Dallas Museum of Arts

THE MUSEUM

The Dallas Museum of Art is located in the Dallas Arts District. We hope in the future when our routines return to normal, you will visit the Museum. Meanwhile, visit the museum by visiting the following web site:

Click this link to visit the DMA web site.

Once you open the DMA site, take a tour for yourself. Explore and see what you can learn about this valuable community asset. To orient yourself, drop down the “About” from the sites headings. At least read “Director’s Welcome”, “Mission Statement”, “Museum History” and “Awards to Artists”.

The majority of your virtual tour will be spent exploring the various “collections” within the Museum’s “permanent collection”. To help you organize your tour, the Museum’s collections are listed below:
Answer each question in separate paragraphs

There are several parts included in this assignment and they are listed here:

1. Pick your first “collection”. Then select ONE work from that collection that you feel most represents the culture it represents. Obtain from the DMA web site an image of the work to insert into your essay.

Note on Selecting the Collections/Works

Your goal is to find two contrasting cultures. You might consider pairs such a

American/African

Mayan/European

Inuit/American

Egyptian/European

Contemporary Painting or Sculpture/African Tribal Masks

Incan Gold/American Furniture

In other words, do not pick two cultures that do not demonstrate obvious differences. It might be difficult, for example, to contrast 19th Century European Painting and 19th Century American Painting.

This is the most important task in the process. When you chose a collection and the works, think it through to make sure you will be able to develop their contrasts.

2. Pick your second “collection”. Then select ONE work from that collection that you feel most represents the culture it represents. Obtain from the DMA web site) an image of the work to insert into your essay.

3. Research the two cultures/periods you have selected. Keep track of your sources so that you can cite them, using MLA format, in your document.

SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE ESSAY

Please label each of the following sections in your essay.

1. INTRODUCTION

Briefly outline the purpose/thesis of this assignment. Introduce the two collections and two works that your essay will examine and contrast.

2. COLLECTION ONE/EXEMPLARY ARTWORK

First, insert the image of the artwork you have chosen. Below the work include a “credit line” which includes the title, artist, date, medium, collection.

Discuss the art work including any special notes about its compositional qualities, its use or the original context. Share any special information about the work that helps the reader understand its significance and importance to the culture or period that produced it.

Explain how the artwork expresses and reflects the culture that it represents. This may require some general background about the culture that helps the reader understand the artwork expression.

3. COLLECTION TWO/EXEMPLARY ARTWORK

Follow the outline in the above, number Two, except focus on the second collection and the selected artwork which should be inserted into your essay.

4. COMPARE/CONTRAST

In this section you will compare and contrast both the culture and the artwork. Contrast how the two cultures differ and how the two artworks express those differences respectively. It is not necessary to have images of the two artworks in this section because they are in the previous two sections.

5. THE MUSEUM’S ROLE

The museum is committed to serving the broader Dallas community. Discuss this commitment citing things you learned reading the articles in the “About” at the start of the museum site. And discuss how the Museum nurtures the growth of local artists.

6. FINAL THOUGHTS

You have become a cyber tourist and a cyber patron of the DMA! What are your general impressions gleaned as a result of your cyber visit? Was the site accessible and easy to navigate? And what were your general impressions of the Museum’s diverse collections. If you were able to visit in person, what collections or art works would be on your “Must See” list?

GENERAL POINTERS:

1. Do not use first person.

2. Label each of the sections outlined above.

3. Include credit lines under the two artworks about which you are writing.

4. Cite (using MLA format) all information you found in research sources. Your essay will be submitted to SafeAssign to scan for the sources you used.