SMU to celebrate Founders' Day April 6-9

DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU campus will buzz with activity Founders' Day Weekend, April 6-9, as alumni, students and friends celebrate the 1915 founding of SMU.

Find detailed information on all Founders Day Weekend activities at http://www.smu.edu/Events/FoundersDay.

The community is invited to join the celebration at several public events including Meadows Museum family day, the Mustang spring football game, and performances of the spring dance concert. The George W. Bush Presidential Center also will offer guided bluebonnet tours of the Native Texas Park on the grounds of the center.

Thursday - Sunday, April 6-9

Spring Dance Concert performances

Bob Hope Theatre, Owen Arts Center, 6101 Bishop Blvd.

The Spring Dance Concert features SMU dance students performing a diverse mix of modern, jazz and ballet works. Four performances occur during Founders Day weekend – at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 6, through Saturday, April 8, and a 2 p.m. matinee performance Sunday, April 9. Admission is $14 for adults, $11 for seniors, $8 for SMU students, faculty and staff. http://mcs.smu.edu/calendar/node/1636

Saturday, April 8

Bluebonnet Tours, 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

George W. Bush Presidential Center, 2903 SMU Blvd.

Free

Guided bluebonnet tours of the Bush Center's 15-acre urban park will be offered at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. From sunrise to sunset, visitors also are welcome to enjoy self-guided tours of the Native Texas Park featuring wildflowers, blackland prairie grasses and native habitats. Indoors, the center also features a new exhibit, "Portraits of Courage," oil paintings honoring the sacrifice and courage of America's military service men and women. Admission information for the exhibit is available at http://www.bushcenter.org/.

Family Day, Meadows Museum, 10 am to 1 pm

5900 Bishop Blvd.

Free

Family activities feature the drawings of the Spanish artist whose work is displayed in the current Meadows Museum exhibit, "Between Heaven and Hell: The Drawings of Jusepe de Ribera." Adults and children can try their skills as an apprentice artist, explore the painting "Portrait of a Knight of Santiago" through the senses, and create their own hats featuring Ribera's lively figures. The exhibit runs through June 11. https://meadowsmuseumdallas.org/

Mustang Spring Football Game,
Gates open 11:30 a.m., game starts 1 p.m.

Ford Stadium, 5801 Bush Ave.

Free

Meet the 2017 SMU Mustang football team, Head Football Coach Chad Morris and his coaching staff at the SMU Football Spring Game. Gates to Ford Stadium open at 11:30 with inflatables and food trucks in the south end zone, photos with Peruna, and an opportunity to play new video games created by students from SMU's Guildhall, recently ranked No. 1 in the world for graduate-level game design programs. The annual spring game begins at 1 p.m. Players and coaching staff will be on hand for photos and autographs on the field after the game.

###