Arts council to unveil Fry Street mural panels

The Greater Denton Arts Council will unveil the newest part of its collection this week: three panels of a mural that once stood on Denton’s Fry Street.

The mural used to be on the outside wall of what used to be Bagheri restaurant, and it depicts pop icons such as John Wayne and the Beatles.

The council mounted the panels on the old loading dock of the Center for the Visual Arts at Hickory Street and Bell Avenue.

Margaret Chalfant, the executive director of the arts council, said the group is excited to have a part of Fry Street’s history in its collection.

“It’s owned by the Greater Denton Arts Council but will be available for public viewing,” Chalfant said. “It will be where people can see it when they drive by or if they pull into our parking lot.”

The local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity rescued the mural before its building was demolished but approached the council when the affiliate couldn’t use the mural the way it had hoped. The mural is painted on cinder blocks.

The murals were originally commissioned by Denton resident Jim Smith, the former owner of Jim’s Diner, which later became Bagheri’s. They were painted in the late 1980s by Shawn Eichman. The artist wanted the diner to have an old-fashioned look. The work depicted a train with persons of note as passengers. 

The paintings were restored by Jane Allison and David Ruffu under the guidance of Carole Wilson. The mural sections obtained by the Greater Denton Arts Council portray Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, the Beatles and Beaver Cleaver.

UNT professor earns London art residency

The Institute of International Visual Arts has granted a residency in London to Jennifer Way, associate professor in the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design. In May, she will study the instruction of contemporary art history.

The institute is designed to bring the work of artists from culturally diverse backgrounds to the attention of the widest possible audience.

Through her research, Way intends to examine the artistic features that societies have in common to develop a cross-cultural method for studying modernism in art and visual culture throughout the world. She will use her findings to help redesign a history of modern art class at UNT as part of UNT’s “Quality Enhancement Plan,” which is designed to improve student learning by retooling classes.

Way has also been awarded a research support grant by the Scottish Society for Art History. After she finishes her residency, Way will use the grant to study select sculptures by artist Sir Eduardo Paolozzi in the National Galleries of Scotland.

This summer, she will use a travel award from the Smithsonian Institution to visit the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the National Museum of American History in Washington. While there, she will study projects involving the relationship between culture and technology.

Students win awards at jazz piano competition

University of North Texas students Jiri Levicek and Roberto Verastegui won first and third prizes, respectively, at the Kathleen T. and Philip B. Phillips M.D. Jazz Piano Competition. The students were two of the five finalists who competed this month.

Levicek was awarded $5,000 and Verastegui $1,500. As first-prize winner, Levicek also performed in the 26th annual Pensacola JazzFest.

Sponsored by the University of West Florida in Pensacola, the annual jazz piano competition was established in 2005 by the Phillips family to allow the nation’s best young jazz pianists to showcase their talents and to reward university performers.

Levicek, who was born in 1984 in the Czech Republic, received his bachelor’s degree in 2006 from the Janacek Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Since coming to the United States, he has played with jazz musicians like John Abercrombie, Chris Potter and Lynn Seaton. Levicek has performed throughout the United States and Europe.

Verastegui, who was born in Mexico in 1988, began studying jazz at UNT in 2006. His father taught him to play piano at age 8. Throughout his childhood and teen years, Verastegui taught himself to play several instruments including the accordion, marimba and vihuela.

Both students study in UNT’s College of Music under Stefan Karlsson.

Denton artists included in exhibition this week

A number of Denton artists are included in the upcoming exhibit at the Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas called “Texas Artists’ Portraits, Part I.” The exhibit runs Tuesday through Saturday at the dealers art lab, 1608-C Main St. in Dallas. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Portraits of Denton artists feature Texas Woman’s University professor Susan kae Grant and University of North Texas professors Robert Jessup, Vernon Fisher, Vincent Falsetta and Annette Lawrence.

The Denton artists are part of a group of 44 prominent North Texas artists. They were shot on location over 2 1/2 years.

— Staff report