Douglas Newby Insights - Page 6
Show Precedes Studio
What a great idea for artist Julie England and artist Mary Vernon to show off their new studio space with an exhibition of their work along with that of three other artists. Five talented female artists in this delightful space at 135 Howell Street in the Design District invoked memories of my favorite gallery for years, the DW Gallery. Originally, the Dallas Women’s Co-op on McKinney and Hall Streets, this gallery had fabulous exhibitions introducing the work of many female artists, and also in group shows many of my favorite male artists, like the Tremont artists James Surls, David McManaway, and David Bates. Congratulations to Julie England, Mary Vernon, Nishiki Sugawara-Beda, Lin Medlin, Cassandra Black.
*Show Precedes Studio
@eskiedal @julieenglandart @nishikisugawarabeda.art #eskiedal #julieenglandart #art #artist #Dallas #ArtStudio #DallasDesignDistrict #ArtShow
My Favorite Tour
I have grown up with home tours. Since graduating from SMU, I have attended early Swiss Avenue home tours, the oldest Dallas home tour; had my home on the first Munger Place home tour; organized a tour of homes representing 14 neighborhoods; have been a sponsor of Highland Park and Preservation Park Cities home tours; and helped support numerous other home tours in a number of capacities. However, the only home tour I make a point of going to every year is the AIA Dallas Home Tour. My thought is that every home tour should have a greater emphasis on architecture and how it relates to the neighborhood. On the AIA Dallas Home Tour, one often has a chance to meet the Dallas architect, the homebuilder, the landscape architect, interior designer, and maybe even the owners of these recently built architecturally significant Dallas modern homes. The Dallas AIA Patron home is always an extra treat. This year one had the chance to say hello to the owner, Cricket Griffin, pictured with architect Paul Jankowski, in addition to the modern homebuilder Larry Hartman, who is also pictured. Thank you, Dallas AIA, for helping us learn more about architecture and the neighborhoods like where this home is located, one of my favorites, Turtle Creek Park. *My Favorite Tour
#AIADallasTourOfHomes #DallasAIA #AIADallas @HomeTourDallas #HomeTourDallas #DallasHomeTour #Architect #ModernHome #TurtleCreekPark #Dallas #Architecture #ArchitecturallySignificant #ArchitecturallySignificantHome #DallasNeighborhood #KatyTrailNeighborhood
Nasher Always Beckons
Former DMA Director Rick Brettell once said to me that it is the small museums that people generally mention as their favorite museum. I hear from so many people that love visiting the Nasher for a variety of reasons. I also find it appealing for many reasons. Often the Nasher has extraordinary exhibitions, dynamic lectures, and a variety of vibrant, casual, or serene experiences. One might see friends, acquaintances, or make new friends. However, what is remarkable is that even if the exhibit one finds rather dull, or the other visitors uninspiring, the space is supreme. The architecture, space, and setting in the Dallas Arts District in downtown Dallas makes every visit to the Nasher joyful.
*Nasher Always Beckons
#Nasher #Garden #SculptureGarden #Dallas @NasherSculptureCenter #DallasArtsDistrict
Dallas Travels
Early this fall, I visited Chicago and New York on short trips. Regardless of the reason for the visit, I always go to the museums in these great cities. This year, on my return travel to Dallas, I immediately went to the retrospective opening of Matthew Wong: The Realm of Appearances. Normally, seeing art when traveling out of town rejuvenates me. This time my travel back to Dallas and seeing this exhibition refreshed me. The paintings were visually appealing, maybe it was the hint of fauvist influences that I liked. Learning about the artist was interesting, and seeing Dallas art patrons is always intoxicating. We are lucky to have the Dallas Museum of Art and so many collectors and patrons in Dallas.
*Dallas Travels
#DMA #DallasMuseumOfArt @DallasMuseumArt #MatthewWong #Art #Dallas
Love A Parade
I don’t think of myself as a sucker for a parade until I hear the sounds of marching bands, enthusiastic crowds, and then I begin anticipating the always joyful surprises of a parade. This Columbus Day Parade (Indigenous Peoples’ Day) included the Cadillac Club’s decades of vintage Cadillacs, including one with the horn from The Godfather film. The dog riding on the back of the motorcycle reminded me of my Texas State Fair Midway bulldog that I adorned with the World War II helmet I acquired as a four-year-old. And where but in New York in an Italian parade would one see a cement mixer rolling by?
*Love A Parade
#ColumbusDayParade #NYC #NewYorkCity #Parade #IndigenousPeoplesDay
NYC Retro Safety
New York seemed to be longing for a return of a safer New York City. The New York City Police Chief was in the Columbus Day Parade, populated by many first responders. The vintage police cars reminded me of a TCM noir film review. New York City sure feels safe on a sunny day watching a parade along Central Park and the architecturally significant homes on the Upper East Side.
*NYC Retro Safety
#ColumbusDayParade #NYC #NewYorkCity #Parade #vintagepolicecar
Brick-Paved Street
Historic homes have a certain grace that is missing from new developments. Architecturally significant homes create an aesthetic elegance in a neighborhood. Brick-paved streets root the neighborhood in another era that seems almost unimaginable. As a young boy, the streets paved in brick meant more than a bumpy bicycle ride. These brick-paved streets created weight and substance to the homes I was riding by. This 7600 square foot Richardson-Romanesque style home at 306 E. 1st St. in Hinsdale’s Robbins Park Historic District was built in 1898. Its size and impressive architectural style expresses its prominence, as does the Richardson-Romanesque style Old Red Courthouse built in Dallas in 1892. This is another example of how, through similar architectural design and materials, early Dallas and Hinsdale expressed their aesthetic achievement and substance. When I see vestiges of streetcar rails in the Munger Place Historic District, it is almost like running across an arrowhead at a creek’s edge. Growing up around brick-paved streets provided an even slower pace to a village that already had a peaceful gait. *Brick-Paved Street
#BrickPavedStreets #HistoricHomes #ArchitecturallySignificantHomes #HistoricDistrict #MungerPlace #RobbinsParkHistoricDistrict #Hinsdale #RichardsonRomanesque #OldRedCourthouse #Dallas #Architecture
Architectural Cadence
I have often attributed my inspiration and interest in architecture, neighborhoods and community to my hometown. The architectural and aesthetic backdrop, when I was delivering newspapers in grade school while walking or riding my bike through the neighborhoods, made an incredible impression on me. Growing up on two ends of Park Avenue, the homes I passed were often a bit older than those in the Munger Place Historic District, but many were of the same age and reflected much of the same style. An architectural cadence was set in my mind and an aesthetic example of a lovely neighborhood has influenced me ever since. Here are a few of the homes I walked or rode my bike by every day. *Architectural Cadence
#ArchitecturalCadence #HistoricHomes #Neighborhoods #Inspiration #Hometown #robbinspark #Hinsdale
#MungerPlace #HistoricDistrict #Architecture
Hometown Honor
There is something about a hometown honor that allows one to also honor one’s classmates, friends and hometown. Convening on the football field brought back high school memories of serving as pep rally chairman, announcing the Homecoming Queen, organizing festivities for the weekend, and escorting one of the young women across the field at the Homecoming game. Returning, I enjoyed a fun weekend with incredibly successful, talented and generous people. *Hometown Honor
Village Hall
I loved growing up in a village where the Village Hall bell marked the passage of time with the number of rings, that drifted across the neighborhood, equaling the hour of the day. Every half-hour was identified by a single ring coming from the Village Hall bell tower. My early childhood home was walking distance to the library which was located within Village Hall and was across the street from the shops and stores of this tree-lined village. Village Hall was also where they crowned Miss Hinsdale, who went on to be Miss Illinois and runner up to Miss America. This environment created my first sense of vibrancy and nature – the essential attributes of my favorite places. *Village Hall
#VillageHall #BellTower #Neighborhood #Home