A Very Impressionistic Summer

Although it seems Jean-Louis Forain: La Comédie parisienne has just opened, all departments have been buzzing with the F word for the past few months. In fact, before the grand Gala and opening night celebrations Forain had already made his debut in the summer camps, libraries and schools of Memphis. 

How you ask? Through Art to Grow! Art to Grow is the Dixon’s outreach program that brings the Dixon to learning spaces within a 60 mile radius of the museum, providing art lessons to students in the area.

I have only recently joined the Dixon and the Forain Summer Program has been my first solo challenge. A simple but fun craft: pastel self portraits seemed the obvious choice from looking at the array of beautiful portraiture in the Forain collection.

It has been a delight teaching the children about this well known impressionist. We have been exploring the sights of Paris, listening to French music, learning a little of the language along the way and even eaten the occasional croissant… What else has been a delight has been listening to librarians, camp staff and teachers squeal when they hear that Art to Grow is COMPLETELY FREE!!  Yes, we are very fortunate to be able to provide this service to our community. For that we thank our generous sponsors!

Forain is not an obvious choice for the younger crowd but his work has successfully sparked conversations about color, media, style and most importantly an opportunity for children to offer their insights and very truthful opinions. Children ‘oooh’ and ‘aahh’ at portrait d’homme- a stand out favorite among the elementary set, many convinced that it is President Lincoln!  

Jean-Louis Forain(French 1852 - 1931)

Portrait d’homme, ca. 1880-1883 

Oil on cardboard

22.24 x 14.45 inches

Private Collection, Belgium

As a newcomer to the Dixon I have been overwhelmed by the help and support offered by my colleagues; whether it be a lesson idea, technical support or just help finding an obscure item, someone has always been on hand and happy to oblige answer even some of the most unusual of questions.

I would also like to mention the AMAZING job done by the Dixon’s interns and volunteers this summer. Allison Hopper, Alice Valdes and Bennett LeMasters have all joined me on the Art to Grow van to help out. They have each brought their unique qualities to the program and have not been afraid to get stuck in and pretty messy!

Art to Grow will be off the road for the month of August and will be undergoing a serious makeover! I am getting very excited about the brand new curriculum and in particular designing some very special sessions on the work of Brain Selznick. ‘From Hugo to Houdini: the Art of Brian Selznick’ will be opening October 23^rd. This seems a way off right now but as a very wise Dixon employee said preparation is key!

Bryony Petch, Art to Grow Outreach Instructor

Forain is Open!

After months and months of hard work and excitement, Jean-Louis Forain: La Comedie parisienne finally opened to the public a couple of weeks ago on June 26.  As we have been saying for a while, this is the most ambitious exhibition in the history of the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, and it has been such a thrill to see it come to life.  If you've been to see the show, you can't help but notice how the Dixon's galleries have been transformed to accentuate Forain's inimitable work. 
The installation of this show was a production in and of itself and was in many ways an all-staff effort.  People from every department chipped in to help make the transition of the show from Paris to Memphis an easy and seamless one.  

The Dixon installation team (including director Kevin Sharp!) install one of the mosaics featured in Jean-Louis Forain: La Comedie parisienne.

Lots of blood, sweat, and tears were shed during the two week installation, but it was all worth it in the end when we unveiled the most beautiful and breathtaking exhibition we've ever produced!

Plough Gallery and title wall for Jean-Louis Forain: La Comedie parisienne

 As many of you may know, the Dixon has a deep connection to Forain and his work, as we are the major repository for his work in the United States.   Starting in 1987 with our first Forain acquisition, Woman Breathing in Flowers, we have continued to collect and promote the work of this essential Impressionist here in the Memphis and around the United States.

Jean-Louis Forain, Woman Breathing in Flowers, Collection of the Dixon Gallery and Gardens

 In 1993, the Dixon acquired around 55 of Forain's paintings and works on paper in a move that was described by the International Herald Tribune as a "masterstroke."  When that purchase was made, the Dixon began a unique friendship with the artist's great-granddaughter, Florence Valdes-Forain.  Nearly 20 years later, we have collaborated with Florence and her colleagues at Paris' Petit Palais to produce this landmark retrospective exhibition. 

Florence Valdes-Forain and me at the Sunday all-members opening on June 26.

As a young curator, it has been the experience of a lifetime being part of this exhibition.  I can't tell you how much I have learned and I feel privileged to be part of the team that helps re-introduce Jean-Louis Forain and his work to the United States.  This exhibition has been such a blast from the very beginning, and now that it's officially open, the real fun has started!

If you haven't stopped by to see the show, I invite you to come to the Dixon this weekend to check it out.  Throughout the run of the show, there will be several fun and informal tours and lectures that tie into Forain, his work, and his legacy.  I don't think the galleries at the Dixon have ever been more beautiful or more alive.  I promise you won't be disappointed! 
Thanks to everyone in the community for their outpouring of support and enthusiasm--without you this exhibition would never take place!
Hope to see everyone around the Dixon soon.

Julie Pierotti
Associate Curator

Enjoying the Moment

Something occurred to me while having lunch at Café Forain the other day.  Before coming to work at the Dixon (almost two years ago), I was a landscape contractor.  Over the years, I have designed and built many beautiful spaces, but have rarely had the chance to enjoy them firsthand.  Most of the enjoyment came vicariously when clients would tell me how much they love their new space – and that thrilled me.

Eating a fine lunch at a very blue bistro table with shade sails above and a cooling mist gently blowing past, I realized that, at the Dixon, I actually have the opportunity to experience the scenes we create.  It’s easy to get lost in all the details that need to get tended to – weeds to be pulled, pruning to be done, areas to be cleaned – and forget to look at the whole picture.  Sometimes a moment like the one at Café Forain happens, though, and I am proud of the work we do and gratified with the experience we have created.  The Café is now my favorite place in the garden.  I hope you like it as much as I.

-Jesse Howley, Manager of Grounds Horticulture

Cafe Forain is our new cafe service - In the Gardens & Indoors

 

GARDEN PATIO SERVICE: Serving beverages, snacks and sandwiches in the gardens from 10 am - 3 pm, including Thursday evenings, July 7 - October 6.

INDOOR SERVICE: Join us for lunch from 11 am - 2 pm, Tuesday-Friday, serving sandwiches, specials du jour and desserts. Hughes Pavilion.

By Just For Lunch
Comfort sponsored by Buzz Free Memphis

A Museum State of Mind

I can remember the first exhibition that made me fall in love with museums. I was a junior in college studying art history and I had an assignment to do an exhibition review on a Kerry James Marshall exhibition (One True Thing: Meditations on Black Aesthetics) at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

The show seemed to go on forever, each piece more interesting than the last, on all white walls and in several different galleries. It was amazing and I went back to learn more and see the show as many times as I could before it closed.

It only takes one exhibition, one artist, one museum visit to start a life-long love affair with museums. I not only became more interested in Marshall’s work, but also gained a new appreciation for the experience of viewing art and visiting museums.

I think that Jean-Louis Forain: La Comédie parisienne is going to be the exhibition that provides that experience for a lot of Memphians. This city is fortunate to have the exhibition here for three months which provides any and everyone the luxury of seeing the show over and over again. Everyone at the Dixon is excited about the opportunity for the Forain show to spark that life-long love affair with art and museums that can stick with you forever and we wanted to provide you with everything needed to enhance your visit and make that possible.

Jean-Louis Forain, French, 1852-1931, Woman with a Mask and Black Gloves, 1894, Watercolor and gouache, Les Arts Décoratifs, musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, Photos Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris/ Jean Tholance

Every department at the museum is working to perfect every detail: from the wall colors, to the vocabulary used in the text panels, to the plantings in the gardens, we want you to be able to view Forain's work in the most educational and enjoyable experience possible.

Café Forain opens on June 28.  

We know that spending an afternoon walking through the galleries can stir up quite the appetite and we, along with Just for Lunch, prepared for that as well.

The effect that some of these changes will have on the museum is temporary and the colors of the wall will eventually change again. The visitor's memory of this show, however, can stay with them for a life-time and create the desire to see more shows, view more art and experience museums in a new way.

- Chantal Drake, communications associate

To top it all off....

Lemon zest or a small bunch of basil on the top of a delicious dish

That perfect piece of jewelry to compliment that fantastic ensemble

The dash of lime or the sprig of mint to enhance the taste of a cool beverage

The ornate napkin holder to spruce up a table setting

Finishing touches can add that special something, a unique addition and an unexpected surprise to the most ordinary of events and normal occurrences. The finishing touches can make a huge difference in the way something is perceived or taken in and can affect the impression of everything that is to follow.

With only one week away from the opening of Jean-Louis Forain: La Comédie parisienne, the Dixon staff is putting the finishing touches on the galleries, entrances, gardens and much more.

Beautiful banners have been installed on the Dixon residence and our fences.

 

Café Forain is coming together with the area mapped out and being prepped for tables and chairs, along with the redesign of the plants.

 

Along with much needed Garden maintenance and additions, we are also making the grounds extra safe and special for all of our guests.

We are one week away from the most ambitious exhibition in the Dixon's thirty-five year history.

Join us!

Preparation is key!

My parents used to have a huge gathering for Independence Day every year. Immediate and extended family, plus close friends would come over for food, volleyball (water guns, slip n slide and bike riding for me, my sisters and cousins) and fireworks. Each year my sisters and I would dread the preparation for the cookout (on steroids) that we called Fourth of July.

My dad would cook and we would clean EVERYTHING. We would help our mom with her red, white and blue decorations. We also had the luxury of raking cut grass into huge piles onto a wheel barrow to be taken to the “unkept” section of the yard. (I am from Harvest, AL)

Each year my sisters and I moaned and complained about the tasks that we had to complete and the ridiculous manner my parents behaved, as if we were expecting royalty over for a dinner that would affect the future of the free world. But each year, my aunts and mom’s friends would go gaga over her décor. My dad would bask in the compliments of how tasty the food was and how great the yard looked. And to be honest, it is a lot easier to run from a water gun and ride a bike without a grass pile in your way.

The preparation was worth it. The process was tedious and boy did we sweat, but in the end, the results always came out great.

The preparation for Jean- Louis Forain: La Comédie parisienne is underway and everyone here at the Dixon has been hard at work. The location of Café Forain has been decided and preparation for a tasty menu for all of our visitors is being planned.

The garden staff is transforming and reconfiguring the gardens with new trees and fantastic designs at the entrance booth.

Our front banners have gone up and look great.

The painting in the interior is almost complete, with even our Mallory and Wurtzburger galleries getting a facelift.

By June 26, we will look around and know that the preparation and overtime was worth it. The exhibition will look amazing, but so will the Dixon and all of the promotional materials, gardens and other small details that go along with it.  We look forward to everyone seeing how all of the hard work pays off!

Watch the blog for more on the transformation …..

Chantal Drake, communications associate

More than a fresh coat of paint!

Whenever I spruce up my house with flowers from the yard or a quick spin with the vacuum it helps me feel refreshed, relaxed, and ready for the next few days to come. Even if no one special is coming to visit, just changing the furniture around, replanting a few pots on the front porch, or fixing something I know has been broken for months can set in motion a pattern of productivity, satisfaction and excitement for the future.

At the Dixon, this pattern was set in motion in March and will continue to move through the next three weeks until the opening of the Forain retrospective. To welcome all of our summer visitors and members and art arriving from all over the world, we will be sprucing up in more ways than one. Between last week and the weekend of June 26, a large portion of the grounds and museum will undergo a complete transformation.

Watch the blog to see these numerous exciting changes taking place—some large, and some small, made with paint, vacuums, construction, plantings, lighting, signage, shovels, flowers, furniture, color, people and of course, art. All things combined will produce a visitor experience to the Dixon and to the Forain retrospective to rival any in the past.

The first renovation took place in late March near the museum entrance. After installing new signage on the façade of the building, the garden staff planted parterres, a method of imposing geometric shapes on the landscape with plants. These parterres were inspired by a design found in an 18^th century French gardening book. Be sure to take a close look at these the next time you visit---they contain 500 boxwoods EACH. New elements in other areas of the garden include the hornbeam allee, connecting the admission booth entrance to the Ceres sculpture, and a generous helping of hydrangeas, lavender and coneflower. Following suit with the French, the Dixon raises gardening to a high art.

Then, we re-painted the auditorium a dark charcoal gray in order to better highlight our pewter collection and create an optical illusion of a higher ceiling.

 

Next we’ll move outside to Garrott Court and the gardens to watch our new café root from a lovely patch of green grass and the residence take on color, rhythm, and life.

- Emily Halpern, Associate Director of Communications