Dallas Contemporary

As a nod toward Ladybird Johnson’s Highway Beautification Act, the vocal group Verdigris Ensemble presents the narrative event "Beautification" on Friday at the Dallas Contemporary. The experience merges Bianca Bondi's exhibition "A Preservation Method" together with projections of highway driving coupled with archival audio of Ladybird’s speeches. https://bit.ly/3Na9reO

in a process that combines painting and carpentry in defiance of traditional distinctions between fine art and craft, chloe chiasson’s () large-scale work highlights q***r life and visibility.
don't miss the opening celebration of chloe chaisson: keep left at the fork on friday, 13 october from 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm at DC with a first come first serve exhibition-themed tattoo flash by , dj set by and complimentary cocktails by + after 9.00 pm, join us at our neighbor's for some late night fun.
chloe chaisson: keep left at the fork is curated by dallas contemporary's associate curator, emily edwards () and made possible with lead support from the conservatory () and foundrae () generous support from dallas art fair foundation () and uovo (.art + presented with community partnership from dallas hope charities ()

oh, look it's my ex.
nicole eisenman b. united states 1965. untitled, acrylic on paper 34.5 x 28 cm

cerámica suro (): a story of collaboration, production, and collecting in the contemporary arts
we’re having fun with our new staff-led series.

register your (free) admission to explore + share your favorite pieces with us.
image courtesy of museo de arte de zapopan () photo: itzel hernández

we will be closed today for maintenance. sorry for any inconvenience.

join us on saturday, 19 november for our write with us workshop with from 10.00 am - 12.00 pm.
write with us is a workshop for writers of all levels, designed to encourage + strengthen art looking + writing skills. this workshop aims to educate + inspire both new + experienced writers, as well as address the present need for more engaging critical responses to contemporary art in dallas/fort worth. this upcoming workshop will look closely at our current exhibition gabrielle goliath: chorus. all levels of experience are welcome + all materials are provided. this write with us is alway free! — limited capacity available.
register your admission in our bio.
image courtesy of

from "the public expression of our political culture will always be important, and so will aspirational art that gives people the energy to keep fighting for democracy, equality and liberty. art helps us cut through political noise and gives us a path of progressive resistance. america needs that now more than ever. people want to propel forward and i believe art can help us do that. in this midterm election on november 8th, please be sure to vote!"
during this pivotal moment in our history, we encourage fellow texans to participate in election day. we hope for change, progress, and perseverance for our state and community.
image of shepard fairey’s exhibition ‘backward forward’ by

please be safe out there! we will be closed today due to storms across the metroplex.

stop by and say hi at our dc pop-up shop this saturday at the moonlight market.
moonlight market is happening every friday + saturday starting 5 november through 26 november from 5.00 pm - 9.00 pm. located between eq residences + national anthem, at 2100 jackson st. the night will feature food, drinks, shopping from local artisans and brands, live music or dj nightly + games. it’s a great place to come by with friends and family to hang out!
dc followers can claim two free drinks with code DCDRINKS at eventbrite.com/e/eqs-moonlight-market-drinks-on-us-with-code-tickets-450750325357
see you there🌛
photo by of working the mural ‘while supplies last’ located at

acclaimed internationally for her immersive installations that confront urgent social concerns, with chorus at dallas contemporary, multidisciplinary south african artist makes her debut in the united states.
the 23-minute video captures a performance by the university of cape town choir, many of whom were school friends of uyinene mrwetyana, which collectively sounds a lament in her honor. over the course of the performance, the choir sustains a unified hum – a single note spread across the vocal range of the choir. on the other block is projected an empty choir rostra, which sits in silent relation to the performance – its quietude marking the absent presence of the individuals lost to the ongoing crisis of femicide in south africa. in its first showing, the work recalled the names of 463 victims on a commemorative roll within the exhibition space, covering the period of august 2019 to august 2021, now updated through august 2022 to bring the list to 680 named individuals for its dallas presentation.
register your (free) admission in our bio to view chorus.
image of gabrielle goliath, chorus, 2021, 2-channel video & sound installation, dallas contemporary (2022), installation view, photo by

saturday, 21 january 2023 from 11.00 am - 6.00 pm join us for a revolutionary day celebrating teens’ voices with artist-led workshops, public speaking, and creative expression through live music and dance. taking inspiration from the activist practices of dallas contemporary exhibition artists shepard fairey and gabrielle goliath, RAISE YOUR VOICE FEST! at dallas contemporary seeks to amplify the voices of north texas high school students in a day dedicated to art, activism, and performance.
𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟏 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 - 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟏𝟓 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
dallas contemporary will digitally distribute a branded 8.5” x 11” poster template to north texas high school art departments. under the theme RAISE YOUR VOICE!, students may design a poster in any medium using the provided template. on the day of the festival, students may vote for their favorite poster design; the winner will receive two student-level memberships to dallas contemporary and a $100 gift certificate to our dc shop.
posters will be scanned and submitted by students via a google form link by 11:59 pm on thursday, 15 december or dropped off at dallas contemporary during open hours by thursday, 15 december.

happy halloween! 👻 check out these limited edition hand-painted ceramic plates by , available in store only, at our dc shop.
born in mexico city to free-thinking parents with an obsession for water, renata morales grew up in constant movement and spent her childhood in mexico, france, texas, and finally rural quebec. these journeys marked her in two significant ways. early on, they awoke in her an animated inner life which fueled her artistic production and brought to life strange visions from within. second, all the changes left her with an outward yearning for the complicated human soul. as a multimedia artist, morales' practice spans different mediums, from drawing to painting, costume, textile, and object design, to most recently ceramic sculpture in guadalajara, mexico. her exhibition inane and mundane evolutionary tales of fear love and horror was on view at dc from september 2021 - september 2022.
book your (free) admission in our bio to browse our shop. our hours are tuesday - saturday 11.00 am - 6.00 pm, sunday 12.00 pm - 5.00 pm + closed monday - sunday.
image of rentata morales limited edition hand-painted ceramic plates by

we will be closed today due to inclement weather. stay safe!

join our team + be around artwork all day!
dc is now seeking a visitor services team member.
all members of the vs team are required to communicate knowledgeably + enthusiastically about the institution, its current exhibitions + programs while also providing support to other dc staff. a successful candidate will have exceptional customer service skills, be organized with a close attention to detail + a strong interest in contemporary art + art education. all visitor services team members must be able to positively represent the museum as well as engage with visitors + co-workers in a professional + cordial manner.
you can find the application at dallascontemporary.org/team

book your (free) admission in our bio to explore shepard fairey: backward forward
is a master storyteller who uses images to help us navigate the complicated world we inhabit while understanding the social impact of art and culture. the title of the exhibition, ‘backward forward’, addresses society’s current struggle with competing political narratives. at a moment in history when a collaborative mindset is essential to address multiple existential problems on a global scale, the artist asks, “what do we want the future to look like?” and “are we moving forward or backward?” said pedro alanzo, adjunct curator at dallas contemporary.
image: shepard fairey, 3 face icon black/white (top), 3 face icon black/white (middle), 3 face icon black/white (bottom), 2021. material stencil and mixed media collage on paper. 31 x 24 ¾ in. image by

join us and and dallas contemporary as we sit down with young organizers who are making a positive change for lgbtq+ north texans. spend the first hour of this event exploring our new exhibitions, then gather with us as we chat and learn more about how we can support these young leaders on their journey to make texas a better place for all
rsvp'd receive a complimentary ticket for a dallas hope charities gift basket door prize, including two student-level memberships to dallas contemporary + more. donate $5 on the day of the event to receive additional tickets. winners must be in attendance to claim their prize
moderated by paul mcneal , owner at the crypto curator, a speaker, brand evangelist, and technologist. panelist include: chase muller 20-year-old transgender student at utd and the president of ; ash thye .thye, q***r photographer and scholar-activist studying human rights; environmental anthropology, and photography at smu; and sophie ventimiglia , sophomore studying psychology at utd and vice president of the national organization for women on campus
register your (free) admission at the events calendar link in our bio
image by

gabrielle goliath’s ‘chorus’ is housed in an immersive, elegiac audio-visual environment in which participants are encouraged to linger, two videos are projected onto large, free-standing blocks, which are positioned in relation to each other and occupy darkened space with funeral gravity
“‘chorus’ embodies the power of art to create a positive ripple effect throughout our dallas community,” says edwards, who plans to arm staff with resource material for viewers affected by the work. she also plans to include open conversations with local nonprofit organizations supporting women impacted by domestic violence. “it is about working with the transformative and affective capacities of art, of beauty, to create a space of reverence. these are words i claim. reverence. beauty. ritual,” avows goliath
words from founder and editor-in-chief ‘voices in union’ article with and exhibition curator
a note of care: this is a work of mourning. whilst you will not be confronted with scenes of violence, images of abjection or horror, you are nonetheless asked to presence yourself within a commemorative space, to participate within a sonic vigil, calling to remembrance black, brown, femme and q***r lives, lost to the crisis of femicide in south africa
register your (free) admission in our bio
gabrielle goliath, chorus, 2021, 2-channel video & sound installation, dallas contemporary (2022), installation view, photo by kevin todora

a few weekends ago, we celebrated dc’s future at our annual fundraising gala and our fall exhibitions with a member’s opening celebration
+ our excellent dc staff, thank you, for making these wonderful events come to life
images by

in the art angle podcast: ‘hope’ poster artist shepard fairey on art and activism today, discusses his history as an artist, his process, and his exhibition backward now on view at dc. art angle is a podcast from , listen to the interview at the press link in our bio
installation images of shepard fairey: backward forward by

join artist who returns to dallas contemporary for the first time since his solo exhibition in 2010, which inaugurated the museum’s glass street location, and his gallerist in a conversation that asks: what is the legacy of contradicting ideologies in education and culture? how can we reconcile a dangerously forgetful history? who knows the right questions to ask? next wednesday, 12 october. join us for a wine reception at 5:30 pm before the discussion at 6.00 pm
in his artistic practice, james gilbert traverses a breadth of media all with an eye for whimsy, sincerity and style. his obsessive repetition of objects—rarely without his signature pink and white coloring—gives scale to the overwhelming accumulation of contemporary social injustices. nonetheless, his flair for humor betrays a certain optimism, a willingness to play not as a coping mechanism, but as an exercise in possibility
for his solo exhibition at dallas’s erin cluely gallery, ‘i don’t know, you don’t know, they don’t know’, james gilbert explores themes of cultural heritage and genetic lineage—all with cutting wit. incorporating 130 drawings and sculpture gilbert’s new work acknowledges the messy nature of community, not helped by the equally messy political and social climate of the past few years. gilbert’s use of raw, naturally-flawed materials—wood, wax and metal—conveys an honest uncertainty in what to make of the unfolding future
register your (free) admission in our bio
james gilbert, ‘the great migration and age of exploration’, 2019 wood, stain, paint, pigmented wax 68 x 19 x 13 in (172.7 x 48.3 x 33 cm). image courtesy of erin cluley

we’re excited to announce, a limited edition of shepard fairey prints titled, icarus democracy, are now available in person at our dc shop!
print details: icarus democracy. 24 x 36 inches. screen print on thick cream speckletone paper. signed by shepard fairey. numbered edition of 500 at $95. max order: 1 per customer/household. all sales final + no cash transactions
“Liberty and equality are principles most people value, but the challenge is to find the proper equilibrium between the two. Democracy is the mechanism our nation has used to balance the freedom and desires of the individual with policies that are fair and beneficial for the collective of society. Democracy requires dedicated maintenance. With the culture of the previous administration and many politicians undermining democracy itself, the folly of over-confidence about the guaranteed endurance of democracy will lead to potential disaster. The threat of fascism is very real. If you value democracy use your voice and your vote. I’d recommend reading Timothy Snyders “On Tyranny” to anyone who does not see the threats to democracy (and the principles it protects) as concerning.” - shepard fairey
stop by to grab your print and explore our exhibitions during open hours of 11.00 am - 6.00 pm tue-sat, 12.00 pm - 5.00 pm sun + kindly note we’re closed on mondays
register your (free) admission in our bio
image courtesy of obey giant inc

repost from Shepard Fairey]
The crew and I just returned from Dallas where we painted a new mural and I opened my largest museum show of brand new fine art at . The week was a whirlwind, and I’ll post more images later, but for now… here is the final shot of the outdoor mural in the  at the corner of Commerce and Cesar Chavez. The “While Supplies Last!” mural is a reminder to preserve the health of the planet so it can continue to sustain things we value. Speaking of global warming, the weather was about 15 degrees hotter than normal for late Sept, so we were working in high 90’s temps for the 3 days it took to paint the mural. I appreciate the effort from my team of Nic Bowers, Dan Flores, Rob Zagula, and Jon Furlong (on a mix of photography and painting) under such intense, genuinely brutal, working conditions. Thank you also to Pedro Alonzo, Dallas Contemporary, and the East Quarter group for facilitating this amazing mural location.

–Shepard
it’s been a pleasure spending the week with you Shepard Fairey]
shepard fairey: backward forward is now on view. book your (free) admission in our bio
photo

we're delighted to announce the publication of article, 'award-winning south african artist gabrielle goliath makes her u.s.debut with stunning dallas installation'
“chorus is about community, about gathering-to,” goliath said. “it is not a work of exceptionalism but one that recognises that to undo the crisis-norm of sexualized, racialized, patriarchal violence, and to realize the world differently requires that each and every one of us recognise our implication within a world of others, and the bearing that implies – across difference, across borders, across our capacity to ‘relate’ – indeed, across all that may otherwise separate (and ‘exonerate’) us.”

the video performance in chorus was filmed days before the first lockdown in response to the covid-19 pandemic in late march 2020. the timing, according to goliath, meant that she completed the work in johannesburg, where she is based, under “strange and isolated conditions.”

the pandemic affected chorus in other ways. the work was originally meant to debut at kochi-muziris biennale, india’s largest art exhibition, in december 2020, but the show was postponed due to the pandemic. instead, the work debuted in cape town, which given mrwetyana’s status as a uct student and the role of the university choir in the piece, was “very meaningful,” according to goliath. the piece will appear at the long-delayed biennale in kochi this december.

the decision to present chorus at dallas contemporary is the result of “many conversations” with emily edwards, the museum’s assistant curator, according to goliath. edwards reached out after hearing about elegy; the pandemic interrupted initial plans for an exhibit but it also “allowed for a deeper, longer conversation,” goliath said.
read the full article on our dc press page. chorus will be on view at dallas contemporary from 25 september to 19 march, 2023
image, gabrielle goliath, chorus, 2021, 2-channel video + sound installation, goodman gallery cape town. photo by hayden phipps

gabrielle goliath: chorus, curated by assistant curator, emily edwards, will be on view at dc this weekend 25 september - 19 march 2023. upon opening, join us for a meaningful conversation between goliath and director of the center for experimental ethnography deborah thomas on sunday, 25 september at 1:00 pm. register your (free) admission in our bio
a note of care: this is a work of mourning. whilst you will not be confronted with scenes of violence, images of abjection or horror, you are nonetheless asked to presence yourself within a commemorative space, to participate within a sonic vigil, calling to remembrance black, brown, femme and q***r lives, lost to the crisis of femicide in south africa
gabrielle goliath was born in kimberley, south africa. the conditions of hope that underscore the social encounters of her work as for what she terms a life-work of mourning – or “to imagine and seek to realize the world otherwise is to bear with us those lost to or still surviving an order of violence we hope to and must transform.”
deborah a. thomas is the r. jean brownlee professor of anthropology, and the director of the center for experimental ethnography at the university of pennsylvania. she is also a research associate with the visual identities in art and design research centre at the university of johannesburg
images: 1. portrait of gabrielle goliath by anthea pockroy 2. gabrielle goliath, chorus, 2021, 2-channel video & sound installation, goodman gallery cape town. photo by hayden phipps