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Creating wearable art during Studio Creations!

My name is Danielle, and I am the new Family Experiences McDermott intern here at the wonderful DMA.  As I hope you can tell with my greeting, I am really excited to be here at this fantastic museum!  During the next year I will be helping out with many of the diverse educational programs held at the museum, including Family Celebrations, Late Nights, Access Programs, Arturo’s Art & Me, [We]ekend Programs and much, much more!  Since I will be working and creating with many of you this upcoming year, I thought I would take a minute to tell you a little bit more about myself, so here it goes!

I…

• Was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico and as a result love anything and everything with lots and lots of green chile.
• Have visited 20 of the 50 states, and lived in 5 of them (California, Illinois, Oregon, New Mexico, and of course Texas).
• Moved to Dallas from Austin, where I lived for 3 years while completing my Master’s degree in Art Education (graduated May 2012, woo-hoo!)
• Earned my undergraduate degree in Photography, and try to take pictures as much as possible.
• Love to crochet and sew!
• Have a cat named Kitty (pretty original, eh?)
• Currently, have 3 pairs of cowboy boots—but always looking to add to my collection!

The above photograph was taken during my very first Saturday Studio Creations class.  I had a fantastic time creating this crown with the great families that visited the studio.  We all worked to create animal-themed wearable art that was inspired by the Legacy of the Plumed Serpent in Ancient Mexico exhibition now on view at the museum.  You’ll notice that I added bright red feathers to my crown—this is because Quetzalcoatl, a revered leader and ancient diety of the peoples of southern Mexico, was often symbolized (or shown) with brightly colored feathers from the quetzal bird.  Other artists in the studio created crowns, swords, shields, tiaras–I’m amazed at the amount of creativity DMA families have!

This great and FREE art-making program takes place every Saturday and Sunday from 1-3pm in the Center for Creative Connections studio.  I hope you’ll come and create with us!

Posted by: Danielle

Friday Photo

Arturo’s Art & Me goes to Mexico!

For the entire month of September, Arturo’s Art & Me is exploring the art of ancient Mexico! Families tour The Legacy of the Plumed Serpent exhibition and use the beautiful artwork as inspiration for a hands-on art-making activity in the Center for Creative Connections studio.  The kids create their own version of a codex–a special kind of book that has many folded pages–which tells a story only through pictures (just like the Children of the Plumed Serpent did!)

Art…outside!

Finally – it is beginning to feel like September outside! The weather was so beautiful this weekend that I spent heaps of extra time outside enjoying it. This is the time of year booming with many family friendly outdoor festivals and things to do, not to mention the opening of Klyde Warren Park next month! The Park is next door to the Museum and will have an abundance of things to do – a Children’s Garden, Reading and Games Courtyard, and even a dog park, to name a few. The Park will have partnerships with many DFW organizations, including the Dallas Museum of Art. It is so fun to think about making art outside in a beautiful natural setting.

With a few short months of weather that isn’t sweltering hot, before it gets too chilly – why not bring art-making outdoors?

Here are some ideas to get you and your family started!

• Shadow collecting – search for shadows outside on your driveway or sidewalk and use chalk to trace the shadow. Or, use large paper and have fun tracing the shadows of family members! Find more shadow collecting and nature ideas at Flower Child: The inner ramblings of a not-quite flower child.

 

• Sidewalk chalk! Drawing characters, creating words, hopscotch, tic tac toe…the possibilities are endless! Check out Domestic Charm for a great DIY liquid sidewalk chalk recipe.

 

• Nature Scavenger Hunt – Enlist kids to sketch what they find in nature on their hunt, or check out I Am Momma Hear Me Roar for a  cute way to recycle egg cartoons for various nature collections. Counting Coconuts has some very fun ideas about what one might need on a ‘searching for nature’ excursion.

 

• Make a Gnome Home or a Fairy Garden – think of all of the magical creature who inhabit our gardens and parks! Why not make your own? A garden is always much happier and better taken care of with the help of some friendly gnomes or friendly fairies. Find a sweet story about pine cone gnomes along with a tutorial on how to make your own on We Bloom Here. If fairies are more your thing, Momfluential has an extremely comprehensive list of all things fairy garden, including what you can collect from (mostly) nature to make your own.

 

Posted by Amanda

Friday Photo

Our “Back to School” First Tuesday this week was a big hit! One of the highlights of the day was a puppet show about butterflies put on by our friends from the Dallas Arboretum. As you can see, the kids were mesmerized! (And bonus: they walked away knowing the different parts of an insect).

Posted by: Leah

Friday Photo

Sneak peek at the fun pencil toppers you can make at next week’s First Tuesday on September 4th

Let the DMA be your school room and celebrate Back to School at the September 4 First Tuesday! No need to see the principal—we have your schedule all mapped out. Families can challenge their creativity in Art Class by turning school supplies into a work of art in the studio, build a tower with Legos during Math Class in the Tech Lab, or run an obstacle course outdoors in our version of PE. In the afternoon, learn about the science of butterflies in a presentation by the Dallas Arboretum, take a family tour of the museum’s collection, and enjoy story time with the Dallas Public of Library. For a complete schedule, click here.

Posted by: Leah

Make This: Back-To-School DIY Stickers!

Ah, back to school. I remember doodling all over my notebooks and textbooks, which I thought made them look cool but was certainly not appreciated by my parents when it came time to return the latter. If your kids are anything like I was, help them add some flash to their gear without the hassle by having them create their own stickers using contact paper and sharpies. The best part about it is that they can layer the stickers they create and then peel them off when they get tired of them, without any mess!

What You’ll Need:

• Contact paper (I used clear, but there’s a wide variety of colors and patterns to choose from)
• Sharpie markers in different colors
• A pair of scissors

Instructions:

• Draw your design in sharpie on your contact paper. If you’re using clear contact paper, you can even trace over an existing drawing or design!
• Cut out the design with your pair of scissors once it’s dry.
• Carefully remove the backing from the contact paper and stick your design on a notebook or other surface.
• When you want to remove the sticker, simply peel it off–it shouldn’t leave any sticky residue. And if your sticker is still intact, you could slap it on something else!

Tools of the trade

 

Draw your design

 

Cut it out…

 

Slap it on!

Other Ideas:

• Create a collage sticker using images from magazines, decorative paper, etc.–lay your cut outs on top of the surface you want to stick them to, then cut a large enough piece of clear contact paper to cover the entire design. Peel off the backing and lay the contact paper on top of the design.
• Running for class president? Stick a design onto some blank buttons to hand out for your campaign!
• Celebrating a friend’s birthday? Decorate the inside of his or her locker with fun (and/or embarrassing) stickers!

Posted by: JC

Friday Photo

Next week, many children are going back to school here in the Dallas area. While you’re out shopping for your number 2 pencils, paper, scissors, and glue, pick up an extra box of crayons and turn your school supplies into a work of art! Simply arrange the crayons in a pleasing pattern on your canvas, hot glue in place, then use a heat gun or hair dryer to melt!

A Peek at Our Book Shelves

When I was in 5^th grade, I wanted to be a children’s librarian when I grew up. The library was one of my favorite places to visit, and I couldn’t imagine a better job—being surrounded by books all day! I’m not sure exactly when I changed my mind and decided I wanted to be a teacher instead, but I still feel like I have a librarian’s heart hidden inside me. So it should probably be no surprise that I look for any opportunity I can to use children’s books as I teach art classes here at the museum. Young children (and let’s face it—us “older children” as well) love a good story, and books are a great way to spark their imaginations and begin conversations in front of a work of art.

Here are of some of the newest additions to our book shelves along with works of art here at the museum that makes a good pair.

“Bed,” Crawford Riddell, c. 1844, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of three anonymous donors, Friends of the Decorative Arts Fund, General Acquisitions Fund, Discretionary Decorative Arts Fund, and the Boshell Family Foundation

The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas by Tony Wilson

Henrik the prince wants to fall in love and get married. But all the real princesses he meets are much too sensitive—so sensitive that they can feel a single pea underneath twenty mattresses! So Henrik devises a plan to find a different sort of princess. He hides an entire bag of frozen peas underneath one thin mattress and a sleeping bag. Will he find true love?

This playful take on a fairy tale classic is a perfect story to read in front of the Gothic bed on Level 4. Although this bed was made for a would-be president and not a princess, you can still imagine with your child what it might feel like to sleep on this bed.

“Persian Letters,” Rene Magritte, 1958, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of J. B. Adoue, III

Magritte’s Marvelous Hat by D.B. Johnson

Magritte the painter sees a marvelous hat one day in a store window, but when he tries it on, the hat pops off his head and floats above him in the air! This suits the painter just fine, and he discovers that this marvelous hat seems to make his paintbrush jump to life. When the hat blows away one day, Magritte fears that he will never be able to paint his wonderful paintings again. Johnson’s illustrations are not to be missed—Magritte is imagined as a serious dog and small details scattered through the pictures wryly allude to some of the artist’s best-known works.

This would be the perfect storytime companion for the painting Persian Letters by René Magritte which you can find in the European Painting and Sculpture galleries on Level 2.  This book is also a great introduction for young children to the idea of surrealism. As you look at both the picture book and the painting, search for more ordinary objects in unusual circumstances.

“Waffle server,” c. 1880, Gorham Manufacturing Company, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Dr. and Mrs. Dale Bennett

Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Spoon has a very large family—from the exotic Chopsticks to the black sheep Spork, everyone seems to have it better than Spoon. Knife gets to cut and spread; Fork goes practically everywhere. Spoon’s mother tries to cheer him up by pointing out all the things he can do that the others can’t, until finally he feels better. My favorite thing about this book is the characters—the illustrator takes ordinary utensils and transforms them into an unbelievably darling family with hilarious facial expressions.

Take a copy of Spoon along with you on a visit to see the museum’s amazing silver collection on Level 4. You’ll find all manner of unusual utensils—ice cream knives, sardine forks, a waffle server—that can easily be turned into a new story about this “family” at the museum. Or, talk with your child about what it would be like to eat a fancy dinner with all these utensils.

“Orange, Red and Red,” Mark Rothko, , 1962, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Algur H. Meadows and the Meadows Foundation, Incorporated

Perfect Square by Michael Hall

Square is feeling just fine with its four straight sides and four sharp corners, until one day, it gets cut into pieces and poked full of holes. Suddenly it isn’t perfect anymore! Luckily, Square bounces back and transforms its new self of scattered pieces and lots of holes into a fountain. Each successive day, something new happens—Square is torn, snipped, wrinkled, shredded. And each time, it finds a way to become something new. I’ve used this book multiple times as a way to talk about creativity—how one idea can be transformed into all sorts of new ideas.

In the galleries, Perfect Square pairs nicely with Mark Rothko’s Orange, Red and Red. Ask your child which part of the story this painting reminds them of and what kind of feeling the painting gives them. Is it happy, sad, lonely, calm? What different feelings did Square have in the story?

I’m always on the look-out for good books to have here at the DMA. If you have a great art/book combination, please share it with us in the comments!

Posted by: Leah

Happy Trails to You!

Watercolor wonder in the Art Studio

This year I met, worked, taught, and learned with many amazing children & their families, adults with special needs, staff educators, and guest artists who are all the bright shining stars of the Family Experiences programs.  What a meaningful year! As I complete my McDermott Education Internship in Family Experiences and Access Programs this week, here’s a look at a few of the many DMA education experiences I hold close to my heart.

How is it that kids know just what to say?

Here’s a heart-warming keeper that I’ll cherish forever. A young buckaroo wearing a snappy new bandana he had just embellished in the Studio, sporting head-to-toe western flare for July Howdy Texas! First Tuesday, sauntered right up next to me that busy day. He tipped his hat and out of the blue exclaimed, “Happy trails, ma’am”!  I loved it, and I didn’t even mind the “ma’am” part. I don’t remember what I said in response, but I’m absolutely sure it was said with a huge smile. How fitting that this young visitor’s two words would wrap up my internship adventure with endearing style the way Dale and Roy Rogers wrapped up their beloved shows in the 1950’s! And wouldn’t you know we were standing in front of the exhibition of works of art by George Grosz, who painted watercolors scenes of Dallas in 1952. Perhaps he would have approved of this bit of Americana!

Thanks to the ARC for a wonderful year!

The ARC of my heart

Our wonderful partnership group from the ARC of Dallas always showed me how to be in the moment, be a better listener, and to see more than I imagined. The March surrealist gallery program with a focus on the subconscious, began with a “random” poetry activity; it was more than we dreamed! Everyone really got into the intentional yet random action of tossing the paper strips of words in a gesture similar to action painting. They loved creating poems by connecting the words aloud after the words landed on the “canvas” placed on the floor. I had no idea that this expressive action poetry activity would result in so much clapping, laughing, fun, joking, and poetry magic! The activity was repeated during a wide variety of programs including homeschool classes and Meaningful Moments, the access program for individuals with Alzheimer’s. Each experience was very unique. I learned how to focus the experiences on the individual needs of visitors of all ages and abilities. I’m such a fan of the Surrealists now!

Beautiful Gele headwear created during a Meaningful Moments program

An especially Meaningful Moment

Individuals and caregivers challenged by the effects of Alzheimer’s are very dear to me. As we wheeled, shuffled, or held on to each other for support walking through the galleries, I got to know many people individually during monthly Meaningful Moments group visits.  Our time together revealed snippets of amazing life stories of artists, world travelers, and those who helped support and even establish the DMA. Everyone is sweet, funny, and kept me on my toes! One especially meaningful visit was a personal group tour of the Reves Collection from a gentleman who actually worked with Wendy Reves to help secure the collection for the DMA! The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection is featured in a variety of programs and is always a favorite!

Oceans of fun at the Tiffany windows

Miss Mary, Miss Mary!

Little did I know that I would receive such a fancy new name from the young museum visitors! Not only did they give me a cherished teacher name, but they helped me grow as a new educator and as an artist.  I was inspired by all of the children, especially those who participated in the monthly Arturo’s Art & Me, homeschool, and HIPPY programs. We grew in confidence and curiosity together as we explored works of art in the galleries and created our own works of art in the Studio. The unencumbered creativity and fresh ideas of the young visitors who regularly attended Arturo’s Art & Me classes inspired me to look at works of art in new ways through themes of pets, neighborhoods, design, Japan, colors, America, music, and Dallas.

Arturo’s Art & Me printmaking fun!

There are MANY more moments I could share! My special thanks to all of you for making this year so special.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.

–Happy Trails by Dale Evans Rogers

Posted by: Mary Jordan

Letters from Camp: An Insider’s Perspective

Each year, the Family Experiences staff has the privilege of working with a wonderful and extremely talented group of summer camp interns. These dynamic individuals truly make up the heart and soul of our camps and are responsible not only for the day-to-day operation of the program but for also helping to make the connection between our campers and works of art something that is both enjoyable and transformative. We could not run our camps without them! This is the fourth in a four-part series written by our summer camp interns and reflecting on their experiences at the Museum.–JC

What the Kids Taught Me

Throughout the summer, we have been teaching young artist from ages 4-12 about art. Portraiture, landscape, abstract art, print making, and color, were just a few of the topics that we explored. While the teachers and interns were busy teaching the children the basics of art, the kids in fact were teaching us about creativity and life. Here are a few things that I have learned from the students:

1)      It’s okay to color outside the lines sometimes.

One of the first rules that children learn when they do art is to color inside the lines. While this may work to be more appeasing for the adult’s trained eye, it also stifles the child’s ability to think in their own unique way. The training to follow the instructions the lines with the rest of the class, changes the child’s creativity from free flowing to uniform. This standardization is then realized in adulthood when adults are then told that they need to “think outside the box” or in more artistic terms, color outside the lines. We should skip the middle phase and allow the creativity to flow no matter what stage of life we may be in. I have seen that the kids have it right from the start – be fearless in creativity and do not always conform to the lines determined for you.

2)      Don’t let ability limit creativity

As most can see, four- year olds do not have the greatest finesse with their art. However, it has never stopped them from creating! After a certain age, people are discouraged from doing things that they are not particularly skilled in which tends to put a lid on some children’s inventiveness and curiosity. What I have seen from the young children is that even when they can’t draw a perfect shape or choose the most realistic colors for their self – portrait, there is still a beauty in the individuality that cannot be replicated. I have learned to appreciate that unique beauty in their art as well as mine and, even further, in life.

3)      Look at things from a new angle

One project that a 9-12 year old class did was to create still life paintings from the objects that were set on their table. When the project was announced, the students immediately got to work knowing automatically how they would create their masterpiece – except for one student. This one student, Antonio, looked at his still life alligator piece from several angles then asked the teacher, “Can I do my still life from a bird’s eye view?” This was a strange and exciting because I had never thought of doing a still life painting from another angle other than straight on.  But when I saw his painting, I found it to be brilliant, unique, and added a new perspective to the alligator piece that I had never really considered. Since then I have begun to look at pieces from different views, noticing the small wonders from weird angles that would normally be ignored. Antonio taught me to never see things strictly as they are and to use different ideas and points of view to make art and life more fascinating.

4)      Abstract art is from the heart

The very first week of camp, I worked with a group of 4 and 5 year olds. While discussing what the class would say for their exhibition on Friday, one child raised their hand and said “Abstract art is from the heart.” This phrase has been my source of inspiration, motivation, and understanding this summer. Art is a blank slate for any concept, feeling, sensation, memory to become realized. With the stresses of everyday life, I forget that I always have art to turn to for relief and rejuvenation. Another reason why I love this phrase so much is because when I don’t understand a piece of contemporary art, I think about this phrase and imagine the emotions that the artist went through while creating the work and I gain a better appreciation for the piece and the artist. This awesome saying has truly transformed the way that I interact with art by giving me more revere and love for free flowing creativity.

In conclusion, these wonderful young artists have taught me that creativity should never stop in the classroom. Art and imagination go hand in hand and are in every aspect of life. I should never stop creating, never stop wondering, and never stop coloring.

Posted by: Lily Ngaruiya