DC EMPTY
Dallas Contemporary’s time-based programming series features regional artists and collaborators activating vacant gallery spaces with short-term interventions.
Archive:
bombshell dance project: the dallas creation lab
monday, july 22 2024 - saturday, 27 2024
bombshell dance project will present the first installment of the dallas creation lab as part of the museum’s DC EMPTY programming. curated by bombshell’s emily bernet + taylor rodman the project will include a week of ideation at DC, ending in a one-night-only performance. step into the creative process of seven dallas artists during regular museum hours, + join us on saturday, 27 july to see the result of their collaborative work. stick around after the performance for a discussion with the artists followed by sips, bites + jams by jeff kinsey.
process: all hours open to observers
monday 22 july - friday 26 july 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
scheduled process hours: invited hours to see what’s in progress, ask questions + interact with the process
wednesday 24 july 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm +
thursday 25 july 5;00 pm - 6:00 pm
performance + reception:
saturday 27 july 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
about bombshell dance project
bombshell dance project is a dance theatre company based in dallas, texas. the company creates innovative, audience driven experiences with a goal of sparking community conversations and bringing audiences closer to dance.
emily bernet is a native of dallas, texas, and co-artistic director of bombshell dance project. she is a graduate of southern methodist university and booker t. washington high school for the performing and visual arts, and was a founding member of joshua peugh’s dark circles contemporary dance usa. as choreographer and movement director emily has created for cry havoc theater company, southern methodist university, lizzie at theatre three, watering hole collective’s spring awakening, ruben carrazana’s the cube, and fair assembly’s macbeth. her work for bombshell dance project has been presented by jacob’s pillow inside/out festival, the dallas arts district, the dance gallery, and austin dance festival, among others.
taylor kinsey is a dallas native, and co-artistic director of bombshell dance project. she began her formal training at booker t. washington high school for the performing and visual arts, and later earned her bfa in contemporary performance at the boston conservatory with an emphasis in improvisation and choreography. taylor was a member of joshua peugh’s dark circles contemporary dance for one season. her work for bombshell dance project has been presented by jacob’s pillow inside/out festival, the dallas arts district, the dance gallery, austin dance festival among others. kinsey was named a 2012 youngarts finalist and presidential scholar in the arts in choreography.
creation lab artists
erin malone turner is a nola born/dfw-based playwright, poet, actor, director, & producer. her plays featured across dfw include “what fits inside a human heart” (soul rep theatre), “ingrained” (bishop arts theatre center), “through a glass darkly” (amphibian stage), and “how to catch a ghost” (kitchen dog theater). she is currently a member of thought process - the inaugural playwriting cohort at second thought theatre. upcoming: production of “the secret keepers” at echo theatre & ading “the elaborate entrance of chad deity” at circle theatre. her plays are on npx.
ally van deuren is thrilled to be back with bombshell dance project after being a part of the immersive in the conservatory with the knife project in 2022 and 2023. she has had the opportunity to work in several dfw theatres including lyric stage, repertory company theatre, dallas theater center, gpac and the firehouse theatre. bfa: smu meadows school of the arts.
jenna davis (she/her) is a movement artist from dallas, texas. she graduated with a b.f.a. in dance performance and a b.a. in film & media arts from meadows school of the arts of southern methodist university. her training has included artists such as pau aran, sidra bell, bret easterling, madison hicks, kevin pajarillaga, lisard tranis, and maleek washington, among others. she performed as an apprentice and company member of b.moore dance for multiple seasons. she has been a part of processes for artists such as mike esperanza, silas farley, annamari keskinen and ryan mason, cameron mckinney, bridget moore, and maya orchin, and performed in venues including dock 11, the winspear opera house, real collegio di lucca, orsolina28, and the joyce theatre. she also has a growing body of live and digital work including a recent multimedium gallery showcase she produced and presented in dallas, in december of 2023 entitled “maybe it’s in the lining of my jacket?”. her movement photography and films have been featured in programming at edinburgh festival fringe, american dance platform at the joyce theatre, moving forward winter fest, and in finding compassion choreography festival.
corey haynes is a multi-disciplinary artist with a focus on photography and writing. corey collaborates with dancers of all disciplines and backgrounds to showcase movement in its organic form. her photographic work is a study of emotion unveiled through her subjects' bodies and the intrinsic shapes that arise when feelings come to the surface. she currently resides in texas.
alex clair is a freelance dancer, creator, and performer. for the past three years, she was living and based in tel aviv working between israel, europe and the states. alex was an artistic associate with on mending, a film-to-stage project crafted and choreographed by emilie leriche and shawn fitzgerald ahern. since 2021, alex has danced with choreographer andrea costanzo martini (balletti martini). while in israel, she also worked closely and danced with omri drumlevich. alex worked with european choreographer damien jalet and rehearsal director shawn fitzgerald ahern on the collaborative project chiroptera with renowned visual artist jr, and former daft punk composer thomas bangalter, which performed at the opera garnier in paris, france. alex is a returning guest artist with dance arts faculty in rome, italy. she recently premiered a new work at her alma mater, booker t. washington hspva. she is alumna of booker t. washington hspva and received her bfa from the conservatory of dance at purchase college (suny) in new york. alex is currently dancing with alan lucien øyen's company winterguests.
willow dubose is a creative artist that strives to develop a space in which our energetic body in correlation to human nature is prioritized through movement. she explores this through improvisational scores and through forward thinking teaching exercises. as a booker t. washington high school for the performing and visual arts alumni, willow has had the opportunity to perform works by artists such as peter chu, azure barton and kyle abraham. she has been honored as a youngarts finalist and award winner, as well as a presidential scholar at boston conservatory at berklee. there, she performed works by robert moses and margo sappington. as she moves forward with her career, she will continue exploring the creative space in collaboration with other artists, while developing her concepts for new choreographic works that encompasses her appreciation for intuitive movement and our innate ability to emote as humans.
shadden hashem (she/her) is based in dallas, texas where she attended booker t. washington high school for the performing and visual arts. she graduated summa cum laude from suny purchase in 2021 with a bfa in dance and a minor in psychology. currently, shadden is a professional freelance dancer, choreographer, and instructor. since graduating, she has performed with various professional companies including, boca tuya directed by omar román de jesús, the moving forward collective under the direction of madison hicks, and bombshell dance project directed by emily bernet & taylor kinsey. she also creates works of her own and guest teaches at various studios and workshops in the metroplex and around the country. some of her accomplishments include being named a 2016 texas young master and receiving the 2021 outstanding senior award for dance at suny purchase. in addition to performing and choreographing, shadden expresses her creativity through her photography practice and is entering her third year as a company director and instructor at artistry in motion performing arts center.
christian cruz: breaking backs: a solo exhibition of living portraits
saturday, 13 janaury 2024
dallas contemporary is pleased to announce DC EMPTY, breaking backs: a solo exhibition of living portraits created by conceptual and multimedia artist and educator christian cruz. this one-day solo installation featuring three durational performances spanning seven hours is scheduled for january 13, 2024 during the museum’s open hours from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. a reception will be held immediately following the conclusion of the performance.
cruz's day-long series of performances will unfold through the efforts of three compensated performers, each engaged in acts of labor throughout the gallery space. breaking backs critically explores tools of empowerment and resistance, encompassing hybridization, juxtaposition, and integration tactics. the installation of three performances, crafted in rasquachismo style—a term commonly used in chicano and mexican art movements that characterizes aesthetics of the working class, which make the most from the least—serves as symbolic allegories for struggle, hope, and grief.
breaking backs: a solo exhibition of living portraits is funded by the city of dallas office of arts & culture and the national endowment for the arts through the “culture of value” grant.
about christian cruz
christian cruz (b. dallas, 1989) is an independent educator, writer, and award-winning multimedia artist whose practice encompasses installation, sculpture, and performance within a visual arts context. her performances have taken place nationally and internationally in galleries, museums, universities, festivals, and public spaces. cruz earned a bachelor of arts in visual arts management from columbia college chicago and is now pursuing studies in visual and performing arts at the university of texas at dallas. she currently holds an artist residency at the cedars union arts incubator. in addition to being a mother and a survivor, she is also the founder of the artist mama fund and the dallas performance art index.
agora artists: the eldert lofts
friday, 03 march 2023
the eldert lofts is a collaborative dance work with creative direction by co-founders lauren kravitz and avery-jai andrews.
ever wonder about those strange noises coming from the apartment upstairs? waltz through the hallways of the eldert lofts as a unique cast of characters explores the intimacies and intricacies of community. take a peek behind closed doors to catch that familiar fight in the kitchen, or hide among the curtains as the woman downstairs dances alone. the original movement-based work is a series of vignettes that follows the stories of five tenants as they investigate their own relationships, exploring themes of connection, isolation, and identity.
organized by dallas contemporary’s communications and graphic design manager, alexandra hulsey. created by avery-jai andrews and lauren kravitz in collaboration with cami holman, jennifer mabus, and omar humphrey.
excerpts performed by: avery-jai andrews, cami holman, jennifer mabus, and lauren kravitz.
original sound by brittany padilla
costumes by kelsey olver
set by tori reynolds
lighting by ryan burkle
about the agora artists:
agora artists is a 501c3 non-profit organization focused on providing programming and resources that contribute to a supportive ecosystem for dance in dfw. through workshops, forums, and other creative assets agora artists aims to help individual dancers maintain an active and sustainable creative life. led by booker t washington hspva and nyu tisch school of the arts alums, avery-jai andrews and lauren kravitz, the organization collaborates with local and regional movement artists to cultivate new opportunities for dance in dfw. agora artists hosts much of its programming at arts mission oak cliff and has partnered with other local arts spaces including odyssey studios and sweet pass sculpture park to offer dance programming in non-traditional spaces.
kasey short: the tuna, the whale, the hillbilly and the subterranean
saturday, 18 february 2023
kasey short’s the tuna, the whale, the hillbilly and the subterranean is an immersive, interactive multimedia installation that challenges the relationship between humans and animals and the environment and technology. the project combines ideas from the artist's family history, mythology and objects inspired by trauma, popular culture, poetry and theater.
this experience is delivered through methods of new media including video, performance, sound, sculpture and augmented reality.
organized by dallas contemporary’s louis l. borick foundation renaissance intern seth tarango.
about kasey short:
kasey short is an interdisciplinary artist working in installation, performance, sculpture and new media with interest in expanded media through visions of immersive ecosystems. his work investigates intersections of art and technology, urbanism, ecology, video, sound and site-specific exchanges through utilization of time-based and interactive platforms. kasey received his mfa from the university of pennsylvania and a bfa from texas state university. kasey has exhibited works nationally and internationally and attended residencies such as the vermont studio center; acre projects, chicago, il; avl-mundo foundation, rotterdam, nl. kasey is a recipient of the charles addams memorial prize, the vermont studio center scholarship award, the dallas chamber of commerce emerging artist award and a grant recipient from the houston art alliance support for artists and creative individuals. kasey’s studio is based in dallas, tx and he currently teaches in the new media studio art department at the university of north texas.
college night + DC EMPTY: anti-avant garde avant garde artist collective
saturday, 04 february 2023
college night featured an after-hours experience at the museum with a new DC EMPTY performance by unt-based arts collective anti-avant garde avant garde artist collective, gallery exhibitions by shepard fairey and gabrielle goliath, and art making activities with local artists.
anti-avant garde avant garde artists collective’s piece ‘cooperative conundrum,’ explores notions of community and methods of gathering and connectivity through an allegorical performance of movements, conflicts, compromises, and synchronicities. utilizing a spool of yarn, members of the artist collective will embody archetypal figures -- providers, weavers, community -- and engage in a connective act that exhausts collective resources.
colton james white: they love me, they love me not
sunday, 08 january 2023
for the second presentation of DC EMPTY, dallas artist colton james white presents they love me, they love me not, a 5-hour durational performance piece that considers themes of uncertainty, infatuation, delusion, and the challenges of personal relationships – monogamy/polyamory and platonic/romantic. centered on a copious mound of flowers around which white will perform a series of repetitive actions, they love me, they love me not aims to activate an atmosphere of rococo neo-romance, creating an overwhelming dramatic tone within the space. the performance is organized by dallas contemporary’s louis l. borick foundation renaissance intern seth tarango.
about the artist:
colton white is a fake pop-star, 28 years-young queer from dallas, texas, with a bfa in new media studio arts from university of north texas. their work is primarily durational / interactive performance art that can also thrive within the realms of installation, photography and video. exploring such themes as queerness, sexual frustration, intimacy and persona, these themes are shown through a glittery lens of what white believes as “70’s glamour wanting to be grit”. follow on instagram @juliaroberts275.
kitchen sink performa
saturday, 03 december 2022
the first project to launch DC EMPTY is kitchen sink performa, a multimedia happening curated in collaboration with artist and university of north texas professor kasey short and dallas contemporary’s louis l. borick foundation renaissance intern seth tarango. exhibiting a group of artists working in performance and time-based mediums, kitchen sink performa is a platform for expounding upon performative and reactive aesthetics in performance art, performative computing, experimental cinema, and video art that examine genres in narrativity, abstraction, artificial intelligence, identity, and gender.
kitchen sink performa artists include: brandy michele adams @brandymicheleadams, in collaboration with lynné bowman cravens @lynnebowmancravens and julie mckendrick @momwow, gren bee @itmegrenbee, melanie clemmons @auraquartz, in collaboration with zak loyd, diana gonzalez @dimagogo.art, zak loyd @zakloyd, connor mizell @connor.mizell, erick ortiz @vive_somnia, teresita navidad @sourmoonjuice, kamyrn robins @okamco, kasey short @sirdukeofkasey and colin stokes @colinstokes22
about kitchen sink performa:
kitchen sink performa is an incubator project that exists to exchange a wide array of established, emerging, and selected student artists from the university tier working through a diverse range of material in performance-based media.
bombshell dance project photo: shadden hashem
DC EMPTY images by alexandra hulsey.
‘breaking backs: a solo exhibition of living portraits’ images courtesy of the artist chirstian cruz