We’re cheering on our Texas Rangers during Opening Day!
Nic Nicosia, Bobby Dixon & the Texas Stars, 1986, screenprint, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group, Dallas, Texas
Archive for the 'DFW' Category
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Published March 31, 2014 Collections , DFW ClosedTags: Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, Major League Baseball, Nic Nicosia, opening day, Texas Rangers
Words with Friends (and owls, mohels, etc.)
Published March 12, 2014 Behind-the-Scenes , Collections , Contemporary Art , Curatorial , Dallas , DFW , Exhibitions ClosedTags: Dallas Museum of Art, Darren Bader, DMA, Never Enough: Recent Acquisitions of Contemporary art
For the exhibition Never Enough: Recent Acquisitions of Contemporary Art, New York-based artist Darren Bader visited Dallas to help us realize a unique work recently purchased by the DMA. Bader is known for his innovative and unconventional use of materials that push the boundaries of sculpture and activates environments with unexpected pairings and phenomenological experiences.
For example, in the 2012 exhibition Darren Bader: Images at MoMA PS1, the artist presented a room filled with a newly upholstered couch and several live housecats, all of which were available for adoption by museum visitors. Elsewhere the artist installed a selection of vegetables, each on its own wooden pedestal, that was made into salad for gallery visitors by a museum staffer twice a week. While these works all had a social dimension, for the artist these elements are understood to be sculpture of one form or another, albeit in the most expansive definition of the word.
Bader’s work also frequently employs double-entendres and wordplay, as is readily apparent in the series of rhyming couplets that make up the recent acquisition at the DMA, and which is now on view: obi and/with SCOBY; oak with/and smoke; owl and/with towel; oar with/and store; oil with/and mohel; oat and/with note; orc with/and fork. Generally, when a museum purchases a work it has a set physical form, but in this case the work itself consists solely of the words listed in the title above and the conceptual potential for realizing these couplings. These absurd combinations can be realized in physical space (e.g., placing a rowing oar in the DMA store) or in the form of photographic or video documentation to be displayed in the galleries. Contractual agreements like this have a long history within the canon of conceptual art, including works by Marcel Duchamp, Yves Klein, Hans Haacke (with the aid of dealer Seth Siegelaub), and Andrea Fraser, among others.
As the curator for this exhibition, I was tasked with coordinating and/or sourcing the various elements needed to realize this work, including an obi and SCOBY, owl and towel, and even a mohel (more on that in a later blog post). In order to find an owl, we got in touch with Kathy Rogers from Roger’s Wildlife Rescue down in Hutchins, Texas.
Kathy and her team run an amazing facility that rescues, rehabilitates and houses hundreds of birds of all varieties. For our project, Kathy had three types of owls available—Barred, Barn and Screech—and ultimately we decided to go with Forest, the Barn Owl. Forest was born in captivity, so he is very comfortable around humans and was more than happy to be filmed by the DMA’s crew.
Next we had to find a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) to go along with the obi (a traditional Japanese sash used with a kimono) we purchased from eBay. Lucky for us, the wonderful people at Holy Kombucha in Fort Worth were more than willing to provide us with a grade-A large SCOBY. While the SCOBY itself is naturally slimy and smelly, it is probiotic, and when used in kombucha it makes for a very tasty health drink; however, in order to exhibit the SCOBY our Objects Conservator dried it in an oven for several hours until it became a tissue-paper thin wafer.
For those that are curious, the SCOBY will be on view in the Stoffel Gallery, along with video clips representing other pairings from the Bader piece scattered throughout the galleries (included in free general admission!). We have also staged two small interventions outside the gallery spaces that you might encounter on your next trip to the DMA. So if you find an oar in the DMA store, or oats in the DMA donation box, don’t be alarmed . . . it’s only art.
Gabriel Ritter is The Nancy and Tim Hanley Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the DMA.
Choosing Favorites
Published February 12, 2014 Archive , Dallas , DFW , DMA Friends , Education ClosedTags: Art Madness, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, NCAA Tournament
Young men voting for their favorite work in the exhibition Portrait of America, September 30-November 5, 1945 (Photograph from the Studio of Wm. Langley)
In 1945 the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts was the seventh venue for the 150-painting traveling exhibition Portrait of America, sponsored by “Artists for Victory” and the Pepsi-Cola Company. The museum invited Dallasites to vote for their favorite work in the exhibition. The winner of the vote was Gladys Rockmore Davis’s Noel with Violin; she was awarded $100 by the manager of the local Pepsi-Cola Company bottling plant.
The DMA is once again asking you to pick your favorite, this time in the Museum’s first Art Madness tournament, inspired by the NCAA Championship game, which will take place in North Texas this April. DMA Friends are currently determining the Sweet Sixteen by participating in the DMA Friends Love a Work of Art activity. Once we have the 16 works determined in late February, the public can vote for their favorites online. Stay tuned for more information on how you can help pick the first DMA Art Madness Champion!
Hillary Bober is the digital archivist 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 ClosedTags: 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.
New Year, New You
Published January 1, 2014 Center for Creative Connections , Collections , Dallas , DFW , DMA Friends , Guest Blog Post ClosedTags: 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 ClosedTags: 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.
Run the DMA Marathon
Published November 27, 2013 Collections , Dallas , DFW 1 CommentTags: Coffin of Horankh, Crawford Riddle, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas PCS Marathon, DMA, Fernand Léger, Gerald Murphy, Mark Rothko, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, Rufino Tamayo, Tlaloc, Vincent van Gogh
It’s that time of year again, and the excitement of the Dallas PCS Marathon has arrived! Last year, the marathon races drew over 15,700 runners and 300,000 spectators. It’s expected to be bigger than ever this year, and the city of Dallas is pulling out all the stops. The Dallas Museum of Art is joining the city in welcoming runners and their friends, families, and fans alike!
As both a McDermott intern in the education department and a runner, I had the pleasure (and pain!) of gaining my Museum feet during the height of my training for the marathon. As I learned to navigate through the galleries, I discovered that the DMA has many things in common with a marathon: it’s huge, it’s inspirational, and there are lots of friendly staff members to support you along your journey. Therefore, I am thrilled to combine two of my passions–running and museums–in inviting you to embark on your very own DMA Marathon. I’ve highlighted some of my favorite artworks throughout the DMA’s galleries, hand-picked to motivate, inspire, and refuel you. So, what are you waiting for? Lace up your running shoes, and get ready to explore!
Registration: DMA Atrium
The DMA has free general admission (every day!), so you don’t need to pull out your wallet for this race. But please do hit up the Visitor Services Desk to sign up for the DMA Friends program. With your shiny new DMA Friends membership, you’ll be able to check in at various locations in the Museum and earn points toward exciting DMA rewards such as free parking, sneak peeks at new exhibitions, and exclusive Museum experiences. The Atrium is also a great place to grab a pre-race bite in the DMA Cafe, use the line-free bathrooms, and get in your stretches in front of Robert Rauschenberg’s breathtaking Skyway or Rufino Tamayo’s iconic painting El Hombre (Man).
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
Rufino Tamayo, El Hombre (Man), 1953, vinyl with pigment on panel, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Art Association commission, Neiman-Marcus Company Exposition Funds, (c) Estate of the artist in support of Fundacion Olga y Rufino Tamayo, A.C.
Resist Temptation and Find Your Pace: Level 4: Ancient American Art and American Art
The starting gun goes off and you head up the stairs to Level 4, where you will come face to face with Tlaloc, the DMA’s rain god. But no need to worry about rain inside the Museum, Tlaloc was also a war god and will send you off with blessings of stamina and power!
Head of the rain god Tlaloc, Mixtec, Late Postclassic period, c. 1300-1500, ceramic, tufa, stucco, and paint, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Marcus in memory of Mary Freiberg
As you make your way by Crawford Riddle’s bedstead, deemed “The Big Bed” by our younger visitors, try not to be distracted with thoughts of putting your feet up so early in the race. You’ve worked hard to prepare for this moment, and this bed should serve as a reminder that some well-deserved relaxation awaits you at the end of this journey!
Bedstead, Crawford Riddell, c. 1844, Brazilian rosewood, tulip poplar, and yellow pine, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of three anonymous donors, Friends of the Decorative Arts Fund, General Acquisitions Fund, Discretionary Decorative Arts Fund, and the Boshell Family Foundation
Also, I know how easy it is to let the excitement of the race throw off your timing. Gerald Murphy’s Watch is a great reminder to check your pace and adjust your gallery viewing speed if necessary.
Gerald Murphy, Watch, 1925, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, gift of the artist, (c) Estate of Honoria Murphy Donnelly
Dodge Obstacles and Find Inspiration: Level 3: Arts of Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection
Head down the stairs to Level 3, where you will come face to face with sculptures, jewelry, and artifacts from Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. You may want to pick up the pace when you spot the coffin of Horankh in the Ancient Egyptian gallery. We have several Egyptian coffins (including one with an actual mummy inside!), and although they are beautiful, they are rumored to look a little too alive at times!
Coffin of Horankh, Egypt, Thebes, Late Period, c. 700 B.C., wood, gesso, paint, obsidian, calcite, and bronze, Dallas Museum of Art, the Cecil and Ida Green Acquisition Fund
Before you leave the third floor, loop around to the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection for some inspiration. Vincent van Gogh’s Sheaves of Wheat is a breathtaking sight that should not be missed!
Vincent van Gogh, Sheaves of Wheat, July 1890, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection
Beat “The Wall”: Level 2: Ancient Mediterranean and European Art
Trot down the stairs to Level 2, where you will glide between athletic bodies featured in the Greek and Roman statues, busts, and antiquities. Pat yourself on the back; after this race, you will be able to rank yourself among these talented athletes!
At this point in the race, it is common to hit “the wall,” and you may be starting to feel like the characters in Fernand Leger’s Divers or Picasso’s Guitarist in the European galleries, but keep going–you’re almost to the end!
Fernand Léger, The Divers (Red and Black), 1942, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, gift of the James H. and Lillian Clark Foundation, (c) Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris
Pablo Picasso, The Guitarist, 1965, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, The Art Museum League Fund, (c) Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
The Light at the End of the Tunnel: Level 1: Contemporary Art
Your heart is pounding as you head into the final stretch of the marathon. Your final leg will take you back up the Museum Concourse to the finish line in the contemporary art galleries. You can hardly believe your eyes when you catch a glimpse of Mark Rothko’s Orange, Red and Red and wonder if you are seeing a mirage. But it is real, and the finish line is surrounded by gorgeous contemporary works. Take in the sights as you relish this moment–you did it!
Mark Rothko, Orange, Red and Red, 1962, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Algur H. Meadows and the Meadows Foundation, Incorporated, (c) 1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
It’s been my pleasure to take you along on the DMA Marathon. We hope that you are able to join us during marathon weekend and experience the Museum firsthand! Best of luck to all of my fellow runners; see you at the finish line!
Amelia Wood is the McDermott intern for family & access teaching at the DMA.
State of the Arts: Rising Talent—Three Artists/Three Questions
Published November 20, 2013 Dallas , DFW ClosedTags: Bruce Wood, Bruce Wood Dance Project, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Theater Center, DMA, Sarah Jaffe, Second Thought Theater, State of the Arts, Steven Walters
This Thursday, November 21, at 7:30 p.m., the Dallas Museum of Art will feature three local artists in conversation about the art scene in the Metroplex. We asked them each a question about their work before they take the stage on Thursday!
Photo by Michael A. Muller
Sarah Jaffe, musician
What is your favorite venue to play at in the Metroplex and which performance there stands out in your mind?
I have a few that I’m quite partial to. I love Sons of Hermann Hall. I haven’t played there in quite some time but played a lot of memorable shows there. I’m partial to Club Dada as well because I played my very first shows in that club. But my favorite venue is The Granada. I remember the very first time I played that theater almost eight years ago. Then I remember six years later selling it out for my first time. It was an incredible night for me and my band members. The crowd was full of energy. It was a celebratory night.
Steven Walters, actor, Dallas Theater Center, and founder, Second Thought Theatre
You’ve been working in the Dallas theater scene for a while now, including founding Second Thought Theatre. How has Dallas and the local community influenced your work?
I truly love this city. I cut my teeth here. Dallas is a city of “Doers.” From my point of view, it’s a fundamental part of the culture of the Big D—we get stuff done. Sometimes though, in the process of getting things done and driving toward our goals, we Dallasites don’t take the time to stop and take stock. Second Thought Theatre was founded, in part, in response to this characteristic. STT’s mission essentially says, Stop what you’re doing for an hour or two, and let us tell you a story. We’ll make you think about your life and your community. Sometimes we’ll make you laugh, and other times we’ll make you question your ideas. But it’ll always be a changing experience. And after the show’s done, you can take it with you into your day to day life, or you can leave it at the theater until the next time you come see us. I’ve always been in a dialogue with this city through my work at Second Thought Theatre.
Bruce Wood, founder, Bruce Wood Dance Project
You draw inspiration from many avenues, and Texas has influenced you in many ways and is seen through many of your pieces, including “Dust” and “Texas.” Can you tell us a bit about how Texas has influenced your artistic vision?
I grew up in a part of Texas where you could see twenty miles in any direction. I think of it as beautiful. I consider that my land. I know it has shaped my aesthetic, because it shaped me. My work is spare and free from artifice. I love empty space in a dance. I don’t feel compelled to fill all of the space with dance. It’s okay to leave some room for the dance to breathe. I am also okay with stillness, which is ironic considering the form is about movement, but stillness gives movement importance. If you want to make a movement important, you surround it by stillness. I’m from Texas. I have found that I grow better in empty spaces with big skies; bright, dazzling, relentless sun; and winds that just rip across the land. I wouldn’t be the same and the work would not be the same. It’s really that simple.
Join us on Thursday evening to learn more about our guests and perhaps draw a little inspiration.
Note: Some answers have been edited for space.
Liz Menz is the manager of adult programming at the DMA.
Creating the DMA Conservation Studio
Published November 18, 2013 Behind-the-Scenes , Conservation , Dallas , DFW ClosedTags: Conservation Studio, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, Mark Leonard, Painting Conservation
In the summer of 2012, the Dallas Museum of Art began making plans to renovate the former Seventeen Seventeen Restaurant space and transform it into a new Paintings Conservation Studio as part of the Museum’s initiative to establish a more comprehensive in-house conservation program. Construction began in the fall of 2012, and the studio is now complete, as is the adjacent Conservation Gallery. This time-lapse film captures the building process, as seen from the vantage point of what is now a public gallery space.
The Paintings Conservation Studio features state-of-the-art technology—including a digital X-ray system—and will serve as a center for the study and treatment of works of art, as well as research into cutting-edge conservation methodologies. Brightened with natural light from new skylights and enclosed by glass walls, the studio’s design will allow visitors to observe daily activity, providing audiences with a singular behind-the-scenes experience. Activities in the studio also will be visible from both the Conservation Gallery and the adjacent outdoor Rose Family Sculpture Terrace.
The first exhibition in the gallery, Behind the Scenes, highlights the artists’ original materials and techniques, as well as the conservation histories of the works on display, exploring the various treatments they have undergone. This adjoining gallery will regularly rotate works, providing a space to explore the conservation process in greater detail through visual representations.
Mark Leonard is the chief conservator at the DMA.
#DMAGiveMore
Published November 4, 2013 Center for Creative Connections , Dallas , DFW , Education , Exhibitions ClosedTags: Community Exchange, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA, DMA Give More, Jim Hodges: Give More Than You Take
The Center for Creative Connections (C3) has taken the Jim Hodges exhibition title, Give More Than You Take, as a call to action. Hodges gave the exhibition this title after reflecting on what it means to be an artist and have a voice in our community. Inspired by this idea of the power of our individual voices, we are offering visitors a chance to consider how they might use their voices in creative and positive ways.
Throughout the run of the exhibition Jim Hodges: Give More Than You Take, we are hosting a Community Exchange in C3. You can make a button with a personal, positive motto that you want to share with the community. Then leave the button you create on our Community Exchange wall and take someone else’s button from the wall.
Wear the button you take out into the community to share a positive message. Document your button’s journey by tagging photos with #DMAGiveMore (check out our #DMAGiveMore on the DMA’s Instagram).
Want to truly give more than you take? Make a positive gesture by giving your new button away to someone else.
Jessica Fuentes is the C3 gallery coordinator at the DMA.
