The other day i was reading about Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas. What I discovered is that although I have been there on two other occasions, I have missed a ton. I've looked up the previous trips and here is the 1st time LINK 2012 and 2nd time - LINK 2017. THIS time, we are daytripping around Dallas and have time JUST for this. No event, just enjoyment. Come along and see what I found.
The focal point of the square is the Chapel of Thanksgiving and I had no idea that we could go inside. Crazy people. "The Chapel of Thanksgiving is the spiritual center of Thanksgiving Square. The spiraling shape rises 90 feet above street level, suggesting the infinite upward reach of the human spirit. Constructed of white marble aggregate, the Chapel's design takes its inspiration from the Great Mosque in Samarra, Iraq and the ancient spiral of life."
As we are walking up, a glace over the edge of the park shows a fun waterfall that I can't wait to see from below.
Up the ramps we go as our first stop is the Chapel itself. Above the entryway to the Chapel of Thanksgiving is 'The Spirit of Thanksgiving', an engraved window by artist John Hutton. "Representing the divine in some religions, the dove is a symbol used throughout history to depict beauty, peace, hop and thanksgiving. Clear glass was engraved using a rotating bur in the handpiece of an electric drill. Circular surface effects surround a deeply-cut, three-dimensional dove." It is hard in this light to get a good picture, but I did try.
There is a spiral walkway, much like on the outside, going up and around the interior of the chapel, leading to the Glory Window. It is roped off today, so I need to be content with pictures of the window from down below.
"The spiral ceiling contains one of the largest horizontally-mounted stained glass windows in the world, designed by French artist Gabriel Loire in 1976. From his workshop in Chartres, France, Loire became a leader in the modern use of dal de verre, which uses 22 mm thick slabs of glass that are much stronger and thicker than the traditional colored glass of the Middle Ages. The glass is cut with special tools and then set in a mortar of epoxy resin. The 'Glory Window' takes its name from Psalm 19 and contains 73 panels of faceted glass following the spiral shape of the ceiling. Lower panels feature varying shades of blue, which to Loire represented the color of peace. As the spiral continues inwards and upwards, the colors become warner and brighter until reaching the center where 60 feet above the floor the panels give was to a circle of beaming yellow light. Loire meant this progression to express life with its difficulties, its forces, its joys, its torments, and its frightening aspects. Bit by bit, all of that gives way to an explosion of gold where the summit is reached. An image of the 'Glory Window' was chosen for the official United Nations stamp in 2000 during the International Year of Thanksgiving. It was also featured in the 2011 Oscar-nominated film 'The Tree of Life'.
As we leave the chapel, the ramp leads down to the city and out to the world. It is here that I see another view of the waterfall. From here, we walk through the square to the Court of All Nations. This is the ceremonial entry to Thanks-Giving Square, celebrating gratitude and thanksgiving as a human value present in cultures around the world. Above, three great bronze bells call the world daily to celebrate in thanksgiving. Each bears an inscription from Psalms. The high bell states, "God Loves Us" (Psalm 136), the middle bell "We Love God" (Psalm 150), and the deepest bell "Serve God Singing" (Psalm 98).
From there we walk up the ramp to the Ring of Thanks, which is receiving a new coat of paint soon and is in the scraping process. It is 14 feet high and made of gold and aluminum, resting on the granite Circle of Giving.
The only other artwork not covered for the painting effort is "The Golden Rule" mosaic by Norman Rockwell. This is a reproduction and was created by a Venetian studio and dedicated here in 1996.
Well, that's the end of our time in the Square. I've loved it and enjoyed seeing something "new" in my own city.
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