Tomorrow promises to be a lively evening in the Dallas Design District as Dallas Contemporary opens their doors for PEEK, a hip party that gives guests a sneak preview of the pieces that will be auctioned off Saturday at WISH, the organization’s annual art auction.

Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as you peruse the art and listen to the musical stylings of DJ Jennifer Miller.

Another special part of the evening comes courtesy of Thai artist Surasi Kusolwong who has taken up residence in the old factory space at Dallas Contemporary. Kusolwong will debut his one-evening-only performance extravaganza during the PEEK celebration, creating an atmosphere within the gallery of a Thai street market. Goods will be sold to guests for $1 a piece…everything from handmade pillows, and sexy shoes to plastic toys, hats, t-shirts….and more! Kusolwong will have models assisting him during his performance and he will also be playing his own selection of music.

Be sure to bring plenty of $1 bills for the street market! (Seriously.)

Dallas Contemporary is offering up a special deal for LOL readers. Call (214) 821-2522 and mention Lower Oak Lawn for $30 PEEK tickets. That’s 50% off the regular ticket price of $60!

In conjunction with Breathe, Walk, Look, Michel Verjux’s current exhibit at Dallas Contemporary, the artist has set up an off-site installation called “The Downtown Project.” The light projection installation is located at the historic “Purse Building” at 601 Elm Street.

This Saturday, February 19, you can meet the artist at the Downtown location from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. Attend between these times to receive two free tickets to PEEK, an auction preview party held at Dallas Contemporary on Thursday, May 12, 2011.

A celebration will follow the event at Urban Cafe in the Interurban Building at 1500 Jackson Street from 7:00 – 9:00 pm.

As always, this event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to rsvp@dallascontemporary.com.

Can’t make it Saturday? The Downtown Project installation will be showing every night through March 27th.

Better set your alarm clocks folks, because tomorrow morning at 10:00 am One Kings Lane kicks off their Tastemaker Tag sale featuring a delicious array of home goods from Michelle Nussbaumer’s Ceylon et Cie. Why must you set your alarm? Trust me, these items are going to go quickly.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with One King’s Lane, it is a home-oriented private online sales site. What Swirl or Rue La La are to fashion, OKL is to interior design. Yeah, I knew you’d like that!

Tastemaker tag sales are reserved for the elite and each Saturday (through Tuesday), well known interior designers such as Ann Getty, Rose Tarlow, Nathan Turner, Kathryn Ireland and Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, among others, sell home decor items from their personal collections at 50% off their retail value. It’s a rare opportunity to purchase the goods that these interior designers have selected for their own homes and projects.

The little “extra” in this sale is that part of the proceeds will go to Dallas Contemporary. Not only will you be getting some great deals, but also supporting a great cause!

The sale lasts through Tuesday and to celebrate its success, on Wendnesday, OKL and Ceylon et Cie are hosting a party at Dallas Contemporary. (More details here)

The folks over at Ceylon et Cie on Dragon Street were kind enough to provide us a sneak peek at a few of the items. See more pics after the jump!

“Programming for the new group is geared toward helping young people develop their sense of philanthropy while expanding their knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art,” explains Y@161 President and Dallas Contemporary board member Lindsey Collins. Membership grants twenty and thirty somethings exclusive access to private gallery talks, studio visits, auction house tours, viewings of corporate art collections, film screenings, parties and other events. Now that’s a pretty sweet deal!

Y@161′s inaugural event will be hosted this Wednesday, September 1, from 5 to 7 pm at The Meddlesome Moth. James Cope of the Goss-Michael Foundation (opening their new location in the Dallas Design District this fall), will speak to members and potential members on the importance of being a young philanthropist in Dallas and the state of contemporary art globally.

Also be looking for information coming soon on the y@161 Book Club. A new book relating to contemporary art will be chosen each quarter, with a cocktail hour reception at the end for discussion. Want to get a head start? Pick up the book club’s first read: Seven Days in the Art World.

For information on membership and to RSVP for Wednesday’s mixer, email events@dallascontemporary.org.

Dallas Contemporary
161 Glass Street
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 821-2522
www.dallascontemporary.org

“Peter impressed us with his knowledge of and his energy and passion for contemporary art. He is an internationally respected curator, director, and writer whose appointment is exciting for both Dallas Contemporary and the City of Dallas.” said Board President-elect, Patrick Collins.

Doroshenko most recently held the position of artistic director of the Pinchuk Art Centre in Kiev, Ukraine and has held other prestigious directorship positions at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead; Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst-SMAK, Ghent; and the Institute of Visual Arts at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. You can read more of Dorshenko’s impressive resume in the full press release on Art & Seek.

Speaking from Brussels today, Peter Doroshenko said, “I look forward to my new responsibilities at Dallas Contemporary. Celebrating local and engaging international artists will be important for the cultural milieu. With all of the arts organizations in the city, Dallas is an exciting and right place to be.”

Dorshenko will assume the directorship in October 2010. From LowerOakLawn.com to Mr. Dorshenko: We look forward to welcoming you to the Dallas Design District in October!

The Dallas Contemporary
161 Glass Street
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 821-2522
www.dallascontemporary.org

PRESS RELEASE:

Dallas Contemporary Names Peter Doroshenko As New Executive Director

Dallas, TX [July 6, 2010] Dallas Contemporary announces the selection of Peter Doroshenko as its next Executive Director. The Museum selected Mr. Doroshenko, recently the President and Artistic Director of the Pinchuk Art Centre in Kiev, from an extensive field of national and international candidates. A committee established by the institution’s Board of Directors led the search. Mr. Doroshenko was elected at a recent meeting of the Board of Directors and will assume the directorship in October 2010.

“The appointment of Peter Doroshenko is a major step in positioning Dallas Contemporary for the future,” said Jo Marie Lilly, President of the Dallas Contemporary Board. “His knowledge, leadership skills and commitment to innovation will assist us in making a major impact on the cultural landscape of the City of Dallas.”

Speaking from Brussels today, Peter Doroshenko said, “I look forward to my new responsibilities at Dallas Contemporary. Celebrating local and engaging international artists will be important for the cultural milieu. With all of the arts organizations in the city, Dallas is an exciting and right place to be.”

“Peter impressed us with his knowledge of and his energy and passion for contemporary art. He is an internationally respected curator, director, and writer whose appointment is exciting for both Dallas Contemporary and the City of Dallas.” said Board President-elect, Patrick Collins.

In addition to the Pinchuk Art Centre, Mr. Doroshenko has held Directorship positions at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead; Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst-SMAK, Ghent; and the Institute of Visual Arts at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. From 1991-1995 he was the curator of Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston. Most recently, Doroshenko organized one-person exhibitions including: Serhiy Bratkov, Andreas Gursky, Mariko Mori, Pascal Marthine-Tayou, and Sam Taylor-Wood. Doroshenko is currently completing two books on contemporary art to be published in 2010 by Rispoli Books.

He has also lectured extensively at international post-graduate programs including the Core Program at the Glassell School of Art, Houston; de Ateliers, Amsterdam; and the Pavilion/Palais de Tokyo, Paris. A native of Chicago, Mr. Doroshenko is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin,Milwaukee. He completed the Independent Study Program at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York and graduate studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Better late than never! That was certainly my M.O. yesterday, showing up late (or at least later than I had planned) to almost everything I attended yesterday! After showing off our LOL development at the Urban Land Institute’s DFW Awareness event, Andrew and I headed over to Dallas Contemporary to check out the last hour of PEEK!, the preview party for their live and silent auction that will take place this Saturday, May 15.

Though the check-in crew was winding down in the entrance, the party inside was still in full swing when we made it in around 9:15 pm. I grabbed a glass of wine and Andrew a beer, from an impressive selection of craft brews.

Artwork lined the perimeter of the space, making it easy to peruse and people watch at the same time. Impressively (but not surprisingly), many of the silent auction items were already decorated with “sold” tags.

I quickly spotted several familiar Design District faces, one of which was Monte Martin (pictured below) who I recently met up with at his Dragon street digs. Monte explained that his company, Martin & Martin Design is an underwriter for the event and  provided the installation and lighting services. His crew will also play a fun role in the live auction…but more details on that Monday!

Another, highlight of the evening was getting to meet Allyjayne, the winner of the Wish!ful Thinking Photography Contest. We chatted about photography, blogging and even found a few mutual friends! (It really is a small world!)

As the winner, Allyjane received two tickets to PEEK! She brought her boyfriend, Chris as her plus one and I got a cute shot of the couple enjoying the event.

Unfortunately I was too busy gabbing with friends to snap any more photos. I promise to be a more diligent reporter at Wish! this Saturday!

See pictures from PEEK! on Flickr.

The Dallas Contemporary
161 Glass Street
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 821-2522
www.dallascontemporary.org

With over 100 amazing entries to consider, our Wish!!ful Thinking judges had a challenging task in choosing just one winner! Finally, the ballots are in and the votes have been counted.

Dallas Contemporary and LowerOakLawn.com are proud to announce Allyjayne Hoffmann of Denton, Texas as the winner of the Wish!ful Thinking Photography Contest. Allyjane’s photo, Alive, inspired the judges and in return she will receive two tickets to PEEK! at Dallas Contemporary this evening!

Scroll down to see Allyjane’s winning photo and check the runners up selected by our judges.

ALIVE

“what i experienced during this performance was absolute joy. the colors, the lights and the energy surrounding the atmosphere invoked the spirit of being or, philosophically, ontological essence; there was no question or doubt of our existence. we were alive and inspired.”

Photo by: Allyjayne Hoffmann, Denton, TX

First Runners Up {Tied}

I don’t want to just exist.

“I am inspired by everyday emotions.”
Photo by: Kathy Tran

Javier

Second Runners Up {Tied}

modern day bedouins

“A modern bedouin camp outside of Cairo. Taken at sunrise, just to my left are the Pyramids of Giza.”
Photo by: Micke77023

Exit

Taken in London, England – May 2004
Photo by: Christopher S. Richey

Honorable Mentions

Sunbathing Cat

“When my Egyptian Cat Sunbathes, I am INSPIRED!”
Photo by: Ricardino1

Abandoned homes…

“Abandoned homes inspire me to remember that even if the family no longer lives there, the home is still filled with imaginary images of laughter and tears. All you have to do is close your eyes…..”
Ph0to by: Sandy Kelly / Nevada, Texas

Thank you!

We had so many wonderful entries and are so thankful to everyone who participated in the contest, from the judges to the entrants! A big TY goes out to Sarah at Dallas Contemporary for helping organize the contest and providing the prizes. Sarah will be launching a blog soon for DC so be looking for news on that soon!

See more wonderful entries by visiting the Wish!ful Thinking Photography Contest Flickr Group.

With 70+ photos already submitted, the Wish!ful Thinking Photo Contest, hosted by LowerOakLawn.com and Dallas Contemporary has been an incredible success! This morning I want to introduce our readers to the fabulously inspirational panel of guest judges that will be selecting the contest’s winner. (I promise, we didn’t mean to select only people with “J” names — it just ended up that way!)

Before we get to that I’d like to announce that the contest has been extended until 3:00 pm CST so you still have time to submit photos to the Wish!ful Thinking flickr group! Go ahead and get those photos in!

And now to our wonderful judges…

Jessica Watt’s first passion is hairstyling, and she has accumulated a cult following of Dallasite clientele over her 6 year career and currently works at Dear Clark Hair Studio.  Her love of fashion and art has led to work as a freelance artist/photographer. A selection of her work can be viewed on her blog, Jessica’s Mirror. Jessica’s Mirror is all about the things that make her happy, whether it is a great night out with friends, a lazy Sunday afternoon in the park with her dog Lucy, or the perfect pair of vintage boots. It is capturing the smallest moments that makes her smile.

Jennifer Conley is a co-founder of the popular website ILiveinDallas.com. The website promotes and reports on the Dallas art and cultural scene with goal of encouraging the creative and expansive growth of the community by covering off-beat events and locally-owned places. Jennifer has a strong passion for the online industry and tech community and has been involved with local Meetup groups and co-organized national tech camps.

Jonathan Shokrian was born in Los Angeles and has lived in Dallas for the past 5 1/2 years. Jonathan moved back to the Lone Star State to run a real estate management office in Irving,TX. His blog, Helloooooo.com began as a hobby and has become an outlet to express his love of traveling and photography.

Justin Terveen is a local photographer based out of Dallas, TX. Justin specializes in architecture, street photography and the urban aesthetic, making his company name, The Urban Fabric, very appropriate!

Samantha (Sam) Reitmayer Sano is the owner of the boutique Dallas-based design firm, SWOON, the studio, which focuses on all things luxury. She also writes the popular style/SWOON blog and freelances for FD Luxe. A graphic designer by trade, Sam is passionate about all things related to design and high style.

A big “Thank you” to our wonderful judges and good luck to them…there are some great entries and selecting a winner will definitely be a challenge!

As many of you know, Dallas Contemporary is one of the Design District’s newest {and most exciting} transplants. Next week they’re hosting their largest event and fundraiser of the year: Wish!, an art auction that features more than 100 works by emerging and established artists from Texas and beyond.

In honor of the 2010 Wish! Art Auction, LowerOakLawn.com has partnered with Dallas Contemporary to present the first annual “Wish!ful Thinking Photography Contest.” We want to know, “What inspires you?” Share a photo on our Wish!ful Thinking flickr group of anything you find inspirational. It could be a photo of an art project, a person, a place, an abstract idea — anything, as long as you took the photo. Include a one sentence caption explaining “What inspires you.”

We’ve selected some of Dallas’ most creative, inspirational and entrepreneurial minds to judge the contest. Our incredible panel of guest judges includes: rock star photographer Justin Terveen {The Urban Fabric}, style maven Sam Reitmayer Sano {Style/Swoon}, cool-hunter Jonathan Shokrian {Helloooooo.com}, connoisseur of culture, Jennifer Conley {I Live in Dallas}, and trendsetter Jessica Watts {Jessica’s Mirror}.

The photo that inspires the most wish!ful thinking will be selected as the winner. Photos will be chosen based solely on creativity & ideas, so amateurs are more than welcome – this contest is designed to bring out the inner artist in all of us!

A selection of our favorite wish!ful photos will be featured on LowerOakLawn.com throughout the week. Winners will be announced on LowerOakLawn.com and the Dallas Contemporary Facebook Page on the evening of Wednesday May 12. The winner will receive 2 complimentary tickets to Peek! – a preview party of the art to be auctioned at Wish! held on Thursday May 13.

The deadlines for entries is Wednesday, May 12 at 11:59 pm CST. Entries are limited to three per person.

Submission Guidelines:

All submissions will be featured in the Wish!ful Thinking Photography Contest Flickr Group. Select entries from the contest will be featured on the LowerOakLawn.com blog, including the top 3 finalists, which will be determined by a panel of judges.

How to Enter (2 Options):

1. Add your photo(s) to our Wish!ful Thinking Photography Contest Flickr Group.

OR

2. Email your photo(s) or a link to an online gallery of your photo(s) to socialmedia@dallascontemporary.org, and we’ll add them to the flickr gallery for you! Please keep attachments under 1 Megabyte each and include a maximum of 3 photos per email.

*Please include your name, location, and a brief project title/description with each entry, either within the email or in the description portion of your flickr photo.

Contest Dates:

The Contest submission period begins at 8:00 a.m. Central Standard Time (CST) on May 7, 2010 and ends at 11:59 a.m. CST on May 12, 2010. The winner will be announced Thursday, May 13th.

Come out to enjoy the event and help make them feel welcome in the Design District!

Bonus: Follow @DalContemporary on Twitter and mention “I Tweet” at check in to be entered into a drawing for a free membership! {See Tweet}

The Dallas Contemporary
161 Glass Street
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 821-2522
www.dallascontemporary.org