The tone for the 2016 Eye Ball was set the moment guests received their invitations. Written with invisible, heat-activated ink — only when touched did it reveal Harry Houdini’s famous quote, “What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes” — it hinted at the magic to come.
Every year this party around Tony Tasset’s Eye sculpture across from The Joule hotel downtown serves as the grand finale to Dallas Art Fair. By and large, it is everyone’s favorite of the weekend, as it’s always full of surprises.
The magic began when Shara Nova of My Brightest Diamond started singing, then disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared on another stage across the lawn. Using sleight-of-hand and mind-reading tricks, performers from the Magic Castle, clubhouse of the Academy of Magical Arts, worked the crowd of 500 revelers. Other party tricks included a 50-foot perception-changing tunnel entrance (which one attendee called “the coolest part”), large-scale Mylar balloon installation, infinity wall of cupcakes, and color-changing cocktails served by floating models.
Even the toilets were an “art installation,” done by Swoon the Studio (which was also responsible for the invitation). “Seeing what they do with toilets really is a fun part of the event each year,” says Kendall Morgan. “Last year they were glow in the dark. Who knew porta potties would be cool?”
Spotted on the scene were Brian Bolke, Faisal Halum, Kristen and Joe Cole, Peter Doroshenko, Frank Elbaz, Kenny Goss, Joyce Goss, Tim Headington, Julie and Michael Tregoning, Bill Hutchinson, Rachel Lee Hovnanian, Debora Hunter, Peggy Leboeuf, Max Levai, Justine Ludwig, Sarah and Michael Moldovan, Janelle and Alden Pinnell, Jenny and John Kirtland, Marlene and John Sughrue, Christen Wilson, Nicole and Jonas Woods, Chandra North, Bridget Hall, and Johannes Vogt.
Justin Drip, Catie Conlon
