Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald (photo by Bob Jackson)

A Photographers Story: Bob Jackson and the Kennedy Assassination
The Sixth Floor Museum
Through October 17, 2010

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza has extended its popular seventh floor exhibit, A Photographer’s Story: Bob Jackson and the Kennedy Assassination, through Sunday, October 17, 2010. Featuring photographs, artifacts and historic footage, A Photographer’s Story provides Jackson’s personal and professional chronology of three chaotic days in November of 1963—from President John F. Kennedy’s arrival at Dallas Love Field to accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald’s murder. The exhibit also tells the larger story of Jackson’s decades-spanning career, including his images of Jack Ruby’s murder trial, school desegregation and Beatlemania.

In 1964, Jackson was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his iconic image of Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald in the basement of Dallas police headquarters; it was the first such prize awarded to a Dallas newspaper—The Dallas Times Herald.

A Photographer’s Story also features artifacts related to 1960s journalism, interactive stations devoted to “thinking like a 1960s newspaper photographer,” and film and video footage of Jackson taken November 22-24, 1963. The exhibit is presented with the support of American Airlines and is included in regular museum admission.

About the Museum

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza chronicles the assassination and legacy of President John F. Kennedy; interprets and supports the Dealey Plaza National Historic Landmark District and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza; and presents contemporary culture within the context of presidential history. Located at 411 Elm Street in the West End Historic District of downtown Dallas, the Museum is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and 12 to 6 p.m. Monday. Audio guides for the permanent exhibit are available in seven languages and a youth version is available in English.

For more information, visit www.jfk.org or call 214-747-6660.

Bob Jackson

Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald (photo by Bob Jackson)

Activities for Saturday, March 27 include:

Construct ~ create wearable art

Design ~ draft a map

Model~ make art with found objects

Play~ perform in a stop motion “film”

Dallas Contemporary presents art in a forum that cultivates artists, ignites learning, and inspires the community. Dallas Contemporary proud partners with Target to present Fall Art Thinkers’ Day.

Visit us at www.dallascontemporary.org for more information.

When: Thursday, March 18, 2010 6:30-9:00 p.m.
Where: Amarillo Museum of Art, 2200 S. Van Buren St.
What: THIRD THURSDAY at AMoA in partnership with STARBUCKS COFFEE CO.

Ongoing:
Music: Katy Ely
Children/Adult Art Activity: Wire Sculptures!
Complimentary Starbucks Coffee and Refreshments

Current Exhibitions:
AMoA Achievements in Art 2010: An Uncommon Dream -The Amarillo High School Collection
Pantheon of Gods, Deities and Guardians of Asia
Afghanistan Textiles
Price Collection of Asian Art

More on the music: AMoA is pleased to present a concert by Amarillo musician Katie Ely. Born in Oklahoma and raised in Texas, Katy studied voice and received her Bachelor’s of Music from West Texas A&M. Ms. Ely’s musical style is influenced by her southern roots, love of jazz and classical training. Her influences include Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, Willie Nelson, Trisha Yearwood, Cecilia Bartoli, Rene Fleming and many more musical greats from various genres. Katy’s first album, Me & the Wind, was released February 20, 2010.

More on the art activity: Wire Sculptures! Using multi-colored, soft, pliable, wires create your own 3D masterpiece. AMoA has a large variety of sculpture, from Abstract to Hindu, so explore our galleries for inspiration then join us in the art lab to create your own work of art.

General Information: THIRD THURSDAY is FREE and open to the public. No reservations are required. It is a great opportunity to view the current exhibitions and participate in the offered activities. The Amarillo Museum of Art invites everyone in the community to enjoy this event.

The Amarillo Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with extended evening hours until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Saturday and Sunday the Museum is open from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. except for exhibition installation weeks. It is located at 2200 S. Van Buren on the northeast side of Amarillo College’s Washington Street Campus. There is no admission fee. Call the Museum at 371-5050 for more information or visit www.amarilloart.org.

The Crow Collection of Asian Art has kicked off a brand, spankin’ new monthly program and I love it! Last Thursday evening the indoor courtyard of Gallery III transformed into the Silk Road Lounge, complete with dim mood lighting, silk covered café tables and hypnotic world music spun by DJ Woodtronic.

A prominent feature of Gallery III is a large 18th century Mughal period façade which, on this evening, provided a fabulous background to a percussion ensemble out of Houston. Before The Space City Gamelan musicians took to the stage, their collection of instruments was arranged before the Mughal wall like a gorgeous new installation piece. The hanging gongs, metallophones, and pitched kettle gongs, set in beautifully ornate white wood frames accented with gold, were artistically lit to enhance the intriguing ambience in the Lounge.

The performance began with two of the percussionists before us, striking alluringly resonate beats with the hanging gongs and hand drums while the rest of the musicians completed a processional around the perimeter of the gallery playing what I believe to be bamboo shakers called angklungs.

The gamelan is a native Indonesian art form that predates the Hindu-Buddhist culture and is by far the most famous form of music from this country. The word gamelan literally means “to hammer” which explains the predominance of percussion instruments in a traditional gamelan orchestra. The central melody is played on metallophones set up front in the ensemble, with gong players accenting the music in the rear. I was so truly entranced by the melodic “Indonesian exotica” and “psychotropic jungle lullabies” provided by Space City Gamelan that, while I realize a gamelan is a set of instruments built and tuned to stay together, I’m seriously considering having my very own pitched kettle gong rack at home.

I always meet interesting people at Crow events without ever having to initiate a conversation and this event was no different! With the debut of the Silk Road Lounge, the Crow Collection did a great job of setting the atmosphere for easy mingling and drew in an audience that was both racially and socially diverse.

This free monthly series continues every first Thursday through December and promises to showcase unique music from Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond! In addition to the music in the Silk Road Lounge, you can also enjoy tours, complimentary wine and beer tastings.

Next up is the Alash Ensemble on April 1, 2010. This quartet of singers from Tuva, a tiny republic in the heart of Central Asia, has mastered the remarkable technique of “throat singing” (the art of singing multiple pitches at the same time) and is inspired by the great musicians of Central Asia but also names Sun Ra and Jimi Hendrix as influences!

Silk Road Lounge is free. No reservations are required. Join a tour of the collections at 6:30 p.m. Main stage act begins at 7:00 p.m.

Tempest by Corey Godfrey

Soft at Heart
The Magnolia
Through April 7, 2010

Local artist Corey Godfrey’s opening of her series Soft at Heart at The Magnolia this past Thursday, March 4, found me delighting in childhood memories of crafting with glue and found objects. She utilizes soft material (yarn) mixed with acrylic paint in creating beautiful visuals of women.

The soft material used gives Godfrey’s work the feel of ‘woman’ in vibrantly supple imagery. She was inspired in college by Macaroni Porn and began creating erotic works of women using yarn. Godfreyhas added acrylic paint in her current series and I feel it provides more interest. She is an artist inspired by erotic photos of women and in her recent work incorporated high fashion. Her piece Tempest is a great example of this effort.

I was struck by the innocence of her current works and how it found me remembering the magic I felt in grade school playing with crafts and paper and glue. She uses glue and yarn and paint in her current works and channels her inner child with unique style and presentation. The colors are vibrant and the work draws you in searching your own imagination. Soft at Heart is on display upstairs in the gallery at the Magnolia Theatre in the West Village through April 7, 2010.

Admission is free and art is available for purchase.

The Magnolia is located in the West Village at 3699 McKinney Avenue, Suite 100, Dallas, Texas.

Tempest by Corey Godfrey

Within seven weeks of President John F. Kennedy’s death in 1963, Jacqueline Kennedy received nearly one million condolence letters. Two years later, the volume of messages would nearly double. Written on elegant stationery, scraps of paper, in black ink or in pencil smudged by tears, the correspondence would remain essentially untouched for the next forty-six years.

Now, noted historian and News Hour with Jim Lehrer commentator Ellen Fitzpatrick has selected approximately 250 of these letters for inclusion in Letters to Jackie, a remarkable human record that preserves the grief of a nation following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This is the first book ever to examine the collection of letters, providing a fascinating perspective on what is arguably the most devastating event in twentieth century America.

Author Ellen Fitzpatrick will be at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza for a free presentation and book signing event on March 11, 2010. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public. For reservations, call 214-747-6660 x 6623 or email programs@ jfk.org.

Letters to Jackie hits newsstands in early March and will be on sale for $26.99 plus tax during the event. To pre-order a copy, guests can email orders@jfk.org or call Kim Cline at 214-747-6660 ext. 6683.

About the Author

Ellen Fitzpatrick is a professor and scholar specializing in modern American political and intellectual history. She is the author and editor of six books and has appeared regularly on PBS’s The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. She has been interviewed as an expert on modern American political history by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, CBS’s Face the Nation, and National Public Radio. Fitzpatrick lives in Newton, Massachusetts.

The Sixth Floor Museum

Mission: Chronicles the assassination and legacy of President John F. Kennedy; interprets and supports the Dealey Plaza National Historic Landmark District and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza; and presents contemporary culture within the context of presidential history. For more information, visit www.jfk.org or call 214-747-6660.

Location: 411 Elm Street Dallas, TX 75202

Hours: Monday Noon-6pm, Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm.

Offers: Audio guides for the permanent exhibit are available in seven languages, including a youth version in English.

Ever wanted to examine a mock crime scene and study evidence like fingerprints, hair, documents and eyewitness testimony? Now’s your chance! For the fourth straight year, CSI Family Day at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza gives visitors the chance to solve a hypothetical crime. Guests can examine a mock crime scene, receive a police report about what happened and perform forensic analysis at evidence stations.

CSI Family Day offers a fun and engaging way to learn about modern investigative techniques and the real-life challenges to solving crime. The event is suitable for children eight years and older, their parents, and anyone interested in crime scene investigation and analysis. The first 500 kids will have the chance to have their fingerprints taken free of charge for parent identification purposes.

For the second straight year, The Sixth Floor Museum is partnering with the University of North Texas Forensic Science Club, the only accredited undergraduate forensic science program in the state. The club’s mission is to enable students in the UNT Forensic Science Certification Program to learn about the forensic science career field, establish a presence in the American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS), and form student and professional networks that are dedicated to the study of forensic science. Students enrolled in the program will be on hand to teach others the skills and knowledge they have learned in their courses and labs.

“Hopefully, the young people who participate in CSI Family Day will be encouraged to enter scientific fields by interacting with the college students pursuing degrees in forensic science,” says UNT Forensic Science director Teresa Golden. “The students are able to share with the community several investigative tools that are used in forensic science.”

New this year, Sergeant Dennis Craig and staff from the Dallas Police Department will be on hand to help and answer questions about personal safety.

CSI Family Day is free with paid Museum admission: $13.50 for adults, $12.50 for youth (ages 6-18) and seniors (65+), free for five years and younger (or $3.50 with child audio guide). Discounts for groups of 20 or more are available.

CSI Family Day is made possible through the generous support of Wells Fargo and is presented in partnership with the University of North Texas Forensic Science Club and with support from the Dallas Police Department. For more, visit www.jfk.org/go/events.

About the Museum

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza chronicles the assassination and legacy of President John F. Kennedy; interprets and supports the Dealey Plaza National Historic Landmark District and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza; and presents contemporary culture within the context of presidential history. Located at 411 Elm Street in the West End Historic District of downtown Dallas, the Museum is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and 12 to 6 p.m. Monday. Audio guides for the permanent exhibit are available in seven languages, and a youth version is available in English.

For more information, visit www.jfk.org or call 214-747-6660.

The Gallery of Cardinal Silvio Valenti Gonzaga by Giovanni Paolo Panini, 1761

Just got back from the press preview of Royal Splendor in the Enlightenment: Charles IV of Spain, Patron and Collector at the Meadows Museum. The exhibit has some very beautiful and elegant tapestries, paintings, sculptures, tables, chairs and more. You are really going to like what you see. Royal Splendor opens to the public on Sunday, March 7, 2010. See you there!

The Gallery of Cardinal Silvio Valenti Gonzaga (1761) by Giovanni Paolo Panini (1691-1765) is a quintessential painting that finds its way into every art history class and textbook. Paintings like The Gallery always bring a smile to my eyes when I see one of these gems in person.

A more in-depth review of Royal Splendor is coming soon. Stay tuned.

Tatoo Lady by Daniel Perez

This past Saturday found me at the HiFive opening at Kettle Art Gallery. The show featured five male artists, Tyson Summers, Clint Scism, Daniel Perez, Hatziel Flores, and Dan Colcer. This is a strong show that goes until March 14, 2010.

Tyson Summers did a series of cereal boxes with a little splash of tongue in cheek humour. My favorite is Gummie Hunters. I could imagine that box hanging in my dining area and putting a smile on my face every morning.

Clint Scism has these 3D framed art pieces that are interesting of various shapes and people. Hatziel Flores has several pieces that were provocative and almost photo quality. I enjoyed his sexy pieces.

Daniel Perez has one large piece that has a woman staring out with arms folded. What jumped out at me are the women’s tattoos. They were vibrant and interesting. He did a really great job of rendering these tattoos on canvas. There are several pieces of his in the show that have comics collaged onto the canvas that gives them more depth and interest. Make sure to take more than a glance at his works.

Dan Colcer’s work is intricate; where it appears he came back in and lined all the figures out to provide more depth. One of his works in the show, Strada IV, is a painting of a man and two other figures. In the man’s beard are a bunch of different people walking upwards. It is really a fantastic piece of artwork. His work reminded me of the music from Pink Floyd ‘The Wall’ album. My favorite piece from the entire show came from his collection and it is his painting, ‘Erykah Badu’.

I would highly recommend checking out the HiFive show at Kettle Art Gallery. There were coasters for sale of the various artists work for only $12. You could get a piece of wonderment for just a small price. Kettle Art Gallery is located in the heart of the historic Deep Ellum entertainment district. The gallery space is approximately 1,000 square feet in size and geared for quality visual art presentation.

Erykah Badu by Dan Colcer

Tatoo Lady by Daniel Perez

The Wave by Gustave Courbet, 1869

The Lens of Impressionism: Photography and Painting Along the Normandy Coast, 1850-1874
Dallas Museum of Art
February 21 to May 23, 2010

The Lens of Impressionism: Photography and Painting Along the Normandy Coast, 1850-1874 at the Dallas Museum of Art is a beautifully arranged exhibit with paintings by Gustave Courbet, Edouard Manet and Claude Monet, and photographs by Gustave Le Gray and Henri Le Secq, among others. The exhibit, which focuses on works of the French coast, juxtaposes the birth of photography with the ever evolving art of painting. Lens of Impressionism is on display through May 23, 2010.

The 19th century marked a vast change in art. Paintings of the era started out in the Neo-classical (1750-1830) style which soon morphed to Realism (1830-1870) and then onto Impressionism (1863-1890). At the same time photography, invented in 1825, started out blurry and unfocused and since then has greatly improved to the sharp images of today.

The Lens of Impressionism is a vacation. Parisians escaped from city life to visit the picturesque Normandy coast and artists and photographers followed along. Artists painted landscapes, seascapes, beach scenes, tourist hotels and shipping docks. Photographers captured the same subjects but with a less discerning eye. Where an artist would paint a beautiful coast line with a limited view, a photographer would capture the same view with everything in site including homes, businesses, streets and other elements of the time.

Photography from this time has given a valuable behind the scenes look at what the Normandy coast really looked like sans artistic license. Artists may have painted ideal beach scenes, but photographers have given us a peek behind the curtain¹.

The Lens of Impressionism exhibits many works from near and far, including works from the Kimbell Art Museum and the Amon Carter Museum. The Kimbell has loaned Monet’s La Pointe de la Heve at Low Tide, 1865. The Amon Carter has loaned a beautiful display of early photography including a view camera. The exhibit is a grand display of paintings and photographs. Each room dramatically changes with different lighting and color, the only constant is the creaking sound of the hardwood floor. A more comfortable setting could not be imagined.

Impressionism? Really?

Now, for what I really think.

Yes, this is a beautiful exhibit and it is worth the extra admission fee to see, but I feel the use of impressionism in the title is misleading.

I understand that more people will line up to see an exhibit of impressionist art and that this exhibit does have works in it by impressionist masters like Monet and Degas. But impressionism did not really come along until Monet, Renoir, Pissarro and Sisley organized the Cooperative and Anonymous Association of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers to exhibit their works in 1873.

I mention this because viewers should not go expecting to see room after room filled with bright, vibrant impressionist works they have grown to love. Instead viewers will see pre-impressionist works that are earthy and dark with a touch more realism.

The Lens of Impressionism has a lot of great works to see and I really hope you enjoy the exhibit.

SmARTphone Tours

I love technology and the new SmARTphone Tour with The Lens of Impressionism and the Reeves Collection sounds like great fun. I have not had the chance to try it yet.

The smARTphone tour provides added information about artists and their works via WiFi enabled mobile devices or loaned iPod Touches available free from the DMA’s Visitor Services Desk. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

No. 12, Etretat, the Manneporte by Louis-Alphonse Davanne

The Wave by Gustave Courbet, 1869

¹ “[Pay no attention to that man] behind the curtain” refers to the quote from the movie The Wizard of Oz, 1939.

Free and open to the public.

Spice up the night with world music, tours, complimentary wine and beer tastings at Silk Road Lounge, a free monthly event premiering Thursday, March 4, from 6 – 9 p.m. at the Crow Collection of Asian Art (2010 Flora Street, Dallas, 75201). Showcasing local and international eclectic musical groups, the monthly series will feature sounds from Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. Enjoy music from DJ Woodtronic as he opens and closes the evening. Silk Road Lounge continues every first Thursday through December, featuring a different artist each month.

See March – June schedule below (July – December schedule forthcoming).

Thursday, March 4 – Space City Gamelan
Traditional gamelan music once provided ambiance for the courts of Indonesia as well as accompanying puppet plays and public ceremonies. Houston’s Space City Gamelan adds a modern twist to this trance-inducing musical tradition. The group’s music has been described as “Indonesian exotica” and “psychotropic jungle lullabies.” spacecitygamelan.org

Thursday, April 1 – Alash Ensemble
Alash Ensemble is a quartet of singers from Tuva, a tiny republic in the heart of Central Asia. The group has mastered the remarkable technique of “throat singing” or the art of singing multiple pitches at the same time. The members of Alash are inspired by the great musicians of Central Asia, but also name Sun Ra and Jimi Hendrix as influences. alashensemble.com

Thursday, May 6 – Brahmah
Brahmah is an exciting world music ensemble featuring North Texas legends Jamal Mohamed, Poovalur Srinivassan, Ed Smith and Fred Hamilton. Brahmah combines the best elements of Balinese, South Indian, Middle Eastern and Jazz Music with a contemporary twist. homepage.mac.com/sriji

Thursday, June 3 – Chameleon Chamber Group
Chameleon Chamber Group is an electro-acoustic classical symphony featuring members of The Polyphonic Spree. The group will perform a special multimedia set inspired by the art and music of Asia. Bachtrack said this about the group: “Invoking the influence of latter-day artists such as Wendy Carlos and Brian Eno, Chameleon Chamber Group performs the music of Bach, Satie, Rossini and Schumann – to name just a few – with a stunning authority.” chameleonchambergroup.blogspot.com

The Crow Collection: Silk Road Lounge is free and open to the public. No reservations required. Join the Tour of the Collection at 6:30 p.m. Main stage acts begin at 7 p.m.

For more information go to www.crowcollection.org.

These internships are intended for those individuals who wish to explore a career in museum work. Projects assigned involve considerable responsibility and will provide opportunities for the contribution of individual work. Applications must be postmarked no later than March 26, 2010.

Graduates of this program have gone on to establish noteworthy careers in the arts, including museum leadership, in Dallas and beyond. In the 30 years since the program began, more than 100 young professionals have participated.

The 2010–2011 McDermott Internship positions include:

Curatorial Intern (two positions available)
The interns will be designated to work in one or more of the Museum’s collection areas, where they will experience the full range of curatorial activities, including acquisition preparations, gallery installations, research and documentation projects involving the Museum’s collections, as well as publication projects and special exhibitions. The collection areas include African; American and European; Ancient American; Ancient Mediterranean; Asian; Contemporary; Decorative Arts and Design; and Pacific Islands. Applicants should have completed a bachelor’s degree in art history or a related field.
Stipend: $11,000

Graduate Curatorial Intern (two positions available)
The interns will experience the full range of curatorial activities, including acquisition preparations, gallery installations, research and documentation projects involving the Museum’s collections, as well as publication projects and special exhibitions. Interns holding a graduate degree will be expected to assume a leadership role in the program and will have additional responsibilities as determined by the supervising curator(s). Applicants should have completed a graduate degree in art history or a related field.
Stipend: $13,000

Family Experiences Intern
The intern will assist with family education programs that include Family Celebrations, Studio Creations, Collection Connections, Arturo’s Art & Me, First Tuesdays, homeschool classes, and Late Nights. The intern will receive practical exposure to art museum work including working with performers and supervising Junior League volunteers. The intern will assist in the planning and implementation of art programs for children and families and will have teaching opportunities. The work week for this position is Tuesday–Saturday. Applicants should have completed a bachelor’s degree in art history, art education, or studio art.
Stipend: $11,000

Programs and Resources for Teachers Intern
The intern will assist with the development of programs and resources that support the Museum’s relationship with K–12 teachers. Programs and resources include teacher-led multiple-visit partnership programs, Web-based educational materials, and teacher staff development. The intern will assist staff with administration, planning, research, writing, and implementation. Additionally, the intern will regularly lead tours for K–12 students, higher education students, and adult visitors. Applicants should have completed a bachelor’s degree in art history, art education, or the humanities.
Stipend: $11,000

Adult Programming Intern
The intern will assist with the development, implementation, and promotion of numerous gallery programs, lectures, symposia, performances, and classes for adults throughout the year, including Arts & Letters Live, the literary and performing arts series at the Museum. The intern will assist in program management and will work closely with guest speakers, performers, volunteers, and the public. The work week for this position is Monday–Friday with additional nights and weekends required. Applicants should have completed a bachelor’s degree in art history, art education, or the humanities.
Stipend: $11,000

Teaching Programs Intern
The intern will assist with the planning and implementation of teaching programs and partnerships in the Museum galleries and in the community, including docent training, teacher workshops, tours, and school outreach. The intern will regularly lead tours for K–12 students, higher education students, and adult visitors, as well as classroom experiences for 1st–6th graders through the Go van Gogh® school outreach program. The intern will assist with research and development of materials for docent tours and with a spring honors course offered in conjunction with The University of Texas at Dallas. Applicants should have completed a bachelor’s degree in art history, art education, or the humanities. At least one year of graduate school is preferred.
Stipend: $11,000

Application instructions for the 2010 – 2011 McDermott Internships are available online on the DMA web site: www.DallasMuseumofArt.org/internship

Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour

Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour
Saturday, April 3, 2010
9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Click here to Register

All aboard for the Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour. The tour will visit eight Dallas and Fort Worth museums in one day using the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T), Trinity Railway Express (TRE) and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) as transportation between the institutions. The Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour will visit the Amon Carter Museum, Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas Museum of Art, Kimbell Art Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Meadows Museum, Nasher Sculpture Center and The Women’s Museum. The tour starts at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 3, 2010, when all tourists gather for a coffee kick-off at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center.

The Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour is designed to highlight the accessibility for the major cultural centers across Dallas and Fort Worth via mass transit. In short, you can get there from here without a car.

The idea for the tour came into being during a conversation between Dallas Art News and staff from the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

“I was talking about the DART Green Line with Kendal Smith Lake and Dustin Van Orne, from the Modern. I mentioned that all Dallas museums could be reached without a car. I asked Kendal and Dustin if there was a bus route from the Trinity Railway Express to the Fort Worth Arts District. They both confirmed the route and recommended a Regional Pass,” said Michael Roman, Dallas Art News managing editor.

From there the idea for the Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour was born. To date, visiting eight major museums in one day using only mass transit has never been done by a group. Dallas Art News hopes to be the first.

Twitter

The Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour would not be possible if it wasn’t for Twitter. Shortly after coming up with the idea for the tour, Dallas Art News tweeted about it to their followers.

“We immediately received replies from followers as far away as Oklahoma saying they wanted to go on the tour,” said Mr. Roman.

Twitter was also responsible for bringing together most of the tour sponsors including the Fairmont Dallas, Corner Bakery Café, Z’s Café and the Fort Worth Community Art Center.

Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour

The Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour is open to twenty tourists. Registration for the tour is on the Dallas Art News web site at www.dallasartnews.com/express. Tourists will be charged $40 to participate, which includes the following:

• Coffee kick-off at Fort Worth Community Arts Center
• Regional Pass for The T, TRE and DART
• Lanyard with tour schedule
• Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour t-shirt
• Visiting eight Dallas and Fort Worth museums
• Box lunch catered by Corner Bakery Cafe
• A goodie bag will be at the last stop

As an added bonus, one of our lucky tourists will receive a free stay at the Fairmont Dallas hotel in the Dallas Arts District. The details for the Fairmont Dallas hotel stay are still being arranged. The winning tourist will be drawn at random.

The Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour will have 15 to 25 minutes at each museum. This is not a lot of time to visit a single museum, but combined the tour will be spending nearly three hours appreciating an amazing collection of art across Dallas and Fort Worth.

The tour schedule is as follows:

• 9:30 a.m. – Meet at Fort Worth Community Arts Center
• 10:00 a.m. – Amon Carter Museum
• 10:20 a.m. – Kimbell Art Museum
• 10:40 a.m. – Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
• 11:00 a.m. – Ride The T
• 11:15 a.m. – Box lunch catered by Corner Bakery Café
• 11:50 a.m. – Ride the Trinity Railway Express
• 12:50 p.m. – Ride DART
• 1:00 p.m. – Nasher Sculpture Center
• 1:45 p.m. – Crow Collection of Asian Art
• 2:15 p.m. – Dallas Museum of Art
• 2:45 p.m. – Ride DART
• 3:20 p.m. – Meadows Museum
• 3:50 p.m. – Ride DART
• 4:30 p.m. – The Women’s Museum

Tour schedule times have been rounded to nearest five minutes for simplicity. Tour schedule is subject to change.

Sponsors

The Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour would like to recognizer our sponsors who have very kindly provided increased benefits for the tourists.

Z’s Café is providing the kick-off coffee at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. They will be serving coffee and hot chocolat.

Corner Bakery Café is providing a box lunch to each the tourists. They are also delivering the lunch to the tour at the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center.

The Fairmont Dallas is providing a stay at their hotel for one of our tourists.

The Fort Worth Community Arts Center (FWCAC) is providing a meeting place prior to the opening of the Amon Carter Museum. FWCAC invited the tour inside to have coffee and view the art before they open at 10 a.m.

Museums and Mass Transits

Dallas Art News could not have made this tour possible without the help and support form all the museums and mass transits. Each museum was gracious enough to waive entry fees, provide docents to highlight their collection and provide items for the goodie bags. The T and DART both provided valuable input with regards to the transportation schedules and items for the goodie bags.

Special appreciation goes to Alyssa Gardina at The Women’s Museum for supporting the tour from the very start and arranging a wonderful final stop on the tour.

Click here to Register

Michael Roman, managing editor of Dallas Art News, in front of The Women's Museum at the end of the Museum Express Tour dry run on Saturday, November 21, 2009.

Modern Ruin Opening (Photo by Kasten Searles)

Modern Ruin
February 20 & 21, 2010

No one traveling down Greenville Avenue would have taken a second look at the Washington Mutual building that sat stripped of its corporate brand and unused until Saturday night. The uninviting shell of a bank, surrounded by a chain link fence, drew in a crowd of Dallas gallery goers like a magnet.

Construction of the bank at 5030 Greenville was completed just in time for the government to seize WaMu. The company’s failure created a shiny, new and completely useless symbol of our new economic reality. Modern Ruin is an exhibition organized by Christina Rees and Thomas Feulmer in which 15 artists displayed and created work with the resources of the soon to be demolished building.

The exhibition took over the whole of the bank, from the front door to the drive up pneumatic tubes in the rear of the building. Upon entering you were immediately confronted with Noah Simblist’s Double Trouble – a bleak statement painted in the entryway while broken noises filtered in from Jeff Zilm’s video piece. At the center of the would-be bank was Frances Bagley’s work Teller Ring, a large stuffed teddy bear made of money-printed fabric, and watchful eyes inserted in light fixtures appeared above and below you. In a piece by Thomas Feulmer visitors were able to trade items for stamped dollars via the teller tubes with a man in a space suit. Throughout the exhibition Cameron Schoepp installed bags of water in the ceiling that dripped into buckets on the floor. The space was an unusual balance between the creative works and the destructive impact of the artists on the building, foreshadowing the future destruction of the building itself.

Though the art ranged from subtle to performative, the atmosphere of the re-purposed bank unified all of the works contained with a feeling of strangeness and both a connection to and defiance of their site. This atmosphere of strange destruction was well communicated to visitors who stole peepholes from Terri Thornton’s piece the big picture, from public to private. In the end, WaMu created a million dollar venue for the critique of a crisis it helped to create.

Modern Ruin was open to the public for two days only, and will be demolished this week.

Double Trouble by Noah Simblist (Photo by Kasten Searles)

Teller Ring by Frances Bagley (Photo by Kasten Searles)

The Future by Thomas Feulmer (Photo by Kasten Searles)

Paper boats instructions by Muriel Hasbun

Art Talk & Workshop: barquitos de papel and other stories
McKinney Avenue Contemporary
March 6, 2010 at 4 p.m.

Join artist Muriel Hasbun and the McKinney Avenue Contemporary (The MAC) on March 6th at 4: PM at The McKinney Avenue Contemporary for an Art Talk & Workshop. In conjunction with her opening exhibition at The MAC, “Muriel Hasbun : barquitos de papel and other stories, Hasbun and the MAC invite all participants to bring photocopies of family photos, letters from home, documents and other memorabilia to make paper boats to add to the installation and to the artist’s growing collective archive.

Muriel Hasbun began the barquitos de papel collective archive as a Fulbright Scholar in El Salvador in 2006. By using the imagery of folded paper origami boats as part of barquitos de papel / paper boats, Hasbun creates an interactive space and a metaphor for cultural and personal exchange.

After the workshop, participants are invited to stay and join The MAC at the opening reception for all three exhibitions, Sandow Birk: “Depravities of War” in the MAC’s Large Gallery,Muriel Hasbun: “barquitos de papel and other stories” in the Square Gallery, Sirajski and Jessica Benjamin: “of Wrath and Proxy Wars” in the MAC’s New Works Space, all on view from March 6 through April 3.

Muriel Hasbun has exhibited her photo-based work at the American University Museum (2008), NYU’s Hemispheric Institute’s “Encuentro” at the Centro Cultural Recoleta in Buenos Aires (2007); the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego (2007); Houston’s FotoFest (2006), the Corcoran Gallery of Art (2004); the 50th Venice Biennale (2003); the Centro de la Imagen in Mexico City (1999); and at the 29ème Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie d’Arles (1998). Her photographs are in numerous private and public collections, including the Art Museum of the Americas, Lehigh University,the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Hasbun is Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Photography at the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, D.C.

About the MAC

Established in 1994, The McKinney Avenue Contemporary (The MAC) is a nonprofit organization that stands as a Dallas advocate for creative freedom offering the opportunity for experimentation and presentation of art in all disciplines. It supports the emerging and established artist roll in society providing a forum for critical dialogue with their audiences. This relationship is cultivated through education and innovative programming. The MAC is a member of Dallas Art Dealers Association and The Uptown Association.

Call 214-953-1212 for information or visit www.the-mac.org. The MAC is open Wednesday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Paper boats instructions by Muriel Hasbun