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Dunn deal
Big jobs in big art galleries are hard work and high-profile in Dallas, but few and far between. Art forces to be reckoned with, like Talley Dunn, who recently resigned as gallery director for Gerald Peters Gallery, tend to stay put. Dunn’s decision to leave is still the talk of the art set, and her position has not been filled to date. Insiders say Peters may be “rethinking” the wisdom of having a powerhouse like Dunn build solid relationships with gallery artists and then leave the gallery, potentially with the best artists in tow. According to colleagues, Dunn has a one-year no-compete clause with Gerald Peters, but if she keeps her contacts and artist-friends, like David Bates and James Cearls, who’s to say she couldn’t wreak havoc on the Dallas gallery scene next year, with, oh, say, the grand opening of The Dunn Gallery?
Baack in the saddle
Craighead-Green Gallery didn’t get huffy either when gallery director Kendall Baack quit about a month ago. Kenneth Craighead replaced her with Robert Ellis Patterson, who lasted only three weeks. When Patterson’s “overeagerness” didn’t fit C-G’s style, Craighead wooed Baack back last week. “I left because I was just tired,” Baack says. “I feel better, and I’m glad to be back.”
Art movement
The city of Dallas’ Office of Cultural Affairs just lost Sarah Ellis Cardona, a well-known local visual artist who was responsible for much of OCA’s visual-arts programming. No replacement has been named…Art consultants at Art Ability are looking for entry-level gallery aides for their Dallas wholesale gallery. The work is a cross between a low-level registrar at a museum and a pack mule. “It’s physical work, going through catalogs, pulling posters and works of art,” says Art Ability’s Michelle Kubica. “We have a national client base — hospitals, assisted living centers, office buildings, restaurants — and they all need artwork.”… DVAC’s Katherine Wagner says the best way to break into a decent arts job is still as a volunteer. “If you don’t have experience yet, a volunteer job can get you inside an arts organization, and getting a paid position usually happens by word of mouth in this town,” she says. If you’re an insider, you increase your chances…The McKinney Avenue Contemporary’s Rena Taylor has left her job as assistant for the MAC’s educational programming. She’s being replaced by MAC night facilities manager Sonjia Gladbush. See, it pays to be an insider.
