Lisa Clayton and Christina Childress participate in the inaugural Open University exhibition at Dallas Contemporary

Two of our students had work on display at the Dallas Contemporary's North Texas MFA exhibition. On view January 24 – March 9, 2025, Open University was curated by Matthew Higgs, Director and Chief Curator of White Columns in New York.

“The annual initiative, launched in August 2024, invites North Texas MFA students in their final year of graduate work to exhibit at Dallas Contemporary, after being selected by a visiting national curator. The program is aimed at advancing the early careers of emerging artists schooled in the region and fosters healthy interactions and connections between students and renowned curators,” said Dallas Contemporary team in an open call that announced the new project.

Across students from Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, Texas Woman’s University, University of North Texas, The University of Texas at Arlington, and The University of Texas at Dallas, the inaugural DC NTX Graduate Student Program cohort included: Courtney Broussard, Christina Childress, Lisa Clayton, Taylor Cleveland, Pablo Cruz, Veronica Ibargüengoitia Tena, Austin Lewis, Katherine Pinkham, Sarah Rainey, Elijah Ruhala, Narong Tintamusik, Sharmeen Uqaili, and Vajihe Zamaniderkani.

Christina Childress presented her installation Do you remember how it feels to press your hands into earth? Childress’ 8 x 10 feet quilt in a distinct hourglass pattern was composed at the museum from an unusual material - Texas soil collected by the artist at Coryell County, Dallas County, Denton County, and Tarrant County where her family on both ends has lived over the years.

Lisa Clayton’s practice was represented with the The Vulva Series, five large scale hand tufted rugs that relate to issues of femininity and feminism, reproductive rights and freedoms – the theme that Clayton has dedicated years of her recent activism and studio work to.