Art Panel Now Up On Video, Neon Summer This Sunday, Dallas Artists District

Two exciting pieces of news!

First, we are having a pop up party, Neon Summer, this Sunday, May 26th, at Ash Studios from 3 to 11 p.m. We are partnering with Dallas Music who has curated a stellar line-up: Howler Jr., Track Meet, The Chloes, Missile, Mr. Kitty, and Taylor Effin Cleveland. We will have an open bar courtesy of Austin based Treaty Oaks Distilling Co. (Thanks!) We will also have some murals by Fred Villanueva, bonfire, sprinklers, and 200 water balloons. The Dallas Observer has this event listed as one of the best things to do this weekend. It is a steal for only $10 pre-sale, and $20 at the door. Get your tickets now.

Second, Art This Week has posted the video of our panel, Not Waiting For Permission: 2nd Annual State of the Emerging Arts. I would like to thank Richard Serrano for filming, editing, and posting this panel. I want to thank my panelists, Francisco Moreno, Sally Glass, Lucy Kirkman, Brandy Adams, and Michael Morris for having the courage to express their thoughts and opinions in front of a room full of their peers. I want to thank Heyd, Brian, Laura, and everyone at UTD-Centraltrak for hosting this discussion for a second year. Finally, I want to thank everyone who attended the panel and everyone who takes the time to watch these videos.

Christina Rees wrote a review of this panel for Glasstire that you can check out here, and Lee Escobedo wrote a review of the panel for Dallas Observer which you can check out here.

I just finished watching the videos for the first time, and here are some quick thoughts that I want to share. I might come back and expand on some of them later. I will embed the actual videos as the end of the post.

Things that still seem important to talk about a month later.

1. Lucy’s call for more cross-genre collaboration
2. Sally’s statement that individual curators/collectives are more important than commercial galleries.
3. Defining the paths for emerging artists. Are they all equally viable?
4. Michael Morris’ call for more artist led critiques. Is this a private venture?
5. I like Lucy’s statement of artists and writers growing up together. Who are our generation of art writers in Dallas?
6. I disagree with Brandy about being colorblind. I think it is a literal impossibility for someone blessed with sight. I think the goal of diversity and inclusion is to recognize and celebrate difference, and not let them define who we are. I applaud her for making W.A.A.S a diverse space.
7. I think discussion of transgression, taboo, sins, and politics in Dallas is worth having.
8. Lucy’s statement about her being a collector just as much as The Rachofskys
9. Michael’s statement of working assuming there won’t be a lot of support. Does that need to change?
10. Sally’s statement that we need a funding model for individual artists
11. Where are the arts administrators? How do we connect them with individual artists?
12. Brandy’s call for a collective to help teach artists how to write grants/ important life skills
13. $200 is helpful for the people on the ground level doing the work
14. Lucy’s vacant skyscrapers
15. Commissioners from the Cultural Affairs Commission publicly admitted to failing the arts community over the last half a decade
16. Many people have tried and failed. Can a large scale/craiglist style barter system work?
17. Sally’s, “Trust is a funny word”
18. Cultural Affairs Commissioner says come to the table

So, in the panel I told one of the comissioners that I would personally be responsible for making sure that my community is represented at the table. I am happy to announce that I have held true to my word. June 20th at 4:30 p.m. I will be leading a presentation to the Cultural Affairs Commission advocating for the need to fund artist projects directly. Danielle Georgiou and Jessica Martinez has agreed to join me representing Dance, Theatre, and Music. So far, Meg Friess from Arts Counsel, Liz Trosper from Artistic Dropout, Greg Metz, John Pomara, Heyd Fontenot, Michael Morris, and Sally Glass have agreed to help craft this proposal - and I will reach out in a serious way for more voices next week.

The template right now is to create a body that will advocate on behalf of individual artists and have this body be who is in charge of the grant process. There is a proposal to call this body the Dallas Artists District. We are thinking of asking the City for $150,000 and seeking a total of $500,000 to get things started. Who knows what will happen, but we will give it our best shot. Hang on to your seats, good people, things are about to get fun.

All White Everything

In the book, “The 12 Million Dollar Shark”, the author relays an oft-told joke about race and the New York auction house scene. The joke goes like this: the only black person you will ever see at an evening auction is the doorman.

At the Dallas Art Fair, I counted one black gallery director. No black press. A total of 5 people of color at the Preview Gala. And 20 black staff personnel. At Mayor Rawlings’ art panel, as much as I tried, I couldn’t get past the visual on the stage: 6 white men representing the city.

This is not a lament. It’s just that ever since writing “Where Are All The Black People”, I haven’t been able to ignore it. Once you acknowledge the elephant in the room, it becomes impossible to unsee it. I hadn’t written about or discussed race before because I thought it was enough that my events were diverse. It is one of the hallmarks of Green Bandana Group; from the very beginning we attracted a wonderful mix of everybody.

Also, I secretly dislike talking about things, especially race. I prefer to speak through actions over rhetoric. Dallas loves to talk about stuff. One of my clients calls it the “rah rah” moment. We all get together in a room, we talk about something, everyone goes “rah rah”, we feel good about it, then everyone goes home, back to their busy lives, and nothing really changes.

Honestly, the last thing I want to do in my life is to talk about race. I am trying to build an amazing social club called The 500. I am one of the producers of a creative education program, DaVerse Lounge. I’m working to expand it to an additional five schools next year. I am partnering with over 20 other arts and community organizations to curate a community art project called The Dallas LOVE Project that will produce and exhibit 10,000 pieces of art in response to the 50^th anniversary of JFK’s assassination. I still want to establish a live/work artist residency and I wouldn’t mind directing a gallery space again. I am writing more consistently, and lately I have even started to make art again. I really don’t want to spend any more of my time discussing race.

Yet, I have to talk about race. I have a moral obligation to talk about race. And so do you. We must talk about it in public. On Facebook. On Twitter. On KERA. In D Magazine. In The Dallas Observer. In The Dallas Morning News. In FD Luxe. In Arts and Culture. In Glasstire. Anytime we can describe an opening, a party, a panel, and the leadership of any institution, as “all white everything”- we are obligated to say something.

Dallas will not become a world class arts city until it becomes more diverse and inclusive. Dallas will not change its perception issue until it becomes more diverse and inclusive. Talented people of color often don’t feel welcome in Dallas and are the first to leave. And for people who are not from Dallas, the lack of diversity in our arts scene is very noticeable.

So, how do we make Dallas more diverse? First we must be willing to talk about the issue and pressure institutions, leaders, and board members to be accountable for diversity inside of their own organizations. While I am happy that there are many people of color employed at the Dallas Museum of Art as gallery attendants and security guards, what percentage are employed as curators, leadership, and mid-management support? Could you count them on one hand, on two?

Second, we must realize that as in every other aspect of American life, a disproportionate amount of minorities start off economically disadvantaged. This means that even for the rare overachievers, they have no familial safety net. They can’t live at home with their parents, while saving money to open and operate a gallery. They do not have that luxury. At the same time that we are wrestling up money to support our emerging artists, curators, writers, arts professionals, we need to find and assign specific resources to help attack our diversity problem.

Third, we need people who are willing to mentor and help talented people of color. Mentorship isn’t talked about publicly very often, but it is so crucial for professional success. A mentor provides encouragement, advice, feedback, and care. A mentor shapes and helps pave the way for professional growth. Your mentor participates in conversations that you aren’t yet a part of, and when someone mentions your name – they say “I know this person, they are really talented.” When someone says “We are looking for someone to do this” – your mentor says, “Oh I know just the person who would be perfect for that.” This is how people get jobs, get nominated for awards, get invited to be part of shows, get invited to curate shows, get invited to write and review. It is the strength of their mentors and peer group.

I won’t ever grow tired of talking about and thanking my mentors. When I came to Dallas, I did reach out to Vicki Meek and she sat down with me and helped orient me within the city. Karen Blessen is a huge mentor to me, incredible advocate, and very positive influence on my life. Roberto Munguia and Will Richey have been mentors to me since I was a teenager. Nancy Whitenack and Danette Dufilho taught me early on and continue to teach me what it means to be a gallery director. Charissa Terranova and Heyd Fontenot have always been advocates and supporters of my endeavors. When I first started my company, a lawyer, Craig Gant was a big mentor in helping me get Green Bandana off the ground. I could easily rattle off a hundred names of mentors and peers who have supported me over the last three years. And I thank all of you. The point is that no one does it alone. You don’t have to be black to mentor a black kid. You just have to care. 

Finally, there needs to be a pipeline to increase and retain black people in the arts in Dallas. We need to figure out how to identify talented kids who are 7 or 8 years old, help them stay in school, help nurture their creativity, help them thrive in high school, help them get into college, help them get internships, help them travel, help them graduate, help them find jobs or apply to graduate schools, help them establish their personal careers, and mentor and financially support them every step of the way.

This is not easy or simple and will take serious resources, finances, and will to achieve. But it is not impossible. We can do this. We have an obligation to do this.

We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. One model is Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center, which has the highest rate of diversity amongst all dental colleges in the US. Baylor does this through committed funding for grants to strategize and sustain a pipeline from elementary school right through to dental school.

I am well aware that race is not the only problem facing our arts scene. I am aware that many women and Latinos have similar inclusion issues at the higher levels of the Dallas arts scene. I am excited to be moderating a panel discussion next week called “Not Waiting For Permission” with five of our most talented emerging arts leaders, Sally Glass, Michael Morris, Lucy Kirkman, Francisco Moreno, and Brandy Michelle Adams. We will have a free flowing, wide ranging conversation about the state of the arts in Dallas, April 25^th at 8 p.m. at UTD-Centraltrak.

Yet, after going to almost every visual arts activity during the biggest art week of our calendar year, and seeing only a handful of black people and very few minorities in general – I had to write this essay. I had to say something. I didn’t want to. But I had to. And I hope you feel the same way.

45 Things You Need To Know To Enjoy The Best Art Week In Dallas

It isn’t hyperbole to say that this is the biggest week of the entire year for visual arts in Dallas. In terms of scope, quantity, and quality, there is nothing to compare to these next five days. If you don’t go to at least one visual art event this week, shame on you. If you are able to go to all of them – I will personally award you a medal. This started as just trying to list some things for some of my friends, and then became a bigger list for The 500, and now it has become this length of a Bill Simmons' column.

Speaking of The 500, everyone who knows that they should have subscribed to The 500, please take a second and do that now. When you join the 500 you get me to tell you about stuff like this, except every single week. Oh and then I throw you a party at the end of the month. It’s a pretty sweet deal.

Without further ado – the Biggest, Baddest, Bestest, Sweetest, Most Awesome, Exciting, Head Exploding, Week for Art In Dallas.

Wednesday

Dallas Arts: A Creative Conversation

(art panel discussion hosted by the Mayor)

Dallas Performance Hall 5:30 p.m.

Panel Starts at 6 p.m.

Need to RSVP http://dallasartsweek.eventbrite.com/

http://www.facebook.com/events/165107213647597

Deetz: Free wine, Free To Attend, Need To RSVP, Arts District

The Mayor of Dallas, Mike Rawlings, (1) whose daughter Michelle is a visual artist  (2)and shows with Oliver Francis Gallery (3), anointed this week Dallas Art Week (4). He also set up a panel. This is going to be great! First its at the new Dallas City Performance Hall (5) which you probably haven’t ventured into yet. Second, it has my homie Kevin Jacobs (6) on it. Actually you can just call this week Sweet Kevin’s Baadaaassss Song (7). Already controversial because the organizers (the Mayor/his people/”they”) did that thing where they didn’t pick any women for the panel (8). Organizers of public panels that are supposed to be representative of a major city, please include a female and someone not white. Just a great rule of thumb.

"Tobias Madison, Emanuel Rossetti & Stefan Tcherepnin"

Power Station 6 p.m – 8 p.m.

3816 Commerce Street, Dallas, Tx 75226

http://www.facebook.com/events/468502099883176/

Deetz: Free drinks, Free To Attend, Fancy ppl, Expo Park

Everyone likes The Power Station (8). They don’t do a ton of programming compared to other art institutions, but they tend to do a really good job. Also they tend to have a pretty fancy crowd that doesn’t regularly attend other local art openings. I have a feeling this will be doubly so because of the Art Fair.

Thursday 

Dallas Art Preview Gala

Fashion Industry Gallery

1807 Ross Avenue, Dallas, 75201

7 p.m – 10 p.m.

Deetz: $250 (9), Super Fancy Party, Super Fancy PPL, Feel Free To Invite Me As Your Plus One, Arts District

So, everyone cool from all over the world is going to be here and they are going to drink a bunch of champagne, give one armed hugs, and kiss each other on the cheek. Depending on who you are this is the best thing and/or the worst thing happening this week. Drop the money if you got it. Make fun of the whole deal if you don’t.

Official Dallas Art Fair Preview Gala After Party

The Joule Hotel (10) (rooftop deck)

1530 Main St., Dallas, TX 75201

10 p.m – 2 a.m.

Deetz: Downtown

Yeah, I bet you can probably crash this. Wear a nice suit, crazy dress, and be fearless.

Matthew Cusik – Motor Transgressions

Texas Theatre

8-11 p.m

http://www.facebook.com/events/276206602514043

Deetz: Free To Attend, Oak Cliff

The Texas Theatre (11) is cool. So this might be cool too.

Color, Colour, Colores

South Dallas Cultural Center

6:30 p.m. Bites and Drinks

7:00 p.m. Screening Ozwald Boateng: A Man's Story 

http://www.facebook.com/events/132658416917668/

Deetz: Free Drinks, Free Bites, Free To Attend, South Dallas

South Dallas Cultural Center (12) is probably the best art place you have never been to. You should go there more. I should go there more. My fashion people, especially my men’s fashion people, will probably like this. Plus, you know, it’s good to support black and brown people (13). 

"Platonic Solids" by Matthew Koons

TractorBeam Gallery

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
325 Cesar Chavez, Dallas, Tx 75201

http://www.facebook.com/events/442140689195547

Deetz: Free To Attend, Free Drinks, Downtown

Tractor Beam (14) knows how to throw a great party. This will be no exception. The hipster glitterati will be out in force. (15)

Friday

Dallas Art Fair

11:00 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Fashion Industry Gallery

1807 Ross Avenue Dallas 75201

http://www.dallasartfair.com/

Deetz: $25, one day pass, Arts District

The Dallas Art Fair will have a ton of art from a ton of galleries and will be generally awesome. Just go. It’s worth it. Oh and Culture Map Dallas has a deal for a free ticket on Friday. (16)

Sightings: Nathan Mabry

Nasher Sculpture Center

2001 Flora Street, Dallas, 75201

6 – 8 p.m

Deetz: Free To Attend, Arts District

It’s the Nasher (17). You have to go to it before Museum Tower (18) finishes melting it (19). Just kidding, I love Museum Tower and want to do awesome things there before the year is over. Seriously, it will be great.

Dan Rees

Goss Michael Foundation

6:30 p.m – 8:30 p.m

1405 Turtle Creek Boulevard, Dallas, 75207

Deetz: Free To Attend, Free Wine, Design District

Sweet Kevin’s Baadaaassss Song continues at the Goss Michael Foundation (20). You want to see the beautiful people. You want to feel beautiful. Go to GMF.

Stutter, slip, stack – Kristen Cochren

Re Gallery

6 – 10 p.m.

1717 Gould Street, Dallas, TX 75215

http://www.facebook.com/events/441759859236292/

Deetz: Free To Attend, Free Wine, The Cedars

I love RE Gallery (21). I love it is in a house. I love it is run by Wanda Dye (22). I love it shows (so far) smallish art objects. I love there is often a small bonfire. I love you that there is a gang of young artists who has carved out the turf as their home base (23). I love turf. But what I love most is how easy Wanda makes it for you to see the art. Art viewing is often social. We like to look at art with other people, particularly at openings or closings, and particularly with a drink in our hand. I’m sure that doesn’t apply to you, but it does apply to the majority of people who look at art in Dallas. Wanda has openings, closings, and an artist talk. Every single show. For this show she is having a double opening because it is an insanely busy week. Check it out Friday or Saturday, and fall in love.

High Contrast – Lucas Martell

Mountain View College

7:00 p.m.

http://www.facebook.com/events/561758993847324

Deetz: Free To Attend, Just Google Map It

I also love Lucas Martell (24). I think most people love Lucas Martell. Every time I see him I say his name in a sing songy voice that is to the tune of the opening of Lupin III (25). LUCAS MARTELL. LUCAS MARTELL. LUCAS. LUCAS. LUCAS. LUCAS MARTELL. So that’s why I am driving to his closing and showing love. You should too.

Moonlight In Dallas (Red iD 5^th Anniversary)

Avanti Fountain Place

1445 ross avenue, suite 150
dallas, tx 75202

http://www.facebook.com/events/181314802016213

RSVP: http://moonlightindallas.eventbrite.com/

Deetz: Free To Attend, Downtown

Red iD Agency (26) is a wonderful PR and Branding company and Teresa Nguyen is an awesome person. And 5 Years is no joke. Plus, The Danny Church Band (27) and magic! For Free!?!? You are too good to us Teresa.

Caja Dallas

Dallas Contemporary

8:00 p.m – 12:00 a.m

161 Glass Street, Dallas, 75207

Deetz: Free To Attend, Free Drinks, Design District

Oh where to begin? First, if you attend one art event on Friday – it has to be the Dallas Contemporary (28). I love the Contemporary. I thought the scandal earlier this year was horrifying (29). I think the shows can be incredibly uneven, fashion dominated glitzy affairs. I think the shows that aren’t that are often really great. I think it was great that people called Peter Doroshenko (30) out for being largely invisible on the local art scene, and I think it is great that I have seen him out and about the last three weekends. I think the institution has done the best job at attracting a diverse crowd of any arts institution in Dallas. I think it also does a great job at helping local talent reach the next level. Most importantly, I think the Dallas Contemporary is an institution that is wonderful barometer for where we are at as a city. Which is why everyone will be there Friday night.

Wax Addicts

Circuit 12

9 – 2 a.m.

1130 Dragon St Suite 150

http://www.facebook.com/events/626736250686601

Deetz: $10, Design District

This is what you should do after the Dallas Contemporary. Three of the best most consistent DJs in Dallas, and the new show, Milestone #1 (31) that opened up last weekend is one of my favorites from this gallery.

Saturday

Dallas Art Fair

11:00 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Fashion Industry Gallery

1807 Ross Avenue Dallas 75201

Deetz, $25, Arts District 

If you didn’t go Friday. You should go today. If you went Friday, you should also go today. There is A LOT OF ART TO SEE.

Panel Discussion – Navigating an Art Fair
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Dallas Contemporary,

161 Glass Street, Dallas, 75207

Deetz: Free To Attend, Design District

Might be interesting for my artist friends who want to form a wandering art fair tribe.

Panel Discussion – Why Can’t We All Get Along?
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Dallas Contemporary,

161 Glass Street, Dallas, 75207
Deetz: Free To Attend, Design District

Sweet Kevin’s Baadaaassss Song continues as part of this panel that I wish will be Dallas-centric but have a feeling will probably be general talk about artists and galleries. Oh and Papa Heyd Fontenot (32), Defender of the City, and Guardian of Centraltrak (34) will be on the panel as well. Heyd is the best and will probably say worthwhile things and doesn’t do a lot of public panels so you should go listen to him.

360 Speaker Series: Nathan Mabry
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Nasher Sculpture Center,

2001 Flora Street, Dallas, 75201
To reserve seating, please email 360RSVP@nashersculpturecenter.org

Deetz: Free To Attend, Free Wine, Must RSVP, Arts District

See the show, hear the artist talk, and get free wine. Perfect for those who missed the opening.

Innate

Oil and Cotton

837 W. 7th Street, Dallas, Texas 75208

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

http://www.facebook.com/events/645472422135410

Deetz: Free To Attend, Free Wine, Oak Cliff

Oil and Cotton is really cool (35), and I have slept on it for a while. No more! Shout out to Sally Glass, editor of semigloss. (36) for getting me to see the light.

Fallas Dart Air: Low and Slow

Mama Faye’s BBQ

7:00 p.m – 11:30 p.m.

http://www.facebook.com/events/145838148923936/

Deetz: Free To Attend, Deep Ellum

I am really hopeful that this will be the best thing ever and change my life. Seriously these are my expectations. I love subversion or transgression or whatever you want to call it. Had a chance to chat with Ludwig Schwarz (37) last week and he seems like a swell guy. And can you hear that sound? It’s the tune of Sweet Kevin’s Baadaaassss Song. Finally, have you had Mama Faye’s BBQ (38)!?

Stutter, slip, stack – Kristen Cochren

RE Gallery

6 – 9 p.m.

1717 Gould Street, Dallas, TX 75215

http://www.facebook.com/events/441759859236292/

Opening so nice they had to do it twice. I will probably be attending the Saturday opening.

TINAY/IDNCTBH (SRTAMHMWF)

Oliver Francis Gallery

7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m

209 S. Peak St. Dallas, Texas 75226

http://www.facebook.com/events/500095190026121/

Sweet Kevin’s Baadaaassss Song comes to a glorious climax at the house Kevin Rubens Jacobs built – OFG. I really hope they burn things. I also hope there is an ice chest. Maybe Green Bandana (39) will revive our pop-up bar concept (40). I hope there is a dance party til 4:00 a.m. Seriously what is there to do after 10:00 p.m? Maybe we’ll throw a pop-up party. Ash Studios (41)? I’ll ask Fred (42).

Landscape Is Motorized

500X Gallery

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
500 Expositon Avenue, Dallas, Tx 75226

http://www.facebook.com/events/589861854358410

500X (43) is like your favorite t-shirt. No matter where you are going, you are always going to take it with you. New things come and go, 500X is forever. That is why you should always go to there show openings.

Sunday

Dallas Art Fair

12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Yep – you finally have to cave in and go the actual Dallas Art Fair (44). It was crazy. Let’s do this more often. Oh yeah, and I hear there is some international film festival (45) that is happening too.

xoxo art ppl,

Darryl

The 500: A Love Letter To Dallas

When I was 20, I would drive 45 minutes south of Dallas, past Mansfield, to hangout at the house of a musician couple who had toured with Sly and The Family Stone. Inside of this unlikely house was a state of the art recording studio. I would listen to professional musicians jam out, write poetry, and just soak up the atmosphere of being an artist.

When I was 21, I would drive to Northeast Dallas for house parties thrown by an amazing South American couple. We would drink wine, listen to world-class jazz musicians, hear beautiful poetry, and look at great art. My friends would try to get me to salsa, and I would protest, but occasionally, I would attempt to spin someone around.

When I was 22, I flocked to the Bishop Arts Distict, and friends would DJ afrobeat on the sidewalks, and we would drink wine, and laugh, and dream. I started going to every gallery opening that I could. I started to really look. I would soon get the opportunity to start this company, book and manage a music venue, and represent some amazing talent.

By the time I was 23 I had officially fallen in love with Dallas. I would take midnight walks through Downtown and the Arts District, and just breathe the city inside my soul. I would lament that some of my friends didn’t love the city as much as I did, and I would wonder what I could do to help them stay. I would dream about how great Dallas could be, and what I could do to help her get there.

Three years have passed since I fell in love with Dallas and we are at a pivotal moment. There are many people who are falling in love with our fair city. Talented people are giving Dallas a try. The excitement and enthusiasm is infectious. Over the last three years, I am most proud of the moments in which I have helped communities of like-minded people establish and grow. The reason I focus on this is because I believe when the right people interact, great things organically come from these interactions.

Yet our creatives need more than just friends. They also need finacial support to make new, ambitious, and risky work. The visual arts in Dallas does not have a grants program for emerging talent. Artists are left to fend for themselves, hustle where they can, and hope for the best. Towards the end of last year, I wondered what would happen if we could form a community of people that would help address this issue? If we could gather 500 people in Dallas who wanted to do something tangible, something that would have an outsize impact, on our arts community.

We are calling this community The 500, and we really want for you to be part of it. The idea is simple – once enough people join The 500, we will start awarding $1,000 grants to artists to make new work, every month. The artist will debut their new work at the monthly event for 500 members, and then are free to do whatever they want to with the work. For our creatives the benefits are threefold. They get money to help create a new piece, a platform to exhibit or debut that work, and an audience to enjoy and respond to the new work.

What members of The 500 get is an easy way to support the cutting edge artists who will make Dallas a world class arts city. They also get a chance to be part of one of the best communities of like-minded individuals in Dallas. They get a monthly, amazing multi-genre art party planned by Green Bandana. They also get information and access to all of the beautiful underground art happenings that make Dallas great. All for “the crazy, affordable” price of $30/month.

There is only so much that any of us can do alone. For Dallas to continue to grow we need to build the audience for the arts, and not just on the museum level. We need to get the people who donate to large arts institutions to support artists, thinkers, and doers who often do much of the heavy, innovative, lifting that makes Dallas special. We need the young professionals who want to help but don't have the time to really get involved. We need the shoegazers, the creative class, the service industry, the students, everyone to get some skin in the game. It is truly superb to have a Cindy Sherman exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art, but supporting artists like Hillary Holsonback, Haley Kattner Allen, Danielle Georgiou, and Sally Glass is just as important for our global ambitions.

Last year Green Bandana pumped in over $60,000 into our local arts economy. Every time I write someone a check, it helps them continue to survive and do their part to make our city great. If The 500 is successful we will be able to double that number to $120,000. But it will take all of us, each of us, to make this a reality.

This Saturday we are having a preview event, called Gloria, to give people a taste of what they can expect from The 500 in terms of the quality of our offerings. It will take place at the Conduit Gallery, we will have a poetry reading, an amazing concert by The Danny Church Band, a dance party by The MoodSwing DJs, and a sponsored Open Bar. There will also be something you probably haven’t ever experienced before that is collaboration between Roberto Munguia x Conduit x GBG.  Oh, and it is also my birthday party, so there’s that. All for only $15, get your tickets here, find a dope hat, wear a suit, put on that dress, party with us, and learn more about The 500.

We all have our reasons for being in Dallas. Some of us love her, some of us are indifferent, and some of us are still struggling to see her charms. All of us have struggled from time to time, to find our tribe in Dallas - to find that group of people amongst whom we belong. Once a month, let us build you a home, an oasis, where we can all come together and celebrate everything that makes Dallas special. Let us come together to help our art scene take an important step in her growth. Join The 500, and let us help you fall in love.

I. Laughter Of The Gods

“Don't play for anybody other than your family, or God, or whatever you believe in," he said. "It's easy to get caught up in playing for the crowd, trying to play a game you're not capable of... I try harder not to do things that are over my head, not do anything too special." – Stephen Curry

"Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of truth and knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods." – Albert Einstein

No one likes talking about luck. However, if you asked most businessmen if they could be consistently lucky or consistently smart, most would choose to be consistently lucky. If you are always lucky and have a few good ideas, you will become a millionaire. If you have a million great ideas but also have terrible luck, you will die penniless. The biggest reason people don’t like to discuss luck is because it shoots holes in our beloved idea of meritocracy. The narrative of hard work, dedication, and occasional brilliance are hallmarks of the upward mobility mythology. We love any retelling of the American Dream because it gives us hope, a reason to keep striving, and like religion, it helps us orient ourselves in the world.

We love sports because they serve as a pageant that lets us frame, tell, and digest the morality of our country. One of my favorite bits of theater is March Madness, a 68 team college basketball tournament to crown the NCAA champion. As the tourney approaches commentators will gush over how hard every team has worked to get there, and up until the opening tip off on Thursday every team imagines that they have a shot to win it all. We all take turns marveling in this seemingly level playing field where David and Goliath stand hand in hand; where everyone who works hard has a chance to clutch the brass ring. 

Of course this is simply not true. If you are a 16 seed you are going to lose your game against the 1 seed. A 16 seed is a ritualistic sacrifice. Statistically the chances of winning are close to zero which illustrates the gap in ability between a 16 seeded team and a team who receives a number 1 ranking. It has never happened before, and every year we wait, and someone will say maybe these kids can give them a scare, but it simply does not happen. 

For me the interesting thing about teams that are 16 seeds is that they are often conference champions, many of whom dominate their conferences. What does this say about a mediocre team in their own conference? And then I remember that there are two entire college divisions of basketball below the division I. How big is the gulf in ability as you go down the ladder? And the average DIII team would wipe the floor with a really good high school team. The worst team in the NBA would absolutely blow out whichever college team wins this year NCAA tournament. The one thing that all of these teams have in common is that they are working really, really, hard every single day to get better.

What attracts people to March Madness are the teams seeded 14 though 10. Those teams have a shot to beat their opponent. Even better we almost know that at least one, and often several of them, will actually upset their first round opponent. If this team survives the first weekend, they will be dubbed the “Cinderella” team. The press will spend a week crafting stories around this team that will revolve around how hard they work, how unselfish they play, how “together” the team is, how well they are coached, how they play the game the “right” way. The Cinderella team becomes the stand-in for the bootstrapping immigrant in our mobility narrative.

I love the Cinderella team. I went to a school, Davidson College, that made a trip to the Elite 8 my senior year. It was lovely. All of a sudden the country cares about your tiny school of 1600 kids, and by extension cares about you. I knew our star player, Stephen Curry, but that was the beauty of it – we all knew Stephen Curry. After we beat Gonzaga in the Round of 32, I remember being in an apartment with some friends and some members of the team and Steph comes in. Everyone is just jumping and shouting and for a second the moment belonged to all of us.

We would lose to the eventual champion, Kansas, at Ford Field in the Elite 8. The trustees had arranged to pay for any student who was interested in attending room and board, and I was there amongst the faithful. I saw our senior point guard and nation assist leader, Jason Richards, take the final three point shot. For those tenths of a second as the ball arced through the air, every one of us believed it was going in. I will always treasure that moment, being with tens of thousands of people all praying for the same thing, and confident that their prayers would be answered.

Statistically, Davidson College never had a real shot at being a National Champion. There has only been one team since the tourney expanded to win the championship at below a three seed. It was a 4 seed – Arizona State. Yet every year we are sucked into suspending our belief. Perhaps the greatest Cinderella of all time was Butler University in 2010, making it to the championship game against Duke and having a legitimate final second shot to win the game. Upon reviewing the tape experts concluded that if their star players elbow was angled an 1/8^th of an inch to the left, the shot would have gone in. The difference between making history and losing everything came down to “the width of a tear.”

One of the problems with the art world is that we do not have a suitable pageant upon which to project our beliefs. Economist Don Thompson suggests that at any given time in New York City there are 40,000 artists, 300 who have mature careers, 5,000 with gallery representation, and 15,000 artists actively looking for representation. He also suggests that it is better to be represented by the 51^st best gallery in New York than by the best gallery in Baltimore. This is similar to being the 7^th best team in the Big East compared to the best team from the Southwestern Atlantic Conference. I am sure that the best gallery in Baltimore works really hard, and perhaps even harder than a top NYC gallery. I am equally sure that if they both wanted the same artist, like any 16 seed, the Baltimore gallery would have zero chance of winning.

Most of us are closer to 16 seeds than we are to number one seeds. If we are really honest most of us aren’t even Division I material, let alone ready for the Big Dance. If we are painfully honest most of us won’t ever upset anyone, or ever even make a splash. No one talks about this because it is impolite and because everyone harbors some idea that they may get lucky. It is impolite because it violates our idea of hard work trumping all. It is impolite because we do not like to think about how much of our own life is outside of our control.

Making art and playing sports are very similar. We start off in the same place; we learn the same fundamentals, but relatively quickly a few people start distancing themselves from the pack. In sports this is mostly a matter of genetics. Shaquille O Neal is a hall of famer because he was destined to become 7’1 and 325 pounds and one of the most physically explosive and imposing players of all time. If you were destined to grow to 5’10 no amount of will or hard work would ever lead you to a Hall of Fame NBA career.

Similarly most artists know by the age of 30 if they are going to have a branded art career. Even artists who make vastly different types of work come from the same dozen or so elite art schools, are included in the same important art shows, win the same awards, are shown at the same art fairs, and are represented by the same dealers. If they haven’t experienced any sort of success by 30, they probably won’t ever be in the Whitney Biennial or other similar exhibitions. They probably won’t even have a shot of getting a show at the best gallery in Baltimore.

Yet, the beauty of both sport and art is that most people don’t do them to one day have a Hall of Fame career or get into the Whitney. There is a distinct virtue in simply participating in both – your life improves by the process. And what makes art even better than sports is that you can keep participating even as your physical body betrays you. Even the best professional athlete is rarely able to play past 40. My mentor Roberto Munguia’s mentor Leonard Brooks created a collage every day until his death at 100 in 2011.

My alma mater is back in the tournament this year as a 14 seed against 3 seed Marquette. I am eagerly devouring any material that suggests we have a chance to defeat this other team. I know in most of my brackets I will pick us to win over Marquette even though we only have a 25%-33% chance of doing so. Although I know it is statistically impossible, every year I fill out at least one bracket where Davidson wins the NCAA championship.

Whether it is rooting for a small school in North Carolina, supporting a burgeoning art scene in Dallas or rejoicing in the triumph of a living God, the act of belief has its own rewards. Faith allows us to enter into communities of value. It helps us establish relationships with likeminded people, other human beings who care as we care. It orients our world and allows us to conquer fear and enjoy the life we have been given. It is our antidote to the laughter of the gods.