Art Finds More Space at Centraltrak

Centraltrak, the UT Dallas artist in residency in Fair Park-Deep Ellum, has found a way to offer the public even more art this fall: Unit 9, a live-work space for Centraltrak’s artists in residence, will be housing exhibits by Texas artists.

“As artists in residence at Centraltrak channel through town for a few weeks at a time, we find that one of our live-work lofts, Unit 9, is intermittently open,” said Dr. Charissa N. Terranova, director of Centraltrak. “Rather than let the space go unused, we have decided to inject it with life. Unit 9 will be a temporary ‘project room’ from August through December.”

Artist Sunny Sliger opens Unit 9 with the exhibit “Introducing Sunny Sliger” at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16.

Sliger makes sculpture out of scraps of fabric, crafting tendrils of torn fabric which cascade from wall to floor.  During opening night, Dr. Terranova will wear one of Sliger’s pieces.  The exhibit runs through Aug. 29.

The next artist scheduled to present work in Unit 9 is Laray Polk, whose art will be on display Sept. 20 through Nov. 17. The exhibit, titled “Unit 9 and Corridor Space: Laray Polk, The Beautiful Obstacle,” is an installation of a hand-held book exploring many themes from  architecture as social engineering, to engineering as architecture; to the military-industrial complex to  the confiscation and naming of enclosed space, among others.  

The exhibit is arranged in sections, referred to as “classrooms,” and each classroom is named after a signatory of the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, a proposal written in 1955 by the philosopher Bertrand Russell announcing the dangers of nuclear weapons and calling for peaceful resolutions to international conflict.  In this way, the project seeks to “de-classify space” on several levels.  In conjunction with the exhibit, open forum “classrooms” will be offered at Centraltrak on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. in Unit 9.

Centraltrak gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12 to 5 p.m. Centraltrak is located at 800 Exposition Avenue in Dallas. Admission is free.

For information about the many musical, arts, theatre, dance and other performances and exhibitions held throughout the year at UT Dallas, visit ah.utdallas.edu or call 972-UTD-ARTS (972-883-2787). Persons with disabilities needing special accommodations may call 972-883-2982, Texas Relay Operator: 1-800-RELAYVV.

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