City PICKS

Going Baroque



The group Irregular Pearl serves up zesty baroque with a garnish of chitchat on the side-their performances are like historical journeys into composers’ lives and curiosities of the period between 1600 and the mid-1700s. The seven members share a love of early music that founder Joan Snider (right) calls “not rational.” Members Kristin Van Cleve (violin), Sheila Madden (viola, violin), Snider (oboe), Kevin Hall (bassoon), Karen Hall (cello, viola da gamba). Deborah Stribling (harpsichord) and Lucy Tamez Creech (soprano) perform on reproductions of historic instruments. Unlike modem instruments, each note is not perfect. “Every note having a different timbre and a different color within it adds infinite dimensions,” says Snider. As with the baroque pearl that gave this group its name, the irregularities are part of its charm.



Night Art

The Dallas Art Dealers Association 1992 Gallery Night will celebrate the new season on Sept. 11 when 14 local galleries open their first fall exhibits. Among the participating galleries are David Dike Fine Art presenting Texas artists of the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s, The Conduit Gallery, which will exhibit works by Texas artist Geoff Holle, and the Eugene Binder Gallery, which kicks off the season with former SMU art professor Roger Winter. Gallery Night, principally located in the Fairmount/McKinney and Deep Ellum areas, will take place from 6-9 p.m. For more information, call David Dike at 720-4044.

The Jewel of South Dallas

On Sept. 19 and 20 the South Boulevard and Park Row neighborhood will sponsor its first Home and Heritage Tour. This area of South Dallas is steeped in history: Between 1912 and 1932, 123 residences of architectural distinction were built here by Jews of immigrant parentage. Called “the jewel of South Dallas.” the neighborhood varied from Georgian mansions to Tudor cottages to mission-style bungalows. Change came after World War ]I, when many of the area’s residents relocated. A few homes were demolished, and others fell into disrepair. But the African-Americans who moved into the neighborhood quickly banded together to preserve the community. Their efforts paid off; In 1976, the city of Dallas granted its second Historic District designation, after Swiss Avenue, to the area. More than a half-dozen homes will be open during the tour. Tickets are $6 if purchased in advance or $7 at the event. For more information, call 565-1444.

Dancing Feats

The creative genius of Bill T. Jones kicks off TITAS’ 10th anniversary season Sept. 25 and 26 at McFarlin Auditorium (performances are at 8 p.m.). Jones, one of the strongest forces on the contemporary dance scene, builds his choreography around combustible issues like race, gender and religion-every move is meant to provoke. His New York-based troupe, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane & Co., is perhaps best known for its work, “The Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin/The Promised Land.” A section of this will be performed during their Dallas debut.

Symbols, Myths and Visions



The fascinating history and culture of Mexico’s Virgin of Guadalupe is on display at SMU’s Bridwell Library through the 19th. The legend began December 9, 1531, when two Nahuatl-speaking Mexicans saw a vision of the Virgin Mary. The men wrapped flowers in a cloth and took it to a bishop as proof of the visitation. The dark-skinned image of the Virgin that was miraculously imprinted on the cloth has become a symbol of unity and hope for the peoples of Mexico, as it reflects the nation’s Aztec, Christian and Spanish cultures. The softly lit exhibit takes the visitor back to the time of Aztec goddesses and Spanish conquistadors as poems, sermons and drawings reveal the prevalence of the Senora de Guadalupe in 16th-and 17th-century Mexican culture. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Call 692-3441 for gallery hours.