Photos by Justin Terveen

Shepard Fairey on Singleton today, site of one of several buildings he'll decorate during his weeklong visit to Dallas

​The view from the foot of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is about to get a lot cooler. This afternoon a spotless rented silver minivan pulled up at 331 Singleton, a vacant West Dallas office space with a large, invitingly blank outer wall. A group of four guys rolled from the van and started unloading things onto the ground: plastic paint bins, cans of spray-on adhesive, a paint-splattered, non-matching set of aprons.

"If there were a theme to these murals, it's peace and harmony," said Shepard Fairey. He wore a black zip-up hoodie and battered sneakers; now in his '40s, his blonde hair is tinged with gray. He unrolled a set of renderings and showed them to us. All the images are done in bold outlines of red, white and black; he pointed out one of a lovely woman with her eyes closed, a rose in her hair and a peace sign pendant around her neck. "That's a portrait of my wife meditating," he explained. "But the peace sign is subtly in there."

Fairey's in town for the first time in almost 10 years as part of a partnership with the Dallas Contemporary. The museum invited him to do a series of murals throughout this week all over West Dallas; he began today with the building on Singleton. They'll celebrate on Thursday with a DC members-only book-signing event, followed by a free discussion that's open to the public. There's also a "commencement" celebration scheduled for Saturday, a "neon-themed dance extravaganza" for which you can purchase tix here.

Fairey pointed out another image of a woman with her eyes cast upward, next to the legend "Rise Above."

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Photos by Anna Merlan

Bandele Tyehimba at the art gallery and book store he's run for decades in various locations

​A year and a half ago, the owners of Pan-African Connection Bookstore, Bandele Tyehimba and his wife Akwete, found out their building was being torn down and replaced with a dentist's office. They'd been at the location at the corner of Marsalis and Jefferson for more than 21 years. "I guess we weren't part of their future," Bandele says, chuckling.

The couple rallied and found a new location on Fourth Avenue, in the shadow of Fair Park. But times were tough, and business for the bookstore and art gallery was slow. Barely two months ago, they were facing eviction yet again. "The people didn't have their paperwork, and it was tossed out of court," Bandele says. "We made a personal agreement with the landlord. And so we're trying to see if we can keep to that agreement to stay in business."

On a recent Tuesday morning, Bandele was sitting on the front stairs of Pan African, trying to juggle an interview and a constantly ringing phone. Around him were racks of shell jewelry, drums, books, beaded bracelets and shelf after shelf after shelf piled high with ornate wooden sculptures; on the floor in the back room, there were a few rusty leg irons, just next to a rack of bright dresses. The whole store smells like warm leather. Pan African was just coming out of the Kwanzaa and Christmas season. Every night for the past week they'd had programs and presentations in the upstairs meeting room, which at some time has hosted most every progressive organization in the city. "Every night we had a packed house," he said, pausing to answer the phone again.

Pan Africanism, as Bandele will happily tell you, is a philosophy that refers to "the total liberation and unification of Africa under scientific socialism." A few weeks ago, a group of "Europeans," he said, were holding a meeting in the upstairs room. They couldn't stop arguing. "Stubbornness is not an aspect of African culture," he recalls telling them. "You shouldn't practice stubbornness. It's an anti-revolutionary tendency."

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bcWORKSHOP

If you notice anything different about the Knights of Pythias Temple, or Union Bankers Building, in Deep Ellum ...

​Last year, you may recall, Brent Brown's bcWORKSHOP spent the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service by posting 'round town those cutouts intended to raise awareness about how to end homelessness; but in the end, the city didn't take kindly to their presence, threatening to remove them for being in violation of city code. Moments ago we got word: bcWORKSHOP is once again putting up signs in various parts of town.

But this year's project has a decidedly different agenda:  Titled Public Info Act(s), the markers-slash-art installations being placed in front of four different buildings are "designed to inform the public about the city's past in order to generate ideas to enhance its future." You can see the markers here, where you'll note the structures: the former Knights of Pythias Temple in Deep Ellum, the Forest Theater (which, as you'll note in the photo below, is still in need of someone to take over where Erykah Badu left off), Frederick Douglass Elementary School and the Sunshine Elizabeth Church in Oak Cliff.

Says the PIA(s) website, "These Act(s) intend to empower people, foster neighborliness and inspire civic engagement. We believe people determine the shape of the places they inhabit and those places should be made for them, by them, with civility and respect for the public good." Hence, as you'll see, the comments section asking for suggestions about what to do with these historic sites.

​It's been close to two years since Greg Davis, WRR's longtime general manager, left the city-owned classical-music radio station -- and, remember, he didn't quit, he retired. But tonight, buried in the stack of docs prepared for next week's council committee meetings, we find this bit of breaking news: The city's hired his replacement -- a classically trained pianist named Sarah Colmark, at right, who can presently be heard on KHFM 95.5 and 102.9 FM in New Mexico, where she's also the station manager and has been since 2008. (Says here she cleaned house when arriving in Albuquerque, where her father owned the station.)

Not sure how much she's being paid; that's something council will have to consider Tuesday at the Arts, Culture & Libraries Committee meeting and again at the January 25 full meeting. But, writes Assistant City Manager Joey Zapata in his memo to the council:

The compensation agreement includes a base salary, all benefits accruable to civilian employees, and an annual incentive amount tied to the station's performance regarding revenues. The main difference of this agreement from prior agreements is that the incentive amount is pre-established in the contract with specific benchmarks of operating revenue.

As you'll see below there's also a formal press release dated today -- first I've seen it -- in which María Munoz-Blanco, director of the Office of Cultural Affairs, has nice things to say about the hire, but of course. To which Colmark adds:

"WRR is a radio station with a great track record of bringing classical music to the community of Dallas and North Texas. I am excited to build upon the community's vision of a radio station that works to promote the arts, reaches a broad audience with quality classical programming, and connects with the business and arts communities. I look forward to working with the Friends of WRR and the Office of Cultural Affairs to ensure the continued success of classical radio in the community of Dallas and North Texas."

Details below.More >>

When I directed your attention to those pretty pictures filling City Hall's 2012 calendar yesterday, I forgot to note: Those are the latest top-prize-getters in the third annual Trinity River Corridor Project Photo Contest. Tops, again, was the great Sean Fitzgerald, winner of the second annual contest. That's his work decorating December. Should have mentioned that yesterday.

Anyway: I see the city's posted a video of all the many contenders -- some 700 pictures were entered, out of which 621 appear to have been of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge -- and those who judged them, including our old friend Allison Smith.

Doesn't seem all that long ago that Edwin Cabaniss first told us about his plans for the old Kessler Theater on W. Davis; sweet fancy mayor, has it really been more than two years since Tom Leppert put his shovel into the dirt? From risky concept to necessity to institution in such a short time, I'm not sure we don't already take the Kessler for granted as it marches toward its only-two-year birthday in March.

I was thinking about all that while watching the short film -- part history-of, part promo, part roll call -- you see above, narrated by one Jeff Liles, but of course. I stumbled across it this morning and asked Jeff what it was for. He explained: It's a clip made last week that's being dispatched to booking agents in New York and Los Angeles who might otherwise be unfamiliar with the Kessler as they consider venues for their clients, be they musicians or authors on speaking tours or even burlesque performers in need of a stage. Says Jeff, "This was made just to let them know there is another viable option here that is actually in the middle of a burgeoning creative community." Another version, featuring predominantly local performers, is on its way.

And for those wondering about the singer seen at the beginning and heard throughout: That's the extraordinary Damon K. Clark, a Kessler regular whose lone CD, a collection of jazz standards, was recorded ... where else?

Photo by Patrick Michels

​Several Friends of Unfair Park have chimed in with the results of Travel+ Leisure's Top New Landmarks readers' poll. And while we're no doubt just one year away from making the Top New Bridges list ... sorry, Schutze is saying, "No." Anyway. Like I was saying, while we're no doubt just one year away from making the Top New Bridges list, the sole Dallas entry on the entirety of the laundry list of popular places is the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, which ranks No. 5 on the list of Top Arenas and Performance Venues and No. 36 among the Most-Visited Landmarks behind, waitaminute, the Taj Mahal? That can't be right. Schutze is shaking his head again.

Anyway. Mark Weinstein, president and CEO of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, will nevertheless use this occasion to make the following proclamation: "This just reaffirms the significant investments that Dallas has made in the arts. These iconic structures were designed to be among the finest performance venues in the world. But with their stunning architecture, they make a powerful statement about Dallas today, and the role that culture and the arts play in our community."

Anyway. Fort Worth wins again: The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is No. 2 on the Top New Museum list, behind Museo Soumaya in Mexico City. And It's No. 32 on the landmarks list -- ahead of the Taj Mahal. That can't be right.

Via.

Michael Jenkins

​Only last week, following the Wilco-Nick Lowe two-fer, we asked: Why isn't the Music Hall at Fair Park, long ago a popular venue for pop music, used for more concerts? At which point we were told: That's certainly a possibility. Matter of fact, said Jayne Basse, who books the joint for Dallas Summer Musical Management Group, LiveNation and AEG both have dates on hold for the Music Hall, but for whom she would not say.

So happens Dallas Summer Musicals, which runs the city-owned Music Hall and spends close to $400,000 every year keeping the lights on, could use the added revenue sooner than later: Following up today's story in The News, DSM just sent a release documenting its efforts to raise $5 million pronto, lest it face the very real possibility of insolvency. Says DSM Chairman Michael Steindorf in the release that follows, "It became clear that we can't keep doing business as in the past. We need to reduce our operating costs, shore up our financial base, re-establish our long-term reserve funding and prove our value as part of the Dallas Arts Community."

I've left messages for DSM President Michael Jenkins, who, you may recall, handed the Majestic Theater back to the city in 2009 after DSM's contract to operate the landmark facility expired. As Maria Munoz-Blanco, director of the city's Office of Cultural Affairs, explained at the time, it costs around $1.2 to $1.3 million annually to operate the Majestic, and DSM used some of its revenue from the Music Hall to help defray those costs.

No doubt, though, you could see this coming: Three years ago, long before the official opening of the AT&T Performing Arts Center (then known as the Center for the Performing Arts), Schutze wrote about Jenkins's clearly well-founded fears that the Arts District's new buildings would "cannibalize" the Music Hall and the Majestic. As Jim wrote:

Both sides in that fight have strong arguments to make. Michael Jenkins is one of three people who have produced successful Broadway theater in this city since the Summer Musicals began in 1941. But the CPA is a very serious, extremely well-funded new kid on the block. They contend that a little competition will spice the soup, not spoil it.

What a difference three years makes: The AT&T Performing Arts Center -- which, unlike the DSM, takes city money -- has its own financial struggles to deal with, and now the DSM is in trouble.More >>

Naomi Vaughan

Rebecca Avalon's No. 1 Rule: Stay off the pole, ladies.

​Rebecca Avalon likes to say she did things backwards: went to college, got a master's degree in science education, became an elementary school teacher, then started stripping. She's quit dancing full time twice but keeps going back.

"When people say to me, 'You have a master's degree, why are you doing this?'", Avalon says, she tells them the truth. "Overall, I felt more respected by the gentlemen I would meet in the club than I ever did by the parents and administration in the public school system. When you say that to another teacher they're like, 'Oh, yeah, absolutely.'"

These days, though, her stripping is limited to a few days a week at The Lodge. She spends her other time running Strip and Grow Rich, a website and series of seminars on financial education and management and long-term career planning. She based her program on Naked Assets, a similar series of classes that she took in Las Vegas; by May 2008, she was a majority owner in the Naked Assets company.

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Courtesy Heritage Auctions

One of the few Calvin and Hobbes originals ever to come on the auction market's now residing at the corner of Oak Lawn and Maple. For now.

​That was quite the Heritage Auctions infomercial ABC aired during prime-time last night: Unfair Park's cross-the-street neighbor got a shout-out during The Great Big American Auction every, oh, 23 seconds, by my count, as folks in need used the local auction house to sell off rare family heirlooms, including Ty Cobb's checkbook and a signed Warren Commission Report. So happens I was over at Heritage this week to peek at something even more rare: an original Calvin and Hobbes watercolor done by Bill Watterson for the 1989-'90 calendar, one of the few times Watterson merch'd his beloved comic-strip characters.

Like that Frank Miller Dark Knight Returns piece that sold in May for an astounding $448,125, this is Holy Grail stuff: The reclusive Watterson, who stopped the strip around this time in 1995, donated his entire collection of original artwork to The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. Heritage sold off a smaller piece in '07 for around $14,000. Todd Hignite, Heritage's consignment director for the Comic and Illustration Art division, says this will open at around $50,000 -- but expects it could go for Batman prices or much, much higger.

Hignite and his (very temporary) prized possession

​"Bill Watterson's one of those artists everyone's looking for and nothing's available by," he tells Unfair Park. "I've always said: 'If I can find anything by him, it'll be a big deal,' and when I saw it was a published cover, that was even more so."

The piece comes from the collection of Rick Marschall, "konic konnoisseur," who Hignite's known for years. Marschall's selling it reluctantly, says Hignite, "but the time had come." It arrived in Dallas a couple of weeks ago and will stay here till it's taken to auction in New York in February.

"I've never heard of a published watercolor even existing on the market and know of only four, five things of his on the market," says Hignite, who, during our chat, would occasionally glance lovingly at the piece sitting on his desk. "Watterson donated virtually everything to Ohio State. He's a very private guy, but it's always been my understanding the only work that got out was stuff he donated to friends or traded. This piece doesn't have a reserve, so it'll sell for what it sells for, but there are no real auction comps to value it. I tend to be on the conservative side but, but you can't predict the high end at auction."