Online Exhibits
An exhibit celebtrating the 50th Anniversary of the Friends of the Dallas Public Library, Inc.
A photographic journey into some of Dallas' most distinctive neighbohoods
Humorous and serious photographs from the lense of Clint Grant
Everyday life and newsworthy events from the 1940s to the 1960s
Interactive maps, photographs and histories of more than 30 buildings
Rotating Exhibits
Timeless Style: Pastels by Lucretia Donnell Coke, Protégée of Frank Reaugh
Lucretia Donnell Coke was born in East Texas and in 1923 moved with her family to Oak Cliff, where her father founded Donnell's Delux Ice Cream. Lucretia's mother, an artist and teacher, studied with the eminent Dallas artist Frank Reaugh, sometimes taking her daughter along to the lessons. Exhibiting talent even at an early age, Reaugh took notice of the young girl and invited her to study with him, thus beginning a relationship that lasted more than two decades.
During her studies at Southern Methodist University, where Lucretia earned an art degree in 1938, she was already being exhibited at venues such as the Dallas Museum of Fine Art. One of her prize-winning pieces from this period -- Rain-Washed Canyon with View of Double Mountain -- is included in the works currently on display. Other works in the exhibit have been selected to show the range subjects and evolution of her style during the ensuing decades.
Lucretia is likely the only artist who studied directly with Reaugh and is still sketching and applying his techniques. She continues to paint, teach, and exhibit her work from her home in Austin.
Permanent Exhibits
Back to TopScene on the Brazos
The "Dean of Texas Artists," Frank Reaugh (pronounced "ray"), came to Texas with his parents in 1876. As his family made the trek from Jacksonville, Illinois to Terrell, Texas, Reaugh passed the time by sketching the sights. While formally trained at St. Louis School of Fine Arts and Académie Julian in Paris, Reaugh found his artistic expression through the landscapes and animals of the Southwest - especially the Texas longhorn. Thus, the "Painter of the Longhorn" was born. Reaugh was a firm believer in making art avail=1able for public viewing. Shortly after he settled in Oak Cliff in 1890, he worked with civic and cultural leaders to create forums for the public display of art. When the Carnegie Library was built in 1901, Reaugh thought this institution made a perfect venue for public art. He convinced library officials to create an Art Room in the new public library. The Art Room was to display works from various artists in a variety of media, with the expressed purpose of making art accessible and free to the public. He started the art collection by donating his painting, Scene on the Brazos.