
  • “I enjoy assisting others in creative ways.  It is wonderful to be around warm smiles and beautiful pieces of art.”
  • “I just want to be able to contribute to the greatness of the museum and in the process learn more about it.  I want to show people how much fun museums are and that it’s not nerdy to love museums.”
  • “I like touring children that have an excitement for the art.  I want to hear their perspectives about certain pieces and try to pass on interesting information they might not know.”
  • “My whole life, I have had an interest in art and I want to continue to feed that interest.  I enjoy learning about different styles of art and artists and what better way than at the museum.  Last year, I enjoyed my time as a Teen Docent enormously and I look forward to making new friends, memories, and continuing my study of art.” 

 

It’s not too late to schedule a visit to the DMA for your group this summer.  Teen Docents will be touring through mid-August, and we would love to welcome your students for a Color My World or A Looking Journey tour.  Email tours@DallasMuseumofArt.org to schedule your visit! 

Amy Copeland and Shannon Karol
Coordinators of Go van Gogh and Museum Visits

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