More than 100 artists are sprawled across the floor of the Deep Ellum club The Door (formerly known as The Gypsy Tearoom). Paints and other self-brought supplies are scattered amidst half-empty Starbucks cups and paint brushes. All are working on the same sized canvas but no two pieces are alike. It is a cold December evening and artists from ages six to 60 have 24 hours to create art for the Art Conspiracy organization’s third annual event auction.
“I’d never been in a room with that many artists all making art. It’s just a crazy hubbub of music, Starbucks and artists,” said Cathey Miller, a local working artist who participated in last year’s event.
Art Conspiracy, a nonprofit whose mission is to “inspire Dallas’ art and music scenes to join forces for the benefit of a local non-profit art and/or music organization,” has evolved from what began as a one-time event in December 2005 to help raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims.
This year’s winter event on Dec. 6, themed “Deconstruction,” will carry on the organization’s now four-year-old tradition of holding semi-annual community centered fundraisers to help benefit a chosen charity. This year’s beneficiary, Preservation LINK, is an organization focused on teaching “life skills” to junior high and high school students through community involvement and learning photography, video and other art skills.
Since its first event in 2005, Art Conspiracy has used historical, under-utilized buildings in Dallas as the venues for its events. The unique choice of venue is how Art Conspiracy got its name. Other than aiming to “conspire” for the benefit of local artists, Art Conspiracy is named after its first event, which was held at the Texas Theater in Oak Cliff where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested shortly after the assassination of President Kennedy. Art Conspiracy followed that theme by choosing the Longhorn Ballroom as the site for its second event. Jack Ruby, the man who shot Oswald after the Kennedy assassination was a prior owner of the Longhorn Ballroom.
However, according to Erica Felicella, a working artist and art coordinator for Art Conspiracy, because of the event’s steady popularity increase, it’s getting harder to find historical buildings that have the capacity to house an expectedly large crowd. Because of this, Art Conspiracy will hold its December event in a 40,000 square foot empty warehouse, keeping with this year’s “deconstructed” theme.
“This year is so far our largest undertaking,” said Felicella. “But we have a space. The building is perfect – – it’s like a big empty shell. Very deconstructed.”
The line-up for the event, which costs $10 and is open to the public, will include tricycle races, a live art auction and performances by local bands Mount Righteous, Chamelon Chamber and Aton.
The auction itself may be one of the most important aspects of the event and the pulse of Art Conspiracy’s success. On Oct. 14, Felicella sent out a “call for artists.” The call went out to friends, acquaintances and fellow artists and they were encouraged to pass the call along. Anyone, regardless of age and artistic ability is encouraged to participate. The catch? There are only 150 open spots. Artists, who are chosen on a first-come first-serve basis, are then given simple instructions. On Dec. 5, the night before the event, all participating artists must meet at the chosen venue with their own art supplies and the right sides of their brains ready to create art. Each artist is then given a blank canvas, the floor of the warehouse and 24 hours to create a piece to be auctioned the following day.
For both Felicella and Miller, the night before the event is just as meaningful as the event itself.
“It’s my favorite day, to see everyone on the floor, painters, people huddled in the corner over warm cups of Starbucks because it’s cold in December…It becomes so much more than just an organization,” said Felicella.
Calling the event “magical” Felicella claims that the art creating part of the event has even helped re-launch the careers of artists who opted to go down the “non-art” path.
“Helping other artists and the community is worth more than any paycheck. It’s all about a smile,” said Felicella. “Art Conspiracy has rekindled the spirit of artists. It has sparked careers. I know people who haven’t picked up a paint brush since high school realize they want to get back in to it.”
For Miller, who plans to participate in this year’s event, Art Conspiracy’s appeal is in its ability to put on an event from the “artist’s perspective.” According to Miller, having so many artists creating art in one room is the basis for an incredible energy.
“It feeds on itself; all the artists get so excited. It’s not a stuck up fundraiser. It’s accessible and democratic,” said Miller.
Being democratic and accessible are the ideas that filter through Art Conspiracy’s philosophy. According to Felicella, it is the accessibility of the event, especially in today’s economic climate that helps make Art Conspiracy so important. The event stems on being open to all people and focuses on bringing the non-artist community together with the artist community. Through affordable ticket prices and starting auction prices at $20 regardless of an artist’s name or prestige, Art Conspiracy strives to “make all artists equal.” Thus, the work of well-known Dallas muralist Frank Campagna becomes just as valuable as a six-year-old’s masterpiece.
Art Conspiracy isn’t about making a personal salary. Felicella and other volunteer Art Conspiracy coordinators do not make a dime while planning the events and working for the organization. In fact, Art Conspiracy events aren’t planned in offices or cubicles. Instead, most meetings are held at Oak Cliff restaurants and coffee houses, including popular Art Conspiracy hangout, the Beckley Brew House.
Any money made by admission prices, the live auction and ticket sales goes directly to the chosen beneficiary. Art Conspiracy’s first event held in December 2005 raised over $10,000 with artworks auctioning off at up to $425. The expectations for this year and for the future of Art Conspiracy are optimistic.
Felicella said that Art Conspiracy hopes to become so well organized that the structure of the event planning and Art Conspiracy itself can be passed on to other communities, in other cities across the United States. And with such staggering growth in popularity (Felicella expects more than 1,000 people to attend this year’s event), there is reason to believe that Art Conspiracy’s equation of bringing affordable art in its many forms to the local community will continue to thrive.
