the collection

a trove of visual arts, books, records, films, clothing, and wares by Dallas’s own.

abstract painting of African teen girl in the bath tub surrounded by artifacts of her coming of age: a cosmo magazine, a barbie doll, blood stained underwear, and a rubber duckie.

Abi Salami

August 20, 2024/by Ms. J's Classroom
Black and white head and shoulders image of rap artist Bobby Sessions with an afro. He is screaming with his eyes closed and holding two fists clenched in exasperation.

Bobby Sessions

June 11, 2021/by Ms. J's Classroom

Casey Gerald

April 17, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
Painting of young Asian woman sitting and hugging her knees in confusion and fear. The painting has a wash of several colors around the woman.

Cindy Nguyen

October 17, 2021/by Ms. J's Classroom
Silhouette of the back of a young girl's head, showcasing two afro puffs atop her head.

Desiree Vaniecia

September 9, 2023/by Ms. J's Classroom
The central picture on this book cover is a beautiful, old-fashioned, brown-tinted photograph that shows a thoughtful older man in a formal suit and hat seated next to an older woman, standing proudly in her finest jacket. Above the photo, the main title is written in bright red, stylized letters: “The GARDEN of EDEN” with a small white leaf. Below the couple, red text reads: “The Story of a Freedmen's Community in Texas.” At the very bottom, it says: “by DREW SANDERS.” The entire cover looks like opening a window to a treasured past, filled with stories of strength and community.

Drew Sanders

April 17, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
Painting of a man and woman strolling together. The couple is placed in the bottom right quadrant of the canvas. the image is predominantly dark blue with touches of turquoise, and a red center.

Emmanuel Gillespie

September 25, 2020/by Ms. J's Classroom
The key image of this book cover is a black-and-white photo of a diverse Civil Rights-era crowd of Black men and women with expressions ranging from determined to pensive. A cool design twist makes this photo look like it's pieced together from three stacked, slightly misaligned horizontal segments, suggesting a journey full of twists and turns. Above the image, the title is in huge, bold white letters on black: "STANDING". Below that, on a grey band, the subtitle says: "ONE MAN’S ODYSSEY THROUGH THE TURBULENT ’60S". The bottom is a clear white band with the author's name in large black letters: "ERNEST McMILLAN".

Ernest McMillan

April 18, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
Erykah Badu, Worldwide Underground Record Cover. Profile image of Erykah Badu with a large afro covering most of her face, except for her nose and chin. Scribbles of her writings are in black in on a white backdrop behind her.

Erykah Badu

September 16, 2003/by Ms. J's Classroom
Woodcut painting of elder African American man wearing a yellow collared shirt with black tie and black suspenders. The man also wears a black hat with yellow brim. He is standing in front of a blue sky with trees in the background.

Evita Tezeno

September 25, 2008/by Ms. J's Classroom
Collage of African Figures by Frank Frazier

Frank Frazier

July 17, 2022/by Ms. J's Classroom
Abstract Painting of face. Orange skin, pink lips and flowers atop head.

Gerald Bell

November 25, 2021/by Ms. J's Classroom
The central part of this book cover is a vintage black and white photograph showing six Black men in suits and hats—a jazz band, ready to play. You can see instruments like a trombone, a trumpet, a violin, and a big double bass. A large bass drum in the front shows a logo that reads: "Jazzing Orchestra King Carter Houston Tex." Above the photo, a clean title bar reads: "NEW DIRECTIONS IN AMERICAN HISTORY." Below the photo, on a warm orange background, the main title is: "The Harlem Renaissance in the American West." Below that, a subtitle says: "THE NEW NEGRO’S WESTERN EXPERIENCE." At the very bottom, it names the editors: "Edited by BRUCE A. GLASRUD and CARY D. WINTZ."

Glasrud & Wintz

April 17, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
The top of the cover is solid blue. At the very top of the blue area, in huge, bold, white letters, the first part of the title is "DEEP ELLUM". Below that, in smaller, bold, white letters, it says "AND CENTRAL TRACK". And at the very bottom of the blue area, it says "WHERE CULTURES CONVERGED". Below the text is a detailed black and white photograph of a historic city street. A classic, vintage 1940s-style car is parked in the foreground. The prominent building in the middle is a commercial venue, with a large, prominent sign above its entrance that reads "HARLEM". There are people on the sidewalk in front of this and other old-fashioned shops. This powerful photo, showing a street alive with activity and the clear 'HARLEM' sign, is a symbol of different cultures living side-by-side to create a new, vibrant community. Below the photo, on the white bottom bar, it says the authors' names: "ALAN GOVENAR" on the left and "JAY BRAKEFIELD" on the right.

Govenar & Brakefield

April 18, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
Record Cover Image. Jazzmeia Horn wears a full length red dress on a sandy beach with the sky and ocean serving as her backdrop. She dons a golden yellow headwrap and looks over her left shoulder to the camera. The words "Where We Are" are in red script above her name.

Jazzmeia Horn

December 30, 2020/by Ms. J's Classroom
Hot pink vase shaped in the form of a naked woman on her knees. There is no head or arms.

JD Moore

January 3, 2023/by Ms. J's Classroom
Black silhouette of young girl with long locs created of acrylic, embroidery floss, paper on canvas, and upcycled frame.

Jennifer Monet Cowley

January 11, 2024/by Ms. J's Classroom
The central image of this vintage book cover is a heartwarming illustration of two clasped hands, one with lighter skin and one with darker skin, held tightly together—a powerful symbol of friendship and cooperation. The hands are framed within a large, stylistic letter 'A' for the title, 'The Accommodation.' Below the hands, on a bright red strip, is the book's subtitle, 'The Politics of Race in an American City.' At the top, is a thoughtful quote: "Dallas was annexed and became an integral part of the United States in 1978. Up to that point, it was a well run pre-democratic city-state, ruled by a board of elders who valued wealth and ritual over truth and law." The author's name, 'Jim Schutze,' is clearly shown. The cover has a classic, inviting feel, like opening an old photo album and discovering a story about unity.

Jim Schutze

April 17, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
A Black/African American woman with a stylized hair updo poses confidently on an urban sidewalk in front of a meaningful mural. She is wearing black sunglasses, large yellow earrings, black gloves, and a custom outfit: a leopard-print top with dramatic, voluminous puff sleeves and a trailing fabric piece, paired with a black skirt featuring a high leg slit and black stiletto sandals. Her leopard-print train pools on the ground behind her. The white brick wall backdrop features a mural. On the left, black block letters and red script spell out: "CREATE the CULTURE TOGETHER" and below it in red text, "@4THECULTURE". To the right is a colorful graphic portrait of a woman's afro made from multi-colored circles. A small signature is on the far right. The photograph is an engaging depiction of self-expression and community.

K. Daniels

April 19, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
This book cover has a classic frame with many brown borders. In the center is a thoughtful, sepia-toned vintage photograph of Lillian Jones Horace. Above her picture is the book's title: 'RECOVERING Five Generations Hence: The Life and Writing of Lillian Jones Horace.' Below the photo, are the words: 'EDITED BY Karen Kossie-Chernyshev.'

Karen Kossie-Chernyshev

April 17, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
A cut out image of artist Leon Bridges standing knees bent and back leaning backward with the back of his left hand to his forehead. The image is affixed to the bottom right of the gold metallic backdrop.

Leon Bridges

July 23, 2021/by Ms. J's Classroom
The main picture on this book cover is an old-fashioned, sepia-toned photograph that shows a proud African American man, dressed in a shirt and tie. He is standing at the end of a train passenger car (the number 201 is above him), holding onto an ornate metal fence. On the fence, a special round sign says, 'Leaving DALLAS'. The title at the top is written in large white letters that say, 'WHITE METROPOLIS', with an orange line underneath. Below the photo, additional text says, 'RACE, ETHNICITY, AND RELIGION IN DALLAS, 1841—2001', with an orange line above it. At the very bottom, it says the author's name, 'MICHAEL PHILLIPS'.

Michael Phillips

April 17, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
abstract thread art of a woman sitting on a white pedestal crossed-legged and bare-breasted wearing a blue and white skirt and blue head scarg.

Pan-African Connection

June 25, 2015/by Ms. J's Classroom
A historical black and white photograph captures a group of African American men and women waiting on a covered station platform. Prominently displayed above an entrance is a sign that reads: "COLORED WAITING ROOM". The individuals are dressed in mid-20th century attire, including fedoras, suits, and hats. In the foreground on the left, there is a vintage, coin-operated weight-and-fortune machine with legible text. The people are waiting in a queue delineated by poles and chains. A brick wall with a door and a bus in the far background are visible. This image documents racial segregation.

R. C. Hickman

April 19, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
The main title of this book cover is written in large, bold, castle-style orange letters that say: "A Century of Class." In the middle, inside a bordered panel, are two neat old brown-and-white photographs combined. The top picture shows a boy and a girl dressed from a different era, likely the early 1900s. The girl, in a nice dress, holds a fan and is pointing a playful finger right at the boy, who is wearing a tall hat and a suit. They look like they are having a lively and important conversation! The bottom picture, which overlays the top, shows a long hallway where many children are crouching down closely together on the floor in neat rows, in a shelter-in-place position. To the side of the pictures, is the subtitle: "Public Education in Dallas." And at the very bottom, the author’s name is printed: "Rose-Mary Rumbley."

Rose-Mary Rumbley

April 17, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
Tufted art by Sam Lao - Orange

Sam Lao

January 14, 2022/by Ms. J's Classroom
Black silhouette of a Black Man's face, adorned with a black and white blue rimmed hat, and a multicolored checkered shirt. The background is a deep royal purple.

Temi Coker

December 7, 2021/by Ms. J's Classroom
A sparkly black book cover that looks like a night sky full of stars. In the middle, a tall row of four special oval cutouts invites you to peek inside. Above the first window, the letters say 'SWARM'. Below this, the window is dark with an interesting pattern. Between the next two windows, it says 'TERENCE'. The second window has a clever face that is hiding in the shadows with bright blue eyes and a wide, happy white smile. Between the bottom two windows, it says 'NANCE'. In the third window, we see a dark figure with a special, colorful red-orange item on its chest. The last window at the bottom is dark with a small blue and white light shape.

Terence Nance

April 18, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
Painting of a young girl with a bun atop her head. Primarily turquoise colors with hints of navy blue and accents of red-orange.

Valerie Gillespie

September 19, 2021/by Ms. J's Classroom
The central image of this artistic book cover is a stunning, carved wooden mask that glows with a warm, golden light. The mask has a very tall, fancy top and delicate lines on its cheeks. It sits on top of a dark, round base decorated with blue ribbons that hang down like colorful streamers. The artist's name, "VICKI MEEK," is written in large, bold letters right across the middle. In the bottom corner, the subtitle explains: "INSTALLATION AS SOCIAL COMMENTARY."

Vicki Meek

April 19, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom
The background of this book cover is a soft, green-tinted picture of a quiet street with tall, leafy trees and pretty lawns. Near the top, there is a small black-and-white photo showing a group of Black people gathered together. Inside a bold black box, the title "HAMILTON PARK" stands out in white letters. Right below is the subtitle: "A Planned Black Community in Dallas." At the bottom, the author’s name, "WILLIAM H. WILSON," is printed.

William H. Wilson

April 17, 2026/by Ms. J's Classroom

Willie Brown

March 20, 2005/by Ms. J's Classroom