Earlier this month, Bale Creek Allen (BCA) Gallery in Fort Worth announced via social media that it is temporarily closing and a new gallery called Giant Runt is taking over the physical space.
James Surls and Bale Creek Allen, 2022
In 2021, BCA Gallery moved from Austin to a location in downtown Fort Worth. After a year of leasing that space, the gallery purchased a property south of downtown. Now, the gallery will take a two-year hiatus as owner Bale Creek Allen pursues an MFA in Visual Arts at Columbia University in New York.
Mr. Allen told Glasstire that though the gallery is officially closed he will return to Fort Worth often, as his family owns property in the area, and he plans to host pop-up shows. He went on to note, “BCA Gallery has been thriving in Fort Worth and I love what’s happening there. The future is bright for the arts in Fort Worth because of the amazing creative community of artists and the many people who are passionate supporters of the arts.”
During the closure, Mr. Allen is leasing the property to Max Marshall and Cosmo Jones who are opening a gallery called Giant Runt. The duo has worked as a curatorial collective under the name Kickpigeon Kids, a moniker they will continue to use as an overarching umbrella for their collective work including curation, the gallery, and future facilities they may open. Ms. Marshall grew up in Rockport and recently graduated from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth with an MFA in Sculpture. Mr. Jones grew up in Fort Worth and holds an MFA in Painting from the University of North Texas.
Max Marshall and Cosmo Jones at Giant Runt.
Prior to taking on the lease, Ms. Marshall and Mr. Jones were considering the needs of the local art scene. While Mr. Allen’s departure created an opportunity for them to open a physical space, ultimately their goal is to manage a larger facility with at least two gallery spaces and studios for artists. Currently, they have signed a one-year lease, but the plan is for Giant Runt to maintain the gallery for two years.
In a joint statement, Ms. Marshall and Mr. Jones told Glasstire, “This is perfect for us because it gives us time to gain experience on a smaller scale than we were planning on before while also giving us an end date for us to keep an eye on as we think about our next steps.” According to the pair, Giant Runt will be an artist-run commercial gallery that “occup[ies] the conceptual space that exists between Fort Worth’s wonderful community/grass-roots-based arts scene and the more Dallas-style commercial galleries.”
Giant Runt’s inaugural exhibition, The Preview Show, opens on Saturday, September 7 as part of the Fort Worth Art Dealers Association Fall Gallery Night. The exhibition will feature artists who will have solo shows at the gallery in the coming year, including Cynthia Jamileth Giron, Loc Huynh, Francisco Josué Alvarado Araujo, Austin Uzor, Alexis E. Mabry, Matthew Ryan Johnson, Erika Jaeggli, and Naomi Peterson.
Learn more about Giant Runt and stay up to date with their exhibitions and events via their Instagram.
2 comments
What kind of artists will Giant Runt be featuring? I’m curious to learn more about their curatorial vision and the types of work they’ll be showcasing.
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