Of the work we do in the library, one of the most enjoyable is collection development… A.K.A buying books! Materials purchased for the library’s collection primarily support research on the DMA’s encyclopedic collection and exhibitions. One of the most significant areas in which the library collects is exhibition catalogues published by museums and galleries from all over the world. Exhibition catalogues provide current research, photographs, and documentation of works of art, and function as primary sources of historical information for scholars.
A great example of this is the recent purchase of over 20 catalogues from the Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA exhibition program. Pacific Standard Time (PST) is a collaborative program established in 2011 that brings Southern California arts institutions together to present exhibitions on a particular theme connected to the Los Angeles region. Previous iterations were Art in L.A. 1945-1980 and Modern Architecture in L.A. The 2017-2018 PST iteration, LA/LA, explored Latin American and Latino art, featuring art from ancient times to the present across a variety of disciplines.
Golden Kingdoms: Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas. Pillsbury, Joanne, Timothy Potts, and Kim N. Richter, eds. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum; The Getty Research Institute, 2017. Held at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center, Los Angeles, September 16, 2017-January 28, 2018; and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, February 26-May 28, 2018.
Black-and-white checkerboard tunic. Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc. in honor of Carol Robbins
The catalogues from this series of exhibitions will serve as authoritative resources for the study of Latin American art at the DMA. For example, the exhibition Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas featured the DMA’s Incan checkboard tunic, which is also discussed in the catalogue (page 172, catalog no. 73).
Valeska Soares: Any Moment Now. Joyce, Julie, and Vanessa Davidson. Santa Barbara, CA; Santa Barbara Museum of Art; Phoenix, AZ: Phoenix Art Museum, 2017. Held at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, September 17-December 31, 2017, and the Phoenix Art Museum, March 24-July 15, 2018.
Here are a few more highlights:
Mundos Alternos: Art and Science Fiction in the Americas. Hernandez, Robb, et al. Riverside, CA: UCR ARTSblock, University of California, Riverside, 2017. Held at UCR ARTSblock, University of California, Riverside, September 16, 2017-February 3, 2018
Painted in Mexico, 1700-1790 / Pinxit Mexici. Katzew, Ilona. Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Mexico City: Fomento Cultural Banamex, A.C.; Munich: DelMonico Books/Prestel, 2017. Held at Fomento Cultural Banamex, Mexico City, June 29-October 15, 2107; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, November 19, 2017-March 18, 2018; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, April 24-July 22, 2018.
Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico, 1915-1985. Caplan, Wendy, ed. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich: DelMonico Books/Prestel, 2017. Held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, September 17, 2017-April 1, 2018.
Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985. Fajardo-Hill, Cecilia and Andrea Giunta. Los Angeles: Hammer Museum, University of California, Los Angeles; Munich: DelMonico Books/Prestel, 2017. Held at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, September 15-December 31, 2017; and at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y., April 13-July 22, 2018
You can see a list of all the Pacific Standard Time catalogues held by the Mayer Library here.
The Mayer Library is open to the public. Check the library’s page on DMA.org for current hours.
This week is National Library Week, which makes it the perfect time to meet the Mayer Library’s new librarians, Jenny Stone and Kellye Hallmark.
Jenny Stone, Librarian
Describe your job in fifty words or less.
I’m the Librarian in the DMA’s art research library, a.k.a. The Mayer Library. I manage the day-to-day activities of the library, handle our interlibrary loan service, and help answer questions from staff and the public.
What might an average day entail?
On any given day, I might have reference e-mails to answer, hunt down materials for research projects, purchase books, give a library orientation to a new staff member, or problem solve with Cathy Zisk, our cataloger, on how to handle an odd-shaped book.
How would you describe the best part of your job and its biggest challenges?
The best parts of the job are the books!—and the cool things I learn about the collection and the Museum from various projects and questions we get. The biggest challenge: describing to visitors how to get from the Library to the European galleries.
Growing up, what type of career did you envision yourself in? Did you think you’d work in an art museum?
I come from a family of librarians, so it was pretty much inevitable. And I can’t think of a better place to come to work every day than an art museum.
What is your favorite work in the DMA’s collection?
If I could stare at anything in the collection all day, it would either be Tatsuo Miyajima’s Counter Ground or Edouard Manet’s Vase of White Lilacs and Roses. Ask me tomorrow and I’ll have a different answer!
Is there a past exhibition that stands out in your mind as a favorite, or is there a particular upcoming show you’re looking forward to seeing? The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier was probably the most exciting and fun exhibition. The Mourners really opened my eyes to something new and unusual and beautiful, and Nur: Light in Art and Science from the Islamic World is very similar in that way.
Kellye Hallmark, Assistant Librarian
Describe your job in fifty words or less.
You can generally find me at the reference desk, where I assist both staff and visitors with locating materials, research, and a variety of questions associated with the Museum and our collection. Recently a PhD student from the University of Montana wanted to know what ancient sculptures we have that are made of serpentine or greenstone, and an ancestor of John Pratt had just discovered her lineage and called the library to see if his portrait by Ralph Earl was on view and to learn more about the work. I also manage our serial collection, as well as maintain and create artist files.
What might an average day entail?
Each day holds a new project or a new reference question, so it varies, but it is always something fun and interesting. Generally I am checking in new serials, scanning the papers for museum- or art-related news, and working on a special project, like researching Islamic art books for purchase.
How would you describe the best part of your job and its biggest challenges?
The best part of my job is being able to look at all of the new books and serials that arrive almost daily. I’m constantly learning about new artists, new shows, etc., and that is really fun. The biggest challenge is making myself put down all of those new books and serials—there just isn’t enough time to read it all!
Growing up, what type of career did you envision yourself in? Did you think you’d work in an art museum?
I always knew I would work in an art museum. I got my BA in Art History fully expecting to pursue a career as a curator, but my focus and passions changed and they led me to art librarianship, and I couldn’t be happier.
What is your favorite work in the DMA’s collection?
I’ve always loved San Cristoforo, San Michele, and Murano from the Fondamenta Nuove, Venice by Canaletto. I love his perspective and how so much of the painting is the sky. I love the Sculpture Garden as well; it’s such a great place to spend your lunch break and to see little kids play.
Is there a past exhibition that stands out in your mind as a favorite, or is there a particular upcoming show you’re looking forward to seeing?
Being fairly new, I have to say that the Edward Hopper exhibition that just closed was definitely a stand out—it was fantastic. I was also blown away by the Nur exhibition, and I can’t wait to see the Michael Borremans exhibition next year.
The Mayer Library is located on Level M2, and is open to the public Tuesday through Friday 11:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Saturday noon-4:30 p.m.
Hillary Bober is the digital archivist at the Dallas Museum of Art.
In 1963, the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts celebrated the publication of Josef Albers’ The Interaction of Color with an exhibition of the portfolio and 22 Albers paintings from the Sidney Janis Gallery in New York. Albers attended the opening of the exhibition and gave a lecture on his theories of color.
Invitation to Josef Albers’ lecture “The Logic and Magic of Color” at the DMFA on April 30, 1963
According to Albers, the portfolio “shows a new way of teaching color, of studying color . . . to make our eyes sensitive to the wonders of color interaction.”
Josef Albers, The Interaction of Color, Plate VII
TheInteraction of Color has never gone out of print and remains influential among teachers, artists, and designers. Yale University Press has even developed a popular app, available here.
The Mayer Library at the DMA has in its collection the portfolio, which Albers presented in 1963, inscribed “with my special greetings to the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts.”
Several silkscreen color plates from the portfolio are currently on display in the Mayer Library.
Selected plates from The Interaction of Color on view in the Mayer Library
Mary Leonard is the librarian at the Dallas Museum of Art.
