Archive | Dallas Museum of Art Uncrated

Archive for the 'Archive' Category

A Founding Mother

Published August 28, 2017 Archive 1 Comment
Tags: Dallas Art Association, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Shakespeare Club, DMA, Elizabeth Patterson Kiest, Julian Onderdonk, the Matheon Club

While using the archives for a small research project (more on that in a future post), I was reminded of one of the Dallas Art Association’s (DAA) founding members, Elizabeth Patterson Kiest (Mrs. Edwin J. Kiest). Mrs. Kiest attended the first meeting of the group of art supporters that formed the DAA on January 19, 1903 and she served as DAA Treasurer from its inception to her death in 1917, a century ago this year.

Bronze plaque in honor of Elizabeth Patterson Kiest for her long service as founder and Treasurer of the Dallas Art Association.

The Kiest Memorial Fund was established in her honor, with a plaster cast of Winged Victory as the first purchase. (The piece is no longer in the collection.)

An interior view of the Free Public Art Gallery space in the Textile and Fine Arts Building, with the plaster cast of Winged Victory in the upper left.

Beginning in 1932 the Kiest Memorial Fund was used to fund a purchase prize for the annual Dallas Allied Arts exhibitions, from which works by major Dallas artists were acquired for the collection including Jerry Bywaters, Otis Dozier, De Forrest Judd, Everett Spruce, Charles T. Bowling, Allie Tennant, Perry Nichols, Donald S. Vogel, William Lester, and Octavio Medellin.

In addition to the DAA, Mrs. Kiest was involved in a number of civic and women’s clubs, the foremost being the Dallas Shakespeare Club and the Matheon Club. The Dallas Shakespeare Club would later donate Road to the Hills by Julian Onderdonk to the Museum in memory of Mrs. Kiest.

Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Dallas Shakespeare Club in memory of Elizabeth Patterson Kiest

Hillary Bober is the Archivist at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Museum Menagerie

Published June 26, 2017 Archive 1 Comment
Tags: animals, cougar, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, elephant, Penguin, snake

Over the years, a variety of animals have visited the DMA, so, to continue the animals-in-the-archives-themed posts, here are a few of the wildest critters that have been seen around the Museum.

A young elephant named Baby Star made an appearance on Ross Avenue Plaza in the fall of 1984. Unfortunately, the reason for the visit is unknown.

A cougar was spotted in the Museum’s Ceremonial Court in 1990. The cat was here to film a commercial.

A snake attended Nancy Hamon’s Masquerade Ball on May 23, 1997. No costume was required.

This adorable African penguin from the Dallas Zoo’s Animal Adventure Program was a guest at the November 19, 2010, Late Night, to the delight of many.

Hillary Bober is the Archivist at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Cats in the Archives

Published May 22, 2017 Archive Closed
Tags: Archive, cats, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA

An exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art about cats in their collections inspired me to go searching for cats in the DMA Archives collections. Here is what I found.

Painter, printmaker, and DMFA Museum School instructor Lucille Jeffries with an unidentified cat. Barbara Maples Papers, Photographs, DMA Archives

Sculptor James Surls plays with a black cat under his sculpture while a second cat looks on. Exhibition Photography, Visions: James Surls, 1974-1984, December 2, 1984-January 13, 1985, Artist photographs, DMA Archives

Artist Brent Steen with his cat, photographed during artist studio visits in conjunction with the 2003 exhibition Come Forward: Emerging Art in Texas. Exhibition Photography, Come Forward: Emerging Art in Texas, February 23-May 11, 2003, Artists in studio, DMA Archives

Keep an eye out for dogs in the Archives in the future—and of course I’ve already done llamas. Enjoy!

Hillary Bober is the Archivist at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Mexico at the DMA: A History

Published March 23, 2017 Archive , Behind-the-Scenes Closed
Tags: Carlos Merida, Dallas Museum of Art, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, DMA, Gunther Gerzso, Jose Posada, Leonora Carrrington, Mexican Art, Mexican modernists, México 1900–1950: Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo José Clemente Orozco and the Avant-Garde, Roberto Montenegro, Rufino Tamayo

Last week the exhibition México 1900-1950 opened to big crowds, but it is just the most recent DMA exhibition to focus on the art and artists of Mexico. The first known exhibition to feature Mexican art was a solo exhibition in February 1933 of paintings and drawings by Roberto Montenegro. Work by Montenegro is included in the current exhibition and the DMA’s permanent collection.

Roberto (Nervo) Montenegro, Mexican Woman (Tehuana), n.d., lithograph, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Dallas Print Society in memory of Edwin B. Hopkins, 1941.5

Over the 114-year history of the DMA, with the Dallas Museum for Contemporary Arts (1957-1963) exhibition history included, 38 known exhibitions (including México 1900-1950) have featured Mexican art and artists, ranging from ancient and pre-Columbian to modern and contemporary. Of the 38, almost half included work by Mexican modernists who also have pieces in the current exhibition. The DMA held solo and group exhibitions for artists Carlos Merida, Roberto Montenegro, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Rufino Tamayo, Gunther Gerzso, Leonora Carrington, and Jose Posada, as well as numerous survey shows of work by Mexican modernists.

Visitors to Three Contemporary Mexican Artists: Rivera, Tamayo, and Siqueiros, October 9-November 7, 1948

One of the largest exhibitions of the work of Mexican modernists was Images of Mexico: The Contribution of Mexico to 20th Century Art, August 28-October 30, 1988.

Installation of Images of Mexico: The Contribution of Mexico to 20th Century Art, August 28-October 30, 1988

Like México 1900-1950, Images of Mexico was so large, that it needed to be installed in multiple galleries throughout the building. The main portion of the exhibition was located in the Level 2 European and American Galleries, with additional works in the Barrel Vault, Concourse, Focus I Gallery and the Print and Textile Gallery (now Focus II gallery).

Installation of Images of Mexico: The Contribution of Mexico to 20th Century Art, August 28-October 30, 1988 in the Barrel Vault

Installation of Images of Mexico: The Contribution of Mexico to 20th Century Art, August 28-October 30, 1988; Concourse

Installation of Images of Mexico: The Contribution of Mexico to 20th Century Art, August 28-October 30, 1988 in Focus Gallery I

Installation of Images of Mexico: The Contribution of Mexico to 20th Century Art, August 28-October 30, 1988 in Focus Gallery II

At least two works in México 1900-1950 are making their second visit to Dallas. Both Olga Costa’s La vendedora de frutas, 1951, and Saturnino Herrán’s Nuestros dioses, 1918, were part of Images of Mexico.

Installation of Images of Mexico: The Contribution of Mexico to 20th Century Art, August 28-October 30, 1988

Another primary feature of the México 1900-1950 exhibition is that it includes exhibition text and labels in both English and Spanish. The first DMA exhibition to include labels in English and Spanish was Maya Miniatures and Other Textiles for the Saints, November 19, 1985-January 19, 1986. The exhibition displayed Maya textiles from Guatemala.

Installation of Maya Miniatures and Other Textiles for the Saints, November 19, 1985-January 19, 1986

Hillary Bober is the Archivist at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Puzzle This!

Published December 21, 2016 Archive , Uncategorized Closed
Tags: crossword puzzle, Dallas Arts District, Dallas Museum of Art, Fair Park, mind games

The nice thing about doing a crossword puzzle is, you know there is a solution. – Stephen Sondheim

Finally, the holidays are here and rest is near! But don’t let your brain turn to mush, instead curl up by the fire with this puzzle and tell all else to hush. Test you DMA knowledge with this battle of wits and if you get tired the answer key is at the bottom so you can call it quits.

Good luck and happy Crossword Puzzle Day!

cross-word

ACROSS
2	Until the Tutankhamen exhibition in 2008-09, this 1979 exhibition held the record for the highest attendance (without the date)
5	This woman was the first president of the Dallas Art Association: Mrs. Charles L. / Grace Leake __________
8	This popular evening program was inspired by the 100 Hours event for the museum’s Centennial in January 2003, and was initiated the following year (2 words)
9	Title of a sculpture by Mark di Suvero installed on Ross Plaza
10	This is the name of the blue bird who is the mascot for the DMA’s children’s and family programs

DOWN
1	Title of a popular “frozen” landscape by Frederick Church, installed on Level 4
3	This former director was also a Dallas Morning News art critic, taught at SMU, and has art work in the collection
4	This collection is displayed in a recreated French villa
6	The museum was located in two different buildings here (2 words)
7	This animal, named Sir Lancelot and associated with the Wise Collection of Ancient South American Art, has appeared in three Uncrated blog posts

How did you do? Click here to find out!

Hillary Bober is the Archivist at the DMA and Julie Henley is the Communications and Marketing Coordinator.

Holiday Greetings from the Archives

Published December 15, 2016 Archive 2 Comments
Tags: Christmas, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, Jerry Doyle, Texas Centennial

Traditionally, the fall and winter holidays are the time when we reach out to family and friends, often with a ubiquitous holiday card, sometimes enclosing new pictures of the family, or a letter trying to stuff in every notable thing anyone in the family has done since the last letter. When I was a kid, we taped the cards we received to a glass door in our living room, and we would try to guess how soon after Thanksgiving we would receive something from that one relative who always sent the first card of the season.

My dad was a graphic designer and had artist friends. Their holiday cards were always my favorites, and I could often guess who sent the card based on its creative style. Finding artists’ holiday cards in the DMA Archives always reminds me of that tradition, so I thought I would share a series of cards by cartoonist Jerry Doyle from the early 1930s.

Doyle family holiday card, c. 1933, from the Jack Nolan Scrapbook

Jerry Doyle (1898-1986) was the editorial cartoonist for the Philadelphia Record and Philadelphia Daily News, and was known for his political cartoons about the New Deal and World War II. And, if you are a cartoonist, you create holiday cartoons featuring your family.

Cover of the Doyle Family holiday card, 1932, Jack Nolan Scrapbook.

Cover of the 1932 Doyle family holiday card, from the Jack Nolan Scrapbook

Inside of the 1932 Doyle family holiday card, Jack Nolan Scrapbook.

Inside of the 1932 Doyle family holiday card, from the Jack Nolan Scrapbook

The Doyle Family holiday card for the 1931-32 season, served a dual purpose of holiday greetings and birth announcement, Jack Nolan Scrapbook.

The Doyle family holiday card for the 1931-32 season served the dual purpose of holiday greeting and birth announcement, from the Jack Nolan Scrapbook

You may wonder how the archives came to have holiday cards from a Philadelphia cartoonist. It’s a round-about tale, but makes sense in the end. Doyle sent the holiday greetings to Jack Nolan of Trenton, New Jersey. In 1936, Nolan was employed by Eastman Kodak and worked as a vendor at the Texas Centennial. He kept a scrapbook with ephemera from the Texas Centennial and the Great Lakes Exposition, as well as other traditional scrapbook fare like ticket stubs, invitations, identification cards, newspaper articles, and other small paper items, including the three holiday cards from Jerry Doyle. The archives acquired the scrapbook because of its Texas Centennial connection—the book itself even has a Centennial seal on the cover. I was happy to find that the scrapbook contained cool things that weren’t even related to the Centennial.

Happy Holidays!

Hillary Bober is the Archivist at the DMA.

Jade Jubilee: 35 Years of Concentrations

Published September 14, 2016 Archive 2 Comments
Tags: Dallas Museum of Art, DMA. Concentrations

The year 2016 marks the 35th anniversary of the DMA’s Concentrations series, which was inaugurated in 1981 with paintings and monotypes by Richard Shaffer.

Concentrations I: Richard Shaffer, March 1–April 12, 1981

Initially planned as a series of five exhibitions exploring the work of living artists, Concentrations has grown into a long-running series featuring emerging and international artists working across a range of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, film and video, assemblage, and site-specific installations. Over the history of the series, nine curators have organized Concentrations exhibitions: Sue Graze (21), Steven A. Nash (1), Joan Davidow (3), Dave Hickey (1), Annegreth Nill (1), Charles Wylie (4), Suzanne Weaver (22), Jeffrey Grove (2), and Gabriel Ritter (5).

In celebration of the anniversary, I’ve pulled together some fun facts about the series with installation photos to illustrate them.

1. How many Concentrations exhibitions were held primarily outdoors in the Sculpture Garden?

Answer: Four, although there were a few exhibitions that had work in the Sculpture Garden in addition to the works in the galleries

Concentrations 8: Dalton Maroney, October 10, 1983–February 19, 1984

Concentrations 9: Richard Long, March 31–July 8, 1984

Concentrations 11: Luis Jimenez, February 17–March 31, 1985

Concentrations 51: Mark Handforth, March 23–September 23, 2007

Concentrations 8: Dalton Maroney was also the first exhibition held at the new Museum building downtown. It opened with the Sculpture Garden a few months before the Museum building.

2. What two exhibition series are related to Concentrations?

Answer: Projects and Encounters

Projects I: David McManaway, March 19-April 27, 1975

Projects was a series of three exhibitions in 1975 curated by Robert Murdock, Curator of Contemporary Art. The three exhibitions in the series featured work by David McManaway, Bruce Cunningham, and Raffaele Martini. The series inspired the creation of the Concentrations series in 1981 by Curator of Contemporary Art Sue Graze.

Encounters was a series of six exhibitions held between 1992 and 1995 that were presented in place of Concentrations. The series, created and curated by Curator of Contemporary Art Annegreth Nill, paired the work of a regional artist with that of an artist from the national or international arena to increase potential dialogue.

Encounters 1: John Hernandez and Rainer Ganahl, February 23–April 19, 1992 – John Hernandez

Encounters 1: John Hernandez and Rainer Ganahl, February 23–April 19, 1992 – Rainer Ganahl

3. Concentrations exhibitions have primarily been one-person shows, with a few duos (Peter Fischli/David Weiss, Jane and Louise Wilson, and Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla) and one collective (Slavs and Tatars). How many have shown the work of two or more artists working separately?

Answer: Six

Concentrations III: Betsy Muller/Andrea Rosenberg, June 21–August 2, 1981

Concentrations 23: Texas Figurative Drawings, May 19–July 15, 1990

Concentrations 24: Continuities of Concern, June 2–August 5, 1990

Concentrations 32: Anne Chu and Bonnie Collura, October 15, 1998–January 17, 1999

Concentrations 54: Matt Connors and Fergus Feehily, April 3-August 14, 2011

Concentrations 59: Mirror Stage, Visualizing the Self After the Internet,
April 10-December 6, 2015

4. How many artists have been part of a Concentrations exhibition?

Answer: 81 – This includes the twelve artists in Concentrations 23: Texas Figurative Drawings and counts the collective Slavs and Tatars from Concentrations 57 as one artist. Concentrations 24: Continuities of Concern is not included. About 40% of the artists are women.

I will close with a few more images from past Concentrations exhibitions to show the variety of work over 59 shows. More information on these and all Concentrations exhibitions can be found in Past Exhibitions on DMA.org. Concentrations 60: Lucie Stahl will open on September 16. Admission is FREE.

Concentrations IV: Alain Kirili, Recent Sculpture, October 18–November 29, 1981

Concentrations 14: Pat Steir, The Brueghel Series, November 1, 1986–January 4, 1987

Concentrations 16: Mary Lucier, Wilderness, October 10–November 22, 1987

Concentrations 17: Vernon Fisher, Lost for Words, January 23–April 17, 1988

Concentrations 20: Kiki Smith, January 14–April 16, 1989

Concentrations 25: Harry Geffert, November 23, 1990–January 20, 1991

Concentrations 26: Celia Alvarez Munoz, Abriendo Tierra/ Breaking Ground, May 4-June 30, 1991

Concentrations 30: Mariko Mori, Come Play with Me, September 17–November 9, 1997

Concentrations 31: Patrick Faulhaber, June 25–September 13, 1998

Concentrations 40: Maki Tamura, November 7, 2001–January 27, 2002

Concentrations 47: Jim Lambie, Thirteenth Floor Elevator, May 20–August 21, 2005

Concentrations 48: Charline von Heyl, October 28, 2005– January 8, 2006

Concentrations 49: Miguel Angel Rios, “A Morir (’til Death)” January 29-May 14, 2006

Concentrations 55: Karla Black, October 19, 2012-March 17, 2013

Hillary Bober is the Archivist at the Dallas Museum of Art.

All in a Day’s Work – 1940s

Published September 5, 2016 Archive 3 Comments
Tags: Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, Labor Day

It’s Labor Day and while it is time to say an unofficial goodbye to summer, it is also the perfect time to recognize some of the staff that worked hard to make the Museum what it is today.

The Museum staff in the 1940s was small. Counting the names on the rosters in bulletins and annual reports, there were fewer than 20 people, including the teaching staff, which is about 10% of the people currently employed by the DMA. Some did multiple jobs covering both administrative and teaching duties, for example, or managing both the library and education programs.

This is Building Superintendent Jimmie Garrett in 1940. He joined the staff after working on the construction crew that built the Museum in 1936. Unfortunately, I can’t quite figure out what he is doing in the photo, maybe guarding an installation in progress, or maybe just pondering the small figures on the shelves.

Ed Bearden, in the coat and tie, was both the Museum’s Assistant Director and a member of the teaching staff. Here, he instructs a sculpture class with a live model in 1946.

The 1947 State Fair was an exciting time as the Museum secured a loan of Rosa Bonheur’s famous painting The Horse Fair from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and staff worked hard to promote the event.

Mary Bywaters (left) and Fran Bearden (right) use The Horse Fair to promote Dallas Art Association membership. The man in the center is unidentified, but it would be great to learn his name if you recognize him.

In addition to administrative and art class teaching duties, Ed Bearden also gave public lectures. Here he is speaking about The Horse Fair in 1947.

Standing left to right: Herb and Jett Rogalla, Ed and Fran Bearden, Mellville Mercer, Jeanette Bickel, Rusty Grimes, Barbara Mercer, Margaret Milam; seated left to right: Jerry Smith, Mary Bywaters, Tom Grimes.

Thankfully it wasn’t all work for our 1940s staff. Here are some DMFA staff and friends in what I like to imagine was a staff picnic-type outing, but maybe I am reading too much into the grass and trees in the picture. It would be quite a happy coincidence if the photo happened to be taken on Labor Day 1948.

Stay tuned next Labor Day to see Museum staff of the 1950s doing interesting things . . .

Hillary Bober is the Archivist at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Collection Connection: Then and Now

Published August 22, 2016 Archive , DMA app Closed
Tags: Dallas Museum of Art, DMA. DMA app

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.

Riding With the Top Down

Published June 27, 2016 Archive Closed
Tags: convertible, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, Summer

John Wise's Rolls Royce convertible, October 1971, John and Nora Wise Papers

John Wise’s Rolls Royce convertible, 1971, John and Nora Wise Papers

It’s summertime again in Texas, perfect for cruising the town in a convertible with the top down. Though convertibles can be useful for more than just feeling the wind in your hair and the sun on your face on a beautiful summer day. Other possibilities include . . .

Moving a large artwork . . .

Dallas artist Heri Bert Bartscht moving a sculpture in his convertible, Heri Bert Bartscht Papers

Or, transporting a llama . . .

Sir Lancelot, a white llama, promoting "World of Ancient Gold" exhibition at the 1964 World's Fair, John and Nora Wise Papers

Sir Lancelot, a pure white llama, promoting the World of Ancient Gold exhibition at the 1964 World’s Fair, John and Nora Wise Papers

But admiring a beautiful Cadillac convertible in air-conditioned comfort is also nice . . .

Hot Cars, High Fashion, Cool Stuff : Designs for the 20th Century exhibition installation, March 31-July 14, 1996

Hot Cars, High Fashion, Cool Stuff : Designs of the 20th Century exhibition installation, March 31-July 14, 1996

Happy summer!

Hillary Bober is the Archivist at the DMA.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Dallas Museum of Art Uncrated

Archive for the 'Archive' Category

A Founding Mother

Museum Menagerie

Cats in the Archives

Mexico at the DMA: A History

Puzzle This!

Holiday Greetings from the Archives

Jade Jubilee: 35 Years of Concentrations

All in a Day’s Work – 1940s

Collection Connection: Then and Now

Riding With the Top Down

Search Uncrated

Archives

Flickr Photo Stream

Join Us on Facebook

Categories

Archives

Categories

Meta