Gallup Black-on-White Bowl from Chetro Ketl , circa 1000–1125 CE (photo courtesy the museum)

It’s About Time: 14,000 Years of Art in New Mexico
New Mexico Museum of Art
Opens May 11, 2012

It’s About Time: 14,000 Years of Art in New Mexico celebrates the centennial of statehood by presenting a social history of the art in the Southwest. This exhibition opens May 11, 2012 at the New Mexico Museum of Art and runs through January 2014 and is an official New Mexico Centennial project.

New Mexicans have always made art—we have always made aestheticized objects that reflect our world views. From beautifully made, 14,000-year-old Paleo-Indian tools to contemporary imagery, New Mexico art has reflected our changing technologies, embodied our ways of making a living, and personified our spirituality.

And where else but New Mexico has art reflected everything from the creators of stone tools to the invention of the atomic bomb?

Curated by Joseph Traugott, Ph.D., the museum’s curator of twentieth century art, the exhibition begins with the earliest yet-discovered art—Clovis points—and proceeds in an unbroken continuum to the present.

It’s About Time: 14,000 Years of Art in New Mexico displays 120 works of art that include Native American, Hispanic American, and European American works as a single, holistic tradition, not three separate traditions that never interact. Most of the objects in the exhibition were made to be art, others became art by metamorphosis when objects were understood in new cultural contexts. The works range from representational images to abstractions like Raymond Jonson’s paintings N and M (illustrated above), an obvious reference to New Mexico. The two paintings are part of his series of 26 works based on the letters of the alphabet.

As markers of the past and present, the works of art in It’s About Time spur aesthetic responses and a deeper understanding of the region’s diverse cultures—how the art of the early santeros evolved from the more baroque originally imported from Mexico to a more simplified expression to accommodate indigenous art-making materials and beliefs. Yet, innovation by Native artists was discouraged by early anthropologists who placed a premium on the artistic styles of the past which they considered to be more “authentic” and culturally pure; fortunately Maria and Julian Martinez did not hear this message influencing generations of artists who followed.

T.C. Cannon, Gerald Cassidy, Judy Chicago, E. Irving Couse, Robert Henri, Marsden Hartey, Luis Jimenez, Raymond Jonson, Agnes Martin, Bruce Nauman, Georgia O’Keeffe, Agnes Pelton, Florence Miller Pierce, Diego Romero, and Luis Tapia are some of the well-known artists in the exhibition.

This centennial study encourages viewers to rethink the meaning of art and aesthetics in an intercultural manner. By doing so, we can transcend our personal perspectives and appreciate alternative aesthetic visions.

Museum of New Mexico Press is producing a related hard cover publication New Mexico Art Through Time: Prehistory to the Present. This social history of New Mexico art includes 240 full-color reproductions of Native American, Hispanic and European American art.

It’s About Time: 14,000 Years of Art in New Mexicois generously supported by the New Mexico Humanities Council, Newman’s Own Foundation, and the Museum of New Mexico Foundation.

Gallup Black-on-White Bowl from Chetro Ketl , circa 1000–1125 CE (photo courtesy the museum)

These activities are in keeping with the Museum’s bimonthly Wonderful Wednesday program in which docents lead children and their adult companions through the galleries to focus on one or two works from the Modern’s permanent collection with discussions, stories and related art activities.  Different works and artists will be featured each day.

Join us for this special and expanded program during the week of the Fort Worth ISD’s Spring Break. Spring Break Wonders at the Modern is free and open to the public. Attendance is limited so come early to sign-in at the front desk and assure participation.

Shore by the Saint Lawrence (October Bouquet) by Alson Skinner Clark, 1916 (photo courtesy Heritage Auctions)

A spectacular early 20^th Century landscape by Alson Skinner Clark (1876-1949), Shore by the Saint Lawrence (October Bouquet), 1916, is expected to bring $ 175,000+ when it crosses the block as a highlight of Heritage Auctions’ inaugural California Art Signature® Auction, March 20, in the company’s Beverly Hills salesroom.

“This work is one of the major artistic achievements of Clark’s career,” said Deborah Solon, West Coast Director of American Art at Heritage, “and it’s a good one indeed to anchor our first auction of early California art. Shore by the Saint Lawrence, painted upon his return to America after being forced from France at the beginning of World War I, explodes in a riot of color, divided brushwork and wonderful lighting effect.”

Raised in Chicago, Clark took evening classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and went on to study with luminaries such as William Merritt Chase and James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Although influenced early by Whistler’s somber palette, Clark became a devotee of French Impressionism, spending time in Giverny, where a large American colony had developed. After settling in California, Clark retained his devotion to the techniques typical of Impressionism.

The auction importantly marks the first time that Heritage will be featuring the art of California exclusively, following the recent additions of Solon and Alissa Ford as Director of California Art.

“The market for the best of California art is full of dedicated, passionate collectors,” said Ford, “and Heritage is in a perfect place to fill that need. This auction will be just the first of many that will show collectors that we’re the go-to venue when it comes to the paintings they love.”

Another of the auction’s highlights is John Bond Francisco’s The Foothills of California, Tejon Ranch, circa 1929, estimated at $60,000+. Francisco, one of the earliest and most important L.A. artists at the turn-of-the-twentieth century, originally trained as an academic painter, but his style changed as he was lured by the light and lushness of California. By the late 1890s his brushwork loosened, his palette brightened and his paintings became some of the most important produced by any California painter during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

“This work, like so many of Francisco’s, is a celebration of the untamed beauty of the mountain landscapes that covered the region,” said Solon. “One contemporary critic declared that Francisco’s admirers – and they are many who swear by him – declare that he alone paints Southern California as it should be painted.”

Edgar Alwin Payne, one of California’s premier plein air painters, is represented in the auction by the sublime Navajos Waiting, which carries a pre-auction estimate of $50,000+. The painting is likely to catch the attention of collectors already buzzing with Payne’s name, as it comes to the block just as Payne is experiencing a surge in popularity, as evidenced by the current exhibition of his work at The Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento (Edgar Payne: The Scenic Journey, running through May 6, then continuing at The Pasadena Museum of California Art in June).

Northern California artists are well represented in the auction, which features William Keith’s Mount Shasta (estimate: $30,000+). This romantic view, painted in the Barbizon style, memorializes the grandiose American landscape as well as Keith’s deep love of the amazing California landscape.

Modernism is explored in three works by the artist Helena Dunlap, one of the most important woman Modernist painters working in California in the early twentieth-century: Self-Portrait (estimate: $15,000+), Hunting Buffalo, circa 1916 (estimate: $15,000+) and Men of Agra, circa 1920-1922 (estimate: $10,000+).

“Until recently, Dunlap’s work has been marginalized,” said Solon. “With the sale of these three paintings, accompanied by an essay that sheds new light on how central she was to the development of Modernism in California, we hope Dunlap will regain the stature she was accorded during her lifetime.”

Other paintings prominently featured include works by Charles Reiffel (Eucalyptus Grove, estimate: $15,000+), Maurice Braun (Valley in Summer, estimate: $18,000+), Birger Sandzen (Kansas Creek, 1946, estimate: $40,000+), Maynard Dixon (October Morning, 1940, estimate: $60,000+), Benjamin Brown (Wild Verbenas, Colorado Desert near Palm Springs, estimate: $30,000+) and many others.

“There’s been a great deal of excitement expressed about this inaugural auction,” said Ford, “which we certainly share. This is a diverse selection of important works from the great masters of California and we think collectors are going to be thrilled with what they see.”

Shore by the Saint Lawrence (October Bouquet) by Alson Skinner Clark, 1916 (photo courtesy Heritage Auctions)

Mr. Giftos’ announcement was made by Art in Bloom co-chairs, Susan Fisk and Emily Maduro. On February 24, the League will hold an official announcement party at Cebolla Fine Flowers, the Floral Sponsor for Art in Bloom, which will also celebrate the events’ honorary chairs, mother and daughter, Deborah Ryan and Capera Ryan.

The event will take place at Cebolla’s new 15,000 square foot floral design facility located at the corner of Maple Avenue and Inwood Lane. At the event, details will also be unveiled about the one-of-a-kind Master Class to be held at Cebolla on Wednesday, March 21.

“We are grateful that Chris Giftos has arranged his schedule to join us at the Dallas Museum of Art League’s Art in Bloom events,” said Susan Fisk, co-chair.

“As the League’s sole fundraiser, Chris Giftos’ presence will assist us greatly in raising funds for our work at the Dallas Museum of Art,” said Emily Maduro, co-chair.

Giftos will share his stories and demonstrate his favorite floral arrangements at the Art in Bloom Luncheon and Symposium. This signature event, held annually, will be attended by more than 300 people. Art in Bloom Luncheon and Symposium draws on the League’s history of creating and displaying fresh floral arrangements throughout the Museum for visitors to enjoy.

A live and silent auction conducted by Christie’s will be a highlight of the luncheon. The live auction will feature 6 travel and luxury packages including two live auction floral displays created by Mr. Giftos and Cebolla Fine Flowers. The silent auction will feature ten to fifteen floral arrangements by leading North Texas floral designers inspired by works of art in the Dallas Museum of Art.

As the master floral designer for the Metroplitan Museum of Art, Giftos has worked intimately with many high-profile names such as Princess Diana and Oprah Winfrey. One of his annual events was the legendary Costume Institute Gala where he worked directly with Pat Buckley, Liz Tilberis (former editor of Harper’s Bazaar), Jackie Onassis and Vogue Editors Diana Vreeland and Anna Wintour to create an event noticed world-wide for its atmosphere, glamour and extravagant floral arrangements.

The Dallas Museum of Art League founded in 1938 provides critical support to the Museum through volunteer work and contributions to key endowment funds and special educational programs and exhibitions. During its more than 70 years of civic support, the League has helped the Museum acquire more than 100 works of art and provide countless education and programming to the community.

A patron party will be hosted on Saturday, March 24 at the home of Bob and Beth Holland for sponsors and underwriters. To underwrite or purchase tickets to Art in Bloom, please call the League Office at 214-922-1249 or e-mail League@DallasMuseumofArt.org.

About the Dallas Museum of Art

Located in the vibrant Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) ranks among the leading art institutions in the country and is distinguished by its innovative exhibitions and groundbreaking educational programs. At the heart of the Museum and its programs is its global collection, which encompasses more than 24,000 works and spans 5,000 years of history, representing a full range of world cultures. Established in 1903, the Museum welcomes approximately 600,000 visitors annually and acts as a catalyst for community creativity, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds with a diverse spectrum of programming, from exhibitions and lectures to concerts, literary readings, and dramatic and dance presentations.

The Dallas Museum of Art is supported in part by the generosity of Museum members and donors and by the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas/Office of Cultural Affairs and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

The NYLO Dallas South Side Art Competition’s goal is to showcase original artworks from the vibrant local arts community that complement the hotel’s interior design. Winning artworks will be displayed throughout the hotel in the guestrooms, corridors and lobby.

Artists will enjoy a number of perks in addition to the having their artwork showcased throughout the hotel, including cash prizes ranging from $150 – $ 2,000. Selected artists will also be invited to the NYLO Dallas South Side’s grand opening gala. Additionally, each selected piece will be displayed on the NYLO website along with the artist’s contact information allowing guests of the hotel to purchase the artwork.

All submissions must be entered by Friday, March 16. The competition is open to everyone; however NYLO is especially interested in the talents of local DFW area artists, including art students, as well as professional and established artists. All winners will be notified on or around March 23.

“Original art created by local artists that is reflective of the neighborhoods we serve  is part of the NYLO brand’s soul and DNA.  Dallas is known for its wealth of talented artists and with the NYLO Dallas South Side Art program, local artists will have the opportunity to help enrich the atmosphere of the NYLO Dallas South Side and to showcase their work,” says Michael Mueller, President and CEO, NYLO Hotels.

For more details on the judging criteria, complete details on prizes, competition rules and an entry form, please visit http://www.nylohotels.com/resourcefiles/pdffiles/nylo-dallas-south-side-art-contest-rules-entry-form.pdf

The NYLO Dallas South Side Hotel will be NYLO’s third property in the DFW market, joining the highly innovative and successful NYLO Hotels in Plano and NYLO Las Colinas. The NYLO Dallas South Side, which will be NYLO’s first conversion property and first LEED certified property, is scheduled to open in July 2012. Located on the South Lamar in an area that is transforming into a destination of its own the NYLO Dallas South Side sits between South Side on Lamar and Gilley’s Dallas Live, just three blocks from the Dallas Convention Center, one block from the DART Cedars Rail station, and minutes from both the Dallas Central Business District and the Dallas Arts District.

The five-story, 76-room NYLO hotel will be home to a destination roof top infinity pool and glass-enclosed bar and lounge that will offer guests one of the best views of downtown Dallas. The lobby will feature NYLO’s uniquely designed “Loft” restaurant and bar that will become the gathering spot in South Dallas. Travelers will find NYLO Dallas South Side the ideal place to conduct business or enjoy a rich diversity of music, art, entertainment and cuisine in a uniquely designed, local take on the South Side urban experience.

Artwork is sought in the following categories: 1) artwork composed of acrylic, oil or mixed media; and 2) photography. The criteria for judging include; vibrant hues and images reflective of the DFW community, with an overall design aesthetic that evokes a contemporary French/Victorian theme. All final selections will be made by a panel of judges consisting of representatives of NYLO Hotels, Matthews Southwest (the hotel’s developer), and 5G Studios (the designer of the hotel).

NYLO Hotels

NYLO Hotels combine the dynamic qualities of urban loft-style living with the best-of-the-hotel industry features, services and amenities in a boutique hotel setting. NYLO hotels feature destination bars and restaurants that are uniquely designed to offer an urban ambiance blended with the local market for a unique experience. NYLO caters to both business and leisure travelers that are seeking an energized, fun and comfortable lodging option and offers an alternative to the bland, one-size-fits-all experience typically found in many hotels. For reservations and more information, visit www.nylohotels.com.

Canvas Wall, Columbus by John Chakeres, 2011

John Chakeres: Structure
John Cleary Gallery
February 18 through March 17, 2012

Join the John Cleary Gallery this Saturday, February 18, from 6 – 8 p.m. for the opening of John Chakeres: Structure. The exhibition will run through Saturday, March 17. The artist will be in attendance for the opening reception.

Defining himself as more an image builder than traditional photographer, Ohio native John Chakeres revels in expressing the beauty of the world around him through studies in order, texture, form, surface, color and light. The works represented in Structure–photographs of brick walls and wooden fences, car park ceilings and factory facades– resound as the digital photographer’s answer to trompe l’oeil. At such astounding visual clarity, one can’t help but imagine the softness of the fabric in “Canvas Wall” or the grittiness of dust between the bricks of “Painted Wall” between their fingers.

Concomitant to his studies in photography and printmaking at Ohio University in the 1970′s, Chakeres studied under the tutelage of Ansel Adams, a relationship that later led to an assistantship in Adams’ studio and the beginning of his decade’s long career as a fine art photographer. His work now resides in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Contemporary Photography and the Tweed Museum of Art, among others, and has been seen nationwide in group and solo exhibitions alike.

In addition to the publication of three books, Chakeres has also enjoyed a contributing editor post at Photomethods magazine (1986-88), been featured in numerous periodicals, and has taught photography, printmaking, and digital imaging at Ohio University, Columbus College of Art and Design, and Columbus State Community College.

For the full collection of images from the Structure show, please visit John Cleary Gallery online.

This free program features three leading scholars of the period who will discuss aspects of the artists’ engagement with landscape, with the figure, and with still life. Through stunning examples from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute by such masters as Renoir, Monet, Degas, Pissarro, Manet, Morisot, and Cassat, these experts will bring to life the new––indeed revolutionary––vision that the Impressionists brought to time-honored motifs.

Presenters include Richard R. Brettell, Margaret McDermott Distinguished Chair of Art and Aesthetics, School of the Arts and the Humanities, The University of Texas at Dallas; Joachim Pissarro, Bershad Professor of Art History and Director of the Hunter College Galleries, Hunter College, City University of New York; Kathleen Adler, independent art historian and former director of education at the National Gallery, London; and George T. M. Shackelford, deputy director of the Kimbell Art Museum.

A full program schedule is available at www.kimbellart.org. No reservations required. Priority admission reserved for Kimbell members who present a current membership card at least 20 minutes before the program begins.

Sherman has spent the last seventeen years working as Director of Development at Austin’s St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, where she built the development department from a staff of one to five, and led three successful major capital campaigns that raised over $60 million. Prior to that, she worked at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center as a Development Associate.  She received her B.A. with a major in Plan II and her M.B.A. from UT Austin.

Sherman has served on the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum Foundation Board and on the Board of Directors for the West Austin Youth Association (WAYA). She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Texas Exes.

“It is indeed a privilege for me to accept the position of Director of Development at The Blanton,” states Sherman. “After many years of working in an educational environment, I know firsthand the tremendous impact that art and culture can have on the lives of students and the greater community.”

The Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin is one of the foremost university art museums in the country. The museum’s collection is the largest and most comprehensive in Central Texas and comprises more than 18,000 works. It is recognized for its European paintings, modern and contemporary American and Latin American art and an encyclopedic collection of prints and drawings.

E PLURIBUS UNUM: From Many One. Image from Axle Contemporary, 2012

E PLURIBUS UNUM: From Many One
New Mexico Museum of Art
Opens March 4, 2012

Axle Contemporary, creators of this summer’s imaginative Haiku Roadsign Project, will present E PLURIBUS UNUM: From Many One, their latest project, at eleven venues around Santa Fe, stopping at the New Mexico Museum of Art on Sunday, March 4, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Housed in the back of a custom retrofitted 1970 aluminum stepvan, Axle Contemporary is an art gallery on wheels with the interior of the mobile gallery transformed for this project into a “photo-booth.” Axle Contemporary collaborators, Jerry Wellman and Matthew Chase-Daniel, will create photographic portraits of all who stop by with each participant holding a small drawing or object in their portrait. Two copies of each photograph are immediately printed in the mobile printing station—one is given free to the participant, the other hung on the walls of the Axle Contemporary mobile gallery.

The accumulated photographs will be blended into one image and presented in SITE Santa Fe’s online gallery (unumeplurib.us), and at Axle Contemporary.

E PLURIBUS UNUM: From Many One is an Axle Contemporary collaboration designed by Matthew Chase-Daniel and Jerry Wellman opening Friday, March 2, 2012 at SITE Santa Fe from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Partners/locations are: SITE Santa Fe, Railyard, New Mexico Museum of Art, La Montañita Coop Market, Santa Fe University of Art & Design, Santa Fe Community College, Sunflower Market (Zafarano), Counter Culture, Harry’s Roadhouse, Genoveva Chavez Community Center, and The Santa Fe Children’s Museum

Kennedy and Johnson in Dallas (photo by Frank Muto, Gregory Clock Collection / The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza)

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is collaborating with SMU’s John G. Tower Center for Political Studies for a discussion titled The Vital South and Presidential Elections, 1960 – 2012.  The program will take place Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 7 p.m. at the Museum (411 Elm Street in downtown Dallas).

In 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected to the White House in one of the closest contests in American electoral history. The South was instrumental in this victory. Kennedy won the popular vote in seven states of the former Confederacy, including Texas. In this program, Professors Earl Black and Merle Black will discuss how Southern politics have changed since 1960 and the growing importance of the South in presidential elections and national politics.

Earl Black, Herbert S. Autrey Emeritus Professor of Political Science at Rice University, is one of the premier scholars of Southern politics in the United States.  With brother Merle Black, he is the co-author of The Vital South: How Presidents are Elected and most recently Divided America: The Ferocious Power Struggle in American Politics.  Merle Black is the Asa G. Chandler Professor of Politics and Government at Emory University and specializes in the study of American politics.  He is a frequent media source on Southern politics.

The discussion will be moderated by Dennis Simon, Professor of Political Science at Southern Methodist University.  His research interests include the American presidency, presidential-congressional relations, public opinion, electoral behavior and research methodology.  This is the second consecutive year SMU and the Museum have partnered to present a panel discussion surrounding Presidents Day.

The program is free but reservations are required. Please RSVP to 214.747.6660 ext. 6623 or email rsvp@jfk.org.

Kennedy and Johnson in Dallas (photo by Frank Muto, Gregory Clock Collection / The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza)