The Jesuit Dallas Museum (J.D.M.) features many different forms of art, coming from very well-credited artists such as Salvador Dali, Chris Lattanzio ’81 and Johannes Boekhoudt. Their works are not only displayed in the J.D.M. but also other museums throughout Dallas. One of these museums, not too far from our very own, is the Museum of Biblical Art. Very recently on Wednesday, May 1, to kick off a new month, the J.D.M. hosted their annual ArtQuest Fundraiser with a silent auction, cocktails, jazz and much more.
Museum of Biblical Art
Located next to North Park Mall along the intersection of Park Ln. and Boedeker St., the Dallas Museum of Biblical Art was founded in 1966 by Mattie Caruth Byrd. It stood as a leading museum in Dallas, hosting over 50,000 visitors every year until 2005. Inside the museum are more than 11 different art galleries, including the National Center for Jewish Art, the Museum of Holocaust Art, the European Art Treasury, an Art Conservation Lab, the Via Dolorosa Sculpture Garden, and a few others. However, after many years of service and visitors, the museum unfortunately caught on fire in 2005. It was rebuilt to the standard it’s at today five years later in 2010.
Stations of the Cross Garden
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum like many other places and functions around the world, was forced to shut down. Due to the low maintenance of the museum, the grass and greenery of the garden mostly died out and became fried from the summer heat throughout the next three years. Just last year, however, 15 Jesuit seniors decided to take the initiative and take care of these gardens. Throughout 2023 and 2024, these young men have cultivated the Stations of the Cross Gardens on the outside of the museum. They were able to show their progress and efforts on May 1 during the ArtQuest showcase to visitors entering the museum, a true act of kindness and being a man for others.
Silent Auction
The silent auction featured several paintings on display from various artists such as Johannes Boekhoudt. The auction served as not only a fun event for visitors but also a fundraiser in support of the J.D.M. and the Andrew Bark ’98 Memorial Scholarship, a scholarship for a rising senior excelling at visual arts. As the event kicked off at 6 p.m., visitors throughout the night wrote their names on papers under each painting with their bid amounts. One exciting part of the auction was how within the last 15 minutes of the auction (6-7:30 p.m.), the number of bids seemed to double or even triple with many last-minute bids to win one of the well-desired paintings. The lucky winners would end up walking out of the museum around 7:45 with their hard-earned paintings to display at their homes.
Jazz Ensemble, Food, and Artwork!
The main part of this ArtQuest event was located in a large dining hall normally used as one of the main parts of the museum. In one corner of the room were several Jesuit musicians part of the jazz ensemble as well as a pianist. The dining hall was lined along one side with the entries of the silent auction, while the rest of it was dedicated to food, dining tables, and guests. Some of the food there included grape, steak and cheese kabobs, fried chicken, baked cheese and tomato snacks, brownies, and many more delicious snacks for visitors. To add on, there was a cocktail station as well in one corner of the room.
Halfway through the event, President Earsing spoke to the crowd in the middle of the dining room, welcoming them to the event and giving thanks to all those involved in setting up the event, including the J.D.M.’s docents and Museum Director Mrs. Hunt-Blanc. Throughout the night, she could be spotted in several parts of the museum, talking to visitors, checking out the beautiful artwork, and aiding in the overall organization of the event.
“we were very excited about the Jesuit students and their hard work and community service for the garden. we were also thrilled with the jesuit band, the great food, the auction, and wonderful people who showed up. it overall went very well.” -museum director mrs. hunt-blanc
The annual ArtQuest hosted by Jesuit made for a very enjoyable evening for several visitors who got to visit with the docents, Mrs. Hunt-Blanc, and experience the wonders of the Museum of Biblical Art and all it has to offer. The Roundup would like to thank Mrs. Hunt-Blanc and the J.D.M. for making this event possible as an exciting way to end the school year with the Jesuit Dallas Museum.
Tune into The Roundup for more Jesuit Dallas Museum coverage!
All photos are credited to the author of this article, Drew Shippey ’27.
Sources
https://www.biblicalarts.org
https://www.jesuitdallasmuseum.org/events/artquest
