We have a benefactor, who also happens to be my boss:



Developer's funds save Merc mosaics

Dallas: $270,000 project will extract, preserve historic downtown art

12:00 AM CST on Thursday, December 22, 2005

By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News

Dallas-based investor turned downtown developer Tim Headington will foot the more than $270,000 bill to extract and preserve decades-old mosaics, murals and freestanding artwork from the city's Mercantile Bank complex.

The art collection – which as recently as last month seemed fated for destruction during Forest City Enterprises' quarter-billion-dollar redevelopment of the historic complex – will remain downtown and on public display in its entirety, said City Council member Angela Hunt, who helped forge the deal.

Mr. Headington, who was out of town Wednesday and could not be reached for comment, has not decided where the art will be located.

Our goal originally was simply to keep the collection from the wrecking ball, Ms. Hunt said. But this – I couldn't be more excited. It's taken the stress out of my Christmas.

Scramble for benefactor

The announcement marks the end of weeks of frayed nerves, as city officials and art preservationists scrambled to find a benefactor to pay the lofty art extraction fees. Forest City, which broke ground on the Mercantile project last week, offered $20,000 toward preserving the art. Dallas City Hall pledged $12,000. But after an art conservator toured the facility, the price tag for saving the art soared past $200,000.

Ms. Hunt met with Mr. Headington and the art conservator Tuesday to seal the deal – one that had been in the works since the architectural firm ArchiTexas approached Mr. Headington about two weeks ago.

Tim is extremely proud to be a part of this project, said Craig Melde, a principal with ArchiTexas who was with Mr. Headington on the businessman's first tour of the Merc.

When he saw the art, he found it very valuable historically and in its beauty. It didn't take him long to realize it was something he wanted to preserve.

Dallas-based ArchiTexas has been working intensively with the developer of the Mercantile and Mr. Headington to guarantee the preservation of the artwork.

While the details haven't been finalized, Ms. Hunt said, the collection of murals and mosaics – most designed by California artist Millard Sheets – will stay together and stay downtown, in a gallery or in a building that is open to the public, she said.

Mr. Headington, president of Headington Oil Co., is a partner in Joule Urban Resort, a boutique hotel under construction on Main Street. But the hotel doesn't appear to be his first choice for where to display the art, Ms. Hunt said.

The art extraction is expected to begin immediately and take six to eight weeks, in keeping with Forest City's redevelopment timetable. The art conservator recognizes this is an emergency – that this is triage, Ms. Hunt said. We have to get started immediately to save the artwork.

And it will likely include the freestanding work in the Merc – pieces Forest City originally intended to keep. Executive Vice President David Levey said the company is leaning toward letting Mr. Headington include them in his collection. But because the exchange will be a private transaction, not a public one, he said, Forest City's original $20,000 offer of assistance is off the table.

One place?

We're delighted and pleased he has stepped forward, Mr. Levey said. Mr. Headington's interest is to have the entire collection so it can all be in one place. We'll be giving that very serious consideration.

The best-case scenario would have been to find someplace in the Mercantile to keep the artwork, said Dwayne Jones, executive director of Preservation Dallas. But Mr. Headington's generous offer is a close second.

It's not ideal, but it's really good, he said. I'm pleased Forest City is stepping forward to work out a deal with someone and that we've been able to find a local person to take the art.

Real estate editor Steve Brown and architecture critic David Dillon contributed to this report.

E-mail eramshaw@dallasnews.com