Photo courtesy of Kettle Art
Kettle Art Gallery will debut OG’s Return to Deep Ellum, an exhibition highlighting the work of eight pioneering artists.
The opening reception takes place June 6 from 2-5 p.m. at 2650 Main St. and serves as a homecoming for the artists who “helped define the district’s creative identity,” according to a press release from the gallery.
The exhibition, which runs through Aug. 16, will feature works by Bill Haveron, Brad Ellis, Brad Smith, Clay Austin, Dwayne Carter, Kettle Art owner and founder Frank Campagna, Greg “Ozone” Contestabile and Thor Johnson. There will also be a tribute to the late Albert Scherbarth and David “Mosquito” Hawley.
According to the press release, the exhibition was designed to create an immersive experience to reconnect with the creative energy of 1980s Deep Ellum. Jeff Swaney and Jeffrey Yarbrough, operators of the historic Club Clearview, which closed in 2007 after establishing itself as a cultural and musical Dallas hot spot, provided guidance for the exhibition.
“This exhibition reflects a time when artists didn’t wait for permission they made the work with whatever they had: brushes, torches, welding rods, spray cans, canvas, plywood, steel,” show concept creator Brad Smith said in the press release. “They got to work. These were not hobbyists. They were not decorators. They were not ‘content creators.’ They were artists who committed fully to a life in art.”
