How the Arts Are Transforming Dallas - trade exhibition


Dallas is texas at its most american, so rich in archetypes and stereotypes—oil tycoons, the grassy knoll, the Dallas Cowboys, Southfork—that it has become a psychic destination, hardwired into the national collective unconsciousness. This month Dallas embraces two of its most beloved icons. The downtown flagship store of Neiman Marcus, inviolable symbol of both the city and the American retail industry, is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a gala and a monthlong series of art-meets-fashion installations. A few miles away, everyone in the city, the fashion-aware and the fashion-oblivious, will muster in Fair Park for the 121-year-old State Fair of Texas—the biggest, of course, in the country. Three million fairgoers will gape at the 52-foot-tall mechanical cowboy Big Tex, catch a livestock show, cheer the Longhorns or the Sooners at the annual Texas vs. Oklahoma game, and eat ungodly fried food. Even the fanciest socialites in Dallas—ordinarily given to $90 tasting menus of neo-Southwestern fare amid the sleek splendors of the restaurant Stephan Pyles—rhapsodize about the abandonment to be found in fried Coke batter.
Dallas has a gift for entertaining two contradictory notions at once, such as its rowdy state fair and the delicately beautiful National Historic Landmark where it is held: Fair Park contains the largest collection of Art Deco exposition-style architecture in the country. The Dallas Opera, famed for having presented the United States debuts of Joan Sutherland and Plácido Domingo, stages its opening-night galas here in the Hall of State. A rococo riot of All-Hail-Texas iconography, with masterly WPA-era murals of happy cotton-pickers on the walls and mosaic armadillos scampering along the marble floors, the Hall of State inspires awe. It also proves that Dallas should be more like Texas, not less.
The high end of American life now being nearly as franchised as the low end, Dallas—which has the inevitable outpost of Nobu—is as threatened as any other American city whose singular character is being squashed by the careful good taste of corporate branding. On the other hand, Dallas believes in redemption through real estate: I. M. Pei's Dallas City Hall began in 1965 as a stab at civic rebirth, and Philip Johnson's John F. Kennedy Memorial is a luminous declaration of architecture's power. Design is built into Dallas's DNA, and it's once again making news. Along with the highly publicized $400 million–plus gift of art and money to the Dallas Museum of Art from an unusual consortium of local collectors, a staggering array of marquee designers is reimagining downtown. The Arts District alone, whose cornerstone is the DMA, will shortly have buildings by four Pritzker Prize–winning architects fronting one street: first was I. M. Pei's Meyerson Symphony Center; then came Renzo Piano's Nasher Sculpture Center; and 2009 will see the completion of Rem Koolhaas and Norman Foster's contributions to the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. Santiago Calatrava—the ultimate architectural hired gun—is designing three epic bridges for the troubled Trinity River Corridor Project, which may finally give Dallas the kind of grand central public space that draws people to San Antonio and Austin. One span is 40 stories tall and intended to be the local equivalent of the St. Louis Gateway Arch, an outsize beacon for the reach of the New Dallas. As the city's current marketing slogan goes, Live large, think big.
For newcomers, the first glimpse of the skyline brings a jolt of the familiar, thanks to the TV brain slap of Dallas. The reproduction of the original jaunty Pegasus sign atop the Magnolia Hotel, the former headquarters of Magnolia Petroleum Company (later Mobil Oil), is ablaze in all its neon glory. And there's something wonderfully reassuring about the revolving geodesic dome crowning the 50-story Reunion Tower, a grand folly that can be seen from anywhere in the city; in the evenings, the dome is lit up like a radioactive sea anemone, a beautiful exuberance straight out of Las Vegas.
I immediately felt at home in Dallas. It made sense to me. Like Miami, where I grew up and still live, it's a brash, muscular, and immodest metropolis that believes in putting on a show—and exhibits all the usual insecurities of show people. It also chafes under the yoke of its civic clichés but doesn't quite know what would be left if they were all shaken off. My earlier experience of the city included a chance meeting in a raucous New Orleans dive many years ago. For no apparent reason, a petite middle-aged woman in a cowgirl hat suddenly jumped on top of a table and announced, "I'm from Dallas, Texas, and I'll kick the ass of any damn man in this bar."

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Hill Country (Golf) Heaven - hong kong concert


Like a few easy bars from Willie Nelson's acoustic guitar, the iconoclastic spirit of Austin is at once comforting and vaguely revolutionary. This capital city on the Colorado River—where every third person you meet, it seems, plays in a band—embraces a tapestry of cultures and personalities, a fact celebrated by the popular bumper sticker keep austin weird. It's home to Grammy winners and Hollywood refugees, Texas statesmen and technology wizards, perpetual grad students and PGA Tour pros (after all, this was where Harvey Penick taught the game to generations, including his most famous disciples, Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite). The University of Texas spreads north of the rosy pink granite state capitol, which is about the hair of a javelina taller than the nation's Capitol. The first suggestion of the Piney Woods rises beyond the cattle pastures to the east of town, and the majestic Hill Country heaves to the west. Moody stage lights and a screaming Stratocaster?Those would be the sights and sounds of the indefatigable live-music scene in the Warehouse District and along South Congress Avenue.
Where to Play Barton Creek, Fazio Foothills ****1/2
The best of the four eighteens at Barton Creek, Austin's premier Hill Country resort, the Foothills course bears all the markings of a showpiece Tom Fazio design. The architect drew on the land's natural features—limestone caves and cliffs and the eponymous creek—and augmented them with man-made rock walls, ponds and waterfalls for aesthetic (as well as environmental) effect. The result is a collection of postcard-worthy holes such as the downhill par-three ninth, which plays over a streambed to a limestone-fringed green. A second-shot course with small, angled greens, the Foothills evolves with symphonic precision, peaking appropriately on the closing holes. The serpentine eighteenth winds past a fairway bunker pouring from a cave near the hundred-yard marker and climbs triumphantly up to the resort grounds. The hole is prettier from the green looking down, so treat yourself to a long parting glance.
Architect: Tom Fazio, 1986. Yardage: 7,125. Par: 72. Slope: 135. Greens Fees: $180-$250 (resort guests only). Contact: 8212 Barton Club Drive, Austin; 800-336-6158, www.bartoncreek.com.
Wolfdancer Golf Club ****1/2
Secluded in pineland a short drive from Austin, Wolfdancer, the centerpiece of the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, opened a year ago to well-deserved fanfare. The course navigates two distinct types of terrain: high meadows above the Colorado River and sleepy pecan groves along its steep muddy banks. The first twelve holes sweep through the open hills, exposed to a frisky Texas breeze that can mean the difference between hitting a six-iron or a sand wedge. From there, the layout plunges into a valley, where errant drives ricochet among the trees. Most of all, Wolfdancer offers something that few other courses so close to an urban area manage to achieve: serenity. The only sound you hear is the wind whishing through the pine needles and pecan leaves.
Architect: Arthur Hills, 2006. Yardage: 7,205. Par: 72. Slope: 137. Greens Fees: $89-$165. Contact: 575 Hyatt Lost Pines Road, Lost Pines; 512-308-1234, lostpines.hyatt.com.

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Gustavo Dudamel’s Los Angeles Concerts - hong kong concert


“Bienvenido Gustavo” Walt Disney Concert Hall (October 3–11). Gustavo Dudamel is a conductor who’s enjoyed almost pop-star hype at the head of Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, as well as since being named Esa-Pekka Salonen’s successor at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Now, finally, the 28-year-old is assuming his post with a week of concerts, starting with a free event at the Hollywood Bowl (lines went around the block the day tickets were released), continuing with the season opener—a John Adams world premiere—and going on through the weekend with a new work by Unsuk Chin and Mahler’s First Symphony.

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Greek Revival - trade exhibition


Stay

True to the hotel's name, the 11 modern rooms at the new Ochre & Brown Boutique Hotel (7 Leokoriou St.; 30-210/331-2950; ochreandbrown.com; doubles from $230) are swathed in earthy colors and brightened with accents of bright red, orange, and pink. The hotel's best asset: a prime location in the up-and-coming Psyrri district, bridging old and new Athens. Stroll the nearby pedestrian walkway that encircles the Acropolis, or spend time in the modern art galleries and hub of Athens's thriving nightlife. ? If you prefer Neoclassical opulence to boutique flair, check into the 1877 Hotel Grande Bretagne (Syndagma Square; 30-210/333-0000; grandebretagne.gr; doubles from $781). The ground floor holds a 12,000-square-foot spa with six thermal suites. Even more impressive is the rooftop restaurant, which has floor-to-ceiling windows and views of the Acropolis. ? The affordable gray and blue Periscope (22 Haritos St.; 30-210/729-7200; periscope.gr; doubles from $200) pays homage to modern-day Athens. Twelve of the hotel's 21 guest-room ceilings are papered with aerial photos of the city.
Shop
Set in the fashionable Kolonaki neighborhood, the clothing boutique Bettina (29 Anagnostopoulou St. and 40 Pindarou; 30-210/339-2094) carries haute designers such as Superfine on the ground floor and edgier labels—ThreeAsFour and Greek newcomer Angelos Frentzos—on the top two. Around the corner, the tiny jewelry shop Apriati (29 Pindarou; 30-210/360-7878) sells whimsical baubles. Most noteworthy are the 18-karat-gold necklaces that come with your choice of pendants: a hotel-room key or a pig (in honor of the current Chinese year). Greece's hottest export these days?Mastiha, or mastic, a pungent resin from a tree that grows only on the island of Chios and is known for its therapeutic properties (a mastiha spa just opened in New York City). At the Mastiha Shop (6 Panepistimiou Sudagma; 30-210/363-2750), you'll find flavored sweets as well as beauty products from the coveted Greek naturopathic line, Korres. The Center of Hellenic Tradition (36 Pandrossou St.; 30-210/321-3023), arguably the prettiest store in Plaka, the city's tourist hotbed, forgoes kitschy souvenirs for ceramic plates from the island of Rhodes and intricately carved wooden frames and trays from Epiros.
Do
Athenian heritage is visible at every turn, from the sculptures at the National Archaeological Museum ()44 Patission; 30-210/821-7717; culture.gr) to the collection of Cypriot antiquities at the Museum of Cycladic Art ()4 Neophytou Douka St.; 30-210/722-8321; cycladic-m.gr). But over the past several years, the city's contemporary art scene has evolved, with museums such as the Herakleidon Experience in Visual Arts (16 Thissio; 30-210/346-1981; herakleidon-art.gr) and the new three-story Pireos Street Annexe (138 Pireos St.; 30-210/345-3111; benaki.gr) staging rotating exhibitions of recent art and photography. After dark, bypass the touts trying to lure you into Plaka's mediocre night spots and head to Brettos Bar (41 Kydathineon St.; 30-210/323-2110). This narrow hideaway has 28 different liqueurs, all distilled in-house. Flavors range from amaretto to the surprisingly subtle rose petal. To hear live traditional Greek music, swing by the spacious, low-lit restaurant lounge Hrisomilo (12 Agatharchou; 30-210/331-7061), in the Psyrri district.
Eat
French food with a Greek twist earned Spondi (5 Pyrronos St.; 30-210/752-0658; dinner for two $200) a Michelin star in 2003. The three-story Neoclassical restaurant serves dishes such as roast lamb with candied lemon, pineapple, and coriander—and, for dessert, a velvety chocolate ganache cake with tonka-bean ice cream. At Cretan-inspired Alatsi (13 Vrasida; 30-210/721-0501; dinner for two $116), writers and artists gather for fresh stamangathi greens drizzled in lemon and olive oil—the secret to long life, according to the locals—and stewed chicken with noodles. For a mix of traditional and modern Mediterranean cuisine, head to Pasaji (Stoa Spiromilou, CityLink; 30-210/322-0714; dinner for two $77). Don't miss the addictive Anatolian phyllo–wrapped rolls stuffed with graviera cheese. The low-key taverna Filoistron (23 Apostolou Pavlou; 30-210/342-2897; dinner for two $45) sticks to delicious basics such as rollakia—braised suckling pig wrapped in eggplant. Snag a table on the roof deck for a spectacular nighttime view of Mount Lycabettus.

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Golf Life: Seen on the Green | January 2004 - hong kong concert


GOLFIN' IN THE FREE WORLD Nobody would ever dare call Neil Young a one-hit wonder, so it's a pretty sure bet that his appearance at last year's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am won't be his last. Word has it that the fifty-eight-year-old rocker, a bogey golfer who keeps his card at California's Half Moon Bay Golf Links, made tee times at nearly every stop on his recent nationwide concert tour, including a quick nine at West Woods Golf Club before a performance at Colorado's Red Rocks amphitheater. Young's golf roots run deep. His father, Canadian sportswriter Scott Young, got him started as a kid, and he often played with his father-in-law, longtime AT&T supporter Tom Morton. "He always wanted us to play in this tournament together," Young told reporters at Pebble. "So I'm doing it for him, for my family, for myself and for fun." "Shakey," as he's known, played with Tour pro Brian Henninger at Pebble, and he's working with Henninger's agent, Peter Jacobsen Productions, on a made-for-television golf event to air sometime this fall.
ANGEL IN THE FAIRWAY During her '70s heyday, Cheryl Ladd's talents with a .38, among other things, made Charlie's Angels on Wednesday nights must-see TV. For the past twenty years, her talents with a three-wood have turned celebrity golf tournaments into must-play events. Ladd, a seventeen-handicap who has served as Buick's golf ambassador at PGA Tour events, recently inked a deal with Miramax Books to write Token Chick, a book about her involvement in golf, which is due out in 2005.
A GOOD JOYSTICK?Tobey Maguire's crowd-pleasing performances in the blockbusters Spider-Man and Seabiscuit have more than confirmed his A-list credentials. However, his box-office success seems to translate better to the Xbox than to the tee box. Despite unconfirmed reports of Maguire sightings on several Los Angeles-area courses, the only golf this actor and video-game aficionado actually plays is on the small screen. We're talking Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004.

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