Audio By Carbonatix
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order.
One of the first people I added to this list of 100 Dallas Creatives was Wylie H Dallas. And then I took him off for a little while because finding 100 cultural entrepreneurs and creatives and artists is actually easier than it might seem. And what Wylie H Dallas is doing, while relevant to my journalistic life, is insider baseball.
He or she (or they) is an anonymous Facebook user and avid Internet commenter dedicated to pushing information into the world, revealing hypocrisies and bias, and uncovering misinformation. Whoever is on the other side of the computer created an identity and has stuck with it for years. And that person has access to information that sometimes makes it seem like they’re a government employee, or maybe even a journalist with extra time on their hands (ha!). They’ve taken a creative approach to this idea of being a civic watchdog, and they’ve done it playfully and artfully, but with sincere investment in the city. They point out things journalists miss, or city council members glaze over.
Since joining the Observer staff at the beginning of this year, I’ve had conversations with many fellow staffers about the real identity of Wylie H Dallas. And it’s awesome – and perhaps odd – to think that D Magazine hired this Internet personality to write for the magazine sight unseen. After all, what if they turn out to be a politician? A criminal? A zombie? So, after more than 70 artists and creatives, he made the list after all for doing something no one else is – social media performance art and activism. He’s our political cyber Banksy.
OK, long shot: Who are you?
Who are any of us, really?
Can you tell us the impetus for creating Wylie H. Dallas?
Sure. The idea behind Wylie H. is to encourage the free discussion of ideas about what makes a city (meaning its citizens) great. The built public environment plays such an important role in the human existence, yet in Dallas it has been viewed as an afterthought (when it is thought about at all). My social media activities attempt to create a digital public square or promenade, allowing a wide cross-section of city residents to virtually interact with each other, overcoming the city’s numerous, divisive physical barriers that serve to inhibit such spontaneous, creative encounters.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the artist Banksy. Around the office I’ve been calling you, Dallas’ political Banksy, mostly because of the way you’ve been successfully able to keep your identity secret. If you were going to offer someone a few tips, say Leslie Brenner, on maintaining a secret identity what would they be?
Hide in plain sight. Avoid the temptation to show off by revealing insights that would only be known to a select few.
Describe your perfect Dallas day, preferably without a trip to City Hall in it.
After arising before dawn, I go to the gym, then head to a local diner and review the last 24 hours’ worth of Dallas news stories over a breakfast of black coffee, toast, and eggs. Generally speaking, I’m looking to post/comment on items that are of relevance to local residents, but steer clear of sports and crime. I then dive into a day of work, breaking periodically to check for local news updates. At night, back to the gym for a quick workout before enjoying dinner and an artistic performance with a good friend.
Do you wear a mask in public?
As André Berthiaume says: “We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin.”
What do you think is the greatest flaw of Dallas, as a city?
An aversion to honest intellectual discourse.
Who’s your favorite Dallas journalist?
Jim Schutze, he’s real OG.
Have you ever seen the movie Fight Club? If so, are you allowed to talk about it?
This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time.
No, really, who are you?
“You live in confusion and the illusion of things. There is a reality. You are that reality. When you know that, you know that you are nothing, and in being nothing, are everything. That is all.”– Kalu Rinpoche
100 Creatives:
100. Theater Mastermind Matt Posey
99. Comedy Queen Amanda Austin
98. Deep Ellum Enterpriser Brandon Castillo
97. Humanitarian Artist Willie Baronet
96. Funny Man Paul Varghese
95. Painting Provocateur Art Peña
94. Magic Man Trigg Watson
93. Enigmatic Musician George Quartz
92. Artistic Luminary Joshua King
91. Inventive Director Rene Moreno
90. Color Mavens Marianne Newsom and Sunny Sliger
89. Literary Lion Thea Temple
88. Movie Maestro Eric Steele
87. Storytelling Dynamo Nicole Stewart
86. Collaborative Artist Ryder Richards
85. Party Planning Print maker Raymond Butler
84. Avant-gardist Publisher Javier Valadez
83. Movie Nerd James Wallace
82. Artistic Tastemakers Elissa & Erin Stafford
81. Pioneering Arts Advocates Mark Lowry & Michael Warner
80. Imaginative Director Jeremy Bartel
79. Behind-the-Scenes Teacher Rachel Hull
78. Kaleidoscopic Artist Taylor “Effin” Cleveland
77. Filmmaker & Environmentalist Michael Cain
76. Music Activist Salim Nourallah
75. Underground Entrepreneur Daniel Yanez
74. Original Talent Celia Eberle
73. Comic Artist Aaron Aryanpur
72. Classical Thespian Raphael Parry
71. Dance Captain Valerie Shelton Tabor
70. Underground Culture Mainstay Karen X. Minzer
69. Effervescent Gallerist Brandy Michele Adams
68. Birthday Party Enthusiast Paige Chenault
67. Community Architect Monica Diodati
66. Intrepid Publisher Will Evans
65. Writerly Wit Noa Gavin
64. Maverick Artist Roberto Munguia
63. Fresh Perspective Kelsey Leigh Ervi
62. Virtuosic Violinist Nathan Olson
61. Open Classical’s Dynamic Duo Mark Landson & Patricia Yakesch
60. Rising Talent Michelle Rawlings
59. Adventurous Filmmaker Toby Halbrooks
58. Man of Mystery Edward Ruiz
57. Inquisitive Sculptor Val Curry
56. Offbeat Intellect Thomas Riccio
55. Doers and Makers Shannon Driscoll & Kayli House Cusick
54. Performance Pioneer Katherine Owens
53. Experimental Filmmaker and Video Artist Mike Morris
52. Flowering Fashioner Lucy Dang
51. Insightful Artist Stephen Lapthisophon
50. Dallas Arts District
49. Farmer’s Market Localvore Sarah Perry
48. Technological Painter John Pomara
47. Progressive Playmakers Christopher Carlos & Tina Parker
46. Purposive Chef Chad Houser
45. Absorbing Artist Jeff Gibbons
44. Artistic Integrator Erica Felicella
43. Multi-talented Director Tre Garrett
42. Anachronistic Musician Matt Tolentino
41. Emerging Veteran Actor Van Quattro
40. Festival Orchestrator Anna Sophia van Zweden
39. Literary Framer Karen Weiner
38. Man Behind the Music Gavin Mulloy
37. The Godfather of Dallas Art Frank Campagna
36. Rising Star Adam A. Anderson
35. Artist Organizer Heyd Fontenot
34. Music Innovator Stefan Gonzalez
33. Triple Threat Giovanni Valderas
32. Cultural Connector Lauren Cross
31. Critical Artist Thor Johnson
30. Delicate Touch Margaret Meehan
29. Fashion Forward Charles Smith II
28. Dedicated Artist Carolyn Sortor
