On August 1, Nicolas Party hopped off the plane at DFW and ever since it has been a Party in the DMA. It only took the Swiss artist two weeks to transform the Museum’s Concourse into an enchantingly surreal landscape. Unconfined to a static sketch, each day the former graffiti artist added richly hued flora that simultaneously recalls forest floors and ocean depths. Visitors were entranced as he worked to bring his imaginative vision of a sanctuary for the people of Dallas to life. Check out the progression of the site-specific mural below.
And tomorrow, let the long weekend begin. Come experience the wonder of Nicolas Party: Pathway on Thursday evening and throw your hands up because we’ll be playing your song when DJ Wild in the Streets takes over the DMA patio. You’ll be nodding your head like yeah as we start the weekend early with 20% off crepes from Socca, fresh retro pop, funk, soul, and great company. See you there!
Photos of Nicolas Party in action
Julie Henley is the Communications and Marketing Coordinator at the DMA.
This year is the 25th anniversary of the DMA’s literary and performing arts series Arts & Letters Live! We celebrated this great achievement with a fantastic lineup of award-winning authors and performers earlier this spring, and then decided to extend the celebrating this fall. We’ve scheduled six programs that strongly connect to the DMA’s collection, and one of them is a wonderful book about celebrating our differences.
The Australian author Robert Hoge was born with a tumor the size of a tennis ball in the middle of his face and short, twisted legs. The surgeons were able to remove the tumor and built a new nose using one of his toes! He survived, but his face would never be the same.
This didn’t stop Robert, though. He played pranks, got into trouble, had adventures with his big family, and finally found a sport that was perfect for him to play. Then he had to come face to face with the biggest decision of his life: undergo a dangerous surgical procedure that might make him look less different but potentially make him blind, or live with his “ugly” face forever.
His memoir Ugly, designed for middle grade readers and older, offers a powerful message about being yourself, shaking off bullying, and accepting your appearance–themes we can all embrace!
At 2:00 p.m.: Join us for a pre-event tour of art that explores self-image and ideas of beauty, including Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait Very Ugly. Tour sign-up will begin 30 minutes prior to the start time. Tour space is limited and is first-come, first-served.
Arthur John Elsley, Hard Pressed (Any Port in a Storm/Late for School), 1898, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Kim Jordan.
Calling all teachers! We hope your back to school experience bears no resemblance to Arthur John Elsley’s Hard Pressed (Any Port in a Storm/Late for School), so we’d like to help you start the year off on the right note! Check out our Teacher page to discover upcoming opportunities and helpful tips for incorporating the DMA into your lesson plan this year.
Interested in visiting the Museum with your fellow teachers? You can schedule a Teacher In-Service here at the Museum, or register for an upcoming Teacher Workshop (more on that below!) We’re always looking for new ways to support and celebrate educators, so please be sure to sign up to receive our emails and check the box for Information for Teachers to stay connected.
Spoon with Jackal Handle, ca. 1539-1292 B.C.E., wood, Brooklyn Museum. Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.623E, Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt is organized by the Brooklyn Museum
Sphinx of King Sheshenq, ca. 945-718 B.C.E., Bronze, Brooklyn Museum. Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 33.586, Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt is organized by the Brooklyn Museum
Cat with Kittens, ca. 664-30 B.C.E. or later, bronze, wood, Brooklyn Museum. Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.406E, Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt is organized by the Brooklyn Museum
Figure of a Cat. From Egypt. Ptolemaic Period–Roman Period, 305 B.C.E.–first century C.E. Wood, gilded gesso, bronze, rock crystal, glass, Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.1945E, Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt is organized by the Brooklyn Museum
Here at the DMA, we’re looking forward to the opening of the claw-some new exhibition Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt on Sunday, October 9, and we want educators to take part in the fun with a Teacher Workshop. The exhibition explores the role of cats and lions in ancient Egyptian mythology, kingship, and everyday life, featuring material from the Brooklyn Museum’s world-famous Egyptian collection. Our workshop on Saturday, October 22, will provide educators with the opportunity to enjoy the exhibition before public hours while learning strategies to teach, interpret, and use works of art in the classroom and Museum galleries. Register here–What more purr-suasion do you need? Space is limited, so sign-up right meow!
We look forward to seeing you and your students at the DMA this fall, and we wish you a smooth start to the new school year!
Dogs are said to be man’s best friend, but can they also be his muse? The following artists sure thought so! These four-legged friends were never far from their master’s side, eager to give a bark of approval for work well done or a shake of the muzzle to try again, and, in dire circumstances, to lend their tail as an extra paint brush. These furry entourages inspired, encouraged, and lent a paw whenever they could to their famous owners. Happy National Dog Day to the creative canines behind the canvas!
Once upon a time, in a kingdom called the Dallas Museum of Art, a group of talented young wizards from the nearby land of Pariveda decided to create an enchanted portal. Far better than your run of the mill magic mirror, the portal gave all, far and wide, a glimpse into 5,000 years of the realm’s riches. Royalty and peasants alike could go behind castle lines with specially curated content like audio tours and insider guides, all without fear of being thrown into the dungeon. Word of mouth and carrier pigeons became practically obsolete with the portal’s interactive map, filterable calendar, favorites queue, and instant social media sharing. If that weren’t enough, with a mere shake of their scrolls a random treasure would pop up to explore!
The wizards saw how much joy the portal brought the kingdom and decided to share it with all. They named their creation the DMA app and made it available on iOS devices!
And they all lived APPily ever after . . . Download today to experience the wonder.
Meet the Wizards:
Reed Correa Texas A&M University, Management Information Systems
Hey there! In building the DMA app, I worked to pull back artwork in the permanent collection, displaying details about that artwork, and displaying tour media information. My favorite work in the Museum is probably the Sporting Cup designed by Ashbee. I came across it while testing the search function. There are a number of cups and they became my favorite search. I love the turquoise color on it!
Philip Gai Baylor University, Computer Science
Hi! My central tasks in building the DMA app were developing the home page, the exploration guide pages, and the shake for a random art piece feature. After working with so much art information for the guides, I definitely came to appreciate art in a new way. The Wittgenstein Vitrine is definitely my favorite artwork at the DMA!
Nick Graham University of Oklahoma, Computer Science
Hi! I created the “At the Museum” page, which gives an overview of events on the DMA calendar. Additionally, I worked to make audio-video tour content accessible from the app. I enjoyed the opportunity to work in this unique environment with so many beautiful works of art. During this summer, I have grown to especially like the Wittgenstein Vitrine and Piet Mondrian’s Windmill.
Derik Hasvold Brigham Young University, Provo, Information Systems
Hi! Helping build the DMA’s mobile app was fantastic. One thing I worked on is the ability to filter through the Museum’s art collection to find artwork you are interested in. This feature helped me realize one thing: I love sculptures! There are some sweet sculptures in the Sculpture Garden; some of my favorites are Willy and Dallas Snake. If it weren’t for this amazing app, this is something I might never have discovered.
Mary Kate Nawalaniec University of Notre Dame, Electrical Engineering
Hey! I primarily worked on the Map features for the app. During our time at the DMA, Samantha Robinson was gracious enough to give us the history behind the Wittgenstein Vitrine. She provided interesting insight into the process of acquiring and restoring art pieces. I have a greater appreciation for the work curators do to track down pieces like the vitrine. It’ll be hard to top having the DMA as office space!
Julie Henley is the Communications and Marketing Coordinator at the DMA.
Just last week the Museum released the DMA app, allowing visitors to engage with the collection, but the Museum has a long history of using technology to enhance the learning experience.
Students working with Artifacts, the Museum’s interactive computer video program during The Shogun Age in 1984.
The first efforts began in 1984 when the DMA launched Artifacts (not to be confused with the 21st century version of Artifacts – the DMA Member magazine), a suite of interactive video computer programs that provided visitors a one-on-one learning experience for the Museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions. “Combining visual images, through the use of video, with the stored information and access capability of a computer, a simple user-friendly system has been developed. Artifacts enable to the user to become involved with the program content rather than the mechanical operation of the machine, by the use of a light pen placed directly on a video monitor screen.”(DMA Bulletin, Summer 1984, page 27) Through Artifacts visitors were able to access information not available on text labels in the galleries providing context and greater appreciation of the artworks.
Today, a team of staff and intern programmers from Pariveda Solutions created the interactive app over the summer. Mary Mills, Administrator of Visual Resources, created Artifacts after two years of research and development, and had to learn both video production and computer programming, since Artifacts was the first system of its kind to be developed for an art museum.
The tools have vastly evolved over time but the idea of using technology to give visitors a more engaging experience at the DMA has stayed the same.
Hillary Bober is the Archivist at the Dallas Museum of Art.
The Education team works very hard to make your summer vacation fun and exciting for families and kids of all ages. So it only makes sense that we play just as hard! Some of us had some big art-related vacations, exciting camping adventures, and we had a lot of fun working in between (with or without our pups!). Check out some of our summer highlights!
Madeleine visited Mykonos, an island in Greece known for it’s bright blue skies, windmills and clear water.
Madeleine and her friends at the Basilica of the Annunciation with the US’s mosaic. Each country has one!
Madeleine stayed with her friend’s family in Israel. This is the view of the Mediterranean from her house!
Madeleine finally visited the Acropolis! A dream she’s had since her first art history class in high school.
Emily led a touch tour in the Sculpture Garden for students from DISD with vision impairment.
After Emily’s touch tour, everyone made a Minimalist sculpture inspired by Richard Serra using cookies!
George and his Uncle Cosmo celebrated the Fourth of July in style!
George also prepared a dog-themed nursery for his future BFF. Crib skirt and dog pillow by Leah.
Sarah stayed close to home and visited the Fort Worth Zoo with her son Rhys.
Rhys enjoyed watching the playful penguins and his favorite animal, zebra!
Leah hiking in Utah with her sister.
Leah and her sisters about to do a ropes course at the Olympic Park in Park City, Utah.
Amanda taught at MoMA as part of The Art of Examination forum.
While in New York, Amanda and her mom saw the Broadway musical Matilda.
Amanda saw the Martin Creed installation at the Park Avenue Armory while in New York.
Lindsay took a selfie with this Renaissance-inspired mirror while at an antique store on King Street.
Lindsay visited her parents in Charleston, South Carolina.
Lindsay captured a Gone With the Wind sunset while in the Lowcountry Region of South Carolina.
Lindsay’s pup Hattie celebrated Independence Day (with a bandana from Whitney Sirois)!
Andi visited Epcot and Disney World in June.
Andi went on a safari at Disney World and hung out with giraffes!
Jessica’s family hit the open road this summer!
Jessica’s family camped out, ate s’mores, and hiked through the Badlands.
Jessica’s daughter Julia loved seeing Mount Rushmore up close and personal!
DMA Arts & Letters Live, the Museum’s acclaimed literary and performing arts series, announced a “but wait there’s more!” extension of its 25th anniversary season this week with six author events for the fall.
I’m particularly excited that each of these carefully selected programs dovetails with the DMA’s collection, and we’re offering pre-event tours so that people can explore connections between the featured books and art currently on view.
Here’s the scoop and a few tidbits on why we selected them.
Australian author Robert Hoge wowed us with his TEDx talk, sharing his own poignant and personal story of being born with a tumor on his face and disfigured legs. His memoir for adults and now middle grade students, Ugly addresses life, love, beauty, imperfection, and pain, so his story will resonate with a wide variety of ages. Hoge says, “We all have scars only we can own.” Our pre-event tour will focus on Frida Kahlo’s Self Portrait Very Ugly and stir discussion about self-perception and ideas of beauty.
Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1908, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Meadows Foundation, Incorporated, 1981.128
Ross King returns to the DMA by popular demand with his new book, Mad Enchantment, about the beloved artist Claude Monet and the creation of his famous water lily paintings. He argues that there is more than meets the eye with these serene images of beauty, examining the complexity behind them and the frustrations and challenges that Monet overcame to create them. A docent will discuss the DMA’s iconic painting of water lilies and other Impressionist highlights before the event.
Candice Millard’s brilliant new biography, Hero of the Empire, pinpoints the little-known story of young Winston Churchill’s Indiana Jones–like adventures, including a bold escape from prison camp during the Boer War. Millard offers keen insights on how the lessons Churchill learned in the midst of these challenges related to his achievements and legacy as prime minister later in his life. Before the event, enjoy a gallery talk about Winston Churchill’s friendship with Wendy and Emery Reves and see his paintings and belongings on view in the Reves Collection.
One of the most buzzworthy books this summer, garnering more than 250 stellar reviews on Amazon, Yaa Gyasi’s epic debut novel, Homegoing, begins with two half-sisters in 18th-century Ghana—one married off to a wealthy Englishman, the other sold into slavery—and traces the lives of their descendants to 20th-century America. (FYI: Knopf acquired the novel for more than $1 million from the then 25-year-old author!). Pulitzer Prize–winning critic Margo Jefferson adored Gyasi’s novel and will discuss it with her as well as her own National Book Critics Circle Award–winning memoir, Negroland. Before the event, join curator Dr. Roslyn Walker in the galleries to explore works of art from Ghana.
British author Hannah Rothschild knows the art world—she comes from a prominent art-collecting family and is the first woman chair of the National Gallery in London. Rothschild is coming to the DMA in her only US appearance for the paperback release of her debut novel, The Improbability of Love. The New York Times hailed it as “a frolicsome art-world caper,” and Elizabeth Gilbert called it “an inspired feast of clever delights.” In it, Annie McDee stumbles upon a grimy painting in a secondhand shop that turns out to be a lost masterpiece by one of the most important French artists of the 18th century. While searching for the painting’s identity, Annie will unwittingly uncover some of the darkest secrets of European history as well as the possibility of falling in love again. Before the event, don’t miss the chance to hear Dr. Nicole Myers, The Lillian and James H. Clark Curator of European Painting and Sculpture, highlight 18th–century French paintings in the DMA’s collection.
We’ve had several requests to bring in the #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell on audience surveys, so we are excited to cap off our 25th anniversary season with twenty-five years of Cornwell’s popular high-stakes series starring medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta. Cornwell will share insights about her new novel, Chaos, involving a cyberbully; her creative process in researching and writing her books; and her theory that artist Walter Sickert was Jack the Ripper. Fans can purchase VIP experience tickets that include a wine and cheese reception with the author, a hardcover copy of Chaos, reserved premium seating, and a book signing fast-track pass.
You can make DMA Arts & Letters Live your own book club—invite your friends to join you for these unique and inspiring evenings combining books and art!
Carolyn Bess is the Director of Arts & Letters Live at the DMA.
As another fantastic summer comes to an end, it’s time to start looking forward to a fall season full of fun. To get involved in the excitement, consider becoming a volunteer!
Go van Gogh is currently recruiting outreach volunteers for the 2016-2017 school year to help us lead classroom programs across Dallas! We’re seeking volunteers who love working with children, have a passion for art, and want to give back to the community.
Go van Gogh volunteers help facilitate and teach programs in elementary classrooms that encourage students to look closely at works of art in the Museum’s collection and express their creativity through art making activities.
Interested volunteers must attend bi-monthly training sessions held Tuesday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Additionally, volunteers are asked to teach two programs per month from early October to mid-May. Programs are scheduled on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning.
All applications are due by Thursday, September 8, so hurry and submit your application here. If you’d like additional information, feel free to send an email to volunteers@DMA.org. We hope you’ll Go van Gogh around Dallas with us this year!
On Tuesday, we celebrated Amanda with a book-themed baby shower for her upcoming addition, Edie. Being the artistic bunch we are, the creativity abounded with children’s book inspired bites (green eggs and ham quiche, anyone?), Westie George bookplates (great work Emily!), and other book-centric decor. Our very talented Jennifer even created a DIY alphabet book for attendees to illustrate! Check out our pics and this post to find inspiration for your own artful book-themed gathering!
