Award-winning student news since 1978

The Brookhaven Courier

Award-winning student news since 1978

The Brookhaven Courier

Award-winning student news since 1978

The Brookhaven Courier

Bishop Arts District upholds innovative style

By Amy Price
A&E Editor

Over the Trinity river and across Zang Boulevard is a neighborhood nestled in the streets of Oak Cliff. Complete with fine dining, bicycle lanes and colorful yarn bombs, this niche within a city is known as the Bishop Arts District.

The work of K. Witta, a local artist, is featured on trees lining the streets. Wrapped around trunks and branches are colorful blankets of yarn, known as yarn bombs.

The yarn-bombed trees have captured a lot of attention in the area. According to Witta’s Facebook, she signed a release to use the trees in the TV show “Dallas.”

At Artisan’s Collective, an art gallery, local art is displayed and available for purchase. According to www.artisans collective.net, the venue features unique work from more than 50 local artists.

One store that cannot go unnoticed is Fete-ish. The exterior is built to look like a giant Santa Claus whose mouth serves as the entrance. Employee Fred Patchen said they sell novelty items, from local artist-made greeting cards to jewelry and art. “We are a funky boutique,” Patchen said.

He said the shop works with artists through commission to sell their work. Patchen said Fete-ish definitely meshes with the community.

The Bishop Arts District’s boutique Make gives patrons the opportunity to create some art of their own. Make’s do-it-yourself studio offers classes in sewing, apparel design and printing. Other classes teach participants how to work with various materials, including glass and textiles. Make also hosts the annual fall craft fair Urban Street Bazaar.

Award-winning restaurants are also found in the neighborhood.

Bolsa, a winner of D Magazine’s Best New Restaurant in Dallas for 2009, is known for serving food made with locally grown organic ingredients. The history of Bolsa is featured on www.bolsadallas.com. The original building, known as Settles Garage, was restored to include authentic garage doors. Adjacent is the new Bolsa Mercado, a market and bakery.

Bolsa also holds accolades from The Dallas Observer after being named the best place to take a date and from The Examiner after being named best patio bar in 2010.

According to the website www.bishopartsdistrict.com, a wine walk is held three or four times a year on the first Thursday of scheduled months. For $10, the wine walk provides patrons with a wine glass and the opportunity to taste a variety of wines while checking out local shops.

Oak Cliff has a rich history. According to www.oakcliff.com, the suburb south of the Trinity River began as a separate city from its neighbor Dallas. Throughout its development, Oak Cliff went from small farm community to a residential city. Oak Cliff was annexed in 1903 due to a struggling economy and became part of Dallas.

According to www.city-data.com, the Bishop Arts District was a popular stop for the streetcar trolleys that circled the streets in the early 1900s.

The neighborhood was originally built for warehouses and shops. Now the Bishop Arts District is home to more than 50 restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and individual merchants.

Protected by a conservation group, the Bishop Arts District is able to preserve some of its original architecture. A glimpse of what was can also be viewed through paintings on building walls throughout the area.

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