Mayor Annette Strauss’ enduring arts legacy

This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the birth of the late former Mayor Annette Strauss.  A vocal advocate and steadfast supporter of cultural enrichment in Dallas, she is considered our city’s first Arts Mayor — a title well-earned during her public service tenure.

Mayor Strauss was the first woman elected as Dallas’ chief executive, taking office when the Meyerson Symphony Center’s construction seemed more burdensome than inspiring. “She came in at a moment in time when a lesser mayor could’ve let the city give up on the whole project. But she didn’t,” said Strauss’ successor, Mayor Steve Bartlett in a 2010 Dallas Morning News interview.

Her enduring spirit and seemingly endless optimism fueled continued growth of the Dallas Arts District, now a thriving cultural hub in the heart of downtown. She also lent her time and talents to worthy causes throughout the region, including the United Jewish Appeal, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Crystal Charity Ball, Southern Methodist University, United Way, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Baylor University Medical Center, and numerous other organizations.

As an avid arts patron, Mayor Strauss championed the transformative power of the arts, wielding her passion for cultural enrichment as a tool to increase investment in this thriving community. Today, her commitment to the arts is commemorated on our campus where Annette Strauss Square shines as a vibrant outdoor venue on our world-class campus.

The Dallas Arts District welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year for performances large and small, serving as a beacon of cultural enrichment and economic vitality for our city. This would not have been possible without the strategic vision, collaboration and tenacity of the Dallas arts community, and especially its champions like Mayor Strauss. Our city is better for it, and we are proud to carry this work forward at the Center and throughout the community every day.

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