Three new art exhibits in Dallas to see right now
IIt’s that time of year when Dallas locals flock to rooftop pools (and Colorado) or seek the refreshing retreat of indoor entertainment. This month, escape the summer heat and take in the art with these three must-see new Dallas exhibits.
“Sam F” by Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Dallas Museum of Art
July 4 to February 2022
Iconic American painter of the 1980s, Jean-Michel Basquiat has never seen his work appear in the DMA collection. Gifted by the late Samuel and Helga Feldman, “Sam F” premiered in 1985 during Basquiat’s first visit to Dallas. The colorful piece highlights Basquiat’s use of text and imagery drawn from pop culture, music, and more. “Sam F” is painted on a door salvaged from the apartment complex where he stayed in Dallas.
“Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth” at the African American Museum
From June 26 to September 12
A Smithsonian traveling exhibit, “Men of Change,” is now on display at the Dallas African American Museum in Fair Park. The exhibit “presents a nation’s narrative through the profiles of prominent African-American men who are icons in the nation’s historical and cultural landscape,” according to a statement. “Men of Change” features Muhammad Ali, James Baldwin, Ta-Nehisi Coates, WEB Du Bois and Kendrick Lamar. Each biography is associated with an original work of art by artists such as Nina Chanel Abney, Derrick Adams, Robert Pruitt, Tariku Shiferaw and Devan Shimoyam.
Cameron Schoepp’s “Twist” at Nasher Public
From June 24 to July 18
Part of Nasher Sculpture Center’s Nasher Public Series, “Twist” comes from North Texas artist Cameron Schoepp. The piece is a massive loop of industrial chain suspended from the ceiling. On one motor, the chain spins, literally twisting it until it looks like a line in the space of 12 minutes. He then twists. A pole separates the viewer from the chain, emphasizing the possible danger of the chain.
“Turn was born out of the pandemic and highlights a number of its effects: the sense of threat it has engendered; the abrupt and constant changes it brought to the foundations of our lives, overturning everyone’s sense of stability and security; and the way it forced us to slow down, which often resulted in taking note of the simple beauties around us,” Nasher’s website explains.
