In seven years, the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center has raised more than $2 million with the help of Dallas' visual artists. One of the key annual fundraisers for the organization is the Art for Advocacy auction, which supports the art therapy programs and other services offered to child abuse victims. This year more than 100 emerging and established artists contributed work to the auction, which takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday under the roof of F.I.G. (Fashion Industry Gallery). Silent auctions can be competitive arenas, so we've scoped out 10 artists you might want to bid on.
Shane Pennington His name might sound familiar. If you've been to Dallas City Performance Hall, Pennington's work drapes the stage. He's committed to changing the artistic landscape in Dallas, with events like Aurora, which Pennington co-founded. You may have to box people out from outbidding you on his piece Thursday night.
Todd Camplin Camplin's abstract works are inextricably linked to the mystification he has with words from his lifelong struggle with dyslexia. If squint for long enough, the shapes of words may begin to form beneath the flowering colors. But it's more likely you'll be blown away by the delicate use of color and texture.
Sally Warren In an attempt to "feel" the landscapes in her photography, Warren smears the images lending an almost eerie milieu. This gives each of her pieces an unspoken quality that gives the onlooker a personal experience of the dreamscape.
Justin Ginsberg Ginsberg presents his concerns with the process of communication in symbolic representations of the technologies that have replaced face-to-face conversations. In both his site-specific installations and his smaller pieces, he forms strands of wires or crystals into stunning works of art.
Winston Mascarenhas Mascarenhas uses textures, shapes and colors that engage senses in a way you might not think that visual art could. His encaustic painting (READ: hot wax) allows the color pigments to vivify adding shapes to the canvas you want to run your fingers across. But the only way you'll be able to touch this painting is if you take it home. Squeeze your name on the list of bidders.
Gray Malin Dallas native Gray Malin earned a reputation as a world-class photographer while working as a vendor at the famous Melrose Fairfax Flea Market in California. He has a sharp eye for narrative and his photographs sweep the onlooker into the scene.
Bonny Leibowitz Looking through the roster of artists participating in the auction, the talent is overwhelming. Leibowitz is just one more example of this. In her tactile work, bidders have the opportunity to take home a piece rich with meaning.
Leslie Wilkes The color-block paintings from Wilkes could brighten an entire room. Almost like a kaleidoscope, the geometric shapes give her pieces a sense of movement.
Sarah Williams There is a highly cinematic quality to the landscape paintings of Sarah Williams. The unconventional locations and dramatic lighting set a mood rife with questions. The scene on the canvas is set for a story that every onlooker must create for themselves.
Simeen Farhat Throughout her entire body of work, Farhat is committed to empowerment of female expression. Each piece of art demonstrates thoughtful use of color, shape and medium. Sorting through every line and shape to determine the meaning would give the owners of a Farhat piece a lifetime of contemplation.
