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Posts Tagged 'Art'

Welcome Back Volunteers!

Published September 25, 2012 Art & Teaching Closed
Tags: Art, art and games, collections, Dallas Museum of Art, game, Go van Gogh, program, teaching, training, volunteers, works of art

Earlier this month Go van Gogh staff welcomed back the returning volunteers for our first training session of the year. We kicked off the day with an artist personality quiz, revealing our artist dopplegangers from the collection. As someone who has always walked to the beat of her own drum, it was no surprise that I turned out to be a Georgia O’Keeffe. Looking around the room, I noticed a good mix of rebelious Jackson Pollocks, bold and brilliant Pablo Picassos, calm and tranquil Claude Monets, and unique and inquisitive Frank Gehrys.

The rest of the day was primarily spent playing a trivia game that Melissa, Amy, and I created based on the Arts of Mexico Go van Gogh program. Picassos, O’Keeffes, Monets, Pollocks, and Gehrys were all mixed together into teams to compete against each other for the honorable title of Trivia Game Winner. With a variety of questions from true-false to multiple choice, teams had to race against the clock to form their answer before time ran out. However, not all the questions were so straight forward; the game also featured difficult bonus questions and hands-on teaching challenges that warranted extra points. Getting the players on their feet, a teaching challenge could ask the team to pose as a work of art in a frozen tableau, solve a puzzle, or lead an activity from the program as if they were teaching in a classroom. To catch a glimpse of all the fun, check out the slideshow below.

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At the end of the day, volunteers took the time to reflect on the session. Here’s how many of them described the day:

Lots of good high energy
A good refresher to the program
Engaging and fun, loved the game!

Teachers, don’t forget to schedule a Go van Gogh classroom visit (or two, or three…) this school year.

Hannah Burney
Community Teaching Programs Assistant

Back to School: From the Classroom to the DMA Collection

Published September 11, 2012 works of art 2 Comments
Tags: Art, collections, connections, Contemporary Art, Dallas Museum of Art, interdisciplinary, landscapes, literature, painting, sculpture, Sculpture Garden, students

Now that all the kiddos are settled back into school, I began to think about how the Museum‘s collection could inspire them to keep learning outside the classroom. With the most common school subjects in mind, I decided to find works of art that might help them with their studies. Check out my pairings below.

Math

Upon first glance, it’s hard to tell if this large scale sculpture is symmetrical or asymmetrical. It takes a careful walk all the way around the work of art to find out.

Untitled, Ellsworth Kelly, 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

History

An historical figure, period, or event is often the subject of a work of art. This particular work features all three. Some of the imagery in Skyway includes President Kennedy and images of space exploration. Overall, the haphazard, overlapping composition captures the tumultuous time of change in the Sixties. What else does this colorful collage tell you about the Sixties?

Skyway, Robert Rauschenberg, 1964, Dallas Museum of Art, The Roberta Coke Camp Fund, The 500, Inc., Mr. and Mrs. Mark Shepherd, Jr. and General Acquisitions Fund

English

Some works of art are inspired by literature, like Cinderella at the Kitchen Fire. While it’s easy to find Cinderella in this beautiful work of art, it’s not as easy to tell which part of the Cinderella story is being depicted. Come to the Museum to get a closer look at all the details a photograph can’t capture, so you can guess which part of the classic fairy tale this could be. I’ll give you a big hint: there’s more than one right answer!

Cinderella at the Kitchen Fire, Thomas Sully, 1843, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Pauline Allen Gill Foundation

Geography

From the icy waters of the North Atlantic to the rolling hills of the French-Italian Riviera, wandering through the Museum galleries can take you on a trip around the world to a variety of climates and terrains. How many new places can you discover on your next visit?

The Icebergs, Frederic Edwin Church, 1861, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Norma and Lamar Hunt

Valle Buona, Near Bordighera, Claude Monet, 1884, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Meadows Foundation Incorporated

Homework

Hopefully these collection connections will make learning in the Museum more fun for you and the kiddos than studying is for this little boy:

The First Thorns of Knowledge (Les premières épines de la science), Hugues Merle, 1864, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Meadows Foundation Incorporated

Hannah Burney
Community Teaching Programs Assistant

What is Art?: Word Cloud Excercise

Published September 6, 2012 Art & Teaching Closed
Tags: Art, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, classroom activity, Learning Lab, Variations on Theme, Word cloud, wordle.net

Today during Learning Lab, juniors at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts explored Variations on Theme: Contemporary Art 1950s—Present. But before we dove into the artwork on the walls and our responses to it, we considered our preconceived ideas about the definitions, classifications, and limitations associated with the term art.

In small groups, the students defined art in five words. I used Wordle to create a word cloud with their definitions. (Wordle is a wonderful classroom resource for visually presenting textual content.) The larger, bolder words were words that multiple groups used to define art.

Composition, technique, perception, and concept stand out. Other words like value, design, and aesthetics relate to an artwork’s composition or visual elements. I loved that the students included words that reference an artist’s conceptual process, such as idea, foresight, thought, and motive.

How do you define art?

Andrea V. Severin
Coordinator of Teaching Programs

Community Connection: Booker T. Washington Learning Lab

Published September 4, 2012 Art & Teaching 4 Comments
Tags: Art, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Community Connection, Dallas Museum of Art, Learning Lab, partnership, students, teachers

Being a part of the Dallas Arts District has its distinct advantages. One advantage is being located within walking distance of other arts institutions, making it easier to develop close and in-depth partnerships. For instance, we have just started the second year of our Learning Lab partnership with Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. In this partnership, DMA Education staff work with Visual Arts teachers to lead experiences and projects at the DMA and at the school (the school also partners in this way with the Dallas Theater Center and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra).

This year, Andrea and Shannon are working with Krystal Read and Leslie Eames and their junior portfolio classes.

Krystal Read

Describe this class and what you envision your students doing throughout the year.

Krystal: It’s a great opportunity since it’s taught by both a school instructor and museum educator, and students will be learning about different aspects of the art world. So, we’ll cover things like aesthetics, museum practices, and a little bit of contemporary art. A lot of what they’ll be doing in class at school is preparing for their portfolio and getting career-ready. I think the museum helps expose them to that type of professionalism.

Leslie: It is kind of a dual class, with two parts combined together. One part is preparing the students for their senior year by writing resumes, making a portfolio, and all the things that come with being a senior at Booker T., such as a senior show and a portfolio day with visiting colleges. We’re also preparing students who might want to go right into the workforce by showing them what the world has to offer them as artists. The other half of our class is Learning Lab and working with the DMA and Shannon Karol. Shannon visited our classroom earlier this week, and the excitement level was astounding. The students are very excited to learn about the behind-the-scenes preparation for exhibits. Many don’t realize that you’re often not just an artist; you’re also a critic and a curator.

Leslie Eames with Gary Pierce Jr. and her son Madden

What are you most excited about or looking forward to in this partnership?

Krystal: I’m most excited about the interactive experiences and that so much of our class is taking place outside of the classroom. I’m organizing an opportunity for them to possibly do an earth-friendly installation at Klyde Warren Park. The students are doing something different in this class; a lot have a more classical, traditional training in art, so we’re forcing them to step outside the box.

For me, it’s also so exciting because I started off in museum education and I wanted to do more teaching. I’m excited that those paths have finally crossed back over and somehow synced back together.

Leslie: I am excited that I get to learn as much as the students about the DMA. I had no idea that I would be teaching this class, or that it existed. As I met with my supervisor before school started, we went over course expectations and I just couldn’t believe what an awesome job I had and that I get to learn with the students.

What was a highlight of your summer vacation?

Krystal: This past summer, I was overwhelmed with weddings, and I’m getting married myself. We’ve gone to so many weddings in the past few months. We went to Houston for a wedding, and the next morning we went to The Breakfast Klub, a soul food brunch café that was amazing. Breakfast is my favorite meal; I just love it. As silly as it sounds, I was so excited about having good food.

Leslie: The highlight of my summer was taking a month off between my last job and this job and spending that month with my five-year-old son, which is something I’ve never been able to do. He didn’t know what summer was; I’ve had him in Montessori up until now, so he didn’t know people had summers off. We took a train ride to Oklahoma and a couple of different road trips, and made sure we had all the summer fun we could have. We both learned we have summer vacation every year to look forward to.

Look for future blog posts about the fun and exciting experiences we’ll share with these students and teachers throughout the 2012-13 school year!

Melissa Nelson
Manager of Teaching in the Community

Time to Ring in the New School Year

Published August 28, 2012 Art & Teaching Closed
Tags: 2012-2013 school year, Art, Dallas Public library, Go van Gogh, Go van Gogh summer library program, People, program, teaching, tour, volunteers

Last week, Go van Gogh staff and volunteers celebrated the upcoming new school year at our annual welcome back party. Generously hosted by Go van Gogh volunteer Deborah Harvey, the lively group gathered at her home for coffee, snacks, mingling and a very special private art tour. Growing up, the love of art was infectious in Deborah’s family and collecting became a beloved family tradition. Today, she has an impressive collection of exquisite original works. Deborah guided us through her home with charisma and charm relating fun facts and anecdotes about each piece. Check out pictures from the festive event in the slideshow below.

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I still can’t believe that summer is already coming to an end. I guess it’s true what they say, time flies when you’re having fun! But before we all get swept up into fall, I’d like to take a moment to celebrate some of the successes of this busy, yet fun, summer.

While school was out for the summer, Go van Gogh staff and volunteers traveled all over the city, bringing interactive art programs to your neighborhood libraries, YMCAs, and Boys & Girls Clubs. Through the Go van Gogh Summer Library Program we taught at over fifty venues with a staggering total of 1,393 participants. Although library programs are recommended for ages five-twelve, anyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. Reflecting back, many volunteers have expressed how much they enjoyed interacting with entire families that included children as well as parents. Receiving positive feedback from parents, volunteers, and librarians has been a highlight of this year’s program. I have provided just a couple of these such comments below.

May Shen, Children’s Librarian at Arcadia Park Branch Librar, wrote:

The children were engaged in the museum artwork, made good observations, and had a lot of fun with their own creations. I was thrilled to see how involved the parents were as well!”

Karen Wyll, a Go van Gogh volunteer shared:

The parents were very complimentary and so pleased to be there. Both programs were a very positive experience for everyone, I think.”

It’s been a wonderful summer, and I look forward to a fantastic new school year.

Hannah Burney
Community Teaching Programs Assistant

Community Connection: Free Association

Published July 31, 2012 Uncategorized 2 Comments
Tags: Art, Ava Wilson, Center for Creative Connections, Community, Community Connection, Community Partner Response Installation, Dallas Museum of Art, Free Association, Harold Steward, Malik Dillard, Michelle Gibson, Patrick Washington, People, Vicki Meek

The current Community Partner Response Installation in the Center for Creative Connections invites visitors to contemplate space in relation to the African American experience. Titled Free Association and designed by artists associated with the South Dallas Cultural Center, the installation provides a variety of experiences that include sound, poetry, media, and movement while exploring the notion of limitations of space.

South Dallas Cultural Artists. From left: Harold Steward, Patrick Washington, Ava Wilson, Vicki Meek, Michelle Gibson, Malik Dillard.

Collaborators on this project and their areas of expertise include Malik Dillard, media; Michelle Gibson, dance; Vicki Meek, visual; Harold Steward, theater; Patrick Washington, media; and Ava Wilson, poetry. Read their perspectives on the installation below, along with their free association responses to the words community, creativity, and art.

Vicki – What was your vision for this project? Free Association was created around the concept of limited space and how such limitations can either contain you or spur you to stretch beyond them. The general idea was to explore the history of African Americans within the context of this concept, paying close attention to how African Americans have used creativity to transcend societal constrictions. The more specific idea was to explore the performing, visual, literary & media arts as means of expressing the transcendence of limitations.

Inspired by the installation title Free Association, what is the FIRST word or phrase that comes to mind when you read the following terms?

Community = Essential
Creativity = Boundless
Art = Life

Harold – How did you integrate theater with the other components of the installation?
More than theater, I was working with some of the components of performance studies. In particular, I wanted to look at the ways in which people naturally operate in “open space” and how that differs when space is confined. One of the many attributes of people of African descent is that we have historically found ways to work within the confines forced upon us when we are taken outside of the continent of Africa, and held on to some cultural traditions while creating new ones in very limited physical and sociological spaces. The guiding question I had was, “What cultural practices and survival techniques did descendants of Africa keep or create once they arrived on the American shore, and where do they intersect?” The workshop that I offered in conjunction with the installation used Theater of the Oppressed games to cause the participants to be conscience of things that they feel, hear, and see, and the effect these things have on the individual or groups of people when they go unrecognized.

Community = Web- to destroy the community you destroy the web, to build a community you build the web
Creativity = Kuumba –The Kwanzaa principles that demands that we leave our community better than we found it
Art = Knowing what beauty to keep and what issues to call out

Ava – How did you connect poetry to the ideas of free association and space?
The written word is very powerful. Through the use of several literary devices – metaphor, allusion, symbolism, etc. – tethered specifically by imagery, I wanted to allow the reader to visualize what enslavement may have been like. I wanted to create a “free association”, if you will, for the reader. As for space, I wanted the taut nature of the language and the use of references to shape and dimension to show the vastness of the universe and in the African world in contrast to the narrowness that was the dungeons, slave ships, and realities that the African faced in the west.

Community = Family
Creativity = Spirituality
Art = Life

Patrick – How did you use media to enhance the installation?
We used digital photography, streaming video feed, and an electronic music production program to enhance our installation.

Community = UNITY
Creativity = ART
Art = LIFE

Malik – How did the use of media enhance the installation? I feel that the media side of the installation creates interaction and gives a great visual for dance instruction.

Community = People coming together
Creativity = Music/Art
Art = Dance/Spoken Word/ Music

Explore Free Association and your own creative responses in the Center for Creative Connections through October 12.

Melissa Nelson
Manager of Teaching in the Community

Texas Late Night

Published July 24, 2012 Art & Teaching Closed
Tags: Art, Center for Creative Connections, collections, Community, creativity, Dallas, Dallas Museum of Art, docent, exhibition, families, Flower of the Prairie, George Grosz, Go van Gogh, interdisciplinary, Late Night, Music, People, performance, program, Studio Creations, summer library program, Texas, tours, Wild West, works of art

Howdy, y’all! This past Friday, the DMA showed folks a rootin’ tootin’ good time at our Late Night celebration of the Flower of the Prairie: George Grosz in Dallas exhibition. With a theme as big as Texas, you can bet that there was lots to do here at the Museum. With live folk bands playing in the Atrium Cafe and in the galleries, visitors could hear old-time, toe-tapping, traditional Texas music almost anywhere they went. Adult crowds could be seen gathering for tours of the exhibition and surrounding the watercolor demonstrations led by artist Scott Winterrowd. Lectures, talks, and films throughout the night also kept the adults scurrying from one program to the next. Families had a rip-roaring time in the Center for Creative Connections studio constructing their own Dallas building to contribute to a three-dimensional city skyline. Also in C3, kids created Texas-inspired bandanas and participated in Yoga for Kids. To get a peek at all the festivities, check out the slide show below.
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One of my favorite moments from the night was bumping into a family I had taught during a Go van Gogh Summer Library Program. When I stumbled upon them, they were in C3 doing yoga and discussing what kind of building they would create in the studio. They excitedly told me all about going into the Flower of the Prairie: George Grosz in Dallas exhibition to see all of the works of art we had talked about during the Impressions of Dallas library program. “They know everything!” the kid’s impressed dad exclaimed. It is always a joy to see familiar faces in the Museum. To learn a little more about the Go van Gogh Library Program, check out Amy’s blog post from last week. Every participant receives a free family pass, which you could use at the next Late Night on August 17.

What was your favorite moment from the Late Night?

Hannah Burney
Go van Gogh Programs Assistant

Vacay at the DMA

Published July 3, 2012 Museum Insight 1 Comment
Tags: Art, Atrium, Center for Creative Connections, collections, Dallas Museum of Art, Jazz in the Atrium, Late Night, Sculpture Garden, self-guided tours, Self-guided Visits, smartphone tours, Thursday Night Live, works of art

Well folks, we have officially broken one hundred degrees, which means that the Dallas summer is really here. You may get a chance to escape the weather with a trip to cooler climates. But I am here to tell you that it is possible to beat the heat and enjoy a fun-filled day of play right here in Dallas! At the Dallas Museum of Art you can travel all over the world, eat any type of food your heart desires, and participate in creative activities without ever leaving downtown.

Here are some great ways to enjoy a DMA get-away:

Self-Guided Tours

With over 25,000 works of art at the DMA, chances are that you won’t be able to see everything in one day. But don’t worry, any of our bite-sized tours will show you how to have a quality experience at the DMA instead of a quantity one. You can choose from four different themes to match your interests, either by downloading and printing them at home or by asking the Visitors Service Desk for a copy.

smARTphone Tours

For a more customized experience, use your smartphone to access interactive content specific to each gallery.

Lunch

With a variety of lunchtime favorites, the bright and open Atrium Cafe is a great place to have a meal.
The Sculpture Garden is a perfect spot to relax, soak up some sun, and enjoy your lunch while surrounded by art.
Or try any one of the tasty and affordable food trucks just a couple of blocks away; they have something for everyone!

After Hours

If you are a late-nighter, you are in luck, because every Thursday Night the Museum stays open until 9:00 pm. You can enjoy a cocktail while listening to jazz music in the Atrium Cafe, or create an original work of art in the Center for Creative Connections.
Every third Friday of the month the Museum stays open until midnight, offering a variety of fun and free programs inspired by the Late Night theme of the month.

Need more ideas for engaging with the collection? Check out our list of 100 Experiences.

I’ll see you at the Museum,

Hannah Burney
Go van Gogh Programs Assistant

Texas-sized Free Day!

Published June 29, 2012 Friday Photos Closed
Tags: Art, Big Tex, Dallas Museum of Art, families, First Tuesday, Texas, western

Howdy, Texas! Around these parts, we’re all pretty familiar with a fella named Big Tex, an icon of the State Fair of Texas in Dallas’ Fair Park area. If Big Tex could take a stroll across town, you know he’d be sure to mosey up for some fun at the DMA‘s First Tuesday on July 3. He could add some flair to his bandana in the art studio, join a roundup for stories and songs about Texas, search for Texas artwork treasures throughout the Museum, and more! From 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, the DMA will be bustling with activities for families and kid folks. We invite you to bring your pardners for the celebration on Tuesday, July 3, and kick off the national holiday a little early with some Texas pride. General Museum admission is FREE!

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Texas artwork treasures featured in the slideshow include:
George Grosz, Cowboy in Town, 1952, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of A. Harris and Company in memory of Leon A. Harris, Sr.

George Grosz, Dallas Night, 1952, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, anonymous gift in memory of Leon A. Harris

George Grosz, Cattle, c. 1952-53, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of A. Harris and Company in memory of Leon A. Harris, Sr.

George Grosz, Cotton Harvest, Dallas (Cotton Pickers), c. 1952-53, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of A. Harris and Company in memory of Leon A. Harris, Sr.

Nicole Stutzman
Chair of Learning Initiatives and Dallas Museum of Art League Director of Education

An Artistic Aegean Anniversary

Published June 19, 2012 Art & Teaching Closed
Tags: Aegean, Art, Bronze Age, Crete, fresco, Minoan, painting, Santorini, Thera

A few weeks ago, my husband and I celebrated our first anniversary on an amazing cruise through the Aegean Sea. I majored in Ancient History at the University of Texas, so you can imagine my excitement at getting to experience numerous ancient sites in person. In particular, I have always been fascinated with prehistoric Aegean cultures, so the stops on both Crete and Thera (Santorini) were definitely a highlight.

One of the most interesting cultures is the Minoan civilization, which thrived during the Bronze Age from 2100-1500 B.C. on the island of Crete. Named for the mythical King Minos, the Minoans developed a centralized political system ruling from urbanized palace centers, the largest of which was located at Knossos on the north central coast of Crete. As prosperous sea-farers, the Minoans established extensive contact and trade with the contemporary cultures of Egypt and the Near East. Ancient writers even asserted that King Minos ruled over a maritime empire which included many Aegean islands. Although the extent of the Minoan political sphere is unclear, the Minoans were certainly in contact and influencing the culture of nearby islands like Thera, as attested by the surviving art.

Looking into the caldera on Thera, with the active volcano at left

Thera is a unique island whose history has been shaped by the active volcano at its center. During the period of Late Minoan 1A (c. 1625 B.C. or c. 1550 B.C.—dating is disputed by different scholars), the volcano erupted with such extreme force that it spread ash across the entire eastern Mediterranean and likely created a global cooling event. This eruption not only formed the distinctive caldera and picturesque cliffs seen on the island today, it also covered an entire ancient site in ash and pumice, perfectly preserving it like a prehistoric Greek Pompeii. Because of this eruption, the archaeological site of Akrotiri has yielded frescoes that are much more complete than those found elsewhere in the Aegean.

To execute their frescoes, Minoan artists used mineral pigments in white, red, brown, yellow, black, and blue. The wall surfaces were divided into three zones: the upper zone, above windows and doors, contained miniature friezes or decorative patterns; the middle zone included the large main subject; and the lower zone served as the base, sometimes using patterns to imitate stonework. The basic composition was painted in buon fresco technique, on the wet lime plaster surface. Additional colors and details were added after the plaster dried (fresco secco), using an organic fixative like egg white. The scenes include themes from nature (landscapes with plants and animals), daily life (fishing, sea-faring), and ritual (offerings to a goddess). The Theran fresco style is similar to the style found in Knossos and other palace centers on Crete, but utilizes a livelier, though less refined, hand.

A visit to Thera is certainly not complete without a trip to the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, where you can see examples of these beautiful frescoes, along with other objects found at Akrotiri. But visiting the extensive ancient sites of both Knossos and Akrotiri really allows for a more complete understanding of the Minoan culture that flourished thousands of years ago. That such beautiful art could be created so long ago—simply amazing!

Click on the thumbnails below for larger images.