Dialogues in Art: What’s Up With Galleries?
Exhibitions are the vehicle through which art is seen, known, and collected. They can mark shifts in taste, spark the beginnings of a movement, or challenge established aesthetics. They require a dedicated partnership between artists and galleries in order for this meeting of art and the public to take place. Moderated by the UTA painting program coordinator Benjamin Terry, this panel brings together three Dallas gallerists - Adrian Zuñiga, Erin Cluley, and Cody Fitzsimmons - to discuss that partnership and demystify the relationship between galleries, artists, and the public.
Erin Cluley is the owner of Erin Cluley Gallery, a contemporary art gallery presenting a provocative program of artists from Texas and the East Coast. Cluley opened in 2014, igniting a creative movement in West Dallas and recently moved her operation to the Riverbend development in the Design District. In April of 2021, Cluley opened a second location called Cluley Projects. Making a return to West Dallas, Cluley Projects acts as an incubator space focusing on regional artists and providing a platform for discovery and mentorship. Prior to opening her galleries, Cluley served as the Director of Exhibitions for Dallas Contemporary working on exhibitions with K8 Hardy, Julian Schnabel, Shepard Fairey, Erwin Wurm, Inez & Vinood, and others.
Cody Fitzsimmons is the co-founder and Director of Tureen, a queer and Indigenous-owned project-based contemporary art gallery located on historic Jefferson Boulevard in Dallas. Since its opening in summer 2023, Tureen has mounted ambitious exhibitions for both emerging and mid-career artists. The gallery is highly focused on presentation, often transforming the space in order to fully realize an artist’s fantasy. Notable exhibitions include solo presentations with Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Theresa Chromati and Łukasz Stokłosa as well as a two person-exhibition with Kyle Thurman and Danny McDonald. On September 7 they will open Sky, Blue, a two-person show of work of Beverly Semmes and Kahlil Robert Irving that highlights both artists interest in memory, absence, and monuments.
Adrian Zuñiga received a BFA in Painting from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2012 and began working for Galleri Urbane in Dallas. In 2017 he completed an MA in Contemporary Art at Sotheby's Institute of Art, London, and moved back to Dallas to serve as a director at Galleri Urbane. He joined Various Small Fires in 2022 to open the gallery's Dallas location where he currently serves as its director.
