Friday, August 27, 2010

TAM Docents: Great Woodblock Print Resources

Hello Docents-

Ellen Shigeno reintroduced me to a wonderful book today that she had donated to the ARC during the last woodblock print exhibition. It is called Japanese Woodblock Printing by Rebecca Salter. It has lovely images that show the step by step processes in not only creating the prints, but also the papers and the woodblocks. There are also pictures of different types of barens. I would highly recommend that you all look at it prior to the exhibition as a refresher. I will have that on the end cap for the Edo to Tacoma exhibition in the ARC.

I have also found a couple of videos you may find useful to watch in preparation:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaP4wt1n3w0 Training video on Japanese Woodblock Prints - Hokusai and Hiroshige: Great Japanese Prints from the James A. Michener Collection


http://www.densho.org/learning/shadow/module/index.html 
"One Japanese American family's memories of living behind barbed wire during World War II are captured in this bilingual multimedia website. The acclaimed artist Roger Shimomura, who was held at Minidoka, Idaho, as a three year old, found inspiration in his grandmother's journals for the series An American Diary. A virtual exhibition, In the Shadow of My Country displays these sharply ironic paintings tempered by the grandmother's patient, hopeful words. Complementing the central images are the poignant series Memories of Childhood (depicting Shimomura's earliest memories of Minidoka), photos of daily life in the detention camps, an interview with the artist, and quotations of Japanese Americans incarcerated as children. This array of images and voices recalls the harsh conditions, improvised diversions, and years lost in America's prison camps for innocent civilians. "

 

Thank you for all that you do for Tacoma Art Museum.

-Jana

 

Jana Wennstrom

Manager of Public and Volunteer Programs

TACOMA ART MUSEUM

1701 Pacific Avenue

Tacoma, Washington 98402

T: 253.272.4258 x3030

F: 253.627.1898

JWennstrom@TacomaArtMuseum.org

 

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

TAM Docents: DRAFT Fact Sheet about Chihuly and glass

Hello Docents-

I am trying to update the Chihuly Tour Guide Handbook and I thought a quick fact sheet might be useful to those who are new to Chihuly tours. I have a few quick facts down below. Any others that you might add?

I will send a full list when completed (assuming you contribute, that is).

Thank you,

-Jana

 

Chihuly Quick Fact Sheet


 

Ÿ  Lackawanna Ikebana – old Union Pacific railroad sign from Erie, Pennsylvania

 

Ÿ  Union Station dome: 90 ft. high; built in 1910 and completed in 1911; restoration completed in 1990;
designed by Reed & Stem, the architects who created New York's Grand Central Station
The station served rail passengers until 1983, when Amtrak moved its operations east of downtown.
1988 – Union Station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and renovations began.
All was restored to its original splendor at a total cost of $57 million, plus a new a Federal Courthouse wing was added.
Union Station reopened on May 15, 1992, its historic rotunda open and free to the public.

 

Ÿ  Blue Chandelier: 20 x 9 x 3 ft.; over 2000 pieces.

 

Ÿ  Nisqually Earthquake: Feb. 28, 2001; 6.8 richters.

 

Ÿ  End of Day Chandelier: 600 pieces; 17 different shapes.

 

Ÿ  Seaforms Pavilion: 2364 pieces

 

Ÿ  Venetian Wall: 109 pieces

 

Ÿ  Crystal Towers: 63 pieces per tower; 40 ft. high.

 

Ÿ  first American to be designated—as Chihuly was in 1992—a National Living Treasure (http://www.chihuly.com/essays/news_seymour.html)

 

Ÿ  Seattle ranks second only to Venice in the number and quality of glassblowers that crowd within its city limits.

 

Ÿ  the Louvre (where Chihuly is one of only four Americans to have had a one-man show)

 

Ÿ  Chihuly Over Venice: In September 1996, Chihuly mounted his most ambitious installation to that point: 14 enormous chandeliers installed temporarily over the canals and in the palazzos of Venice. The chandeliers had been created over the preceding 18 months in a series of blows in Finland, Ireland, and Mexico that were documented in "Chihuly Over Venice."

 

Ÿ  Chihuly has one of the biggest Pendleton blanket collections in the world.

 

TAM Docents: VTS Training Readings for Sept 22

Hello Docents-

I have attached the readings for the VTS training with Courtney on September 22. Don’t worry, she assures me that she will teach us a way to use this that is appropriate for adults. I just had VTS used on me in such a way that I recognized what it was but it really worked. I feel optimistic and I hope you will too. I will have these readings available in the front to the exhibitions binder tomorrow.

Thank you for being such a neat group to work with!

-Jana

 

Jana Wennstrom

Manager of Public and Volunteer Programs

TACOMA ART MUSEUM

1701 Pacific Avenue

Tacoma, Washington 98402

T: 253.272.4258 x3030

F: 253.627.1898

JWennstrom@TacomaArtMuseum.org

 

TAM Docents: New tour materials

Hello Docents-

I wanted to let you know about some items I ordered for the woodblock print exhibition: a Washi (paper) Sample Book and a Baren. Not sure what this stuff is or how it is used? The items come with simple descriptions of how they are used that I will keep with them. These will be placed with the glass samples by the docent desk.

Any other ideas for items to use in your tours?

Thank you for all that you do for Tacoma Art Museum!

-Jana

 

Jana Wennstrom

Manager of Public and Volunteer Programs

TACOMA ART MUSEUM

1701 Pacific Avenue

Tacoma, Washington 98402

T: 253.272.4258 x3030

F: 253.627.1898

JWennstrom@TacomaArtMuseum.org

 

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

TAM Docents: September Schedule

Hello Docents-

I have attached the training calendar again as we will be starting right off the bat with trainings starting in September!

There are still some shifts open for September. If you are available for any of the following shifts, please let me know.

Sunday, September 5                  12 – 4 pm

Thursday, September 16 10 am – 1 pm

Saturday, September 18  11 am – 3 pm

Wednesday, September 29          11 am – 3 pm

Thursday, September 30 11 am – 3 pm

Thank you,

-Jana

 

Jana Wennstrom

Manager of Public and Volunteer Programs

TACOMA ART MUSEUM

1701 Pacific Avenue

Tacoma, Washington 98402

T: 253.272.4258 x3030

F: 253.627.1898

JWennstrom@TacomaArtMuseum.org