Posts Tagged 'spring break'



Having a Ball During DMA Spring Break

Check out what’s in store during Spring Break and then cast your vote for the DMA Art Madness Champion at http://www.dma.org/artmadness!

Art Madness

Having a Ball During DMA Spring Break

What do March Madness and the DMA have in common? If you are thinking that both are in Dallas, you are correct! This year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four and Championship games will be played right here in North Texas. But wait, there is SO much more! Here at the DMA we are celebrating Art Madness, our own version of the beloved tournament. DMA Friends picked an artsy Sweet Sixteen that you don’t need a ticket to enjoy, and we are now down to the Elite Eight. Works of art from the Museum’s collection are competing for your vote to determine which artwork is the ultimate champion. If you haven’t voted yet, it’s not too late to get in on the game.

Since basketball is on the brain here, it seemed only fitting that we spend our spring break elevating our game, and we’ve planned an action-packed week of Art Madness family fun for everyone! Enjoy story time in the galleries, family tours, art-making in the studio, family competitions and more all week long in our art and basketball mash-up. We will even have a real piece of the NCAA here at the Museum! Be sure to score a look at the NCAA Championship trophy in the Center for Creative Connections, on view March 11-16.

Can’t get enough of the Madness? Then take an overtime for fun and join us for a Family Block Party on March 14, when we’ll stay open until 9:00 p.m. Families can sketch in the galleries, take a tour of the Art Madness competitors, do some yoga in the galleries, enjoy a puppet show, design trading cards in the studio and more. Everyone will be a winner!

But don’t take our word for it. We asked a family of museum (and sports) experts to walk us through the spring break starting line-up.

b-ball storytime

Little B-ball enjoyed story time in the galleries, hearing favorite stories and looking at one of the Art Madness competitors.

b-ball tote

The entire family used the hands-on activities and games in the Art to Go Family Tote to explore color in some of their favorite paintings.

b-ball challenge

With art supplies, a healthy dose of imagination and their competitive streak, the B-ball family worked as a team to design a jersey for their Art Madness MVP in the daily Championship Challenge.

b-ball yoga 2

Mama B-ball thought yoga was very relaxing and loved finding peaceful inspiration in the art around her. (Little B-ball wasn’t quite as meditative.)

b-ball ventriloquist

Daddy B-ball couldn’t help but laugh at ventriloquist Nancy Worcester’s hilarious show in the Horchow Auditorium.

Their final conclusion: “Visiting the DMA is a slam dunk!”

Our analysis? Art + Basketball = A surefire hit for the entire family. We hope to see you here March 11-16!

Amanda Blake is the head of family, access, and school experiences at the DMA.
Leah Hanson is the manager of early learning programs at the DMA.

Friday Photos: Spring Break

Many families have enjoyed spending their Spring Break staycation at the Museum! We’ve had several activities this week including puzzles, interactive tours, and a family film, Dropping in on Picasso.

Families participated with our interactive Story Time, led by Museum Education staff who read books in front of related artworks and engaged children in a gallery activity. Kids (and a few adults) donned capes and crowns and pretended to fly across the sky in our photo shoot inspired by the exhibition, Chagall: Beyond Color. Adults and kids competed against each other in a battle of wits and creativity during our ART You SmARTer Than Your Grown-Up? game. Indeed, kids were smarter than their grown-ups!

Our week of fun culminates tonight during Late Night. Our theme this month is the Wizard of Oz, so the evening will be full of family friendly activities you won’t want to miss. And DMA Friends who drop by donning their favorite pair of ruby slippers will find a surprise waiting for them over the rainbow!

Holly York
McDermott Intern for Family Experiences

There’s No Place Like Home…Or a Museum That’s Open Until Midnight

Next week is Spring Break and we are offering a lot for families and visitors of all ages to do at the DMA.

We will kick-off the week with our WFAA Family First Day on Saturday, March 9. Then, throughout the week you can explore our galleries with self-guided tours, stop by the Art Cart, compete in games with your family, and more!

Stop by our new Art Cart in the Museum galleries.

Stop by our new Art Cart in the Museum galleries.

And to end the weeklong celebration, we invite you to join us for our annual Spring Break Block Party on Friday, March 15. We will be open until midnight for our Late Night event, as will our neighbors in the Arts District: the Crow Collection of Asian Art, the Klyde Warren Park, and the Nasher Sculpture Center.

Each year we program the March Late Night around a fun family theme, from Where the Wild Things Are to Alice in Wonderland and the world of Dr. Seuss. This year, staff debated between Mary Poppins and The Wizard of Oz, and after some nostalgic discussions and fun brainstorming meetings, we decided to go over the rainbow and follow the yellow brick road to the wonderful world of Oz.

Don’t miss the “Prince of Pop-Ups,” Robert Sabuda, who will discuss his major feats of paper engineering, including his pop-up book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Sabuda_Wizard of OZ

Families can explore the galleries with our Journey Through Oz Family Adventure to find courage, a heart, a brain, and a home. And if you stay late, you can take a tour that looks at the lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!) in our collection.

Sword ornament in the form of a lion, c. mid-20th century, Cast gold and felt, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

Sword ornament in the form of a lion, Ghana, Nsuta State, Asante peoples, c. mid-20th century, cast gold and felt, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

As for films, we decided we didn’t want to show the original Wizard of Oz but instead screen some interesting takes on the classic. So throughout the night you can watch Tom and Jerry’s take on the film as well as The Muppet’s version. And for adults we will screen the cult classic Return to Oz.

Don’t forget to bring your camera so you can take a photo with your friends and family in front of our Emerald City backdrop, accompanied by cardboard cut-out characters from The Wizard of Oz. Glinda the Good Witch is living in my office until the big day!

Glinda

And if you are a DMA Friend, come to Late Night dressed as your favorite Wizard of Oz character to earn the Midnight Masquerade Badge and 450 points! Not a DMA Friend? Be sure to sign up at the kiosks near the Visitor Services Desks when you arrive.

Stacey Lizotte is the Head of Adult Programming and Multimedia Services at the DMA.

Spring Break Staycation at the DMA

Just four more days until it is officially spring break here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area! My most memorable spring breaks as a child were a visit to Disney World (every child’s dream, right?) and another trip to Sea World in San Antonio.

But for the most part, we tended to enjoy spring break at home. If you are indulging in a staycation this year, let us help you travel the world from the comfort of your hometown. So pack your bags, grab your camera, and hitch a ride on the DMA Express! We have someplace fun for you to visit each day of spring break, Tuesday, March 12 – Friday, March 15. For the complete spring break schedule, click here. Here’s the itinerary:

First stop: Japan

AAM_GoingOnAPicnic_06_2010_edu_060

Enjoy a pretend picnic among the cherry blossoms as you listen to stories and rhymes about Japan during story time. Surrounded by the beautiful Japanese screens, it won’t be hard to imagine an afternoon in the Land of the Rising Sun. But if Africa, Italy, or New York City are more your style, we can schedule a “layover” or two along the way. Each day we’ll venture out into a different gallery, read award-winning children’s books, and take a closer look at the art.

Story Time takes place from Noon–12:30 p.m.; meet at the entrance to the Center for Creative Connections on Level 1.

Next stop: Russia

chagall photo shoot

Fly through the Russian sky in our drop-in family photo shoot. Taking inspiration from the Chagall: Beyond Color exhibition, we’ve created a dream-like backdrop for a scene in which you are the star! First take a stroll through the exhibition and get acquainted with the work of Marc Chagall. Then use props and simple costumes and insert yourself into your own version of a Chagall painting. Don’t forget your camera—this will be a photo shoot you don’t want to miss!

The Photo Shoot takes place from 1:00-3:00 p.m. in the Tech Lab in the Center for Creative Connections on Level 1. The Chagall: Beyond Color exhibition requires a special exhibition ticket.

Next stop: Mexico

First_Tuesday_05_04_2010_055

Now let’s head down south to Mexico. Or perhaps you would like to go north for a stroll along the Seine in Paris? During our interactive gallery tour just for families, we’ll explore the jungles of South America, ancient shrines in India, the bustling streets of New York City and more. Education staff will be your tour guides, offering all the amenities—hands-on art explorations, sketching, stories, and a personalized look at the Museum’s collections.

The Interactive Gallery Tour takes place from 2:00-2:30 p.m. Meet at the entrance to the Center for Creative Connections on Level 1.

Next stop: Europe

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Fans of The Amazing Race will be right at home on this leg of our adventure. Watch out for detours and roadblocks in the form of a rousing game of ART You SmARTer Than Your Grown-Up? This game is like a mix of Charades, Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit, and Cranium, but with an artsy twist. In the galleries we’ll split into two teams for a head-to-head competition between adults and kids. One team member might have to draw a picture with their eyes closed for their team to guess, while the other team must act out a work of art. Who will win the battle of wits and creativity? Come and find out!

ART You SmARTer Than Your Grown-Up? takes place from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Meet at the entrance to the Center for Creative Connections on Level 1.

Final stop: France

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Wind down your travels and take in a family film in C3 Theater. We’ll be playing Dropping in on Picasso—an entertaining animated video featuring the loveable Puffer the bird interviewing Pablo Picasso about his artwork. After the show, take your newfound knowledge with you and search the galleries to discover Picasso in the Museum’s collection.

The Family Film takes place from 4:00-4:30 pm in C3 Theater.

Spring break is the perfect time to make it a day at the DMA. We hope to see you soon!

Leah Hanson
Manager of Early Learning

Act Now: Spring Break at the DMA!

***We interrupt your regular programming with this special public service announcement.***

Wondering how to entertain the kids for spring break? Need to get out of the house? Well, have we got a deal for you! During the week of March 13–16, the DMA will throw open its doors for HALF-PRICE ADMISSION. Each day we’ll have loads of activities for the entire family, from story time and art-making to robotics workshops and family tours. In fact, our staff couldn’t wait for spring break, so they got an early start trying out what is in store for you.

Enjoy story time in Arturo’s Nest with our favorite feathered friend, Arturo!

See amazing works of art created by local high school students in Advanced Placement art classes.

Make a masterpiece in the Art Studio.

Fuel your imagination and creativity in a hands-on interactive robotics workshop led by faculty from the American Robotics Academy.

Explore the galleries and make new discoveries during a family tour.

Wow your family with a one-of-a-kind sketch made during a lively session of Sketching in the Galleries.

Finish the day off with a family film in the C3 Theater.

Don’t delay! Take advantage of this amazing deal available for a limited time only. For details and a full schedule of events, visit our website.

***We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.***

Amanda Blake is the Manager of Family Experiences and Access Programs.
Leah Hanson is the Manager of Early Learning Programs.

What does art smell like?

This past Wednesday my colleague Hadly Clark and I took advantage of our great Spring Break crowds and tried an impromptu gallery experiment.   We spent time in Re-Seeing the Contemporary: Selected from the Collection exhibition, asking visitors to look at four artworks with us and to think deeply…with their noses!

For part one of our experiment, we asked participants:  If this artwork had a scent, what do you think it would smell like?  Why?   As someone who likes thinking with her nose, I had fun hearing visitor responses and considering how their creative associations helped me see familiar artworks in fresh ways.  Below are responses inspired by one of our stops, Robert Irwin’s Untitled:

Robert Irwin, Untitled, 1968-69, Fractional gift of The Rachofsky Collection, 2001.345

  • Coconut & banana, because it’s round
  • Money
  • Disinfectant, something very clean.  It reminds me of adventures of Buck Rogers.
  • Nothing!
  • Mint or toothpaste; it’s clear and transparent
  • It smells really clean, like clean linen or spring lilies

The slideshow below includes all four featured artworks, images of participants, and a few responses for another one of our stops, Mark Rothko’s Orange, Red and Red.   After the slideshow, Hadly explains part two of the experiment and some great opportunities to join in on other experiment-like experiences here at the DMA…

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The second half of our sensory experiment encouraged participants to actively engage their sense of smell.  We provided nine samples of scents tucked secretively inside cardboard boxes with conveniently located holes for ventilation.  Boxes held a variety of scents such as Ivory soap, leather, and cinnamon.  After smelling each box, participants selected their own “scent match” or a scent they associated closest with the work of art, and shared why that scent was evocative of the work.   Here are some scent matches inspired by John Chamberlain’s Dancing Duke:

John Chamberlain, Dancing Duke, 1974, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Harold J. Joseph in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Max Walen, 1975.69

  • Scent match #3 (peach tea) because, it smells bad! (This visitor thought of sweat and things that smell bad when he looked at the artwork, so he picked the scent he liked least).
  • Scent match #8 (leather) because it reminded me of my car
  • Scent match #9 (Clorox wipe) because it smells like paint
  • Scent match #4 (grass) because it smells green

Each week, the Center for Creative Connections (C3) hosts similar experimental, hands-on, artist-led workshops for adults. From 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. every Thursday evening, join C3 staff and a guest artist to explore what inspires them, play with new unexpected materials, or learn different techniques that can be applied to your work during a C3 Artist Encounter.

In the meantime, we’d love to hear what you smell when you look at Untitled or Dancing Duke.

Amy Copeland
Coordinator of Go van Gogh Outreach

Hadly Clark
Center for Creative Connections Coordinator

Breaking in Spring

This just in – today’s weather is going to be cloudy with a chance of . . . art?! When we think about visiting an art museum with our families, we may not think about the weather (except  museums often have what feels like arctic air flowing through the galleries to keep the art “comfortable”  – so bring a sweater!). We have some exciting plans for family fun on the horizon, and there is a 100% chance of WFAA’s meteorologist Greg Fields in the forecast!

Don’t miss our free WFAA Family First Day on Saturday, March 12, that will kick off a week-long fiesta of fun family-friendly activities for spring break.

Join us in the galleries as Greg Fields forecasts the weather in works of art. You will even have the chance to search for rough spots, popping storms, and gray skies in paintings to create a weather forecast of your own.

One work of art we think may be on Greg’s radar is Claude-Joseph Vernet’s painting Mountain Landscape with Approaching Storm, on view in the European Galleries. Skirt alert! Definitely umbrella weather – the atmosphere in this landscape is overcast, with strong whipping winds coming in from the west. Place your bets, because it looks like a drencher. Mother Nature is on the war path! The figures in this scene look like they are facing a giant blow dryer! Look closely as they scurry for cover before it begins to rain cats and dogs. Talk about atmospheric indigestion!

Claude-Joseph Vernet, Mountain Landscape with Approaching Storm, 1775

Greg may forecast flash flood warnings, wind advisories, or even a tornado watch! Visitors will be invited to make a sound symphony of the weather in this scene, pose like the people fleeing for cover, and talk about their own scary storm experiences. It will be a rip-roaring good time!

Extend your Museum fun throughout the week of spring break. From March 13 through March 18 at 5:00 p.m., the DMA is offering $5 admission and $5 parking.  Check out the spring break schedule on our website for more information.

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


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