Eye on Texas: Portico Tejas

This photograph was taken as part of a series on Dallas, a project I’ve been working on since 2007 to document the city’s history and development. The image depicts a paved area, known as the Portico Tejas, with an 11-foot-tall statue of a Native American archer titled “Tejas Warrior.” The bronze statue, gilded with gold leaf, is meant to symbolize peace, as no arrow is present. Portico Tejas is located at the entrance to the Hall of State building at Fair Park, commissioned in 1936 during the Great Depression, at astronomical expense, to commemorate Texas history. The building, considered one of Texas’ best examples of Art Deco architecture, is desperately in need of renovation, as evidenced by the deteriorating limestone columns and façade.

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