Texas Cultural Tour, Pt. 1 - Dallas
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It's Not Just Pro Sports and Shopping
 Dallas skyline |
Dallas, the D in DFW has experienced rapid growth over the past couple of decades but has not lost its Texas attitude, ambiance and appeal. Following is short list of the cultural highlights of this important city.
 W Hotel Dallas |
Where to stay?
There are many hotels in Dallas, but remember this is a
spread out city with endless freeways that are packed bumper to bumper.
Pick a hotel that is near your primary destination – use MapQuest or
Google maps -- and if you didn’t drive, rent a car. Taxis are as rare
as Texas natives and expensive.
If your business means the downtown area there’s a big selection of the chains catering to business travelers.
 Dessert Samples at Craft |
 Rosewood Mansion entrance |
If your visit is more to the northern burbs the charming Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel is a sensuous treat if the expense account or budget is generous.
 Guest room |
THE ARTS DISTRICT
The AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, aka the Arts District is a unique, 68-acre, 19-block neighborhood in the heart of the city that cost $354 million, a big tab even in Dallas. A rare jewel that is the centerpiece of the region’s cultural life, the District is home to some of the finest architecture in the world. Enhancing the downtown Dallas skyline are buildings by award winning, trend setting architects.
Here’s a list of the venues in the Arts District with notes about those I’ve visited (noted by **) .
 Dallas Museum of Art |
Dallas Museum of Art**
The Dallas Museum of Art ranks among leading art institutions in the
country and is distinguished by its innovative exhibitions and
groundbreaking educational programs. It’s a big museum, but then it
is in Texas. The modern section can be visited and during a lunch break --
good food too in the ground floor bistro. There is always an important
exhibit visiting from another museum around the world. When I was there the
exhibit had been in New York earlier in the year. Jazz concerts on Thursday
evenings. Good parking. Wonderful gift gallery-store. Dallas Museum of Art
(DMA) 214.922.1200, www.dallasmuseumofart.org
 Nasher Gardens |
Nasher Sculpture Center**
The Nasher Sculpture Center opened in 2003 as the first institution in
the world dedicated exclusively to the exhibition of modern and
contemporary sculpture with a collection of global significance at its
foundation. The Nasher will take your breath away! There is a beautiful,
superbly selected group of sculptures and statues inside and out in the
gardens and traveling exhibitions too. There is a cute little café to enjoy
a light lunch or snack. Nasher Sculpture Center 214.242.5100, www.nashersculpturecenter.org
Trammell Crow Center and Crow Collection of Asian Art
The Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art is nestled like a
small jewel in Dallas’ Arts District, offering visitors a glimpse of
a world possessing serene beauty and spirituality in the heart of a
bustling city.
Belo Mansion
The current home of the Dallas Bar Association, the Belo Mansion was
built in 1890 by Coleonel A. H. Belo, founder of the Dallas Morning News.
Lawyers and law school attendees should love it .
Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe
The city’s oldest Catholic parish, this High Victorian Gothic
cathedral is the second busiest Catholic cathedral in the nation.
 Meyerson Symphony Hall |
Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center**
 Meyeson Center |
AT&T Performing Arts Center Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House**
With transparent, soaring 60-foot glass walls revealing views of the
Grand Lobby and a café open throughout the day, the Winspear Opera House is
a destination for all. Watched a ballet rehearsal from various seats around
the space and there was not a bad seat anywhere.
 Wyly Theatre |
AT&T Performing Arts Center Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre**
The world's only vertical theatre, the innovative design of the
Wyly Theatre creates ultimate performance flexibility.
 Winspear Opera House |
Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts
The school's dual emphasis on arts and academics has produced a
stellar list of famous graduates including Grammy Award®-winners Norah
Jones, Erykah Badu and jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove.
St. Paul United Methodist Church
St. Paul United Methodist Church was founded in 1873 by freed slaves
from Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
One Arts Plaza**
One Arts Plaza is a multiuse structure comprised of residences,
corporate offices and retail, the first of three buildings on over 10 acres
at the eastern edge of the Dallas Arts District. Great TexMex dining at
Jorge's (pronounced Horhay's) best verde enchiliadas I've
ever eaten. 214.720.2211 www.jorgestexmex.com
Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Dallas Black Dance Theatre is the city’s oldest continuously
operating dance company.
AT&T Performing Arts Center Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons Park**
Weaving together the Winspear Opera House, Wyly Theatre, Strauss Square
and City Performance Hall, the ten-acre park stretches from Woodall Rodgers
Freeway to Ross Avenue, and is the first public park in the Dallas Arts
District. Pick-up a lunch and relax.
OUT IN THE BURBS
 Northpark Shopping Center |
Northpark Shopping Center**
Yes, a shopping center, but unlike any
you’ve ever visited. It’s another example of the Nasher
family’s love of art. Sure there’s great shopping from all the
top stores in Dallas, NY, Paris, London and other cities, but everywhere is
world-class art, color, fountains, sculpture and a center aisle missing the
ubiquitous assortment of hair attachments, sunglasses, cellular phones and
various potions and lotions. Take home something for the wife and kids and
enjoy the experience. Good food hall too. 8687 North Central Expessway,
214.363.7441 northparkcenter.com
 Meadows Museum |
Meadows Museum - SMU Campus**
Algur H. Meadows developed an
interest in art during frequent visits to Spain during the 1950s, when he
spent long afternoons at the great Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. Mr.
Meadows began to collect Spanish art, and his collection has grown to be
one of the finest outside of Spain. The paintings that comprise the largest
part of the collection range from early Renaissance works, painted at the
end of the 15th century, to modern works by Picasso and Juan Gris.
The majority of the collection, however, focuses on the Spanish "Golden Age." From the 1550s to nearly the beginning of the 18th century, Spain experienced a flowering of the arts. The Meadows collection contains masterworks by Velázquez, Murillo, Ribera, and many others working during this time. 5900 Bishop Blvd, 214.768.2516 meadowsmuseumdallas.org
ELSEWHERE IN BIG D
The Women's Museum**
A Smithsonian affiliate, The Women's
Museum™: An Institute for the Future makes visible the unique,
textured, and diverse stories of American women dramatically exhibited in
over 70,000 sq ft of space. Using the latest technology and interactive
media, the Museum's exhibits and programs expand our understanding of
women's participation in shaping our nation's history and create a lively
environment for dialogue and discovery. Thousands of stories recount public
and private triumphs and the struggles of those who would not be denied
their freedoms in all its forms: political, social, and spiritual. I have a
daughter in-law, not a daughter, but I wish she had been with me on the
tour of this wonderful place dedicated to women. So will you. 3800 Perry
Avenue, Fair Park (yep, Texas State Fair Grounds) 214.915.0871
thewomensmuseum.org
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza**
If you'd like to see a
rather tacky place and space devoted to a true American tragedy, the
assassination of John F. Kennedy, plop down your bucks. Otherwise skip
it.
For more information about Dallas and Texas visit www.visitdallas.com and www.traveltex.com.
By Marty Bernstein
Sr. Editor at Large