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Blog Category: de Young

Mother’s Day with the Mother Culture!

Posted by Samantha Saxon-Ba... on May 6, 2011

Come celebrate Mother’s Day with the mother culture of Mesoamerica—the Olmec!

It seems fitting that the last opportunity to visit our exhibition on the Olmec is this Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8th. Often referred to as the “mother culture” of Mesoamerica, the Olmec were a lasting influence on Mesoamerican art, culture and civilization. And, like any good mom, their influence is clear in the subsequent, or epi-Olmec, cultures that came after them. Come celebrate with your mom, and make sure to visit the handful of female representations that are here with the exhibition.

Olmec Stela

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Will Work for Art: Rich Rice

Posted by Sarah Bailey Hogarty on May 5, 2011

"Will Work for Art" takes you behind the scenes to meet the people who make the Fine Arts Museums possible. Rich Rice, the AV/IT Coordinator, is about as behind-the-scenes as you can get! Originally from Connecticut, Rich has been with the Museums for 15 years (he thinks).

What do you do here at the Museums?

I manage the technical aspects of theater events and exhibitions. I’m also responsible for Mac desktop support.

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The Conservator’s Role in Honoring Artistic Intent

Posted by Lesley Bone on May 3, 2011

When objects conservators design a treatment for a corroded sculpture, they often have to grapple with the issue of the artist’s intent.

For instance, would Henry Moore at age 29, who made a sculpture with a shiny metallic surface, be in agreement with Henry Moore at 75, who, when interviewed about a treatment, stated that he quite liked the idea that surfaces went green, dry and streaky with time?

One way a conservator can help tease out these contradictions is to interview contemporary artists about the materials and techniques they use and then record how these artists would like their sculptures cared for in the future. At the Fine Arts Museums we are developing a database tracking this information for contemporary sculpture under our care.

The artist Al Farrow with

Artist Al Farrow with his sculpture The Spine and Tooth of Santo Guerro previously on view at the de Young
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Cutting Edge Photography Technique Comes to the de Young!

Posted by Sue Grinols on May 2, 2011

My name is Sue Grinols and as the director of photo services and imaging, I witness the intersection of art and technology on a daily basis. This is an exciting time to be working in photography. Just seeing how technology is changing the field can be breathtaking, not to mention challenging.

Photographing artwork is a sub-specialty of studio photography. Here at the Museums, we use the same equipment and techniques as photographers who produce beautiful images of cars, perfume bottles, leather couches, and the perfectly grilled steak. But instead of trying to capture the steak’s sizzle or the couch’s inviting warmth, we attempt to bring out the essential character of the artwork while emphasizing its sublime beauty whenever possible. When we’re not doing that, we can make images that show the hard, cold details of an object in order to help conservators as they work through treating the artwork, or to help curators in their scholarly study of an object. It is this second type of photography that I want to blog about today.

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In Memoriam: Merle Greene Robertson, 1913–2011

Posted by Sarah Bailey Hogarty on April 26, 2011

It is with great sadness that the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco mourn the passing of Merle Greene Robertson. A legend in the world of Mesoamerican studies and Maya epigraphy, Robertson has been a friend and consultant to the Museums for decades. She generously donated many of her unique rubbings made from the monuments of Chichen Itza, a large Maya center that flourished on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico after AD 800. These rubbings provide clear renderings of detailed Maya stone carvings and are an important aspect of the Museums' Mesoamerican holdings.


© 2008 Ron Henggeler
 
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Art in the Summer for Kids at the de Young

Posted by Andrew Fox on April 25, 2011

Kids at Art in the Summer camp at the de YoungThis summer, make your kid an artist—join us for art camp at the de Young Museum!

The de Young presents the second edition of Art in the Summer, June 20–August 12 for children entering kindergarten to fifth grade. This year, the program offers a broader selection of activities. Children are invited to participate in a full day of art classes running Monday–Friday from 9 am–3 pm with an optional open studio from 3–5:30 pm. Children are divided into three groups according to grade level.

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