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Public Art in Dallas

Published October 15, 2013 Community Connection , works of art 2 Comments
Tags: art park, Dallas, Genesis, mural, public art, Public ArtWalk Dallas, sculpture

I have always been drawn to public works of art. Not only is public art accessible to all, but it also adds color, encourages discussion and reflection, and creates a unique voice for a city.

Being new to Dallas, I have enjoyed exploring the city and discovering its public art along the way. Not only do we have several examples here in the Dallas Arts District, there will also be a plethora of new works to view beginning this weekend! It would be impossible to include every example in a single blog post, but here are a few of my favorites so far:

Leni Schwendinger, SpectraScape, 2009

Created by Leni Schwendinger in 2009, SpectraScape is an interactive work of art located in Main Street Garden. Spectrascape is composed of bands of light that respond to human activity and movement. The artwork welcomes visitors into the park and encourages play and curiosity.

Deep Ellum Art Park

The Deep Ellum Art Park is filled with outdoor murals and sculptures that were created by dozens of local artists, including Frank Campagna, Tyson Summers, and Dan Colcer. The vibrant works of art add life to the gray, concrete pillars that make up Highway 75.

Marta Pan, Floating Sculpture, 1973, City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs Public Art Collection.

Found in the reflecting pool outside of City Hall, Floating Sculpture is composed of two bright red spheres that spin and glide along the surface of the water. Created by sculptor Marta Pan in 1973, Floating Sculpture was originally displayed in New York’s Central Park before finding its home here in Dallas.

Shepard Fairey, 331 Singleton Blvd, 2012

In 2012, muralist Shepard Fairey was invited by the Dallas Contemporary to create several murals in the West Dallas area. I love the bold design of Fairey’s murals and admire his vision of creating works of art that convey messages of peace and harmony.

Miguel Covarrubias, Genesis, the Gift of Life, 1954, City of Dallas, Gift of Peter and Waldo Stewart and the Stewart Company, 1992

One of my favorite works of public art in Dallas is right here at the DMA! Every time I drive past the museum’s entrance, Genesis, the Gift of Life immediately catches my eye. The mosaic mural was created by artist Miguel Covarrubias and although it was originally commissioned for the city’s Stewart Building, it moved to its current location in 1990s.

Do you have a favorite work of public art here in Dallas? Go on your own art adventure and see what new works of public art you can find!

Amy Elms
McDermott Intern for Visitor Engagement

Friday Photos: Go van Goulash and Other Recipes for Great Outreach

Published October 11, 2013 Art & Teaching , Creativity , Friday Photos , Just for Fun 1 Comment
Tags: Go van Gogh, recipe, volunteers

Just this morning, Go van Gogh staff wrapped up the last of our Welcome Back training sessions for volunteers—school outreach is officially in full swing! To get everyone back in a Go van Gogh mindset, we asked our returning volunteers to reflect on classroom teaching experiences by writing a “recipe” for what they think makes a great Go van Gogh program.

We asked to volunteers to:

think about the ingredients they’d need for a program to go smoothly,
consider the techniques they’d use to combine these ingredients,
and articulate what they hoped their efforts would yield.

Fifteen minutes and several cleverly-titled recipes later, we had a great mix of creative, thoughtful, and inspiring methods for teaching to send us off into the classrooms this fall. See the photos below for tips on how we create the perfect Go van Gyro/Goulash/Stew!

Amy Copeland
Manager of Go van Gogh and Community Teaching Programs

DIY Treasure Jars

Published October 9, 2013 Creativity , DIY Tutorial Closed
Tags: Collecting, DIY, family projects, found object artwork, Mason jar, Treasures

I love collecting treasures–sparkly buttons, keys, postcards, rocks, shells, ticket stubs…and the list goes on! However, at a certain point, I run out of room for these special mementos and they end up scattered about my living space. I discovered that treasure jars help to both organize and beautifully display my favorite objects. These adorable jars can be used to decorate your home or office and they make excellent gifts as well. It’s a fast, easy, and fun project, perfect for kids too!

What You Need:

Mason jars (or any glass jars with lids)
Found objects able to fit inside the jar
Modeling clay
Floral wire
Scissors
Clear tape

Step 1

Choose your special treasures and divide them up into small groups. You can divide them by theme, by color, by the time or place you received them–whatever you like.

Step 2

Adhere paper and other delicate treasures to a piece of floral wire with clear tape. You can also wrap them if the object allows (children may need help with this).

Step 3

Gather as many mason jars as you would like to use, making sure they are clean and dry. Remove the lid and press modeling clay firmly into the center, making sure to leave a little bit of space on the outer edge so that the lid is able to be screwed on.

Step 4

Press your items on floral wire into the clay.

Step 5

Press any other objects you would like to use into the clay, again making sure not to block the outer edge of the lid.

Step 6

This part is a bit tricky! Turn your jar upside down and guide your items inside. Slowly screw on the lid.

Step 7

Decorate the outside of the jar with stickers, ribbons, or other materials. Voila! You’ve just made your very own treasure jar!

Use your treasure jars however you like! I used mine to decorate my desk at the DMA–they bring a pop of color and remind me of the magic behind each object.

Amelia Wood
McDermott Intern for Family and Access Teaching

Friday Photos: Insta Interns

Published October 4, 2013 Friday Photos , Museum Insight , People Closed
Tags: DMA Friends, Go van Gogh, Hotel Texas, McDermott Interns, Sculpture Garden, The Sixth Floor Museum, The Warehouse

This week marks the completion of the first month of the McDermott Internship Program–and quite an exciting month it has been! For most of us, this month has involved moving, exploring a new city, meeting new friends and, most importantly, starting a new job. With the first month drawing to a close, I thought it was only appropriate to look back at this amazing, whirlwind month and share some of our fun “behind-the-scenes” photos. So, let’s begin the Insta Intern Tour: Our First 30 days as McDermott Interns as seen via Instagram.

Our first day at the DMA was September 3, which primarily served as an orientation day. We enjoyed coffee and bagels as we filled out our employment paperwork, took photographs for our employee badges and learned the basics of navigating our way around the building. The highlight of the day, however, was the trip to the so-called Intern Pit. Most of the interns have a desk in this office area and we were excited to discover that our official plaques had already found their home!

Later that week, we took the DMA’s Artist Personality Quiz to discover our DMA Art Doppelganger. The quiz provided a fun introduction to the DMA’s collection and we all found that it was extremely accurate in it’s suggestions! Personally, I was very happy to identify myself as a Claude Monet 🙂

As McDermott Interns, we have had the privilege of touring the collections with our wonderful curators. These tours have helped us learn more about the different collection areas, the history of collecting at the DMA, and the curator’s considerations when they are designing the layouts for the galleries. Nature or Abundance by Leon Frederic immediately caught my eye during our tour of the European Galleries on Level 2.

On September 10th, we took our first off-site intern tour to the Sixth Floor Museum. The collection was very informative and engaging and helped to provide contextual information for Hotel Texas: An Art Exhibition for the President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy. As many of us are from out-of-state, it was interesting to learn about this piece of Dallas’ history and the continuing impact of President John F. Kennedy’s legacy today.

One of our favorite lunch spots is the DMA’s Sculpture Garden. Its light shade, beautiful sculptures and soothing waterfalls provide the perfect break from the office.

A few weeks in, my desk was finally beginning to look lived-in! It is now decorated with exhibition catalogues, postcards from my travels, an homage to my alma mater, plenty of coffee mugs, and a welcome poster from the FAST Education Team.

Recently, we received a behind-the-scenes tour of the DMA’s enormous art storage. Registrar Anne Lenhart guided us through the various spaces and pulled out a few of our favorite pieces so we could take a closer look! Here we are viewing Arkadia’s Last Resort by Jess.

Many of the interns have been very active in the DMA Friends program, earning credit for attending Gallery Talks, Lectures, Late Nights, and other events around the Museum. We recently traded-in our Friends points for DMA catalogues!

As the McDermott Intern for Gallery and Community teaching, I am responsible for driving the swanky Go Van Gogh van to participant elementary schools throughout Northwest Texas. The Go Van Gogh program brings the DMA collections out into the community and allows children to learn about and create their own art! See you on the road!

The three photographs above document our off-site field trip to The Warehouse. This amazing gallery space houses a stunning collection of contemporary art, approximately 1/3 of which is co-owned by the DMA! The current exhibition is titled Parallel View: Italian and Japanese Art from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.

And this is what happens when interns receive baked treats. Thank you to all DMA employees for making us feel welcome!

Artworks Shown:

Léon Frédéric, Nature or Abundance (detail), 1897, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, Mrs. John B. O’Hara Fund
Jess, Arkadia’s Last Resort; or, Fête Champêtre Up Mnemosyne Creek (detail), 1976, Dallas Museum of Art, General Acquisitions Fund

Hayley Prihoda
McDermott Intern for Gallery and Community Teaching

Community Exchange

Published October 3, 2013 Community Connection , Creativity 1 Comment
Tags: Center for Creative Connections, Community, Jim Hodges, participatory

From October 5, 2013 through January 12, 2014, C3 will be hosting a community exchange project in conjunction with our new exhibition, Jim Hodges: Give More Than You Take. The exhibition subtitle is a reflection of Hodges’ thoughts about what it means to be an artist and to have a voice in our community. Inspired by this idea of the power of our individual voices, we wanted to offer a chance for DMA visitors to consider how they might use their voice in creative and positive ways.

After visiting the exhibition in the Barrel Vault, walk down to C3 to participate. Express your voice by creating a button with a personal motto that you’d like to share. Exchange your button for one left by another visitor and wear it out into the community. Then, make a positive gesture in your community by giving that button to somebody else.

Check out some of the responses we received when we asked visitors about their personal mottoes.

What will you say with your voice?

Jessica Fuentes
C3 Gallery Coordinator

Get Schooled at the DMA

Published October 1, 2013 Art & Teaching , Resources Closed
Tags: Art, CPE hours, Dallas Holocaust Museum, Educator Block Party, Hodges, Hopper, Old Red Museum, Perot Museum, Provocative Comparisons, Sixth Floor Museum, teacher workshops

Want to explore the DMA’s collection or special exhibitions before the Museum is open to the public all while earning CPE hours? Our Teacher Workshops give you an opportunity to do just that. Held on select Saturdays from 9:00 am—12:30 pm, K-12 teachers of all disciplines are invited to join us for conversations and interactive gallery experiences. We are hosting three workshops this fall, and the links below take you directly to registration information.

Provocative Comparisons: A New Approach to Teaching with Artworks
Saturday, October 12

Discover new and unexpected connections across the Museum. Teachers will contemplate thought-provoking cross-cultural comparisons in the DMA’s encyclopedic collection. This workshop presents a new way to frame conversations about artworks, and teachers will gain access to resources and tools they can use in their classroom.

Jim Hodges, Untitled (Gate), 1991, copyright Jim Hodges

Jim Hodges, Untitled (Gate), 1991, © Jim Hodges

Jim Hodges: Give More Than You Take
Saturday, November 2

Contemporary artist Jim Hodges excels at poetic gestures of conceptual art using materials that range from the everyday to the precious. Teachers will have the unique opportunity to explore the ephemeral nature of Hodges’ work. We will also investigate themes of relationships, beauty, and transformation throughout Hodges’ career.

Edward Hopper, Study for Nighthawks, 1942, Whitney Museum of American Art, copyright Heirs of Josephine N. Hopper, licensed by the Whitney Museum of American Art. Digital Image, copyright Whitney Museum of American Art, NY

Edward Hopper, Study for Nighthawks, 1942, Whitney Museum of American Art, © Heirs of Josephine N. Hopper, licensed by the Whitney Museum of American Art. Digital Image, © Whitney Museum of American Art, NY

Hopper Drawing: A Painter’s Process
Saturday, December 7

Discover the creative process of American artist Edward Hopper. Teachers will participate in gallery dialogues and hands-on art experiences as we explore drawings, watercolors, prints, and paintings from across Hopper’s career. We will also trace the evolution from sketch to finished painting.

The DMA is also participating in a brand new Educator Block Party, being held in the West End this Thursday, October 3rd, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. Teachers of all disciplines are invited to stop by The Sixth Floor Museum, The Old Red Museum, the Dallas Holocaust Museum, and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science to learn more about the different cultural organizations in Dallas county. Each organization will have a booth where you can learn about field trips, outreach programs, and even more teacher workshops. Admission to enter the Educator Block party is FREE, but you must bring a school ID with you to be able to participate. We hope you’ll stop by and say hello!

Shannon Karol
Manager of Docent and Teacher Programs

Friday Photos: Getting In Touch

Published September 27, 2013 Friday Photos Closed
Tags: Art Beyond Sight, Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month, texture, works of art

With October just a few days away, the DMA is gearing up to participate in Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month. Art Beyond Sight raises public awareness of ways that individuals who are blind or visually impaired can take part in art-related activities.

One way that art can be explored beyond sight is through the sense of touch. Wandering the DMA’s galleries, it’s easy to find works of art that are full of interesting textures. Although we can’t actually touch the displayed works of art, it’s still fun to imagine how they might feel. Here are a few of my favorites:

I imagine that this pangolin skin hat has an extremely scaly texture. Unlike the smoother scales of some animals, the pangolin’s skin seems to be much pricklier, almost like a pine cone!

This Peruvian panel is covered in a thick mass of beautiful macaw feathers. I imagine that the lush feathers make this work of art extremely soft to the touch.

This Indonesian jaraik was once hung outside a house as a protective figure. Made from wood and metal, the lower portion of the jaraik is pointed at the ends, like a misshapen pitchfork. Because of this, I imagine that it would be sharp to the touch.

Brancusi’s sculpture, Beginning of the World, includes an egg-shaped form made from marble. I imagine that the marble figure has a smooth, sleek texture—much like the eggs that I purchase regularly at the grocery store!

What other works of art can you find that are smooth, sharp, soft or scaly? Can you think of any other textures that are found in works of art here at the DMA? Tell us what your favorite textured works of art are and be sure to visit us during the month of October to take part in one of our many Art Beyond Sight activities!

Artworks shown:

Pangolin skin hat, 20^th century, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, Dallas Museum of Art, Lent by Michael and Shelly Dee
Panel with rectangles of blue and yellow featherwork, c. A.D. 650-850, Huari culture, Peru, Dallas Museum of Art, Textile Purchase Fund
Protective figure (jaraik) in the form of an animal, 1900, Taileleu village, Indonesia, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Fund, Inc.
Constantin Brancusi, Beginning of the World, 1920, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. James H, Clark

Amy Elms
McDermott Education Intern for Visitor Engagement

Teacher Resources: Resourceful Recycling

Published September 24, 2013 Art & Teaching , Creativity , Resources Closed
Tags: C3, materials, recycle

Many educators have the gift of recycling materials into wonderful creations. If they do not already possess this genius, they quickly learn how to be resourceful with what they have around them. In C3, we defy all resource limitations when creating workshops and programming. Check out how we up-cycle materials in some of our hottest programs. I hope it inspires you!

Late Night Creativity Challenge

Creativity Challenges occur once a month on Late Night at the DMA. In these challenges, teams compete against each other using random materials to create an original work of art inspired by the collection. I have never once purchased materials for this program—all the creations come from leftovers and odd materials I find around the C3 Art Studio and my own personal closet.

Visitors celebrate the summer by creating games inspired by the collection.

Materials used: cups, scraps of paper, and pom pom balls

The first Miss America pageant happened in the 1920's which was the focus of the DMA's special exhibition Youth and Beauty. Visitors had to walk the stage in their gowns and participate in a question and answer portion to become the next Miss DMA.

Visitors create gowns to become the next Miss DMA in conjunction with a special exhibition.

Materials used: toilet paper from the DMA Operations team, tape, cling wrap, and blue reflective paper

C3 Adult Workshops

The Open Studio, C3 Artistic Encounters, and Think Creatively allow adults to experience art in new ways. These workshops are led by staff or local contemporary artists, who share the creative process and lead visitors through an art making experience.

Alternate identities workshop.

Materials used: rail board and staples

Guest artist Martin Delabano showed what can be created with scraps of wood.

Materials used: wood, hot glue, beads and pipe cleaners

Collage workshop with guest artist Margaret Meehan.

Materials used: Magazines, card stock, and yarn

Urban Armor

Our teens join us for monthly Urban Armor workshops where we take a closer look at the Museum’s collection and then create original works of art using advanced techniques in the Tech Lab.

Conceptual Weaving project where materials were chosen to represent a certain thought. Our teen's word was playful.

Conceptual Weaving project where materials were chosen to represent a certain thought. This teen’s word was playful.

Materials used: cardboard, assorted collage materials, twine

Studio Creations

Visitors can discover a different activity each month by exploring how artists see the world through the our collection. After time looking at works of art in the gallery, visitors create their own art project in our studio every Saturday and Sunday.

What happens when you leave your artwork behind?

You guessed it–Found Object Sculptures!

Materials used: Old and abandoned art work, cardboard, and assorted collage materials

Life size recreation of our city!

Materials used: boxes, paper, and tape

The Art Spot

Even if we are not having a program, you can still make original works of art in C3 at the Art Spot! We provide materials and tools everyday for visitors to drop by and create!

Visitors created family portraits inspired by a work of art in C3.

Materials used: Paper and tape

Office supplies to inspire the creative process!

Materials used: File folder tabs and clear tape

Jim Hodges, Changing Things, 1997, Dallas Museum of Art, Mary Margaret Munson Wilcox Fund and gift of Catherine and Will Rose, Howard Rachofsky, Christopher Drew and Alexandra May, and Martin Posner and Robyn Menter-Posner

Doesn’t this last creation look inspired by the new Jim Hodges work on view? Drop by and see more amazing creations when the exhibition opens on October 6!

How do you reuse your materials? Remember: Before you purchase supplies, see if you can transform the materials you already have. We would love to see the work that you create with the objects all around you.

Amanda Batson
C3 Program Coordinator

Friday Photos: Found Object Frenzy

Published September 20, 2013 Friday Photos , works of art Closed
Tags: Collage, Jim Hodges

I’ve had a lot of fun exploring the DMA’s galleries throughout the first three weeks of my McDermott internship. As a lover of collage and assemblage, I was excited to find a wide variety of artworks created with found objects. Although it was hard to narrow it down, here are three of my favorites:

Natural items, such as raffia, wood, cowrie shells, beads, parrot feathers, and goat hair were used to create this mid-20th century helmet mask from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In Family Portrait, artist Martin Delabano used found materials to recreate everyday objects. He also included meaningful items, such as his father’s watch and a piece of his son’s baby blanket.

Jim Hodges’ Changing Things is composed of dozens of silk flowers. Find out what other found objects Hodges uses at the DMA’s upcoming exhibition, Jim Hodges: Give More Than You Take, which opens October 6th!

What would you create using found objects from your home? Stay tuned next month for a kid-friendly found object DIY project!

Artworks shown:

Helmet mask (mukenga), mid-20th century, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, Dallas Museum of Art, gift in honor of Peter Hanszen Lynch and Cristina Martha Frances Lynch
Martin Delabano, Family Portrait, 1963, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Bryant M. Hanley, Jr., Lorine and David H. Gibson, and Sonny Burt and Bob Butler
Jim Hodges, Changing Things, 1997, Dallas Museum of Art, Mary Margaret Munson Wilcox Fund and gift of Catherine and Will Rose, Howard Rachofsky, Christopher Drew and Alexandra May, and Martin Posner and Robyn Menter-Posner

Amelia Wood
McDermott Intern for Family and Access Programs

Educator Resources: National Portfolio Day

Published September 17, 2013 Resources Closed
Tags: National Portfolio Day, Visual Arts

Take a moment and think back to when you were in high school. Do you remember how it felt as you anticipated graduation? Were you excited to move out of your parents’ house and attend college in a new city or state? Did you imagine yourself embarking on a professional career or did you have an idea of what you wanted to do, but no clue how to get there?

Students interested in pursuing a degree and/or work in the visual arts can receive valuable feedback, information, and guidance on National Portfolio Day. During this event, representatives from national and international colleges review student artwork, give feedback, and provide information on their programs. Perhaps most importantly, students gain experience talking about their work and their creative process as well as asking for guidance and advice.

Teen visual artists collaborate on a mural design during the summer 2013 Urban Armor Mural Camp

Teen visual artists participate in a DMA workshop

Dallas National Portfolio Day falls on Sunday, October 6, and is hosted by the School of Visual Arts in New York City. The event takes places at the Hilton Anatole from 12:00-4:00 p.m. It is free, open to the public, and does not require pre-registration. Teachers, friends, and relatives, please pass this information on to anyone you know who may benefit from this experience!

Melissa Gonzales
C3 Gallery Manager

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