Sweet Pass Sculpture Park, a nonprofit art organization currently based in Dallas, has announced that it is relocating to San Marcos.
Analise Minjarez, Spring Resident Open Studio at Sweet Pass Sculpture Park, 2022
Founded in 2018 by artists Tamara Johnson and Trey Burns, Sweet Pass presents temporary experimental and large-scale outdoor works by contemporary artists. Along with their exhibitions, the organization hosts Sculpture School, a program that invites artists to explore and respond to the city of Dallas. The first Sculpture School cohort was in 2022, and the current cohort’s exhibition will be the final show at Sweet Pass’ current location in West Dallas.
Trey Burns and Tamara Johnson, co-founders of Sweet Pass Sculpture Park.
In recent years, Sweet Pass has received several awards, including a grant of $23,000 in support of its Sculpture School, from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a $2,000 grant from the Nasher Artist Grants program this year. Additionally, Ms. Johnson was the 2022 Moss/Chumley North Texas Artist Award recipient, due in part to her community work through Sweet Pass.
The space is moving because Ms. Johnson has taken a tenure track position of Assistant Professor and Sculpture Area Head at Texas State University. Mr. Burns told Glasstire, “We’ve loved being in Dallas and contributing to its art community, but finding more permanent employment as educators in the Metroplex has been a challenge. This new role offers a chance for growth, both personally and professionally, and we’re excited to see how it will shape the next phase of Sweet Pass.”
Though the pair is still looking for a new space, they are committed to creating opportunities for creatives to exhibit outdoor projects. They have also noted that they are currently planning the next Sculpture School.
Tatiana Sky, “Bridge” at Sweet Pass Sculpture Park’s Sculpture School: Concrete, 2024
When asked how they plan to engage the local community at their new location, Mr. Burns explained, “[We] always joke that Sweet Pass is our way of making friends. It is about creating the things we want to see where we are; a program like Sculpture School is a great model for this kind of engagement. Over the years, we’ve worked with so many incredible people and used the program as a binder to bring people together through a shared love of sculpture.”
Sculpture School: Concrete, featuring works by Valentina Jager, Dalila Sanabria, Tatiana Sky, and Ariel Wood, will be on view through November 16, 2024. Sweet Pass’ first project in its new location will debut in Spring 2025. Stay up to date with Sweet Pass via its website.
