Dominique De Menil

CITE 10 AN li i 19 9 ominique de Menil li.nl extraordi- to Jerry MacAgy. As we drove on toward nary talents that she used with Memphis later thai day, the dreary, flat Dgrace and wisdom in the lields of land of eastern Arkansas was miraculous- art, religion, human rights, and education ly transformed into a .Ylagntie world — to enrich the world. As she often remind- his blue sky and puffy white clouds; crisp, ed us, many of her activities would not basic forms .mA trees in a row. In QUI have been possible without ihe material family lore, we refer to this experience nift of inherited wealth. But, as everyone as "The Apotheosis of Arkansas." Domi knew, that wealth would have been of lit- nique continued to work her exhibition tle consequence without her internal gifts magic lor another 30 years. of character. She directed the details, too, as was The magnitude of Dominique's accom- manifest when I first observed her design- plishments was so great thai any effort to ing a "simple" program and accompany- reflect upon her life seems insufficient. I ing announcement. Never had I seen offer here a few observations and person- anyone so exacting about everything from al expr.rii.ncis with the hope of indicating the conception of the program to the bits of a far bigger, richer whole. wording and design oi the announcement: One feature that characterized Domi- from her concern for the audience to the nique from our first meeting was ihe ele- effect ol her standards on her co-workers. ment of surprise. In ! Vfvl, my wife, It w.iv .1 veritable course in graphic de- Ginny, and I traveled from Yale (where 1 sign, communication, and management was a graduate student) to New York ro tor the staff, as well as lor local printers meet someone described only as "a patron and photographers. of the University of St. Thomas in Hous- Some of the work rook place in the ton." We speculated about a Texan with de Menil I louse on San Felipe, and that i pi.,; i i i i ri in V v, V.i I.. Inn ihe iv.iliu home was another surprise. It was ,\ti was far from our speculations. We en- understated Philip Johnson building — countered Dominique de Menil in an I asf on the front, a long low, unadorned brick Side towiihouse filled with an eye-opening wall punctuated only by a plane of glass collection of art. She was charmingly ill- containing the front door and a small at ease, gracious, and, at the end of the strip of windows, high up to the right of meeting, concerned about our late return the door. It did not look at all like what to New Haven without dinner. According- one expected of a wealthy family in the ly, she packed what we came to call the River < >.iks section of 1 Innston. Thai Man fruit, portrait of Dominique dp Menil, 1934. "first Brown Hag I unch" — a grocer) doorway led into an exquisitely propor- bag of sandwiches, fruit, and Trench tioned foyer, installed with art and furni- Dominique de M e n i l cheeses that provisioned us for two days. tnre but open on the left to a glass-walled Subsequently, 1 accepted the position interior garden that provided a glimpse .11 St. Thomas. Hut we had hardly un- through to the living room beyond. That 1 9 0 8 1 9 9 7 packed before the death in February 1964 In mg room — an ample yet intimate of Jermayne MacAgy, the Art Department space — was also filled with art and lur chair who first recruited me. In the after- niture, including -m inviting ottoman in math ol that shocking event, Dominique the center of ihe room and a desk piled William A C a m f i e I d was appointed chair of the department. high with diverse publications on art, lit She .issiiinrJ |err> 's projects with little erature, philosophy, and religion. This experience in exhibitions or administra- home was a serene, intimate museum- tion, insofar as I knew. Wondering how library-garden, where one could share my new job would work out, I lound that John and Dominique's excitement Over her surprises continued. "The first pending a recent acquisition or browse among the pro|cct Dominique took over was an art and books. exhibition of the work of Rene Magrirte (In other occasions, the de Menil for the Arkansas Art Center in I ittle I louse was an electric gathering place for Rock. t">n the trip north to receive my civic and business leaders, .mists, writers, I'll. D. from Yale, Ginny and I stopped to clerics, politicians, and civil rights acti- visit the exhibition. It is riveted in my vists. At thai time, in the mid-to-tate memory. In matters ol conceiving and l^hOs, the burning issues in politics and installing exhibitions, Dominique dearly human rights revolved around ihe war in possessed the magic that had attracted me Viet Nam and racial integration. Domi- The Menil Coll.'tlion, 1515 Sul Roll, Renin Piono orihilrct wiih Riihoid Filirjerald and Partners, aiwciale art.hiler.lt. 1987. CITE 111 W i n 1 1 1 I 9 9 I I 9 9 1 11 all cultures and callings, she did have a ing. The Piano building is a product ol bias tor people who could teach her prolonged thought and research. It is something, nourish or enlarge her. Thar meant to be inviting, accessible, and com- nourishment could come in many forms patible in scale and materials with the — through knowledge or examples of neighborhood. It is also designed to offer, courage or taiih or love — and from any- on a public scale, the serenity and intima- one. The giving of it was fostered by cy of the de Menil home. Like that home, y Dominique's ability to personalize her the museum building is long and low, moments with others, conveying the grati- with an elegant glass-walled foyer and a fying experience of being responded to as big ottoman for rest and conversation. ; u Again, like the home, there are interior .' > .i dividual, unencumbered In reputa gardens and walls of glass (for the conser- • tion or by stereotype as a member of some group, class, or profession. That vation lab, the frame shop, kitchen, and warmth functioned with (loran Miluri- library) that open the "white box" of the uovic as naturally as with Andy Warhol. museum providing natural light and a After her first meeting with Andy Warhol, connection between inside and outside and between the statl and visitors. Every ; Dominique conveyed to me with a tew words and a radiant face that she was teat lire of the interior — architectural grateful for the opportunity to discover detail, lighting, and installation, without that Warhol was a person ol sympathy explanatory labels — is intended to and integrity. foster direct, personal contact with the art objects. In this rare museum, art dor .HI was ,i Yugoslavian student in i,. reigns. The Menil Collection is not a England who wrote us to ask for a schol- Interior, dp Menil House, 3363 San Felipe, Philip C. Johnson Astocialcs, arthilects, londcs Gore and Cowcll L Neuhaus, consulting monument to the architect or to the de arship. We had no scholarships at that OTthitHli, 1950. Dominique and John ie Menil hrakf with iiodition bctaming pioneering palroni al modnn architecture In Houiton, Menils, but a place for a personal collec- time, and he had a mediocre record, so I tion that more than merits the attention turned him away. But he persisted (later given it. nique and John worked unremittingly for gram at the University ot St. Thomas, we he revealed that my response was the only peace tn Viet Nam and for social justice had one three-drawer metal cabinet of one received troni letters to over 200 The de Menil art collection is in America, opening their home in people slides, one case ol books, and, a little schools), and Dominique decided to gam- selective and personal, freed from a con- ot good will from every community in the later, a handful of cameras. We moved to ble on him on the basis that anyone so cern to be encyclopedic. It has notable city chimin scores ot local and national Rice University in I9(,y with seven faculty determined must have something worthy strengths in 20th-century art, especially campaigns. They were among the lirst to members in art history, film, and photog- ot cultivation. A gangling, sweet-natured, Surrealism; Byzantine art; and the arts of perceive the potential ot young Mickey raphy, a well-equipped Media (enter, lethargic guy showed up who fared poor- Africa and Oceania. There are also small- I eland, urging him to run tor Congress approximately 20,1 HIM books, and 20,000 ly tlie first semester. However, he was so er but striking alcoves and vitrines of M\A providing hoth moral and financial slides. We merged handily with Rice's likable that each professor went out of his Northwest ( oast art; the metal work of support as he developed into a heloved largely studio art department, while w.n to help Cioran, and he improved sub- migratory peoples; Celtic objects; and representative tor this city and a symbol Dominique founded The Institute for the stantially in energy and grades the second I .ycladic sculpture. Many individuals tor the national Black community. Bur Aris at Rice. 1 lie latter provided her the semester.

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