Local artist hosts masquerade ball to raise funds for sculpture exhibition

by Emma Golden

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The sculptures are currently model size, sitting in Karen Blessen’s studio in Dallas. Some day, they will be full-scale.

Piece 1 of 29 Pieces, titled "1. If the very world should stop"

DEEP ELLUM — On Saturday, a masquerade ball may make a local artist’s dream possible.

The party is the apex of Karen Blessen's artistic and inspired work. For the last five years, she has allowed her vision to take hold of her and create her latest inspiration, 29 Pieces, a giant sculpture exhibition.

It all started when Blessen began to experience the oh-so-inescapable midlife anxiety. Her original dreams of becoming a world-renowned journalist weren't panning out as planned, and Blessen questioned her next move.

“I remember thinking: If something happened to me right now, and I was no more, is my spirit where I want it to be?” Blessen says. “My answer was ‘no.’”

This is where her meditation practice began. Each morning, she and her husband would wake at 6 a.m. and silently chant old-world religious phrases over and over to themselves, in the dark, with no distractions. “Each phrase had specific beauties to them, similarities. And I began to see all the wisdom we could take from them,” Blessen says.

After months of this practice, Blessen then began another meditation. She would repeat the memorized phrases to herself, then, immediately after, write her initial thoughts down with her dominant hand, then again with her non-dominant hand. The two techniques molded together as one, and spawned 29 Pieces.

Piece 29 of 29 Pieces, titled "29. Dying of love is what I hope for"

The actual pieces of art are Blessen’s visual reaction to the written reactions from dominant and non-dominant hands. They embody the religious phrases Blessen chanted to herself over and over, and symbolize greater, universal meanings. Although the sculptures are currently just model-size, sitting in Blessen’s studio in Dallas, they will be full-scale one day soon, and that’s what the event on January 29 is raising funds for. “I wanted to create something so large, so imposing, that it would stop us cold to see this different kind of message in front of us,” Blessen says. “It’s going to be immense and impress any viewer with their scale.”

Kevin Spurgin, COO of the Green Bandana Group, is the fire behind the actual event. His company serves as “Innovators in Art Commerce”; in other words, they support local artists with event planning, artist booking – you name it, they do it. He feels drawn to Blessen's vision.

“I am compelled by the vastness of the 29 Pieces project. Not only because of the size and scale of the pieces but because of the way they celebrate life, creativity, vulnerability, truth, and healing,” Spurgin says.

And they do. Blessen’s collection stands for life – how to better live it and how to better use the tool of introspection to squeeze the most out of it that you can. “I hope people truly see the value of this movement,” Spurgin says. “That's really what it is – a movement – and with an amazing soul like Karen as the visionary, it's incredibly compelling.”

So why should we give her money? Well, in Blessen’s words: “First off, it’s going to be a fabulous party. Kevin and his business partner, Darryl, have really done a fantastic job at putting the event together with local bands, a completely catered menu, and just a whole bunch of other entertainment.” But, on a more serious note, “I feel like this is an opportunity to be a part of a once in a lifetime vision. I really think it’s going to be something that’s important for Dallas.”

The event includes live performances by Ishi, The Gritz, Hello Lover, and Able Youth. Admission is $25.