Creative Connections

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 [...]

Earlier this month, the museum hosted its first Tea & Talk. Did you know that the average museum visitor spends 12-15 seconds per painting? And that's being generous. Rather than get caught up in the museum shuffle, Tea and Talk allows visitors the opportunity to slow down and take time to really see the art. Together we take an in-depth look at a selection of works and engage in conversation about our observations. The experience can be eye-opening, as each perspective shines light on new details and ideas. The more one looks at a painting, the more one will find. [...]

Starting this year, the Sid Richardson Museum is embarking on a new venture: public programs for adults. The education department is designing and implementing exciting and dynamic adult public programs that provide engaging experiences aimed at enhancing visitors’ relationships with the artwork. We do this by creating programs that facilitate personal meaning making, which encourages lasting connections and lifelong learning. Last Friday kicked off our season with a wonderful lecture by TCU professor Dr. Mark Thistlethwaite. Dr. Thistlethwaite discussed the artworks of Remington and Russell within the context of a dynamically changing U.S. at the turn of the century.  Our [...]