The innovative sage and founder of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre always seems to be planning new ventures, and Ann Williams is at it again.
She and the Dance Theatre's board of directors have produced a string of successes that have been met with enthusiasm from the public and art lovers alike.
Up next? The Legacy Program, which Williams and the board announced this month at their Farewell Founder's Luncheon. No, the founder is not going away — although she did officially retire as artistic director in May 2014. She remains active as an emeritus board member and raising money for the arts nonprofit she founded in 1976.
The farewell part of the event's name simply means the company is ending its annual public fundraising luncheon as we know it, Williams and the board say. Instead, the group has a different method by which the public can financially support the arts company: the Ann Williams Legacy Society.
Some supporters already have joined, and the dance company is inviting the public to as well. Anyone can join by including Dallas Black Dance Theatre as a beneficiary in a will, charitable trust, life insurance policy or retirement plan.
Supporters say the society ensures that this arts nonprofit — Dallas' oldest continuously operating professional dance company and the nation's fourth-largest African-American dance company — will be sustained for future generations. Company officials urge potential members to first consult with an attorney or legal adviser for clarity.
Society membership will also include an annual luncheon, quarterly events that include wealth-planning seminars and open invitations to rehearsals. Individuals who join by December will be recognized as Ann Williams Legacy Society charter members.
Annabelle "Tina" Brown and Norma and Don Stone were named charter members by the group at a luncheon this month. To learn more, visit www.dbdt.com/legacy or call 214-871-2376.
ABOUT TOWN: Seventeen Dallas-area African-American churches will get their moments in the spotlight at an exhibit in the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library's seventh-floor history and archives division. For several months, staffers in the downtown Dallas library, at 1515 Young St., have been assembling the exhibit that will open Sunday and run through May.
"We would like for folks to come and witness the histories of these churches that have been so important in the community for so long," said Brian Collins, the Central Library's seventh-floor manager. "It's also a good opportunity to show off our new floor. It's a beautiful, renovated space for the public to view and also see all the cultural resources we have."
Collins said exhibits about local groups have been displayed since the renovated floor reopened in August 2016.
Allison Marable, a volunteer who helped assemble the exhibit materials, said the church artifacts, historic documents and photographs were particularly interesting to her as someone who did not grow up here but is interested in local history.
Featured churches in Dallas and Richardson are: Dallas City Temple Seventh-day Adventist, First Baptist Church Hamilton Park, Golden Gate Missionary Baptist Church, Good Street Baptist Church, The Park (Hamilton Park United Methodist Church), Mt. Horeb Baptist Church, Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, The Rock (Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church), Munger Avenue Baptist Church, New Hope Baptist Church, Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, The Potter's House, St. John Missionary Baptist Church, St. Luke Community United Methodist Church, St. Paul United Methodist Church, Salem Institutional Baptist Church and Warren Avenue Christian Church.
For library hours and to learn more, visit dallaslibrary2.org or call the seventh floor at 214-670-1435.
