Dallas Contemporary

Dallas Contemporary
Established 1978
Location

161 Glass Street Dallas, Texas 75207

United States
Director Peter Doroshenko
Curator Justine Ludwig
Website www.dallascontemporary.org

Dallas Contemporary, founded in 1978, is a contemporary art museum located in the Design District of Dallas, Texas.

Description

Dallas Contemporary is a non-collecting art museum presenting new and challenging ideas from regional, national and international artists. The institution is committed to engaging the public through exhibitions, lectures, educational programs, and events. The range and level of Dallas Contemporary’s programs serve audiences in the metropolitan Dallas-Fort Worth area and beyond.

Dallas Contemporary attracts visitors from the entire Southwest. Modeled after the European kunsthalle or art hall, it is one of the few institutions of its type in the United States.

History

Founded by Patricia Meadows in 1978, Dallas Contemporary hosted annual exhibitions of artwork created by its members and offered rental exhibition space to emerging artists. It later expanded its mission to include exhibitions by nonmember artists from Texas. Dallas Contemporary has expanded its scope to embrace the entire spectrum of contemporary art, placing Texas artists in a worldwide context. In doing so, it strives to follow the European model of the kunsthalle, or art hall, a welcoming exhibition site for art of the moment. The museum is a non-collecting arts institution that commissions the creation of new artwork by emerging national and international contemporary artists. In 2010, Dallas Contemporary relocated to a 37,000 square foot building in the Dallas Design District, an emerging neighborhood 1.5 miles north of downtown.

Building

Richard Phillips' Playboy Marfa sculpture, installed at Dallas Contemporary.

Dallas Contemporary is located in a renovated industrial building. The vast and versatile space allows artists to create large-scale work.

Dallas Contemporary is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is always free.

Installation view of Julian Schnabel: An Artist Has A Past (Puffy Clouds and Strong Cocktails), April 2014.

Landmark exhibitions featuring renowned artists such as Nic Nicosia (2006), Vernon Fisher (2009), James Gilbert (2010), Michel Verjux (2011), Juergen Teller (2011), Rob Pruitt (2011), Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin (2012), Walter Van Beirendonck (2013), Richard Phillips (2014), Julian Schnabel (2014), Mario Testino (2014), Nate Lowman (2015), David Salle (2015), Dan Colen (2016), Helmut Lang (2016), and Paola Pivi (2016) have helped secure Dallas Contemporary’s important position in the art world. Dallas Contemporary has a history of mounting successful public art projects. Four such examples include, Sour Grapes: Rest in Power, Shepard Fairey: Citywide Street Project, Dallas Biennale, and Los Americanos.

Learning Programs

Art Think Offered to students throughout North Texas since 2004, Art Think is an innovative art outreach program for K-12 students. The program introduces students to contemporary art and promotes critical and creative thinking skills. Art Think is based on an established and respected teaching method known as Visual Thinking Strategies, which is designed to improve visual literacy, as well as analytical reasoning and problem solving abilities.

Chit Chat, Dallas Contemporary's artist talk series, engages learning through the art of conversation. Chit Chats increase dialogue, encourage debate and stimulate exchange in visual art and culture. Dallas Contemporary actively encourages the development of critical perspectives as well as engages with issues that affect contemporary culture.

The Renaissance Programme targets emerging museum professionals who want to develop their knowledge in a supportive and creative environment. The Renaissance Programme is geared towards developing an interdisciplinary approach to museum practice. Interns collaborate with exhibitions, education, development and event departments from planning to project completion during the nine-month internship.

Street Art Camp is an annual week-long workshop for teens. While working with a professional street artist, students utilize various techniques and materials while learning about the importance of street art in contemporary visual culture.

See also

References

Coordinates: 32°47′26″N 96°49′20″W / 32.7905°N 96.8223°W / 32.7905; -96.8223

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