Each October, one of the most innovative exhibitions in Dallas takes over a Gilded Age home on Swiss Avenue. Founded by artists Joel Murray and Clint Bargers, the four-year-old Chateau Show has managed to be simultaneously under the radar and highly anticipated.
A select crowd of curators, museum directors, and art world insiders pop by for informal viewings of envelope-pushing work that juxtaposes and complements the classic surroundings of the .
Built by cattleman William J. Lewis in 1915-17, the building was purchased by the Aldredge family in 1921 and is currently maintained by the Dallas County Medical Society Alliance Foundation. When Murray joined the house as caretaker in 2018, it seemed a logical extension of his practice to use the space to showcase emerging, mid-career and established talent in what he calls a kind of 鈥渧isual equity.鈥� The altruistic curators also allow 100% of proceeds to go to the artists themselves. For them, the Chateau Show is a labor of love for the local scene.
鈥淲e鈥檙e particular art nerds and art lovers, and we really wanted to support known, respected, and loved artists we know from all the time we鈥檝e spent in Dallas,鈥� says Murray. 鈥淲e give artists carte blanche to do whatever they can dream up in the space, whether it's site specific or something more controlled and commercial.鈥�
Launching in 2022 with 17 artists, the curators allow participants to let their freak flag fly, leading to surprises around every corner. In past editions, sculptor Rachael Henson鈥檚 silicone spine scented with a milk and fungus perfume perched on a radiator. Sheryl Anaya鈥檚 dreamy videos were projected on Delftware table settings in the dining room. And Brent Birnbaum鈥檚 irreverent toy mashups took over the parlor.
From the backyard to the bathroom, you never know what you鈥檒l find (or where you鈥檒l find it), and the 21 participants in this year鈥檚 edition (among them Alicia Eggert, Luke Harnden, Virginia L. Montgomery, and Arthur Pe帽a) are sure to dream up something visionary to align with the house鈥檚 elegant environs.
Details
The Chateau Show at Aldredge House Museum, 5500 Swiss Ave., is on view noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 19-25. Free visits can be made by appointment via the event鈥檚 .
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