Doing the Big D

The newly remodeled Sheraton Unveiled
Sitting around the fire waiting for our s'mores
Sweet ending to a great day

Dallas Museum of Art
Marble statue of
Wendy and Emery Reves Collection

The Sixth Floor Book Depository
The Old Red Museum of Dallas History
Dallas Holocaust Museum

An architectual walking tour - all just steps from the Sheraton
*****
Dallas is a vibrant city with the world’s largest urban art area. That’s right. Dallas is an art lover’s destination. Besides the 19-block, 68-acre Dallas Arts District there are a plethora of other museums and attractions.

1. Public Art Walk: A map and info on the Public Art Walk can be downloaded from their Internet site. The 3.3-mile walk includes a diversity of art including the dramatic one of figures emerging for a gate symbolizing their triumph over cancer to a unique chapel with a magnificent stained glass window.

2. Architecture: The Art District is home to diverse architecture. The 1902 High Victorian Gothic Our Lady of Guadalupe Roman Catholic Cathedral is just a block away from Meyerson Symphony Center designed by I. M. Pei. The 1400 red glass panels of the Winspear Opera House, which are aglow at night, contrasts nicely with the nearby Wyly Theatre clad in aluminum tubes.

3. The Dallas Art Museum: The mural, “Genesis - The Gift of Life,” at the entrance of the Dallas Art Museum by the Mexican artist, Miguel Covarrubias, is a great introduction to the museum. The galleries display artifacts spanning over 3000 years. The café, which often has entertainment, is a good place for lunch.

4. The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection: The Reves collection is housed at the Dallas Art Museum but breaks away from the usual museum presentation. The museum complied with the Reves’ wishes by creating a replica of four rooms of Villa La Pausa, their French Riviera home, as the setting for their donated artwork. In the living room there are works by Toulouse-Lautrec and Claude Monet.

5. The Crow Collection of Asian Art: In front of the building is a 17th century Chinese bronze statue named “Seated Daoist Deity.” The first floor is devoted to Japanese art featuring a tea garden. Most impressive is the Jade Room in Gallery II, which houses one of the largest collections of jade in the United States. Jade pieces range from small hairpins to intricately carved pieces to a massive throne screens.

6. Nasher Sculpture Center: The Center is home to one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary sculptures in the world. Two dozen sculptures are featured in the garden amidst the live oak and other greenery while other sculptures from their collection can be viewed in their galleries. See work by Picasso, Rodin, and Kooning.

7. Dallas Holocaust Center: The museum depicts the events on April 19, 1943, in three locations: Belgium, Warsaw, and Bermuda. By doing so they present different responses to the Holocaust. In Belgium three young men rescued Jews from a deportation train bound for Auschwitz. Meanwhile the residents of the Warsaw Ghetto rose up in revolt and British and American government officials met in Bermuda to discuss the refugee problem in Nazi-occupied countries but took no action.

8. Old Red Museum: Housed in a massive 1846 Romanesque Revival building, the museum has excellent exhibits on the development of Dallas with each gallery highlighting a different aspect of Dallas’ development. On display is Pegasus, the flying red horse, similar to one atop the Magnolia Hotel noted on the Public Art Walk.

9. Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza: The assassination of President Kennedy is investigated via displays, interviews, and videos including actual footage. All facets are explored including conspiracy theories.

10. Performing Arts: The symphony and opera company are complimented by many theatrical performances including the Dallas Black Dance Theater, which is the oldest, continuously operating professional dance company in Dallas.

Visitors with more time can visit Six Flags over Texas, Southfork Ranch, the zoo, the aquarium, and take in a Texas Ranger’s game. For information on the Sheraton Dallas Hotel check www.sheratondallashotel.com or call direct at 214-922-8000.