Archive for the 'People' Category



Friday Photos: Blast from the Past!

We have had a fun month full of memories this January. During our Meaningful Moments program for memory care groups, we have focused on objects in the DMA’s Decorative Arts gallery. From the Silver Streak iron (model no. 1038) to the Nocturne radio (Model 1186), objects in this gallery have sparked memories from several participants. Close looking, conversations, laughing, and even some toe-tapping while singing along to Bing Crosby filled the Decorative Arts gallery. Following our time looking at art, participants created their own decorative work of art – a colorful wreath to take back and hang on their doors.

 

Vacuum cleaner (model 30), Lurelle Guild, 1937

Vacuum cleaner (model 30), Lurelle Guild, Electrolux Corporation, 1937, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of John T. Howell and Thomas J. Howell in memory of their father John P. Howell

One object in particular, the Electrolux vacuum cleaner, inspired the most sharing. We got a kick out of one participant who shared a story about her mother’s Electrolux vacuum cleaner. We were lucky to snag a quick video.

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Participant: “Father traveled a lot for business. He brought mother home an Electrolux, and he had her name printed on it.”
Danielle: “Was your mother very happy when she received that as a present, to see her name on the vacuum cleaner?”
Participant: “Well, her comment was, ‘You brought me something to work with!’”

What a fun story! And just the kind of memories we hope are shared during Meaningful Moments.

For more information, or to register a memory care facility group, call 214-922-1251 or e-mail access@DMA.org.

Amanda Blake
Head of Family, Access, and School Experiences

Warm Welcome

Each September, we welcome eight new colleagues to the Museum: our wonderful and oh-so-talented McDermott Interns. Three of them will be blogging here with us for the year, so we must do proper introductions. Here’s a little bit about each of these fresh new faces:

LizBola

Liz visiting Venice over the summer

Liz Bola
McDermott Graduate Intern for Gallery and Community Teaching

Liz joins us from Massachusetts, where she recently earned her MA in Art History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Liz will be working with docents, K-12 tours, and our Go van Gogh program.

Which DMA artwork describes you best and why?

Edward Hopper, Lighthouse Hill, 1927

First of all, I studied American art in graduate school and I especially love Edward Hopper’s paintings. In addition, I grew up in Maine, about 20 minutes away from the lighthouse that Hopper depicts. This painting reminds me of visiting the Two Lights lighthouse and the nearby Lobster Shack with my family in the summer!

JenniferSheppard

Jennifer minigolfing in Massachusetts over the summer

Jennifer Sheppard
McDermott Intern for Family and Access Teaching

Jennifer is a Dallas native who recently earned her BA in Studio Art with a Painting Concentration from the University of Rochester in New York. Jennifer will be assisting with our programs for early learners, families, and access audiences.

Which DMA artwork describes you best and why?

J. T. Grant, Looking North, Fort Worth 1999, 1999

I was born and raised in Dallas, so I have a special fondness for the big, blue Texas sky (and depictions of it) to the extent that the fall semester of my junior year in college I turned in exclusively sky-themed projects for all my drawing and painting assignments. Looking North even calls to mind how I left Texas for four years to attend the University of Rochester in upstate New York. I’m happy to be home again, though!

One extra fun little connection: this painting can be found in the Mayer Library. I volunteered at my neighborhood library throughout high school, so I share the feeling of being at home among books.

Eliel worked at a fishery in Norway over the summer

Eliel worked at a fishery in Norway over the summer

Eliel Jones
McDermott Intern for Visitor Engagement

Eliel joins us from the UK, where he completed his BA in Fine Art at the University of the Creative Arts, Farnham, Surrey. Eliel will be working in C3 and assisting with our community partnerships.

Which DMA artwork describes you best and why?

Nic Nicosia, Youth, 1986

Nic Nicosia’s photograph titled Youth best encapsulates how I have been feeling for the past year. The scene depicts three youngsters having the time of their lives. Youth speaks of the beauty of being free, young and somehow unafraid, not necessarily because those things are tangible realities but more because they are concepts that go beyond truth and exist within the parameters of utopian experience and imagination.

I like to think that the characters are riding up a gallery of an art museum. I somehow always end up referencing the scene in Jules et Jim (François Truffaut, 1962) where Jules, Jim and Catherine daringly run down a bridge, a scene that was later re-interpreted in The Dreamers (Bernardo Bertulocci, 2003) where the three main characters run up a gallery of the Louvre in Paris. Both the films and Nicosia’s photograph attempt to portray what it might mean to be young: a mixture of love, faith, passion and sometimes reckless attitude. If you add art to the picture you probably end up with me!

We’re so excited to work with our new colleagues this year. The next time you catch them on the blog or in person, be sure to say hello!

Sarah Coffey
Education Coordinator

 

Friday Photos: Welcome Baby Rhys!

I am delighted to introduce you to baby Rhys Amann Coffey, born to Sarah and her husband Todd.  Rhys made his debut on June 9 at 12:57 p.m., weighing in at five pounds and twelve ounces.  Mom, dad, and baby are happy and healthy.  We will miss Sarah while she is on maternity leave, but can’t blame her for wanting to spend as much time as possible with this handsome little guy.

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMelissa Gonzales
C3 Gallery Manager

 

Welcome 2014 Summer Art Camp Interns!

School is almost out and the temperature is rising–summer is here at the DMA! As we gear up for exciting summer programs at the Museum, we’re happy to welcome five new members to our team: our 2014 summer interns! Summer interns are an integral part of Summer Art Camps, making sure campers, teachers and parents alike are having the best educational experience possible.

Say hello to our interns! These amazing portraits were created during our orientation meeting.

Ashley artAshley Ham just completed her first year of graduate school in the Art Education program at The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from Abilene, she received a BFA in Two Dimensional Design from Abilene Christian University. And if she could be any animal she would be a bear, because she’s on a bit of a honey kick right now!Laila art

 

Laila Jiwani is a rising senior at Texas A&M University, with a focus in International Studies and French. Quite the world traveler, she spent four months studying language, culture and society at Université Moulay Ismaïl  in Meknes, Morocco. Laila’s animal of choice would be a bird, because then she wouldn’t have to pay for those flights abroad!

Miyoko art

 

Miyoko Pettinger just completed her first year at Arcadia University in Glenside, PA, where she is pursuing a degree in Psychology with an concentration in art therapy. An avid musician, she plays the piano and cello and has been a part of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra for 11 years! If Miyoko could be an animal she would be a sloth, because it looks like a pretty comfortable life! denise art

 

Denise Sandoval, the youngest member of the intern cohort, is a soon-to-be graduate of the Irma L. Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School in Dallas. Her plan is to study Elementary Education when she enters Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX in the fall. Perhaps her experience working at the Dallas Zoo influenced her choice of animal to-be: she chose a giraffe because they seem to be one of the nicer species.

wilhelmina artWilhelmina Watts, the second Southwestern University member of the intern group, will begin her second year of study this fall. She is pursuing a double degree in Art History and English, with a minor in Chinese. She’ll put her studio art and collage experience to use this summer during art camp. And her animal to-be of choice? A Goat. Why? Because it’s adorable!

 
 

When you visit the DMA this summer–we hope to see you often!–you’ll recognize these new faces around the Museum and the Center for Creative Connections. Say hello and welcome them to the DMA family!

Danielle Schulz
Teaching Specialist

Welcome Josh Rose

 

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I am excited to introduce you to our newest teammate and colleague, Josh Rose. Josh started four weeks ago as our new Manager of Docent and Teacher Programs and we are thrilled to have him on board. Josh will oversee the DMA docent program, teen docents, school partnerships with Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, and a wide variety of programs for teachers. Josh will also be responsible for the Museum Forum for Teachers and will manage gallery tours for K-12 students, higher-ed, and adult audiences.

If you are a longtime attendee of Late Nights, gallery talks, or our lecture series, you may recognize Josh from his time here at the DMA six years ago managing adult programs. During his time away from the DMA, Josh has been immersed in teaching, serving as an adjunct instructor at multiple institutions, including the University of North Texas, Eastfield College and Brookhaven College, where he taught a range of courses from Art Appreciation to advanced art history classes on comics and Surrealism. Prior to working in public programs at the DMA, Josh interned at the Nasher Sculpture Center in education and conservation, and then worked there as a staff member in the Education Department. Josh has an MA in art history from the University of North Texas. His thesis was titled: When Reality was Surreal: Lee Miller’s world War II War Correspondence for Vogue. Josh also has a BFA in Studio Art from Texas State University in San Marcos.

Here are four fun facts about Josh:

  • I drew a comic strip in college and graduate school featured in a nationally-distributed anthology published by Andrews McMeel.
  • I once answered an open casting call for the role of Robin in Batman Forever.
  • As a conservation intern, my first task was power-sanding an Alexander Calder sculpture.
  • I’ve worked hard turning my daughter into a rabid Doctor Who fan, and she in turn has turned me into a rabid My Little Pony fan.

We are excited for Josh’s fresh perspective that he brings and delighted to have him as our FAST (Family, Access, Schools, and Teachers) friend!

Amanda Blake
Head of Family, Access, and School Experiences

Friday Photos: Fond Farewells

As another school year comes to a close, not only do we say goodbye to all the school buses filled with children, but we also say farewell to the amazing McDermott Interns who have been working with us in the Education department for the past nine months.

Amy Elms, McDermott Intern for Visitor Engagement, and Hayley Prihoda, McDermott Intern for Gallery and Community Teaching, are leaving us today and we want to wish them the very best in their future careers. They both have brought friendly smiles, grace under pressure, a love of teaching, enthusiasm and energy, and new ideas to the DMA. It’s bittersweet to know that we won’t be seeing them in the office every day, but exciting to imagine all the good they are going to do in the museum world. Fondest farewells!

Leah Hanson
Manager of Early Learning Programs

Getting Smart about Play

Tyler Rutledge began volunteering at the DMA during Late Nights  over a year ago, and joined the C3 Volunteer Program last January. Through our conversations with Tyler, we learned that he had a strong interest in talking to and sharing his passion for art with visitors. We offered Tyler a volunteer internship so that he could learn more about the Museum and, in turn, we could learn from his unique and thoughtful perspective. As his internship draws to a close, we’ve invited Tyler to share a few insights about his time working with us.

Get Smart was one of my favorite TV shows for play-pretending. I loved the unsuspectingly gadget-ized scenery—the excessively concealed entrance to CONTROL or Max’s dangerously unassuming apartment—mostly because it gave me the perfect setting to play and explore my world as it could otherwise exist.

Playing with a visitor and his abstract scribble drawing at the Pop-up Art Spot on level four

Playing with a visitor and his abstract scribble drawing at the Pop-up Art Spot on level four

Similarly, my education internship with the Center for Creative Connections has encouraged me to imagine alternatives through play. For example, I designed a Creativity Challenge for the Late Night in October. During Creativity Challenges, visitors exercise their imagination in projects based on works of art at the Museum, working within parameters such as limited, pre-selected materials and a thirty-minute time limit. This Creativity Challenge prompted visitors to create a memorial to a cause or event inspired by the DMA’s Indian Shrine. Despite the proposed scale of the project, which was about the size of a roadside memorial, the winning team imagined a monument-marketplace capable of providing food to all seven continents.

Exploring the different perspectives of DMA visitors has been delightful as well. I originally began volunteering at the Museum to learn more about the stories related to our guests’ ephemeral creations. During one Late Night, a physician attending a digestive medicine conference in Dallas talked with me about a sculpture formerly on view in C3, Untitled (35) by Lee Bontecou. She explained that, to her, the wall-mounted sculpture represented a portion of the digestive tract, whereas the metal framework served as blood vessels and the small copper wires adhering cloth to the structure were nerve endings. To me, this conversation revealed the intuitive way that people play within their own space. Playing together also gave us a small shared-intimacy: she gave me a trinket she made at the Art Spot inspired by our conversation about Untitled (35). She explained that her trinket symbolizes her desire to be open and available to new imaginings.

A trinket left by a visitor that I keep by my phone to remind me to be receptive (yes, I still use a home phone)

A trinket left by a visitor that I keep by my phone to remind me to be receptive (yes, I still use a home phone)

A creation left at the Art Spot

A creation left at the Art Spot

A shared intimacy of art and play is one experience I hope visitors have together at the Pop-Up Art Spot in the DMA contemporary galleries. The abstract expressionist paintings on view are fiercely independent yet possess bold relationships, inspiring me to develop activities based on sensory experiences. An activity that has proven particularly difficult to predict visitor response is called Olfactory Produced, a title meant to reference Jasper Johns’ Device in addition to personal preferences of scent. Olfactory Produced asks visitors to consider associations between different scents and paintings, and it encourages them to wonder how the sense of smell enhances the experience of looking at and thinking about works of art. This activity is intended to elicit an entirely subjective, personal experience with the works of art.

Jessica Fuentes took this picture of me while we worked on an activity for the Pop-up Art Spot in the contemporary galleries

Jessica Fuentes took this picture of me while we worked on an activity for the Pop-up Art Spot in the contemporary galleries

Eventually my reenactments of Get Smart ended (if I remember correctly) when my mom realized my bathroom’s secret-telephone towel hooks were loose because I unscrewed them to talk, and my time of play at the DMA must also end. In January I will depart for Los Angeles and, with it, exciting new scenery for adventurous play. Share your scenery and playtime with me on Instagram.  Tag @TylerGreyDragon and #DMAPlay!

**My playtime as a volunteer and weekend intern in the Center for Creative Connections has been accompanied by some of the best playmates on the swing set: Leah Hanson, Amanda Blake, Danielle Schulz, Amy Elms and JC Bigornia, who have inspired me to play with materials and sensory experiences; Amanda Batson, who encourages me to be my very best self through all of her magnificent achievements and friendship; Jessica Fuentes, who has guided me through creative problems and has been a faithful Klyde-Warren-Park-Food-Truck play pal; Melissa Gonzales, who refines my sandcastles and teaches me about how to build their bridges; and, Susan Diachisin, who has opened me to a new world of play through her expansive imagination.

Tyler Rutledge
C3 Intern

Holiday Wishlist

Due to Icemegeddon 2013 I am delaying the blog that I originally wanted to compose and instead providing you a glimpse into our lives! I asked my fellow DMA staff members what is on their holiday wishlist. See if this matches your list too!

JC Bigornia, Program Coordinator for the Center for Creative Connections, would love Joni Wilson-Bigornia to gift him a new Lilypad POV Wristband

Leah Hanson, Manager of Early Learning Programs, is looking for new ideas for making art with kids, and this book by Susan Schwake looks like it could give her all kinds of projects for future classes and summer camp!

Melissa Gonzalez, C3 Gallery Manager, believes that she has “already eaten WAY too much this holiday season, so this cookbook is on my wishlist.  I’m eager to learn how to cook healthy seasonal comfort foods.  Who knew this was possible?”The Seasonal Comfort Food Cookbook

Stacey Lizotte, Head of Adult Programming and Multimedia Services, would love to test out some fragrances before committing to one of them so this Sephora gift set makes a nice present for Stacey.

 Sephora Favorites - Fragrance Sampler For Her

As for me, I love to read and my eyes are not as strong as they used to be so I would like a new pair of glasses from Warby ParkerHolcomb Marbled Sandstone Eyeglasses

Wishing you a wonderful season!

Amanda Batson
C3 Program Coordinator

So Long, Farewell…

For the past six-and-a-half years, the Dallas Museum of Art has been my home. I have often referred to my office as my “apartment,” and my co-workers have come to feel like my family. But sometimes, you need to move away from home and on to something new, and now is that time for me. I have accepted a position as the Assistant Director of Interpretive Programming at the Cincinnati Art Museum, and December 9th will be my last day at the DMA.

It’s very bittersweet to be leaving a place (and people) that I love. But my new job will present opportunities to plan programs for visitors of all ages–from toddlers to adults–and I’m looking forward to broadening my knowledge of Museum Education through this new position. And I’ll be a lot closer to my family in Michigan, which will be wonderful.

As I reflect back on my time in Dallas, it’s tough to narrow down my favorite DMA memories. I’m not sure what I’ll miss most!

Maybe my desk–but a lot of these things will be moving to Ohio with me.

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Or maybe the Scrabble game that has been occurring on my file cabinet for the past year.

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I’ll certainly miss our docents, whose passion and dedication to the DMA continues to amaze and inspire me.

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And I will most definitely miss the clever and talented students of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. My time with them has been one of the highlights.

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I’ll miss the DMA’s amazing collection, including The Icebergs.  We all jumped for joy when it returned to the galleries earlier this year.

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And most of all, I will miss the DMA Education department. They have taught me everything I know about being a Museum Educator, and they’re not just my colleagues. They are my dearest friends. I’ll especially miss our retreats and off-site meetings–we know how to have fun while getting work done!

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Thank you to everyone who has made my time at the DMA so memorable–from students to teachers and from the docents to my colleagues. I will miss everyone very much, but hope to see y’all again soon!

Shannon Karol
Manager of Docent and Teacher Programs

Give Thanks

At this time of year, many people begin to take stock of moments and experiences they are thankful for. The act of sharing this gratitude with others, and reviewing those things that may have been taken for granted, can actually increase an individual’s well-being. According to Cicero, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.” In an effort to spread this sense of well-being to our Canvas blog readers, I asked my colleagues in the Education Division to share a work of art from the DMA’s permanent collection or special  exhibitions that they are thankful for—whether it is a work they enjoy visiting in a  moment of free time; or perhaps one they regularly use in a program; or even a work of art they would like to learn more about. Enjoy their responses below and of course, feel free to share your own! 🙂

  • HalberdierAmanda Batson – C3 Program Coordinator. I am thankful for The Halberdier by Ferdinand Hodler, located in our European collection. This massive work of art confronts you as you exit the blue elevators in an inescapable way. At first glance, the soldier seems fierce and almost living up to his reputation as the ultimate protector of Switzerland. I am incredibly thankful for this work of art by Hodler because no matter how fierce or stoic it may seem—it has a bit of whimsy. If you look closely you will notice that the mustache of the Swiss soldier goes up towards his cheek on one side and down towards his chin on the other. I am not sure what the intention of the artist was but I cannot help but laugh about this every time I see it! Some days you just really need a laugh! 
  • Amelia Diary of FlowersAmelia Wood – McDermott Intern for Family and Access Teaching. When Jim Hodges: Give More Than YouTake opened in October, I immediately felt a connection with the artwork.I was especially struck by Diary of Flowers (When We Met). My interest in diaries was sparked when I saw Day After Day: The Diaristic Impulse at the University Art Museum in Albany, NY, last spring.Artists involved in this show were focused on recording their daily lives, including personal rituals, narratives, and experiences. I’ve never been great at keeping a diary, and I was moved by the way in which the process of keeping a diary forces you to slow down and appreciate day-to-day life. Hodges Diary of Flowers has evoked a similar response in me, and I’ve enjoyed revisiting the artwork when I need a reminder to slow down and, well, smell the flowers.
  • sculpture gardenRhiannon Martin – Volunteer Coordinator. am thankful for the sculpture garden as a whole, because it is a nice place to escape from the busy work day for a bit and enjoy the weather when it’s nice out. The sculptures throughout the lawn are a beautiful backdrop and help to create a wonderful space to sit and relax. 
  • Amy teaching in front of Family Portrait 1963

    Amy Elms – McDermott Intern for Visitor Engagement. I’m thankful for Family Portrait 1963 because it helped me to become oriented with the DMA’s weekend Studio Creations when my internship first began. Martin Delabano’s sculpture is filled with so much hidden meaning and is also made from a variety of found objects. While helping with Studio Creations in September, I really enjoyed learning about ways that visitors of all ages can become engaged with a work of art.

  • leahMatisseLeah Hanson – Manager of Early Learning I’m grateful for Henri Matisse’s Ivy in Flower primarily because it just makes me happy. I like the bold, clean shapes, the colors, and the order of it. Matisse was a favorite of mine in the art history classes I took, and I wrote a paper about his cut paper collages in particular. I liked that he found a way to create even at a time when it could have been easy to give up or lose hope. When I finally got to see this in person, I was so amazed at how large it is…you can never tell that in a reproduction or a print. I loved when it was hanging in the Concourse just outside C3 because I saw it every day.
  • JC Bigornia – C3 Program Coordinator. I’m impacted to this day by the 2007 special exhibition Phil Collins: The World Won’t Listen. It’s one of my top five all-time favorite DMA exhibitions, and I can still ???????????????????????????????feel the energy and sheer joy of being in that space. It’s hard to describe the appeal of watching people sing karaoke, and I certainly hadn’t listened to much of The Smiths before that show. I think what resonated for me was the absolute love and passion that each person brought to their performance; you could totally empathize with that person’s sense of happiness, loss, etc. I used to spend part of every day in that exhibition because no matter how down I felt, I always came out of there feeling charged up…there’s really no other word to describe it except infectious. I was always thankful to have that kind of place to escape to and I think the lessons I took away from each of the participant’s performances—bravery, honesty, compassion—will always stay with me.
  • hi-cJessica Fuentes – C3 Gallery Coordinator. I’m thankful for HI-C Avenger by John Hernandez.  I love that this piece is so bright and energetic. It catches the attention of visitors of all ages, and as it is currently installed at the entrance of the Center for Creative Connections, an interactive educational space for all ages, it is a perfect fit! I also love telling visitors that this is a piece by a Texas based artist who used to live in Oak Cliff and graduated from UNT. Having work by local artists can be so inspiring to young artists.
  • hayley2Hayley Prihoda – McDermott Intern for Gallery and Community Teaching. Picturing that Day stood out to me on my first tour of the Jim Hodges: Give More Than You Take exhibition and, after innumerable visits, has remained one of my favorite works in the show. Having performed in choir in high school, the imagery of the sheet music immediately reminded me of my adolescence. Upon closer examination, I was excited to discover that the piece also features two of my favorite songs – “Landslide” and “Climb Every Mountain”. My mom is a beautiful singer and my sister and I grew up listening to Fleetwood Mac and watching the Sound of Music. Now that I am 1000 miles away from my family, I am very grateful to have this connection to home on view at the DMA.
  • Amanda Blake – Head of Family, Access, and School Experiences. I am thankful for Isaac Soyer’s Art Beauty Shoppe in the American galleries. In graduate school I focused on American art from the 1920s and 1930s and wrote my thesis on two artists from the Fourteenth Street School. Every time I see this painting it is like visiting a familiar friend and traveling back in time to 14th street in New York City! I love teaching with this artwork because of its narrative aspects and sensory possibilities. I think this painting is a great one to use to teach about the social and cultural changes taking place in the early twentieth century and I enjoy using it with all ages.

Works of art shown:

  • Ferdinand Hodler, The Halberdier, 1895, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, Mrs. John B. O’Hara Fund and gift of Nona and Richard Barrett
  • Jim Hodges, Diary of Flowers (When We Met), 1994, Barbara and Michael Gamson
  • Ellsworth Kelly, Untitled, 1982-1983, Dallas Museum of Art, commission made possible through funds donated by Michael J. Collins and matching grants from The 500, Inc., and the 1982 Tiffany & Company benefit opening
  • Martin Delabano, Family Portrait 1963, 2001, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Bryant M. Hanley, Jr., Lorine and David H. Gibson, and Sonny Burt and Bob Butler
  • Henri Matisse, Ivy in Flower, 1953, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, gift of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation
  • Phil Collins, dunia tak akan mendengar, 2007
  • John Hernandez, HI-C Avenger, 1992, acrylic on wood, Dallas Museum of Art, Texas Artists Fund
  • Jim Hodges, Picturing That Day, 2002, The Art Institute of Chicago
  • Isaac Soyer, Art Beauty Shoppe, 1934, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Public Works of Art Project

I’d like to say how thankful I am to all of you who shared some of your favorite works of art!

Danielle Schulz
Teaching Specialist


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