Music & Arts : First United Methodist Church, Dallas

Music & Arts

In the Arts District of downtown Dallas, FirstChurch offers a thriving and diverse program of music and fine arts including choirs and handbell choirs for all ages, a theatre series producing three plays/musicals annually, and an art gallery with new exhibits every month. There is something for everyone who loves the arts and many ways to become involved both on stage and behind the scenes. For questions, contact Director of Music and Arts Dana Effler.

Choirs for Children & Youth

We share God’s gift of music with our children and youth in a variety of ways. Whether singing or playing an instrument, our children are instructed by music educators who are committed to providing a foundational sacred music education for our children in an engaging, safe and nurturing environment. Two handbell choirs, one musical ensemble and three choirs all rehearse on Sundays. Visit the Variations YouTube Channel to hear more of their music.

Choirs for Adults

The Chancel Choir sings for Sunday worship services and performs major choral works with orchestra. The Choir has toured to England, Canada, Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, France and Switzerland giving concerts in such hallowed sacred spaces as St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, St. Nicholas Church in Old Town Prague, and Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Two handbell choirs ring not only for worship services and concerts at FUMC, but also for handbell festivals and performances in the greater Dallas community and beyond. Visit the Chancel Choir YouTube Channel to hear more of their music. The Chancel Choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings, and the handbell choirs rehearse on Sundays. Interested in singing? Click here.

Goodrich Gallery

The Goodrich Gallery enriches our church with exhibits featuring the work of gifted local artists. The Gallery is open on Sundays from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

June/July Exhibit

The Goodrich Gallery exhibit for June/July features artwork by FirstChurch member Terra Wortley.

Terra Marie Wortley is a member of FirstChurch, having joined in 2003 when she began dating her husband, Kevin, a 4^th generation member. They have two sons, Adler (15) and Upton (11). By day, Terra owns her own Salon Studio, Chantilly Creative, where she cuts and colors hair. She is a Chancel Choir Member, is active in Rotunda productions, and is involved in both the children’s and youth ministries at FirstChurch. Her love of all things art has been a life-long theme. Terra is thrilled to share her work in her first gallery at the place she calls her second home.

Artist’s Statement

My love of art began at a very young age, with drawing and painting. It wasn’t until the Pandemic, when my family of four was home together day-in and day-out, and I needed to find something to do that was just mine, that I remembered how much I used to love it. I’ve always seen things out in the world while traveling or just in my day-to-day life that made me think, “I want to paint that.” So, I started with recreating some photos that I had taken while traveling with my husband in Vietnam. The piece “Lights of Hoi An” was really where this body of work started. The vibrant colors and cherry blossoms were the beginning of my journey to finding my own style. I fell in love with chinoiserie, a 17th and 18th century style of interior design that represents fanciful European interpretations of Chinese Styles.

“Mur de Fleur” or Wall of Flowers, is my chinoiserie dreams come to life on canvas. I chose every color of the rainbow to represent the sign in the sky that is given again and again to represent hope. The flowers represent beauty and the cycle of re-creation and renewal that we rely on each passing year. And the element of magic in each piece that I always look for, to me that represents the spark that we feel when we know something amazing is about to happen.

Upcoming Exhibits

Rotunda Theatre

FirstChurch is home to the Wortley-Peabody Theatre, a fully-outfitted black box theatre that offers many opportunities both on stage and backstage for members and non-members who share a love of the theatre. The theatre is on hiatus due to COVID, but information will be posted when shows resume.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Tickets & Reservations

All shows requiring reservations will be performed in the Wortley-Peabody Theatre.

Maximum seating capacity for the Wortley-Peabody Theatre: 150

Free productions are produced in the sanctuary. *Sanctuary performance times may vary.

All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.*

Box office opens at 6:30 p.m.

Seating begins at 7:00 p.m.

Reserved seats will be held at time of ticketing.

All reservations must be claimed 10 minutes prior to curtain. Reservations not claimed by that time will be released for resale. We reserve the right to seat late arrivals during the first appropriate interval or not at all if no seats are available.

Unused reservations will not be credited toward future productions. No refunds for unused reservations.

During the first Saturday performance of each production in the Wortley-Peabody Theatre, free on-site childcare is provided by the Developmental Learning Center (DLC) which is licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Child-Care Licensing Division.

Reservations must be made at least one day prior to the performance. Please contact Tim Effler in Music and Arts at 214-220-2727, ext. 220.

Parking Information

Free parking is available at the meters after 6:00 p.m. Pay for parking in parking tower on the southeast corner of Harwood and San Jacinto.

For more information please contact Tim Effler in Music and Arts at 214-220-2727, ext. 220.