From an American Icon’s DMA Debut to a Celebrity-Filled Smithsonian Piece, These are Three New Dallas Art Exhibits to See Right Now

It’s that time of year where Dallasites either flock to rooftop pools (and Colorado) or seek the cooling retreat of indoor-based entertainment. This month, escape the summer heat and take in some art with these three new Dallas must-see exhibits.

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s “Sam F” at Dallas Museum of Art

July 4 through February 2022

Iconic American painter of the 1980s, Jean-Michel Basquiat has never had his work featured in the DMA’s collection. Gifted by the late Samuel and Helga Feldman, “Sam F” was created in 1985 during Basquiat’s first visit to Dallas. The colorful piece highlights Basquiat’s use of text and imagery drawn from pop culture, music, and more. “Sam F” is painted on a salvaged door from the apartment complex he once stayed in Dallas.

“Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth” at the African American Museum

June 26 through September 12

A Smithsonian traveling exhibit, “Men of Change” is now on view at Dallas’ African American Museum in Fair Park. The exhibit “presents the narrative of a nation through the profiles of significant African American men who are icons in the country’s historical and cultural landscape,” according to a release. “Men of Change” includes Muhammad Ali, James Baldwin, Ta-Nehisi Coates, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Kendrick Lamar. Each biography is paired with an original artwork by artists such as Nina Chanel Abney, Derrick Adams, Robert Pruitt, Tariku Shiferaw, and Devan Shimoyam.

Cameron Schoepp’s “Twist” at Nasher Public

June 24 through July 18

Part of Nasher Sculpture Center’s Nasher Public series, “Twist” comes from North Texas artist Cameron Schoepp. The piece is a massive loop of industrial chain suspended from the ceiling. On a motor, the chain turns, literally twisting it until it looks like one line in the span of 12 minutes. It then untwists itself. A stanchion separates the viewer from the chain, highlighting the possible danger of the chain.

“Twist grew out of the pandemic and underlines a number of its effects: the sense of threat it engendered; the abrupt and constant shifts it brought to the foundations of our lives, upturning one’s sense of stability and safety; and the way it forced one to slow down, which often resulted in taking note of the simple beauties around us,” the Nasher website explains.