Meadows Launches Ignite Arts Dallas
SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts has launched a new initiative called Ignite Arts Dallas, which will engage Meadows students, SMU students, Dallas, and the arts community together. Clyde Valentin, a member of the Meadows staff, will lead the initiative, which aims to combine “artistic practices with community engagement in Dallas and other communities.”
For example, each year Meadows gives out The Meadows Prize, which engages artists and students in projects that “support diverse communities in the city.”
“Over the past several years the Meadows School has increasingly focused on the intersection of the arts and social engagement,” Meadows dean Sam Holland said. “Ignite Arts Dallas will bring together under one umbrella our existing programs in these areas, like the annual Meadows Prize, and spark new ideas for programs that will position the Meadows School and Dallas as a national model for art as civic practice.”
Another part of Ignite Arts Dallas is P3, a project that will present multidisciplinary work focused on racial and cultural equality (meaning religion, immigration, environment, etc). The Embrey Family Foundation presented $225,000 just for this project, which will showcase four works from international, national, and local artists between fall 2015 and fall 2017. One work will also be commissioned from a local artist for spring 2017.
“The P3 series is designed to ‘seed’ a pipeline where creators of mid-size performance art projects begin to make Dallas a regular location for the development and presentation of work,” said Valentín. “It is also a vital way to reach into the community and collaborate with organizations such as the AT&T Performing Arts Center, the South Dallas Cultural Center, Dallas Video Fest and others, while offering our students experiences beyond the classroom and the campus.”
Finally, the third leg of this initiative is the Dallas Arts Project, which will focus on expanding Dallas’ existing arts and culture scene and encourage people in Dallas to get more connected with it.
“Our vision for Ignite Arts Dallas is to engage in deep relationships with the broader Dallas community and to introduce students to the arts’ critical role in social engagement,” said Valentín.
Pretty cool, Meadows.
