June 19 - 24, 2020
The non-stop, four-day exhibition will take place June 19-23, highlighting gentrification in one of the city’s oft-forgotten neighborhoods. Last summer, visual artist Jeremiah Onifadé made his long-awaited art world debut. His show, “A Prelude to the Beautiful Unknown,” unveiled his distinctive style–a style informed by hope, love, loss and pain. Soon after the show, he got his first grant from theDallas Office ofArts and Culture. After escaping violence in his home country of Nigeria, and toiling for decades as an unnoticed artist, his moment was finally here. He had big plans for his follow-up, which he knew would be beautiful and heartrending. Then, the pandemic happened. COVID-19 forced Onifadé to reschedule his new show but, true to form, he’s being an optimist about the whole thing.“It might’ve been for the best,” he says. “Now I get to do this really cool thing that no one was expecting.”Onifadé’s second show, entitled “Blue Dot”, will take place in a repurposed house in the Bonton neighborhood(2727 Rochester St., Dallas, Texas 75215)starting onFriday, June 19and running throughTuesday,June23. The doors to the house will be open for 96 hours straight, allowing patrons to come whenever works fort heir schedule while practicing social distancing. The artist is also being intentional about health and safety.Through a virtual reality option and enhanced cleanliness measures detailed below, he and his team will curate an environment in which people feel safe enjoying art. But if the location bothers you, that’s kind of the point.It’s a place everyone ignores,” Onifadé acknowledges, “but that’s why I want to go there.”By hosting an art show in a neighborhood often overlooked or seen as dangerous, Onifadé hopes to open upDallas denizens to new places and experiences.“I want to talk about gentrification, and how one community is not greater than another in our community or our country,” he says. “When we gentrify something, we create a black hole. Instead of pushing people out, why not revitalize that community? That’s the question I’m asking with this show.”“Blue Dot” will include new paintings by Onifadé and work from young local artists Charles Gray and Jess Tedder. The name is inspired by Onifadé’s belief that we all have a responsibility on this blue dot we call earth, and that we’re all part of the same community.“If you meet an alien, you’re not going to say you’re from Frisco or Nigeria,” he says. “You’re going to say, ‘I’m from Earth.’ And if we rescue you, we’re going to say, ‘He’s from Earth. He’s one of us.’”After yet another killing by police and the subsequent weeks of protest, Onifadé is hopeful that his work can be a vital part of the calls for change. Nevertheless, he admits it’s been hard to focus recently.“It’s hard to do art right now,” he says. “It’s a life or death situation, and it’s important to be in tune with everything that’s going on. My hope is that people see our work, see what we have to say, then leave the house and do what they can do to make this place a better community for all of us.”
Jeremiah Onifadé
The artist will be requiring all patrons to wear masks and will be providing face masks and gloves at the entrance to the exhibit. Furthermore, there will be a hand-washing station at the front of the house, and hand sanitizers stationed throughout.The show will be staffed with tour guides and security and sanitized regularly to keep patrons safe.The artist’s 96-hour social distancing art show will take place fromFriday, June 19throughTuesday, June 23in the Bonton neighborhood of Dallas. An Opening Reception for “Blue Dot” will take place that Friday from 6to9 p.m.“Blue Dot” will have a virtual reality component that patrons can utilize if they are unable to attend the show in person. The VR link will be available onMonday, June 22.
On View: June 19, 2020 | 10 am – 5 pm
2727 Rochester Street
Dallas, 75215 Texas
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