At Shop SWOON inside The Joule Hotel, visitors are invited to do something deceptively simple: touch grass. For Sam Sano, founder of SWOON, the Studio, the phrase carries both a personal and cultural resonance. It began with her two young sons, avid gamers who often remind one another to “touch grass,” internet slang for stepping away from the screen and returning to the real world. What began as playful banter became the spark for Sano’s newest installation, an immersive environment designed to encourage presence, reflection, and grounding in the midst of downtown Dallas.
“The Shop has always been our playground, a place where we design, brand, curate, photograph, and tell stories,” Sano says. “One thing we’ve missed, however, is the chance to create the kind of immersive installations we’ve developed in the past for events like The Eye Ball and the Dallas Museum of Art. With our gallery space, we saw an opportunity to bring that experience to life on our own terms.”
Now open, Touch Grass transforms Shop SWOON’s gallery into a landscape of rolling green turf and shifting skies. Guests are encouraged to recline, slip off their shoes, and quiet their screens. The scent of freshly cut grass fills the air; headphones wrapped in turf deliver an enveloping soundscape. “We designed the space to awaken all the senses; using scent, texture, and sound to slow people down and make the experience something you feel, not just something you see,” she explains.
For Sano, the installation is as much sanctuary as exhibition. “Grounding, for me, means creating intentional pauses, spaces where I can reconnect with myself and with what truly matters,” she reflects. “As a mother, that means presence: putting the phone down, listening, being fully in the moment with my children. As an artist, it’s about stepping away from the noise and finding clarity in tactile, sensory experiences. Grounding is both a return and a release: a return to what is real and meaningful, and a release from the constant pull of distraction (and there are MANY!).”
That desire to cultivate presence found its deeper purpose in partnership with The Preston Project and the Grant Halliburton Foundation, organizations dedicated to raising awareness around youth mental health and suicide prevention. The installation honors Natalie Hatchett and her late son Preston, and proceeds from Touch Grass support their mission to expand access to mental health resources for teens and young adults. “This project is deeply personal,” Sano says. “By partnering with Natalie, we honor Preston and hope to open hearts and minds to the reality of youth mental health.”
For Sano, calling the exhibition both an art installation and a sanctuary felt natural. “I see art as a bridge,” she explains. “Art has the power to hold both beauty and vulnerability at once. In the context of mental health, art can soften the conversation, invite reflection, and provide comfort in ways that words alone sometimes can’t. Every time someone exits the space relaxed and asks if they can stay longer, that feels like mission accomplished to me.”
Despite its scale and ambition, Touch Grass emerged seamlessly, thanks in part to The Joule’s longtime support of SWOON’s creative projects. “Honestly, the Joule is an amazing partner,” she notes. “They’ve helped us spread the word and even partnered with us for a ‘Grounded Latte’ from Weekend Coffee. We are eternally grateful for our long and supportive relationship with Headington Companies.”
But beyond its setting at The Joule, Sano sees Touch Grass as part of a larger conversation in Dallas. “My hope is that this experience encourages the community to think about how creativity can intersect with care,” she says. “By blending art and storytelling, we want to create a space where people feel seen, invited to reflect, and inspired to have conversations that matter. Ultimately, I hope it sparks more projects that use art as a tool for connection, understanding, and healing.”
That mission will continue. SWOON now plans to stage biannual installations, one in the fall and one in the spring, as long as the gallery space allows. “Touch Grass allows SWOON to channel our collective creativity into something that matters,” Sano explains. “It’s a space where our studio comes together, our culture shines, and art becomes a force for impact.”
And while the installation is designed as a retreat for others, Sano admits the practice of “touching grass” is one she works to cultivate in her own life. “Ooh, I try to do this as often as I can but admittedly need to do it more, it’s so hard to slow down our nervous system, isn’t it?” she says with a laugh. “For me, touching grass usually means taking a walk on the nature trail by our house or working in the yard. Both of those quickly help me reset and think about how the earth heals itself.”
In the end, the lesson is simple but profound. “I hope visitors take with them a small moment of stillness,” Sano reflects, “a reminder to be present in the rhythm of daily life.”
Touch Grass runs through October 12 at The Joule Hotel, 1530 Main Street, Dallas. Tickets are $10; admission is free for visitors under 18 with a valid school ID.