Last weekend, I got to pose as a TV producer and go up in the press stands where the networks are currently watching President Obama watch the big parade. In other news, happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
As I understand it, it’s a school holiday. Oil & Cotton kindly fills in the blanks with a special MLK interpretive sculpture camp this afternoon that revolves around his “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” speech. For lucky parents who also have the day off, this is a prime opportunity for lunch and coffee at Bolsa Mercado.
Downtown, the International House of Blues Foundation’s Martin Luther King celebration also gets underway shortly. It’s free family fun with dance and music, including a performance by the wonderful Dallas Black Dance Theatre, so just drop in anytime until noon. Erykah Badu will give the keynote speech, but several students are slated to present, as well.
And finally, the Dallas Museum of Arts kicks off the return to free admission by opening its doors on a Monday. Amazing. What do we get? Well, Jerome Weeks over on Art & Seek already gave us with this adorable photo of our Peter Simek. But the museum store is offering a free gift for the first “DMA friends” to stop by, plus you can take advantage of tours and musical performances in the galleries. The DMA’s director, Maxwell Anderson, will talk briefly at 2 pm. Later in the evening but still in the Arts District, I’d make plans to attend the Dallas Institute of Humanities’ yearly symposium at the Dallas City Performance Hall. The topic for discussion is “The Role of the African American Church in the Civil Rights Movement,” and the guest is Ambassador Andrew Young, a pastor and close friend of King himself. It’s an incredible opportunity to hear from someone who was right there, for everything.
For more to do tonight, go here.
