Five Favorite Things: Holly Jefferson

Holly Jefferson is one of those people. You know, like, happy and cheerful and generally pleasant to be around. When you walk into her house, there’s a floor-to-ceiling, open room divider that’s painted bright yellow. Break out your protractor and turn 45 degrees to the left, and there’s a bright yellow lamp. If most people have a heart of gold, Jefferson’s is the sunniest shade of yellow. Not only is it her favorite statement color, it’s also kind of who she is — bright and funny and always ready to get involved. She serves on at least two boards in Oak Cliff – Diorama-O-Rama (Saturday, October 10 ... HINT) and Bike Friendly Oak Cliff. She doesn’t do it because of some rare disorder that makes her crave public service (because that’s a thing); she does it because she grew up here. Dallas is her town, and she’ll do whatever it takes to keep it cool. This year, Diorama-O-Rama, a most fun diorama art auction, is benefitting the Texas Theatre Building. The proceeds will help fund any building repairs that pop up or fall down throughout the year and keep that sweet, sweet A/C unit up and running. Jefferson has met a ton of people out and about in Dallas — seriously, she kind of knows everyone. If you don’t think she knows you, you’re probably suffering from a head trauma. Sniff some smelling salts and try again. Yep, now you remember. In conclusion, Jefferson is the best and she likes the best things. Don’t believe us? Keep reading, naysayer, and we’re pretty sure you’ll change your mind.

"HEAD UNICORN"
Though some things change in the home Jefferson shares with her husband, Ean Parsons, the art stays the same. The big white walls in their Kiestwood midcentury jawdropper double as gallery walls, which is pretty convenient for a pair of art enthusiasts. This piece was painted by local artist Chris Kysor. He created the art for the Silver Jews’ album American Water, and Jefferson loved it so much, she reached out and requested a commissioned piece. She never offered direction or even hinted at what it was that she loved about the album art, its simplicity. Yet when Kysor presented this painting, it was exactly what she wanted. It’s personal in the most ultimate way — all those shapes are actually profiles and silhouettes of Jefferson and he titled it "Head Unicorn," which is pretty much the best thing ever. The end.


ARTIST PARTY!
Barry McGee, Dan Phillips, Lilco, Jason Miller, Sour Grapes and Nick Z to name a few.
Several of these artists are personal friends; Jefferson loves art and supports local artists at every level. In fact, she befriended Nick Z., a street artist she found in Boston, and helped hook him up with a show at The Public Trust. There’s so much art in this house we could never capture it all, but these are a few of Jefferson’s favorites. Oh, and the antler light from artist Jason Miller? That was a gift from Parsons on their third anniversary, which makes it nine years old and still so modern it’s stupid.

Space Corner
Tucked in the master bedroom, there’s a wall above a dresser that Jefferson calls her Space Corner. The big piece is something she found at Buchanan’s Flea Market about 20 years ago. The little piece she purchased from local artist Esther Pearl Watson. The vase is part of Jefferson’s pre-Jonathan Adler collection from a potter named Klein Reid. She used to snatch up every work she could find. And those flowers are fresh and they’re always fresh. That’s just one more of Jefferson’s things. Fresh flowers. WHO IS THIS LADY?
MUSIC!
A couple of years ago, Jefferson’s laptop, along with her entire music collection, got jacked. She lost everything, and at that moment, she decided to return to records. Not only does it look cool, but there’s something about the feel of albums. Their house has two turntables — one upstairs and one downstairs — to accommodate the couple’s hundreds of records.
DRUG MONEY
Jefferson found her Drug Money in Marfa, not an abandoned black satchel. It was hand-carved by Camp Bosworth and sells at The Wrong Store. Camp Bosworth, by the way, is an artist, not a place where you work on archery and play capture the flag. Jefferson actually loves this whole tray — it’s her daily jewelry, collected from her grandfather-in-law, her grandmother, local artist f is for Frank (the rabbit pendant, named after Jefferson) and the makers of many, many shrimp earrings. “They’re kind of my signature,” Jefferson says, “I guess I never grew out of that Salt-N-Pepa phase.” Fun fact: Drug Money and Jefferson’s jewelry live in the guest room, also known as the Presidential Suite.