Tacoma Art Museum Docents Blog TAM Docents Blog: TAM: September 2008 docent training

Hello!

An exciting new set of exhibitions will be here for the fall before you know it, and so here are some required training dates for September.

Fall 2008 Exhibitions

· What is a Trade? Donald Fels and Signboard Painters of South India (September 13 – December 14, 2008)

· Oasis: Western Dreams of the Ottoman Empire from the Dahesh Museum of Art (September 20, 2008 – January 4, 2009)

· The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection (September 6, 2008 - May 26, 2009)

· Speaking Parts: Conversations between Works in the Collection (October 4, 2008 – November 2010)

· Dale Chihuly Glass Permanent Collection (Always on view)

To introduce The Surrealist Impulse, Rock will give us a small introduction to the surrealist movement. Mary Ann Peters, one of the artists featured in The Surrealist Impulse (and previously seen in the NW Biennial – check your notes!), will talk about her own art and practices and what part surrealism plays in it. Mary Ann is an exceptionally engaging and dynamic speaker, and I know that you all love to meet the artists first-hand and get the inside story, so to speak. And start brushing up on surrealism!

For What is a Trade? Donald Fels and Signboard Painters of South India, we will also get to meet the artist, hear him speak about his work, and ask him lots of questions since we will have him all to ourselves. The catalog for this exhibition is required reading.

We will also have a potluck lunch together in the classroom to start off the new season. More details to come closer to the date.

http://www.davidsongalleries.com/artists/fels/fels.html

We will be introduced to Oasis: Western Dreams of the Ottoman Empire by Lisa Small, Associate Curator at the Dahesh Museum of Art. She will lead a docent training for us on September 18 and at the Frye on September 19. Oasis complements another exhibition of work from the Dahesh Museum, Napoleon on the Nile: Soldiers, Artists, and the Rediscovery of Egypt, which will be on view at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle from August 30, 2008 through January 4, 2009. Please try to attend both trainings – I will help organize car pools up to Seattle on September 19.
In preparation for the Oasis exhibition, please re-read chapter 16 on “Art in the Nineteenth Century” in our Responding to Art textbook.

www.daheshmuseum.org

http://www.fryeart.org/pages/onview.htm

Brief descriptions of the fall exhibitions are also attached as a document.

Lastly, I have attached a copy of the Fall Know More Art lecture series. These six lectures are highly recommended for all docents—the Know More Art lectures series is very popular with the public (and often close to sold out), always filled with knowledgeable and vibrant speakers, and the content is extremely relevant to your training and our exhibitions. Docents will receive a special half-price rate of $25 for all six lectures or $5 per lecture.

Please let me know if you will NOT be able to attend a required training.

	Sunday, August 24	*2008 Neddy* closes
	Saturday, September 6	*The Surrealist Impulse: New Acquisitions from the Tacoma Art Museum Collection* opens
	Saturday, September 7	*Illuminating the Word* *and Forty Part Motet* closes**
Required	Tuesday, Sept. 9, 10:30-11:30 am	Second Tuesday: The Surrealist Impulse Location: Event Space Rock will give an introduction to the surrealist movement. Mary Ann will talk about her artistic process, how it relates to concepts of surrealism, and then perhaps reflect and comment on other works in the exhibition.
	Saturday, September 13	What Is a Trade? Donald Fels and Signboard Painters of South India opens
Required	Saturday, September 13, 10 am – 2 pm	*What is a Trade?* Training by Don Fels Location: Classroom Afterwards, we will have an informal potluck lunch together. More details about lunch closer to the date.
Required	Thursday, September 18, 3-5 pm	*Oasis: Western Dreams of the Ottoman Empire from the Dahesh Museum of Art* training by Lisa Small, Associate Curator from the Dahesh Museum of Art Location: Classroom
Optional	Friday, September 19 (time tbd)	*Napoleon on the Nile* training at the Frye Art Museum, Seattle by Lisa Small, Associate Curator from the Dahesh Museum of Art Napoleon on the Nile is a traveling exhibition organized by the Dahesh Museum of Art in New York. http://www.fryeart.org/pages/onview.htm
	Saturday, September 20	*Oasis: Western Dreams of the Ottoman Empire from the Dahesh Museum of Art* opens
	Sunday, September 21	*Telling Stories* closes