Dallas Museum of Art Uncrated

Comblat-le-Château, the Meadow (Le Pré), Opus 161, Paul Signac, June-July 1887, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., in honor of Bonnie Pitman

As a lover of dots (also known as spots, polka dots, specks, periods, or decimal points), I am looking forward to next week’s First Tuesday program, Dot to Dot. First Tuesday, which features programming designed for children five and under, will celebrate the beloved dot on Tuesday, March 4, with dot themed games, performances, stories, art-making, and tours.

Dot to Dot‘s programming was inspired by one of my favorite children’s books, The Dot by Peter Reynolds. In this story, a girl named Vashti struggles with drawing. Her teacher challenges her to make a single mark on her paper, unleashing Vashti’s creativity and inspiring a series of dotted artworks. At the end of the story, Vashti shares her newfound excitement for art making with a struggling peer, and the flow of creative inspiration comes full circle.

As an artist and arts educator, this book has a special place in my heart. I have experienced Vashti’s struggle and have also witnessed it in children I have worked with. The Dot’s encouragement to make that first mark of self expression, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, has positively influenced both my own art-making and my interactions with children.

In anticipation of next week, I’ve included some close-ups of four ‘dot-tastic’ artworks found in the DMA collection. Can you connect the dots to uncover the artworks?

The Winkel Mill, Pointillist Version, Piet Mondrian, 1908, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, gift of the James H. and Lillian Clark Foundation

“Marshmallow” sofa, George Nelson Associates, designed c. 1954-1955, Dallas Museum of Art, 20th-Century Design Fund

Helmet mask (Mukenga), Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, mid-20th century, Dallas Museum of Art, gift in honor of Peter Hanszen Lynch and Cristina Martha Frances Lynch

Amelia Wood
McDermott Intern for Family and Access Teaching