Archive Page 82

Artist Astrology: Gemini

This edition of Artist Astrology features one of the DMA’s most beloved Gemini artists, Mary Cassatt (May 25th). Gemini’s are born between May 22nd and June 21st. They are typically categorized as multi-talented, scattered, talkative, and social. Communication is one of the strongest traits of a Gemini, and they may use this skill to clearly express their ideas and opinions. On the other hand, Gemini’s are very versatile and their companions may not be able to keep up with their often-scattered interests. Because of this adaptability, Gemini’s have an easy time making friends. The danger in this behavior may be overexertion and difficulty with time management. Gemini’s constant variety helps them maintain a fun-loving and youthful attitude throughout their lives.

Sleepy Baby, Mary Cassatt, c. 1910, Dallas Museum of Art Munger Fund, 1952.38.M

Sleepy Baby, Mary Cassatt, c. 1910, Dallas Museum of Art Munger Fund, 1952.38.M

 

Mary Cassatt – May 25th

Mary Cassatt did not let anything stop her from pursing her dream, despite many obstacles. Raised in a wealthy family, she was educated according to the typical duties expected of a woman of the time, primarily those aimed at becoming a proper wife. Cassatt, however, realized that this was not her passion and enrolled in art school at age sixteen. Unfulfilled by the curriculum, she left for Europe in 1866 in order to study from the Old Masters firsthand. Her family did not support this decision, and she was forced to pay for her materials and training independently.

As is characteristic of the social Gemini, her career was highly impacted by her relationships, especially that of Edgar Degas. Degas advised Cassatt to pursue her own artistic direction and, after doing so, eleven of Cassatt’s paintings were included in the Impressionist Exhibition of 1879. The exhibition was hugely successful and helped to launch Cassatt’s career. Her work, often focused around women and children in domestic settings, was praised for its objectivity and honesty. Cassatt would continue to play an influential role in the Impressionist movement throughout the late 1800s.

For more Gemini artists in the DMA’s collection, see the works of Paul Gauguin (June 7), Gustave Courbet (June 10th), and Henry Ossawa Tanner (June 21st).

Hayley Prihoda
McDermott Intern for Gallery and Community Teaching

DMA Art Will Be Everywhere

The votes are in, the results have been tallied, and the Art Everywhere US works have been chosen! The voting was so close that fifty-eight works of art made the cut (including ten works from the DMA) and will be reproduced on billboards, bus shelters, subway platforms, and more this August. Be on the lookout for The Icebergs or Dorothy on your commute and stop by the DMA to visit the works in person.

Kimberly Daniell is the Manager of Communications and Public Affairs at the DMA

Into the Wild with the DMA

With school out, Go van Gogh volunteers are spending their days in the community, visiting recreation centers, Boys & Girls Clubs, and libraries with art-making programs.  Summer programs are casual, always fun, and sometimes a little wild…in the best possible way!

We’re embracing summertime wildness in all its glory this year, with a new Go van Gogh outreach program called Into the Wild with the DMA.  The program was inspired by the children’s book Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, in which a very proper Mr. Tiger, bored with being so proper all the time, decides that he needs to have a little fun; so, he goes wild.  Really wild!  ROAAAR!!!  It’s a story that all of us—kids, especially—can relate to when the summer heat hits.

Into the Wild, which will be offered at Dallas Public libraries through the remainder of June and July, begins with story time and an animal game.  We then put on our safari hats and venture into the wild depths of the DMA’s collection, exploring big cats and fierce mythical animals in artworks from the African savanna to the Indonesian jungle.

Our art safari ends with time to reflect and create an artwork inspired by one of our discoveries, the DMA’s Japanese Tiger.

If you’d like to join us on an art safari this summer, upcoming program dates and locations are listed below.  Into the Wild is designed for children ages five to nine, but art and animal-lovers of all ages are welcome!   Be sure to call the library ahead of time to confirm space availability, as programs are limited to thirty participants.

JULY

Tuesday, July 1, 10:30 a.m.
Hampton-Illinois, 2951 South Hampton Road, 75224
214-670-7646

Tuesday, July 8, 2:00 p.m.
Dallas West, 2332 Singleton Boulevard, 75212
214-670-6445

Tuesday, July 15, 2:00 p.m.
Audelia, 10045 Audelia Road, 75238
214-670-1350

Thursday, July 17, 2:30 p.m.
Skillman Southwestern, 5707 Skillman Street, 75206
214-670-6078

Tuesday, July 22, 2:00 p.m.
Polk-Wisdom, 7151 Library Lane, 75218
214-670-1947

Friday, July 25, 2:00 p.m.
Lochwood, 11221 Lochwood Boulevard, 75218
214-670-8403

Tuesday, July 29, 2:00 p.m.
Skyline, 6006 Everglade Road, 75227
214-670-0938

Thursday, July 31, 2:00 p.m.
White Rock Hills, 9150 Ferguson Road, 75228
214-670-8843

And if you can’t join us at a library, stop by the Museum and use our In the Swim Family Gallery Guide to chart your own summertime animal adventure!

Amy Copeland
Manager of Go van Gogh and Community Teaching Programs

Highlights of Light

It’s the final week to visit the DMA-co-organized exhibition Nur: Light in Art and Science from the Islamic World, on view through Sunday, June 29. The acclaimed exhibition, which features more than 150 objects from ten centuries, highlights rare and beautiful examples of the rich heritage of the Islamic world and the influences and contributions it has made to cultures throughout history.

 

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Friday Photos: Summertime, and the Livin’ is Easy

Borrowing lyrics from Ella Fitzgerald’s Summertime tune seemed to fit with this Friday Photo post theme of Summer fun! Stumped for what to do this summer? You can take a hint from some works of art in the DMA’s collection.

On the Edge of White Rock Lake, Edward G. Eisenlohr, 1933

On the Edge of White Rock Lake, Edward G. Eisenlohr, 1933, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of A. H. Belo Corporation and The Dallas Morning News

 

Why not take a run or bike ride along White Rock Lake? This urban oasis has provided inspiration to many North Texans over the years, including Edward G. Eisenlohr who documented the early twentieth-century landscape of Dallas in over 1,000 drawings, watercolors, pastels, oil paintings, and lithographs.

Beach Party, Dallas City Hall, Lynn Lennon, 1984

Beach Party, Dallas City Hall, Lynn Lennon, 1984, Dallas Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. Homer B. Jester Fund

Jump in! One of the best ways to beat the heat is taking a dip in a local swimming pool, but would you ever think you could swim at Dallas City Hall?! Well back in 1984 that dream was a reality. William H. Whyte had the idea to revitalize the area around City Hall, and these ideas took shape as a beach party! In June of 1984, the city trucked in tons of sand, and everyone grabbed their swimsuits to soak in some sun at City Hall. Luckily photographer Lynn Lennon, who was working on a project about public spaces for the Dallas Public Library, captured images of the epic event. Find out more about this quirky time in Dallas history here.

George Inness, Summer Foliage, 1883

George Inness, Summer Foliage, 1883, Dallas Museum of Art, bequest of Joel T. Howard

If the pool isn’t your scene, then take advantage of the outdoors by packing a picnic or taking a day trip to one of the wonderful Texas State Parks in the DFW area. Artist George Inness often took inspiration from the outdoors, and sought to give his viewers the experience of nature through the shifting effects of light, atmosphere and season in his work.

And perhaps the best summertime activity of all is the block party, where neighborhood or community members can come together to celebrate with delicious food, good music and great conversation. And it just so happens that TONIGHT is the Dallas Arts District block party! Come celebrate the summer at this annual event that brings together programs like the Crow Collection After Dark, ’til Midnight at the Nasher Sculpture Center, and of course the exciting activities of Late Nights at the DMA!

 

This is our second annual Fourth of July block party. This year thirty-three families came for beer, barbequed chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad, green salad, macaroni salad, and watermelon. After eating and drinking we staged our parade and fireworks., Bill Owens, 1971

This is our second annual Fourth of July block party. This year thirty-three families came for beer, barbequed chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad, green salad, macaroni salad, and watermelon. After eating and drinking we staged our parade and fireworks., Bill Owens, 1971, Dallas Museum of Art, Lay Family Acquisition Fund

Danielle Schulz
Teaching Specialist

Art’s Inspiration

 

Image of Art Smith photo by Arthur Mones, 1979

Image of Art Smith photo by Arthur Mones, 1979

Last weekend, From Village to Vogue: The Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith opened at the Dallas Museum of Art.  In connection with this exhibition, the Center for Creative Connections is pleased to have on view a “Baker” Bracelet by Art Smith, along with a collection of tools owned by the artist.  Because a different “Baker” Bracelet is also on view in the exhibition, we faced the challenge of providing information that would expand on and not simply duplicate the information included in the exhibition.  In the months prior to installing the bracelet, I  learned that “Baker” referred to Josephine Baker.  So, naturally, my first question (and the one that I thought visitors might have) was “Who is Josephine Baker?”

As it turns out, Josephine Baker led quite an amazing life.  Baker was an African-American dancer and singer, who rose to fame in France.  In 1926, her performance in the popular show La Folie du Jour cemented her celebrity status.  During World War II, she worked for the French Resistance both entertaining troops and smuggling hidden messages in her sheet music.  After the war she returned to the United States and was an advocate for the Civil Rights movement.  Her efforts were acknowledged by the NAACP, who named May 20th “Josephine Baker Day.”  Baker, loved for her singing, dancing, fashion and beauty, was greatly admired by artists and writers of the time such as Langston Hughes, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Pablo Picasso.  However, what I found most intriguing was that she inspired several sculptures by Alexander Calder.  Calder is known to have been an influence on modernist jewelers like Art Smith, and so their mutual interest in Baker caught my attention.

 

What similarities can you notice in the lines, shapes, angles, and curves between the bracelet and the images of Josephine Baker?

Visit the Center for Creative Connections to see the “Baker” Bracelet and Art Smith’s tools and to learn more about Smith’s inspiration and process.  On view through December 7, 2014.

Jessica Fuentes
C3 Gallery Coordinator

Dad’s Day

One day isn’t enough to celebrate dads, or the fathers found in the DMA collection. Artists have shown their appreciation for their old man by capturing him in paint and pen and below are a few examples from the Museum’s collection.

Paul Cezanne, Portrait of the Artist's Father, 1868-1873, charcoal, Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection

Paul Cezanne, Portrait of the Artist’s Father, 1868-1873, charcoal, Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection

Gustave Courbet, Portrait of Regis Courbet, the Artist's Father, 1848-1849, watercolor and pencil on wove paper, Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection

Gustave Courbet, Portrait of Regis Courbet, the Artist’s Father, 1848-1849, watercolor and pencil on wove paper, Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection

Wayne V. Amerine, Father and Child, 1962, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, Art Museum League Purchase Prize, 33rd Annual Dallas County Exhibition of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture, 1962

Wayne V. Amerine, Father and Child, 1962, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, Art Museum League Purchase Prize, 33rd Annual Dallas County Exhibition of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture, 1962

Friday Photos: Old Haunts, New Friends

Museums often seem to inspire very personal and strong emotional bonds, and it is not uncommon to hear people talk of specific works in a collection or favorite locations within a building as akin to “friends and family.”  As a former DMA Education employee who has recently returned to the Museum, I have enjoyed spending the last several weeks rediscovering some of my favorite spaces and works of art here.  Of course, along the way, I have stumbled across some new works of art and changes at the DMA that I am becoming newly acquainted with!   I thought I would share this –admittedly quirky and idiosyncratic– tour of “old haunts and new friends.”

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I have always loved the tree that grows in the middle of our upper office area, particularly when viewed from one of the hallways radiating from it.   Also, the tucked-away chairs at the corner windows on the fourth floor are my favorite place to sit and read a few pages of a book during a break, followed only by the view of Fleischner Courtyard from the Mayer Library (Did you know we have a fantastic library the public is welcome to use for research?)

 

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Another favorite object is one of Winston Churchill’s paint sets, tucked away with a wonderful assortment of his letters, telegrams, small works on paper, and assorted memorabilia in the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection.

 

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As a lover and student of Surrealism, I was delighted to see two works on view that I had not previously viewed in person: René Magritte’s Our Daily Bread (Le Pain Quotidien), 1942, and Dorothea Tanning’s Jeux d’Enfants, 1942.  The deep-set frame of  the Tanning is particularly lovely, I think!

 

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Nearest the Ross entrance in the Founder’s Room are a set of window panels designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, originally from the Francis W. Little House in Deephaven, Minnesota.  It was interesting viewing the geometrically-designed “grilles” in the window against one of the orange-and-white striped hanging cloth panels in Daniel Buren’s Sanction of the Museum from 1973.

Finally, there is a little tucked away kitchenette in the Museum’s office area where I was always fascinated by a framed Dallas Morning News front page from 1984 announcing the donation of the Reves Collection, and I was pleased to discover it was still there.  I love how this is an historical artifact of the worldly context during which this important collection was added to the Museum, a preserved moment in time akin to the recreation of the Reves’ villa here.

 

Johan Christian Dahl_Frederiksborg Castle by Moonlight_1817 IMG_20140613_102630

Two newer features of the Museum that I am quickly becoming quite fond of are the recently acquired painting by Norwegian Romantic painter Johan Christian DahlFrederiksborg Castle by Moonlight, and the Conservation Studio across from the Founder’s Room.  Not only is the Conservation Studio fascinating to glimpse into, but the works on display outside it offer insightful peeks into little-seen aspects of objects like gallery labels and abandoned paintings hidden by frames.  (And, if you look carefully at my reflection in the window, it appears the female figure in the painting is tapping me on the shoulder.)

What are some of your favorite works of art and tucked away places here at the Dallas Museum of Art?  Please leave your examples in the comments!

 

Artworks shown (in order of appearance):

  • René Magritte, Our Daily Bread (Le Pain Quotidien), 1942, Dallas Museum of Art, Gift of Nancy B. Hamon in honor of Margaret McDermott.
  • Dorothea Tanning’s Jeux d’Enfants, 1942, Lent by Private Collection.
  • Frank Lloyd Wright, Window panels from the Francis W. Little House, “Northome” in Deephaven, Minnesota, 1912-14, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Greenlee, Jr.
  • Johan Christian Dahl, Frederiksborg Castle, 1817, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, Mrs. John B. O’Hara Fund.

 

Josh Rose
Manager of Docent and Teacher Programs

A Bright Evening Indeed

Teens, adults, hipsters, parents, and those strolling the halls of the DMA were treated to a wonderful evening of spoken word, music, and light last Thursday, when Denton-based collective  Spiderweb Salon hosted a poetry showcase with fifteen readers and musicians. The artists included participants from the Center for Creative Connection’s adult programs and Urban Armor teen programs mixed with well-known poets and musicians from the Denton area who are currently part of the Spiderweb Salon.

Inspired by the DMA’s exhibition Nur: Light in Art and Science in the Islamic WorldSpiderweb Salon called the event A Bright Evening and the musicians and writers used light as the basis of their compositions.  The showcase was hosted by poet and Spiderweb Salon co-founder Courtney Marie. Below are some highlights from the evening:

Listen to one of the musical performances:

We were pleased to feature the following poets and musicians performing at A Bright Evening:

Bess Whitby

Evan Simmons

Chris Garver

Chris George

Ann Marie Newman

Ryan Creery

Monique Johnson

Nate Logan

Ennis Howard

Conor Wallace

Frank Polgar

Erica GDLR

Jordan Batson

Kiki Ishihara

Carson Bolding

Make sure to follow Spiderweb Salon on Facebook and stay connected to what is happening in the Center for Creative Connections!

Amanda Batson
Program Coordinator for the Center for Creative Connections

 

Sculpture for the Body – Art Smith at the DMA

Art Smith , Untitled, 1948-1979, wood, paint, copper, Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Charles L. Russell, 2007.61.36a-m

Art Smith , Untitled, 1948-1979, wood, paint, copper, Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Charles L. Russell, 2007.61.36a-m

This week we are putting the finishing touches on the DMA’s presentation of the exhibition From the Village to Vogue: The Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith. Highlighting a pioneer of late 20th-century jewelry design whose work represents the progressive modernist impulse of “sculpture for the body,” the installation is both dramatic in appearance and revealing in what it contains. This collection, which also features examples of works by Smith’s contemporaries, is drawn from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, which received a major gift of the artist’s work in 2007. While we are thrilled to host this exhibition of a leading American jewelry artist, our interest in having From the Village to Vogue appear at the DMA was also to note the larger importance of this medium and reflect upon the DMA’s interest in expanding our jewelry holdings. Just as fashion boldly entered our galleries through the 2011 presentation of The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, this year we will not only feature the work of Art Smith but also, excitingly, make plans for future exhibitions of jewelry and other design arts.

Art Smith, Ellington Necklace, circa 1962, silver, turquoise, amethyst, prase, rhodonite, Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Charles L. Russell, 2007.61.4

Art Smith, “Ellington” Necklace, c. 1962, silver, amethyst, chrysoprase, rhodonite, green quartz, Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Charles L. Russell, 2007.61.4

Beyond the realm of curators and collectors of modernist studio jewelry, Art Smith’s work is often unfamiliar, yet his impact and those of his contemporaries in the decades following World War II helped shape a new American movement in both design and craft. Drawing from the trend toward abstraction in painting and sculpture, Smith and other designer-craftspeople experimented with highly stylized forms, particularly the biomorphic imagery that characterized the work of sculptors such as Isamu Noguchi and, notably, Alexander Calder. Unlike other sculptors who may have occasionally produced jewelry, Calder’s passion for the medium appeared at least equal to that for his more widely known large-scale mobiles and stabiles. Like Calder, Smith reveled in the whirling organic line: bent wirework that was complemented by flattened ovoid forms, semiprecious stones, and richly finished patinas. Unlike so-called “high-style” jewelry, faceted gemstones and highly polished precious metals were typically set aside in preference for subdued materials and more direct fabrication techniques that were undoubtedly less labor intensive, but also ones that provided more visceral results by reflecting the hands of the artist as an immediate, personal expression. What could be more perfect for the medium of jewelry, which is, like other elements of fashion, an equally personal manifestation of the wearer’s preferences? And they were indeed artists in keeping with the spirit of the times; the modern sculpture, painting, and rhythmic vibrancy of jazz that Smith admired certainly echo throughout the punctuated, gestural lines, which form a type of visual play in his richly syncopated designs. You may notice this almost immediately upon entering the darkly colored main gallery, which features Smith’s work. Even in static display, each piece seems to dance with a particular life of its own.

(left) Art Smith, "Modern Cuff" Bracelet, designed circa 1948, silver, Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Charles L. Russell, 2007.61.15; (right) Peter Basch, Model Wearing Art Smith's "Modern Cuff" Bracelet, circa 1948, black-and-white photograph, Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum

(left) Art Smith, “Modern Cuff” Bracelet, designed c. 1948, silver, Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Charles L. Russell, 2007.61.15; (right) Peter Basch, Model Wearing Art Smith’s “Modern Cuff” Bracelet, c. 1948, black-and-white photograph, Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum

As you might expect, it is always exciting for the many hands and minds that make such exhibitions possible at the DMA to delve into a new arena as we are doing now with modern jewelry. From interpretation to design, each of our exhibitions requires hundreds of hours of brainstorming, logistical planning, and creative input, all with the hope that whatever subject we bring you will be offered in a way you will find compelling or even thrilling. As a curator, communicating facts is only one part of my job; sharing my enthusiasm for looking, learning, and celebrating the diverse creative achievements of the visual world is, at heart, what I and all of my colleagues at the DMA do every day. We hope you will find From the Village to Vogue: The Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith and our new jewelry endeavors just as exciting as we do!

Kevin Tucker is The Margot B. Perot Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the DMA.


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