Posts Tagged 'DMA programs'

An Unbe-leaf-able Spring Break!

You are cordially invited to our Spring Break Garden Partyjust be sure to bring the whole family! Free family fun at the DMA will be in full bloom from March 12 to 15. Join the floral festivities during this week of garden-inspired story times, interactive tours, art making, and more! Our Museum mascot, Arturo, was eager to venture outside of his nest to test out some of our activities.

“Meet me in the courtyard!” Arturo couldn’t wait to try sketching outside.

It’s been a chilly winter and we’re crossing our fingers for great weather during Spring Break! Drop by the Fleischner Courtyard for a chance to sketch like never before. French Impressionist artists sketched outside, or, as they would say, en plein air, to accurately capture natural light in their works. Grab some paper and a pencil to find out if the elements are your friend or foe.

The competition heats up as Arturo plays wildflower bingo!

In the studio, create your own floral collage using paper, glue, and markers, and then stick around to add your own touch to the growing garden on the studio’s back wall. Already a garden guru? Drop by the Tech Lab to test your nose at our scent matching station or challenge your family to a game of wildflower bingo. Need some help navigating four floors of art? Be sure to catch our Girl Power (Half) Hour tour celebrating women in the art world.

“She loves me, she loves me not.” Arturo does some flower dissection of his own!

Wait—there’s more! On Friday, special guests from the Dallas Arboretum will be in the Fleischner Courtyard with a flower dissection activity. There is plenty to see and do this Spring Break at the Dallas Museum of Art. Stay for a little while or plant yourself down all day! Either way, we’re all excited to see(d) you here.

Denise Gonzalez is the Manager of Family and Early Learning Programs at the DMA.

Dallas Museum of Art Points of Access

Through Access Programs at the Dallas Museum of Art, visitors of all ages with special needs and their families can experience the Museum and spend time together. For instance, we host Art Beyond Sight programs in October that celebrate visual awareness, and four times a year we have Autism Awareness Family Celebrations.

Meaningful Moments is a monthly program at the DMA designed for someone with Alzheimer’s disease and a care partner–a devoted wife bringing her husband, a loving daughter attending with her mother, or an admiring husband bringing his wife, like John Rath, who brings his wife, Sue.

John and Sue attend the DMA program every month, including last week’s Storytelling in Art Meaningful Moments event. At every visit, they enjoy the gallery discussion and the opportunity to reminisce and share stories about their lives. Sue had a career with Susan Crane Packaging, where she designed wrapping paper that was sold at many stores, including Neiman Marcus, and John worked for thirty-seven years at Texas Instruments. Sue collects pins (always wearing a different one when she visits the Museum) and loves taking care of her plants in a back porch greenroom that her handyman husband John built just for her.

When the program moves to the studio for art-making, Sue’s artistic abilities shine as she is usually one of the last to finish her work of art. Many couples create art together during the studio time, but John prefers to admire Sue’s creations while providing support and encouragement. Clearly best friends, John and Sue have a love for one another that many dream about having.

I have been lucky to get to know this wonderful couple during Meaningful Moments throughout the year, and here is a bit more insight into the lives of John and Sue:

John and Sue, what three words would you use to describe one another?
Sue is loving, considerate, and creative. John is kind, friendly, and multitalented.

John, you and Sue have known each other for a long time (since childhood!). Will you share some favorite moments that you have had together over the years?
Riding our bicycles to Confirmation class at church together, our first date (a Boy Scout Christmas party), our wedding day, and honeymoon. Living in a number of different states and countries, some of them more than once, when I was traveling on military/government contracts for Texas Instruments. The birth of our daughter and son and their development through the years; both were achievers and kept us extremely busy with their activities. Everywhere we have lived, we’ve enjoyed the people we met and have taken advantage of the–if I may borrow a phrase–meaningful moments that were available.

What types of things do the two of you enjoy doing together?
We enjoy the Meaningful Moments program at the Dallas Museum of Art; spending quality time with family, extended family, and friends; camping, fishing, and most outdoor activities; playing games (cards, dominoes, Yahtzee, etc., especially with grandchildren); and working on creative projects together.

Why do you attend the Meaningful Moments program?
The Meaningful Moments program is an excellent extension of the informational and learning opportunities we have always enjoyed and try to take advantage of when possible. We always look forward to the monthly programs.

Amanda Blake is Manager of Family Experiences and Access Programs at the Dallas Museum of Art.


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