Winner's Announcement Party : 3.1.08

The esteemed jury met last weekend. We announce the winner tomorrow and will post them all here by Monday. Above? Mark Gunderson and Rick Lowe. More pics of the jury deliberating here.

See ya tomorrow at the party! PanAmerican ArtProjects. 1615 Dragon in Dallas. 6-8PM.

Looking at La Reunion from outside Dallas

A few weeks ago, I had the honor to hear Robert Hammond speak about the amazing High Line project in NYC.  He was in town as a guest speaker for the Dallas Architecture Forum's 07-08 season at the Magnolia Theatre.  Listening to his experience in dealing with an artifact from another era and trying to do something interesting with it for the benefit of a city sounded awfully familiar.  The vision revealed to him and a co-founder was to create a super long park on the western side of Manhattan.  Why not, right?  It was awfully inspiring and exactly what I needed to hear at that moment in time as LRTX was heading into it's own ideas competition that wrapped juried deliberations just this past weekend...  WHEW.  Anyhoo.  After his talk, I had to introduce myself and share a little about the vision for Dallas we at La Reunion have with our own little plot of land and a trestle...  Check out Robert's post on LRTX on the High Line blog.  

Live Blogging from the Jury Room

Well.  The jury deliberates.  Rick Lowe, Rick Brettell, Louise Harpman, Max Levy, and Mark Gunderson made the first go through of entries.  We then had a site visit and broke for lunch.  After a nice meal the fabulous Cliff Cafe in Oak Cliff, we are now back in the room and the deliberations continue....  A very exciting day in the life or our young organization. Public announcement on March 1 at PanAmerican ArtProjects.  Ok, back to showing slides....

Winner's Announcement Party + other goodness

Well, the stellar jury for Make Space for Art is meeting in about a week or so and there's tons to do in the meantime. A handful of us are working over time to prepare the files for a slide show for the jury to view. Shout outs to Allison V Smith, Jessica Stewart, Chance Miller, and David Traylor for camping out at La Reunion world headquarters (Murray Street Coffee) and helping me sort gobs of cd's. Having a sneak peak at plans is just one of the awesome perks of managing La Reunion.

Speaking of the Winner's Announcement Party... We are having a fantastic get-together on March 1 at PanAmerican ArtProjects from 6pm-8pm. We'll announce the winner, show a slide show of all the entires and have a fabulous time listening to the Tim Burtonesque sounds of Escalator Maintenance Society. I ran by the gallery this very afternoon and artist William Cannings was there installing his show which will be on display during our party. Fabulous.

Last, check out this article on the KERA blog about one of the Make Space for Art jurors, Rick Lowe of Project Row Houses in Houston. It's thrilling to have the honor of meeting him in a couple of weeks and getting his input on our project. Stay tuned.

Tree Carving!

Our first annual Tree Carving was this past Saturday.  About 75 people attended over the course of the day and toured the site and learned a little about native flora from Melissa Martin and Randy Johnson with Texas Discovery Gardens.  Attendees watched artists transform non-native (weed), dead and dying trees into site specific works of art.  Thank you to local artists Brad Ford Smith, Kevin Obregon, Allan Arp, Tyler and Molly Sharp, Cindy Thomas, and David Carapeytan (and CREW!) for being such sensitive and adventurous artists.  Pictures abound. Local photographer Erica Felicella shot some amazing portraits that can be seen here. Attendee Steve Rainwater also took some pictures.  Mine are here.  More are coming!  

A special thank you to volunteer Lisa Z for bringing hot and cold drinks for the artists. Thanks to CityGallery for a donation to defer costs.  Thanks to Preservation Tree for being there in full force and educating us all on trees. Thanks to everyone who attended and spent a lovely day outdoors.   We look forward to next year!  

If you'd like a tour of the site, please contact Executive Director Sarah Jane Semrad at sarah@LaReunionTX.org.

First Annual Tree Carving : 2.2.08 : 10am -4pm

Please RSVP to sarah@LaReunionTX.org or call 469-951-7323 for our first annual Tree Carving and to get directions to the site.  Watch artists create site specific installations in and around non-native dead or dying trees that have been tagged by Preservation Tree and approved by the City of Dallas.  Tours of on-site native flora be Texas Discovery Gardens at 11AM and 1PM.  Imagine someday taking a walk in the woods in Dallas and exploring an outdoor gallery of decomposing Tree Art through a system of trails on the 35 acres.  The Tree Carving program treads lightly and only takes out trees that are unhealthy, dead or dying or non-native as a way to restore a balanced ecosystem.  Wear sturdy shoes and plan to be out doors.  

Participating artists include Kevin Obregon, Brad Ford Smith, Allan Arp, David Carapetyan (and Crew), Cindy Thomas, Tyler Sharp, and Molly Sharp.  Photo above taken Jan 26 at a planning meeting on the site.  RSVP to attend.  

clean up day is tomorrow!

oooooo, it's going to be refreshing and cool when the group goes to the lovely LRTX land and we prepare it for our Tree Carving on Feb 2. It's not too late! If you'd like to be a part of it, please email me sarah@LaReunionTX.org and I'll send you the map + more info. We'll be laying trails to the trees tagged for Tree Carving, sweeping, picking up trash, piling organic debris and getting the site ready for visitors. Bring yourself, a sack lunch, and a happy smile! Please join us!

Call for Artists extended + Open House at the Land!

LRTX Open House and Tree Carving slated for February 2, 2008 from 10AM-4PM. Come tour the LRTX land with Master Naturalists from Texas Discovery Gardens. Watch artists carve undesirable "weed" trees designated for removal by Preservation Tree and the City of Dallas. Email to sarah@LaReunionTX.org for rsvp and directions!


Call for Artists!
You're an artist. You have the site-specific challenge to create SOMETHING from a tree on the LRTX land that needs to be removed in order to create an environment that is welcoming for native bugs, birds, and plant life. You must remove enough bark from the tree to kill it without cutting it down. What might you create?
Banding: Removing bark all the way around the trunk of a tree (at least one hand's width) allows the tree to naturally decompose, attracting desirable critters who help revitalize the ecosystem.
The Art Part: Each tree is surrounded by grasses, dirt, neighboring shrubs. What can you, an artist, create in and around that space that invokes curiosity? What tools will you use? What spatial considerations will you have? What will you do?
The Caveat: There is no electricity onsite (for now), so all your tools must be self- or hand-powered. Chisels, Knives, Chainsaws -- all good (exercising great caution, of course). Decorative additions from the native area such as rocks, wires, twigs, etc., are encouraged, but not mandatory. Paint may be applied, as well, though we encourage environmental consciousness.

Examples of trees are on the LRTX website. Please come up with an idea — any idea. Once accepted, you'll choose (or be assigned) a tree. Deadline has been extended to January 11, 2008. Apply here! Collaborations encouraged! Email sarah@LaReunionTX.org if you have questions.

The Stats Are In!

After processing 142 entries for Make Space for Art - here is the breakdown:

37 from Texas
67 from across North America including Alaska and Canada
29 from Europe
5 from Asia
2 from Australia
1 from Africa
1 from South America
0 from Antarctica.

Interesting facts: architects mostly write the same. A collage might be in the works of the words "La Reunion TX" written over and over by architects. Folks from Asia and Europe consistently use slightly longer paper than others. Our one lone cash registration fee came from Japan. Go figure. Entries are due January 31.

La Reunion TX – Call for Artists – Tree Carving!

The Challenge: We challenge you as an artist to do a site-specific installation as part of the ecological thinning of dead, dying, and non-native trees located on the lush, dynamic landscape of La Reunion Texas.

You're an artist: Your only requirements besides letting your creative juices flow, are to "band" the tree and leave it as safe as possible for viewers. You can view the selected trees for this event by visiting the La Reunion web site.

The Art Part: Each tree has its own environment with limbs, grass, dirt, neighboring shrubs. What can you, the artist create in that space to invoke curiosity? How will you translate the natural elements into an art form, and how will the natural elements translate your art?

The Caveat: There is no electricity available at La Reunion TX so you must use hand tools or self powered tools ie: Axes, Chisels, Chainsaws or Gas powered generators. The addition of decorative elements from the surrounding area such as rocks, twigs, and branches are encouraged. You may also bring your own raw materials but we are strongly encouraging a green/environmental consciousness.

What will you do? Send La Reunion TX a sketch and a short description of your project. Please note that unless a SASE is included, all material will become the property of La Reunion TX. Mail to: 4848 Lemmon Avenue #100-117, Dallas 75219. Or email to Sarah@LaReunionTX.org

The Facts: Submissions due by January 5, 2008. Entries will be judged by the La Reunion TX artist selection committee. Artists will be notified of acceptance by January 10, 2008. The Tree Carving / Open House event will be Feb. 2, 2008 at the La Reunion TX land. Please enclose application fee of $10.00. If selected, you will be a part of a truly unique art experience in a long-term decomposing exhibit that will be visited for years to come. Your tree will be documented and displayed prominently in our newsletter, website, and on LRTX materials. Please consider this opportunity as a chance to do a great service to un-healthy land and challenge yourself as an artist!

Artists : Check this out.

CONTACT: ZELDA ALPERN, GRANTS & PUBLICITY

(802) 635-2727

The Vermont Studio Center Announces the Brown Foundation Awards for Texas Artists & Writers

The Vermont Studio Center, the international creative community located in the heart of the Green Mountains in Johnson, Vermont, USA, announces the Brown Foundation Awards to fund four-week Residencies for three outstanding Visual Artists and Writers from Texas.

The Fellowship will provide 3 outstanding Texas artists and writers with 4-week VSC Residencies in 2008/09, including ample studio space, comfortable housing, 3 meals daily, as well as access to the 6 distinguished Visiting Painters, Sculptors and Writers who are in residence each month.

A Vermont Studio Center Residency is an ideal opportunity for fruitful interaction with American and international professional peers in a non-competitive, supportive environment. The Brown Foundation awards continue a well-established tradition at VSC of offering cultural exchange opportunities for national and international artists. VSC has other ongoing national Residency programs for artists and writers from New England, Indiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as Residency Fellowships for Native American artists and writers. In addition, VSC has international Residency Programs for artists from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe, Cuba, Latin America, and Mexico.

The Brown Foundation, in Houston, Texas, was established in 1951 by Margarett and Herman Brown and Alice and George R. Brown as a nonprofit charitable foundation. All funds donated to the foundation and income generated from these funds is used for public charitable purposes, principally for support, encouragement, and assistance to the arts and education. Since its inception, the Brown Foundation has awarded grants in excess of $185 million to artistic, educational, medical, and other charitable organizations.

The deadline for all applications is February 15, 2008. Please call Kate Westcott, VSC Receptionist, for more information (802) 635-2727, or visit our Web site (www.vermontstudiocenter.org) for detailed application process.

Make Space for Art

Every time I check the mail, there's a treat from some distant land. Today? Australia and Portugal. Not that the avalanche of stateside entries aren't interesting too. They are! I've been keeping all the envelopes because it's cool to see "La Reunion TX" in so many different handwritten fonts. A widely known fact I'd like to confirm after a decidedly unscientific survey: architects have the most amazing handwriting. Especially local architect and juror to La Reunion TX's Make Space for Art - Max Levy. Breathtaking and poetic script.

Registration deadline is Dec 17. Keep it coming ya'll.

For Immediate Release : 'Make Space for Art' Jury Announced

La Reunion TX, a not for profit artist residency, launched a call for entries for ‘Make Space for Art’ on Monday, September 17, 2007. Thus far, La Reunion TX has entires from Egypt, Sweden, Hong Kong, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, The Slovak Republic, Finland, UK, among others.

The purpose of ‘Make Space for Art’ is to generate ideas for a future artist studio and short-term housing space in Oak Cliff. The registration deadline for ‘Make Space for Art’ is December 17, 2007 and entries will be due January 31, 2008. Architects, students, and artists are welcome to register and submit entries.

Jury Facilitator for ‘Make Space for Art’ is Mark Gunderson, AIA of Fort Worth. Other jurors include: Rick Brettell of UTD, Rick Lowe of Project Row House in Houston, Louise Harpman of UT-Austin, and Max Levy, FAIA of Dallas. These jurors will honor the most creative entries with cash prizes and a chance to be a part of a 2008 touring exhibition in North Texas. Details of the tour will be announced later.

Facilitator: Mark Gunderson, AIA – Gunderson is a practicing architect in Fort Worth, Texas and is past president of the Dallas Architecture Foundation. He currently serves on the board for Dallas Architecture Forum and writes and lectures frequently on architecture. In 2006, his alma mater, Texas Tech University, presented Gunderson with Distinguished Alumnus Award from its College of Architecture. He has been a visiting critic at both Texas Tech and the UTA School of Architecture. Currently at work as a co-author to Buildings of Texas, a new 1,000-page double volume in the series “Buildings of the United States,” published by the University of Virginia Press for the Society of Architectural Historians.

Richard Brettell, PhD. – Dr. Brettell is founding president of the Dallas Architecture Forum, former Director of the Dallas Museum of Art and holds three degrees from Yale University. He has taught at the University of Texas, Northwestern University, The University of Chicago, Yale University, and Harvard University and is currently Margaret McDermott Distinguished Professor in the Interdisciplinary School of Arts and Humanities at the University of Texas at Dallas. He has begun to publish architectural criticism, including “Beyond the Golden Age: Three New Art Museums for Texas” in Southwest Review and “Lost in Translation: Ando’s Building for The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth” for CITE. Brettell established and curated the “Five Modern Architects” exhibit for University of Texas at Dallas in 2002.

Rick Lowe – Lowe is the founder of Project Row Houses, an arts and cultural community located in a historically significant and culturally charged neighborhood in Houston, Texas. As an artist, Rick has participated in exhibitions and programs nationally and internationally. From 1996 to the present, he has exhibited at the Phoenix Art Museum, the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston and several other art museums around the world. In 1997, Rick and Project Row Houses were awarded a silver medal by the Rudy Bruner Awards in Urban Excellence. He was the year 2000 recipient of the American Institute of Architecture Keystone Award. In 2002, he was awarded by Theresa Heinz the Heinz Award in the arts and humanities. Rick was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University from September 2001-June 2002. In 2006, Rick received the Brandywine Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2007, he has been an Osher Fellow at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and received the Houston Spirit Award given by the Mayor of Houston.

Max Levy, FAIA – Fort Worth native Max Levy is a Dallas-based principal, adjunct associate professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, and fellow with the American Institute of Architects. He has lectured across Texas, written for Texas Architect, and authored Chasing the Modernist Rainbow (2000). Recent honors include a 2007 Best in Show award from the Dallas AIA; a 2006 National Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects; a 2002 AIA Dallas House of the Year Award fromD Magazine and a 2001 AIA National Honor Award. His design capacities and poetic sensibility have caused his office to receive more design awards from the Texas Society of Architects than any other small practice in the history of the TSA Awards program.

Louise Harpman – Louise Harpman is a partner at Specht Harpman. Before founding Specht Harpman, she worked as a designer at Eisenman Architects and Buttrick White & Burtis Architects. She is currently serving as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is also the Harwell Hamilton Professor of Architecture. Before joining the UT faculty, she taught for eight years at the Yale School of Architecture and for four years at the University of Pennsylvania. Louise Harpman received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University where she concentrated in East Asian Studies. She holds a Master of Philosophy degree from Cambridge University and received her Master of Architecture degree from Yale University, where she was awarded the AIA Henry Adams Certificate and the Janet Cain Sielaff Prize. Louise Harpman is the co-editor of Perspecta 30:Settlement Patterns (1999). She is the author of the Brooklyn Public Library Design Guidelines (1996) and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Design Trust for Public Space.

Art Chicas Unidas

Art Chicas Unidas, a four way-collaboration between La Reunion TX, Dallas Art Dealers Association, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, and CityGallery was held on on Saturday, November 10, 2007.

The day began at 8AM with La Reunion TX artist set-up at CityGallery. Artists chosen earlier in the summer by the La Reunion TX artist selection committee included Erica Felicella, Ivonne Acero, Loretta Gonzales, Linka Behn, Johanna Hulsey, Catalyna Mendez, VET, and Lizzy Wetzel. High school girls from select Dallas area high schools started arriving at 8:30AM. What happened next was magical.

The girls were divided up among the selected artists and an all-day workshop began. Each group started on a project and began a day-long process in a variety of media. From digital photography to felt-making, each group fully explored process, design, materials, camaraderie. At lunch, DADA made a presentation in different careers in art as well as how to get started in a gallery by presenting a comprehensive portfolio.

After the workshop was complete, all the art created over the course of the day was installed in the gallery and the general public started arriving at 7PM. All the art sold by silent auction and proceeds were re-invested in the Art Chicas Unidas program. Pending funding, we will replicate this program at a Girl Scout camping facility in a "Total Art Immersion" experience in late April 2008. Stay tuned.

Shout outs and thank yous are in order to the following generous souls:
Lara Arp, Mattie Jenkins, Teri Walker, Rebel Calhoun, Lenita Davis, Clare Dempsy, Kevin Nash, Allison Graham, Catherine Cuellar, Andrea Roberts, Leah Shafer, Cathey Miller, Lisa Zimmerman, Lisa Taylor, Laura and Fred Fregin, Caroline Finlay, Maloree Banks, Dallas Women's Foundation, Kroger, and Central Market. Last - all the girls and the LRTX artists.

La Reunion TX Workshop

Last Spring, David Hopkins lead a very cool workshop about comics and graphic novels at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary. Above is an excerpt. Enjoy!

SMU kids clean-up La Reunion TX

The SMU kids have come through for us again in 2007, thanks to the amazing Bob Curry with the City of Dallas! Back in January, a team of fraternity brothers cleaned up what we called "Tire City" - where literally hundreds of tires had been illegally dumped just off the road on the La Reunion TX land. This time we weren't dealing with tires, but brush! Lots of it!

We made a huge pile of organic debris that the good folks at Preservation Tree later chipped for us. We had mostly juniors and seniors - male and female - this time. After the clean-up effort, I had the best time talking with some of the group about the project. As their eyes grew wider, I grew more and more happy to share. I hope they left inspired, invigorated, and happy too. Thanks ya'll!

ART CHICAS UNIDAS!

Come celebrate the launching of our new mentoring program, Art Chicas Unidas, on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. at CityGallery, 3601 Routh St. This free evening will feature Girl Scout cookies, live music and ART- what else does one need?

La Reunion TX collaborated with Dallas Art Dealers Association, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas and CityGallery to create Art Chicas Unidas, which pairs high school girls with Dallas visual artists.

The girls will spend November 10 with Dallas artists creating the artwork that will be on display and for sale for the evening event. At lunch that day, DADA members will discuss artist portfolios and careers available in the visual arts.

Art Chicas Unidas targets high school girls from North Dallas High School, Adamson High School, Hillcrest High School, and Jasper High School. The mission of Art Chicas Unidas is to provide high school girls in the targeted DISD schools the opportunity to develop art-related leadership skills by 1) enabling these girls to work with and learn from professional artists; 2) providing a vision for a future profession in the arts and/or media; 3) teaching girls how their skills in art can be used to facilitate a college education; and 4) allowing girls to produce art in new and traditional media that portrays a contemporary image of Girl Scouts in the community.

The Dallas artists selected for this event include Erica Felicella, Johanna Hulsey, Catalyna Mendez, Lizzy Wetzel, Linka Behn, VET, Ivonne Acero, and Loretta Gonzalez.

There will be another opportunity for artists and high-schoolers to be involved in Art Chicas Unidas in April 2008 (if funding becomes available). How do you help that happen? You can sponsor a girl! Visit our site for a form. Email sarah@lareuniontx.org if you would like to volunteer for the Nov. 10 event.

Art Chicas Unidas is currently funded by Dallas Women's Foundation and supported by Central Market and Kroger.

Why are we doing this again?

Name's Sarah Jane and I'm the director of this organization. I had a wonderful conversation the other day with a brilliant gal who asked me why I was doing La Reunion. Hmmmm. Thought I'd speak to that publicly. My personal answer's simple: because I'm passionate about cultivating and sustaining artists and culture in my community. La Reunion isn't my first go with such an idea. After producing independent art shows for a few years, there was this gallery I formed in 2004 where emerging artists had space to present their ideas in all media. Then there was the community arts project I steered and managed for a couple of years that connected local artists and businesses through a concept gallery with satellite locations all over Dallas. Most recently, there's the annual underground art event I co-founded that brings all walks of life - expected and unexpected - to reinvest in the local arts economy. La Reunion is the fourth verse of a song I've been singing for years. What started as a kernel of an idea with my pal Catherine has quickly become larger than either one of us had imagined independent of one another.

As a serial social entrepreneur, I can speak about the failures as well as the successes. I know this for certain : An eye toward long-term sustainability is in the fore-front of my mind and it's what keeps me up at night - sustainability with the building, with the programs, with the staff, with the finances. How can La Reunion be an innovative and yet well-oiled machine with a solid business plan and a means to sustain itself long term? It's an invigorating conversation with lots going on in meetings, continuing education, miscellaneous websites and development behind the scenes. Having an idea and doing a little planning is one thing. Execution is another. Stay tuned folks.

Make Space for Art Updates!

WOW. We interest and/or registrations from Korea, Vietnam, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Canada, Harvard, California, New York, Slovak Republic, Egypt, and of course LOTS of local inquiries. Keep it coming folks. Deadline to register is December 17, 2007. Deadline for submissions is January 31, 2008. Contact Jessica Stewart at jessica@LaReunionTX.org if you have questions about Make Space for Art. Many exciting annoucements to come in the next few weeks - including the jury!

Inspiration

A couple days ago, La Reunion TX board member Jessica Stewart and I (Sarah Jane) met with the Erika Huddleston - Marketing Coordinator for The Trinity Trust at Murray Street Coffee (one of our favorite places to meet). We began sharing about our organizations and what they mean to Dallas as a whole and the timelines we are both working with. Although La Reunion TX isn't involved in any part of the Trinity River Project, we wanted to know more about this proposed parks and roads system as residents in a part of town that will be profoundly impacted by the vote on November 6, 2007. Please check out their website to read about all of their exciting developments. And either way - if you are local, go vote!