500X Gallery announced earlier this week that after 41 years the gallery would shutter. The gallery’s website reads: “After 41 years at 500 Exposition Avenue, 500X Gallery’s lease was terminated.” Established in 1978, the member-run gallery has focused on promoting local artists and is believed to be the oldest artist-run gallery in Texas. Through the years, the gallery has been a launching point for artists like Tom Orr, Nic Nicosia, Vincent Falsetta, and Otis Jones.
Kerry Butcher, 500X PR representative tells us, “500Xit will be the final exhibition at our namesake at 500 Exposition Avenue. It will showcase works by current 500X Members who were scheduled to have exhibitions in March, April, and May. The show will be on view March 14–April 4, 2020. We hope everyone will join us on Saturday, April 4 from 7:00–10:00 p.m. for the closing reception. More information will be announced soon on our social media channels.”
On February 8, the gallery announced LGBTQIA+ Open-Call Show Juried by Chuck & George, on the heels of the exhibition Queer Me Now: The Queer Body & Gaze, an exhibition which opened on December 7 only to be taken down by members on December 9 in response to an email from the organization’s building management, the Gibson Company that claimed the artwork in the show violated the gallery’s lease. Queer Me Now includedLGBTQIA+ artists Joshua Bryant, Jer’Lisa Devezin, Steven Hector Gonzalez, Christian Roman, and Gem You. The show contained depicted graphic images which included sexual fantasies but the call for the show to be taken down launched a debate over censorship. The MAC would go on to host Queer Me Now.
On February 10, Glasstire highlighted the LGBTQIA+ Open-Call Show on their website and three days later, the Gibson Company sent a notice to vacate with a final decision pending a meeting with the landlord and gallery members.
“While we cannot speak for our leasing agents, we are concerned about the timing of their decision. In December 2019, Queer Me Now was forced to be taken down to avoid lease termination. After we tried to meet with the leasing agents about this situation, they would not agree to have more than one 500X member present at the meeting and never responded to our request to meet with at minimum of two 500X members. The LGBTQIA+ call for entry with Chuck and George as jurors was announced on February 10 and the notice to vacate was sent three days later on February 13,” explains Butcher.
The Gibson Company failed to meet with any members. On February 20, on the heels of a 500x announcement of a forthcoming exhibition featuring LGBTQIA+ artists, a leasing agent said the notice to vacate was final and no meeting would occur
It is, however, remarkable that this artist-run space has occupied the former tire factory for forty-some years without owning the building. With any luck, 500X members will continue their mission of supplying Dallas with a steady stream of emerging talent from a variety of backgrounds featuring diverse creative content.
As for next steps, Butcher tells us, “It is still early days and while we don’t have a timeline yet, we are excited to explore options in different neighborhoods across Dallas.” So, for now, it looks like Dallas is losing one of its oldest galleries.