Douglas Newby Insights - Page 5
Face of New York
I always think of Nelly Moudime, the Maitre d’ of The Polo Bar as the face of New York. A former model, the daughter of an African diplomat, Nelly is a stunning woman who fills a room with energy and grace. She effortlessly greets the most famous, richest, successful, and glamorous people in the world with the same ease she greets new guests at The Polo Bar. The Polo Bar is somewhere I go every time I am in New York. It reminds me of Highland Park Village and Cafe Pacific. I first met Ralph Lauren and his brother, Jerry, when my sales associate, Doug Bihlmaier, introduced me at the Highland Park Ralph Lauren store not long after it opened in the 1970s. I recall, with Doug’s encouragement, I wore a tie from one of Ralph’s first tie collections that I bought to bring to SMU my freshman year. Ralph loved it. Doug went on to work closely with Ralph Lauren in New York. I have met Ralph Lauren since, at The Polo Bar once when he was with his Telluride neighbor Ken Burns. I mention Cafe Pacific because Jack Knox and Ralph Lauren are contemporaries, and I met both of them close to the same time. Jack Knox and Ralph Lauren both exude style, a personal elegance, and are the most meticulous restaurant owners I know when it comes to creating an aesthetic atmosphere of excellence. They both take great joy in presenting an experience that is inspiring and flawless. Jack Knox was raised in Highland Park and SMU, and Ralph Lauren created a Highland Park and SMU environment for everyone else in the world. Thank you – and thank you Nelly for creating a Polo-New York tone for all your guests. *Face of New York
@nellcan @thepolobar @ralphlauren @poloralphlauren @dougbihlmaier93 #thepolobar #nellymoudime #NewYork #RalphLauren #dougbihlmaier #CafePacific
Dallas Art Fair
National and international art galleries endorsed Dallas by participating in the Dallas Art Fair. Often artists lead the way in discovering and reclaiming neighborhoods making them fashionable. Much the same can be said of art galleries. Barry Whistler Gallery gave Deep Ellum a boost three decades ago and then gave the Dallas Design District an additional thrust. Now international galleries are doing the same thing for Dallas by participating in the 15th Dallas Art Fair. We know Dallas has the country’s most diverse economy attracting a steady flow of Fortune 500 companies. We know substantial people are moving to Dallas, resulting in more homebuyers than home sellers in Highland Park and Dallas. Dallas, increasingly attractive for relocations, is rightly associated with an open friendly city, lower taxes, safety, educational opportunities. Now international galleries are endorsing the aesthetics of Dallas.
Art transcends even the draw of jobs, safety, education and favorable economics. People of all incomes enjoy art. Now Dallas enjoy the art world coming to us. This year Art Fair spaces were consistently beautifully curated, the art strong, the galleries friendly, and the viewers excited. The Dallas Art Fair also showed the strength of Dallas art galleries. Dallas art galleries at the Fair more than held their own. Dallas art galleries in the Dallas Design District also had art openings to coincide with the Art Fair and the week of art conversations in Dallas. Private art collections were also made available to view. Art work presented by east and west coast galleries and those from around the world made me even more appreciative of the fabulous Dallas art galleries, art collectors and collections that we have in Dallas. Since grade school, I have loved fairs – including writing a long school report on fairs, going to book fairs, the Chicago International Trade Fair, art fairs in other cities, and of course the Texas State Fair. The Dallas Art Fair has blossomed into an internationally important fair – one that is enjoyable, educational, and one that endorses Dallas. *DallasArtFair
#DallasArtFair #DowntownDallas #DallasArt #DallasDesignDistrict #Dallas
Real Deal
Real Deal insights were provided earlier this year by Publisher and Founder Amir Korangy of The Real Deal, the largest real estate magazine in the country. It is interesting how people outside Dallas interpret the city. Amir Korangy hosted a dinner at The Mansion Restaurant that included former Mayor Mike Rawlings; CEO of Crow Holdings, Michael Levy; Dallas Regional Chamber Senior VP of Research and Innovation, Duane Dankesreiter; The Real Deal’s National Managing Editor Jerry Sullivan, Texas Editor Rachel Stone, and Dallas reporter Erick Pirayesh, along with a few other real estate leaders. I find interesting to compare the perspectives of those from inside and outside of Dallas. When over a year ago Amir visited Dallas to learn about the city, he asked people what made Dallas so successful. The first person suggested it was because the people in Dallas were nice. Amir said he thought this didn’t seem enough to be the foundation of a city’s success. He said after he spoke to 30 people over the week and they all said essentially the same thing, that maybe this was the key component to the success of Dallas. One certainly could not point to mountains or an ocean as the draw to Dallas. Nice is a pleasant but rather anemic word for something more profound in Dallas. When my clients are moving to Dallas or considering moving to Dallas, the first way I describe Dallas is that it is the most open city in the country. In Dallas people are considered for what they contribute and add to the city. Recently this idea was reinforced at a Dallas dinner for 80 people being celebrated for their contributions to the city. It was mentioned that Dallas is a place far more collaborative than divisive. The fun, generous, warm mood of this assemblage of successful people from the full political spectrum conveyed this. At the earlier dinner, Amir Korangy said that Dallas is both a magnet for Fortune 500 companies and is an encouraging environment for people in every demographic to start a business. The sentiments and mood of these two dinners reinforced in my mind—niceness in Dallas is the real deal. *Real Deal
#Dallas #City #TheRealDeal @mrkorangy #rosewoodmansiononturtlecreek
Preservation Poetry
This Robert Frost style poem was inspired by my blog article on DouglasNewby.com- Preservation Dallas 50th Anniversary Home Tour Celebrates Neighborhoods and Architecture.
In neighborhoods, where history breathes,
Preservation Dallas, its mission weaves.
Fifty years have come and gone,
A golden era, a tale now spun.
With architect’s passion and vision clear,
Neighborhoods standing, as we stand here.
A house, a home, a living tale,
In every brick and timbered bale.
Kessler Park and Swiss Avenue,
Touched by hands, old and new. Cheek and Fooshee, Dilbeck, too,
A tapestry of architects, their essence imbued.
Winds of change, they blow and gust,
Yet in these homes, our trust is thrust.
Oak Cliff and Munger Place, a story to share,
Intricate patterns, a legacy’s heir.
As I wandered through these homes,
I felt the whispers, the ancient tomes.
Of lives well lived and dreams fulfilled,
In every corner, history distilled.
To celebrate these architects, we gather near,
Their talents, their visions, we revere.
For in their craft, they’ve woven time,
Preserved for us, a gift sublime.
We stand upon the shoulders of the great,
Their work, an anchor, against time’s weight.
And as we walk the neighborhoods of yore,
A part of us, forevermore.
So let us celebrate this jubilant day,
In honor of those who’ve paved the way.
For through their work, we too shall see,
A past preserved, an eternal legacy. *Preservation Poetry
#PreservationDallas #DallasNeighborhoods #DallasArchitects #SwissAvenue #OakCliff #dallashometoura
MayaMargarita
Here is how iconic drinks are maybe named at iconic restaurants. Javier’s Gourmet Mexicano is the oldest iconic restaurant in Dallas. It is much loved, known for its professional service, unwavering Mexico City inspired food, and much fun. Led by Javier’s example, wearing an Italian suit, with Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and other stylish cars lined up in the front, Javier’s is known for tradition and style. It is against this backdrop that an iconic drink may be created. When Javier inquired what drinks he could request the server to bring to the table, he was told a top shelf Margarita rimmed with sugar. Javier’s eyes got wide and a curious expression appeared as he said he has never had that request. When told he could think of it as a Maya Margarita, Javier repeated, “Maya Margarita” and said, “It has a good ring to it.” Grace Kelly, a stylish woman, propelled a Hermes handbag to be called the Kelly bag. Here a stylish woman might propel a sugar-rimmed top shelf Margarita to be called a Maya Margarita. *MayaMargarita
#JaviersDallas #Javier #Dallas #IconicRestaurant #MayaMargarita #SugarRimmedMargarita #Margarita #DallasRestaurant #MexicanRestaurant #eventdirector #nationalmargaritaday @JaviersGourmetMexicano
Katz Ascends
From graduate student looking work on the first level of the Guggenheim Museum, Alex Katz’ work ascends to the highest level and to the triumphant and concluding piece of the exhibition, which was loaned by Dallas’ own art collector, Marguerite Hoffman. Katz’ wife was a reoccurring subject matter throughout his 60-year career, including the oversized faces Katz is best known for. The final piece in his show has his wife’s back to the viewer, and yet we still can tell exactly who it is. A retrospective this linear is also nice as we see the evolution of an artist’s work and in this case the distinct evolution of styles and attitudes of each decade. As you slide through the images, you will be able to see the final picture of the back of the woman repeated six times on the canvas. This piece is destined to become part of the Dallas Museum of Art’s permanent collection. *Katz Ascends
#guggenheim #ArtExhibition @guggenheim #AlexKatz #DallasArtCollector #UpperEastSide #Design
Reclaim Dallas
Michael Lee, a brilliant designer and a Highland Park native, has reclaimed Dallas as his home and continues to reclaim Dallas architectural components and artifacts from architecturally significant homes and merge them into new spaces. A celebration at his new retail space at Nick Brock on Slocum in the Design District provided the opportunity to see how a collection of individual pieces offered for sale were placed in a graceful composition that was as enticing as each individual piece. Additionally, sunlight illuminated the space. When Michael moved to Malibu, his genius was quickly recognized. His California work was featured in Architectural Digest and he was the talk of the town. Simultaneously, his projects in Dallas were equally revered. It is so fun to have Michael and Gatsby back in Dallas. When you see them, you are bound to see many of the most talented and delightful people in town. Here we see the Director of the Dallas Opera, the North American CEO of Christie’s Auction House, and Carol Lee, who with her late husband John Ridings Lee, lived and entertained in iconic modern and historic homes that were the toast of the town. From business leaders to aesthetic leaders and interior designers, this space glowed with talent and love that always surrounds Michael Lee. *Reclaim Dallas
#NickBrockAntiques #Antiques #GatsbyGeerts #DallasDesignDistrict #ArchitecturallySignificant #ArchitecturalArtifacts #Retail #DallasCelebration #Dallas
Celebrating Home
Pure ice on the first day this architecturally significant historic home was on the market. Today, my clients are enjoying their new home on a sunny day. Ice is a buyer’s best friend.
My clients said ideally they would like a historic home, an architecturally significant home, a home on around a half acre of land, looking across from a golf course, and in the next six months before they were to be married. There has been virtually no inventory of homes for sale over the last six months. Where would you have recommended? They bought this home, a historic 100-year-old home, an architecturally significant home, on almost a half acre, overlooking a golf course, the day before their wedding.
As I told this beautiful couple – NEVER a doubt! *Celebrating Home
#DallasIce #Dallas #DallasNeighborhood #HistoricHome #ArchitecturallySignificantHome #CentennialHome #100YearOldHome #neighborhood
Entrepreneurial Art
The Dallas Museum of Art and Director Agustin Arteaga continues to inform and delight with a wide and deep spectrum of exhibitions. Recently opening was “Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools: 300 Years of Flemish Masterworks.” Art history is more than the history of artistic technique or expression, it is history itself. We heard from Dr. Katharina Van Cauteren that the 16th century paintings in Antwerp and Flanders was the start of the art market. Artists began painting speculatively rather than painting solely on commission. An art market broadens the subject matter of paintings from predominantly portraits to landscapes, still lifes, and other vignettes that were in demand. The paintings seen are primarily curated from The Phoebus Foundation collection with strong Flemish paintings from the DMA interspersed. Oil paint was invented during this period, allowing the intense detail we are seeing in these paintings. An entire wall is dedicated to 20 prints that portray inventions and processes of the day, such as the machinery pressing olive oil. The beauty of art can be emotionally elevating, but the history of art and why it was made can illuminate our history. *Entrepreneurial Art
#DMA #FlemishArt #Flanders #OilPaint #ArtMarket #Dallas #ArtHistory #ArtDistrict #ArtOpening #PhoebusFoundation
Ford and Cece
Ford and Cece are in the house when you see a yellow Corvette. For decades they have driven a new model yellow Corvette. In Highland Park Village at Cafe Pacific you see so many Bentleys, Rolls-Royces and Maybachs lined up it is hard to know which car belongs to whom and yet when you see a yellow Corvette, you know the owner. Ford and Cece are the only couple in Dallas where either one of them can be referenced by first name only – Ford or Cece – and people will know to whom you are referring. Cece Smith founded the largest retail specialty venture capital fund. Cece has been on many corporate boards, is a past chair of the Dallas Federal Reserve, and current chair of the Dallas Symphony Board. Ford Lacy is the Highland Park resident intellectual, a Highland Park and Harvard graduate, he was a successful Akin Gump attorney and continues to dazzle others with his vast source of knowledge and insights on myriad subjects. Maybe the greatest contribution of Ford and Cece is their founding of the President’s Research Council (PRC) at UT Southwestern over 35 years ago. PRC grants annual distinguished research seed grants to promising young researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. These funds are generated by community members of PRC who convene quarterly to hear about exciting research taking place at UT Southwestern. Lectures by the immensely talented clinicians, doctors and faculty at UT Southwestern provide the most exciting lecture series in Dallas. Often emerging technology and medical breakthroughs are heard here years ahead of the TED Conference presenting them. Recently, Ford and Cece were honored at iconic Cafe Pacific for a fun PRC Appreciation Dinner for their founding PRC and underwriting the PRC annual dinner announcing research grants with PRC members seated with Nobel laureates, past PRC speakers and distinguished members of UT Southwestern. Among many honors Ford and Cece have received is being selected as academicians in the Academy of Raffination. *Ford and Cece
#Raffination #CafePacific #CeceSmith #FordLacy #PRC #PresidentsResearchCouncil #YellowCorvette #highlandparkvillage