Eleven new pieces of art will be added to Henderson Avenue come March

by Sarah Blaskovich

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Unlike last year, this year's Henderson Art Project will include paintings.

DALLAS — The Henderson Art Project is at it again. Last year, organizer Scott Trent placed 10 sculptures along Dallas' Henderson Avenue, and this year he'd like to add 11 more. For Henderson Art Project 2, seven pieces will be sculptures and four will be paintings propped up on easels.

Easels? Yes, four paintings will be selected and placed on metal easels that Trent, a sculptor, has made. However, the paintings will have to be weather resistant, which will require some creativity from the painter. The reason he's included paintings in an area that would otherwise beg for 3D art is because there are “a ton” of painters in DFW that wouldn't otherwise get to participate in the project. And Trent, who has probably connected hundreds of artists throughout the venture so far, doesn't like to leave artists out.

“Last year, I really couldn't get the artists to see it,” he said. “I talked to a lot of friends that paint, and the artists just weren't seeing it. (They) said they didn't sculpt.” To try out the new medium, Trent and fellow artist T.Scott Stromberg have placed a piece in front of Sushi Axiom on Henderson Avenue “to see how it holds up; if it blows over,” Trent said.

Trent is quick to admit that he doesn't have it all figured out. He's still answering his own questions, like What kind of art will last in cold and hot weather? And perhaps the bigger question: What does fine art look like on the street?

The installments currently on Henderson Avenue have been criticized by FrontRow, which published this biting critique: “Like a mid-life crisis Corvette, the art in the Henderson Art Project is a surrogate for real sophistication:  it had better be shiny, accessibly emotive, and apparently red.” So be it, Trent says.

“I'll always have that unchallenging art (on Henderson),” he said simply. “Are we trying to create discourse, or are we trying to create something that enhances the area? My emphasis is to create something that enhances the area. It's the whole public art thing.”

Similarly, his 80+ judges include artists and non-artists alike. And, they choose their favorite pieces by looking at photos online, much like a driver would critique the pieces as he or she passes by. Public art, in this case, means picking the best piece to live on the side of the road, Trent said. “It's not critiquing the art."

Here's a time line for the Henderson Art Project:

• Artists can apply now through February 18. Art will be selected by February 25.

• On February 28, the 11 winners will be announced: seven sculptors and four painters.

• March 26 is the installation party. That date also kicks off the city-wide voting online to choose the top three pieces, which will be gifted People's Choice Awards of $3,500, $2,500, or $1,500.

• City-wide voting ends April 17.

New this year is a daylong event planned for April 23 on Henderson Avenue in the open field owned by Andres Properties, across the street from Fish City Grill. The final plans are still in the works, but Trent hopes to have a Taste of Henderson, an art walk, and an awards ceremony.

The 11 paintings and sculptures selected will reside on the street for two years or until they're purchased. The artists selected will get an $800 stipend. “My incentive is that it creates opportunity for the artists. If I can figure out business models that support artists, that's a good thing,” he said.

See a list of the pieces of art already submitted for Henderson 2.

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