La Reunion TX

2129 Farrington Street

Dallas, TX

www.lareuniontx.org

La Reunion TX is creating an arts residency in Dallas that will host artists in both new and traditional media for periods ranging from one week to one year. In exchange for live/work space, artists will be expected to give back to the community through programs, exhibits, performances, and installations. Our residency will be built on a 35 acre site in Oak Cliff and will be as green and off-grid as possible, modeling to the community sustainable living. In addition, our business plan has an eye toward long-term sustainability not only with our facility, but also with the bottom line. We seek to transform our community through art and create lasting social change in Dallas. La Reunion TX is a 501(c)3.

Mission

The mission of La Reunion TX is to create an arts residency in Dallas that inspires, sustains, and renews artists and community through education and outreach.

The Original La Reunion colony

The original La Reunion was a European Utopian community founded in 1855 by Victor Considerant, a follower of Francois Marie Charles Fourier. La Reunion's ranks included tailors, shoemakers, milliners, jewelers, watchmakers, weavers, vintners, brew masters, and storekeepers. The colony even included naturalists, philosophers, musicians, dance masters, and poets. There were chefs, butchers, candle and soap makers, but no farmers and stockmen. Nor did they have strong leadership - Considerant was much more a social experimenter than a taskmaster, administrator, or leader of men.

La Reunion ultimately did not survive for many reasons, including the harsh North Texas weather conditions. And although some of the settlers returned to Europe, many moved into Dallas and created a rich source of skilled artisans and craftsmen during Dallas' formative years. LRTX is inspired to recall these histories, to acknowledge the artists who have gone before us and to remember the importance of their contribution to Dallas.