Blogs and Podcasts

The forecast calls for showers this week, an unusual event for Texas in July.

Charles Dahlgreen, Approaching Storm, ca. 1913-1915, Monotype, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.

Mabel Dwight, Rain, 1935, Lithograph, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.

Ruth Bernhard, Apple Tree, 1970. Gelatin silver print, © 1970 Ruth Bernhard, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, Gift of Paul Brauchle, Dallas, Texas

Our last session of Storytime led us on a search for night creatures in our galleries. Although this isn’t the owlery at Hogwarts, we did discover a clutch of young owls in our atrium. Who knows what we will discover at our next Storytime? Please join us and be a part of the fun!

Childe Hassam (1859-1935), Flags on the Waldorf, 1916, Oil on canvas, 1985.301

Frederick T. Stockdorf, [Party Group], 1897, Gelatin silver print, P1976.4.5

Laura Gilpin (1891-1979), Navaho Family, 1950, Gelatin silver print, © 1979 Amon Carter Museum, Bequest of the artist, P1979.95.15

William Merritt Chase (1849—1916), Idle Hours, ca. 1894, oil on canvas, 1982.1

Laura Gilpin, (1891—1979), [Summer Carnival] [Colorado Springs, Colorado], June 1941, Gelatin silver print, © 1979 Amon Carter Museum, Bequest of the artist, P1979.102.27

Keith Carter (b.1948), Fireflies, 1992, Gelatin silver print, ©1992 Keith Carter, P2000.4

Have a wonderful summer!

Today we honor the men and women who have given their lives to ensure our freedom. One day out of a year seems hardly fitting for such a sacrifice, including those made by the families of the fallen.

Here are two works from our collection that speak to the human experience of separation and loss.

George Bellows (1882—1925),
Prepare, America!, 1916
Lithograph
Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas,
1985.202

Albert E. Schaaf (1866—1950)
Armistice Morning–Fifth Avenue, 1918
Bromoil print
Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas
P1986.34

Although Armistice Day and Memorial Day are two different occasions, this work is one that resonates with everyone who has lost someone to war.

To honor military personnel, the Carter is pleased to participate in the 2010 Blue Star Museums Program. Participating institutions offer free admission to active military families all summer in a new partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Since admission is always free to the Carter’s permanent collection and special exhibitions of American art, members of the military will receive a complimentary souvenir collection catalogue during their visit to the Carter between Memorial Day and Labor Day. To receive your catalogue, simply present your military ID to a Visitor Services Representative at the museum’s Information Desk. For more information, including other participating institutions, click here.

Deep in my heart I’m a nerd. I love to watch science shows, even when I’m not exactly sure what is being discussed. This Saturday presents the perfect public program for my science-geek side and my inner-librarian, with beautiful art on view as a juicy bonus.

Cyntia Karnes, senior paper conservator at the Library of Congress, will offer insight into the art of John Marin, an artist from our permanent collection and part of our special exhibition American Moderns on Paper: Masterworks from the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Ms. Karnes has completed a technical examination of Marin’s watercolors and will share her views on the influences on Marin’s work.

Admission is free, but because seating is limited, reservations are required. Call 817.989.5030 or e-mail education [at] cartermuseum [dot] org to register.

John Marin (1870–1953)
Movement No. 3, Related to Downtown New York, 1926
Opaque and transparent watercolor over charcoal on thick wove paper
© Estate of John Marin/ Artist Rights Society (ARS)
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT; Gift of James L. Goodwin and Henry Sage Goodwin from the Estate of Philip L. Goodwin, 1958.229

No matter what your age…

Artist Unknown , Laura Gilpin, Receiving an Honorary Ph. D. Colorado College, ca. 1970’s, Dye coupler print (Type C), Bequest of Laura Gilpin

or where you go to school…

Skeet McAuley, Hogan-Shaped Administration Building, Navajo Community College, Tsaile, Arizona, 1984, Dye destruction print

Congratulations to all graduates!

This short film came across my desktop this week and made me stop and think about the nature of art and how it is perceived. The video comes from a school in Liverpool, England, and is one of a series of films featuring art that is installed in their school. I found this especially interesting because the artist being discussed, Dan Flavin, has one of his works installed at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Why not stop by the Modern and form your own conclusions about this artist?

After you view this film, drop by the Carter and make up your own mind about what makes art great and why you like/dislike it. Add your comment to our blog so we can be part of the conversation!

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “modern art?” Multi-colored Marilyns? Blocks of color? These are wonderful examples of the ism that is modern, but our recent special exhibition (and the Carter’s great collection of modern paintings and sculptures) has broadened my horizons. Here are some ideas on how to learn more about modern art before you visit the Carter.

For an informative read on the modern movement, try Why a Painting is Like a Pizza: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art, by Nancy Heller. This easy-to-digest book helps you use analytical skills you already have to “read” modern art and enjoy it. This book is available from the Fort Worth Public Library or through your local book retailer.

Here are some links to sites about artists in this exhibition and in our permanent collection:
Alexander Calder Foundation
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Edward Hopper Scrapbook from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Stuart Davis

Robert McChesney (1913-2008)
Variations, 1946
Transparent and opaque watercolor over graphite on paper
Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, Purchase with funds provided by the Estate of Electra Carlin

The Carter offers a new program, Crafting from the Collection, this evening from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Associate Registrar Jana Hill (one of the many creative artisans on our staff and a regular contributor to the Carter’s blog) will lead a stimulating evening of dialogue and inspiration amidst great examples of American art. Who knows where the evening will lead you!