Archive for the 'Friday Photos' Category



Summer Interns: Preparing for the Future

Hello all! My name is Christina Miller and I am a first year graduate student at Texas Woman’s University, earning my Masters of Art in Teaching. Interning at the DMA this summer has really taught me so much about children and art. Rather than the camp teachers and interns teaching the children about art, throughout this experience, the children have been teaching me. The camp that was by far the toughest but most rewarding was the Hands-On Art for Children with Autism. This was my first experience working with children with special needs. I am pretty sure that I was just as nervous as the children were on their first day of camp, but I knew it was important for me to learn to work with children with a variety of abilities, since teaching will be in my near future.


The children all had different personalities and were on different levels of the autism spectrum. It was amazing to see how some had such an incredible memory! From remembering artists and their artworks, to songs, to even art history movements. One thing they all had in common was hard work and participation. Although each of them may have differing needs, they are all talented. I was so happy that I had the opportunity to work with this camp. I can proudly say that this internship has prepared me for my future as an art teacher and taught me how to truly bond and work with students with a variety of abilities.

Christina Miller
Summer Art Camp Intern

Summer Interns: Making Art and Loving It

Creating with the Fabric Frenzy summer campers.

Creating with the Fabric Frenzy summer campers.

I tried to set few expectations for my first day of summer art camp at the DMA. Now, as the clock strikes one each Friday, I still can’t predict what will happen the next week in camp for another batch of aspiring, artistic youngsters. One thing I can feel certain of as the end of a week draws near, is that I’ve had a blast with a bunch of unique, imaginative kids and a few bottles of tempera paint.

I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of the DMA’s program that allows kids to incorporate art into their lives in fun, engaging ways with the help of some awesome and caring teachers, volunteers, and interns. These kids arrive at camp with minds teeming with creativity and energy that is infectious and inspiring for a college student trying to figure out what to do with her life and love for art. Again and again, campers teach me how to have a bit of fun in the process of art-making, while surprising me with the friendships that come along with it. So, while creating art is something special in itself, sharing it with others is a whole other experience that I’m grateful these kids and I have had this summer.

After I say a bittersweet goodbye once again today, I’ll hope that they continue to play with art and express their most imaginative ideas to the world after they leave our finger-painted doors.

Katy Freeman
Summer Art Camp Intern

Friday Photos: George’s Dog Days of Summer

Today’s post is from George Costanza Blake, a spunky Westie who belongs to DMA staffer, Amanda.

g pic 2 (1 of 1)

Sun’s out, tongues’ out, ya’ll!

My human leaves me at home each day to spend time in a place where I am not allowed, but that doesn’t stop her from getting my PPOV (puppy-point-of-view) on her work. She has incorporated me into many aspects of her job, from dressing me up as George Washington (George PAWshington, as I like to call him) and as dapper gent Woodbury Langdon, to organizing a day for dogs in the Dallas Arts District – complete with doga (dog yoga). She is totally obsessed with me.

Unless you’re a service dog, we canines aren’t allowed inside the DMA…what do they think we’re going to do, chew on the art?! My friend Echo (guide dog extraordinaire to artist John Bramblitt) has been to the DMA many times and has told me that the works of art are doggone drool-worthy. Check out this PAWsome video of Echo – she is quite the gal. IMG_4441While there are many reasons for humans to paws and enjoy artwork depicting four-legged fur-balls in the DMA galleries (check out this post for my top dog picks), how are creative canines supposed to experience it? Simple, young pups – admire it outside! The DMA has several works outside for us art dogs to appreciate. Check out some of my fur-friends and me hamming it up at the DMA. Who let the dogs out, indeed!

Darcy found a colorful mural at the DMA to add to her growing collection of mutt mural portraits, Luna color-coordinated her cute bandana with DMA artwork, Chaussettes found the perfect backdrop to show off her styled new summer cut, and sweet Jane stopped for the PAWparazzi on her daily jaunt around the Museum.

These hounds are always up for an arty party. Explore the pawsibilities of spending your next dog day afternoon sniffing out some artwork – sit, stay, and then snap a photo or two!

Until next time,

George Costanza Blake
Canine Museum Consultant

Smile!

Friday Photos: Touch But Don’t Look

Blind-folded touch-tour attendees experience Jurgen Bey's "Tree-Trunk Bench" (1999) in our Sculpture Garden.

Blind-folded touch-tour attendees experience Jurgen Bey’s “Tree-Trunk Bench” (1999) in our Sculpture Garden.

WARNING: Do not attempt a touch tour on your own–our trusty Gallery Attendants will stop you! However, on rare occasions (with a staff member present and the Conservation Department’s approval), you may be given permission to touch the art!

One such opportunity occurred this past Monday, June 15, when Amanda led a touch tour in our Sculpture Garden with painter John Bramblitt, who became blind in his late twenties. This tour was in tandem with the Arts & Letters Live program featuring Rebecca Alexander, author of Not Fade Away: A Memoir of Senses Lost and Found. Rebecca was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome Type III when she was 19 years old. This rare genetic disorder is causing her to slowly lose her vision and hearing.

Hearing both John and Rebecca’s inspiring stories, we thought it would be a great experience for a few of our visitors to learn what it is like to experience art with more than just their eyes. Amanda led a conversation focused on two different works of art and suggested techniques for exploring them with touch. We got to explore with our fingers Jurgen Bey’s Tree-Trunk Bench and Mark Handforth’s Dallas Snake.

Unfortunately, this is not something we can do all of the time. So don’t get any ideas!

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Madeleine Fitzgerald
Audience Relations Coordinator

Friday Photos: #DMAfaves

This summer, we have a new self-guided tour available at our visitor services desks and online: #DMAfaves. It includes twelve of our favorite artworks from across the globe and throughout human history, so the tour will take you all over the Museum! Read each artwork’s label to learn more about it, then earn DMA Friends points and a special badge by checking in at each work along the way.

In addition to these, we wanted to share a few more of our own favorites from the collection:

And now we want to know your faves! Be sure to stop by, check out the #DMAfaves guide, then share a photo of you with your own fave DMA artwork on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with #DMAfaves–and don’t forget to tag us!

See you soon!

Artworks Shown:

  • John White Alexander, Miss Dorothy Quincy Roosevelt (later Mrs. Langdon Geer), 1901-1902, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Pauline Allen Gill Foundation in memory of Pauline Gill Sullivan
  • Donald Judd, Chair, executed 1998, designed 1984, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Robert Dean Brownlee
  • Gerald Murphey, Watch, 1925, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, gift of the artist, © Estate of Honoria Murphy Donnelly
  • John Singer Sargent, Dorothy, 1900, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Leland Fikes Foundation, Inc.
  • Hakuin Ekaku, Daruma, n.d., Dallas Museum of Art, General Acquisitions Fund
  • Frederic Edwin Church, The Icebergs, 1861, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Norma and Lamar Hunt

Sarah Coffey
Education Coordinator

Friday Photos: Art Babies

This Monday, with a little help from some shiny blue fabric and a DIY dragon puppet, our monthly Art Babies class dove deep into the galleries for a little fun under the sea with Takenouchi no Sukune Meets the Dragon King of the Sea. Babies and grown-ups alike enjoyed exploring our Japanese collection before heading down to our studio for all kinds of sensory play. When it was time to say goodbye, we wrapped up with singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star under our magical starry fabric.

We love seeing our littlest visitors feel right at home in the Museum, and we’ve even bumped up our number of classes each month to squeeze in a few more friends! Tickets for July through September (we’ll be focusing on our senses) are now on sale. To register, visit our Art Babies page.

We can’t wait to see our friends again next month for more family fun!

Jennifer Sheppard
McDermott Intern for Family and Access Teaching

Friday Photos: Fun in the Sun!

Dallas had a *very* short break from stormy weather this week, just in time for our Homeschool Class for Families. After exploring landscape paintings by Frederic Church and Thomas Cole in the galleries, the class went outside to create their own scenic drawings en plein air (in the open air), using the Dallas Arts District as their backdrop!

What type of landscape masterpiece can you create using your own backyard as inspiration?

Danielle Schulz
Teaching Specialist

Friday Photos: Adieu to our Interns!

Somehow it’s already time for Memorial Day–where has this year gone?! And sadly, that means today we say farewell to this year’s wonderful bunch of McDermott Interns. They’ve contributed to countless Museum projects during their time with us, while managing to fit in lots of fun along the way.

The Interns on their first day at the DMA

The Interns on their first day at the DMA

In front of the Piano Building at the Kimbell in Fort Worth

In front of the Piano Building at the Kimbell in Fort Worth

Visiting the Meadows Museum at SMU

Visiting the Meadows Museum at SMU

Visiting the Crow Collection

Visiting the Crow Collection

Visiting the Nasher Sculpture Center Garden

Visiting the Nasher Sculpture Center Garden

Visiting the Dallas Contemporary

Visiting the Dallas Contemporary

In front of Nate Lowman's work at the Contemporary

In front of Nate Lowman’s work at the Contemporary

We thank them so much for their contributions and wish them well as they move on to greater horizons!

Sarah Coffey
Education Coordinator

Friday Photos: From STEM to STEAM

Each year, the DMA partners with Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, in order to teach students about STEAM. STEAM is a movement championed by the Rhode Island School of Design, which seeks to add art and design to the national agenda of STEM: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

This past Friday, May 8, marked the girls’ third and final visit to the Museum this year. During these visits spent mostly in the galleries, docents and staff work together to teach the students about connections between art and STEM, and then the girls complete STEAM-related activities!

The theme of this last visit was nature: the girls explored subjects ranging from marine biology to evolution, meteorology and natural resources!

We hope the girls enjoyed their time at the DMA and we’re excited for next year’s Rangel visits!

Liz Bola
McDermott Graduate Intern for Gallery and Community Teaching

Friday Photos: Welcome Baby Eva!

This will be a special Mother’s Day for our friend Melissa–she just welcomed a precious new addition last month! Baby Eva was born on April 18 at 8:04 am, weighing 7 lbs 14 oz. Both mama, dad, little brother Elijah, and baby are fabulous and enjoying their time together! Check out this little cutie:

We want to recognize all the other moms out there this weekend too, so stop by our Center for Creative Connections on Mother’s Day for a special gift: we’ll be giving out booklets of responses to our artwork Starry Crown, containing words of wisdom and insight contributed by our visitors.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Sarah Coffey
Education Coordinator


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