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EDITOR’S NOTE
February / March 2025
TERRI PROVENCAL Publisher / Editor in Chief terri@patronmagazine.com
Instagram terri_provencal and patronmag
The arts community is grieving following the devastating loss across Los Angeles through the sweeping fires that began on January 7. Beloved artist Alec Egan, whose work was featured on our April/May 2019 cover, lost his home, studio, and all his paintings for an upcoming show at Anat Ebgi Gallery, a favorite Dallas Art Fair exhibitor. Midway through January, the LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund, led by the J. Paul Getty Trust, earmarked $12 million dollars for arts workers through a coalition including the Mohn Art Collective (Hammer Museum, LACMA, and MOCA), and artist foundations like those of Helen Frankenthaler, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Joan Mitchell, and David Hockney, alongside mega-galleries Hauser & Wirth and Gagosian. The art community is nothing if not hopeful and helpful in times like these.
Annually at Patron, we allot space in February/March for a Dallas Art Fair preview, examining the collections of local patrons and what they look forward to in the upcoming fair. While we have proceeded with this story, our hearts go out to the Los Angeles dealers and artists we enjoy covering in this feature who are unable to participate this time. However, glimpses into the collections of Peter Augustus Owen, Grace Cook, and Porschla Kidd prove to be uplifting and shine a light on the strength of the fair. Take a look at the beautiful work in their collection from represented fair exhibitors, and hear what they are eyeing this year in In The Thick . We also preview Library Street Collective’s booth through an interview between gallery co-founder Anthony Curis and artists James Benjamin Franklin and Zoe McGuire.
The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce opens on February 23 at the Meadows Museum, coinciding auspiciously with its 60th anniversary. Featured on this month’s cover, Flaming June, a prized masterpiece by Lord Frederic Leighton, is the marquee work in this exhibition, which draws connections between the collecting habits of Algur H. Meadows and Luis A. Ferré, a former governor of Puerto Rico who founded the Museo de Arte de Ponce. In Parallel Lives, Nancy Cohen Israel discusses the striking similarities of the pair.
March 26–30 brings the first Dallas installment of Salon Art + Design, a fair that’s been thriving in New York City at the Park Avenue Armory for over a decade. It will take over the Block House this year, a historic 1941 building that was once a Masonic temple. Nicky Dessources, the executive director of Salon, is betting on Dallas through the guidance of long-time exhibitors, and because of the flourishing art- and design-collecting community here. Nouvelle Mélange, by aficionado Rob Brinkley, features a handful of exhibitors showing 20thcentury estate jewelry and design masterworks, functional art, contemporary furnishings, and much more from Paris to the Netherlands.
Spring brings new life to the much-discussed Trinity River. In a highly anticipated event, at last ground will break on the Harold Simmons Park, helmed by the Trinity Park Conservancy. Two decades in the making, the initiative has been reimagined as a 250-acre park between the Ronald Kirk Pedestrian Bridge and the Margaret McDermott Bridge. In River of Dreams, I had the opportunity to meet with Trinity Park Conservancy’s president and CEO Tony Moore, board chair Deedie Rose, and vice board chair Marguerite Hoffman, who each have brought this project to fruition through their own determination, might, and a whole lot of elbow grease. We can’t wait for this project to unfold, in which green space, health, and the ecosystem is so paramount, they have brought in conservation manager Jimena Vivanco to educate Dallas youth.
Though we can never forecast Mother Nature and the effects of climate change, we can continue lifting the unique voices of artists in the US and abroad, as well as conservation efforts in our own region.
–Terri Provencal
FEATURES
50 IN THE THICK
Arts-passionate Grace Cook, Porschla Kidd, and Peter Augustus Owen offer a glimpse into their collections and what they are eyeing in the upcoming Dallas Art Fair.
By Terri Provencal and Darryl Ratcliff
58 PARALLEL LIVES
Museo de Arte de Ponce and Meadows Museum trace their collecting roots in Spain.
By Nancy Cohen Israel
64 NOUVELLE MÉLANGE
Displaying the exceptional, Salon Art + Design arrives in Dallas. By Rob
Brinkley
68 STRANGELY FAMILIAR & WHOLLY ALIEN
Haegue Yang explores the unknown in Lost Lands and Sunken Fields at the Nasher.
By Danielle Avram
72 RIVER OF DREAMS
Harold Simmons Park will bring to fruition twenty years of reimaginings through the Trinity Park Conservancy.
By Terri Provencal
76 OF ALL STRIPES
From pinstripe to bold and abstract, the possibilities are endless in spring styling.
Photograph by Luis Martinez; Styling by Wendy Mulas
On the cover: Frederic Leighton (British, 1830-1896), Flaming June, 1895, oil on canvas, 46.87 × 46.87 in. Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Courtesy of Museo de Arte de Ponce.
DEPARTMENTS
6 Editor’s Note
12 Contributors
28 Noted
Fair Trade
42 CIVIC PRIDE
Detroit-based Library Street Collective will feature the work of James Benjamin Franklin and Zoe McGuire at Dallas Art Fair.
Interview by Anthony Curis
Contemporaries
44 ART IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD
Lester Levy shares his thoughts on collecting in the metaverse.
Interview by Chris Byrne
Studio
46 IT’S WHAT’S AROUND YOU
Oak Cliff’s Tureen mounts a powerful solo show for Latinx artist Celia Álvarez Muñoz following a sensational 2023–24 career retrospective.
By Eve Hill-Agnus
Atelier
48 PRETTY PRADA
The venerated Italian brand’s long-awaited return to Dallas arrives at NorthPark Center.
By Anthony Falcon
Furthermore
84 A KIND OF CHORUS
Dallas Contemporary bolsters North Texas graduate students with Open University, curated by Matthew Higgs.
By John Zotos
BufordHawthorne is honored to receive the 2024 AIA Dallas Contractor Award.
ARCHITECT: BERNBAUM/MAGADINI
CONTRIBUTORS
DANIELLE AVRAM is the assistant professor of contemporary galleries and exhibitions at UT Dallas and the director of SP/N Gallery on campus. She is also a writer, curator, and project manager. She has held positions at Texas Woman’s University; Southern Methodist University; The Power Station; and The Pinnell Collection, among others. She has an MFA from the School of The Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University, and a BA from UT Dallas.
ROB BRINKLEY
is a writer, editor, and creative director in the worlds of magazines, social media, short films, and books. He has written about design for national shelter publications and is the co-author of the Assouline book Domestic Art: Curated Interiors. In Nouvelle Melange, Rob avails his design eye and expertise to offer advance coverage of the Salon Art + Design fair founded in New York City and making its way to Dallas March 26–30.
LAUREN
CHRISTENSEN
has over two decades of experience in advertising and marketing. As a principal with L+S Creative Group, she consults with a wide variety of nonprofit organizations and businesses in many sectors, including retail, real estate, and hospitality. Lauren is a Dallas native and a graduate of SMU with a BA in advertising. Her clean, contemporary aesthetic and generous spirit make Lauren the perfect choice to art direct Patron
NANCY
COHEN ISRAEL
is a Dallas-based writer, art historian, and educator at the Meadows Museum, where she manages the docent program. She contributes to exhibition catalogues for artists across the state, including exhibitions for Simon Waranch at the Pollock-Krasner House and Chong Chu at the Museum of Biblical Art. In Parallel Lives she previews The Sense of Beauty, featuring artworks from Museo de Arte de Ponce timed with the Meadows Museum’s 60th anniversary.
EVE HILL-AGNUS
is a writer, editor, and translator with roots in France and California. She has been a teacher of literature and journalism; a dining critic who also covered art and dance; and a writer/editor of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. In It’s What’s Around You, Eve catches up with North Texas Latinx artist Celia Álvarez Muñoz about her forthcoming solo show Apothecary Rx, opening at Tureen Gallery in Oak Cliff this month.
LUIS MARTINEZ
is a Kim Dawson model and actor discovery from San Antonio currently based in Dallas who is equally adept as a fashion, beauty, and portrait photographer, as well as a videographer. A frequent contributor to Patron, in this issue he uses his talent behind the lens to capture the essence of spring fashion with stylist Wendy Mulas. Working with a fog machine, he brings unexpected camera work to these pages in Of All Stripes
CHRIS BYRNE is the founder of the Elaine de Kooning House in East Hampton, NY. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the US Department of the Interior in 2022, the residence is also an affiliate member of Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This coming year, the Elaine de Kooning and PollockKrasner houses are coproducing a joint initiative artistin-residence and exhibition program.
WENDY MULAS
was born and raised in Spain and made her way to Dallas as an au pair. She seized the opportunity to work with renowned fashion brands like Chanel, Fendi, and Dolce & Gabbana, transitioning her passion into a career as a stylist, Wendy is dedicated to empowering women, helping them shine and believe in themselves through the cultivation of their personal style. In Of All Stripes, she gathered looks from spring runway trends.
CHRIS PLAVIDAL
is a photographer based in Fort Worth and represented by SisterBrother Management. Part of an artistic family, Chris is lucky enough to be able to work with his wife, Penny, who is a photo stylist and ceramicist. For Patron, he took to the road on an icy day in North Texas to photograph Celia Álvarez Muńoz at her home and studio as she prepared for her forthcoming show, Apothecary Rx, at Tureen, an Oak Cliff Gallery.
DARRYL RATCLIFF is an artist and poet with a writing and curatorial practice whose work engages communities and mobilizes social issues by building collaborative, durational cultural projects that help tell community narratives, promote civic engagement, and bolster community health. He is a Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 10 Fellow and founder of Gossypion Investments. For Patron, he tells of Grace Cook’s collecting journey and her favorite Dallas Art Fair exhibitors.
JOHN SMITH
takes advantage of his degree in architecture to photograph beautifully designed homes and the art collections within. His unique appreciation for projects by renowned architects, interior designers, and artists is evidenced through his twentyfive years of experience behind the camera.
In the Dallas Art Fair preview story, In the Thick, John captured three art collectors in their homes: Grace Cook, Porschla Kidd, and Peter Augustus Owen.
JOHN ZOTOS is an art critic and writer who has written about the arts in North Texas for the last twenty-five years. His writing is informed by advanced degrees in art history and aesthetics. In Roll Call, John takes a look at the inaugural North Texas Graduate Program exhibition, Open University, curated by White Columns director/chief curator Matthew Higgs, which draws from over a dozen artists from six universities across North Texas.
On view February 23 through July 6, 2025
Of all the Pop artists of the 1960s, Marisol remains the most enigmatic. By examining and contextualizing her work over its long arc from the 1950s to the early 2000s, this internationally touring retrospective, the most comprehensive survey of Marisol’s work ever assembled, demonstrates the extraordinary relevance of the legendary artist’s unique vision of culture and society. Learn more at dma.org
A Retrospective is organized by the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. The exhibition is supported by a major grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. Critical work related to this exhibition and collection was made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The exhibition is curated by Cathleen Chaffee, Charles Balbach Chief Curator of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. The Dallas presentation is curated by Anna Katherine Brodbeck, Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art.
This exhibition in Dallas is presented by Bank of America. The Dallas Museum of Art is supported, in part, by generous DMA Members and donors, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture.
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NOTED
01 AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM
Facing the Rising Sun contains photographs, found objects, and historical documents that provide an insight into a community called Freedman’s Town , later known as Short North Dallas, and now known as Uptown Through Mar. 15, the African American Museum hosts the Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Present, Embracing the Future. This significant display celebrates the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.’s 100 years of service, legacy, and empowerment. aamdallas.org
02 AMON CARTER MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
THE LATEST CULTURAL NEWS COVERING ALL ASPECTS OF THE ARTS IN NORTH TEXAS: NEW EXHIBITS, NEW PERFORMANCES, GALLERY OPENINGS, AND MORE.
China, India, or Japan. Instead, themes that elicit stories of crosscultural contact and that are vital to specific Asian communities are foregrounded; through Aug. 25. crowmuseum.org
03 CROW MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS
Through Apr. 14, Japan, Form & Function: The Montgomery Collection remains on view in the Dallas Arts District location. This extensive exhibition showcases over 240 works, thoughtfully organized into themes and categories. Ancient Echoes, Modern Voices: The Crow Collection Goes Beyond, in the new Asian art galleries of the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum Phase I Museum , remains on view through Aug. 25. To denote the overlapping circles of meaning, the Crow Galleries are not labeled according to the nation states of
Through Mar. 9, the inaugural exhibition of DC’s NTX Graduate Student Program facilitates generative mentorship and institutional connections between North Texas MFA students in their final year of graduate work and the renowned visiting curator Matthew Higgs, resulting in an exhibition of student work at Dallas Contemporary. Velvet Faith, curated by associate curator Emily Edwards and featuring artists EJ Hill and Martin Gonzales, opens on Feb. 28 and showcases site-specific installations created during a monthlong residency at the museum, along with new and previous sculptures and paintings. The work will be on view through Aug. 25. dallascontemporary.org
Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations is the first exhibition to fully explore the pioneering British American artist’s work through the lens of its groundbreaking reconfiguration of cultural politics; through, Feb. 9. On view through Jul. 28, Nature and Artifice: Works on Paper from Dürer to Rembrandt explores confrontations between humans and the natural world. The works in the exhibition chart the transformations in landscape images from highly imaginative pictorial worlds of the 15th century to pastoral scenes of country life in the 17th century. Marisol: A Retrospective sees the most comprehensive survey of Marisol Escobar’s work ever assembled and demonstrates the extraordinary relevance of the legendary artist’s unique vision of culture and society, Feb. 23–Jul. 26. When You See Me: Visibility in Contemporary Art/History broadens
Freedom Matters uses rare artifacts and historical documents, interactive activities, and personal perspectives to examine the concept of freedom: where it comes from, what it means, what free societies look like, and the role of the individual in protecting and spreading freedom around the world, through May 31. bushcenter.org
08 KIMBELL ART MUSEUM
Through Feb. 9, Dutch Art in a Global Age explores the artistic flourishing in the Netherlands during the 17th century, a period marked by extensive international commerce and cultural exchange. As Dutch merchants established expansive trade networks spanning Asia, the Americas, and Africa, they ushered in an era often regarded as the first age of globalization. Modern Art and Politics in Germany 1910–1945 will open on Mar. 30. Image: Artemisia Gentileschi, Penitent Mary Magdalene, 1625–26, oil on canvas, 42.75 x 36.75 in. Kimbell Art Museum. kimbellart.org
09 LATINO CULTURAL CENTER
Save the date for El Otro by Octavio Solis on May 16–31. dallasculture.org
10 MEADOWS MUSEUM
The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce features major works by the leading lights of European and American painting. The exhibition gathers religious and historical pictures by Lucas Cranach the Elder, Peter Paul Rubens, and Anthony van Dyck; portraits by Joshua Reynolds and Elisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun; landscapes by Claude Lorrain and Gustave Courbet; and genre scenes by Jean-Léon Gérôme and WilliamAdolphe Bouguereau, Feb. 23–Jun. 22. meadowsmuseumdallas.org
11 MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH
Diaries of Home closes Feb. 2 Alex Da Corte: The Whale is the first museum exhibition to survey the interdisciplinary artist’s long relationship with painting. Focusing on the past decade of Da Corte’s career, this exhibition features more than forty paintings, several drawings, and a video that considers painting as a performative act, Mar. 2–Sep. 7. Feeling Color: Aubrey Williams and Frank Bowling ,
Their Portraits is an exhibition commemorating the hostages abducted from Israel on October 7, 2023, through the art of portraiture. Led by artists Nancy Gordon, a former Dallas resident; and Sivia Braunstein, who was in Israel during the attack, the exhibition features over 200 portraits by eight artists. Jacob’s Ladder showcases Chong Chu’s colorful abstract paintings through Apr. 13. biblicalarts.org
13 NASHER SCULPTURE CENTER
Lost Lands and Sunken Fields, featuring work by Haegue Yang, from Feb. 1–Apr. 27, will highlight her hybrid approach that blends folk traditions with modern and contemporary sculpture, informed by her deep engagement with vernacular techniques and cultures. Frances Bagley’s Shangri-La remains on view through Feb. 2 as part of the Nasher Public series, in which three larger-than-life figures made of cast and carved industrial spray foam on metal supports populate the ghostly outline and windows of a pitched-roof house. nashersculpturecenter.org
14 PEROT MUSEUM
Through the spring, celebrate the breathtaking beauty of one of nature’s most captivating minerals in Topaz: A Spectrum in Stone Featuring over 100 topaz specimens from across the globe, this one-of-a-kind collection displays the scope of crystal structures and colored stones within the topaz family. Step into a dreamlike world of color and light at Glow Lab! Build, play, and explore endless possibilities in a vibrant, illuminated space filled with modular inflatable units that encourage playful experimentation and collaboration. Glow Lab! is on view through Mar. 31. Image: The Imperial Flame topaz, 332 carats. Photograph courtesy of Kreis Jewellery. perotmuseum.org
15 SIXTH FLOOR MUSEUM
The Sixth Floor Museum’s John F. Kennedy and the Memory of a Nation continues through Mar. 31. jfk.org
16 TYLER MUSEUM OF ART
My Own Backyard features over 30 photographs spanning 50 years by Houston’s celebrated photographer Earlie Hudnall, Jr., through Mar. 9. tylermuseum.org
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01 AMPHIBIAN
Rooted, a quirky comedy about fame, family, and the roots we grow, takes the Main Stage through Feb. 16. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth will screen National Theatre Live’s The Importance of Being Earnest on Feb. 26 and Mar. 1, featuring three-time Olivier Award–winner Sharon D Clarke and Ncuti Gatwa in a joyful reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy. amphibianstage.com
02 AT&T PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
AT&T Performing Arts Center kicks off 2025 with The MOTH Project on Feb. 12. Most Likely Forever Yours, a sketch comedy revue, is up next, Feb. 21–23. The Wedding is Fixed, Mar. 6–8, is a whimsical Bollywood love story. Celebrate the legacy of Cream with Sons of Cream Mar. 7 and experience the Lone Star Vocal Competition the same day. Anime fans will love NARUTO–The Symphonic Experience on Mar. 8. Bathed in a sea of candles and skeletal players with rhinestone masks, The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight on Mar. 14 features rock and metal classics for a wholly unique experience. Ira Glass, host of This American Life, shares insights on Mar. 15. Bonnie Raitt: Live 2025 comes to town on Mar. 23, and Open Mic Night takes the stage Mar. 27. The month concludes with the vibrant Spring Love 2025 presented by 3 Amigos Entertainment and featuring seven artists across genres, including bachata, freestyle, Latin R&B, pop Cumbia, and Miami bass on Mar. 29, followed by the beloved musical Waitress Mar. 29–Apr. 20. Pie anyone? attpac.org
Broadway Dallas kicks off February with Howard Jones & ABC with Richard Blade on Feb. 15, and Love, Jazz & Romance on Feb. 16. The month continues with the musical & Juliet through Feb. 9, and Hadestown from Feb. 25–Mar. 2, as part of the 24/25 Broadway Series. HADESTOWN intertwines two mythic tales—that of
young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife, Persephone, inviting audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. March begins with Back to the Future: The Musical from Mar. 18–30, and the Broadway Dallas 2025 Gala on Mar. 29. The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra graces the stage on Mar. 9. Image: & Juliet. Photograph by Matthew Murphy. broadwaydallas.org
05 CASA MAÑANA
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory continues through Feb. 16 We’ve Only Just Begun: The Music of The Carpenters plays Feb. 4–23 at The Reid Cabaret Theatre, featuring classic soft rock hits. March begins with The Color Purple from Mar. 1–9, showcasing a story of hope with a joyous score, and continues with The Little Mermaid from Mar. 22–Apr. 13. casamanana.org
06 DALLAS CHILDREN’S THEATER
DCT’s vibrant lineup begins with Pete The Cat through Feb. 23, featuring the beloved character as he embarks on a whimsical adventure with the Biddles family. Dino-Light from Mar. 28–30, presented by Lightwire Theater, is a glow-in-the-dark spectacle combining puppetry, technology, and dance in a story about a scientist who magically brings a friendly dinosaur to life. dct.org
07 THE DALLAS OPERA
Orpheus and Eurydice, from Feb. 7–15, sees a new production that explores the myth of unwavering love through Gluck’s 1762 score. Pépito, on Feb. 16, is a one-act English-language opera about love and loyalty in a small town. The beloved La bohème returns from Feb. 28–Mar. 9, followed by The Three Little Pigs on Mar. 1, a familyfriendly opera using Mozart’s music. Finally, the Lone Star Vocal Competition showcases emerging Texan talents on Mar. 7. dallasopera.org
08
DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
February begins with Brahms’ Violin Concerto on Feb. 1–2, featuring virtuoso Augustin Hadelich. Raven Chacon’s Voiceless Mass, a collaboration with Dallas Symphony Musicians, Dallas Symphony Chorus, and SMU Meadows School of the Arts offers a free concert at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church on Feb. 4. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony will thrill audiences from Feb. 6–9 with its iconic motifs and triumphant transitions. The month continues with James McVinnie’s organ recital on Feb. 16. Shira Samuels-Shrag conducts The Symphony Explores Outer Space on Feb. 19–20, a musical journey through space-themed classics. Let’s Groove Tonight: Motown & The Philly Sound concert series, Feb. 21–23, will see hits from the Motown era performed live. March ushers in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 from Mar. 6–9, followed by reflective Brahms and
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Schumann concerts from Mar. 14–16. Heroes and Legends: Magical Musical Tales on Mar. 26–27, and A Night of Broadway from Mar. 28–30, will showcase musical tales and Broadway favorites respectively. mydso.com
09 DALLAS THEATER CENTER
Shane, a fresh take on one of the greatest Westerns, closes Feb. 16. This stage adaptation by Karen Zacarías introduces us to the mysterious ex-gunfighter who protects a Wyoming farm, redefining heroism and family in the Wild West. Next, Primary Trust showcases a touching story of new beginnings, old friends, and finding the courage to see the world for the first time, Feb. 27–Mar. 16. The popular classic Waitress closes out March, from Mar. 29–Apr. 20. dallastheatercenter.org
10 DALLAS WIND SYMPHONY
Dallas Winds presents New Mornings, Brighter Days on Feb. 18, featuring works by Joseph Schwantner, Morton Gould, Omar Thomas, and Michael Daugherty, celebrating themes of hope and triumph at the Meyerson Symphony Center. On Mar. 11, experience March(es) Madness, a showcase of classic marches by Karl King, John Philip Sousa, Morton Gould, and Tchaikovsky’s March Slav, capturing the spirit and power of traditional band music. dallaswinds.org
11 EISEMANN CENTER
First Fridays will present a talk by Bill Gates on Feb. 7, followed by the Chamberlain/Plano Civic Chorus on Feb. 8. Ballet Folklorico de Mexico takes the stage Feb. 10. Amanda McBroom sings on Feb. 14 in Crimes of the Heart, followed by The Sinatra Experience Feb. 15. Dance troupe MOMIX presents Alice alongside Sammy Miller, both on Feb. 22, followed by Rahul Dua Live on Feb. 23 and Keyboard Conversations on Feb. 24. March introduces Girls Night: The Musical and Stars of the Future by RSO, both on Mar. 1, with Bollywood rhythms from Rhythm India on Mar. 2. Kraig Parker’s Viva Las Vegas dazzles on Mar. 8, along with performances by Dallas Black Dance Theatre and The Ugly Duckling by Lightwire Theater on Mar. 9. Excitement continues with The Price Is Right Live! on Mar. 13, a Hip Hop Orchestra Experience on Mar. 14, and the Endless Summer tribute on Mar. 15. Anoushka Shankar performs on Mar. 18, followed by Trailblazing Women of Country on Mar. 23. Mandy Gonzalez captivates on Mar. 28, and Jazz at Lincoln Center presents the New Orleans Songbook on Mar. 29. Leo P and the Texins Jazz Band closes the month on Mar. 30. eisemanncenter.com
12 FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Musical Storytelling: Spano Conducts Scheherazade and The Rite of Spring takes the stage Feb. 1 and 2. Experience chart-topping hits like
“Rags to Riches” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” when Tony Bennett: The Official Musical Celebration takes the stage on Feb. 7 and 8 with a live orchestra and renowned vocalists. Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage is also on Feb. 8. Experience FWSO Strings at Beth-El on Feb. 16. Brahms and Schoenberg is up next on Feb. 23. March brings iconic cinema scores with Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert on Mar. 1 and 2, and Black Panther in Concert on Mar. 8. Spano Conducts Mahler’s Ninth spans Mar. 14–16. The month concludes with Storybook: Little Red Riding Hood on Mar. 30. Image: Musical Storytelling: Spano Conducts Scheherazade and The Rite of Spring Photograph by Karen Almond for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. fwsymphony.org
13 KITCHEN DOG
THEATER
Kitchen Dog Theater presents Will Eno’s Wakey, Wakey from Feb. 6–23. Directed by Tina Parker and starring Christopher Carlos, this area premiere takes place at Expo Park in Dallas. The play, imbued with humor and poignancy, invites audiences to ponder life’s meanings and inevitabilities. kitchendogtheater.org
14
LYRIC STAGE
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill , through Feb. 23, honors Black History Month and portrays one of Billie Holiday’s final performances, delivering a poignant look at her life and music. Jekyll & Hyde, Mar. 28 to Apr. 19, presents a dramatic tale of duality set to a pop-rock score by Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse. Image: Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill . Photograph by Matt Byrne. lyricstage.org
15 MAJESTIC THEATRE
Majestic Theatre hosts Mania: The ABBA Tribute on Feb. 1, Kumail Nanjiani’s stand-up on Feb. 2, and Gregory Alan Isakov on Feb. 5. The month continues with performances by Theory of a Deadman on Feb. 7, Orchestra Noir on Feb. 8, and a Casablanca film screening on Feb. 9, Sam Morril on Feb. 13, Becky Robinson on Feb. 14, and David Gray on Feb. 21. The Gipsy Kings perform on Feb. 22, followed by Dirty Dancing in Concert on Feb. 26, and Luenell on Feb. 28. March features Apocalyptica on Mar. 6, Marc Maron on Mar. 7. The season continues with multiple shows, including Adam Ray as Dr. Phil, the World Ballet Company’s The Great Gatsby, and Hwasa’s tour, concluding with Drew and Ellie Holcomb’s tour on Mar. 29. majestic.dallasculture.org
16 TACA
TACA believes the arts are transformative, though obstacles of limited funding, rising costs, and a lack of access to other important resources make it difficult for the arts to survive and thrive. TACA exists to nurture arts organizations and provide visionary, responsive leadership to the arts community. taca–arts.org
17 TEXAS BALLET THEATER
Texas Ballet Theater’s International Woman takes the stage Feb. 21–23 at the Bass Performance Hall and Feb 28–Mar. 2 at the Wyly Theatre. Image: Texas Ballet Theater principal dancer Brett Young and soloist Rieko Hatato represent the upcoming production of International Woman, emphasizing the work of women choreographers. Photograph by Steven Visneau. texasballettheater.org
18 THEATRE THREE
Debbie Does Dallas continues through Feb. 23. This stage adaptation of the iconic 1978 film features Debbie Benton, a hopeful cheerleader facing hilarious hurdles on her quest to join the Dallas Cowboys. Intimate Apparel, onstage Mar. 27–Apr. 20, by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Lynn Nottage, explores the life of an early 20th-century African American seamstress in New York City. Through personal ambitions and intricate relationships, this drama unveils a deep narrative of resilience and desire. theatre3dallas.com
19 TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND
Stay tuned for the Texas debut of Whim W’Him, an awardwinning Seattle-based dance company known for its innovative choreography, in April. titas.org
20 UNDERMAIN THEATRE
Box is part magic show, part historical speculation, part romantic drama exploring the harrowing story of Henry Box Brown, the abolitionist lecturer and magician who escaped slavery by mailing himself to freedom, ultimately becoming a famed magician on the London stage. Using actual magic, this world premiere imagines an unwritten chapter in the story of one of history’s most overlooked folk heroes; Feb. 27–Mar. 23. undermain.org
21 WATERTOWER THEATRE
WaterTower Theatre presents Phantom: In Concert from Feb. 13–16. Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit’s adaptation delves into the life of Eric, a disfigured man with a beautiful soul secluded beneath the Paris Opera House. Terry Martin directs the iconic Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire, Mar. 26–Apr. 6, which portrays the tragic decline of Blanche DuBois set against the backdrop of New Orleans. watertowertheatre.org
Look Again
Artemisia Gentileschi, Penitent Mary Magdalene (detail), 1625–26. Oil on canvas. Kimbell Art Museum
01 12.26
Zoe Koke and Ben Borden will showcase their untitled twoperson exhibition Feb. 15–Mar. 22. Two solo exhibitions will open on Mar. 29 featuring new paintings by Julia Maiuri and new works by Lauren Spencer King, through May 3. gallery1226.com
02 AKIM MONET FINE ARTS
Celebrating the gallery’s ten-year collaboration with the Musée Rodin and the Estate of Auguste Rodin, Myths Reimagined: Rodin and the Art of Transformation juxtaposes Rodin’s iconic works with modern and contemporary creations. akimmonetfinearts.com
03 ALAN BARNES FINE ART
Alan Barnes Fine Art specializes in 19th- and 20th-century American and European works, from old masters to impressionist paintings, drawings, and watercolors. alanbarnesfineart.com
04 ARTSPACE111
Animal Crackers displays new works by Jim Malone, on view Feb. 6–Mar. 15. Drawing from fifty years of immersion in the Chihuahuan Desert, Malone creates mixed media works capturing the essential elements of survival. Image: Jim Malone, Four Sisters, 2024, mixedmedia, 22 x 30 in. artspace111.com
05 BARRY WHISTLER GALLERY
Mark Williams / Recent Canvases displays from Feb. 1– Mar. 22. This exhibition features a selection of small canvases created between 2018–2024, continuing Williams’ series focused on compact, detailed artwork. Image: Mark Williams, Lispenard Street, 2018, acrylic on canvas mounted to board, 8 x 10 in. barrywhistlergallery.com
06 BEATRICE M. HAGGERTY GALLERY
Daniel Heyman: The World Has Gone Crazy and So Am I, from Feb. 7–Mar. 21 with an artist reception on Mar. 13, features works on paper handmade by Heyman or master papermakers in Japan, capturing themes from his travels across Europe and Japan. udallas.edu/gallery
07 CADD
Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas is a nonprofit formed in 2007 that regularly hosts coordinated member gallery days, happy hours, bus tours, scholarships, and other events. caddallas.org
08 CHRISTOPHER MARTIN GALLERY
Now in its 30th year, Christopher Martin Gallery displays the reverse-glass paintings of Christopher H. Martin along with 25plus mid-career artists who work within painting, photography, mixed media, and sculpture. christophermartingallery.com
09 CONDUIT GALLERY
Through Mar. 1, explore new large-scale paintings by Robert Jessup in his Paintings from Robinwood Lane series, influenced by his move from Washington state to Denton, Texas. The Project Room sees Matthew Whitenack’s Appetites in the Face of Certain Death Next, works by Annabel Daou and Anthony Sonnenberg from Mar. 8–Apr. 19 display along with Renata Cassiano Alvarez in the Project Room. conduitgallery.com
10 CRAIGHEAD GREEN GALLERY
Through Feb. 15, Scapes, featuring works by Rich Bowman, Connie Connally, Peter Drake, Jay Maggio, Ed Hall, Anders Moseholm, Patrick Pietropoli, Rebecca Shewmaker, and Carolin Wehrmann, highlights the gallery. From Feb. 22–Mar. 29, works by Tom Pribyl, Katie Walker, and Marty Ray will show. craigheadgreen.com
11 CRIS WORLEY FINE ARTS
Timothy Harding’s Collapsed Spaces and Alan Govenar’s Always Beginning. Never Ending run through Feb. 15. Shannon Cannings, Distortions and Paul Winker’s solo exhibition of new paintings displays next from Mar. 1–Apr. 12. Image: Timothy Harding , Yellow-Green over Blues and Red, 2024, acrylic on canvas, 21 x 16 in. crisworley.com
12 CVAD, UNT COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN GALLERIES
From Mar. 18–May 9, explore An Irrational Fancy alongside an exhibition of work by Eileen Maxson. cvad.unt.edu
13 DAVID DIKE FINE ART
Curated by David Dike and collector David Spradling, the Texas Modernism Showcase, opening Feb. 20, features iconic works from mid-century Texas artists such as Bill Bomar, Ben Culwell, Kelly Fearing, Jennie Haddad, Robert Preusser, and others through Mar. 21. daviddike.com
14 ERIN CLULEY GALLERY
On the Horizon: Contemporary Interpretations of the Landscape closes Feb. 15. Red Rum Punch and CLAY open on Feb. 22. Red Rum Punch features Rachel Livedalen’s new small-scale paintings that blend ephemera, pop cultural design, and Greco-Roman motifs. CLAY explores contemporary ceramics and sculpture, showcasing works by artists from the gallery roster and regional sculptors. Image: Jen Rose, Lovesick , 2021, porcelain and nylon thread, 12 x 14 x 40 in. erincluley.com
15 FERRARI FINE ART GALLERY
Through Apr. 1, the gallery sees Debra Ferrari’s mixed - media paintings alongside sculptor James Ferrari, who is known for incorporating upcycled Ferrari car parts into his art. ferrarigallery.net
16 FWADA
Fort Worth Art Dealers Association’s annual Spring Gallery Night will take place Mar. 6 for members and art enthusiasts. fwada.com
17 GALLERI URBANE
Donald Martiny’s Poiesis and Other Possible Worlds by Arden Bendler Browning are presented in two solo shows at Gallery 1 and Gallery 2 through Feb. 15. Work by Gail Peter Borden will be on view from Feb. 22–Mar. 22. galleriurbane.com.
18 GREEN FAMILY ART FOUNDATION
A Room Hung with Thoughts: British Painting Now, curated by Tom Morton, will display from Feb. 15–May 11. greenfamilyartfoundation.org
19 HOLLY JOHNSON GALLERY
David Aylsworth: The Sun is as Big as a Yellow Balloon and Randy Twaddle’s Back to the Garden : Recent Works on Paper will remain on view through Feb. 22 hollyjohnsongallery.com
20 JAMES COPE GALLERY
The Inaugural Exhibition will unveil the James Cope Gallery’s new location, designed by architect David Bench, at 4885 Alpha Road in Farmers Branch starting Mar. 1, followed by Lewis Brander’s exhibit from Mar. 1–Mar. 29. jamescope.biz
21 JAMES HARRIS GALLERY
Richard Rezac: Abridged continues through Feb. 22, showcasing works that distill American modernism into simplified forms, blending rational and symbolic elements. Next, Squeak Carnwath: Paintings, from Mar. 1–Apr. 19, with a reception on Mar. 1, features paintings that mix diaristic and pictographic elements to probe collective and individual memory. Image: Richard Rezac, Elgin, abridged, cast bronze, 17 x 13 x 4.50 in. jamesharrisgallery.com
22
KEIJSERS KONING
Willie Binnie: Marfa will highlight the gallery through Feb. 15. Mark Baker-Sanchez will co-curate a group show from Feb. 22–Mar. 22 followed by a group show curated by Ever Velasquez from Mar. 29–May 10. keijserskoning.com
23
KIRK HOPPER FINE ART
Through Feb. 22, Bryan Florentin and H. Jennings Sheffield will feature their works at the gallery. Opening on Mar. 1, Mac Whitney highlights the gallery through Apr. 5. kirkhopperfineart.com
Mark Leputa
24 KITTRELL/RIFFKIND ART GLASS
Kittrell Riffkind is highly regarded for the gallery's commitment to the finest examples of contemporary glass artworks. kittrellriffkind.com
25 LAURA RATHE FINE ART
Hunt Slonem’s Wild Kingdom continues through Feb. 15. The Dallas gallery’s Anniversary Show featuring rostered artists mounts Feb. 22–Mar. 5. laurarathe.com
26 LILIANA BLOCH GALLERY
Lauz Bechelli’s Sunchaser continues through Feb. 15. Bechelli’s work blends environmental themes and local materials, including recycled elements from automotive upholsterers and reject cedar from furniture makers, with artistic mediums like charred pine and cochineal dye. lilianablochgallery.com
27 LONE GALLERY
Lone Gallery showcases an array of artistic talents, including painters Bradley Kerl, Danny Joe Rose III, and Camille Woods, alongside mixed-media artists Cruz Ortiz and Heather Sundquist Hall, and sculptors Aaron Michalovic and Fernando Rojas. lonegallery.com
28 MELIKSETIAN | BRIGGS
Meliksetian | Briggs exhibits international contemporary art in various media with an emphasis on conceptualism. By appointment only. meliksetianbriggs.com
29 PENCIL ON PAPER
Nouman Gaafar’s Positive Vibration, from Feb. 1–Mar. 29, reflects his interest in abstract and geometric art. Gaafar’s works delve into themes of light, balance, and cultural dualism, informed by his background as an immigrant from Sudan. Image: Nouman Gaafar, Timeless Transformation, 2024, oil on canvas, 80 x 120 in. pencilonpapergallery.com
30 PHOTOGRAPHS DO NOT BEND
Neal Slavin: When Two or More Are Gathered Together continues through Feb. 15. Pangeaography, from Feb. 22–Mar. 22, will feature an array of photography from artists hailing from Russia, Argentina, China, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and other nations, capturing diverse geographical and cultural landscapes. Image: Neal Slavin, Sabrett Hot Dog Vendors, New York , digital c-print, 17 x 17 in. pdnbgallery.com
31 THE POWER STATION
The exhibition featuring Olga Balema, John McCracken, Stella Zhong continues through Mar. 1. powerstationdallas.com
32 RO2 ART
Five Photographers, featuring Denise Prince, Teresa Rafidi, Shawn Saumell, Marilyn Waligore, and Byrd Williams IV, showcases the expansive possibilities of photography through Feb. 22. Following this, Terry Hays’ solo show, from Mar. 1–Apr. 5, highlights his elaborate sculptural works. Image: Marilyn Waligore, Aluminum Blue Fish 14, 2024, archival digital print, 40 × 32 in. ro2art.com
33 SAMUEL LYNNE GALLERIES
JD Miller’s 10th Annual Valentine‘s Day LIVE Painting takes place Feb. 14, where he will transform a floral arrangement into a reflectionist painting. The finished work will be on view through Mar. 29. samuellynne.com
34 SMINK
A showcase of fine design and furniture, SMINK is a purveyor of quality products for living. The showroom also displays work by Robert Szot, Gary Faye, Richard Hogan, Dara Mark, and Paula Roland. sminkinc.com
35 SOUTHWEST GALLERY
For over 50 years, Southwest Gallery has provided Dallas with the largest collection of fine 19th- to 21st- century paintings and sculptures. The gallery exhibits hundreds of artists who work in a broad range of styles, all displayed in their 16,000 -square-foot showroom. swgallery.com
36 TALLEY DUNN GALLERY
Talley Dunn Gallery is committed to exhibiting groundbreaking contemporary art. Sedrick Huckaby, Higher Ground, will be on view Feb. 22–May 17. talleydunn.com
The Soul and the Skin, a solo exhibition of Miles Cleveland Goodwin’s paintings, remains on view through Feb. 15. Goodwin explores themes of nature, mortality, and spirituality, inspired by his Southern upbringing. Exhibitions for Michael O’Keefe and Robert D. Cocke will open on Feb. 22 and in Mar. , respectively. valleyhouse.com
39 VARIOUS SMALL FIRES
Through Feb. 8, in Saudade, Lezley Saar offers a series of surreal portraits of women from countries previously colonized by Portugal, including Angola, Cape Verde, and Brazil. Saar highlights each woman’s legacy and reflects on the journeys they traversed.
Next, Kyungmi Shin’s exhibition runs from Feb. 8–Mar. 29. vsf.la
40 THE WAREHOUSE
Offering a comparative look at two significant collections, Double Vision: A Conversation between The Rachofsky Collection and the Hartland & Mackie/Labora Collection is the inaugural exhibition at The Warehouse Dallas Art Foundation, on view Feb. 15–Jun. 28. Double Vision explores their convergences and divergences through themes like abstract painting, surrealist sensibilities, and modernist sculpture, highlighted by Rashid Johnson’s curation of historical works in dialogue with his own, and anchored by a significant piece by Howardena Pindell that engages with Claude Monet’s legacy. thewarehousedallas.org
41 WEBB GALLERY
Through Mar., see Twenty-six CHARACTERS by Panacea Theriac. Additionally, new work by Heather Sundquist Hall, Martha Rich, and Esther Pearl Watson fill the gallery. webbartgallery.com
42 WILLIAM CAMPBELL GALLERY
Grit + Grace closes Feb. 8, showcasing artists Whitney Avra, Woody Blagg, and others. Randall Reid | Retrospective spans Feb. 8 to Mar. 15. Opening Mar. 29, Kevin Tolman: Recent Abstractions and new work by Maxine Helfman will be on display. williamcampbellcontemporaryart.com
AUCTIONS AND EVENTS
01 DALLAS AUCTION GALLERY
Dallas Auction Gallery presents a Quimper sale on Feb. 11, and a Fine Jewelry & Timepieces auction Feb. 23. dallasauctiongallery.com
02 HERITAGE AUCTIONS
Heritage Auctions’ The Urban Art Showcase Auction kicks off the month on Feb. 5, followed by Graffiti Legends: The Art of LA2 Showcase Auction on Feb. 6, and Depth of Field: Photographs Showcase Auction on Feb. 12. The month continues with the Fine & Decorative Arts Showcase Auction on Feb. 13, Urban Art
SUPREME 30th Anniversary and Contemporary Art Within Reach both on Feb. 20, and History in Pen & Ink: A Century of Cartoons & Illustrations on Feb. 26. March offerings include the Urban Art Showcase Auction on Mar. 5, The Curated Home Decorative Art Signature Auction on Mar. 6, additional Depth of Field and Fine & Decorative Arts auctions on Mar. 12 and 13 respectively, culminating with the Art of the West Showcase Auction on Mar. 25. ha.com
Artist Talks Cowboy
SATURDAY,
1 1–3:30 P.M. | FREE
R. Alan Brooks
Emmanuel David
rafa esparza
Fabian Guerrero
Yumi Roth
Presented by Sundance Square. Bottom right: photo by Joe Rogers
CIVIC PRIDE
DDetroit-based Library Street Collective will feature the work of James Benjamin Franklin and Zoe McGuire at Dallas Art Fair.
INTERVIEW BY ANTHONY CURIS
eeply committed to fostering civic engagement, the Detroit-based art gallery Library Street Collective, co-founded in 2012 by Anthony and JJ Curis, will return to Dallas Art Fair this April. The couple are known for their large-scale public projects and community-driven exhibitions that serve as a connecting point between Detroit and the international art conversation.
For Dallas Art Fair, Library Street will show two artists: Detroit-based James Benjamin Franklin and Brooklyn-based Zoe McGuire. Both attended the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Here Anthony Curis visits with the artists on what they will be showing at Dallas Art Fair.
JAMES BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Seeking to depart from the traditional canvas, James Benjamin Franklin instead fashions an irregular support of his own creation. In pursuit of the unfamiliar, he builds organic and tactile surfaces through layered textures of fabric discards, pooled paint, carpet. sand, and glitter. Sculptural within their deep frames, his work embraces handcrafted sensibility and materiality.
Anthony Curis (AC): What works will you be bringing to the Dallas Art Fair?
James Benjamin Franklin (JBF): I’ll be presenting a few new pieces that build on the process I’ve been investigating for several years—exploring unconventional surfaces while playing with an abundance of material and color. I’m continuing to work with oblique shapes with raised, smooth, monochromatic edges, which help to frame and emphasize the dynamic energy within each painting. Every new body of work feels like a new chapter in my practice, and it’s a continuous process of growth and
experimentation. I’m looking forward to seeing how these new works resonate at the fair.
AC: What is your artistic process? Can you tell me more about it?
JBF: My process is fairly labor-intensive—it’s a layered, handson experience from start to finish. I create every shape myself, combining substrates with found textiles that are glued to the surface. A significant amount of groundwork is involved before I even begin working with paint. The materiality is crucial to me; each piece incorporates unique found materials that add depth and history. Of course, this makes the process incredibly time-
Above and below: James Benjamin Franklin, Skipping Stones, installation view at Library Street Collective; James Benjamin Franklin. Courtesy of Library Street Collective.
consuming. Once I begin painting, it’s a series of stages and washes. I love the push and pull of each piece—there’s always an element of tension between the decisions I make and the direction the painting takes. For the most part, the goal is to keep the painting alive and fresh.
There’s a sense of surrender and acceptance in embracing something new to me. I try to challenge my notions of what I consider a good move versus a bad one. I work on several paintings at once, spending most of the day observing and plotting the next move. Once a decision is made, it’s time to execute that action. This usually happens right before I leave the studio, as much of the image-making takes place horizontally and requires hours to dry.
The next day always brings a moment of anticipation when I walk in, wondering if the previous decision was the right one or a total mistake. That play, that back-and-forth, is what truly drives me and what I enjoy most about the process: its unpredictability and serendipitous potential.
AC: You use a variety of materials in creating your work, pushing the boundary between painting and sculpture. How do you select them?
JBF: My use of textiles in my work began as a way to engage with the idea of canvas, much like a painter might choose between cotton or linen. But I also wanted to move away from the traditional, historically heavy surfaces and instead explore a surface that felt more intimate as a base. The textiles I tend to gravitate towards are often domestic materials, which carry a warmth and familiarity that I find interesting in contrast to the more formal nature of painting.
Beyond textiles, I love to experiment with a wide range of materials—house paint, sand, mica, spray paint—all in response to the base textile I’m working with. It’s been years of trial and error to discover the combinations that resonate with me, and
I’m always looking for new materials that push the boundaries of what painting can be. This ongoing exploration keeps the process exciting and ever evolving.
ZOE MCGUIRE
In her paintings, Zoe McGuire investigates the interconnected lives of plants, animals, and fungi in ecosystems. Bringing together a myriad of influences, including art nouveau, Hudson River School painting, and the Transcendental Painting Group, McGuire champions the transdisciplinary approach to painting characterized by her vivid oil paintings as well as charcoal and pastel drawings.
AC: Exciting that this is your first time exhibiting at the Dallas Art Fair. Please tell me about the artworks you will show there.
Zoe McGuire (ZM): I’m excited to show at this fair! In this body of work, I’ve focused on opening up compositions to let colors breathe, using fewer elements to emphasize how trees engage with one another and their environment through internal and collaborative mechanisms.
AC: : Where do you draw the inspiration for your work?
ZM: I was raised in Upstate New York, which remains a constant source of inspiration. So are various parks and gardens in New York City. Recently I’ve focused on conifer trees to explore themes of sentience, geometry, and mutualism in nature.
AC: What do you hope those who attend the fair take away from your work on view?
ZM: I always hope viewers will be drawn in by color or form, finding their own emotional connection as they sit with a painting. I love when people arrive at observations or conclusions I haven’t considered. If curiosity about the natural world arises, that’s a plus. P
Zoe McGuire in her studio. Courtesy of the artist and Library Street Collective.
Zoe McGuire, Moon Slide, 2023, oil on canvas, 40 x 26 in. Courtesy of the artist and Library Street Collective.
Art in the Virtual World
Lester Levy shares his thoughts on collecting in the metaverse.
INTERVIEW BY CHRIS BYRNE
Dallas collector Lester Levy is betting on the metaverse.
In his interview with Chris Byrne, Levy speaks to what drew him to creating a digital exhibition space for artists and its endless possibilities.
Chris Byrne (CB): How did the digital exhibition come about? Was it difficult to find a developer/designer for the space?
Lester Levy (LL): The idea of a digital exhibition started in 2020, fueled by the growing excitement around the metaverse. During this time, Sotheby’s opened a space in Decentraland (a metaverse world), selling and promoting NFTs. My interest in the metaverse began earlier, inspired by watching my children, Ella-Rose and Lila, play Roblox (an early metaverse platform). Seeing their continued fascination with Roblox, I became curious about the potential impact of the metaverse and its implications for how we interact with it.
In 2020, art was typically displayed in one of three ways: in physical galleries, at art shows, or online through flat images on websites. After researching the metaverse, I realized it offered a revolutionary opportunity for artists. It provides not only a new way to display their work but also a chance to create a permanent depository for their life’s creations and their ability to communicate to future generations through video interviews. For collectors, the metaverse offers a place to interact in a more immersive and engaging way—walking through exhibits, participating in formal
and spontaneous interactions, and experiencing art as they might in real life. This concept is part of Web 3.0, which is still evolving. My long-term vision is to create a metaverse for artists, where each artist can have their own customized space. This could include a permanent repository for their work, videos of them discussing their creations, or a marketplace for selling physical works and NFTs.
Getting this project off the ground was challenging. The medium was new, and individuals with the necessary skills were few and in high demand. I was fortunate to have worked with Scott Newton, a talented local designer, who helped build a team of likeminded individuals. Finding a Web 3.0 developer was particularly difficult; we went through several candidates before discovering a trained architect and Web 3.0 expert who truly understood the project’s goals and how to create an interactive space.
The next challenge was finding an artist interested in experimenting with the metaverse. This was harder than anticipated, but we eventually teamed up with Eric Haze, a wellknown and innovative artist who was excited about the project and unafraid to experiment
CB: What makes you gravitate toward specific projects?
The projects my wife, Brett, and I take on are quite diverse, but they share a common thread: they often involve under-recognized or overlooked works and mediums. The idea of creating something
Skyspace, 2025 (still from digital galleries). Courtesy of LLCS.
new or sharing hidden gems that deserve recognition excites us.
For example, we helped uncover what is believed to be the first and longest comic book ever written: a 2,300-page hand-drawn proto-graphic novel by Frank Johnson. Created over 50 years starting in 1928, this astonishing historical and artistic discovery was found in his basement after his death. The first of two books was recently published by Fantagraphics.
Another project we are proud of is introducing the self-taught autistic artist Susan Te Kahurangi King to the world. King, who stopped speaking as a young child, communicates through her intricate and imaginative drawings that blend abstract and figurative elements. Her unique style has earned her a respected place in the art world, with admirers like KAWS publicly expressing great admiration for the genius of her work. We’ve shared our in-depth collection of her works with museums worldwide. We’ve also spent years collecting Mon pottery, which we consider some of the finest and most detailed ceramics ever made. Created by the Mon people of Southeast Asia, these traditional ceramics are renowned for their intricate craftsmanship and historical significance. Today, this art form is nearly lost. For us, the joy of collecting lies in uncovering beauty that others may have overlooked.
CB: Your collection traces specific artists’ careers—is it necessary for you and Brett to always collect in depth?
LL: While we often collect in depth, it’s not always necessary. Brett has a fantastic and diverse eye for art. She is equally comfortable collecting individual works and delving deeply into an artist’s career.
For example, over a decade ago, we were at a French auction
house when three Lalanne sheep sculptures came up for sale. Despite knowing little about the artist at the time, Brett bought them because she loved them. Her instinct was spot-on, and these works have become significant additions to our collection.
The area where we’ve gone most in depth is with Peter Saul and Susan Te Kahurangi King, amassing works that span their entire careers. Collecting in depth allows us to become experts and make more informed purchases. However, Brett also enjoys acquiring individual pieces from artists such as Thornton Dial, Joel Mentor, Frank Johnson, Robert Motherwell, Andy Warhol, Milton Avery, and Ed Ruscha. Her motto is: “Don’t collect what looks good over the couch—collect what speaks to you.”
CB: Any final thoughts?
LL: Collecting art is a deeply personal experience that offers a variety of rewards. Art has the power to evoke emotions, inspire, comfort, and provoke thought. For us, our collection is a source of fun and reflection, bringing creativity and meaning into our home. We believe art should be shared, not kept private. We frequently loan works to museums and galleries. For instance, the Frank Johnson pieces are on loan to Columbia University’s Rare Book Library for student study. To new collectors, I would say: Find art that speaks to you. Study the pieces and the artists to become a knowledgeable buyer, but don’t be afraid to take risks. Sometimes the most rewarding acquisitions are the ones you buy simply because you love them. P
From left: François-Xavier Lalanne, ‘Agneau’ from the ‘Nouveaux Moutons’ series, 1997, epoxy stone and painted bronze, 20.87 x 6.25 x 23 in. Edition: 93/500; François-Xavier Lalanne, A ‘Belier’ from the ‘Nouveaux Moutons’ series, 2004, epoxy stone and painted bronze, 35 x 13 x 39.50 in. Edition: 164/250. Photographs by Scott Newton.
Thornton Dial, The County, mixed media, 64 x 36 x 7. Collection of Brett and Lester Levy.
It’s What’s Around You
Oak Cliff’s Tureen mounts a powerful solo show for Latinx artist Celia Álvarez Muñoz following a sensational 2023–24 career retrospective.
BY EVE HILL-AGNUS
Multimedia artist Celia Álvarez Muñoz grew up in a Chicana family in El Paso surrounded by stories: The gently didactic poems her grandmother wrote about family members’ misbehaviors; the comical, “nonsensical” tales that humorous kin told about themselves; stories of the US-Mexico border; of the Mexican Revolution; of the World War that caused her father’s long absence.
In a circle of matriarchs, the self-described tomboy skated, climbed trees, and rode a bicycle. Her mother’s sister, her Auntie Lulu, introduced young Celia—for a long time an only child—to Chinese and Japanese art. Through her, Álvarez Muñoz says, she learned the art of looking.
“I had a Brownie [camera] as a kid, and my families took a lot of pictures of themselves,” she says. “And then we had the great street photographers who took your picture downtown.”
There was more: “I loved singing. My uncles—some were musically bent—played the guitar beautifully,” Álvarez Muñoz says. “And then comics. Our media plays a big role. I collected them and traded them on Saturdays.” In her predominantly Latino, WWII–era neighborhood, “Hollywood had a huge influence—movies,” she says. “And those were all English. All the wonderful songs during that period that told a story had an influence.”
She was developing a visual language, a mixture of image and
word, which flitted between Spanish, English, and Latin. “So the language, the lyricism, the sound of the language, the sound of the words has been very important to me,” she says. “How can you measure influence?” she asks, challenging my questions with another.. “It’s what’s around you, what you’re exposed to.”
Álvarez Muñoz’s studio in Arlington is a split-level home that she believes may have previously been a bachelor pad. “It’s just a fun place,” she says, with an upstairs bedroom open onto the downstairs, a spacious living room, and backyard. It functions exclusively as an artmaking space: “I jumped from my garage to a house. It just grew. The work started growing, the demand started coming. You grab space. That’s what I did. I pushed.” Literally and figuratively: “I pushed all the furniture against the wall and painted in the living room. There was no stopping [me].” Painters are territorial, she comments, laughing. “Yep, well, the work has life.”
In her practice, she has expanded beyond confines, utilizing various media and blending, in her hallmark way, conceptual rigor and narrative power, making of her work a deliberate blurring of boundaries.
From politically charged artists’ books, she progressed to crafting wooden boxes, then cabinetry, “bringing whatever other elements were necessary to make a statement,” she says. “And then everything broke loose with installation.”
Celia Álvarez Muñoz, Ella y El, 1989, maple cabinet, Cibachrome prints, letterpress type, fabric, ribbon, buttons, dijos, and found objects, 31.50 x 54 x 4 in. Courtesy of the artist and Tureen, Dallas.
Formerly a fashion illustrator and elementary school art teacher, Álvarez Muñoz completed an MFA at North Texas State University (now UNT). At that time, installation work was spreading like wildfire. “New York was doing it. California a lot,” she says. “You know, everywhere.” And the multidisciplinary, mutable, bourgeoning practice suited her penchants. Her replies to space carry with them poetry and purpose.
At the Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island, Álvarez Muñoz had an initial idea for the 1990 exhibition Family Stories. “It was going to be a loud presentation—bold.” But then, she recalls, “the light filled the space so beautifully.” So instead, her interactive, multilingual installation touched quietly, delicately on collective memory, personal identity, and community.
For her gallery-encompassing commissioned work Fibra (1996) at the Center for the Arts at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, the artist suspended ominous bolts of fabric and dresses in the highceilinged space. At its heart, the installation (later reprised as Fibra y Furia) probed the dark reality of transnational labor issues and the ongoing post-NAFTA femicides of young women working in the maquiladoras (factories) on the US-Mexico border in Juárez.
Community (and collaboration) has figured prominently in Álvarez Muñoz’s oeuvre. One such exhibition was in Roswell, New Mexico. “Roswell is known for aliens, right? So I ran with the word alien. And since it was a Hispanic community that they were needing to reach, I worked with that community.” As invitations came to make work in various cities—New York, San Francisco, Chicago— ”I just went. I just went, I rolled with it.”
Where was the time? one asks incredulously. “I had to make it!” she says, describing a time when she juggled full-time teaching, part-time teaching, her family, and the work she was making with experimental cameras. “If you want to, you go at it. You make time.” As for her children, she says, “I had to sit them down and tell them, ‘On these days, you have to pretend that Mommy is not here.’”
Ultimately, she says, “the container grew. The space became the container. The galleries became the container. The community was a container.”
Currently, at the gallery Tureen on Jefferson Boulevard in Oak Cliff, a solo exhibition titled Apothecary Rx offers a precious vantage point on Álvarez Muñoz’s work. Elements of Fibra figure. Featured,
too, is the piece Ella y El (She and He), included in the 1991 Whitney Biennial of American Art. A cabinet-like diptych, it lures the viewer with a medley of colorful trinkets—ribbons, milagros, calaveras —that compartmentalize the cosmos (a poem inside speaks of she and he, of life and death) while remaining mysterious.
Ultimately, Álvarez Muñoz is of two minds about being labeled a Chicana artist. “I have a yin and yang attitude towards identity,” she says. “Sometimes I want to address that. And other times, it’s just the work. The work, the work, the concept!” So far, she hasn’t had to compromise.
“I think right now the art is carrying me,” Álvarez Muñoz admits. “In business, you call that the residual effect. So I’m going with it! I’m riding that sled. It’s been a lot of fun.” P
Celia Álvarez Muñoz. Photograph by Chris Plavidal.
Celia Álvarez Muñoz studio views. Photographs by Chris Plavidal.
PRETTY PRADA
The venerated Italian brand’s long-awaited return to Dallas arrives at NorthPark Center.
BY ANTHONY FALCON
The new Prada boutique at NorthPark Center. Courtesy of Prada.
Prada spring/summer 2025 collection. Courtesy of Prada.
Prada’s newest venture in the American retail landscape brings the brand’s celebrated refinement to the cultural crossroads of Dallas, Texas. Situated in NorthPark Center, this new store stands as Prada’s commitment to architectural elegance and its meticulous interplay between tradition and innovation.
At first glance, the store’s luminous facade—adorned with a geometric, triangular motif—feels like an invitation. The backlit design not only echoes Prada’s iconic logo but also subtly bridges the divide between Texas’ big-sky openness and Milan’s historical sophistication. The windows beckon passersby to explore the 10,000-square-foot interior, where Prada’s signature language of design is spoken fluently. Inside, the black-and-white checkered marble floor immediately commands attention. This nod to the original Prada store in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II creates a link between the fashion house’s beginnings and its present global influence. Yet the pastel green walls and wooden screens inject a sense of freshness and fluidity—a master class in Prada’s ability to reinterpret its heritage.
The store houses Prada’s latest offerings for both men and women, showcasing sartorial precision through a lens of artistic sensibility. The women’s spring ready-towear collection steals the spotlight with designs that merge timeless elegance and contemporary individuality. This season, Prada explores a spectrum of contradictions: tailored separates sit alongside flowing guipure lace dresses, while bold accents—naplak leather handbags, colorful ballerina flats, and structured boots—add layers of texture and playfulness. The men’s collection blends classic and modern aesthetics: Cashmere staples meet the innovative spirit of Re-Nylon and lightweight cotton for a wardrobe that seamlessly transitions from professional settings to casual artistic pursuits. The footwear collection, featuring spazzolato leather loafers and sneakers with a refined edge, displays Prada’s mastery over even the smallest details.
Lifestyle gifts and the fine jewelry line, Eternal Gold, emphasize Prada’s role not just as a fashion house but as a curator of luxury and culture. In this meticulously designed space, Prada invites Dallas to engage with a philosophy of creativity, individuality, and the transformative power of fashion.
This opening at NorthPark Center acknowledges Dallas as a burgeoning hub for global luxury. In this space, every detail—from the marble underfoot to the incandescent walls—feels charged with intention, inviting patrons to engage not just with Prada’s products but with its enduring philosophy. In this new chapter, Prada reaffirms that its true artistry lies in creating spaces where past and future meet, forming a dialogue that is as much about Dallas as it is about Milan. It is both a store and a vision. P
Above: Prada spans 10,000 square feet at NorthPark. Courtesy of Prada. Below: Prada spring/summer 2025 collection. Courtesy of Prada.
Kirk Hayes, What I Desire Most I No Longer Believe, 2025, oil and enamel on signboard, 48 x 40 in. Courtesy of the artist and Conduit Gallery, Dallas.
Alexa Brooks, Poison, graphite on oil paper, 11 x 14 in. Courtesy of Erin Cluley Gallery, Dallas.
Babajide Olatunji, Young Man with Purple/Green Scarf, 2024 (in verso), charcoal, pastel, and acrylic on paper. Courtesy of the artist and TAFETA, London.
Vicente Matte, Great Conjunction, 2022, distemper on canvas, 53.12 x 66.77 in. Courtesy of the artist and Alexander Berggruen, New York.
Jill Baroff, Floating Weeds (FW-S24-2), 2024, paint, ink on Japanese gampi paper, 3-part, each 19.88 x 14 in. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Christian Lethert, Köln, Germany.
IN THE THICK
ARTS-PASSIONATE GRACE COOK, PORSCHLA KIDD, AND PETER AUGUSTUS OWEN OFFER A GLIMPSE INTO THEIR COLLECTIONS AND WHAT THEY ARE EYEING IN THE UPCOMING DALLAS ART FAIR.
BY TERRI PROVENCAL AND DARRYL RATCLIFF PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN SMITH
Lucia Hierro, Eutimia, 2024, felt, digital print on cotton sateen, foam, 36 x 36 x 2 in. Courtesy of the artist and Fabienne Levy, Switzerland.
Celia Eberle, My Hearts, 2024, installation view at Cris Worley Fine Arts, Dallas.
Zéh Palito, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, 2024, acrylic on canvas, 103.10 x 61.80 in. Courtesy of the artist and Luce Gallery, Turin Italy.
Malia Johnson, Rainbow Cats, 2024, glazed ceramic, 2.50 x 12 x 23 in. Courtesy of the artist and Cristin Tierney Gallery, New York.
PORSCHLA KIDD
The sun is gleaming on a crisp January day when we arrive at the striking home Porschla Kidd shares with her husband Jason; her son Chance; and daughters, Noah and Cooper “Coco.” With every detail in place, from the stunning art collection to the interiors, you would never assume their lifestyle is constantly in motion , including a great deal of travel. Even their dog, sitting contently on the patio, is at peace with his life.
Kidd is a proud mother and wife nurturing the passions of their children and Jason’s coaching career with the Dallas Mavericks. Chance has a promising future in baseball and though only 15, recruiters are already noticing and have come knocking , enticing him with summer camps. “We travel just about every weekend in the fall and spring for tournaments,” Kidd says. She thinks about how swiftly the next years will fly, when he moves out of the house and goes off to college. “We are exploring his personality and deep interest and guiding him on his college and baseball journey,” she says.
Their daughters keep her equally busy. “Noah has a budding volleyball journey that requires tournaments and travel every other weekend.” Coco, meanwhile, shows an early interest in art. But Kidd is a person with her own passions; a former model in Milan, her eye for art and love of design is evident. Perhaps a future career in interior design? “Maybe one day” she says, smiling. While she occasionally curates events for friends, family is most assuredly first.
The clean aesthetic of the home is complemented by magnificent artworks. The couple is active in the local art community, and they are especially fond of Dallas Contemporary’s exhibitions and programming. An epic painting by Jammie Holmes—a sterling example of the Dallas-based artist’s work—stretches the length of the dining room. “He’s good friend of ours,” Kidd says, marveling at this painting and another in the hallway. An untitled painting by Sebastián Silva. acquired from the 25th and final TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art through lauded Los Angeles gallery Blum , hangs in the living room.
Kidd’s art journey began two decades ago as a model living in
Milan. “I had the pleasure of exploring several museums.” She was particularly taken with the art that she viewed in Genoa museums. “I took an interest in the depiction of women during the Renaissance era , and seeing [those paintings] up close, the intricacies of brush work and oils ”
She began collecting with her husband in 2008. “As of now my favorite piece in our collection would have to be the Zéh Palito.” Negus League, 2023, was acquired from Dallas Art Fair through exhibitor Luce Gallery based in Turin, Italy. “This piece resonates, as it speaks to the plight of Black Americans in the professional athletic realm. Being biracial and having a son of mixed race who is heavy in the baseball world, this piece resonates with our family.”
On the Brazilian artist’s Instagram page, he shares that the painting was spurred by the exclusion of Black men in the 1920s from major and minor league baseball teams, inspiring them to form their own league. “In the Ethiopian Semitic languages,” Palito explains, “the ‘Negus’ word is to exalt a person. The meaning of Negus is king, and it’s used as a title of the sovereign of Ethiopia.” During a trip to the US, he listened to a podcast that discussed the Negro League. Fascinated, he was inspired to create a portrait exalting them as the Kings League.
Taking time to visit art fair exhibitors, the couple also acquired a beautifully rendered portrait by Nigerian artist Babajide Olatunji titled Keyinde through London-based TAFETA. With a degree in botany, Olatunji is, remarkably, a self-taught artist , and his hyperreal works belie the lack of any formal art study. With so many exhibitors to choose from— “Dallas Art Fair is full of exciting and interesting spaces.”—Kidd credits her art advisor with guiding them to artworks that she believes resonate with their collection.
Currently driven toward abstract art, the couple’s collection is evolving. The many artists on their wish list include Ian Mwesiga, Vaughn Spann, Retna, and Rashid Johnson , but many factors are involved in making acquisitions. Foremost, “We acquire pieces that truly inspire us I enjoy viewing our pieces through other optics. Art is a great conversation. I love the subjectivity of it.”–Terri Provencal
Porschla Kidd in her home pictured with Babajide Olatunji’s Keyinde through London-based TAFETA.
Peter Augustus Owen pictured with his dog, Pico, and Samantha McCurdy’s Wave Spectrum, 2023, acquired through Galleri Urbane.
PETER AUGUSTUS OWEN
Peter Augustus Owen is a thinker. Quietly building bridges, he’s a Dallas native who studied art at a university in Hong Kong. Since then , he has dabbled in wide-ranging fields in the art industry. From his work on the publishing side with ArtAsiaPacific magazine, to working with Perrotin in Asia on public relations and digital marketing , to founding his own eponymous gallery when he moved back to Dallas, he’s vested in the health of the arts ecosystem. Originally opening in Exposition Park, he later moved the gallery to Monitor Street in the Dallas Design District , where his taut program emphasized emerging and mid-career artists from the Asia-Pacific region.
Last year he launched a residency and foundation—Augustus Owen Foundation—focused on bringing international artists and creatives to Dallas to produce work and participate in public programs, talks, and workshops, including at the Nasher Sculpture Center with his first resident artist , Gabriel Rico. This year his residency will bring Iván Argote, a Columbian artist and filmmaker, to Dallas to create work and engage with the Dallas art community.
Augustus Owen began acquiring art about a decade ago at an art fair in Tokyo: a small, mixed-media sculpture by Japanese artist Nonomi Miyahara that incorporates a ceramic grenade from World War II. “Tons of them were abandoned at the bottom of a body of water in the middle of a residential area in Japan. The artist collected them for the works,” he explains.
He tends to favor artists who are just beginning their career or are going through a transition period. “I have a work by British Chinese artist Faye Wei Wei. She recently paused her exhibition schedule to complete an MFA at Yale , and I’m excited to see how her work evolves during the program.” Though he doesn’t consider himself a collector, he says, “I think that word is thrown around a lot. Maybe come back and talk to me in ten years or so.” A majority of the works he does collect, however, are by Japanese artists, “with ceramics as a sweet spot, I generally gravitate towards objects or sculptural works.”
Taiwanese American Stephanie H. Shih is another artist he admires. Fair exhibitor Alexander Berggruen brought several of her
works to Dallas Art Fair last year. Peter acquired “a life-size Pocari Sweat bottle, and an Oi Ocha green tea bottle made of ceramic. I commissioned the work several years ago, directly from Shih, soon after moving back to the States from Asia. I lived on these beverages when I lived in Hong Kong and Tokyo.”
Having been both an exhibitor and attendee of Dallas Art Fair, he has a unique perspective from both sides And while he doesn’t use an art advisor per se, “I’m lucky to call a few art advisors good friends. If I need a sounding board, they are there.” Dallas Art Fair director Kelly Cornell, “is also a great help in letting me know who to look out for,” he says, adding “At a fair, if I haven’t researched the artist prior to the opening, a big part of it is the discussion with the gallerists. A good gallerist is a good educator.”
Engaged in the robust programming surrounding the fair, he especially loves the Dallas Art Fair talks at the Nasher Sculpture Center and viewing the exhibitor booths from Dallas galleries, including Galleri Urbane, from which he acquired Wave Spectrum by artist Samantha McCurdy, whose works in stretchable spandex become sculptural through the objects beneath. He also looks forward to seeing exhibitors The Sunday Painter, Make Room Los Angeles, OMR, and Tezukayama Gallery from Osaka.
Augustus Owen is newly on the board of directors of Dallas Contemporary, one of the fair’s beneficiaries. “Their community engagement is unmatched,” he says. “It’s really Dallas’ museum, and the team is working on some exciting programs coming up over the next few years.” Interim executive director Lucia Simek is especially skilled at creating dialogues within every sector of the arts and fostering access for everyone. Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts has seen the fruits of his hard work; in December he held a small benefit silent auction for the school at his residency.
Beyond the arts, he is particularly active in human rights. He judged the Hong Kong Human Arts Prize for several years, benefiting the refugee community of Hong Kong, and also served as a Human Rights Commissioner for the City of Palm Springs, California in 2019. –Terri Provencal
GRACE COOK
Grace Cook is a lifelong Dallasite with a deep love for art, nature, and community. A passionate art collector and thirdgeneration philanthropist, Cook started her collecting journey at the age of ten with a very special gift from her grandmother, Margaret McDermott, who once asked Cook what her favorite piece out of her vast collection was. Amidst impressionist masterpieces from Monet to Renoir, Cook picked a piece hung in the bathroom of her grandmother’s office: a sketch by Alexander Calder of a cowboy lassoing a rattlesnake. “That Christmas, after we’d all finished opening presents, my grandmother told me to go grab one last thing from her car. I opened the trunk, and there it was—the Calder sketch. I burst into tears. She had seen me, truly understood my early connection to art, and encouraged it. My grandmother is my muse, and that sketch is my cornerstone.” says Cook.
Another formative moment for Cook was encountering Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights during a history of art and music class at Hockaday taught by Ed Long. “The Fountain of Youth from Bosch’s work made such an impression on me that I had it tattooed on my ribs when I was eighteen. It serves as a personal reminder of my passion for art that offers an evolving narrative and encourages endless exploration. For me, collecting is about building a dialogue between the pieces and my own evolving perspective; each work deepens my understanding of the world and expands my aesthetic horizons.”
One of the first pieces Cook collected herself is by Dan Burkholder from the old Sun to Moon Gallery. It’s a haunting composite of 18 photographs of a classroom in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Cook enjoys pieces that are layered and tell stories. She has built a bold, broad-ranging collection of contemporary art and isn’t afraid to embrace new media, sculpture, textiles, and works by underrepresented voices from around the world. She appreciates making an impact in the lives of living artists and connecting with them personally.
“Navigating the Dallas Art Fair is definitely a marathon, not a sprint! I usually start by walking the fair with [art advisor] Cindy Schwartz to get a sense of the layout and see what catches her eye; it’s always fun to get someone else’s perspective. But for me, it’s ultimately about what speaks to me personally. I take my time, circling back to pieces that stick in my mind. Some pieces I know immediately that I need, while others grow on me over the course of the fair.”
Some of Cook’s local favorites include Erin Cluley Gallery, Galleri Urbane, Cris Worley Fine Arts, and Conduit Gallery. Cluley has been a huge influence on Cook’s collection and has introduced her to many artists, from Chul-Hyun Ahn to Zeke Williams, whose work hangs in both her home and ranch. Valley House Gallery also holds a special place in her heart because her grandmother was close friends with its founders, Peggy and Donald Vogel. “I always love checking out their back room of hidden gems at the fair, and their pieces fit perfectly at my ranch northwest of Dallas—they just have this way of harmonizing with the landscape.”
At last year’s art fair Cook enjoyed seeing Luisi Mera and Chris Soal at Secci, Maureen O’Leary at Cristin Tierney Gallery, and Thandiwe Muriu at 193 Gallery. “I’ve also bought a few pieces from Beatriz Esguerra Art ( Mario Arroyave, Human Fabric 5, 2021)—there’s always something (or somethings) that catches my eye in their stall. David B. Smith Gallery is another favorite— they always push the boundaries and show something fresh and surprising. BLOUIN DIVISION is high on my list too, with their amazing pieces like the Nicolas Baier Untitled, 2023, eyeball work I acquired at the fair in 2023. I’m also captivated by Tammi Campbell’s pieces encased in bubble wrap made entirely of paint. They’re so meticulously crafted and visually striking.”
Cook will be able to share the art fair with many other young professionals as the co-chair of the Dallas Museum of Art, Junior Associates, which annually tours the fair. She will be on the lookout for works by Richard Serra, Yayoi Kusama, Jammie Holmes, Nic Nicosia, and Dallas native David Bates, for whom she recently expressed admiration to none other than Hilary Clinton. Other Dallas Arts Month activities that Cook looks forward to include the Nasher Prize Gala, which she co-chaired with her mother, Mary McDermott Cook, two years ago, honoring Senga Nengudi; and The Cedars Union’s Morning After Brunch.
When asked what advice she would have for her fellow young art enthusiasts, Cook says, “Looking back, I really wish I had fully embraced my grandmother’s advice from the start: If you love something, buy it immediately. There are pieces I passed up on that still haunt me, and I’ve learned the hard way that hesitation often leads to missed opportunities. Trusting your instincts and acting quickly is crucial. Collecting is about more than just acquiring— it’s about following your intuition, the excitement of discovery, and the joy of finding something that resonates deeply with you.”–
Darryl Ratcliff P
Grace Cook pictured with Nicolas Baier’s Untitled, 2023, acquired through BLOUIN DIVISION, Quebec.
PARALLEL LIVES
MUSEO DE ARTE DE PONCE AND MEADOWS MUSEUM TRACE THEIR COLLECTING ROOTS IN SPAIN.
BY NANCY COHEN ISRAEL
Frederic Leighton (British, 1830-1896), Flaming June, 1895, oil on canvas, 46.87 × 46.87 in. Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Courtesy of Museo de Arte de Ponce.
Is it better to collect art broadly or deeply? For mid-20th-century collectors, particularly those who envisioned a museum for their acquisitions, the answers varied. Luis A. Ferré, founder of Puerto Rico’s Museo de Arte de Ponce, opted for broad, while Algur H. Meadows, founder of the Meadows Museum, dove into Spanish art. As the Meadows celebrates its 60th anniversary this spring, these respective approaches will be on view with The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce
While the Museo de Arte’s galleries undergo earthquake-related repairs, 60 masterworks from the collection are traveling to six cities, beginning in Dallas. That this coincides with the Meadows’ diamond anniversary is kismet. According to Amanda Dotseth, the Linda P. and William A. Custard Director of the Meadows Museum, “We want to commemorate the 60th in a memorable way. It just so happens that with Ponce coming in 2025, it worked out really well because of the parallels between people collecting at the same time, founding institutions, and being motivated by wanting to share their passion for European art with their community.”
Ferré was a Puerto Rican industrialist, philanthropist, and governor of the territory. His collecting habits were strikingly similar to those of Meadows. Both had their introductions to old master paintings while visiting Europe. Furthermore, says
Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (Spanish, 1863-1923), Bacchante (Female Nude from the Back), 1886, oil on canvas, 24.12 x 31.50 in. Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Courtesy of Museo de Arte de Ponce.
Francisco Rodón (Puerto Rico, 1934–2023), La matinée, 1970, oil on canvas, 81 × 54 in. Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Acquired thanks to the support of Commonwealth Oil Refining Corporation. Courtesy of Museo de Arte de Ponce.
Above, left: Waldemar Morales Lugo (Puerto Rico, 1931-2010), Portrait of América, 1957, oil on canvas, 36.31 x 28.81 in. Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Courtesy of Museo de Arte de Ponce. Left: María de Mater O’Neill (Puerto Rican, b. 1960), Backyard, 2000, oil on canvas, 78.25 x 108 in. Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Gift of Roderic Steinkamp. Courtesy of Museo de Arte de Ponce.
“Right from the beginning, instead of collecting works for himself personally, he decided he wanted to create a museum for Puerto Rico”
–Iraida Rodríguez-Negrón, Curator, Museo de Arte de Ponce
Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta (Spanish,1841–1920), Woman in a Garden, ca. 1880, oil on panel, 15.87 x 11.56 in. Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Courtesy of Museo de Arte de Ponce.
Meadows curator Patricia Manzano Rodríguez, “Both started collecting with Spanish art, which is fascinating. While Meadows was buying old masters, Ferré started with copies of old masters. He knew these were contemporary copies. He got to a point where he realized that he wanted the real thing, and that’s when he started buying old masters.” He did so with a singular goal. “Right from the beginning, instead of collecting works for himself personally, he decided he wanted to create a museum for Puerto Rico,” notes Iraida Rodríguez-Negrón, Museo de Arte’s curator.
The seeds of his museum were planted in 1957 with the establishment of the Luis A. Ferré Foundation. While it opened its doors in 1959, the museum moved into its current, Edward Durell Stone–designed home in 1965. For reference, The Meadows Foundation came into being in 1948, with the establishment of the Meadows Museum in 1962.
It opened on the campus of Southern Methodist University in 1965. Its current building opened in 2001. Remarkably, though they were collecting at the same time, and in many cases the same places, there is no evidence that the two men ever met.
The Meadows will be the exclusive venue for work by José de Mora and Pedro de Mena, two of the most successful sculptors of their era. Their inclusion here provides a unique opportunity to present 17th-century Spanish sculpture, as this is a gap in the museum’s otherwise strong collection of art from this time period.
Another exciting juxtaposition will be the commingling of Spanish paintings from both institutions. “Part of the reason for including their Spanish works is that they complement our collection really well, so I’m excited to see that intervention in the galleries, and to see their Spanish objects with our collection,” Dotseth muses.
Beyond Spain, Ferré collected 19th-century British art, with an emphasis on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood at a time when it had fallen out of favor in the art world. “Because Ferré was focused on quality rather than the fame of the artist at the time, he was able to acquire many very valuable things,” suggests Rodríguez-Negrón. Flaming June is among them. The iconic painting by Sir Frederic Leighton was immediately popular upon its completion in 1895. As Dotseth explains, “There were print copies of her everywhere, people were talking about it and describing going to see it.” In the early 20th century, however, tastes changed, and the painting completely disappeared from public consciousness for several decades. “When she re-appeared in the 1960s, she was taken to a gallery and even the frame was sold before the painting because no one wanted the painting,” confides Rodríguez-Negrón. With the advice of his advisors, Ferré purchased it in 1963. Once again, Flaming June captivates audiences. While the work is regularly loaned to exhibitions devoted to art of that era, Rodríguez-Negrón says, “This is the first time that she is being shown in the context of the collection. She is the one that opens the door, but it is great to see all the other masterpieces that we have in the collection.”
These include strong holdings of Northern European painting, formed with the guidance of Julius Held, the renowned scholar of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art and one of Ferré’s earliest and most influential advisors. Outstanding works by Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck, Jan Both, Claude Lorrain, and Gustave Courbet are among these treasures. A painting by the 16th-century German master Lucas Cranach the Elder will be another highlight. And this will be the second consecutive exhibition in which the Meadows presents loaned works by Angelica Kauffmann and Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun.
While Ferré sought the best examples of European and American art to form an encyclopedic collection from the Western canon, he also collected contemporary Puerto Rican artists. The museum continues to acquire the work of local artists, several of which will be included.
Robust public programming will complement the exhibition. Organized by the Custard Institute for Spanish Art and Culture, housed within the museum, this will include the Luis Martín Lecture Series in the Humanities, focusing on collecting, as well as a talk on Rubens and his connection to Spain given by the curator of Flemish and Dutch painting from Madrid’s Museo del Prado. Since this is a university art museum, Manzano adds, “For the first time, we are inviting two PhD candidates from the art history department to give gallery talks.”
With last year’s inauguration of the Custard Institute, the museum has been able to reassess its capabilities. Dotseth is particularly excited by new research initiatives that will be revealed as part of the anniversary celebrations. As this museum enters its next decade, its continuing emphasis on collecting, exhibition, and research excellence are fulfilling Algur Meadows’ dream of a “Prado on the Prairie.” P
Top left: Doménikos Theotokópoulos, “El Greco” (Greece, 1541–1614), Saint Francis of Assisi in Meditation with Brother Leo, ca. 1600–1605, oil on canvas, 61.12 x 39.37 in. Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Purchased with the support of The Chase Manhattan Bank and Mr. David Rockefeller. Courtesy of Museo de Arte de Ponce. Left: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (France, 1825-1905), Far from Home, 1868, oil on canvas, 63 x 41.81 in. Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Courtesy of Museo de Arte de Ponce
James Tissot (French, 1836-1902), In the Louvre“L'Esthetique,” 1883-1885, oil on canvas, 58.06 x 39.37 in. Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Courtesy of Museo de Arte de Ponce.
Frederic Edwin Church (United States, 18261900), Morning in the Tropics, 1872, oil on canvas, 28.75 x 46.50 in. Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Courtesy of Museo de Arte de Ponce.
Nouvelle Mélange
Displaying the exceptional, Salon Art + Design arrives in Dallas
BY ROB BRINKLEY
The connection felt natural.”
Nicky Dessources positively beams when she talks about the first city outside of New York that will be the locale of something rather special in the world of exhibitions and fairs: a mashup of fine art and collectible furnishings, even jewelry, glass, and ceramics.
It is called Salon Art + Design, and in New York City for more than a decade, astute collectors have prowled booth after booth, row after row, looking for the elusive and the exceptional. In one New York afternoon, inside the 1800s red-brick Park Avenue Armory, one could encounter a Karl Springer sofa, a contemporary Dutch painting, a bracelet designed by Zaha Hadid, and a monumental
Pablo Picasso made of wool—as a rug.
Now, it’s Dallas’ turn by way of a five-day, nearly 40-dealer extravaganza, beginning March 26–30 in a venue that is a far cry from a convention center. Dessources, the fair’s executive director, says other cities were considered for the first branch-out, but one took the cake. “Dallas is an exciting and vibrant city,” she says, “with a rich and ever-growing art scene.” The Dallas Arts District impressed the fair’s executives, as has the boom in galleries, with a new one opening almost every month for the past five years. “What makes Dallas truly special,” Dessources says, “is its enthusiastic and passionate community of collectors and design lovers.”
The Dallas fair, like the New York edition, will feature an
Above: Hervé Obligi, FR, 2024, Dedale II side tables, Massangis stone, 29 x 21 x 21 in. and Hervé Obligi, Extravague, FR, 2024, cocktail table, stone, bronze, 14 x 55 x 52 in. Courtesy of Todd Merrill. Right: Royal Tichelaar Makkum, Traditional Pyramid, 2003, earthenware, 63 x 19.70 x 19.70 in. Courtesy of Priveekollektie Contemporary Art | Design.
extraordinary array of design—vintage, modern, and contemporary— alongside blue-chip 20th-century art. Dealers will be a mix of international, national, and local, and attendees can expect a diverse collection of pieces that include furniture, art, studio glass, ceramics, and jewelry.
For example, in jewelry look for wearable art by contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei, Anish Kapoor, and Erwin Wurm at Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery; highly contemporary jewelry from Paris-based Galerie MiniMasterpiece; rare and one-of-a-kind 20th-century estate jewelry by iconic makersfrom DK Farnum; and luxury jewelry from Yvel, which has a Palm Beach location. For décor, Netherlands-based gallery Priveekollecktie will show contemporary and functional art, including furniture and lighting; Todd Merrill Studio will have fine art and collectible 20th-century design; Galerie Marcilhac from Paris brings 20thcentury French decorative arts, including furniture and lighting; Boccara Gallery from Palm Springs and New York will bring textile art, artistic rugs, paintings, and sculpture. And as in New York, exhibitors are encouraged to create immersive settings that reflect the ways we decorate and live today, echoing the practices of distinguished interior designers.
The setting is certainly apropos. Salon Art + Design has chosen the Block House, a 1941 former Masonic Temple in downtown Dallas, as its venue. Clad in thick limestone blocks and with an entrance surround of gleaming black marble, the art
Sophia Vari, b.
Pablo Reinoso, 2017, cuff in brushed 18k gold or brushed vermeil, edition of 8. Courtesy of Galerie MiniMasterpiece.
Nicky Dessources. Photograph by Lucas Flores Piran. Courtesy of Salon Art + Design.
Right: Boris van Berkum, Kabra Blauw, 2022, Delft faience, cobalt blaze, gold luster, diamond, edition 10/10. Courtesy of Priveekollektie Contemporary Art | Design.
Above:
1940, ‘Médée’ brooch/pendant, circa 2000, signed VARI with French assay marks, edition 3/6. Courtesy of Galerie MiniMasterpiece.
Above: Albert Cheuret, Console Aux Herons, c. 1925, patinated bronze legs in the shape of two herons, resting on Lunel marble slabs like rocks and supporting a molded Lunel marble top. Signed Albert Cheuret on one wing, 38.62 x 52.75 x 17.75 in. Courtesy of Galerie Marcilhac.
Right: Alfred Auguste Janniot (1889-1969), Nymphe – Hommage a Jean Goujon, c. 1930, executed by the workshop of Innocenzo Italo Antonio Santelli (18891963), patinated plaster, 23.62 x 18.12 x 11.75 in. Photograph by Cecil Mathieu. Courtesy of Galerie Marcilhac.
Edgar Brandt (1880-1960), ‘L’elegance’ floor lamp, c. 1925, wrought iron with onyx lampshade, signed in base E. Brandt/ made in France,. 70.87 x 19.75 in. Photograph by Cecil Mathieu. Courtesy of Galerie Marcilhac.
Above: Joana Vasconcelos, 2022, necklace in sterling silver, black ceramic, lacquer, and rubber. Courtesy of Galerie MiniMasterpiece.
moderne building’s reimagined interior is light and bright, the ideal environment for showcasing rare finds of all kinds. (A 2019 renovation relieved the building of its 500-seat auditorium, lodge rooms, banquet hall, library, lecture rooms, and offices.) The fair is taking over two of the building’s three floors, offering spaces for nearly 40 dealers. Dessources says the choice of venues was as important as the choice of city. “Salon Art + Design has become known for transforming the Park Avenue Armory into something truly special,” she says. “A space that not only highlights the beauty of the pieces on display but also invites exhibitors and visitors to connect with its rich history. That sense of warmth, character, and unique style is at the heart of Salon, and it was important for us to bring that same energy to Dallas.” The Block House felt like the perfect fit, says Dessources, who has been drawn to art since childhood. “Its bold, modernist façade creates an unforgettable first impression, while its architectural history resonates beautifully with Salon’s essence.” On the agenda are site-specific installations and programs, including collaborations with local galleries and institutions.
Weighing in on the fair’s programming is an advisory council, just as in New York, that Dessources says has been chosen to reflect Dallas’ unique cultural and artistic scene. “We focused on bringing in leaders and tastemakers who have deep connections to the design, art, and collecting communities,” she says. “The Dallas council highlights voices that truly represent the region’s spirit.”
But the star attractions here will no doubt be the collectible works of art, the masterwork furnishings, the handmade pieces— for wearing, for living, for contemplating. A key tenet of Salon Art + Design is its willingness to consider both fine and decorative art in the context of contemporary life, predicated on the belief that today, more than ever, designers and collectors create environments rather than collect objects. The success of the fair lies in the quality of its exhibiting galleries, the international flavor of the material, and an eclecticism that is highly sought by today’s collectors and tastemakers.
And, in Dallas, such a mélange has likely met its match. Says Dessources: “It’s about bringing our dealers into this thriving creative hub and fostering relationships with the city’s dynamic and growing base of collectors.” P
Draga & Aurel, Flare cabinet, IT, Lucite, 35.43 x 82.68 x 16.93 in. Courtesy of Todd Merrill.
Reinier Bosch, Dew Black, 2021, cast bronze, black patina, 61.50 x 20 x 29 in. 8 + 2AP + 1P. Courtesy of Todd Merrill.
STRANGELY FAMILIAR & WHOLLY ALIEN
HAEGUE YANG EXPLORES THE UNKNOWN IN LOST LANDS AND SUNKEN FIELDS AT THE NASHER.
by Martin Grabner. Courtesy of Universalmuseum Joanneum.
This February the Nasher Sculpture Center will be transformed into a floor-to-ceiling sensorial experience with the exhibition Lost Lands and Sunken Fields by artist Haegue Yang. Opening on the heels of the artist’s major survey exhibition at London’s Hayward Gallery, this show features a number of brand-new works that point towards a potential shift in Yang’s practice.
“We met for the first time about five years ago,” explains Nasher curator Leigh Arnold. “She was working through a commission at MoMA and several international shows, and then the pandemic happened. Basically, her work is continuing to evolve, and, like many artists, she evolved beyond the point of wanting to do anything that was considered typical Haegue.”
Born and raised in South Korea, Yang relocated to Germany in 1995 to study at the Städelschule in Frankfurt, where she currently teaches, and now splits her time between studios in Berlin and Seoul. Having roots in different locations has proved fundamental to the artist’s practice, particularly with her interest in the parallels between Korean shamanism and European paganism and how they function outside of mainstream organized religion. Yang routinely pulls from both folklore and rituals to create works that are a marriage of dichotomies: the old and the new, the hand and the machine, the mystical and the manifest.
Lost Lands and Sunken Fields opens with Airborne Paper Creatures–Triple Synecology , a series of wood-and-paper kites suspended from the ceiling. Referencing insects, aquatic life, and birds, the sculptures consist of machine-carved birchwood skeletons cloaked in hand-cut paper embellishments and adorned with beads, Punjabi goat bells, and parandi —traditional Punjabi hair ornaments made of multicolored silk threads and ornamental tassels. As the kites are activated by subtly shifting air currents, the bells and ornaments jingle, signaling the activation of the space between the human and spirit worlds.
Photograph
Image
Bells have long played a prominent role in Yang’s work, appearing in her series “Dress Vehicles” and “Sonic Sculptures,” the latter of which is featured in the museum’s lower-level gallery. Paper cutting, on the other hand, is a relatively recent addition, a practice she began while spending the pandemic lockdown in Seoul. Like the ringing of bells, paper cutting is an ancient tradition used for ritualistic and decorative purposes all over the world. Yang’s cuttings are made from hanji —traditional Korean paper made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree—and marbled paper, a technique that migrated from Asia to Europe via India and the Middle East. Movement and migration are recurring themes in Yang’s work, and Arnold remarks that the artist herself tends to be nomadic, and when not in her studios, is most often traveling from one location to another.
“The pandemic forced Haegue to stay in one place for an extended period of time, which is very critical because she’s always on the move,” says Arnold. “I think it really focused her in on rediscovering her Korean identity. You can see references to it within all her work, but it’s always been pieces attached to broader narratives.”
While the kites have visitors focusing upward, 30 small floor-based sculptures in the adjacent gallery draw attention back to the ground. Split into two groups of 15, one half of the sculptures emerge from a field of greenery, while the other half are situated amongst a bed of river stones. Constructed of pine
Top: Installation view of Haegue Yang: Latent Dwelling, Kukje Gallery, Seoul, South Korea, 2023. Photograph by Chunho An. Courtesy of Kukje Gallery. Below: Installation view of Haegue Yang: Leap Year, Hayward Gallery, London, UK, 2024. Photograph by Mark Blower. Courtesy of the artist and Hayward Gallery.
cones resting atop driftwood and gnarled roots, Mignon Votives–Seedpod Statues are festooned with a variety of materials such as artificial plants, synthetic hair, fake pearls, feathers, and bells. Mignon Votives–Pebble Parade is diminutive cairns comprised of synthetic stones into which handmade replicas of different colorful, animal-themed global currencies have been inserted. The installation is a network of juxtaposing ideas—movement and stasis, natural and synthetic, animal and human, perception and projection—undergirded by the flat plane of the floor, much like a map of the world in which a sphere is split and splayed across a page. Cairns are indicative of travel and the creation of pathways and boundaries, the various currencies a comment on commodification and exchange, the perceived “value” of each constantly in flux. Likewise, the seedpods speak to proliferation and evolution, the merging of the natural world and the humanmade, calling to mind real-world instances, such as artificial coral reefs or hermit crabs constructing shells from garbage.
Evolution and hybridization result in an anthropomorphism that runs through much of Yang’s work. She doesn’t belabor this aspect but rather allows the confluence of her various interests to birth new and unusual forms that are both strangely familiar and wholly alien. Yang also constructs hybrids of her own works, such as the Umbra Creatures by Rockhole, in which seven sculptures are derived from the mashup of her two series, “The Intermediates” and “Sonic Sculptures.” Located in the lower-level gallery, some of the creatures are totemic and stoic, constructed using traditional basket-weaving techniques, while others are
undulating and tentacular, drooping from ceiling to floor. The largest “Intermediate,” Six-Legged Carbonous Epiphyte Imoogi, winds its way through the museum’s garden, a series of bushy metallic arms unfurling like an octopus moving underwater.
Outside of the lower-level gallery is a selection of works that reference rotation and transformation via stationary movement, undermining the traditional notion of momentum or change as being forward-moving. Central to this installation is Radial Tousled Epiphyte, a new paper-relief sculpture that features paper flowers representing nonparasitic plants growing atop a butterfly-shaped creature. The work is suggestive of the radical transformation a caterpillar undergoes inside a chrysalis, which itself needs to be attached to an existing structure, and the potential for different species to coexist within a shared space. It’s fitting that this sculpture faces into the lower-level gallery, which features a dense installation of works spanning 2016–2025 backed by a wall graphic that depicts an outward view from inside a cavelike structure. Titled Cenote Observatory, this installation unites the subterranean and the celestial, positing a future that exists in a heretofore unknown location.
Says Arnold, “It’s this idea that you’re kind of wading through a portal into another world. I think the fact that she’s putting all this existing work into a cave, then there’s an opening into something new, something unexplored, an unknown place, is a metaphor for the whole show. It’s like Haegue is ready to make a departure from everything she’s known with these signature works into something entirely new.” P
Installation view of Haegue Yang: Flat Works, The Arts Club of Chicago, Chicago, USA, 2024. Photograph by Michael Tropea.
RIVER OF DREAMS
HAROLD SIMMONS PARK WILL BRING TO FRUITION TWENTY YEARS OF REIMAGININGS THROUGH THE TRINITY PARK CONSERVANCY.
BY TERRI PROVENCAL
Is it finally really happening? After 20 years of the brightest thinkers speculating about how to get it done, a new park along the Trinity River is coming to fruition. Spring will see the muchanticipated groundbreaking of the West Overlook, the first build of five overlooks for Harold Simmons Park, which will ultimately stretch across 250 acres between the Ronald Kirk Pedestrian Bridge and the Margaret McDermott Bridge.
A much-needed nature preserve will encompass 200 acres between the levees and the Trinity River itself, and another 50 acres assembled outside and above the levees will feature attractions like an outdoor roller-skating rink, sports courts, a splash pad and playground, a water garden, an event center and café, and much more, such as picnic areas with barbecue grills and long communal tables, and a dog park. In keeping with the nature park design, paths and trails will link the various attractions.
“This park done properly is going to be the next big civic gesture in the city. People don’t get it right now. They are starting to get it,” says Marguerite Hoffman, vice chair of the board of directors of the Trinity Park Conservancy (TPC, formerly the Trinity Trust, a nonprofit organization founded by president and CEO Gail Thomas and board chair Mary McDermott Cook, to support the Trinity River Corridor Project).
“It will change how everything connects. It will change the way
people think about each other and think about being in Dallas,” Hoffman enthuses. She’s been working on the project for about seven years, “because Deedie Rose asked me to.” Rose chairs the board of directors, and according to Hoffman, “You don’t say no to Deedie.” But you don’t say no to Hoffman either.
Making the intangible tangible, president and CEO Tony Moore helms the project and says, “She’s the primary reason I’m here. Marguerite’s a visionary.” While the Army Corp of Engineers was spending $350 million dollars on remediation work between the levees, “It became the greatest opportunity,” says Hoffman. “In the midst of all that work we did a search for the best possible person we could find. I said: Who is the best person in parks in America? Tony Moore at the Gathering Place in Tulsa. Let’s go see him.”
Dallas certainly knows how to woo outsiders. As part of his recruitment—he had already made a nationally recognized mark at the Gathering Place and was enjoying the fruits of success—Hoffman took Moore to the roof of a decommissioned women’s prison she has plans to repurpose to give him not only the most optimal view of the Trinity, but to let him imagine. And imagine he did. “What you are thinking about for overlooks is not enough,” Moore said at the time. Hoffman agreed: The TPC’s original plan of a five-acre park surrounded by buildings was lacking. “I didn’t think it was robust enough. Go hard or go home.”
West Overlook arial view (rendering).
Marguerite Hoffman, Tony Moore, and Deedie Rose. Photograph by John Smith.
Hoffman has been following the Dallas landscape for decades. Her husband, the late Robert Hoffman, chaired the Dallas Plan, a 30-year blueprint for reshaping the city of Dallas. Those likeminded forward thinkers pursued nodes of excellence and activity:
“They identified the hospital corridor, and the Trinity River,” Hoffman muses, recalling Robert saying: “Until we get rid of these divides, we’re not going to be a truly great city.” That was 1994. “That stayed in my mind for years.”
Atop that defunct prison, Moore reimagined what the Harold Simmons Park could be if they had more land, and together they reached out to Michael Young, president of Quadrant Capital Partners, a venerated real estate investor. “These great parks need a strong community component, and the community component needs to land early rather than as an afterthought,” says Moore. Young found the land Moore envisioned. “I cannot give Michael Young enough credit. He’s a get-it-done and brilliant urban planner,” Moore continues. Young built relationships with a mixed community, finding connectivity and a way to embrace West Dallas.
“Our vision is to go into this community and raise it up, and not to
destroy the legacy,” Moore assures. The Trinity Park Conservancy is working with community partners on a property tax assistance program for legacy homeowners.
“There are so many facets of this initiative,” Moore explains. “It’s truly a case of community/urban/economic building. Each of those has its own space. The other part of that is what we are starting to activate: the cultural engagement. You don’t have to wait for brick and mortar,” he says, referencing a successful Halloween event they produced inside a multi-use center for 800 kids with their families (and despite their worries, they never ran out of candy). “We’re doing this so people understand who we are. The community is your number-one advocate. You have to do it individually and authentically with each community.”
A big part of that community building is The Shed (located on the West Overlook), a repurposed industrial structure spanning 86,000 square feet, which Moore sees as a space for music, food, fashion, art, local purveyors, and immersive signature events like a vintage car show, bloom fest, or exhibits that have a shelf life around the holidays. It was already used for the demolition-day
Movie night (rendering).
activities that introduced the press and community to the park.
Deedie Rose, who sits at the forefront of it all, says, “I was on the board of the Trinity Trust from the beginning. The board and name change reflects an enhanced mission.” A front-row seat through the years allowed her to consider several iterations of plans for the Trinity. “We’ve talked about doing a park along the Trinity for decades, so I am beyond ecstatic that we are breaking ground in spring.” The park’s mission she says, “is so noble and important, and it is to connect people to nature and to each other.” As such, she says, it’s about “combining people who don’t normally see each other and who don’t rub shoulders with each other.”
She believes this is essential for every city. “The river used to be a connector of people. That’s what rivers do… When flood control made it necessary to actually move the river a half mile west, which was an unbelievable engineering feat, and then to encase it in the levees, it went from being a connector to being a real divider in the city. This is going to reconnect neighborhoods with each other and people with each other who have been divided by these levees. And it’s doing it around nature.”
For Dallas, she says, “It’s really the only park that’s centered on nature. I call the West Overlook a ‘stealth park’ because all of those features are going to draw people to the overlook, and once they are there, they are going to be immersed in nature. And they are going to start discovering what a good thing it is for one’s body, for one’s psyche, and for one’s relationship to be in nature.”
A $50 million dollar gift from Annette Simmons in honor of her late husband really got things going as the largest single private donation to a public-private partnership in Dallas’ history. The park was named for Harold Simmons by approval of the Dallas City Council in 2017. Despite growing up in a home without electricity or running water, Harold Simmons became a leading philanthropist, following a successful business career, through
giving with his wife, Annette, and his eponymous foundation. “My husband, Harold, was a visionary, a humanitarian, and a nature lover.” said Annette Simmons said at the time. “He was committed to investing in Dallas and its citizens. This gift will begin the creation of a great public space in our city that will be a place to gather, to enjoy nature, and promote health and well-being.”
A bright future is within reach for younger generations. Among the most important roles in steering the vision for the park is that of conservation manager Jimena Vivanco, who holds a degree in ecology from University of North Texas with a minor in geology and a water resource certification. More than that, her enthusiasm is contagious. Vivanco works with Dallas youth to educate them about conservation and has great plans for ways to engage youngsters during and after the completion of the park.
The Trinity River boasts the largest hardwood forest in the nation. There will be 1,500 new trees planted, and 3,000 shrubs added to the West Overlook landscape, a one-acre bike and skate park, and a 40,000-square-foot performance lawn. “We are actively working to dispel the old tropes of Dallas and put some new richness and robustness into our culture,” Hoffman says.
A civic-minded visionary, Rose imagines the future: “I see people walking around that great lawn, noticing birds, hearing sounds they don’t normally, and smelling things they don’t normally get to be associated with. I see children of all ages, and senior citizens,” who, she says, data shows are the most underserved community in parks.
The author Norman Maclean wrote in his classic, “Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” At last, through an overlooked river, nature will triumph in a thriving economy. Harold Simmons Park will oust the divisions of our city and bring communities together in a transformative meaningful way while protecting the ecosystem along the Trinity River Corridor. P
Overlook Lawn (rendering).
Event building view (rendering).
Play Cove (rendering).
Skate and bike park (rendering).
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OF ALL STRIPES
FROM PINSTRIPE TO BOLD AND ABSTRACT, THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS IN SPRING STYLING.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LUIS MARTINEZ
STYLING BY WENDY MULAS
HAIR AND MAKEUP BY LB ROSSER, KIM DAWSON AGENCY
MODEL ABBY BUSH, KIM DAWSON AGENCY
Silvia Tcherassi sleeveless Joss maxi dress; Lamarque lurex knit Helena evening gloves; Nickho Rey demi-fine earring; Nickho Rey Kuempel cocktail ring. All available through Tootsies, Plaza at Preston Center.
Dolce & Gabbana double-breasted pinstripe Turlington jacket with matching pants and satin bustier; Dolce & Gabbana polished calfskin micro bag and leather pumps. All available through Dolce & Gabbana, NorthPark Center; 18K white gold rhodium plated emerald and diamond halo ring with oval cut emerald 4.21 cts, and round diamonds weighing 1.02 ctw. Available through Bachendorf's.
Bottega Veneta spring top with matching skirt, patent leather loafers, and crossbody striped dust bag. All available through Bottega Veneta, NorthPark Center. Fred Leighton onyx and diamond bar Link bracelet in 18k white gold; Fred Leighton rose-cut diamond pendant earrings; Bachendorf’s 18k white gold diamond straight-line bracelet with 37 round diamonds; All available exclusively through Bachendorf’s.
Vandalia top in gathered jersey from Isabel Marant with Samila long, silk, graphic-pattern skirt, leather boots, and Skano belt bag. All available through Isabel Marant, NorthPark Center. Fred Leighton 18k yellow gold wovenbraid bracelet. Available through Bachendorf’s.
Sandro sequin-stripe black jacket with sequin-stripe corset-style vest and sequin-stripe short; Sandro leather biker boots All available at Sandro, NorthPark Center; Bachendorf’s Diamond Classic Collection platinum graduated diamond Riviera necklace with 61 round diamonds 43.99 ctw and 14 round diamonds 3.39 ctw; Bachendorf’s 18k white gold diamond rhodium-plated straight-line bracelet with 37 round diamonds, 11.78 ctw. All exclusively through Bachendorf’s.
Akris silk blend ribbon loop short dress. Available through Akris, Highland Park Village; Fred Leighton black jade-and-diamond open oval link 18k white gold necklace, Fred Leighton black jade-and-diamond wide 18k white gold Constellation cuff bracelet, signed; black jade-and-diamond line 18k white gold bangle, signed Fred Leighton; All available through Bachendorf’s; Isabel Marant leather pumps. Available at Isabel Marant, NorthPark Center.
Jil Sander sleeveless techno gabardine top with sculptural hem and fluid techno twill pleated skirt; Jil Sander leather heeled pump, jewel zip clutch with embossed Jil Sander logo. Jil Sander pearl necklace and earrings. All available through Jil Sander, NorthPark Center.
A Kind of Chorus
Dallas Contemporary bolsters North Texas graduate students with Open University, curated by Matthew Higgs.
BY JOHN ZOTOS
Dallas is poised to experience the fruits of a new annual initiative known as the Dallas Contemporary North Texas Graduate Student Program with an exhibition titled Open University. This program seeks to create connections between arts institutions, their patrons, and local art collectors with graduate students pursuing an MFA in programs throughout North Texas. A mentorship program will bring in a new visiting curator each year to work with the students on assembling the exhibition.
This program is the brainchild of Lucia Simek, interim executive director of the Dallas Contemporary, whose precise vision of the role the DC plays in the local art world and beyond was the driving force that made this possible. Simek hopes the exposure will help develop a broader interest in what Dallas artistically produces.
Matthew Higgs was chosen as the inaugural curator heading the mentorship program. He is presently the director and chief curator of White Columns, a renowned art space located in New York City. Higgs brings over thirty years of experience to bear on this initiative as an artist, educator, writer, and curator.
One MFA student will receive the McReynolds Award, named after arts benefactors Ann and John McReynolds, which bestows $8,000 to the winning student and reflects the belief that “a supported local artistic ecosystem benefits all levels of civic and cultural life.” Additionally, the McReynolds Curatorial Fellowship is a paid yearlong curatorial fellowship bestowed on a graduate student pursuing a masters degree in art history with a thesis on contemporary art. This year, Abby Bryant is the curatorial fellow.
These events were put in motion back in the summer of 2024, when Simek invited Higgs to be curator for the project. It wasn’t a matter of happenstance that he came from outside of North Texas; it was essential as a way to reach beyond an insular regionalism and bring in someone who would remain objective about the selections.
Higgs decided to “visit six of the area’s MFA programs and do studio visits with all the MFA students in their final year.” During that time, “I visited around thirty artists’ studios over three days in October 2024. It was a great and immersive experience,” he says.
Thirteen students from the six programs were chosen.
The exhibition reflects his interest as much in “the potential of the work as the work itself,” and how “what really struck me during my studio visits was how diverse the artists were, not only in terms of their backgrounds and personal narratives, but also in terms of their intentions and approach to their work.… My hope is that Open University represents something of this complexity that I encountered during my visits with the artists,” Higgs says.
He was determined not to see Open University as a group show but as “a series of connected, autonomous presentations by very different artists, a kind of ‘chorus’ of discrete and idiosyncratic voices.” Selections are in an array of media from across the spectrum, reflecting current aesthetic practices, which may present clues as to where things are going in the art world.
For example, from SMU, Taylor Cleveland’s submission is SuperPOD0043: An American Painting. His work engages with several mediums and makes use of AI-based technologies. Here, an artist in China executed an oil painting to his specifications. It depicts former president George W. Bush as an artist himself, working on a canvas in the style of the Spanish Catalan artist Joan Miró, which suggests surrealism.
By contrast, Veronica Ibargüengoitia Tena, from the University of North Texas, pursues conceptual and installation art. Her immersive sculpture, Otherness, presents a stripped-wood studframe house encased within an eggshell barrier, presenting what she describes as “an immersive experience that demands a corporeal response while feeling and walking the space.” With this piece she addresses migration, relocation, and, ultimately, adaptation.
Elijah Ruhala, a queer artist attending Texas Christian University, explores the way figurative painting can adorn his drywall-enclosed spaces. In The(ir) Art of Loving , constructed of lumber, oil, and wax paper, the viewer identifies his interest in “the ambiguity that comes from interpreting personal content through these materials” which “allows a viewer to experience my work.”
With Open University the Dallas Contemporary ascends to a higher level, taking all of North Texas with it. P
Above, from left: Veronica Ibargüengoitia Tena, Otherness, 2024, installation view; Elijah Ruhala, The(ir) Art of Loving, 2023, lumber, oil, and wax paper; Taylor Cleveland, SuperPOD0043: An American Painting, 2023, oil on canvas and easel, 78.50 x 27 x 29 in.; Exhibition curator Matthew Higgs. Photograph by Oresti Tsonopoulos.
