Senior Associates in Dallas and Fort Worth
In late April, 20 intrepid SA’s flew to the not-so-wild West to
“Do Dallas” and Fort Worth under the expert leadership of Travel Chair Sharon
Fownes. Traveling with Sharon means that every moment is packed with one delight after another, each one better than the last.
We were
introduced to the delights of Dallas at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens where a Docent guided us through 66 superbly landscaped acres featuring
towering trees, fragrant gardens, and lush lawns, decorated with sculptures, pools,
and fountains. We toured one of the two
historic mansions that grace the property, a Spanish Colonial Revival home
built in 1938 by Everette DeGolyer, a geophysicist and petroleum geologist
known for his outstanding contributions to science, education and community.
It was a change
of pace then to visit the Sixth-Floor Museum, located on the 6th floor of the
former Texas School Book Depository from where in 1963 Lee Harvey Oswald fired
the shot that killed President John F. Kennedy. The displays brought us back to
the 1960’s and focused on events surrounding the Kennedy assassination.
After a very
full day, we settled into the Adolphus, an elegant historic hotel, gathering
shortly thereafter for dinner at Patrizio’s Italian Restaurant.
The next day
began with a driving tour of Dallas, listening to a well-informed and humorous
tour guide telling us about the architecture and history of the city. We stopped for photo-ops at Pioneer Plaza,
where a spectacular series of bronzes commemorating the Shawnee Trail (a cattle
trail that passed through Dallas), and Fountain Place, where dozens of
computer-controlled fountains create a water park that makes a magnificent
visual effect. Fountain Place’s was of
great interest to us because its signature building is a skyscraper, similar to
Boston’s Hancock Building, designed by I M Pei and Partners. 62 stories high,
it’s clad in green glass, formed as a parallelogram, and sculpted into a prism
that causes the building to look different from every angle.
We stopped at
the Crow Collection of Asian Art, which showcases more than 300 high-quality paintings, sculptures and
architectural items collected over 30 years by Dallas real estate magnate
Trammell Crow and his wife. We viewed an exhibition of 19th century photographs
of China by John Thomson, Tantric sculptures from the High Himalayas,
Chinese jade artifacts, and medieval Indian stone sculptures from the
collection. We were much impressed by a 28’ x 12’ sandstone facade from an 18th
Century Indian home.
Just across the
street from the Crow Collection is was the Nasher Sculpture Center, founded by
Real Estate developer Raymond Nasher and his wife Patsy. Designed by Renzo
Piano, the structure houses a foremost collection of modern and contemporary
art. On view inside and outside in the
garden were works by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, David Smith, Henry Moore,
Joan Miró, Alberto Giacometti, Auguste Rodin, Willem de Kooning, Richard Serra,
and Cy Twombly.
After enjoying a Wolfgang Puck lunch in the Nasher, we strolled to the The Dallas Museum of Art next. At the DMA, we viewed an exhibition “Chagall: Beyond Color” and especially appreciated the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection of works by Renoir, Van Gogh, Pissarro, Cezanne, and Redon, as well as exquisite decorative arts in a unique setting evoking the French Riviera villa of the donors.
The day ended
with a walking tour through the Dallas Arts District to view some of the city’s
landmarks, such as the Meyerson Symphony Center designed by I.M. Pei, the new
AT&T Performing Arts Center where we saw the Winspear Opera House designed
by Norman Foster (of MFA American Wing fame), and the innovative Wyly Theatre,
designed by architect Rem Koolhaas.
Thanks to the
kindness of Mimi Santini-Ritt’s brother, we were fortunate to be invited to a
private reception in a at the home of
Jean Obert. Expecting perhaps a simple wine and cheese platter
perhaps, we were bowled over by the Texas-size hospitality we experienced! Jean Obert, with several of her neighbors,
planned an over-the-top dinner party in her expansive Dallas home. We were greeted by 6 ladies who sang songs of
welcome to us; the event became even more sensational as we strolled through
the gardens, the putting green, the water feature, the outdoor dining area, and
the interior of her riotously-decorated home!
Jean is an avid collector of ephemera, and her home reflects her
ebullient personality. The evening was
unforgettable for the warmth and affection we shared with Jean and her lively
and charming neighbors.
On to Fort Worth. In contrast to the Dallas urban sophistication,
Fort Worth offers a different, more
“Western” impression. We got in the mood
early with a visit to the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, where “Tad,” a Docent
named after a famous cowgirl, explained to us the importance of women in the
Wes and how they became expert horsewomen by necessity on ranches where
tending livestock required riding skills.
Tad told us inspiring stories, tributes, and showed artifacts that
represent the “can do spirit” of cowgirls.
The Modern Art Museum, our next destination, was designed by Japanese architect Tadeo Ando,
using the principles of classical Japanese architecture and Western building
techniques. Situated on a 1.5 acre pond that is an integral part of the design,
it showcases masterworks of modern and contemporary American and European art
from 1945 to the present.
Some of us
considered the next Museum the high point of the trip: the Kimbell Art Museum with George Shackelford, MFA’s former curator of European Art, as its Director. George greeted us warmly and took us to see of some of his
favorite objects. The Kimbell, opened in
1972, was designed by American architect Louis Kahn. Its architecture, and
exquisite collection of 350 works by Michelangelo, Fra Angelico, Caravaggio,
Poussin, Velasquez, Goya, Monet, Picasso, Matisse... overwhelming.
Thursday’s
museum tour ended at the Amon Carter Museum, designed by
Architect Philip Johnson, where we saw a diverse array of exhibitions and
publications that connect to which highlightsed masterworks of American
art. We particularly admired work by
Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, two of the greatest artists of the
American West, and enjoyed illustrated books, paintings, and photographs from
the nineteenth century to contemporary times.
This evening, we
dined at the historic and popular Joe T. Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant, in our
own private room.
Friday morning we
were guests at one of Dallas’ most historic houses, private library, and
gardens. The Harlan Crow Library, owned by Harlan, (son of Trammell) and Kathy
Crow. The Library contains priceless artifacts, historic documents, 8,000 rare
books, 3,500 manuscripts, correspondence, paintings, photographs and sculptures
that reflect 500 years of American history. A 1493 letter from Christopher
Columbus announcing his discoveries to the Spanish court, china used by Hitler
used, Lincoln’s desk, Copley and Stuart paintings along with those of
Eisenhower and Churchill are just a sampling… Our jaws dropped again upon
visiting the gardens and their collections of
“Garden of Evil” with its statues and busts of the world’s best-known
most notorious dictators.
After such a
magnificent morning, we then drove to Snider Plaza for lunch and free time for
shopping among the dozens of charmingly petite boutiques specializing in
everything from stationary to antiques.
With
just enough time to pass by for a glimpse of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, designed by Robert A.M. Stern, in a contemporary adaptation of
classical architectural forms, we headed to the airport. And waved good by to
the beauty of Dallas and its stunning architecture, history and culture, superb
museums, gardens, and vivid memories of Fort Worth. Texas is indeed
extraordinarily grand!
In summary, the
trip was an extraordinary opportunity to savor the beauty of Dallas, its
remarkable architecture, its superb museums, and its outdoor gardens. We returned
with a deeper understanding of this fine city and its history.
Edna English 2013