In Its 12th Annual Event, Dallas’ Art Conspiracy Once Again Was A Perfect Blend of Art, Music and Philanthropy.
For 12 years now, Dallas’ Art Conspiracy event has combined the worlds of art, music and philanthropy into one of the city’s most engaging and appealing charitable affairs.
And this year’s affair, hosted on Saturday night at The Cedars Union just south of Downtown Dallas, once again lived up to that hype, as 150 local artists created unique works on 18-by-18-inch plywood boards to be showcased and auctioned off, with bids starting at $20 per piece. Also featuring live music performances from Sudie and Nite, plus DJ sets from Wild in the Streets and Blue, The Misfit, this year’s event was a fine example of Art Con’s stated mission of being “an altruistic friend, resource, and platform for the regional creative community.”
Over the course of the event’s 12 years, it has raised more than $300,000 for various area charities and organizations. This year’s beneficiary of those auction bids and cover fees was Music Is Our Weapon, an organization focused on using the power of music as a medicine and form of natural healing in terms of improving overall quality of life. Specific numbers on the amount raised is not yet available.
But, even before knowing the final figures, it was clear on that this year’s event proved to be yet another successful affair for Art Con. Saturday night was a convocation of artists of all stripes, with basically every type of medium that you could imagine on display. That was true, too, of the night’s attendees, who varied from veteran collectors to novices just starting to build their own art collections. Whether these people went home with a 24-karat gold-flaked board, a Gene Wilder portrait or one of the event’s many tribute pieces to the late, great Prince didn’t matter much on this night.
Art Con isn’t great necessarily just because you can walk away from it with a great new piece to add to your wall. It’s great because of the opportunity it affords people to see so much great work in one place at one time, and to actively participate in a celebration of local creativity and philanthropy. There’s an unmistakably cool vibe to it all.
Twelve years in, Art Conspiracy’s secret is out: It’s a great time.