Editor’s Note

EDITOR’S NOTE Summer 2020

TERRI PROVENCAL

Publisher / Editor in Chief terri@patronmagazine.com Instagram terri_provencal and patronmag

From mid-March, through April and into May, makeup-less days came and went—slow, slow, quick, quick, slow, fashioned like the forward, backward, and sideward movements of the foxtrot. Nature, never yielding to the calamity and reclaiming its prideful place, unfolded into beautiful spring greenery, blossoms bloomed brightly hued.

Walks within five miles of our East Dallas home became a delicate dance of genial avoidance, as those enjoying the outdoors traversed from one side of the street to the other, distancing. A red Cadillac sat parked for weeks, though where was last spring’s sun-soaked, black-and-white cat that lounged on the hood of the car, staring with its watchful eyes? Most likely safely tucked inside with its caretaker.… The avenue the Caddy sat on became the neighborhood thoroughfare for pedestrians with and without baby strollers, cyclists, skaters, and a few awkward Rollerbladers. Lawn chairs dappled either side of the street, empty or with too many maskless faces—social distancing is hard. Reconfiguring my strolls, I walked past my son’s former elementary school art teacher’s home on a few occasions, hoping to hear laughter rising from her backyard pool, a result of her legendary Art Splash Camp—but then I remembered school was not officially out. One day the laughter came around the corner, however, from a pair of kids riding bicycles equipped with training wheels.

Young and old, Texans have been tested, and we all hope these difficult precautions will keep us safe. No one likes wearing masks, although there are some really cool ones out there, like the handmade ones our neighbors dropped off to our family of three, patterned specifically for each of us.

And through all this, glimmers of hope emerged. In April, the Dallas Art Fair Online brought in sales of many, many artworks from both local and international exhibitors. We appreciate you, Kelly, Sarah, and Brandon, and applaud your lightning-quick efforts and nimble thinking. Late April brought more good news: Blake Hackler, SMU Meadows School of the Arts Associate Professor of Theatre received a Fulbright Scholar Grant for 2020- 2021 and was added to the Dallas Theater Center’s Brierley Resident Acting Company. In fact, at the Dallas Theater Center no one was furloughed. Instead, the company grew, made masks, and took Spanish classes. Likewise, as one would expect, the Art Influencers featured in this issue influenced—Rick Brettell was hoping to sign a lease for MoTA (Museum of Texas Art) when we last corresponded in May. Dallas Contemporary’s Peter Doroshenko is working with his team to bring robust art content by way of #dcfromhome. Bernardo Vallarino received the Moss/Chumley North Texas Artist Award for his brave social practice addressing marginalized communities and his staunch volunteerism—and he continues to make work.

Elsewhere in Patron we learn about John Eagle’s beautifully designed executive offices—a fluid combination of an exceptional art collection and Andre Staffelbach’s considered design. We peek inside the Lancaster Hotel, restored by Dallas-based artist and hotelier Jay Shinn, which features a wonderful art collection culled by Jay and his partner, Tim Hurst, with design by David Cadwallader.

In a time when the arts are scrambling due to the global health crisis and the resulting challenging economy, this magazine remains committed to artists and our regional arts institutions. We seek notes of optimism and urge you to share these with us so we can pass them along. Please read about all of the innovative, whatever-it-takes individuals included in this issue.

I do keep looking for the sun-loving cat to emerge from the recesses with us, to take its rightful place, as if signifying a sense of normalcy. We are of sturdy stock here in Texas, and our optimism runs deep. While the halcyon days seem bygone, they will return with patience and with a greater appreciation for one another.