The Little Theatre of Dallas was founded in Dallas in 1920 to provide the city with quality theatre performed by non-professional actors from the community and reflects the many facets and stages of the organization from its inception to its final demise in the late 1950s….Continue Reading Collection Spotlight: Little Theatre of Dallas collection
Octavio Medellin was an artist and teacher who was active in Texas from the 1920s until his death in 1999. He is primarily known as a sculptor but also did work in ceramics, glass, and mosaics. Born in Mexico, Medellin was heavily motivated by pre-Columbian art, mainly of Mayan origin, and he is associated with…Continue Reading Collection Spotlight: Octavio Medellin Art Work and Papers
One of the most significant of the Tyler Race Films is The Blood of Jesus, written by and starring Spencer Williams. As with many of Williams’ films, this is a study of the continuing conflict between good and evil, holiness and godlessness, church and juke joint. Williams filmed it with a largely amateur cast and…Continue Reading The travels of The Blood of Jesus
Please stop by the second-floor gallery outside of Bywaters Special Collections and view how the portfolio XTOL by Octavio Medellin was researched by the artist in 1938 and later published in 1947 by the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, which preceded the Dallas Museum of Art. Work began in 1938 when Octavio Medellin spent six months…Continue Reading Octavio Medellin: Maya-Toltec Temples and Carvings, 1938 on display
The Jake and Nancy Hamon Papers contain the personal papers of Jake and Nancy Hamon. Jake Hamon was a legendary Dallas independent wildcatter while his wife Nancy was a celebrated hostess and philanthropist. The collection offers insights into Dallas social and cultural history. The bulk of the materials originates from Dallas, Texas….Continue Reading Collection Spotlight: Jake and Nancy Hamon Papers
Does Fondren have ghosts? Some say yes. As far as we know, the only entities haunting Hamon late at night are SMU students. Let’s get on with the second installment of Collecting the macabre….Continue Reading Pictorial: Collecting the macabre, Part 2
I just returned from Taos, New Mexico where I attended the symposium that was in conjunction with the exhibition Pressing Through Time – 150 Years of Printmaking in Taos co-curated by Dr. David Farmer, former director of DeGolyer Library, SMU. Two lithographs from Bywaters Special Collections are included in the exhibition – House in…Continue Reading Pressing Through Time: 150 Years of Printmaking in Taos
Hamon Arts Library is excited to make the Division of Dance Concert Programs and Materials available online in the SMU Digital Collections. The library worked closely with the Division of Dance in the Meadows School of the Arts and the Digital Collections to bring this collection to a global audience. The programs illuminate the Division’s…Continue Reading Division of Dance concert programs now online
Drawings from the Potter Art Iron Studios [also known as the Potter Art Metal Studios] are now available to view online! If you have ever walked around the Highland Park Shopping Center or driven down Swiss Avenue and Lakewood Boulevard in Dallas, most likely you have admired the beautiful wrought iron fixtures that adorn these…Continue Reading Now online: Potter Iron Studios Digital Collection
The Bywaters Special Collections at Hamon is an excellent resource for those interested in Texas visual and performing arts. In addition to photographs, sketchbooks, and works of art on paper, Bywaters holds smaller treasures that offer an historical glimpse into Dallas’ art and business communities….Continue Reading Focus on research: Bywaters Special Collections