Nasher Knows
Nasher knows great sculpture that has been collected internationally for over a century and profound work created by Dallas artists. David McManaway’s assemblage sculpture shown in the exhibit “Generations: 150 Years of Sculpture” from the Nasher permanent collection is a perfect example of the good eye of the Nasher. The exhibition includes assembled figures from artist Paul Gauguin to artist David McManaway of Dallas. David McManaway’s assemblage pieces stand up with any in the world. He is best known for his Jomo Boards that look like modern art from a distance and keep revealing layers of assembled detail as one gets closer and closer. I think of David McManaway as a Tremont Artist, as so many museums have collected artists who lived on or spent time on Tremont, like James Surls, David Bates, Dan Rizzie, John Alexander and Roy Fridge. Artist Frances Bagley also has a sculpture in this exhibition, and while her home and studio was not on Tremont, she only lived one block away in Munger Place. Another thing I love to do when I go to an exhibition is to see who donated a specific piece. In this case, David McManaway’s work titled “Ahab” was donated by Betty Blake. Betty Blake, a great patron of the arts, who was president of the Dallas Modern Museum when she negotiated with Margaret McDermott, the president of the Dallas Fine Arts Museum, for a merger of these two museums. David’s wife, Norma McManaway, was a longtime bookkeeper for Betty Blake. Betty Blake was a longtime patron and an admirer of David McManaway’s talent, as were so many artists and Dallas art collectors.
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