Friday Photo: BooksmART Studio Workshops

Illustrator Chris Raschka pauses to admire the work of a young artist.

We had so much fun during the BooksmART Studio Workshops featuring several award-winning illustrators!

 

Thanks Chris!

 

Posted by: Mary

Three Cheers for Dads!

With Father’s Day just a week away, are you ready to celebrate dad? Dads come in all shapes and sizes and do all sorts of amazing things for their children, not the least of which is go to work! I remember as a little girl always being excited in the evening when it was time for dad to come home from work. My brother and sister and I waited in eager anticipation for him to walk through the door, ready to drag him into a game or two. For most kids, when dad goes to work, he disappears for the day, but for some, dad’s work includes the family.  And for several painter-fathers featured in the DMA’s collection, their work truly was all in the family!

“Dieudonnee,” William Merritt Chase, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Art Association Purchase

The American painter William Merritt Chase was not only a famous painter and teacher, but he was also a devoted father. In fact, he painted his children and wife over and over again! The painting above is of the Chase’s oldest child, Alice whose nickname was Cosy. “According to family tradition, Chase exclaimed, ‘Doesn’t she look cozy?’ one day when he saw the infant lying in the corner of a sofa. The nickname stuck within the family….” (Dallas Museum of Art web site). This painting shows Alice at age twelve or thirteen, but her father painted her throughout her life, from the time she was a baby until she was all grown up. Because of her father’s teaching and encouragement, Alice grew up to become an artist herself!

“Children in the Woods,” Frank W. Benson, Lent by Sara F. Humphreys

Frank W. Benson is another father-painter. He and Chase were colleagues and along with eight other artists, formed a group known as “Ten American Painters.” Like Chase, Benson often used his family as the subjects of his paintings. He and his wife and four children spent their summers on a small coastal town in Newcastle, New Hampshire where Benson would teach painting lessons on the pier with a fellow artist. Later he became famous for his portraits of his wife and children painted at a new summer home on Wooster Farm, Maine.

So whether you get him a new tie, paint a portrait, or make breakfast in bed, be sure to give the dads in your life a big “Thank You” this coming Father’s Day. (And if you like, bring them on over to the Museum and spend an afternoon with our father-painters).

Posted by: Leah

Friday Photo: Sketching in the Galleries

We celebrated Summer Fun during our June First Tuesday with activities that included sketching in the galleries with our friend and guest artist Solange!

Posted by: Mary

Rock, paper, scissors…Paper wins!

If you have visited the DMA lately, you have probably encountered the friendly face of Cathy Davis-Famous at the Visitor Services Desk. The Museum is so lucky to have someone like Cathy – someone who is ready to help families find their way through the galleries, suggest exhibitions to see, and provide a warm greeting to incoming visitors. Most people probably don’t know that not only is Cathy a welcoming face of the Museum, but she is also an artist. I had the privilege of sitting down and talking with Cathy to learn a little bit about her and her artwork.

What is your favorite thing about your job here at the DMA?
I love the interaction with visitors! I really enjoy people and am glad that I was promoted from Gallery Attendant to Visitor Services. I love talking to people and being surrounded by art.

What inspires you as an artist?
Vibrant and patterned papers, fashion, fabrics, and beautiful paintings.

 

I just started creating this one because I wanted something to hang. The colors on the box attracted me, and then I noticed how many logos one box actually had – 10 logos on one cereal box! Adding the woman’s face gave it a whole new look.

 

What types of art do you enjoy making most?
I like creating with paper…pretty much anything that deals with paper inspires me. I read a quote once…”Rock is dead, paper and scissors live on!” I don’t remember who said it, but I like it! I love making paper dolls. I started wishing that I had studied fashion and just began creating paper dolls.

 

I call this one Marie Antoinette. I love this era and wanted to create something with that style of dress, hair, etc. This one is still in the works. I plan to add birds, a bird’s nest, and ribbons – the sky is the limit!

 

What materials do you prefer to use?
I can use anything – from paper to recycled materials. I’m drawn to colors, patterns, designs on paper…I started asking coworkers to save papers for me – anything that they were planning to recycle, they would show me first. I collected so many great things – samples of paper, catalogs, brochures from other museums, and brochures from our Museum. I often frequent paint shops and Home Depot asking for discounted books of wallpaper; I have collected some beautiful wallpapers over the years!

The brochure from the Domains of Wonder exhibition offered so much for my design. I made dolls from the other side of the brochure as well.

What has been your favorite exhibition at the Museum?
Definitely The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. Gaultier takes the prize! Everything he created was so over the top. I had never see anything like it. All of the textures, fabrics, beadwork and the way that he combined everything was out of this world.

At this point, I made any brochure that hit the desk into a paper doll. This one was from the Sketching in the Galleries program.

Do you have a favorite work of art here at the Museum?
I could think on this question forever…it is so difficult to answer! I am drawn to little girls and girly things – so I would have to say…Dorothy by John Singer Sargent. I am the mother of two boys and have two grandsons. I am still waiting on a grandaughter – I need someone I can pass on my doll collection to!

This one is from a Late Night brochure. I got a little more creative with the design of this doll’s fashion. I wanted to create more with the text of the brochure…that is how she ended up with a swoop hairstyle!

What advice would you give to young, aspiring artists?
Hold on to your dreams and ideas – don’t let them go! Continue to create art – – no matter what. Create, create, create!

Thanks, Cathy!
Posted by Amanda

Friday Photo: Painting to Music

In the Art Studio during Arturo’s Art & Me, young artists created their own jazzy paintings as they listened and responded to different types of music.

Posted by: Mary

What’s New in the Studio: June

Ettore Sottsass Jr., “Carlton” room divider, designed 1981, Dallas Museum of Art, anonymous gift

How would it feel to be a work of art? For this month’s Studio Creations project, we’re asking you to imagine just that. Grab some drawing supplies from the Art Studio in the Center for Creative Connections and then take a trip to the American Painting and Sculpture galleries on Level 4. Make a quick drawing of an object that catches your eye and share it with the rest of your family. As you look at each others’ drawings, create short stories about yourselves as the works of art you selected. Then return to the Art Studio to create your own storybooks from what you’ve written!

Try this activity out at home with your kids by creating “Furniture Diaries”. Have them choose their favorite piece of furniture in your home to draw. What do they like about that piece? Create a story about its “life” using the following questions to get started:

• Imagine this piece of furniture came to life. What would its personality be like? What would its voice sound like? How would it move?
• Who was it built by? Where did it live before it came to stay with us? Did it have any other owners?
• What’s a typical day for this piece of furniture? What does it and the other furniture in the house do while we’re away?
• If this piece of furniture wasn’t owned by us, where would it be?

Create a simple accordion book from a long sheet of drawing paper for your kids to write and illustrate their stories. Decorate the front and back covers and display their collected books for all to see!

Studio Creations is a drop-in  art-making activity for families offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00-3:30 p.m. with some exceptions. Join us for a different activity each month that is based on a work in the Museum’s collection or special exhibition. Volunteers are on hand to help you and your family stretch your imaginations! Studio Creations is free with paid admission to the Museum and all supplies are provided; no registration is necessary.

Posted by: JC

Friday Photo: Picture Perfect Portraits

During a Meaningful Moments care facility program this week, we looked at portraits on Level 4 and found visual clues in the paintings that helped us to imagine stories about the works of art. We thought about our own portraits and even created self-portraits in the art studio!

For more information about Access Programs at the DMA, please email access@dallasmuseumofart.org.

Posted by: Mary

Scout it Out at the DMA

If you have a Brownie or Cub Scout in your life, you know all about the quest for more badges or belt loops. But for those of you uninitiated into the life of scouting, let me tell you about the call of the merit badge. To a kid, a merit badge is like a mini-trophy, proving to the world all the cool things you can do. A little circle of fabric declares to everyone “I can cook!” or “I can tie knots!” And the best part is, anyone can earn them—there are no winners or losers when it comes to badges. There are badges for just about everything, from archery and coin collecting to babysitting and geocaching. The only grown-up equivalent I can think of is a résumé (which isn’t nearly as fun and doesn’t work as an accessory).

Evidence of my own love affair with earning badges

From my experience as a Girl Scout, badges are a way to help children explore new ideas, work towards a goal, and make memories. As the lazy days of summer draw near, why not use those same objectives and take a “scouting” approach to your summer fun? Make up your own family fun badges for the summer as a way to plan out things to do to keep the kids busy. And use the Dallas Museum of Art as your go to place to earn your badges (after all, we have really great A/C here!)

How to make a badge in 4 easy steps:

1. Make a list of activities your family wants to do, places you want to visit, skills you want to learn, books you want to read, and so on.
2. For each item on your summer to-do list, think of 2 or 3 “requirements” that your children must accomplish in order to earn a badge. Where possible, think of activities that will require the kids to try something new, stretch themselves, meet new people, or work as a team.
3. Do it! (Here’s where all the fun happens!)
4. Use art supplies, photographs, or materials around the house to craft the actual badge and create a way to display all the badges your family has earned—perhaps create a summer scrapbook, a badge bulletin board, or keep track of your progress on a family blog.

The library, museums, swimming pool, nature preserve, and zoo are all great places that offer plenty of opportunities for creating your own family badges. Here are some ideas to get you started for scouting out summer at the DMA:

• Animal Safari badge: Search for animals in the paintings and sculptures on display. Bring a sketchbook and make a safari journal of all the creatures you discover.
• Around the World badge: See how many different countries you can “visit” by finding works of art from around the world. Level 3 of the museum is a great place—you can visit Africa, Indonesia, China, and Japan!
• Artsy-Pants badge: Visit the Center for Creative Connections on Level 1 and see what art materials are available at the Space Bar. Challenge everyone in the family to create something, then share your works of art with each other.
• Budding Botanist badge: Investigate the silver collection on Level 4 and search for signs of leaves, berries, and vines in the silverware on display. To really challenge yourself, bring along a nature guide and see if you can match what you see in the art with actual specimens.
• Collector Connector badge: Choose one or two galleries in the museum and have your child select works of art that she would want to add to her own collection. “Collect” your pieces by taking digital photos of the works of art (remember to turn your flash off and follow any signs regarding photography). At home, have your child create an additional piece of her own for the collection. What is the same? What is different?
• People Pleaser badge: Investigate the many portraits featured on Level 2 or Level 4 of the museum, then imagine a story about the person in the painting, or create your own self-portrait.

Disney’s Family Fun Magazine has been challenging families all year long with their own Badges of Fun program that puts a scouting spin on family fun. Check out their badges for more inspiration and start planning your own summer o’ scouting.

Posted by: Leah

Friday Photo: Purr-fect Pets

Miss Leah and friends in front of Thomas Sully’s Cinderella at the Kitchen Fire, 1843, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Pauline Allen Gill Foundation.

We had a paws-atively perfect time spotting our furry friends in works of art on Level 4 during our Arturo’s Art & Me classes this week!

Posted by: Mary

A Mother’s Day Masterpiece

Mary Cassatt, “Sleepy Baby,” c. 1910, pastel on paper, Dallas Museum of Art, Munger Fund, 1952.38.M

This Sunday is Mother’s Day and many people will do something special to celebrate their mom. Some may buy flowers, other will send a card, families will go to brunch to celebrate mom, and some overachieving children may even honor their mom with a nice piece of jewelry. Maybe you are even thinking of bringing your family to the DMA to relax and look at works of art to celebrate Mother’s Day. While searching the galleries, see how many works of art you can find that remind you of your mom!

Many moms I know appreciate a handmade gift from their children – sometimes, a gift made just for mom by hand is even more special than sending flowers that will be gone in a week or yet another bottle of perfume. Here are some of my favorite ideas that I have found to give you inspiration for making that special token of love for mom – whether you are a grown-up child making something to let your mom know how much you still appreciate her, a mom helping kids to make something for a beloved grandmother, or a family working together with mom on a project that will forever remind you of a special Mother’s Day.

Martha Stewart tells how to surprise mom with a balloon bouquet that spells out ‘mom’ – so much more fun than flowers!

The gardening section of the HGTV website has step-by-step instructions (with photos!) for creating these fun outdoor windchimes – and no drilling required! This would be a fun activity to complete as a family; kids can be in charge of painting and crafting the flowers, while grown-ups can oversee the measuring of the string, cutting, and assembling. Not only would this garden chime make fun sounds to enjoy, it would brighten up the yard while creating a fun Mother’s Day memory.

PaintCutPaste gives us the inspiration for making customized tote bags for someone special on Mother’s Day. Moms love to see the small handprints of their children! What a fun idea to turn those little hands into a flower – you could even challenge yourself to make an entire garden of flower hands. This is a gift that mom could use often and would surely provoke many compliments!

Who wouldn’t love a garden of poppies on a canvas to hang on the wall? A writer for Multiples and More provides step-by-step instructions for working with children to make this colorful canvas. Picking out decorative paper, cutting circles, and painting – what a fun way to spend an Mother’s Day afternoon with your children?

Happy Mother’s Day!
Posted by: Amanda