Girl with a Pearl Necklace: Portrait of Rosalie Fragonard by Jean Honoré Fragonard, c. 1785-88

The Reclusive Image: Works from Texas Museums
Bill DavenPort (part of the Cell Series of Exhibitions)
The Old Jail Art Center
February 4 through May 20, 2012

The Old Jail Art Center will present two new exhibits in February, The Reclusive Image: Works from Texas Museums and works by Bill Davenport, as part of the Cell Series of exhibitions. Both exhibits open February 4, 2012, and run through May 20, 2012.

The Reclusive Image: Works from Texas Museums

The Reclusive Image: Works from Texas Museums presents art objects rarely, or never, seen by the general public. For a number of reasons, such works have found themselves consigned to the inner vaults of Texas institutions. Their “reclusiveness” may simply be due to a lack of information on the work, making it difficult to place within an exhibition of related pieces. Its seclusion may be due to fragility or condition. The piece may be considered an inferior example within the context of other works by the same artist in a given collection. At times, institutions may change the focus of what they exhibit so that works no longer “fit” within the scope of the collection and are indefinitely stored. A work may have even been acquired or accessioned as a result of misguided political reasons—yes, this happens even in the most well-intentioned institutions. The more subtle and subjective reason some works are rarely exhibited is that those making the choices of what to exhibit—normally curators—have their own educated likes and dislikes. Or, perhaps most often, the museum’s holdings may simply exceed its ability to show the entirety of its permanent collection in a timely manner.

For this exhibition, the Old Jail Art Center invited Texas museums to look within their own vaults and “re-discover” works to loan to The Reclusive Image. The diverse range of artists include: Jean Honoré Fragonard, Charles M. Russell, Arthur B. Davies, Thomas Sully, Richard Diebenkorn, Eugenio Hermoso, David Brownlow and others. Accompanying the work is a short description explaining the piece and its reason for infrequent exposure. The hope is that this exhibition will find a new audience for these works as well as enlighten the visitor to the somewhat enigmatic process of museums.

Museums generously participating in this exhibition include:  Art Museum of South Texas, Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Amarillo Museum of Art, McNay Art Museum, Meadows Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Museum of the Big Bend, Museum of Texas Tech University, Panhandle Plains Historic Museum, San Angelo Museum of Art, San Antonio Museum of Art, Sid Richardson Museum, The Grace Museum, and The Old Jail Art Center.

Interior of Bill's Junk, Houston, Texas (photo courtesy Bill Davenport)

Bill Davenport

Bill Davenport is a Houston-based artist whose work shifts back-and-forth between two and three-dimensional. Davenport is known for transforming and engaging spaces by creating witty but substantial looking objects from common materials such as latex house paint and Styrofoam. These faux objects have included an oversized cuckoo clock, wagon wheel, treasure chest, a large piñata stealth fighter, and wooden rafter beams installed in a pre-existing space to make it appear as the interior of a Tudor mansion. Davenport delights the viewer with the object’s simplicity and his ability to represent and execute grand objects and concepts in “low-tech” materials.

For the Old Jail Art Center Cell Series installation, Davenport takes his ongoing endeavor in Houston, “Bill’s Junk,” on the road and creates a virtual junk store in the confines of the museum’s historic 1877 old jail structure. He states he is conceptually “repurposing the museum, just as your museum is repurposing the old jail.” The question, is it art, junk, or a comment on the art market should be considered. Regardless of the answer, Davenport concludes “people can make the site-specific connections where they occur, but won’t miss them when they don’t. Art can be disappointing, but junk always exceeds expectations.” On opening night Davenport will “man the store,” allowing visitors to make purchases directly from his installation.

Bill Davenport was born in Greenfield, MA and received a BFA in Sculpture from Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in Sculpture from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. In the late 1980s he moved to Houston and participated in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Core Artist in Residency program from 1990-1992. He has had numerous group and solo exhibitions throughout the US and abroad including: Arthouse Prize Exhibition, Austin, TX; Forever Rafter, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX; The Searchers, White Box, NY, NY;  Spectaculess, Homeroom Gallery, Munich, Germany; Drive Friendly at Ibid Gallery, London, England.

Girl with a Pearl Necklace: Portrait of Rosalie Fragonard by Jean Honoré Fragonard, c. 1785-88

Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour

The announced closure of The Women’s Museum reminded us how much fun we had with the Museum Express Tour in the spring of 2010. So much fun that we would like to do it again in 2012.

For those of you who don’t know, Dallas Art News put together the Museum Express Tour in April 2010. The tour went to eight Dallas & Fort Worth museums in one day using only mass transit (The T, TRE & DART) to get around. It took all day and we only had 15-20 minutes at each museum, but it was definitely an adventure.

The 2010 Museum Express Tour had about a dozen adventurous art lovers. All of them lived in the Dallas – Fort Worth area. The Museum Express Tour is more for local residents than it is for vacationers.

We would like to do the Museum Express Tour again if we can get more people to join us. We want 30 to 50 art lovers for this event.

Possible museum stops on the tour include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Dallas
  • Crow Collection of Asian Art
  • Dallas Museum of Art
  • Nasher Sculpture Center
  • Meadows Museum
  • Museum of Nature & Science
  • The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
  • Texas Museum of Automobile History

• Fort Worth
  • Amon Carter Museum of American Art
  • Fort Worth Community Arts Center
  • Kimbell Art Museum
  • Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
  • Sid Richardson Museum

The estimated cost for the Museum Express Tour will be about $100 per person, which will include a mass transit pass, access to all the museums on the tour, lunch and a t-shirt.

Before we start doing any serious planning, we would like to gauge how many people would be interested. If you would like to spend a Saturday traveling from museum to museum with a couple dozen new friends, then please let us know by filling out the sign-up form below.

Completing the below form does not in any way mean you are registered for the tour. The official tour registration will come in January 2012.

Dallas Art News does not share email addresses with anyone.

Related Posts

From Fort Worth to Dallas on the Museum Express Tour – April 2, 2010

Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour to Visit Eight Museums in One Day via The T, TRE and DART -Feb. 25, 2010

Facebook Images from the Museum Express Tour Dry Run in 2009

Dallas Art News Museum Express Tour makes it to The Women's Museum on Saturday, April 3, 2010. (Photo by James Roman)

Here’s the list of exhibits I’ll be seeing while out west.

The Grace Museum

Melissa Miller: Habitat
September 22, 2011 – January 14, 2012

Bob Stuth-Wade: Landforms
September 22, 2011 – February 18, 2012

Bill Kennedy: Woodlands
September 22, 2011 – January 21, 2012

The Old Jail Art Center

Cell Series Featured Artist: Eric Zimmerman
September 24, 2011 – January 22, 2012

Face Time: Portraits from the Collection
September 24, 2011 – January 22, 2012

The drive from where I live in Dallas to Albany is about 200 miles or 3.5 hours. I bet I can do it in 3 or less. The trip will be like standing in line at Six Flags Over Texas.

Follow me on Twitter. I’ll be sending out tweets and pics of the trip. Just follow Dallas Art News on Twitter at twitter.com/DallasArtNews. There might even be a few tweets from Mr. Holga at twitter.com/MrHolga.

Keep your finger crossed that I don’t get lost. Cheers.

The Grace Museum, in Abilene, Texas, has posted a very nice video of Rick Weatherl of Weatherl & Associates. Mr. Weatherl discusses the 1992 restoration of Hotel Grace and the challenges of working with a historical building.

On Wednesday, Grace Museum Development Director Celia Gesting reported tickets to the museum’s annual gala were selling quickly, with many tables sold even before invitations to the event had been mailed.

“Interest in this year’s Fall Benefit is high, thanks in no small part to the wonderful couple being honored,” said Dr. Francine Carraro, the museum’s executive director. “The community is eager to show their support for the Websters with this event, our largest fundraiser of the year.”

Excerpted from The Grace Museum’s invitation to the event:

Kathy became a real estate broker and was the owner of Kathy Webster Realtors from 1985 to 2000. She served as director of the West Texas Municipal Water District, director of the Community Foundation of Abilene, president of the Abilene Board of Realtors, and president of the Taylor-Jones-Haskell Medical Society Alliance. In addition, she has been affiliated with AARP, Brazos G Regional Water Planning Group and the Abilene Airport Development Board. In 1977, Kathy was elected to the Abilene City Council, and she also served as mayor pro-tem in 1980 and 1983.

Jim has served on the Board of Directors of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce since 1974, and has been actively involved as a member of the Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee since 1996—a committee he currently chairs. Jim has also taken on active roles with the Abilene Industrial Foundation, Hendrick Medical Center Foundation, Chisholm Trail Council Boy Scouts of America, Abilene Arts Alliance and The Grace Museum. Today he also continues to practice medicine in his retirement as a volunteer at Medical Care Mission.

The Grace Museum has created a website for the event at www.thegracemuseum.org/fallbenefit, which includes a full schedule of the evening’s events, more information about the Websters, an up-to-date listing of silent auction items available for bidding during the gala, and ticket information.

Tickets may be purchased by calling Celia Gesting at (325) 673-4587. Guests are asked to reserve their places by Aug. 19.

The Grace Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums, and houses a children’s museum, history museum, and art museum. At 55,000 square feet, The Grace Museum is the tenth largest general museum in Texas, and is the cornerstone of cultural arts and education in West Texas. The museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Grace Museum is a non-profit organization, and the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs are supported in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, the City of Abilene, Taylor County, and the Downtown Revitalization Program of the Tax Increment Finance District.

The Grace Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Thursday. Admission is free Thursday evening after 5 p.m.

Buxton is a well-known personality on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow, a program whose participants frequently stand in line for hours to learn the values of their possessions. Antiques Round-Up at The Grace Museum closely follows the format of the PBS show; Buxton will entertain attendees with interviews and on-the-spot discussions highlighting some of the most interesting items brought in to the event.

Activities begin Friday night, July 30, at 6:30 p.m. in the Historic Ballroom of The Grace Museum. Buxton will present a review of his time during Antiques Roadshow and display highlights from the show. Tickets are $25 for museum members and $30 for non-members. The talk will be followed by a wine and dessert buffet, hosted by BJ Naranjo-Smith of Antique and Almost.

Saturday, July 31, at 10 a.m., the guest appraisers will participate in a panel discussion at the museum. Appraisers will answer questions regarding conservation and renovation, where to buy and sell items, and how to have items authenticated. The panel discussion is $10 per person and will include a light breakfast of pastries, fruit and coffee for attendees.

The Antiques Round-Up appraisal show will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. Tickets are available in advance or at the door, and ticket holders will be directed to the appropriate appraiser for each of their items. Appraisers at the event will be qualified to appraise paintings and prints; gems and fine jewelry; quilts; Native American Indian jewelry, rugs and pottery; Oriental rugs; art pottery and art glass; residential contents, which include crystal, porcelain, china, lamps, silver and decorative accessories; guns; primitives; Western memorabilia; and more.

Tickets for the appraisal event are $20 for one item, $35 for two items and $50 for three items.

At 1 p.m. Saturday, Ellen Amirkhan, a certified appraiser specializing in Oriental rugs, will give a gallery talk on the care and conservation of Oriental rugs. Amirkhan will bring a large assortment of Oriental rugs, and her appraisals during the appraisal show will take place in a bazaar-type setting. All rugs will be for sale with a portion of the cost going to benefit The Grace Museum. Tickets to the 1 p.m. gallery talk are $10 each. Rugs may be viewed throughout the day without the purchase of a ticket.

The doors to the appraisal show will close at 4 p.m., but all ticket holders will have access to the appraisers.

For more information and advance ticket sales, call The Grace Museum at (325) 673-4587, or visit www.thegracemuseum.org/roundup.

The Grace Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums, and houses a children’s museum, history museum, and art museum. At 55,000 square feet, The Grace Museum is the tenth largest general museum in Texas, and is the cornerstone of cultural arts and education in West Texas. The museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Grace Museum is a non-profit organization, and the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs are supported in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, the City of Abilene, Taylor County, and the Downtown Revitalization Program of the Tax Increment Finance District.

The Grace Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Thursday. Admission is free Thursday evening after 5 p.m.

Fisherman by Everett Franklin Spruce, c. 1949

Drawing on the Past: Selections from the Bobbie and John Nau Collection of Texas Art
The Grace Museum
May 25 through August 21, 2010

In just seven years, the Texas art collection of Houstonians Bobbie and John Nau has grown to include more than 700 paintings and works on paper, representing a broad spectrum of styles and artists. Tuesday, The Grace Museum will open an exhibition of selected works from the collection titled Drawing on the Past: Selections from the Bobbie and John Nau Collection of Texas Art.

The works, ranging in date from the 1850s to 2009, show how artists have portrayed the ever-evolving story of Texas. Grace Museum Chief Curator Judy Deaton wrote the following in the catalog for the exhibition:

The Naus’ commitment to collecting, preserving and documenting outstanding examples of Texas art is a testament to their passion for the history and future of the state. Because of the depth and breadth of the Naus’ collection, this exhibition offers a unique opportunity to examine the important visual dialogue between artist and artist across time. Looking beyond one artist, one locale, one slice of time gets to the heart of the enduring versatility of the label “Texas art.” There is a palpable directness, pride of place and drive to be authentic that transcends specific subject matter and style and reinforces the strength of each artist’s unique personal vision.

Besides being important collectors of Texas art, Bobbie and John Nau are also involved in a wide array of civic and philanthropic endeavors in Texas and across the U.S.

Thursday, May 27, The Grace Museum will host a public opening reception for the exhibition from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Grace Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums, and houses a children’s museum, history museum, and art museum. At 55,000 square feet, The Grace Museum is the tenth largest general museum in Texas, and is the cornerstone of cultural arts and education in West Texas. The museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Grace Museum is a non-profit organization, and the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs are supported in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, the City of Abilene, Taylor County, and the Downtown Revitalization Program of the Tax Increment Finance District.

The Grace Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Thursday. Admission is free Thursday evening after 5 p.m.

Fisherman by Everett Franklin Spruce, c. 1949