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Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order.
Lauren Cross knew she wanted to start a gallery when she was living in London as an undergraduate student. She’d transferred from University of Texas at Arlington, just a car ride from her family, to Richmond — home to The American International University in London — to study art. That’s where she says she fell in love with the gallery, and came into her own as an artist.
Her journey to WoCA Projects, a Fort Worth space dedicated to showing the works of underrepresented artists, was a winding but focused one. On what was meant to be a short visit home, she met her husband, with whom she moved to Boston. There she enrolled in an MFA program, with an emphasis on artistic independence. She became versed in feminist and social justice theories, and fluent in the language of exclusion. Not just in textbooks, but in her own artistic experience — an issue she never experienced in London. Eventually she and her husband made their way back to Dallas, where she enrolled in a doctorate program at Texas Women’s University with scholarship in social justice and women’s studies. And nearly three years ago, she opened the doors to WoCA.
“I’m a believer that just because you’re an artist doesn’t mean you can’t do other things,” says Cross.
When did you start creating art?
I started creating art when I was little, but I don’t think I necessarily thought I was creating art. I had exposure to art at a young age. We always had art supplies at my house, but my mom didn’t ever create “art time” for us, I just always had this draw to it. I randomly would pick up watercolors and my mom never bothered me, she would just ask what I was working on.
So you started as a painter?
Well, I was always fascinated with photography, because that was how my family told our history. In order for me to learn it, I had to look at pictures and I’d ask my grandmother what pictures she had. I had this connection to those old photos, and that sensibility comes up in my work. Around 10, I wanted a camera, and at one point my dad was at a bus station with someone who was selling all that he had to get from point A to point B, and he sold my dad his camera. I became sort of a documentarian about everything. But I never took an official class until college. I mean, I wouldn’t say I became an artist until college.
So, you went to UTA for art?
*laughs* No, actually. Nursing. I had some bad experiences with art teachers in school, and by high school I’d grown more focused on band — I played the French horn. But I didn’t want to go to school for that. I admired my aunt who was a nurse and the way other people admired her. But when I was doing nursing in college, I realized everyone else was really passionate about this and I wasn’t. I didn’t care, and I knew that was a problem. I did this self-reflective analysis about what I should be doing, and when I looked back through my childhood, the times when I was the most happy were when I was making art. But I grew up middle class, so being an artist didn’t really make sense. Ironically, my parents were very supportive.
Where did WoCA Projects come from?
When I graduated from Richmond, I really fell in love with the galleries. All we did was go to galleries, so I learned by seeing. In London everything is very out-there. I really fell in love with gallery culture. I said then that I wanted to run a gallery. I learned more about art, and the discrepancies in the art world in regard to race and gender, not just by reading about it but through my own experiences. In my MFA program, I really became aware of myself and I’ve always had this mindset that it’s not just about me. When I got into the doctoral program, where I focus on women’s studies and multicultural studies, I thought, “Now I have the language and the credentials to actually justify this.”
Have you been happy with the result?
When I started WoCA, I got myself geared up for all kinds of war wounds. But surprisingly people liked it. And I realized, well, we’ve made some progress. What people have learned about talking about women of color and their experiences, is that we have to include everyone in that conversation. Anyone can show in WoCA, but we have that social justice mission, and we’re about showing artists who won’t get that opportunity somewhere else. It took some time to strike that balance. It’s been nice to hear people say they came in expecting one thing and they came out thinking something else. It’s been nice to know that when you’re trying to accomplish a social activism goal, it can be done in an accessible way. Not that it has to be warm and gooey all the time, but that it can be accessible.
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
