Articles for November, 2009
The People Speak; The Nasher Listens
It might seem like an odd way to steer a leading cultural institution. But Dallas’ Nasher Sculpture Center relied on the votes of people who attended a benefit party last night to embark on a major new undertaking. Attendees at the bash held at NorthPark Center were asked to vote for one of three “wishes” for the Nasher: A contemporary projects series featuring emerging artists, an illustrated catalog to accompany the exhibition Jaume Plensa: Genus and Species, or a monthly contemporary artist lecture series. Nasher director Jeremy Strick (pictured) says the winner by a substantial margin was … drumroll, please … the contemporary projects series. The Nasher, of course, was built by the late Raymond Nasher, who also developed NorthPark Center, whose marketing/media department cooked up the people’s-choice contest.
Leading Off (11/16/09)
1. Want to learn the ins and outs of owning a concealed handgun? Maybe you should check out the Academy for Firearms Training owned by Dallas County Constable Roma Skinner. Or not. Critics say that Skinner shouldn’t be employing deputies in his side business. There are allegations of favoritism and people are unhappy. Fortunately, no one is yet bitter enough to comment on the fact that the constable shares the same first name as the lady from Touched By An Angel.
2. Did you know that Dallas has the third busiest Mexican consulate after Los Angeles and Chicago? Apparently, we do. And sadly, because of a few unfortunate incidents–including a skimming scandal by an ex consulate employee and a mishandled lawsuit–things haven’t been going so well over there. Juan Carlos Cue Vega aims to change all that today. Well, it’s unlikely he’ll change all of it today because it’s his first day on the job. But yes, over time, Vega intends to make the bookkeeping processes more transparent and focus on relationships with foreign-born Mexican immigrants.
3. Many people in North Texas are probably going to be unproductive at work today. They’re angry. They’re depressed. They feel betrayed. This is why I don’t watch football, people. And also because, between Mad Men (please tell me that some of you saw January Jones’ dismal performance on SNL), Celebrity Rehab, and other Sunday-night delights, I simply don’t have the time. Anyway, I’m sure like every other unhealthy relationship, you’ll forget all about this transgression and go back for more.
Completely Unsurprising Headline, Ctd.
At the ribbon-cutting tonight for Dallas’ Main Street Garden, Mayor Tom Leppert said he wasn’t fazed or “surprised” by today’s news that GOP gubernatorial hopeful Kay Bailey Hutchison will remain in the U.S. Senate at least until next March. He also said it wouldn’t affect his future plans one way or the other–plans that Gromer Jeffers Jr. of the DMN reported today include considering a run for Hutchison’s Senate seat. “I told [Jeffers] that I’d look at things as they come up–as I always have in life,” Leppert said, downplaying The News‘ account. “That was much overdone.”
Pictures for Your Eyes From Main Street Garden
The official opening of Main Street Garden went down tonight. The mayor’s hands were present. Lasers played a role (no joke). I overheard again — as I did at the opening of the PAC — “This doesn’t look like Dallas.” We will have more to say about this green space in the very near future, but here are some pics to tide you over.
Hutchison Plays Hamlet: Will Stay in Senate (For Now)
In the latest surprising development in her squirrelly “campaign” for Texas governor, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison now says she’ll remain in the U.S. Senate until after next year’s primaries. Gromer Jeffers Jr. got the scoop.
Marquez Nabs Top Business Award
Texans Can! CEO Richard Marquez (pictured) was honored Thursday by the Dallas chapter of the Texas Association of Business as the 2009 Distinguished Business Leader in Education. Marquez, profiled in 2008 in D CEO magazine, joins such previous Distinguished Business Leaders as T. Boone Pickens, Raymond Nasher, Ross Perot Sr., Ray Hunt and Ebby Halliday. Congrats, Richard!
Completely Unsurprising Headline: “Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert Considering Run For U.S. Senate”
He finally admitted it during a taping of Inside Texas Politics. It only took him a year.
Olivier Meslay and Jeffrey Grove Talk Fancy About Art and Why They Moved to Dallas
I’m late in getting to this. The “print product” is a demanding mistress. Plus, there was this near-death experience I had with a double espresso that I ordered caffeine free but which was not prepared that way (fun with heart arrhythmia!). In any case, yesterday the DMA hosted a number of journalists for a proper introduction to its two newest employees: Olivier Meslay, head of the departments of European and American art; and Jeffrey Grove, the Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art. Jump like Jack for a few details.
Commercial Realty Honcho: No Recovery Til 2012
About 400 commercial real estate types turned up at the Belo Mansion last night for NTCAR’s annual Stemmons Service Award dinner. That was 150 more than showed up last year. But the bigger turnout may not indicate market optimism, one attendee said, so much as the fact that the brokers had time on their hands and needed something to do. Indeed, bigwig Lee Halford Jr.–who leads a firm founded by the Stemmons family, for whom the prestigious award is named–said the industry is facing rough sledding and won’t fully recover until, gulp, 2012. At the podium, though, Halford tried to buck up the crowd: “If Mr. [John] Stemmons were here tonight, he’d tell all of you to keep on plugging.” The Stemmons firm started in 1928, Halford noted, the year before the big stock market crash, and “it wasn’t until 1946 that anything of significance took place. So perseverance was important.” Then Halford announced this year’s Stemmons winner: Steve Lieberman (pictured) of The Retail Connection.
Willard Spiegelman’s Guide to Driver’s License Renewals
The good professor Willard Spiegelman brings us a lesson today about renewing one’s driver’s license. For some solid reader service, jump like Fosbury.
Casting For Coen Brothers Remake of True Grit Happens Tomorrow at Billy Bob’s
But it only applies to white girls between the ages of 12-16, so I hope Eric Celeste makes it back in time. If you fit those specs, it happens tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth.
Mark Cuban Is a Hell of an Investigative Reporter
Way back in January, Mark Cuban said that the way to uncover how Bernie Madoff operated was to find his software developers. Which Cuban then did. It took the FBI awhile to follow up on Cuban’s lead, but they just arrested two of Madoff’s former programmers. Cuban should just fire Dan Rather do this stuff himself.
What Else Do You Want In Downtown Dallas?
The AT&T Performing Arts Center is up and running. The Main Street Garden park opens today. Woodall Rodgers Park will be ready in a couple of years. We might be getting streetcars at some point in the near-ish future, and possibly bike lanes, too. (Maybe.) All good things. But, of course, downtown could use more good things, whether they’re practical (a dry cleaner — Tim’s idea) or just something that would be nice to have (a bookstore — my idea). What say you? Feel free to get whimsical. It’s Friday, after all. And, what’s more, there are no bad ideas in a jam session.
(UPDATE: I should point out that Joan Arbery and Renegade Bus were on this train a few weeks ago. I think we linked to it previously, but in case you didn’t see it before, or haven’t waded into the comments yet, here you go.)
Leading Off (11/13/09)
1. Our good friend from California, Lazy Man, should be happy: North Texas is apparently being punished for having tollways. Side note: Which of these stories, on the same subject, would you be more likely to read: One in which Dallas-Fort Worth leaders ”face funding roadblocks” or one in which Dallas-Fort Worth is ”getting shafted on road projects” ? Doesn’t the Star-T win that headline battle in a walk?
2. Another week, another study ranking our relative economic strength against other metropolitan areas nationwide. This time the Milken Institute puts us at No. 13. That’s right behind Fort Worth (yes, they dared to separate the twins) at No. 12. And neither of us even make the top five in the state of Texas. Killeen and McAllen even finish ahead of us. The rankings claim to be based on job, wage, and technology growth.
3. Joel Miller of McKinney is hungry. He hasn’t eaten all month, and doesn’t plan to eat until Thanksgiving. The pastor is facing some of the same temptations that plagued Jesus during his 40 days in the wilderness. It’s like a passage straight out of the Gospel of Luke: “One day the distinct smell of bacon struck him, despite the lack of a breakfast joint in the area, and another saw a tray full of free sandwiches paraded before his eyes.” Somebody, please, take the man some food.
Willie Baronet and Hal Samples Talk About HOME?
And so do I, in this video shot by Cindy Chaffin for KERA’s Art&Seek Blog.
Willie Baronet Exhibit at Hal Samples’ Gallery from Cindy Chaffin on Vimeo.
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