Bath House Cultural Center
Encyclopedia
The Bath House Cultural Center is the first of six neighborhood cultural centers built and operated by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. It is located on the east shore of White Rock Lake
in east
Dallas
, Texas
(USA
). It serves all of Dallas, especially the eastern region of the city.
buildings in the southwest) is a Dallas Landmark and was originally completed in 1930. It was designed by Dallas architect Jon Carsey, who was influenced by the Paris Exposition of 1925. When it opened, the Municipal Bath House (as it was then known) was used by the citizens of Dallas as an escape from the summer heat. There was a sandy beach that extended from the building out into the lake, locker rooms on the ground floor and concession stands in the basement. In 1958 the Bath House closed and swimming was prohibited to allow the lake to be used as a water supply for the city. The building remained empty and unused for over twenty years. In 1980, the Dallas City Arts Program, the Park and Recreation Department and the East Dallas Chamber of Commerce joined together to renovate the old Bath House. It became the first neighborhood cultural center in the city.
Highlights of the building include:
and cultural history of the area, including local wildlife, the Blackland Prairie and ancient Indian settlements.
Every fall and spring the Bath House holds its semiannual Art Mart. The Art Mart showcases different artists from Texas (usually around 40). The artists work in a wide variety of media, including, painters, photographers, sculptors, metal workers, jewelry makers and many more. In addition to the art sale, there is food, music and a silent auction.
In September 2006 the Bath House Cultural Center celebrated its 25th anniversary.
White Rock Lake
White Rock Lake is a reservoir located in east Dallas, Texas . The lake was formed by damming White Rock Creek, which today widens into the lake before continuing south out of the spillway and emptying into the Trinity River...
in east
East Dallas
East Dallas comprises many communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas, .- Neighborhoods :*Baylor/Meadows*Belmont*Hilltop*Bryan Place*Buckner Terrace*East Grand*Casa Linda Estates*Cochran Heights*Casa View*Claremont*Deep Ellum*Eastwood...
Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). It serves all of Dallas, especially the eastern region of the city.
History
The Bath House (one of the first Art DecoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
buildings in the southwest) is a Dallas Landmark and was originally completed in 1930. It was designed by Dallas architect Jon Carsey, who was influenced by the Paris Exposition of 1925. When it opened, the Municipal Bath House (as it was then known) was used by the citizens of Dallas as an escape from the summer heat. There was a sandy beach that extended from the building out into the lake, locker rooms on the ground floor and concession stands in the basement. In 1958 the Bath House closed and swimming was prohibited to allow the lake to be used as a water supply for the city. The building remained empty and unused for over twenty years. In 1980, the Dallas City Arts Program, the Park and Recreation Department and the East Dallas Chamber of Commerce joined together to renovate the old Bath House. It became the first neighborhood cultural center in the city.
The Bath House Today
Today the Bath House Cultural Center serves the artists and independent theatres of Dallas. It presents 15-20 exhibits and over 200 performances, concerts, festivals, workshops, lectures and other events per year.Highlights of the building include:
- A large gallery space for artist exhibitions
- A black box theatre for theatrical performances and concerts
- Outdoor amphitheatre
- The Water Theatre, a public art piece designed to attract birds and other wildlife
- Proximity to White Rock Lake Park
White Rock Lake Museum
Opened in 2004, the White Rock Lake Museum focuses on the park's natural historyNatural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and cultural history of the area, including local wildlife, the Blackland Prairie and ancient Indian settlements.
Activities
Every summer, the Bath House produces the Festival of Independent Theatres. The festival serves as a showcase for various Dallas independent theatres without a permanent home and has become a signature event for the Bath House Cultural Center.Every fall and spring the Bath House holds its semiannual Art Mart. The Art Mart showcases different artists from Texas (usually around 40). The artists work in a wide variety of media, including, painters, photographers, sculptors, metal workers, jewelry makers and many more. In addition to the art sale, there is food, music and a silent auction.
In September 2006 the Bath House Cultural Center celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Other Dallas Cultural Centers
- Ice House Cultural Center in north Oak CliffOak CliffOak Cliff is a community in Dallas, Texas, United States that was formerly a separate town located in Dallas County; Dallas annexed Oak Cliff in 1903...
- Juanita Craft Civil Rights House in south DallasSouth DallasSouth Dallas is an area in Dallas, Texas, . It is usually either defined in one of two ways: As the area south of the Trinity River and south of Interstate 30, which consist mostly of Oak Cliff and Pleasant Grove, or to the area bounded by I-30 and Downtown Dallas to the north, the Trinity River to...
- Latino Cultural CenterLatino Cultural CenterThe Latino Cultural Center in Dallas, Texas serves as a regional catalyst for the preservation, development, and promotion of Latino and Hispanic arts and culture....
in Deep EllumDeep EllumDeep Ellum is an arts and entertainment district near downtown in east Dallas, Texas . It lies directly east of the elevated I-45/US 75 freeway and extends to Exposition Avenue, connected to downtown by, from north to south, Pacific, Elm, Main, Commerce, and Canton streets... - Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts DistrictArts District, DallasThe Arts District is a performing and visual arts district in downtown Dallas Texas .It is south of State Thomas, southeast of Uptown, north of the City Center District, west of Bryan Place and east of the West End Historic District. It is bounded by St...
of downtownDowntown DallasDowntown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop: bounded on the east by I-345 Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District... - South Dallas Cultural Center in south DallasSouth DallasSouth Dallas is an area in Dallas, Texas, . It is usually either defined in one of two ways: As the area south of the Trinity River and south of Interstate 30, which consist mostly of Oak Cliff and Pleasant Grove, or to the area bounded by I-30 and Downtown Dallas to the north, the Trinity River to...