Much fanfare has been made about the Winspear Opera House and the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. Rightfully so, consensus of opinion is that the two new arts venues have furthered the credibility of putting the Dallas area on the cultural map. The journey of a regional town developing into a world class city where people enjoy art, theater and sports is a long road. Available public transportation, parks and walking/biking trails are also benchmarks for a world class city. I have watched Dallas grow into such a city in the over 30 years that I have lived here. There are many more projects on the drawing board.
I would, though, like to submit, that there is another feature that world class cities have. The Dallas area is fortunate to have leaders and planners that have put development dollars into public art. For the price of a DART rail ticket or a tank of gas there is a plethora of outdoor art and sculptures that anyone can visit without an admission fee. Let’s call it “Free Museums”. See my previous aritcles about the Mustangs of Las Colinas and about the art at several of the DART stations. Let me introduce you to the most extensive collection of sculptures that is available for anyone to visit for free. It is the Hall Collection at the Hall Office Park in Frisco. Travel North on The Dallas North Toll Road and exit Gaylord/Warren Parkway. Drive west and there you will find over 160 sculptures that are placed in and around the office complex.
Craig Hall has been a collector of art for all of his adult life. His wife Katherine shares his passion. The Hall collection includes pieces from all over the world. When you visit the Hall Office Park Complex I recommend you start at 6801 Gaylord Parkway. That is the epicenter of the collection. Elsie Green is the receptionist/information person for the whole display. Be sure to pick up a brochure that shows all of the art and a map showing where to find them. The Texas Sculpture Garden is displayed at that location also. It consists of 20 pieces inside and as many outside that have been created by Texas artists. The rest of the 160+ sculptures can be seen by driving or walking around the complex. Some of the art is inside the other buildings. Refer to the brochure for location information.
The art curator for the entire Hall collection is Patricia B. Meadows. She has been helping Craig Hall since 1995, first as a consultant and then as a full time curator beginning in 2000. Her duties include overseeing the art from Frisco to Napa and Paris. She considers the collection a museum without walls and expects visitors to respect the art and look but don’t touch.
Craig Hall believes that art is good for the soul. It makes him happy to see the public stroll the grounds of his office park and enjoy the art. We, in the Dallas area are lucky to have such a generous patron. Tours are available. As usual, please see more information at www.hallofficepark.com.
I encourage you to take advantage of all Dallas has to offer in the way of “Free Museums”. There are so many both big and small in the area. They really are pretty spectacular and we really are lucky to have them. Look for me to write more articles focusing on other “Free Museums” in the future.
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