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letter editor ANA HOP 20 T he day we went to press on the April issue, two moments served as little glimpses of excitement for the flurry of art-related activities commencing this month. First, I rushed out the door (in the middle of approving the pages you are about to read) because I wouldn't dare miss a TACA Silver Cup Award Luncheon. If you know me, you know I rarely attend formal luncheons, typically opting for something homemade at my desk instead. But TACA's annual celebration of its Silver Cup honorees — a man and a woman who have left an indelible mark on the arts community — is one I haven't missed in nine years. First, there is journalist Lee Cullum, who brilliantly moderates the event from start to finish, waxing poetic about the current state of the art world without a single note for reference. Then, of course, there are the honorees — this year, J. Davis Hamlin and Margot Perot — who each make remarks upon receiving the award. As with every past honoree, hearing Hamlin and Perot speak of their longtime involvement and unyielding passion for the arts left me inspired and challenged to do more with my own time. One can only dream of leaving an impact like those left by people such as TACA's Silver Cup honorees. When I got back to the office, I found a little box sitting on my desk. I opened it to find a small translucent cube maze covered with a floral decal reading: Get Lost. The cube was none other than this year's invitation to The Eye Ball — the annual party celebrating the Dallas Art Fair hosted by Headington Companies, in front of Tony Tasset's Eye sculpture in Downtown. This is yet another event I've never failed to attend, for the sheer fact that it is always a riotously good time (and creatively charged, to boot). Jeny Bania of Headington Companies and Swoon's creative duo, Samantha Reitmayer Sano and Joslyn Taylor, dream up the event, and receiving the invitation has become one of the things I most look forward to each spring — as is sharing a cocktail (or three) with the trio the night of the party. Now, back to the magazine in your hands, the Art Issue: As someone who grew up surrounded by the arts, I feel a tremendous responsibility in both my personal and professional lives to make sure I do what little I can to help give the performing and visual arts the platforms they need to thrive and sustain themselves in our city. This issue is that opportunity, as it spotlights the vast realm of artistic happenings throughout the month, from the Dallas Art Fair and the Nasher Prize to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's Soluna. I always say that April is one of the most difficult issues to produce. Writing about art requires a certain level of careful attention. Artists have lofty visions, and our editors must tell their stories by having a deep understanding of history, philosophy, artistic medium, current events, and the very human quirks that make people tick. After hours of research, interviews, writing, and editing, it all becomes a rather fascinating, complicated mix — one that I hope sparks equal amounts of artistic curiosity and intellectual stimulation. Christina Geyer Dallas Editor in Chief christina@papercitymag.com