Latest news with #DeepEllum
CBS News
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Artist from South Korea details her upbringing, culture at Dallas art gallery
EDITOR'S NOTE: CBS News Texas is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May by highlighting a North Texas woman who shares childhood memories of growing up in South Korea through her art. ----- Brenda Turner's living room is filled with bottles of paint, coming together to create a vision that began in a dream. "I am working on this piece that came to me in a dream," Turner said. "It's very nostalgic because the memories start flooding back in." Turning memories into art CBS News Texas The artist recreates her childhood memories through a series of old pictures brought to life on canvas. "The exact piece I'm working on right here is a baby picture of me on my first birthday, and I'm looking crazy and cranky," Turner said. The photograph, taken by Turner's mother in 1987, served as inspiration for her latest work. "My mom was born in Seoul," Turner said. Turner's journey is on display at Perspective 6 Art Gallery in Dallas' Deep Ellum neighborhood, where she showcases three pieces. Exploring culture and family dynamics One of Turner's works highlights an aspect of Korean culture. "The little dolls are actually little magnets. That's popular in Korean culture," she said. Another piece captures her experience growing up on a Korean military base and the complexities of her family background. "She's a Korean woman. My father is a Black man, so there were a lot of issues with that in society, especially in the '80s," Turner said. She recalls hearing derogatory comments about her father as a child. "When they saw my dad, being a tall, dark-skinned man, I would hear more people referencing him in a derogatory way," Turner said. Art inspired by history and resilience Turner's second piece captures the essence of her nephew, while the third reflects a tragic event in Asian history. "This is the linoleum print that I did in regard to the tsunami that triggered the earthquake in Japan in 2011," Turner said. The artwork represents resilience and strength. "The people in the community in Japan still mustered and figured out how to get it together—working to bring life back into their community," she said. A lifelong passion for storytelling through art For more than two decades, Turner has shared her Asian heritage through painting and has no plans of stopping. "Growing up, it was always a question of, 'What are you? Who are you?'" Turner said. "I think if you look at my art, I'll tell you what that is and who I am in that way." The artist hopes to bring her Asian heritage to the people of Dallas-Fort Worth, using her history to shape the future of her work.
CBS News
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Deep Ellum Foundation gifts vacant building space to artists
Deep Ellum is known for its vibrant arts community, but studio space can be expensive. An innovative new program is providing vacant buildings to artists free of charge. For artist Ebony Lewis, each day begins with a mission — to create magic in her studio in Dallas' Deep Ellum neighborhood. "This piece is called 'Ode to Be Seen,'" Lewis said as she applied the finishing touches to her latest painting. CBS News Texas She explained that the cloud in her artwork represents uncertainty. "It allows me to work out all the negative thoughts I tell myself and put a positive spin on them," Lewis said. Lewis finds solace in her artwork. Painting became her refuge after a painful experience as a teenager. "I first started painting in ninth grade, after my father passed away. I randomly walked into a Home Depot, and they were offering classes. My mom said, 'You should do that,'" she recalled. Now, decades later, Lewis receives her studio space free of charge, thanks to the Deep Ellum Foundation. "We saw similar programs using vacant spaces and decided to bring the concept to property owners here in Deep Ellum to see if they'd be open to hosting pop-up galleries in their empty buildings," said Veronica Young, a manager with the Deep Ellum Foundation. Young works with Main Street property owners to offer vacant spaces to artists like Lewis for temporary exhibits. "Right now, we have three spaces being used by different artists. We have a couple more opening soon, and we hope to fill them quickly," Young said. Lewis believes the initiative has been a game-changer. "We've showcased over 25 artists in this space without the burden of high overhead costs. It allows me to give back in the way I want to," she said. A few doors down, a former shoe store has been converted into another space for Dallas artists to display their creations. "We've found endless inspiration bouncing around ideas about what else we could do with vacant spaces. I think it brings out the best of the culture," said James Maker, one of the artists involved. Maker, whose latest piece is called 'The Hollow Man,' uses steel sculpture to express deep emotions. "He's a low-poly steel sculpture that I made to remove sorrow from my life. I started with a 3D model, broke it down into flat sheets, laser-cut them, and welded them together," Maker explained. For Lewis, the program is not just about displaying her work—it's also about mental and emotional well-being. "This is my happy place. It's my free therapy," she said. The pop-up spaces are helping artists financially and emotionally as they bring color and creativity to Deep Ellum. "The arts are the heartbeat of a community, especially in a place like Deep Ellum," Lewis said. The Deep Ellum Foundation plans to expand the program, adding two more vacant buildings, bringing the total to five spaces where artists can grow and share their work with the community.
