Tales From the Dallas History Archives: Art Has Always Been Part of the City
The Dallas Public Library has photos of sculptors, painters, and an early glimpse at what helped form the Dallas Museum of Art.
By
Brandon Murray
Published in
FrontBurner
January 19, 2021
1:42 pm
Art and artists have always been part of the Dallas landscape, and the Dallas Public Library photograph collections have examples of how cultural offerings helped shape the city. The following photographs are some of the images of the arts I have encountered in the Dallas Public Library’s Dallas History and Archives Collection and are available through the library’s online catalog.
The spirit of Dallas’ Moon Mansion Christmas Party continues virtually
On Christmas Eve, Poppy Xander will perform Christmas songs online.
Musician and performer Poppy Xander plays the piano for a 2018 house party on Christmas Eve hosted by John Ashley Bellamy (far left with long beard) at his East Dallas home, a former Methodist Church known as the Moon Mansion. Bellamy died this month, and Poppy will now perform virtually for an online edition of the party.(Michael R Moore)
For decades, artist John Ashley Bellamy hosted legendary Christmas Eve parties at his East Dallas home, a former Methodist Church known as the Moon Mansion. The pandemic canceled any plans for the party this year, and Bellamy’s passing on Dec. 8 might mean it will never happen again. But singing along to Christmas carols for hours was always one of the main attractions, and it will carry on virtually.