Cutting the ribbon at City Performance Hall

The ribbon was cut, speeches were made, the Townview Big D Band played. But my favorite part of the official opening of  City Performance Hall Thursday morning was finally getting to see the new grand drape  in the hall itself.

The  LED curtain and the city will invite various artists to install works on it. First up is Shane Pennington’s installation, “Points of Life.”

The LED curtain at City Performance Hall

Mayor Mike Rawlings reminded Thursday morning’s  crowd of the arts’ positive economic impact on the city:  $128 million in the Arts District neighborhood, $320 million city-wide.  He also pointed out that citizens in Dallas have stepped up for the arts, approving the two bond issues that built the $40.45 million performance hall. Philanthropists have done their part. But business in Dallas “doesn’t support the arts the way it should.” Rawlings’ mentioned several businesses that have come on board to support specific arts groups as part of his Business/Arts Initiative , in partnership with Business Council for the Arts.  “If you don’t have an arts organization, get one!” he said.

Festivities continue this afternoon with public tours from 4 to 6 p.m. and a panel discussion with the architects who built the hall, all free and open to the public.  (More on how the hall’s acoustics came together from Jerome Weeks.)  Free events continue all day Saturday and Sunday.  And ticketed concerts begin Friday night.

Listen for more this afternoon on KERA (and back here at Art&Seek) from Stephen Becker.