Creative Connections

Recently we had the honor of hosting a lecture by Dr. Ron Tyler for our latest Coffee & Collecting program. Dr. Tyler is the retired Director of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas. He is former Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin and Director of the Texas State Historical Association and the Center for Studies in Texas History at the University and has published a number of works in the areas of Texas, Western American, and American art and history.  Dr. Tyler is very knowledgeable on the topic of George Catlin [...]

The holiday season can be filled with joy and merriment. But it can also be a time of stress and anxiety. To help assuage your concerns, we consulted some of the artwork in our galleries for advice on how to best enjoy the season’s celebrations. Frederic Remington | The Puncher | 1895 | Oil on canvas | 24 x 20 1/8 inches SRM: Travel during the holidays can be a mess. Do you have any tips for transportation? Puncher: Find a dependable vehicle. The last thing you want to worry about is your carriage falling apart, leaving you [...]

During last week’s blog post, I shared an exciting discovery revealed during a recent Tea & Talk program, which enlightened me about the Métis people. After some further research, I learned about another connection our collection has to this tribe. Frederic Remington, Buffalo Runners - Big Horn Basin, 1909, Oil on canvas, 30 1/8 x 51 1/8 inches When you view Remington’s Buffalo Runners, you’ll notice that the figures, the Métis, are wearing a sash around their waists, the trimmings of which blow in the wind from the hurried gallop of the horses. This sash is a typical [...]

As mentioned previously, Tea & Talk is a regularly scheduled program every second Wednesday of the month at 2pm (September-May). We take a look at two selected works of art, spending about 15-20min with each while sharing our thoughts and observations. The group is intimate in size, which allows for more open dialogue. During our most recent Tea & Talk, participants spent time with Catlin’s Buffalo Chase – Bull Protecting the Calves and Remington’s Buffalo Runners – Big Horn Basin. Frederic Remington, Buffalo Runners - Big Horn Basin, 1909, Oil on canvas, 30 1/8 x 51 1/8 inches As [...]

The Sid Richardson Art Museum has initiated a new adult public program this year – Tall Tales. Tall Tales is an opportunity to engage in thoughtful conversation while making connections between art and literature. For our first Tall Tales program, we’ll be discussing Waterlily by Ella Cara Deloria. Through this novel, Deloria sought to record and preserve traditional Sioux ways of life in the Dakotas prior to pioneer settlement in the Western plains. What’s fascinating about this book is that the protagonist is a woman, giving us a rare glimpse into daily camp life from the female perspective, which is [...]

Tea & Talk is back! From September through May, we are hosting a Tea & Talk program every second Wednesday of the month from 2-3pm. Tea & Talk is an opportunity to slow down the art viewing process. We look at two works of art, carefully, and share our observations while we process what we see. According to museum research, the average visitor spends 15 to 30 seconds in front of a work of art. In a recent New York Times article, James O. Pawelski, the director of education for the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, compared [...]

The Sid Richardson Museum features permanent and special exhibitions of art of the American West with an emphasis on the premier Western artists, Frederic Remington and Charles Russell. It is the work of these artists, among many others, that set the stage for Hollywood and the birth of Western films. This summer the museum is hosting a film series, Movies at the Museum, which will focus on classic Westerns. Frederic Remington, The Apaches!, 1904, Oil on canvas, 25 x 30 inches Many of the early film directors were inspired by the artwork of Remington and Russell, using the [...]

Basket weaving is an ancient craft, as old as the human race. In fact, basketry antedates pottery, having been in an advanced stage while pottery was still in its infancy. The word “basket” has changed very little from its original, the Welsh “basgawd,” which literally means a weaving or putting together of splinters. It is believed that the development of baskets originated first from canes and then gourds, used to carry water. But gourds were heavy and difficult to transport, especially when travelling long distances across a desert. To help alleviate this distress, the carrier wrapped the gourd in a [...]

When you look at a painting, what do you notice? Subject matter? The artist’s application of paint? How about the frame? A frame can have a significant impact on our perception of a work of art. While protecting the painting, frames also serve an aesthetic and symbolic function. During the time Sid Richardson began collecting art of the American West, French 18th-century Louis XIV-style frames were widely used. These ornate, gilded frames were a way of glorifying the paintings, conveying prestige and wealth simultaneously. Whether or not the frame was appropriate for the period or style of art wasn't often [...]

Who doesn’t enjoy a good story? Stories have power; they delight, enchant, touch, teach, recall, inspire, motivate, and challenge. Stories give life to past experience and help us understand a time now gone.  It is through stories that we can help visitors relate to the works of Remington and Russell and the art of the American West. Our docents are natural storytellers. To help nurture that skill, we brought in professional storyteller Ann Marie Newman. Ann Marie has performed and taught at several storytelling festivals and workshops in the DFW area. Since 2006, she has been the Dallas Museum of [...]