Former (and maybe again someday) Gray Matters
Gallery Director now SMU MFA student Vance Wingate

Art Conspiracy 3 at The Door in Deep Elm was a great opportunity to photograph artists making art. A bunch of them. In four shifts. From 9 in the ayem through 9 pm Saturday December 8. Used to be called the Gypsy Tea Room, 2548 Elm Street. The artists were making art to be auctioned Sunday to raise $14,000 to benefit St. Anthony's Community Center at 3714 Myrtle Street in Dallas, which provides affordable and accessible art and music instruction for more than 800 underserved children in South Dallas.

All the art was auctioned from 6 pm Sunday December 9 2007. $10 entry with artwork bids started at $20. More info about the event is on the calendar.

Tammy K. Bond

St. Anthony's is also one of three Dallas sites for the North Texas Food Bank. Art Conspiracy 2 last year raised $12-20,000 for Oak Cliff-based artist residency La Reunion. This year's auction hopes to continue to raise substantial funds for area charities.

I knew only a few of these artists, so I have few names on this page. If you know names, see my note at the bottom of this page.

Pink Kerchief

By now you've probably noticed that though I name a few of the artists making art at The Door, many of those pictured on this page are not named. Because I don't know who they are. You can help me finish that task by emailing me at DARts' latest email address listed on our Contact Us page.

Mom & Daughter

Artists of many skill levels and varied experience joined in at painting day at The Door.

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Cathey Miller nearing completion of a painting

If I'd recognized her painting style in the much darker than it appears here hall, I would probably have introduced me to this imaginative artist who has appeared on our feedback page after Michael Helsem wrote about her work many years ago and in various reviews here since . 

Alison Marie Welsh on a Light Table

But I was paying more attention to taking photographs than making acquaintances, and I didn't want to interrupt anyone who was busy arting. They each only had two-and-a-half hours to start and finish their work. I know artists who spend more than a year working on a painting, so these artists were busy. They'd each brought their own paint and other materials, although perhaps the strata was supplied. There did seem to be a certain size standardization going on.

Smucker's Lid Paint Pool

These photographs may look like The Door was a light and bright place to make art. But it wasn't. Except in spots like the door where Vance sat, later stood, painting his painting and under a few lights in the ceiling, it was really dark in there. Photographs taken at ISO 1,000 or more can fool you. I like these rich tones and shadows every which way, not just under and harshly back from every 3-D shape a camera's flash splashes — or the bright glare. So I rarely use flash. These are hand-held photographs at low shutter speeds with a lot of hope.

Kate Langley Paints a Mermaid

We visited twice, with art and cultural events in between, and each time we entered that dark cave, it took awhile for our eyes to adjust to the available darkness. When we were talking about it later, Anna mentioned the girl who made the mermaid painting, and it never entered my mind she meant this little girl. Not till I saw this image on this page did I see what she's painting as a mermaid, obvious as it is.

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Larry Carey at Work

Photographing artists making art is one of the more fascinating things I get to do. I've spent many hours, days, weeks watching friends who'd let me watch over the years. Arting, especially painting, can be a long-term event. Even the artists themselves aren't often sure where they're headed in a painting or drawing. Or when their work is finished.

Intent on Art Flat Out on the Floor

It progresses at its own pace and in its own directions. Here though, all these artists seemed to know where this work was heading, even if they were not certain what exactly it would look like when it was finished. It's always intriguing to watch them figure it out, step by step.

Elisabeth Schalij Painting Flowers Near the Side Door

Elisabeth is a friend and long-time Supporting Member of DallasArtsRevue. Like so many other artists working down on the plastic-covered floor today, she looked uncomfortable. But her flower painting progressed quickly as we watched.

Man with Book

Other artists worked in fits and starts, ebbs and flows, as they checked their notes and notions for further complications and additional textures to grow their work toward the end.

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Ruben Miranda

Another friend of mine likes to talk about the magic that happens where artists work and make art. I want to thank Art Con 3 for getting this wide variety of area artists together here today and letting us watch.

Sense of Community at AC3

The feeling of community was palpable. Artists arting together talk, communicate and learn from each other.

It hardly seems likely that all the following artists were there today making art, because the twice we visited, the place was never mobbed, but the full artists list for ArtCon3 includes: Al Glover, Alan Traverse, Alison Welsh, Allan Arp, Allison Slomowitz, Amanda Davis, Amy Sheppard, Andrea “Sid” Curtis, Andrea Roberts, Andrew Tolentino, Angela Faz, Anne Hines, April Berlin, April Pierce, B. Tate Selby, Benjamin Hancock, Benjamin McMahon, Brandy Butler, Brenda Busch, Bryan Kilburn, C. Kirk Smith, Cabe Booth, Carissa Byers, Carlos Moreno, Catalyna Mendez, Cate Arnold, Cathey Miller, Celia Diaz, Christopher Box, Christopher Cook, Christopher S. Stewart, Cindy Rodella, Colleen Ahalt-Eagle, Daniel M Dutton, Daniel Miller, David Hopkins, Dean Ouazaa, Edward Ruiz, Elida Isabel Godbey, Elisabeth Schalij Olsen, Elizabeth Clark, Emily Jean Lamberty, Erica Felicella, Evamaria Kutscheid, Evan Greenhoe, Frank Campagna, Fred Holston, George Lacy, Gina Kern, Grace Vroom, Greg Piazza, Hal Samples, Henry “Junkie” Dees, James Porter, Janet Reynolds, Jayme Nourallah, Jeff Polivka, Jeniffer Tunay, Jenni Leder, Jenifer McNeil Baker, Jennifer Morgan, Jesse Depoy (Martin), Jill Broussard, Jim Frederick, Kate Lanley, John Gonzales, John Paul Stobie, Josh McKibben, Julie Stephenson, Justin Liggitt, Karen A. Colbert, Karla Garcia, Kate Mackley, Katrina Bandle, Kelsey Kincannon, R. Kevin Obregon, Kirk Hopper, Lacy Barnett, Larry Carey, Laura Kerr, Linka Behn, Lisa Lindholm, Lisa Long, Loren .V. Era, Lorena Garza, Matthew Scott, Meili Peterson, Melissa Dullaers, Melody Hay, Meredith Hebenstreit, Michael Cagle, Michael David Sowiecki, Michael E. Brady, Michaela Kuenster, Michelle d. Metz, Mike Arreaga, Mike Keller, Misha Flores, Misty Rodriguez, Natalie Hutchings, Nathan Banfield Beach, Nick Smith, Nicole Cullum, Niloo Jalilvand, Pamela Rabin, Paul Semrad, Richard Ross, Riki Johnson, Rob Polivka, Robb Greenhoe, Robbie Michael, Robert Moreno, Ruben Miranda, Ryann Rathbone, Samax Randolph, Sandra Lethem Yeo, Sarah Jane Semrad, Sasha Camille Tindle, Scott Horn, Sergio Garcia, Shana Rousch, Shayne W. Ridenour, Solange Mariel, Sonia Isaguirre, Stephen Hartzler, Stephen Herndon, Stuart Everett, Tammy K. Bond, Tania Kaufmann, Timothy Ruble, Tori Webb Pendergrass, Vance Wingate, VET, William H. Miller and Wim Bens.
   

The Auction Itself

7 pm Auction

From the top left: The first one sold for $20. Make Love Not War did not raise a minimum bid; the fierce kitty netted $65. Short skirt and boots got $100. I didn't stay and watch. I wandered away. When I returned they were doing the first on the third row.

Magnolia Gallery director Scott Horn and Sarah Jane
Semrad Auction Art with Verve and Excitement

By which time I wasn't paying attention to bids, concentrating instead on genuine human expression. The crowd was energetic. Should say crowds. Two auctions, one on either side of the cavernous club, occurred simultaneously, into the night. I think the eagle painting with blue field and red and black bars, was done by someone at St. Anthony's, the community center with art classes, which will get this auction's proceeds.

Six and a Half Years Old Kate Langley with
Fatherly Presence (Michael) at the Auction

We'd attended The McKinney Avenue Contemporary's annual Blue Yule Party, Ornament and Art Auction the night before, and it wasn't anywhere near as exciting or well attended as this night of fund-raising in this much-larger space. It's possible both parties were worth $10, although The MAC had free cookies, rich pastries, saucy pasta, wine and some really nasty blue alcoholic punch, and The Door had a full bar. The MAC supports local fine artists, but I don't know anything about St. Anthony's Community Center. Aren't those supported by The City? Dozens of local schools and centers have art classes, and most probably need the money, too. I wonder what's special about St. Anthony's.

Small Part of the AC3 Crowd Observes
Product Before the Next Auction

The Yule sold ornaments for generally less than AC3 sold art — and kept the money for itself. The MAC's auctioneer was less interesting to watch or listen to. I tuned him out. AC auctioneers were difficult to, too much fun energy happening there. Crowds gathered round the art at The Door. The MAC's milled. Art Conspiracy didn't exactly exhibit art, stacked it instead on risers so everyone could see.

Jayme Nourallah - It could happen to anyone - auctioned for $320

The art in the three galleries on McKinney Avenue were better than what we saw on Main Street, but not substantially. Many of the ornaments were dreadful, and the stuff in the main galleries were about as original as AC3 art. Although there were a few gems at both venues.

Wish I'd photographed Cathey Miller's painting more carefully or waited to watch her auction. That would have been the other piece I would have liked hanging on my walls, though there was yet another very strange painting of a face that kept affecting me, but I kept trying not to let it and did not photograph it. My loss.

We both liked this painting by Jayme Nourallah. Such careful use of plywood textures, incorporating in stride the odd 18 x 18-inch board every donating artist got into a simplified stylized figure with two fiercely clutching crows — instead of obliterating the obvious aspects of the strata. Nice to see some artists go with simple instead of strudels of abstraction, which abounded at AC3.

The MAC is a bonafide nonprofit organization, having usurped the nonprofit status of DARE (Dallas Artists Research & Exhibitions), whose goals it largely ignores. Art Conspiracy has filed for nonprofit status, but donations to it are not yet tax-decuctible. As always, artists may only deduct cost of materials and only as a business expense.

Art Conspiracy Goals:

1. to bring together a group of Dallas area artists and musicians to raise money for a chosen benefit.
2. to provide art to the non-gallery attending masses.
3. to help spark awareness of the local arts scene
4. to use historic, under-utilized buildings as art venues

Priest-like Vestment in The Door

We paid the ten bucks to get into The Blue Yule (even though we'd been assured it would only be $5 for ornament donors), and AC3 photo-passed us in. Their music was better and the vibe more upbeat. Both crowds were diverse, with old and young persons in attendance. The MAC was a tad swanker and probably averaged older. The Door was comfier, although The MAC had more chairs.

It turned sudden cold the night after the warmth of Blue Yule day, or perhaps there'd been more more interesting fashion downtown, although the "Marge" Christmas look at The MAC's door was worth noting — as was the vestment look. Fashion-wise, The MAC may have had it over the crowd of non-gallery-goers at The Door, but if so, only slightly. Both crowds were more comfortable than festive.

The Marge Christmas Look at The MAC — Photo by Anna Palmer

As usual, DallasArtsRevue would very much appreciate help with this page. If you can help us identify the artists and others in these photographs who have not yet been identified, please find our latest email address on the Contact Us page and drop us a line or two, so we can present the best possible information. These photographs are presented in chronological order.

Thanks,
; j R

Special thanks to Elisabeth Schalij, Jayme Nourallah and Michael Langley for helping us with I.Ds, and to Erica Felicella for getting us in.
 

All Contents of this site are Copyright 2007 or before by J R Compton, Editor & Publisher of DallasArtsRevue.
All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction in any medium without specific written permission.

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