The Association of Arts and Culture at the Cathedral Presents

The Association of Arts and Culture at the Cathedral presents

A Joyful Noise: Music and Musicians in the Painted Ceilings of Michoacán

Photographic Exhibition by Carolyn Brown

September 23-December 12, 2010

Dallas- The Association for Arts and Culture at the Cathedral is pleased to announce a commemorative event to celebrate the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence from Spain. 

A Joyful Noise: Music and Musicians in the painted ceilings of Michoacán, an exhibition of photographs by renowned Dallas photographer, Carolyn Brown, will be mounted in the Atrium Gallery, located inside the Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe in Dallas.

One of the most delightful and significant elements in these religiously themed ceilings is the portrayal of music and musicians.  While the musicians themselves are usually depicted as angels, on occasion, saints or biblical figures with musical association are also frequently shown as players.  Beyond the charming portraits of the angelic musicians, their representation provides us with valuable historic insight, not only of the instruments of the period and how they were played, but also on the larger role played by music and musicians in the religious life and rituals of villagers during colonial and post-colonial times.
Carolyn Brown has used her life and career to document some of the world's most beautiful scenery, natural and man made. She has been photographing ancient architecture and the natural world since 1980, when her photographs appeared in the publications Upper Egypt, by Longman of England, and later in Aswan and Abu Simbel, by American University of Cairo Press. In search of ancient material closer to home, she has traveled extensively throughout Central America, Mexico and the Southwestern United States, as well.

Opening Reception:Grover Wilkins, Director of The Orchestra of New Spain, will perform selections of the period in the Grand Salon, at the exhibition opening on Thursday, September 23rd, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Refreshments, typical of Michoacan, will be served.  The reception is free and open to the public.
The exhibition will remain on display in the Atrium Gallery until December 12, the Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe. 

Press Photographs: High-resolution digital photographs will be furnished upon request.

About the Cathedral:
The Catholic Cathedral of Dallas, Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe, has been standing for more than 100 years in what is now the heart of the Arts District.  Surrounded by the Museum of Art, the Symphony Hall, the Opera House and the Performing Arts Center, the cathedral provides a sanctuary for the largest cathedral congregation in the country, as well as a venue for musical and arts events.  These dual functions also represent an historic tradition for cathedrals worldwide.

Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe is located at 2215 Ross Ave. Dallas, Texas 75201.  The cathedral’s Atrium Gallery is open to the public 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily.  Tours can be arranged upon request by contacting (214) 891-1362.