The DMA’s C3 Visiting Artist Project offers opportunities for North Texas–based artists to create an interactive installation and facilitate programming around a theme related to the works in the C3 Gallery. Over the years, the project has showcased the talents of artists from many backgrounds and with various creative approaches and missions. We asked five former C3 Visiting Artists to respond to works in the DMA’s collection that resonate with them. Here’s what they had to say:
xtine burrough & Sabrina Starnaman Former C3 Visiting Artists, October–December 2017 Find out about their work through their project page and get to know them through their DMA interview.
Eyedazzler textile, Arizona, Navajo (Diné), 1880–90, wool with indigo and aniline dyes, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, anonymous gift, 2016.19.2.FA
Why they chose this work: Our artistic practice investigates the importance of work, especially work by women not credited to the maker. Women are the weavers in many cultures. The Navajo culture’s creation myth tells of Spider Woman, who taught people how to construct looms from the elements: sky, earth, sun, lightning, and crystals. We selected the eyedazzler textile to celebrate women’s work in textile technologies.
Timothy Harding Former C3 Visiting Artist, January–April 2018 Find out about his work through his project page and get to know him through his DMA interview.
Charles Demuth, Buildings, 1930–31, tempera and plumbago on composition board, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Art Association Purchase Fund, Deaccession Funds/City of Dallas (by exchange) in honor of Dr. Steven A. Nash, 1988.21
Why he chose this work: I first encountered the work of Charles Demuth during my undergraduate studies in painting. Seeing how he rendered architectural subject matter with collapsed space and reduced elements helped me think differently about working through problems of paint and form.
Lisa Huffaker Former C3 Visiting Artist, July–September 2017 Find out about her work through her project page and get to know her through her DMA interview.
David McManaway, Jomo/Jomo #14, 1992, mixed media, Dallas Museum of Art, Texas Artists Fund, 1992.523
Why she chose this work: David McManaway’s Jomo/Jomo #14 houses talismanic objects in a shrine-like Wunderkammer that resonates with exponential, not just additive, significance. Likewise, I aspire to exceed the “sum of parts” as I bring fragments of the world into my art and writing.
Lauren Cross Former C3 Visiting Artist, September–December 2018 Find out about her work through her project page and get to know her through her DMA interview.
Why she chose this work: When I was first introduced to the work of Annette Lawrence, I saw so much of the work that I do reflected: the use of brown paper and the connection to personal narrative. Her work Anna Cooper Lawrence is not only related in its use of material but also in her use of family history, a key element in my own practice. My work at the DMA, Assembly, embodies all these qualities with visitors in its use of brown paper and its connection to the familiar among us.
The DMA has been a nationally recognized leader for more than a decade in the development of accessible programming for visitors with disabilities to connect with art. From our Sensory Days for visitors with autism, to our Meaningful Moments program for visitors with dementia, to Art Beyond Sight for visitors with vision impairment, our access programs foster creativity and learning, improve mood, and dramatically enhance quality of life. During this time when we’re all staying in, we asked our Manager of Access Programs, Emily Wiskera, to demonstrate an accessible, sensory-friendly art activity that you can do from home.
Sensory Ice Cube Painting
Materials needed: Food coloring Water Ice cube tray Paper
Optional materials: Popsicle sticks or wooden dowels Aluminum foil or plastic wrap Newspaper or wax paper Old shirt or painting smock to protect clothes from staining
Art projects are a great way to encourage learning through play. When kids are engaged in art making, they are also developing and practicing fine-motor, visual motor, and sensory motor skills. For some children, their level of engagement and participation improves when there is a sensory component to the activity. Children with autism demonstrate a range of sensory preferences and aversions. The activity of painting with ice cubes engages the senses and can be adapted to your child’s individual needs, whether they are a sensory seeker or sensory avoider. And it’s the perfect skill-building opportunity for a hot summer day!
Directions:
Add 2 to 8 drops of food coloring to each ice cube cup. Fewer drops will result in lighter colors. Encourage children to explore mixing primary colors together to make secondary colors: Red + Blue = Purple, Red + Yellow = Orange, Yellow + Blue = Green.
Fill each ice cube cup with water, allowing some space for the ice to expand.
For children who dislike getting messy or who avoid tactile stimuli, cover your ice cube tray with a sheet of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Adults can use a knife to pierce a hole over each ice cube cup. Then, insert popsicle sticks through the holes in the foil and place in the freezer. Allow to freeze overnight.
Remove the ice cube tray from the freezer and allow it to sit on the counter for a few minutes before removing the ice cubes.
Place newspaper or wax paper over your painting surface, whether that is the kitchen table or outside on the sidewalk. Place the paper your child will paint on top of the protective paper. If taking this activity outside, children will have to paint quickly as ice cubes will melt faster.
Tips:
To keep children engaged, challenge them with achievable goals. Can they use all of the different colors? Can they draw three different shapes? Can they cover their entire paper with color?
For extended learning opportunities, involve your child throughout the process. Ask them to help you gather materials, squeeze the food coloring bottles, count the number of drops of food color squeezed into each cup, mix new colors, or count popsicle sticks.
Remember that the process of exploring materials and techniques is more important than the final product. If your child tends to feel too much pressure when making art, treat this activity as a science experiment.
Emily Wiskera is the Manager of Access Programs at the DMA.
As Manager of Off-Site School Programs at the DMA, my job is to develop programming that brings the Museum into the classroom. This includes our long-standing Go van Gogh programs and our Middle School Outreach Pilot, a multi-session partnership program with L.V. Stockard Middle School and W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy.
Drawing inspiration from the DMA’s exhibition For a Dreamer of Houses, earlier this year students in our Middle School Outreach Pilot were asked to explore the concept of home through poetry, which they would later interpret through sculpture. While recent circumstances prevented students from completing their sculptures, their writing—which describes the spaces, people, feelings, sounds, tastes, and dreams that constitute home—gives us a collection of stories that tell us all we need to know.
Below, I’ve compiled lines written by students into one collaborative poem that tells a complex, expansive, conflicting, beautiful, honest, and hopeful account of what home means to youth in Dallas. I’ve paired their writing with images of works of art completed by students who participated in our Go van Gogh program A City of My Own, which is rooted in similar themes. Here, students were prompted to create cityscapes representative of their definition of Dallas—the landmarks, buildings, and places that make it their own.
During this time, when home can feel like a place we have to be, these students’ writing and works of art remind me of the beauty in all that something like home is and can be.
A student participates in Go van Gogh’s program “A City of My Own”
Home is when I’m with the people I love Home is a place I feel loved Home is where I feel safe Home is when I’m with my family Home is somewhere filled with laughter Home is where I can be accepted and be myself Home is the memory of friends, family, and vecinas jugando loteria los domingos Home is the feeling you get when you eat raspas on a hot summer day Home is the sound of the Spanish language everywhere Home is hearing the radio play norteñas Home is the color of happiness, calm like gray
Home wouldn’t be the same without Saturday cleaning and loud music Home wouldn’t be the same without hearing dogs barking in the middle of the night Home wouldn’t feel the same without my grandma and my grandpa Home wouldn’t be the same without my mom
Home feels like el canto de los pájaros Home feels like warmth Home feels like love
Home sounds like thirty kids talking all at once Home sounds like my mom singing everyday Home sounds like a bunch of laughter when my tios, tias, and cousins come over Home sounds like musica mexicana every morning Home sounds like people always being up at two in the morning looking for something to eat
Home tastes like comida recien hecha Home tastes like frijoles, caldo, and maruchan, and sometimes my mom attempting to be a baker Home tastes like eggs and bacon and pan dulce Home tastes like sopes, flautas, tacos, macheteadas Home tastes like carne asada every saturday Home tastes like tamales, barbacoa, birria, menudo, and donuts on sundays Home tastes like enchiladas todos los sabados, y un restaurante los domingos
On the outside, home is a house made out of peach bricks and two strong trees On the outside, home is amigas y vecinas jugando and chismeando On the outside, people say that it is just a building But on the inside, it feels very special to you On the inside of home, I feel protected from anything
I dream of a home with my parents and sibling always by my side I dream of a home that is big and can fit my whole family I dream of a two-story home, brand new, and never broken I dream of a home that is loud, warm, and funny I dream of a home that is my own I dream of a home that will never change
Bernardo Velez Rico is the Manager of Off-Site School Programs at the DMA.
From Pop-Up Art Spots to interactive story times, it’s been a great summer for family fun at the DMA! If you visited the Museum this summer to enjoy some of these activities, you’ve likely met one of our friendly and knowledgeable Teen Ambassadors. We checked in with three Teen Ambassadors—Martina D’Orso, Grace Ling, and Aditi Krishnan—to get a recap on how their summer at the DMA went. Grace and Aditi will be sophomores at the School for the Talented and Gifted at Townview Magnet Center this fall, and Martina will be a junior at Booker T. Washington High School.
Why were you interested in volunteering at the DMA?
Grace: My mom first took me to the DMA when I was a toddler to attend an art workshop. As I grew up I continued to attend the art programs the Museum offers for different ages and visit the traveling exhibits as well as the permanent ones. I thought that volunteering at a place I often went to as a kid would be a good way to give back and experience the Museum from a different perspective.
Martina: Since I am in the visual arts conservatory at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, I am interested in the arts. I wanted to see what it was like to work in a museum leading tours and helping out during events.
Aditi: I actually became interested in volunteering at the DMA because of a previous Teen Ambassador. Five or six years ago, I came to the DMA with my mom and our first stop was the Center for Creative Connections (C3). The activity we were doing had something to do with recycled materials, and a Teen Ambassador helped me pick my materials and complete my project. She explained the volunteer program to me and encouraged me to join when I was old enough. Since I was pretty young, I forgot that conversation for a while, but when my friend Grace mentioned her position as a Teen Ambassador to me, I remembered my excitement from that day and decided to apply.
What does a day in the life of a Teen Ambassador look like?
Aditi: Because each day will have different shifts and schedules, each day in the life of a Teen Ambassador is a little different. I tend to sign up for multiple shifts in the same day, so my day starts in C3. Before the Museum opens, I mostly prepare art materials for the visitors. Once the Museum opens, I typically help children with the activities and straighten out any messy stations. I usually get lunch in Klyde Warren Park with my friend and come back to do a Family Tour or Pop-Up Art Spot. My favorite shift is the tour because I get to talk directly to kids and teach them about a work of art in a fun and interesting way!
Grace: My favorite shift is Family Story Time. I love seeing the kids’ reactions to the story, which can range from humor to bewilderment. We conclude each story time with an art discussion and drawing activity where they make their own art inspired by what they learned. It’s cool how reading a children’s book can help make that connection and take art appreciation to the next level, where they use their creative imaginations and think deeper.
Do you have any stories or stand-out moments that have happened to you while volunteering?
Grace: When I was volunteering for the Late Night Pop-Up Art Spot, a lady came to try out a coloring activity and we started talking. She talked about how she used to sew wedding dresses and loved making art. It is interesting to listen to other people tell their stories and share experiences.
Martina: A stand-out moment that happened to me was on a Family Tour. The kids on the tour were so excited and they decided they were going to become friends after about 15 minutes of knowing each other. It was just so sweet how the kids are so nice and friendly to each other no matter what.
Aditi: When my friend and I were hosting a Pop-Up Art Spot in the Jonas Wood exhibition, a group of around 15 kids and a few chaperones came in looking pretty upset. The chaperones told us that they were supposed to attend a Family Tour, but they had gotten the dates wrong, so they had been waiting near C3 with nothing to do. We gave each child a coloring sheet and some colored pencils from the Pop-Up Art Spot and after they finished coloring, we let them take some coloring sheets home. The kids were overjoyed! I especially enjoyed this moment since coloring was all it took to make the kids happy.
Why should someone be a Teen Ambassador?
Grace: It is a great opportunity to practice communication skills, meet new people, learn about art, have fun, and contribute to the museum visitor experience.
Martina: It is an enriching experience that helps you understand how life in a museum works. You learn facts about artworks that you wouldn’t have known just by walking around the Museum alone. Additionally, you are able to learn how to talk and interact with people, which is a great skill to learn if you are a bit more introverted.
Aditi: I think one should be a Teen Ambassador because of the fun you have. You get to enjoy and appreciate the art around the DMA and help other children do so too! Teen Ambassadors also get to teach little kids about art in an exciting and entertaining manner, as opposed to just spitting out facts. You also get to meet new people and make friends with others who are interested in art as well. Lastly, the communication and collaboration skills you develop as a Teen Ambassador are essential for almost every career.
Applications for the DMA’s summer Teen Ambassador program will open in March 2020. If you’re interested in staying involved with the Museum during the next school year, consider joining the Teen Advisory Council—applications are due by August 19!
Got questions about the volunteer opportunities for teens at the DMA? Email teens@DMA.org and we’ll get right back to you!
Jessica Thompson-Castillo is the Manager of Teen Programs at the DMA.
For 40 years, Go van Gogh® programs have traveled to kindergarten through 6th grade classrooms throughout Dallas, bringing the DMA to students through art-making activities and interactive presentations of works from the Museum’s collection. Building on the program’s mission of expanding our outreach, and as a follow up to our recent Go van Gogh post, we are excited to preview our newest Go van Gogh offering—a program designed for bilingual classrooms!
Estampas de la Memoria is a one-hour outreach experience for Spanish-speaking elementary students. The program, which I developed with C3 Visiting Artist Karla Garcia, is facilitated in Spanish and is designed to activate students’ voices and experiences.
Students gathered during a small group discussion.
Students begin their journey with image theater activities that involve them as co-creators of content. These activities are designed to increase students’ comfort level in interpreting body language and facial expressions and preface a discussion of three retablos—artworks that serve as offerings of gratitude—from the Museum’s Latin American art collection. During the discussion, students also participate in a collaborative story-writing activity that allows them to develop their own interpretations in their language(s) of choice.
Students participating in a collaborative story-writing activity.
The final portion of the program consists of a printmaking activity designed to foster connections to students’ daily lives. The blocks student use to make their prints were created by Karla Garcia, whose own work explores concepts of memory and home as someone raised along the US-Mexico border.
Students participating in a printmaking activity designed by Karla Garcia.
Estampas de la Memoria was piloted with kindergarten through 5th grade classrooms this spring and will be offered as part of our suite of Go van Gogh programs during the 2019–2020 school year. Visit our website in August for booking information!
Si le interesa enseñar nuestro programa bilingüe, ¡considere ser un voluntario para Go van Gogh!
Bernardo Velez Rico is the Teaching Specialist for School Programs at the DMA.
If you love working with children, have a passion for art, and want to support Dallas students, we want you to join our team as a DMA School Programs volunteer! DMA docents lead tours in the Museum galleries, facilitating meaningful experiences for visitors of all ages. Go van Gogh® school outreach volunteers lead experiences in Dallas elementary classrooms that encourage students to look closely at works of art and express creativity through art-making activities. Applications to become a DMA docent or Go van Gogh volunteer for the 2019–2020 school year are now open. Click here to learn more and apply!
Curious about what it’s really like to serve as a DMA School Programs volunteer? A couple of our experienced volunteers have shared some of their reflections on the impact and rewards of their volunteer work.
Marilyn Willems, DMA Docent
Describe a typical day as a DMA docent. What does leading a program look like? A typical day starts with a tinge of nervousness only to help build excitement and anticipation for the visitors that are coming. Camaraderie with fellow docents and sharing experiences set the day in motion. I enjoy thinking about and planning how I want to engage the visitors in hopes their “takeaway” encourages them to better understand and appreciate the art and discover how much fun they can experience at the Museum. That is what makes the time spent in training worth every minute.
Why do you like volunteering for the DMA? How has your volunteer service enriched your experience? I feel I am being rewarded by sharing the art with visitors when my enthusiasm increases their enthusiasm for the art.
Do you have a favorite memory from your time as a DMA docent? I am amazed by the insightful thoughts expressed by our young visitors. Those are my most rewarding experiences. Being a docent has become a very important part of my life.
What would you tell someone who’s interested in serving as a docent volunteer? If you have a passion for lifelong learning, get joy from being with a group who share this passion, and enjoy sharing it with others, you will be rewarded and feel you are making a valuable contribution.
Terei Khoury, Go van Gogh (GvG) Volunteer
Why do you like volunteering for the DMA? How has your volunteer service enriched your experience? Not only are the GvG training programs and access to the staff instructive and enriching, but the programs make a visible impact in each classroom and venue we visit. You can see and sense the enthusiasm as we introduce each program, and the hands-on experience is always a special plus as the students express themselves. I’m SO proud to say that over my four years in the program, I’ve touched the lives of at least 2,500 children and had the opportunity to tie STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) together for them all!
Do you have a favorite memory from your time as a GvG volunteer?There’s just no question that our impact with the Color My World program is TREMENDOUS! When we work with special needs children, see the expressions on their faces, hold their hands as they play with clay, paint, and tools, and see their eyes light up with delight and pride as they experience their own artwork—there is no better feeling on earth knowing you’re making such a difference in the world!
What would you tell someone who’s interested in serving as a GvG volunteer? GvG provides an outlet for one of the most meaningful interactions a volunteer in the arts can have. You touch so many minds and hearts with the generosity of BEING THERE. You aid the teachers and administrators by BEING THERE. You create enthusiasm and energy by BEING THERE. You make a difference by BEING THERE.
You asked—we answered! After many requests for more drop-in art making in our Art Studio, we were excited to launch the Open Studio program in January, and crossed our fingers that families would show up. And you did! More than 1,400 visitors have stopped by the studio since we opened the doors in January, and we are thrilled to see so many artists of ALL ages making and creating. So what could be better than gluing and painting and drawing to your heart’s content? How about having local artists join in the fun?
The March Open Studio project is designed by local artist Raul Rodriguez, a photographer, publisher, and zine-maker from Fort Worth. His publishing company, Deep Red Press, helps Texas artists express their art through print, digital, and other formats across the United States. For the March Open Studio program, he designed a mini zine project, explaining, “I like zines because they can be easily made and they have no limits on the content, medium, or voice. Everyone can voice themselves with a zine!”
Mini Zines
In planning the project, Rodriguez was drawn to the art featured in the Women Artists in Europe from the Monarchy to Modernism exhibition, which presents work by women artists who broke the traditional rules of the time. One of the works in the exhibition is a book titled A Little’s Duck’s Nest . . . of Bad Words by Olga Vladimirovna Rozanova (Russian, 1886–1918), which includes images of art not intended to be displayed on walls or replicated. Rozanova combined poems and narratives with abstract drawings to express her emotions and thoughts in the hand-colored book. Rodriguez notes, “With just a few materials and disciplines, [women artists] counteracted discrimination and made work for the Cubist, Expressionist and modern art movements of their time.”
Olga Vladimirovna Rozanova and Alexei Eliseevich Kruchenykh, A Little Duck’s Nest . . . of Bad Words, 1913, letterpress cover and hand-colored lithographs on paper, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Natalie H. (Schatzie) and George T. Lee, Jr., in honor of Olivier Meslay, 2012.61.1
Creating a zine is easy and fun. Most zines don’t have specific narratives—instead, they are more like art magazines, with each page its own work of art; however, I made sure each page had a personal connection. I had a great time working on my zine, from making an “about me” page, to creating a still-life drawing based on something I saw on my desk. It was very therapeutic.
Engaging with your child
This is a great project for friends and families to do as a group, but also alone as an individual. When engaging with your child, think of a topic that interests him or her and design a page inspired by that topic. If your child is crazy about transportation, make a page all about things that go. Or choose a favorite family memory and have everyone in the family design a page that captures their favorite moments and create a family zine! Challenge older children to use mixed media like magazines or newspapers and create poems or stories to make their zine.
Possible topics to consider:
Self-portraits or portraits of family members
All about me
My favorite place (landscape)
My favorite things (still life)
Fun fact
You may wonder, “How are you supposed to pronounce zine?” and the answer is pretty simple (but I still say it wrong!). It’s like maga-“zine” or “zeen.” No matter how you pronounce it, we hope to see you here at the DMA for Open Studio!
Upcoming dates
Saturday, March 2
Sunday, March 3
Saturday, March 16
Sunday, March 17
Time: Noon–4:00 p.m.
Melissa Brito is the Teaching Specialist for Family and Access Programs at the DMA.
What is a zine? Short for “magazine,” zines are self-published books of writing and art that are made for as little money as possible and circulated in limited quantities. Zines became popular in the 1970s in counter-culture circles as a way of promoting art and ideas outside the mainstream media, but creators have been self-publishing their ideas for much longer! Many can trace the lineage of zines back to 1776, when Thomas Paine published “Common Sense.”
In September 2018, the DMA hosted its first Zine Club meeting for high school students. Teens have great ideas and make interesting connections between the DMA’s collection and their own lives all the time; look no further than Disconnect to Reconnect, for example, hosted by the DMA Teen Advisory Council. Zine Club is a way for teens to explore their ideas through art and share those ideas with DMA visitors and their own communities in Zine Club’s biannual issues.
Zine Club meets the first Thursday evening of the month, and it is completely free to attend and participate. Teens enjoy snacks, go to the galleries to brainstorm, and return to the studio to make pages for the zine. Everyone who attends Zine Club gets at least one page in the final issue and receives several copies of the zine to share with friends and family. Museum visitors can pick up their own copy of the zine for a limited time in the Center for Creative Connections.
After several months of creating, Zine Club presents Opening Year. Over the course of four months, nine teens, three educators, and one visiting artist explored the following questions: What do we change about ourselves to fit in with the status quo? What do images say about beauty? What stories do you want told at a museum? Click here to browse their answers for yourself!
Physical zine copies will be available in the Center for Creative Connections for a limited time this month, so plan your visit and pick up a copy the next time you’re at the Museum. Zine Club picks back up again this spring for four meetings all about personal experience and stories, so check out our upcoming meeting schedule at DMA.org. Hope to see you this spring!
Jessica Thompson-Castillo is the Manager of Teen Programs at the DMA.
This February’s Open Studio will feature funky wire creations! Making sculptures inspired by paintings is a great way to engage with abstract art, and it allows your or your child’s mind to see the differences between a two-dimensional versus a three-dimensional artwork.
Imagine your favorite abstract painting—now imagine it as if it were designed as a sculpture. Would it twist or move? Would it cast shadows not conveyed in the painting? Sculpture is amazing because you can see it in a full 360 degrees and see up close what a painting simply cannot do. I love this activity because it asks the question “what would this painting look like if it were three dimensional?”
The 2-D to 3-D Wire Creations activity is a no-mess art-making project that is suitable for all ages and imaginations. It allows your child to engage with the basic elements of art—color, line, and shape—while introducing more complex subjects like abstract art, space, and movement.
As you twist and manipulate the wire, ask your child questions such as:
What kinds of lines can you make with the wire?
What colors are similar in the painting and your art?
What’s your favorite shape in the painting?
Do you like the art better as a painting or a sculpture?
The painting has colors and lines that make my sculpture interesting and recognizable.
This will be a fun project for you and your family. The best part is that you will be able to find the painting that inspired your work of art in the DMA’s collection!
Open Studio is for families and individuals looking for something free to do on the weekend. I am so excited to share with you the monthly art activity, how to engage your child in art projects, and a sneak peek of what you might expect. So stay tuned and see you soon!
February Open Studio Dates and Times:
Theme:Wire Creations Location: Center for Creative Connections Art Studio Price: Free Dates: Saturday, February 2 Sunday, February 3 Saturday, February 16 Sunday, February 17 Time: Noon–4:00 p.m.
Melissa Brito is a Teaching Specialist for Family and Access Programs at the DMA.
Calling all weekend crafters, makers, tinkerers, and artists! The DMA’s Art Studio is opening its doors to one and all starting in January 2019. On the first and third weekend of every month, drop by and give your creativity a workout with a hands-on art-making project for the entire family. Whether you prefer to wield a paintbrush or squish some clay, we’ll have something to inspire your inner artist. Materials and projects will switch up every month, and DMA staff will be on hand to demonstrate techniques and share fun facts about art and artists in the DMA’s collection.
Photos from various 2018 DMA Summer Art Camps
Photos from the June 2016 DMA Late Night and Summer Block Party
Open Studio is available for FREE on the first and third Saturday and Sunday of the month from noon to 4:00 p.m. All supplies are provided, and no registration or ticket is required.
Leah Hanson is the Director of Family, Youth, and School Programs at the DMA.
