An Artful Unveiling

Uptown Dallas’ West Village unveils cool new mural with proper party

Ricardo Paniagua's new mural in West Village is being revealed November 11.

Photo courtesy of West Village

West Village has thrived for almost 15 years as a mixed-use urban district in the heart of Uptown Dallas, embracing culture and change. West Village is committed to developing relationships within the local artist community with the goal of increasing public art in the district.

In October 2016, West Village commissioned a large-scale mural by Dallas artist Ricardo Paniagua, with an unveiling event on Friday, November 11, 6-9 pm. Paniagua plans to reveal the name of his mural, along with the inspiration behind it.

“The last four or five years, I’ve been making these fiberglass wall sculptures, and this mural is kind of a painting of my sculptural work in two dimensions,” Paniagua says. “It was total creative freedom.”

Planners at West Village envisioned a landmark to express their growing relationship with the Dallas artistic community. Paniagua’s latest work, which measures approximately 13 feet by 40 feet, celebrates the realization of that vision.

His artist’s statement explains his mural “attempts to resolve its identity as a color field painting, primarily its vast surface area reduced to a singularity of multitudinous diamonds sets precedent for color alone to achieve a kinetic opticality of trompe l’oeil qualities.”

Dallas native Paniagua is well known in the local art scene. Recurrent within his work are themes ranging from the pattern and decoration movement, op art, color field painting, and other incarnations of geometrical and/or geometric abstraction. With a rigorous work ethic and eye for detail that can be traced back to a lineage of master tile artisans, Paniagua is recognized for uniquely articulated craftsmanship in much of his work.

The unveiling event, held in Center Drive between Taco Diner and Malai Kitchen, is hosted by West Village style ambassador Alex Young of Eat Style Dallas. Expect tunes by DJ Christy Ray, sips and bites, and an interactive photo booth. Many will know Ray as the daughter of famed Salt-N-Pepa artist DJ Spinderella.

Official event partners are Bisous Bisous Pâtisserie, Brewed + Pressed, Buda Juice, Mi Cocina, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Nine Band Brewing, On the Rock Cocktails, Public School 214, and Sushi Zushi.

Visit the West Village website for event details and updates: westvillagedallas.com/mural

event-planner uptown inspiration promoted

politics in paint

George W. Bush unveils new book and exhibit of political prisoner portraits

Photo courtesy of Crown Publishing

A signed, deluxe edition of George W. Bush's new book of portraits, "The Call of Freedom," will be available.

Former President George W. Bush has a new book of oil paintings coming out in March 2027 that features portraits of political prisoners and dissidents.

The Penguin Random House imprint Crown announced Wednesday, September 16 that The Call of Freedom: Portraits of Political Prisoners and Dissidents will be released March 9 and coincide with an exhibition of Bush's art at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas.

The new book will include Bush's portraits of such symbols of oppression as the late Mahsa Amini, whose death in 2022 while in the custody of Iranian authorities led to nationwide protests, and the imprisoned Nicaraguan bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos.

The Call of Freedom, the third collection of Bush's art, will include 44 paintings and biographical sketches of each subject. Former Soviet Union dissident Natan Sharansky is contributing a foreword.

Former President George W. Bush painting in his Dallas studio.Photo courtesy of Crown Publishing

“This book, coupled with our work at the Bush Institute, is a chance for me to send a message that the United States cares deeply about people seeking freedom,” Bush writes in the book. “And hopefully these stories will remind us that we who live in liberty have a duty to stand with those who do not.”

The book champions human rights even as Bush's own record as president has led to frequent criticism, whether the CIA’s use of waterboarding or the abuse of Iraqis at the Abu Ghraib prison.

Bush took up painting after leaving office in 2009. His previous books include Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors and Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants.

The Call of Freedom ($42, hardcover) is available for pre-order now through Amazon.com, Penguin Random House, and the Bush Presidential Museum ($37 for museum members). A deluxe, signed edition is also available.

The accompanying exhibition, "The Call of Freedom: Portraits of Political Prisoners and Dissidents," will open on March 9, 2027, at the George W. Bush Presidential Museum on the SMU Campus in Dallas.

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Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this story.

george w bush paintings book art george w. bush presidential center George W. Bush Presidential Center