Among the many curated items for the Perkins School’s 2021 Dante Festival is a richly ruffled child’s dress patterned with an image of the poet’s bust. Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology

Archives and libraries have all sorts of hidden treasures – and it’s often a challenge to make them known to patrons and the public. The Bridwell Library at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, surmounted that particular challenge in 2021 when it held a Dante Festival to commemorate 700 years since Dante Alighieri’s death. The festival highlighted Bridwell’s special collections items related to the Italian poet, writer and philosopher, including marble statues of Dante and Beatrice from the Divine Comedy, early editions of the classic 14th century narrative poem, and a newly acquired set of illustrations by Salvador Dalí created for a mid-20th century memorial edition.

The festival organizers didn’t stop there, turning the week into an all-out celebration of Dante-inspired films, food, lectures, re-enactments, and music.

“The week was packed,” said Anthony J. Elia, director of Bridwell Library and J. S. Bridwell Foundation Endowed Librarian, in the Bridwell Quarterly. “We had scholars, artists, and musicians speak about allegory and reveal some truths behind the mysteries before us. Most of all, we came together as a community, and shared the joy of creating, learning, and experiencing our humanness together.”

Notably, the exhibit included new art that referenced Dante. Karyl Patredis, then a student at Perkins, designed and produced a dress that features red ruffles – a reference to the burning flames of the Inferno – and a pattern of Dante’s bust.

“This dress is made to fit a young girl,” Patredis wrote of her submission. “It may seem a little counterintuitive for the piece to be made for a child, but the juxtaposition is meant to bring about the fuller picture of the Divine Comedy from Inferno to Paradise given that (in my opinion as a mother of two young kids) children are a perfect mix of hellion and angel!”

Acquired by the library, the exhibited art remains in its collection – surely making the library a more festive place, even years after the festival’s conclusion.