Exhibit - Dreamland
Location: Downtown Dallas, 1511 Elm Street #100, Dallas, TX 75201
Announcing our new Downtown Dallas Flagship location! Featuring our largest art exhibit yet and the brand new Calirosa Cocktail Lounge. Visitors will make their way through 6,000 square feet of adventures, including reboots of some of our cult favorite originals from Chapter One and brand new installations created by artists Bobcat & Birdie, Tramaine Townsend, Shamsy Roomiani, Molly Sydnor and our creative partners at wvvy studio.
MEET THE ARTISTS
TRAMAINE TOWNSEND
As a mixed media visual artist, most mediums Tramaine uses are photography, design, film and animation. A strong purveyor of aesthetic, his works have been taking on the roll of narration as well. Creating bodies of work that go along a story usually within itself or for a larger construct that he’s ever building. Tramaine’s works explores a minimal approach with calculated production and intensive design. Utilizing these subjects in various mediums for viewers to align it as an experience. One through simple and direct imagery.
Artist Statement: DEIFIED
With our attentions spanning across multiple technological platforms at once, one thing that is key; our interests have garnered new heights. One post can signify a multitude of emotions and thoughts. Glorifying our surroundings and lives that could be more appealing than the average human. If it’s more consistent and believable, we can gain larger attention to those unknown or we feel should know. “All eyes on me (you)”. This is the desired effect after all. We hold these to the highest law of the land. One post can make or break you privately or publicly. In today’s standards, it more often than not blends the two. Deified takes this theory and materializes it in one room. Surrounding viewers with cameras in one room. No telling who may be watching on the other end. One or many. Recorded or live. On the other side of it, the room is covered in mirrors. Those watching being watched. It causes an infinite illusion of never truly knowing who is there. Too large to account for.
SHAMSY ROOMIANI
Shamsy is a native Texas visual artist who relishes her time spent outdoors amongst the natural world. She received a BFA degree in Printmaking and a BA in Marketing from The University of North Texas. Known for her ethereal botanical and nature inspired work in installation art, printmaking, sculpture, photography, and drawing, she has been deemed Dallas’ “mystical plant artist” by PaperCity Magazine and her latest exhibition was described as “One of the best solo shows in 2019” by D Magazine. Shamsy conducts workshops in DFW and hosts print and plant related events for partners such as the Nasher Sculpture Center, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Mockingbird Station, and NorthPark Center. Her clients include Virgin Hotels, The Dallas Mavericks,The Joule Hotel, and West Elm. She has been featured in The Dallas Morning News, D Magazine, The Dallas Observer, PaperCity, Patron Magazine, 1530 Main, and The North Texan. She was awarded Best Jeweler in Dallas by the Dallas Observer in 2019 for her sculptural jewelry line including her signature shamstone crystal sculptures.
Artist Statement: ELEVATED
Twilight scatters the last beam of sunlight across the horizon.Violet clouds sweep upward toward the expansive, inky night sky. Salt and iron mountains dominate the space, enthroned with tangles of ruby moss and sparkling shamtone crystal deposits. Kaleidescoping stalactites radiate among floating botanicals and radical boulders. The mystic river encircles the mountains, glittering with silver reflections. Inspired by dreamy Iranian and Texan landscapes
MOLLY SYDNOR
Molly Margaret Sydnor is a Dallas-based multidisciplinary fine artist with an eye for fiber. She received a BFA in Fiber from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2015. She concentrated on experimental fashion and photography, directed the schools fashion show as part of the black student union, was on the dean’s list for all four years, and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Sydnor was brought to Dallas for a career in product development specializing in interiors and textile design. Molly creates interactive work through storytelling and the layering of media, ideas and imagery of identity and the body. Experimentation, innovation, and play ground Sydnor’s work in her exploration of the complexities of gender, race, and sexuality.
Artist Statement: Lucid Mirage
Art and its subjective nature in juxtaposition with dreaming and its uncontrollable chaos creates "Lucid Mirage". Lucid, someone whose mind is clear while dreaming, may gain control of some aspects of the dream. Yet Mirage, something that appears real or possible but is not in fact so. This duality is the exact thing marries the two in this install. Pulling together random elements such as mirrors, a "wheel of fortune" Merry-Go-Round, rolling ombre rainbows meeting clouds that look like grapes - or grapes that look like clouds? - You control the space in a fixed narrative. Lay on the Merry-Go-Round dreaming, walk among the clouds, take a photo in the mirror. The visuals change and move in space, merging the ombre into an illusory perspective. Bringing child-like things, cloud watching, circus mirror illusion, shaggy carpet, bright colors, and spinning around a merry go round into a dream like state of current reality. The room is what you make it.
SUCRE FLEUF!
Crocheted Amigurumi Yarn, courtesy of Red Heart & Lion Brand Yarn
Twinkie Chan is a crochet designer, author, and Creativebug instructor known for her colorful, food-themed accessories like cupcake scarves, hamburger mitts, and slushee cup purses. She lives in San Francisco with a rainbow wall of yarn and a billion pom poms.
Twinkie’s unique work has been featured online, in print, and on television, from BuzzFeed to Mollie Makes, to HGTV to “Fuller House.” To make her signature designs more accessible, she launched a licensed brand called Yummy You! which was carried at retailers like Hot Topic, ThinkGeek, NYLON Shop, and ModCloth.
The demand for her crochet patterns inspired her two crochet books. She has also written patterns for Michaels.com, a column for Simply Crochet Magazine, and created promotional projects for companies like the Craft Yarn Council, Lion Brand Yarn, Lily Sugar ‘n Cream, Sanrio, Pocky, McDonald’s, Facebook Stories, and TikTok.
“Sucre Fleuf! is an imaginary bakery in the middle of a secret garden. I was inspired by old-world boulangeries and patisseries as well as modern Asian dessert art. Here, you’ll find a combination of my love for yarn, sweets, Wes Anderson movies, and 80s cartoons. I’m a huge fan of all the beautiful and over-the-top desserts that people post online, and since food is meant to be eaten and not meant to stay, I like the idea of preserving and honoring fun food in crochet.
The name of this bakery is also imaginary. Sucre Fleuf! is a riff on “Sacré Bleu!” which is an old-fashioned exclamation of surprise or delight. “Sucre” means “sugar.” “Fleuf” is made-up and a reference to the fluff of a delicious cake and the fluff I use to fill my crochet work.
Crochet is comforting and cozy, much like a fresh baguette or a warm donut. You often go to a bakery for a special occasion, so I hope that you feel like today - and every day - is a moment to celebrate, smile, and share joy with others.”
@twinkiechan | twinkiechan.com
SOFT SURPRISE
"Here at Soft Surprise, we offer the best novelty garbage money can buy. We just might have that perfect somethin' somethin' to 'impress' your friends AND family. Our soft goods proudly reflect a timeless grandma aesthetic and D.I.WHY ethos." Although that's the tongue in cheek way that Joanna Lin (aka Soft Surprise) introduces herself, the serious craftsmanship of her work speaks itself. Soft Surprise is an evolving art practice that plays with irony and humor to create a wide range of functional and non-functional objects. In experimenting with traditional and digital mediums, their creative process often mixes high- and low- tech processes. Much of the work attempts to subvert expectations by elevating low brow humor with high regard for craftsmanship.
JEREMY BIGGERS
Jeremy Biggers’ work is shaped by his experiences, experiences that inform his view of the world. The visual language developed within his work deals with identity as it pertains to “code-switching” and the feeling of being multiple people simultaneously. His signature “hyper-red” featured in a number of the works reminds the viewer as well as himself to be aspirational, never allowing oneself to become “satisfied” or “complacent”. Biggers hopes that his work resonates and establishes trust with the viewer, allowing sincere conversation to begin and perhaps inspiring the viewer to discover something about themselves while gaining a new perspective.
WVVY STUDIO
It takes a little bit of magic to bring the impossible to life and that’s what wvvy enjoys! They're a design, fabrication and content creation studio with the ability to execute projects nationally. Their team makes your project seamless from concept to creation to execution. Whether you need a fully immersive experience for your brand or a birdhouse made of 24k gold, they have the design and fabrication expertise to make it happen. Dreamland features the design and fabrication work of the wvvy team, Alan Lockwood, Cole Keeton, Aaron Bender, Ariel Bender, Harrison Schillinger, Rafaela Torres, Jarred Simpson, Jordan Castilleja and Jordan Fayo.
AARON CONWAY, RID, RAS, LEED AP BD+C
A native Kansan, Aaron graduated from Kansas State University in 2004. She began her career at Gensler in Dallas, primarily focusing on restaurant and retail design. Over her 16 years there she has worked on over 200 projects. Her expertise lies in space planning, design and construction documents for F+B spaces.
Having a passion for all types of design, Aaron opened ARROstudios, LLC with her husband in 2010. Originally focusing on photography and residential design, the studio has grown into a small firm with a broad portfolio of work. As a Registered Interior Designer, LEED AP and Registered Accessibility Specialist, she has a passion for creating beautiful spaces that are inclusive and accessible for all.
Aaron has been married since 2010 and has twin boys, three dogs and three cats. She enjoys traveling, visiting interesting restaurants (with vegetarian options,) photography and being a soccer mom.