Dialogues in Art: Immersive Outer Circles

Jeremy Biggers is an award-winning creator who has made a name for himself as a painter, muralist, filmmaker. He was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he attended Booker T Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. It was during this time that he discovered his passion for painting and developed a love for photography, film-making and graphic design, which he later focused on in college. Since then, Biggers has become known as “Dallas' hardest working multi-hyphenate” (D Magazine). His work has also been showcased in galleries and exhibitions throughout the country. Biggers’ artistic vision and versatility have led to partnerships with some of the biggest brands in the world, including IBM, Nike, Adidas, Jordan Brand, McDonalds, Meta, Major League Baseball, Paramount Pictures, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, and Fossil. Whether he's working on a canvas, on a wall, or behind a camera, Jeremy Biggers continues to push the boundaries of what it means to be an artist. His passion for his craft and his dedication to his community have made him one of the most respected and admired creators working today. jeremybiggers.com

Will Heron created the moniker "Wheron" in 2012 for both his public mural works and gallery exhibitions. Reflecting on his Dallas roots, Heron's work often fuses southern imagery and shape illusions to create prickly, illustrative, high-contrast compositions. His minimalistic approach to design in both gallery and mural works, opens the dialogue between the worlds of illustration and street art while exploring larger concepts including dichotomies in nature, resilience from brokenness, and physical/metaphorical growth. His work ranges from 2D pen drawings to spray painted wood cut-outs, to sculpture explorations including epoxy dough, resin and rhinestones. Public mural works by Wheron can be spotted across the DFW metroplex as well as in Phoenix, AZ, Miami, FL, Oklahoma City, OK, and Houston, TX. Heron's studio is in the Tin District, West Dallas, where he helps coordinate the annual Wild West Mural Fest. Over the past six years with the WWMF, Heron has helped curate over 60+ large-scale murals by local and national artists for the West Dallas community. Heron is the artist liaison for Meow Wolf permanent exhibit in Grapevine, TX called "The Real Unreal", where he helped coordinate local artists within the exhibit as well as paint the exterior collaborative mural on the outside of the mall. http://wheronart.com/

Sam Lao is a multidisciplinary artist based in Dallas, TX. Despite being dubbed early on in life as a creative child, Lao spent much of her upbringing trying to find a more “acceptable” career path. A UTA graduate with a BFA in Visual Communications, Lao worked with multiple artistic mediums post graduation, most notably painting and music before turning to fiber art in 2020 in an effort to combat the isolation of the global pandemic which lead her to tufting. Lao’s practice explores the interaction between color, texture and pattern as they relate to the constant flow of creating and the actions requires to bring thought to fruition. Through her craft she examines the abstract nature of what it means to be creative. Having been reprimanded manty times in her youth for getting too close to the artwork during museum visits the tactile qualities of Lao’s current work subverts the old adage of ‘do not touch the artwork’ by inviting the viewer to do just that and in turn making a visual experience a physical one as well. sammadethat.com

Giovanni Valderas is an assistant professor of drawing and painting at Texas Woman’s University. Previously, he served as Exhibition Manager at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Assistant Gallery Director at Kirk Hopper Fine Art and the Gallery Director at Mountain View College. Valderas has an MFA from the College of Visual Arts & Design at the University of North Texas and has taught painting and drawing courses at the University of North Texas, Richland, and Mountain View College. A former member of 500x gallery, one of the oldest co-op galleries in Texas, he has had work featured in the 2013 Texas Biennial; New American Paintings Magazine; Impossible Geometries, Field Projects, New York; and 14x48’s temporary billboard public art project. A recipient of the Moss/Chumley Award and a microgrant from the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Valderas has also served as an appointee by the Dallas City Council as Vice Chair of the Cultural Affairs Commission. In 2018, he resigned to run for Dallas City Council to represent the neighborhood he grew up in; he led a grassroots campaign and placed a strong second. giovannivalderas.com

Born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Carlos Donjuan immigrated to the USA with his family at the age of 3. As a child, Carlos quickly found his passion for drawing cartoons, Lowrider Cars, comic book characters and animals. During middle and high school, he discovered his love for graffiti and mural art. He has a BFA from the The University of Texas at Arlington where he studied under Marilyn Jolly, and an MFA from The University of Texas at San Antonio where he worked closely with Professors Ken Little and Ricardo Armendariz. Donjuan currently teaches at UTA. He has exhibited in galleries and museums in Texas, California, New York, France, Spain, and Italy. His work is also part of the Cheech Marin Collection, which is the largest Chicano Art Collection and soon to become its own museum. As a muralist, he works with the collective Sour Grapes, which includes his two younger brothers and some childhood friends. Donjuan has painted murals, hosted workshops, and mentored at risk youths through the collective. This is a way for Donjuan to give back to the community through his mentoring and murals. He has always had a strong love for his neighborhood because it one of the main driving forces behind his work. carlosdonjuan.com