Film Screening at the DMA: Ghosts of Lost Futures on May 22

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Ghosts of Lost Futures video stillIs a spectre haunting the archive? Do the films collected there proclaim a history that is no longer or a future that is not yet here? Is there something to reclaim in the bits of visual history that have been rescued in the archive? Have you felt the horizon closing before your eyes, the promise of the future you’ve been waiting for becoming a perpetual, timeless present? Cultural theorist Mark Fisher describes a tendency in contemporary culture he refers to as “hauntological” that refuses to give up on a lost future that no longer seems possible. “This refusal gives the melancholia a political dimension, because it amounts to a failure to accommodate to the closed horizons of capitalist realism.”

In partnership with the Dallas Museum of Art, the G. William Jones Film and Video Collection and the SMU Libraries will present Ghosts of Lost Futures, a screening of new, commissioned videos from 10 artists using footage held in the WFAA News Film archive. The screening will be held in person at the DMA’s Horchow Auditorium on Saturday May 22nd at 3pm. This screening is Free, but for safety, it will have limited capacity and requires RSVP via the DMA’s website here: https://dma.org/programs/event/film-screening-ghosts-lost-futures

This program, Ghosts of Lost Futures, features new video works by 10 artists commissioned by the G. William Jones Film and Video Collection. Each artist was given access to the same cache of footage from the WFAA Newsfilm Collection shot in Dallas in 1970, the year of the archive’s founding. The program was intended to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the archive, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns, the program was not completed until the spring of 2021. The artists were given complete freedom in how they reinterpreted the footage and its historical context. The resulting works are profound meditations on mourning, melancholy, disaster, and various reinterpretations of the events of 2020 and 2021 through images of Dallas’s past.

Artists in this program:

Amber Bemak (Dallas, TX)
Marwa Benhalim (Cairo, Egypt)
Melanie Clemmons (Dallas, TX)
Curt Heiner (Denver, CO)
Zak Loyd (Dallas, TX)
Lisa Mccarty (Dallas, TX)
Sean Miller (Dallas, TX)
Angelo Madsen Minax (Brooklyn, NY / Burlington, VT)
Liz Rodda (Austin, TX)
Tramaine Townsend (Dallas, TX)

Program curated by Michael A. Morris

Commissioned by the SMU Libraries and the G. William Jones Film and Video Collection
SMU Libraries Staff Advisors: Jeremy Spracklen, Scott Martin, Jolene De Verges, Beverly Mitchell

In 1970 the G. William Jones Film and Video Collection was founded at Southern Methodist University and was then known as the Southwest Film/Video Archives. Currently part of the SMU Libraries, it is home to many important collections of films and videos from the region, including the WFAA Newsfilm Collection.

Get Zen @ Hamon: Tame your Brain – May 3 – 7

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Get Zen and Tame Your Brain with meditation! During the week of May 3 – 7, the Hamon Arts Library offers a guided meditation series. Practicing just 10 minutes a day may enable a greater sense of well-being, alleviate mental stress, and promote sustained focus.

Get Zen @ Hamon: Tame your Brain

Blog post: LaGail Davis, General Operations Manager and zen master, Hamon.

Highlights from Fossils to Film: The Best of SMU’s Collections – Barbara Maples’ Taos Fiesta

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Two museums, the Meadows Museum and the Centre Pompidou, are featuring the work of Barbara Maples, a well-known printmaker. On loan from Bywaters Special Collections to the  Meadows Museum’s Fossils to Film: The Best of SMU’s Collections, is Maples’ Taos Fiesta. In addition, she is one of several female artists featured in the Centre Pompidou’s exhibition, Elles font l’abstraction (Women in Abstraction), opening in May 2021.

Born in Temple, Texas, Barbara Lucile Maples (1912 – 1999) graduated from Mary-Hardin Baylor College in Belton, with a BA degree in 1933. Six years later she received a MA degree from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. She began her teaching career in Temple and Fort Worth before joining the Dallas Independent School District in elementary and secondary art from 1937 – 1964. In 1965, Maples became the Assistant Professor of Art Education, and in 1974, Associate Professor of Crafts Design at SMU. She taught at the University until retiring in 1978.

In the mid-1980s, when interest in Texas Regionalism re-emerged, Maples encouraged the exhibition, The Texas Printmakers, at the Meadows Museum at SMU. The 1990 exhibition again highlighted the group. The exhibition catalogue, written by Dr. David Farmer, former director of DeGolyer Library at SMU, and guest curator, Paul Rogers Harris, is available in both the Hamon Arts Library and Bywaters Special Collections.

Maples practiced painting, photography, and metalsmithing, but was known as a printmaker. She joined the Printmakers Guild (renamed Texas Printmakers in 1952) in Dallas and served as its president fromTaos Fiesta_Maples 1945 – 1946. Her color block print, Taos Fiesta, presents an image of the historic carousel, Tío Vivo (Uncle Lively), a main feature at the Taos Fiesta. The carousel is turned by hand-operation of a cog wheel to the accompaniment of Spanish music from fiddle and guitar. It was built in Germany, and originally owned and operated by a traveling circus. In the late 1800s, it was discovered abandoned and broken in the mountainous community of Peñasco in Taos County. In 1938 the Taos Lions Club purchased and restored the carousel with the help of the Taos Society of Artists. Members Oscar Berninghaus and Ernest Blumenschein repainted several of the horses. Other artists and photographers used the carousel as a subject in their work. A mystery writer in Santa Fe, Dorothy Hughes, wrote Ride the Pink Horse, basing the theme on Tío Vivo. In 1947, Robert Montgomery directed and starred in a movie based upon the novel.

Tío Vivo continues to be a highlight of the Taos Fiesta.

Blog post: Ellen Buie Niewyk, Curator, Bywaters Special Collections.

Barbara Maples, Taos Fiesta, ca, 1947, color block print on paper, 14.25 x 13.25 in. (36.20 x 33.66 cm). Bywaters Special Collections, Hamon Arts Library, Gift of Susan Kennon Carruth in memory of Barbara Maples.

Curatorial Minds Lab: Virtual Lecture with Guest Curator May Makki on April 28

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Curatorial Minds Lab: Virtual Lecture with Guest Curator May Makki

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

5:30 p.m.

Virtual lecture; advance registration required.

FREE

May Makki is an independent curator interested in developing new networks of exhibition and distribution. Her current research focuses on practices that build out autonomous and collective approaches to cultural production in the Arab region. Most recently, she co-founded RISO BAR, aHuff_Makki publishing initiative and cooperative space that facilitates collaboration and experimentation using risograph printing. A RISO BAR exhibition is currently on display at SMU’s Pollock Gallery. Makki holds a B.A. in art history from the University of Chicago and is an M.A. candidate at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College. The lecture is presented as part of the Curatorial Minds Lab, a new initiative of the Hamon Arts Library’s Hawn Gallery and the Pollock Gallery at SMU that gives five Fellows – made up of alumni and current students – an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the historical development of curatorial practices and study contemporary art display theory and practice. To register to attend the virtual lecture, visit https://smu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAtcO6hqzkvG91qUMzx_B2T6i9jrCrWcxaX. For more information, visit https://pollockgallery.art/Curatorial-Minds-Lab or email Pollock Gallery Assistant Curator Everton Melo at emelo@smu.edu.

Moderated by Elise Huff, CML fellow and SMU alumnae.

Get Zen @ Hamon: Enjoy Nature Outside and In

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Mandala Transparent

 

On a 10 minute walk to Hamon from anywhere on campus, you can enjoy the therapeutic benefits of enjoying nature by slowing your pace and taking notice of the trees, flowers and water features. 

 

 

Here are a few reasons why this walk makes you feel better:

  • Being in nature makes you feel happier  

Spending just 15 minutes sitting outdoors may help you feel psychologically restored.

  • Being in nature may make help you concentrate better  

Taking a break in nature can improve your concentration by giving your brain a well-needed break. Leave your phone and laptop behind and let your mind unwind.

  • Being in nature limits your stress

Being outside, even if just in your own SMU neighborhood, can reduce stress in the body.

  • Being in nature lightens feelings of depression  

Spending time outside heals you in so many ways—including your mental health.

Nature outside of Hamon

Inside of Hamon, you can also engage with nature. Experience the benefits of studying with indoor plants and in natural sunlight on the first, second and third floors.

  • Indoor plants may help reduce stress levels

Plants in the library can make you feel more comfortable, soothed and natural.

  • Real plants may sharpen your attention

Studying in the library with real, live plants may make you more attentive and better able to concentrate.

  • Plants may boost your productivity

Multiple studies have found that plants in a workspace increase both productivity and creativity.

Hamon in nature

Find out other reasons why nature is good for you and the benefits of indoor plants:

https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-home-guide/benefits-of-indoor-plants#7-benefits

https://selecthealth.org/blog/2019/07/10-reasons-why-being-in-nature-is-good-for-you

Blog post and photography: LaGail Davis, General Operations Manager and zen master, Hamon Arts Library, SMU
Sources linked above.

Curatorial Minds Lab: Virtual Lecture with Guest Curator Yina Jiménez Suriel on April 7

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Virtual Lecture with Guest Curator Yina Jiménez Suriel

April 7, 5:30 p.m.

Yina Jiménez Suriel. Curator and researcher. She obtained her master’s degree in History of Art and Visual Culture, with a focus on visual studies from the Universitat de València. She has collaborated in different institutions, among them Casa Quien, Centro León, Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger, Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín. She has been invited to seminars, workshops, and congresses at various institutions,CML logo including Centro de Fotografía de Montevideo, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad de los Andes, Institut Kunst at FHNW Academy of Art and Design. She has written in media such as Arquitexto and Terremoto and is a contributor to Contemporary And magazine. She lives in the Dominican Republic.

Moderated by Gabriela Paiva de Toledo, CML fellow and PhD candidate in the Rasc/A Meadows School of the Arts Art History program.

When: Apr 7, 2021 05:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

 

Please register in advance for this meeting:

https://smu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwvdO6upjovE9VSfYiTxp-92j_fMzd5Javz

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Get Zen @ Hamon: Laughter is the best medicine!

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Get Zen_Laughter

As you have often heard, laughter is the best medicine! This phrase may be quoted often because laughter relaxes the entire body. It temporarily relieves physical tension and stress. In fact, it can leave your muscles relaxed for forty-five minutes after a good, hearty laugh.

At Hamon, we recommend watching a romantic comedy to relieve your stress! The Library has a selection of rom-com movies on display in the Hamon Commons area on the first floor. If you are looking for a specific title, you may also search the SMU Libraries catalog. If you wish to browse across titles, you can search by subject using the term: romantic comedy films, and even limit by date range for older or more recent videos.

Hamon Arts Library has thousands of movies on DVD and Blue Ray! Reserve your favorite title and pick it up at the services desk or arrange for curbside or locker pick up through the Hamon home page.

If you need help finding a movie title, or anything else this spring, Ask Us. We’re here to help!

Blog post: LaGail Davis, General Operations Manager and zen master, Hamon Arts Library, SMU

Image source of two women laughing: Istock.

Get Zen @ Hamon: Stretching & Breathing

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Chair Sun SalutationsWhenever you are in Hamon, we encourage you to take a break to quiet your mind with some simple Yoga poses and deep breathing. To help you, throughout the library you will see posters instructing you on how to hold Yoga poses and breathe deeply in a chair.

Hamon Arts Library is a great place to study for SMU faculty, staff and students in a quiet environment. The second and third floors are designated silent study areas and the first floor is where quiet collaboration can take place. Each floor has a number study carrels for a more secluded studying experience and open tables are near windows allow you to study with a view.

Bookable study rooms with various capacity (1 – 3 people) are available in case you need a little more privacy for Zoom classes or working on group projects. Reserve a study room through the Hamon homepage.

If you need help with booking a study room or have more questions about Hamon, don’t hesitate to AskUs.

Blog post: LaGail Davis, General Operations Manager and zen master, Hamon Arts Library, SMU

Curatorial Minds Lab: Virtual Lecture with Guest Curator Sofía Casarin, Co-founder of Ruta del Castor, Mexico City

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Curatorial Minds Lab: Virtual Lecture with Guest Curator Sofía Casarin, Co-founder of Ruta del Castor, Mexico City

Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 5:30 pmCML logo

Virtual lecture; advance registration required.

Sofia Casarin is a Mexico-based curator and art historian whose work focuses on the relationship between the arts and politics and on the role of artists as civic agents. She is the co-founder and curator of Ruta del Castor in Mexico City, a nonprofit organization working with artists and supporting meaningful, socially engaged art initiatives through residency programs, research projects and commissions in public spaces. She has served as an editor and writer for art and literature magazine diSONARE, as a juror for numerous art competitions and as a speaker and panelist for conferences on art and community. She holds a B.A. in art history and international relations from Florida International University and an M.A. in art and politics from Goldsmiths, University of London. The lecture is presented as part of the Curatorial Minds Lab, a new initiative of the Hamon Arts Library’s Hawn Gallery and the Pollock Gallery at SMU that gives five Fellows – made up of alumni and current students – an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the historical development of curatorial practices and study contemporary art display theory and practice. To register to attend the virtual lecture, please visit:  https://smu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIlcOyqqzwsE9cIyBwslaoGzyHKwe_3BHf4.

For more information, visit https://pollockgallery.art/Curatorial-Minds-Lab or email Pollock Gallery Assistant Curator Everton Melo at emelo@smu.edu.

Curatorial Minds Lab – spring 2021 fellows & upcoming events

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Please join us in welcoming the five fellows for the spring 2021 Curatorial Minds Lab cohort, hosted by the Hawn Gallery in the Hamon Arts Library, SMU.  

CML logo
Aidan Ellis (she/her) is a second-year student from Austin, TX pursuing majors in Film & Media Studies and English with minors in Human Rights and Art History. She applies her diverse academic interests to examine how the ideation, production, curation, and reception of cultural texts respond and relate to Human Rights topics and issues. She is particularly fascinated by texts as mechanisms for empathy, and she hopes to produce and curate texts in ways that utilize this mechanism to achieve meaningful, cross-cultural understanding.

Elise Huff is a recent graduate from Southern Methodist University. During her time as an undergraduate, she was a recipient of SMU’s Engaged Learning Fellowship, conducting independent research on the intersection of nonverbal and verbal modes of communication and its impact on 1st and 2nd generation Germans and Mexicans in the United States. Recently, she interned for the Dallas Art Fair, as well as Site 131, a contemporary art gallery. She currently is enrolled in Harvard’s CopyrightX program, examining topics related to art law, as well as intellectual and cultural property. Elise plans to pursue a master’s degree in art history this upcoming fall, and her primary research interests include the use of legal documents in Conceptual art and the role of authorship in collaborative or performance-based works.

Adrienne Lichliter-Hines is a printmaking and paper artist and educator working in Dallas, Texas. She received her MFA from Clemson University in 2014 and has a Bachelors of Arts in art history and painting from Southern Methodist University. Her work has been shown throughout Texas and the United States as well as abroad in China, Japan, Egypt, Italy, and the UK. She has been an invited resident artist at The Kala Art Institute in Berkeley CA, 100 West in Corsicana TX, Artscape in Toronto, Canada, and Zygote Press in Cleveland OH. She is currently the Marketing and Programs Manager of The Cedars Union, a nonprofit art incubator in Dallas, TX, and the Advisory Board President of Corsicana Artists and Writers Residency. Adrienne maintains a modest studio practice exploring photographic textures and non-objective mark-making through lithography in an effort to challenge the hierarchy of commodified attention.

Gabriela Paiva de Toledo is a second-year Ph.D. student in the RASC/a: Rhetorics of Art, Space, and Culture at Southern Methodist University. She received her B.A. in History with an Art History minor from the University of Campinas (Brazil) in 2015 and her M.A. in Art History from the same institution in 2017. Currently, her interests lie in Contemporary Brazilian art and photography.

Sophia Salinas is a senior SMU undergraduate student working towards a BA of Art History and a BBA in General Business. She has focused her studies on modern and contemporary art with attention to feminist theories of agency, embodiment, and technology, and is currently completing a thesis on Cyberfeminist Art Practices. She is also the current AAMD Intern in Museum Education at the Meadows Museum.ABOUT

Curatorial Minds Lab is a bimonthly gathering (online/on-campus) of SMU alumni and current students interested in deepening their understanding of the historical development of curatorial practices and the study of contemporary art display theory/practice including exhibition typologies and curatorial models. In the framework of this program, history, theory, contextualization, organization, and execution of curatorial projects will be discussed, evaluated, and critiqued.

The Curatorial Minds Lab is a program designed by SMU Pollock Gallery Director, Sofia Bastidas Vivar in collaboration with Assistant Director of the Hamon Arts Library and Hawn Gallery curator, Beverly Mitchell. The space for this theorization and practice will be in the Hawn Gallery at the Hamon Arts Library, accompanied by materials and texts.

CML fellows will also moderate a series of online public talks given by curators established or emerging in their careers. Included in these series are Taylor Renee Aldridge, Sofia Casarín, Yina Jiménez Suriel, and May Makki. Dates for this series are March 17, April 7, April 28 and September 22 at 5:30 pm.

For more information please contact: abastidas@smu.edu