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Rauschenberg’s President

Published February 17, 2014 American Art , Collections Closed
Tags: Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, President John F. Kennedy, Presidents' Day, Robert Rauschenberg

In honor of Presidents’ Day, we’re highlighting the one who watches over the Atrium and greets visitors as they enter the Museum. President John F. Kennedy is featured in the DMA’s Robert Rauschenberg painting Skyway, along with other elements of American history in the 1960s.

Robert Rauschenberg, Skyway, 1964, oil and silkscreen on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, The Roberta Coke Camp Fund, The 500, Inc., Mr. and Mrs. Mark Shepherd, Jr. and General Acquisitions Fund, (c) Rauschenberg Estate/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

Kimberly Daniell is the manager of communications and public affairs at the DMA.

Olympics in the Galleries

Published February 3, 2014 Behind-the-Scenes , Collections , Conservation Closed
Tags: Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Ice Skating, Winter Olympics

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Ice Skater (verso), 1929–30, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

No, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s ice skater is not executing a complicated triple lutz, soon to be witnessed by billions around the world during the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He is permanently suspended in his upside-down state, having been painted on the verso of a canvas 17 years after the main painting on the other side, Four Wooden Sculptures, which depicts small primitive sculptures. Both sides of this expressionist artist’s painting can currently be seen (the skater requiring a bit of head tilting) in the DMA’s Behind the Scenes exhibition in the Conservation Gallery.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Four Wooden Sculptures (recto), 1912, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

Kirchner’s interest in the movement and agility of the human body began early in his career with depictions of Berlin and Dresden cabarets and circuses. He later found inspiration in the bicyclists who practiced racing at Berlin’s Olympia stadium. The DMA’s skater was painted after the artist moved to the Swiss Alpine mountain town of Frauenkirch, near Davos, where he would spend the last 20 years of his life. The area remains a mecca for cold-weather athletics–Davos is now home to both the Kirchner Museum and the Winter Sports Museum.

In 1930, in his essay “On Life and Work,” Kirchner reflected: “Observation of movement has been for me a particularly fruitful source of creative inspiration. From that observation comes the increased awareness of life which is the source of all artistic works.” For Kirchner, most of his sports experience was only that–observation and then the subsequent depictions thereof. The skater and other works such as Ski-Jumpers (1927) and Ice-Hockey Players (1934) were executed after his physical and mental breakdown. Archery seems to be the one sport that the artist attempted himself. In 1933, he wrote to a friend, “My wife is quite a good shot, too. It is an educational sport which makes people take up beautiful attitudes.”

And here’s a view of Kirchner’s Ice Skater that doesn’t require turning the computer upside down.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Ice Skater (verso), 1929–30

Read more about the appearance of athletic activity in Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s work here.

Reagan Duplisea is the associate registrar, exhibitions at the DMA

Silver, Pearls, and Squirrels: The DMA’s Newest Acquisition

Published January 15, 2014 Collections 1 Comment
Tags: Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, Vienna Workshops, Wiener Werkstätte, Wittgenstein Silver Cabinet

The Dallas Museum of Art recently acquired the Wittgenstein silver cabinet, a stunning example of early 20th-century design from the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops, founded 1903), which was a major producer of lavishly designed silverwork. Intended to be a work of art as much as the objects housed within it, the cabinet (also called a “vitrine”) demonstrates a shift in design toward an elaborate ornamental aesthetic.

Silver Vitrine (for the 1908 Kunstschau), 1908, Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops), Vienna, Austria, 1903-1932, maker; Carl Otto Czeschka, Austrian, 1878-1960, designer; Josef Berger, Austrian, 1874/75-?, goldsmith; Josef Hoszfeld, Austrian, 1869-1918, Adolf Erbrich, Austrian, 1874-?, Alfred Mayer, Austrian, 1873-?, silversmiths; Josef Weber, dates unknown, cabinetmaker; Wabak, Albrech, Plasinsky, Cerhan (unidentified craftsmen), silver, moonstone, opal, lapis, lazuli, mother-of-pearl, baroque pearls, onyx, marble, ivory, enamel, glass, and Macassar ebony veneers (replaced), image courtesy of Richard Nagy Ltd, London, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

Silver vitrine (for the 1908 Kunstschau), 1908, Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops), Vienna, Austria, 1903-32, maker; Carl Otto Czeschka, Austrian, 1878-1960, designer; Josef Berger, Austrian, 1874/75-?, goldsmith; Josef Hoszfeld, Austrian, 1869-1918, Adolf Erbrich, Austrian, 1874-?, Alfred Mayer, Austrian, 1873-?, silversmiths; Josef Weber, dates unknown, cabinetmaker; Wabak, Albrech, Plasinsky, Cerhan (unidentified craftsmen), silver, moonstone, opal, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, baroque pearls, onyx, marble, ivory, enamel, glass, and Macassar ebony veneers (replaced), image courtesy of Richard Nagy Ltd, London, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

Currently on view in its own niche gallery on Level 2, and included in free general admission, the cabinet initially stuns visitors with its brilliant polished finish and begs for closer inspection, enticing viewers with brightly colored enamel, pearls, opals and other gemstones.

Two female figures, called “caryatids,” support the cabinet’s onyx top while emphasizing the verticality of the object and giving the flowing organic design an added sense of regal structure. Bright blue enamel and bold patterns draw the eye to these elegant figures.

If you look closely, you will see a wide variety of birds, some with elaborate plumage and others so small they seem to disappear among the leaves and pearls. Gemstones dot the eyes of the birds, giving them a spark of life despite their metallic forms.

Squirrels frolic around the cabinet, hiding among the leaves and gathering pearls like acorns. Like the birds, their gemstone eyes enliven them and their differing poses suggest their distinct personalities. Further, the animals represent multiple breeds, including the red squirrel with tufted ears and the grey squirrel with rounded ears.

The cabinet by the numbers:
2 – caryatids
3 – cubic feet of wood
4 – interior glass shelves
5 – feet tall
10 – types of birds
14 – squirrels

If you look really closely, you will find other animals like lizards and mice!

Alexa Hayes is the McDermott Graduate Curatorial Intern for American and Decorative Art at the DMA.

Pet Parade: Strutting the Catwalk — and the Canvas

Published January 14, 2014 Collections 2 Comments
Tags: Alexandre Hogue, Amedeo Modigliani, Ben Nicholson, Cesare Paolini, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, dress up your pet day, Edward Hicks, Emile Bernard, Eugène Delacroix, Franco Teodoro, Frederic Edwin Church, Jackson Pollock, John Singer Sargent, Malaysia, Piero Gatti, Rembrandt Peale, Zanotta

Did you know January 14 is national Dress Up Your Pet Day? Yeah, we didn’t either. Here at the DMA, we not only love our art, but we also love our animals. We couldn’t resist combining some of our favorite works from our permanent collection with some of our favorite pet pals.

We promise that no animals were harmed in creating these photos. Well, maybe just a few pet egos.

DMA Staffer: Danielle Schulz, Teaching Specialist
DMA Pet: Ruby, Lab/Collie mix, age 2
Portrait Inspiration: Alexandre Hogue, Drouth Stricken Area, 1934
I wanted to transport Hogue’s characteristic desert-like scene to my tiny apartment, and lucky for me, I was able to find an eager canine ready to put on a cow costume and thirstily explore a bathtub water tank. This work will soon be on view in the upcoming exhibition Alexandre Hogue: The Erosion Series.

DMA Staffer: Amanda Blake, Head of Family, Access, and School Experiences
DMA Pet: George Costanza, West Highland White Terrier, age 7
Portrait Inspiration: Rembrandt Peale, George Washington, c. 1850
Like George Washington, George the Westie is courageous and fearless in the face of danger. He is an alpha dog and has been known to keep much larger dogs in line. Plus, I thought that he would look very handsome in a colonial costume.
(Editor’s note: This is George as himself, no airbrushing or Photoshop for him!)

DMA Staffer: Andrea Severin Goins, Interpretation Specialist
DMA Pets: (from left to right) Shelby, Golden Retriever, age 6, and Artemisia Gentileschi (“Artie”), Malshi/Maltese/Shih Tzu Hybrid, age 4
Portrait Inspiration: Emile Bernard, Breton Women Attending a Pardon, 1892
Artemisia and Shelby love the outdoors; in particular Artie likes to sunbathe and Shelby loves to people watch while enjoying a nice breeze. They like Bernard’s painting because it looks like a place they would like to visit: a lush field, rich with bright hues, and filled with nice ladies who might pet them.

DMA Staffer: Chad Redmon, Assistant Photographer
DMA Pet: Ajax, White Alsatian, age 3
Portrait Inspiration: Ben Nicholson, 1936 (white relief), 1936
I’ve admired Ben Nicholson’s White Relief long before I was even an employee here at the DMA. I respond to minimal and reductive aesthetic strategies and this one is a stellar example of such. When I found Ajax asleep in my chair, viewed from that overhead perspective, my mind went immediately to the work by Nicholson. Quick iPhone shot and some simple Photoshopping and there it is.

DMA Staffer: Doug Landrith, Gallery Attendant
DMA Pets: (from left to right) Ella, Leopard Tortoise, age 5; Gurdy, Sulcata Tortoise, age 6; Tanaka, Red Foot Tortoise, age 7
Portrait Inspiration: Frederic Church, The Icebergs, 1861
Tortoises look like monumental rock formations anyway, so The Icebergs seemed like a perfect fit. It was honestly more entertaining having them roam around the yard with their ice hats on running into things.

DMA Staffer: Kimberly Daniell, Manager of Communications and Public Affairs
DMA Pet: Chloe (she is actually my roommate’s dog. I dog-napped her for the photo shoot), West Highland Terrier, age 8
Portrait Inspiration: John Singer Sargent, Dorothy, 1900
Dorothy is one of my favorite works in the collection. Chloe is sassy and has an attitude and I envision Dorothy was the same way. A white ensemble did not show up well on her fur, so she went for a more brooding Dorothy look.

DMA Staffer: Jessica Fuentes, Gallery Coordinator for the Center for Creative Connections
DMA Pets: (from left to right) Fidel, Short Haired Chihuahua, age 3, and Nene, Long Haired Chihuahua, age 4.5
Portrait Inspiration: Pair of mythical animals (asos), 19th century
It’s only within the last six months or so that I have become familiar with the pair of mythical animals, as it is a piece that C3 focuses on for our Indonesian Gallery Pop-Up Art Spot. I love how these creatures are clearly dog-like and are a protective symbol. When thinking about which work of art I would pick for my dogs to re-enact, I immediately thought of this one. My pair of Chihuahuas may not be as graceful or intimidating as these mythical animals, but they are a source of comfort to me and my daughter. Clearly they do not realize how small they are, because they jump up, bark and chase after any foreign sound they hear. (In order to get them to sit up and pose like this, I had to enlist the help of my daughter… she is out of the frame, standing on a chair, holding a treat and telling them to “sit” and “stay.”)

DMA Staffer: Queta Moore Watson, Senior Editor
DMA Pet: Ollie, Tuxedo Cat (Domestic Medium Hair), age 5
Portrait Inspiration: Eugène Delacroix, Portrait of a Woman in a Blue Turban, c. 1827
I chose this work because my cat Ollie shares with Eugène Delacroix’s subject a pensive expression and soulful eyes. Delacroix had a penchant for representing exotic women from foreign lands. While Ollie is a Domestic Medium Hair rather than an exotic breed, he does mirror the subject’s enigmatic gaze. Is he pondering the future? Remembering the past? Perhaps he is thinking, “I’m a cat. Why am I wearing a turban?”

DMA Staffer: Reagan Duplisea, Associate Registrar, Exhibitions
DMA Pet: Mosey, Florida Brown Dog, age 9
Portrait Inspiration: Sacco chair, Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini, Franco Teodoro, Zanotta, designed 1968-1969
A dear friend of mine once called Mosey “a little dumpling,” and even though she is really all muscle, the nickname stuck. She always sits sideways, directly on her rear end, and her “dumpling” shape reminds me of the red beanbag chair currently on view in the exhibition Form/Unformed: Design from 1960 to the Present.

DMA Staffer: Catherine Cody, Special Events and Volunteer Relations Manager
DMA Pet: Jane, Mutt, age 1
Portrait Inspiration: Jackson Pollock, Cathedral, 1947
Pollock is one of my favorite painters, particularly in the way he suggests “energy made visible”. My dog Jane is the definition of visible energy, and her life often looks like a Pollock painting. She ate the string I bought to design our interpretation of Cathedral, so we improvised with some of her toys. I think Pollock would approve.

DMA Staffer: Anne Bromberg, The Cecil and Ida Green Curator of Ancient and Asian Art
DMA Pet: Miss Suzl, Maine Coon cat, age 4
Portrait Inspiration: Edward Hicks, The Peaceable Kingdom, c. 1846-1847
I thought Miss Suzl would be interested in the painting and probably recognize her big relations in it. I envision Miss Suzl’s comments on this painting are either “SOMETIMES I’m peaceable, but don’t count on it” or “wanting to lie down with a lamb instead of eating its nuts.”

DMA Staffer: Mandy Engleman, Director of Creative Services
DMA Pet: Sabrina, Bassador (Basset Hound/Yellow Lab), age 5.5
Portrait Inspiration: Amedeo Modigliani, Boy in Short Pants, 1918
Ever since I adopted Sabby, I’ve seen the similarities in her proportions to that of a Modigliani work. She has a short, long stocky body with an abnormally long neck and a smallish head. When attempting a photo shoot, however, she was not in the mood to show off that long neck. So instead you’ll see her similarity to Boy in Short Pants through her piercing eyes and elongated face. You may also see that she wanted to add a twist of Warhol—which is where her true personality lies.

Visit the DMA’s collection galleries, included in free general admission, to find inspiration for your pet’s high fashion and share your photos #DMApets!

Images: Alexandre Hogue, Drouth Stricken Area, 1934, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Art Association Purchase, (c) Olivia Hogue Marino & Amalia Marino; Rembrandt Peale, George Washington, c. 1850, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, The Karl and Esther Hoblitzelle Collection, gift of the Hoblitzelle Foundation; Emile Bernard, Breton Women Attending a Pardon, 1892, oil on cardboard, Dallas Museum of Art, The Art Museum League Fund; Ben Nicholson, 1936 (white relief), 1936, oil on carved board, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, © 2011 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / DACS, London; Frederic Edwin Church, The Icebergs, 1861, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Norma and Lamar Hunt; John Singer Sargent, Dorothy, 1900, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Leland Fikes Foundation, Inc.; Pair of mythical animals (asos), Malaysia, Sarawak, middle Rajang River region, Greater Sunda Islands, Kayan people, 19th century, wood, Dallas Museum of Art, The Roberta Coke Camp Fund and the Museum League Purchase Fund; Eugène Delacroix, Portrait of a Woman in a Blue Turban, c. 1827, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., in honor of Patricia McBride; Sacco, Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini, and Franco Teodoro, designers; Zanotta, maker, designed 1968-1969, vinyl and polystyrene, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Zanotta; Jackson Pollock, Cathedral, 1947, enamel and aluminum paint on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard J. Reis, © Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Edward Hicks, The Peaceable Kingdom, c. 1846-1847, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, The Art Museum League Fund; Amedeo Modigliani, Boy in Short Pants, c. 1918, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Leland Fikes Foundation, Inc.

Catherine Cody is special events and volunteer relations manager and Kimberly Daniell is the communications and public affairs manager at the DMA.

Celebrating Friendship: The First 12 Months of DMA Friends

Published January 13, 2014 Center for Creative Connections , Collections , Dallas , DFW , DMA Friends , Education , Late Nights Closed
Tags: Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, DMA Friends, Late Night

The DMA Friends program turns a year old this month, and what a year it’s been! Our DMA Friends have helped reshape the way people visit the Museum—collecting points and badges—and the experiences they have at the DMA. There are so many highlights that we decided to recap some of the greatest hits of the past 12 months.

January – Let’s Get This Party Started

We launched the DMA Friends program, as well as our return to free general admission, with a day full of free activities on January 21, 2013. By the end of that first day, we had over 800 new friends. New DMA Friends have continued to join with enthusiasm—in fact, we welcomed the largest number of DMA Friends between December 26 and 31. Happy Anniversary, DMA Friends!

February – Busy Bees

The first full month of our new gallery activity, the Pop-Up Art Spot, was very pop-ular. DMA Friends love taking a creative break in the galleries with inspiration from the DMA’s collection. The Pop-Up Art Spot is currently the most popular activity for DMA Friends.

March – Rewarding Rewards

With all of their visits, activities and check ins, DMA Friends started raking in their points quickly. Our first high value reward, Dinner and Movie, was redeemed only two months after the launch of DMA Friends. It was the first of many special rewards redeemed this year, including the Art Beauty Shoppe reward, which you can read more about here.

April – Cindy Sherman Doppelgängers

We encouraged DMA Friends to test their creativity with our Cindy Sherman Super Fan activity. DMA Friends grabbed their wigs, costumes and cameras and tweeted their interpretation of Cindy Sherman for extra points and a bonus badge. DMA staff even got in on the fun—see more here.

May – Hera, Medusa and Zeus. Oh My!

Throughout the year, DMA Friends have had the opportunity to earn special limited-edition badges. In May, those who came to Late Night dressed as their favorite Greek hero received the Midnight Masquerade Badge, not to mention some adoring and impressed fans.

June – Indonesian Celebration
The DMA celebrated the award-winning catalogue Eyes of the Ancestors: The Arts of Island Southeast Asia at the Dallas Museum of Art with a week of activities, which was right up our DMA Friends alleys. The DMA’s Asian Galleries received the most visits by DMA Friends, with over 18,000 check-ins!

July – The President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy

We were halfway through our presentation of the DMA-organized exhibition Hotel Texas: An Art Exhibition for the President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy in July. This exhibition was the most visited exhibition of 2013 by DMA Friends.

August – Into the Deep

The DMA Friends reward Into the Deep was featured in the Dallas Observer in August. Since the launch of DMA Friends, 26 guests have explored the Museum’s art storage by redeeming this exclusive reward.

September – Coast to Coast
In September, we received great news: the DMA was awarded an IMLS grant to help fund the expansion of a platform of engagement based on the DMA Friends program to partner institutions, including the Denver Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Stay tuned this year for exciting news as their plans develop.

October – Late Nights, High Numbers

Ten months into our program, we reached over 30,000 new DMA Friends! And they loved October’s Late Night, when we welcomed the largest number of new DMA Friends during our monthly event.

November – Overnight at the Museum

Ten DMA Friends visited exhibitions, attended lectures, created art at the Art Spot and more to earn 100,000 points since the launch in January. Those DMA Friends and a few of their buddies were the first people to ever spend the night at the DMA. Read about their fun overnight adventure here and start saving your points now!

December – Feeling the Love
DMA Friends are making news around the world! In December, The Economist magazine put the spotlight on DMA Friends with its “How to Win Friends” article on the program.

Celebrate the first year of DMA Friends, as well as the DMA’s 111th birthday, this Friday during Late Night. We have a lot of fun events in store, including a few surprises for DMA Friends! Check out the Late Night schedule here to start planning everything you want to do.

If you aren’t already a DMA Friend, be sure to sign up for the free program on your next visit.

Kimberly Daniell is the manager of communications and public affairs at the DMA and Sarah Coffey is the assistant to the chair of learning initiatives at the DMA.

Hide and Go Seek: A Behind-the-Scenes Field Trip to Permanent Collection Storage

Published January 8, 2014 Behind-the-Scenes , Collections , Conservation , Curatorial , DMA Friends Closed
Tags: art storage, conservation, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, DMA Friends, Meso-American art

A few months ago, the seven other McDermott Interns and I toured art storage with Anne Lenhart, associate registrar for the permanent collection. Each year, McDermott Interns explore the storage facilities and get a sneak peek inside the DMA’s collection. We spotted more than a few hidden gems during the tour, which you can find, too, through our DMA Friends program. DMA Friends points can be redeemed for an Into the Deep reward that explores art storage. See snapshots of the secrets of storage below!

First stop, Main Storage: Adolph Gottlieb’s Orb, 1964, is rolled out for closer inspection. If you would like to see it for yourself, the painting is on view through March in the Museum’s Hoffman Galleries.

Second stop, Conservation Office: Mark Leonard, chief conservator, works on a painting’s mounting in his old office. With the opening of the Paintings Conservation Studio in November, his work process is now on public display.

Third stop, Photography: Here works, such as water pitchers, are photographed for publication.

Fourth stop, Cold Storage: Marc Quinn’s blood heads have never been stored here. If they ever do come to the Museum, we’ll have the proper storage for them!

Fifth stop: Textile Storage: Textiles are tightly packed on rungs.

Sixth stop, Large Objects: While some artists do not designate what particular hardware and software to use for digital artworks, some do. We have a nice collection of “ancient” relics.

Seventh stop, Prop Storage

Eighth stop: Meso-American and Small Objects Storage: Anne gives Amy Kaczmarek a closer look.

Temple Shipley is the McDermott Curatorial Intern for Contemporary Art at the DMA.

New Year, New You

Published January 1, 2014 Center for Creative Connections , Collections , Dallas , DFW , DMA Friends , Guest Blog Post Closed
Tags: C3 Volunteer, Center for Creative Connections, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, Pop-Up Art Spot, Volunteer

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Whether you set specific goals for 2014, or are just considering ways to give back to the community, the C3 Volunteer Program may be right for you. Center for Creative Connections (C3) volunteers help visitors to enjoy and explore the Museum’s collection and interactive activities, both in the C3 and in our collection galleries.

We’ve invited Kenton Visser, an artist and current C3 volunteer, to share his experiences–and a few of his works–with “Uncrated.”

The first question I ask myself when I wind up somewhere new is “Where is the art?” The Dallas Museum of Art has been the best answer I’ve found to that question in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

During my first visit to the DMA, my sister and I spent over an hour in C3. We were excited by how the Museum valued a space for visitors to not just observe art objects but respond by creating as well. The people at the DMA are aware that the Museum contains worlds to be found, and they encourage exploration with self-guided tours that focus on a particular theme or subject in various areas of the collection. As my personal take on these tours, I sometimes give myself drawing assignments in order to absorb what’s on display more fully, often surprising myself with what I can notice if I really look.

Recent changes with the DMA’s return to free general admission and the launch of DMA Friends have removed barriers and made it easy for visitors to gain rewards based on a point system. Volunteering brings its own rewards (such as free parking and free admission to special exhibitions and events) as well as 500 points for every shift. Naturally, I’ve enjoyed these perks, but volunteering has been rewarding enough in itself.

Although the Museum isn’t exactly close by for me (I currently live south of Fort Worth), I’ve always found it to be worth the trip. I applied to be a volunteer this past summer, looking for a way to better connect with artistic circles. My monthly shifts have given me a recurring reason to visit the Museum, and volunteering with C3 has provided an energizing platform for interacting with visitors through art. Even though I spend a large portion of my time making art, being in the Museum (and especially in C3) gives me a unique chance to see how art is received by a wide variety of people. School groups, individuals, adults and children, those who have studied art and those who haven’t—everyone who comes into C3 has a different reaction to the art and the hands-on activities available.

I’ve particularly enjoyed volunteering at the Pop-Up Art Spot, a compact cart stocked with simple activities that shows up in different galleries each week. It’s a nice oasis in the galleries and brings creative connections to people who wouldn’t seek out the main C3 space. I’ve been able to win over a number of visitors who seem unsure about participating in an activity (usually “I can’t draw” or “Isn’t this for kids?”) but then find themselves thoroughly enjoying it. Because I’m usually drawing or working on activities myself, I often have conversations with visitors about my own art. I’ve even had a few requests to prove my abilities by drawing portraits of the visitors or popular cartoon characters. These experiences in the C3 Gallery and Pop-Up Art Spot are perfect proof of the DMA’s belief that an art museum shouldn’t be just a building full of objects but a place where art happens.

If you are interested in becoming a C3 volunteer, request an application here. The application deadline is Friday, January 10.

Kenton Visser is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and has lived in Crowley, Texas, since 2009. In addition to volunteering, he works as an illustrator, studio assistant and certified framer. His portfolio can be seen on his website.

Melissa Nelson Gonzales is the C3 gallery manager at the DMA.

A Year of Launches, Anniversaries, and Free at the DMA

Published December 31, 2013 Behind-the-Scenes , Collections , Conservation , Dallas , DFW , DMA Friends , Education , Exhibitions Closed
Tags: AVANCE-Dallas, Center for Creative Connections, Chagall: Beyond Color, Dallas Museum of Art, DallasSITES: Available Space, Daniel Buren, DMA, DMA Friends, DMA Overnight, Eyes of the Ancestors: The Arts of Island Southeast Asia at the Dallas Museum of Art, Hotel Texas: An Art Exhibition for the President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy, im Hodges: Give More Than You Take, Make Art With Purpose, Paintings Conservation Studio, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece, Tlaloc, Year in Review

The year 2013 has been an exciting one at the DMA. We’ve welcomed more than 540,000 visitors, launched new programs, and hosted 11 exhibitions. Below are a few of the Uncrated team’s favorite highlights from the past year.

Going free!
We returned to free general admission on January 21 and have loved every minute of opening our doors for free to the North Texas community.
Getting more than 41,000 new friends
In January we launched DMA Friends, the first free museum membership program, and our new friends have been earning points on their visits and redeeming them for unique rewards for almost 12 months!
DMA sleepover
Speaking of unique rewards, we hosted our first DMA Overnight in November. Ten DMA Friends redeemed 100,000 points to spend the night at the Museum with a guest while exploring the galleries after hours, participating in new DMA games and sleeping under the watchful eyes of Tlaloc.
C3 got a facelift
Come by and see new works of art and activities for all ages in the front gallery of the Center for Creative Connections on Level 1.
A sky of denim
The DMA co-organized exhibition Jim Hodges: Give More Than You Take (on view through January 12!) is full of beautiful and interesting works of art, but we had the privilege of being the first venue to ever show his denim work Untitled (one day it all comes true). It was amazing getting to witness Jim Hodges viewing his completed work on display for the first time.
Happy Anniversary!
This was the year of anniversaries here at the DMA, including the 110th birthday of the DMA, the 80th anniversary of the Dallas Free Public Art Gallery becoming the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, the 50th anniversary of the merger of the DMFA and DMCA, the 30th anniversary of the DMA Sculpture Garden opening, the 20th anniversary of the Hamon Building opening (which includes Level 4 and the Atrium), Arturo’s 10th birthday, and the 5th anniversary of C3.
From Greece to Dallas
We had a year of amazing exhibitions, from a celebration of President Kennedy in Hotel Texas: An Art Exhibition for the President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy to the colorful world of Chagall’s sculptures, drawings and costumes in Chagall:Beyond Color, from the famous Discus Thrower from the British Museum in The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece to welcoming the local art community in DallasSITES: Available Space.
Art/Arte
This fall we launched our first-ever bilingual (Spanish and English) guide for visitors, written by members of the Dallas community through a partnership program with AVANCE-Dallas and Make Art With Purpose. Pick one up at the Visitor Services Desk on your next visit.
Texas hops and barley
This summer we had a Texas beer social for Museum staff and sampled brews that come from the Lone Star State. Uncrated team member Melissa Nelson Gonzales out- sipped the competition and won the beer tasting contest!
Eyes of the Ancestors
In June we celebrated the publication of our catalogue Eyes of the Ancestors: The Arts of Island Southeast Asia at the Dallas Museum of Art and welcomed special guest Dhalang Purbo Asmoro, who hosted a public gamelan and wayang performance with musicians from Java, Bali and New York. This month, the book was named the winner of the 2013 International Tribal Art Book Prize.
Creative rest stop
We launched a new program this year, the Pop-Up Art Spot, taking C3 into the galleries and inviting visitors to enjoy a creative break while exploring the Museum. Over 12,000 visitors of all ages have participated in drawing, writing and other creative activities!
New digs
In 2013 a portion of the south end of the building was under renovation for the new DMA Paintings Conservation Studio (watch the transition here). Visitors can see into the DMA’s Conservation Studio and explore the conservation process in the adjacent gallery for free during Museum hours. A recent conservation project, Daniel Buren’s Sanction of the Museum, hangs in the Concourse and leads the way to the studio.
A Texas-size howdy!
Our Visitor Services Team, which greets every guest of the DMA when they walk through our doors or visit the galleries, also got a makeover. You may have noticed their friendly smiles and new outfits during your visits this year.

Thank you for helping us make 2013 a great year. We wish you a very happy new year!

Kimberly Daniell is the manager of communications and public affairs at the DMA.

Festive Artworks

Published December 25, 2013 Collections Closed
Tags: Annette Lawrence, Bruce Nauman, chichi, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, Erick Swenson, guardian figure, Holidays

From twinkle lights and tinsel to plastic mistletoe and inflatable snowmen, decorations abound during the holiday season. But at the DMA, our walls are “decorated” the entire year, so we poked through the Museum’s collection for particularly festive artworks that would make unique holiday deco. Here’s what we found:

Instead of felted reindeer and fake snow atop your dining room table, how about incorporating Erik Swenson’s tableau of fantastical cold-weather creatures? The one in the sweater would make for interesting dinner conversation.

Erick Swenson, Untitled, 1998, styrofoam, resin, wool, foam, epoxy, clay, and paint, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mark Babcock

I would happily exchange the star atop my tree for this Indonesian standing guardian figure (tepaung). Unlike my star, this figure is capable of warding off evil spirits.

Standing figure, c. 1300-1800, Indonesia, East Kalimantan, Mahakam River Region, Belayan River, Kenyah-Kayan Complex, possibly Bahau or Bahau-related people, ironwood, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

Standing guardian figure, c. 1300-1800, Indonesia, East Kalimantan, Mahakam River Region, Belayan River, Kenyah-Kayan Complex, possibly Bahau or Bahau-related people, ironwood, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

Trade in your tangled ball of twinkle lights for Bruce Nauman’s neon letters.

Bruce Nauman, Perfect Door/Perfect Odor/Perfect Rodo, 1972, white glass tubing, clear glass tubing, and suspension frames, Dallas Museum of Art, General Acquisitions Fund, The 500, Inc., Dorace M. Fichtenbaum, Deedie and Rusty Rose, an anonymous donor, the Friends of Contemporary Art and a matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in honor of Sue Graze

These ancient Peruvian beakers, which may have been used to serve a corn beer called chichi, would be a lovely table setting for any holiday dinner party. Please pass the chicha!

Group of beakers, A.D. 900-1100, Peru, North Coast, La Leche Valley, Batan Grande Region, Sican culture, gold, Dallas Museum of Art, The Nora and John Wise Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jake L. Hamon, the Eugene McDermott Family, Mr. and Mrs. Algur H. Meadows and the Meadows Foundation, Incorporated, and Mr. and Mrs. John D. Murchison

To create this sculpture, Annette Lawrence tore junk mail into strips of equal width. Who needs handmade chains of paper strips when you could decorate your hearth with this?

Annette Lawrence, Free Paper 12 / 05, 2006-2008, mixed media, Dallas Museum of Art, Charron and Peter Denker Contemporary Texas Art Fund

Annette Lawrence, Free Paper 12 / 05, 2006-08, mixed media, Dallas Museum of Art, Charron and Peter Denker Contemporary Texas Art Fund

Andrea Severin Goins is the interpretation specialist at the DMA.

The Man Behind the Mounts

Published December 16, 2013 Behind-the-Scenes , Collections , Conservation 1 Comment
Tags: Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, mountmaker, mounts

Over the past 23 years, visitors to the DMA have witnessed the handiwork of preparator and resident mountmaker Russell Sublette without actually seeing it: the lid of an African box seems to lift as if pulled by an unseen hand, the Tiffany windows emanate a ghostly glow from within the wall into which they are built, odd-shaped objects stand straight and tall in their cases. He has made a Yoruba Egungun costume twirl and dance in the galleries, and created a mannequin support for an equestrian Madonna to ride.

Window with Starfish ("Spring") and Window with Sea Anemone ("Summer"), c. 1885-1895, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company, glass, lead, iron, and wooden frame (original), Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

Window with Starfish (“Spring”) and Window with Sea Anemone (“Summer”), c. 1885-95, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company, glass, lead, iron, and wooden frame (original), Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

“The point of the mount is to let the object speak without the mount being the center of attention,” Sublette says. “The best compliment you can give a mountmaker is ‘What a great object.’”

A 35-year veteran of the Museum, Sublette began his journey to become the DMA’s expert mountmaker in high school metal shop class. He still has a dust pan he made in 1972. After working for several years as a general art handler at the DMA, he focused his attention on making mounts with the Gold of Three Continents exhibition in 1990. A training course at Benchmark, a national company that supplies mounts and supports for museums across the country, provided him with a solid foundation and advice that he still carries with him to this day.

Sublette’s most recent handiwork can be seen (if you look closely enough) in the Behind the Scenes installation in the DMA’s new Paintings Conservation Gallery. Unframed canvases seem to float in their cases and provide visitors the opportunity to learn about painting support systems. The mount for William Henry Huddle’s Marble Falls was his favorite because it was the most challenging. Much time and effort were needed to thread the gravity clip and a triangular brace made to provide a strong structural gusset so the painting does not wobble.

The Huddle is indicative of Sublette’s process and approach to mountmaking: First he has to figure out the “key to the object”–how to mount the artwork securely in four points or less. Then he asks himself, “How do I make this mount as discrete as possible, invisible if I can?” Sublette achieves this unobtrusive subtlety by becoming an “amateur engineer” and figuring out how thin a piece of metal can be and still hold the weight of the piece securely. Thin pieces of metal can hold a lot of weight of they are bent, twisted and machined to strengthen and make them more rigid. Sublette says that mountmakers are “artists in service of art.” This particular artist’s preferred medium is brass: it’s cheaper than steel, very malleable, needs only a small oxygen tank, and produces no soot.

Sublette says he enjoys the mountmaking aspect of his job because it takes 100% engagement and allows for close contact with the art. He admits to revisiting an object 100-150 times before its mount is complete, measuring and re-measuring, memorizing each line and contour. “It’s important to take the mount to the piece and not the piece to the mount. You shouldn’t have to force a piece into an acrobatic dance to fit the mount. I’m anal as hell. But now I’m using it for the forces of good.”

Sublette also made the shell surround mounts for the pedestals for the double-sided works in the conservation gallery, including Ernst Kirchner’s Four Wooden Sculptures (recto)/ Ice Skater (verso) and Emile Bernard’s Breton Women Attending a Pardon (recto)/Unfinished Sketch (verso). A far cry from the dust pans of yore.

Reagan Duplisea is associate registrar of exhibitions at the DMA.

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Silver, Pearls, and Squirrels: The DMA’s Newest Acquisition

Pet Parade: Strutting the Catwalk — and the Canvas

Celebrating Friendship: The First 12 Months of DMA Friends

Hide and Go Seek: A Behind-the-Scenes Field Trip to Permanent Collection Storage

New Year, New You

A Year of Launches, Anniversaries, and Free at the DMA

Festive Artworks

The Man Behind the Mounts

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