Blog Category: community

Will Work for Art: Paul Palacios

"Will Work for Art" takes you behind the scenes to meet the people who make the Fine Arts Museums work. This week we take you into the tech shop, where preparator Paul Palacios installs the art that makes the galleries and exhibitions you see possible! Originally from Texas, Paul has been with the Museums for almost thirteen years, minus the two he spent working at the Asian Art Museum during the construction of the new de Young.

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A Day in the Life of the Museum Ambassadors

Last week you met the Museum Ambassadors, a highly motivated group of high school students trained to educate younger students about all things art. Today, we give you a sneak peek into the work that they do here at the Museums.

Weeks before we begin giving community tours, we memorize our scripts with our fellow ambassadors.

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Every Which Way But Up

When installing a painting or sculpture for exhibition, determining the correct orientation of the work is (perhaps obviously) paramount. When discussing modern art, a seemingly simple question like “Which side is up?” can become much more complicated; and occasionally when dealing with abstract art, this determination can be downright perplexing.

Two paintings recently reinstalled in Gallery 50 at the de Young have raised this question for years. Since they first arrived at the Museums, Georgia O’Keeffe’s Petunias and Arthur Dove’s Sea Gull Motive have puzzled viewers and art historians alike.

Georgia O'Keeffe (American, 1887–1986). Petunias, 1925. Oil on hardboard panel. Museum purchase, gift of the M. H. de Young Family. 1990.55. © Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

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Meet the Museum Ambassadors

If you visit the de Young and Legion of Honor this summer, you may be surprised see troupes of young children following teenagers around the galleries. Don’t be alarmed by these lively tours– they are being led by the extremely capable Museum Ambassadors!

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Will Work for Art: Ann Hedges

"Will Work for Art" takes you behind the scenes to meet the people who make the Fine Arts Museums work. This week we take you into the whimsical world of the Flower Committee, where we meet artist Ann Hedges. Originally from New York City, Ann has been volunteering with the Museums for fifteen years.

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Artist Adventures at the de Young's Summer Camp

“I think of art and painting as a journey, not simply a destination.”—Ken Campbell

Artist adventures! There are so many places to explore in the museum, and so many materials to experiment with in the studio!

  • How are artists inspired by different places and cultures in the world?
  • How does our sense of place affect our art?
  • What kinds of journeys do artists take with their materials in the studio?

These are some of the many questions the 7-and 8-year-old artists are thinking about as they spend a week in the de Young Museum drawing, sculpting, painting, observing, and making.

The week started off with venturing up to the tower and drawing from the many different reflective places. What can a new place teach you?

Summer camper drawing

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