With spring just around the corner, the African American Museum, Dallas will host a variety of educational and entertaining happenings this March through May. Highlights include two Music Under The Dome jazz concerts, a lecture series entirely devoted to women’s issues, a two-day family-fun art show and a Black History academic competition for middle and high school students..
Also, the museum is currently featuring two exhibitions through May 30, 2024 – “Central Track: Crossroads of Deep Ellum” and “Seeing A World Blind Lemon Never Saw.” The newly refreshed exhibit – “The Souls of Black Folks – Imagination and Materiality: The Power of Memory and Storytelling in Black Art”– will also be on view.
Visitors are also encouraged to view the newly dedicated Texas Historical Marker, which commemorates the Hall of Negro Life that was constructed for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition at Fair Park in Dallas. The Hall, which celebrated the numerous achievements and deeds of the African American community in America, attracted more than 400,000 visitors over the course of the fair, with an estimated 60% of visitors being White. The African American Museum, Dallas now stands at the original site of the Hall of Negro Life. Museum leaders say they never intended to replace the Hall of Negro Life but to instead carry forward its mission.
MARCH EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:
ESTELLA DOTY YOUNG LEADERS LECTURE
WITH AMBER SIMS, YOUNG LEADERS STRONG CITY
Saturday, March 23, at 2 p.m.
African American Museum, Dallas – AT&T Auditorium
Free and open to the public
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Estella Doty Lecture provides a platform for young female leaders with an emphasis on leadership, education and/or religion. Doty was an educator/administrator in Dallas ISD and an outstanding church leader in the community. The featured speaker will be Amber Sims, executive director of Young Leaders Strong City (YLSC).
PALOOZA IN THE PARK
Saturday, March 9, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Fair Park Museum Green (2nd Ave. and Grand Ave, Dallas)
Free and open to the public
The second-annual Palooza in the Park is a family-friendly celebration featuring performances by local artists, a car show, face painting, caricatures, food vendors and plenty of fun photo ops. The African American Museum will be open, plus numerous community organizations will be on site offering activities for all ages. Palooza in the Park is supported in part by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs.
ROBERT AND CHARMAINE PRICE KNOW YOUR HERITAGE BOWL
Saturday, March 23, at 9 a.m.
African American Museum, Dallas
Free and open to the public
Presented by the African American Museum, Dallas and the W. Marvin Dulaney DFW Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the Robert and Charmaine Price Know Your Heritage Bowl is a competition for local middle and high school students that seeks to encourage young scholars to appreciate and learn more about the rich history and culture of African Americans. Complete with prizes and fun, the friendly competition marks the culmination of a months-long effort by African American middle and high school students to study their history.
MUSIC UNDER THE DOME FEATURING SHEREL RILEY
Thursday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m.
African American Museum, Dallas
Tickets are $15; register at aamdallas.org/events
Bringing jazz concerts to the heart of Fair Park, Music Under the Dome continues with vocalist extraordinaire Sherel Riley. Tickets are available for $15. Food and beverages will be available for sale.
APRIL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:
SOUTHWEST BLACK ART SHOW
Saturday, April 20, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, April 21, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
African American Museum, Dallas
Free and open to the public
Committed to the exclusive presentation of art produced by artists of African and African American descent, the Southwest Black Art Show (SWBAS) was envisioned to present a quality experience for artists, collectors, galleries, educators, art professionals and anyone interested in Black fine art. In addition to showcasing quality black art, the Southwest Black Art Show will present workshops for people interested in becoming collectors as well as presentations by seasoned collectors, scholars and gallery owners. In addition, there will be hands-on activities for families and children throughout the weekend.
MUSIC UNDER THE DOME WITH HERBIE K. JOHNSON
Thursday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m.
African American Museum, Dallas
Free and open to the public; register at aamdallas.org/events
Music Under the Dome continues with jazz sensation Herbie K. Johnson. While admission is free, seating is limited and registration is required. Food and beverages will be available for sale.
MAY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:
BESSIE R. LASSITER DISTINGUISHED LECTURE
WITH BIANCA A. CARTER, B WHOLE AESTHETICS COMPANY
Saturday, May 4, at 2 p.m.
African American Museum, Dallas – AT&T Auditorium
The Bessie R. Lassiter Distinguished Lecture in Women's Healthcare is devoted to women in health and women's healthcare issues. Bessie Lassiter, a registered nurse, was the wife of Dr. Wright L. Lassiter, Jr., who with his two children endowed the lecture. Established healthcare professionals will be invited to present the lecture as part of the African American Heritage Series and a part of the museum's Culture of Wellness Initiative. The featured speaker will be Bianca A. Carter, owner and founder of B Whole Aesthetics Company.
A. MACEO SMITH COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD BRUNCH
Saturday, May 18, at 10 a.m.
Location TBD
Named for the late A. Maceo Smith – a consummate community leader whose volunteer service spanned a period of more than 50 years – the A. Maceo Smith Community Service Award Brunch will honor five volunteers for their outstanding service to the African American community in the areas of arts and culture, civic and human services, education, business and youth involvement. In addition, an award will be presented to a community servant under 40 years of age. Smith served as a regional director of fair housing and equal opportunity for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was a leading figure in the Progressive Voters League, NAACP, Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Urban League and Bishop College, and was integral in the development of Hamilton Park. In addition, he was a founding supporter of the African American Museum, Dallas and the founder of the Hall of Negro Life that was erected at the State Fair in 1936 for the Texas Centennial Fair. The award has been given since 1978.
Free and open to the public, the three exhibitions on view at the AAM are as follows:
“CENTRAL TRACK: CROSSROADS OF DEEP ELLUM”
Through May 30, 2024
Free and open to the public
“Central Track: Crossroads of Deep Ellum” focuses primarily on the 1920s and 1930s and features newspaper clippings, archival photographs, posters, and recordings of blues, jazz and popular music of the period. The exhibition unravels the growth and demise of North Central Avenue, in the area known as Central Track or Stringtown, which connects Deep Ellum to what was called Freedman Town after the Civil War. The area was later renamed Short North Dallas then Old North Dallas before being identified as Uptown. The exhibition raises questions about cultural identity difficult to reconcile, juxtaposing the harsh realities of racism to the vitality of a community that struggled to survive. While few photos have been found, numerous newspaper accounts bring to life a world little known and often overlooked that was destroyed in the 1940s to make way for North Central Expressway and the I-345 overpass.
“SEEING A WORLD BLIND LEMON NEVER SAW”
Through May 30, 2024
Free and open to the public
“Seeing a World Blind Lemon Never Saw”presents a photographic series by Alan Govenar from 2021-2023. The exhibition explores rural East Texas, little-known places in Dallas and locations that the legendary blues singer, Blind Lemon Jefferson, visited or alluded to in his songs. Govenar’s compelling photographs of Jefferson’s environment are characterized with chromatic elegance and depth. The images encapsulate the spectrum of human experience. The photographs’ clear tonal contrast of light and shadow evokes a timeless quality that transcends the boundaries of time and gives Govenar’s photographs universal appeal.
“THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLKS – IMAGINATION AND MATERIALITY: THE POWER OF MEMORY AND STORYTELLING IN BLACK ART”
Main level of the museum
Ongoing
Free and open to the public
Spotlighting folk and self-taught artists from Texas and beyond, the exhibition features works from the museum’s permanent folk art collection which is one of the largest collections in the country. Featured pieces include an 1821 coverlet made and signed by a 16-year-old enslaved girl, an 1888 crazy quilt, a desk made by slaves in 1830, an 1864 silver spoon made by a slave, and a chair designed by Charles Harrison, a 30-year industrial designer at Sears.
Season sponsors of the African American Museum, Dallas, are Toyota, Peggy and Carl Sewell, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Dallas Mavericks, NBC 5/Telemundo 39, Texas Metro News, Garland Journal, OVG360, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District and the City of Dallas’ Office of Arts and Culture.
HOURS. Hours are Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free self-parking is available in nearby lots.
The African American Museum, Dallas is located at 3536 Grand Ave. in Dallas’ historic Fair Park. For more information, go to aamdallas.org or call214-565-9026. For the latest updates, follow the Museum on Instagram and Facebook.
About the African American Museum, Dallas
The African American Museum, Dallas was founded in 1974 as a part of Bishop College. The Museum has operated independently since 1979. For more than 40 years, the African American Museum has stood as a cultural beacon in Dallas and the Southwestern United States. Located in Dallas’ historic Fair Park, the African American Museum is the only museum in the Southwestern United States devoted to the collection, preservation and display of African American artistic, cultural and historical materials that relate to the African American experience. The African American Museum incorporates a wide variety of visual art forms and historical documents that portray the African American experience in the United States, Southwest, and Dallas. The Museum has a small, but rich collection of African art, African American fine art and one of the largest African American folk-art collections in the United States. Learn more at aamdallas.org.