Artsy news
4 female artists put their palettes together for new Design District studio
For artist Anna Lou Curnes, transforming shattered fragments of glass into vibrant works of art was a way to visually express the brokenness she felt when her sister passed away in 2002.
Now the Dallas native, who has earned accolades as a top glass artist in Chicago, is coming home to display her works at a new studio space and showroom, theALG Collective.
Located in the Design District at 1302 Dragon St., ALG Collective (which stands for "Anna Lou Glass") is a collaborative multi-media art space that will showcase the work of Curnes and three other celebrated women artists in Dallas.
They are: Annie Griffeth, who creates Hawaiian-inspired pop art work; Melissa Ellis, who calls her sculptural, oil-palette knife paintings “organized chaos;” and Christi Meril, who makes nature-inspired fluid acrylic and ink creations.
The high-end creative space will be the home of these resident artists and will provide a platform for the encouragement of new ideas and artistic camaraderie, Curnes says. In other words, lots of girlfriend time.
"I am so grateful to have such talented studio mates, this amazing building, and the support of the community to continue doing what we love," Curnes says.
ALG is going into the space most recently occupied by the well-known Zhulong Gallery and features an outdoor deck with views of the city.
The studio was born out of the remnants of "Art Pop Up Dallas," a pop-up studio/showroom Curnes created with other artists last year to see if she could make a Dallas studio work. In fact, it did.
"As this is our new, long-term home, we have updated, refreshed, and transformed the space into our working studio/showroom," Curnes says.
ALG Collective will debut with a grand opening celebration from 6 to 10 pm May 18. The party will include music by DJ Viva Latina, plus signature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a carefully curated exhibition of new artworks by the four resident artists. Those who'd like to attend can register for free here.
“Our grand opening is a celebration," Curnes says. "We are celebrating our new home in Dallas, finding artists who thrive in the same environment, and creating art out of joy because we can’t not create."
After the grand opening, consumer showings and private appointments will be available upon request. Check the website for hours and to schedule an appointment.
