Episode 15: Building the Outdoor Sculpture Park of their Dreams

Tamara Johnson + Trey Burns

Founders, Sweet Pass Sculpture Park

Leaving New York is a tough choice for many artists, but it was a no-brainer for this week's guests. Returning to Texas allowed Tamara and Trey to realize their dream exhibition space, an outdoor sculpture park. Founded in 2018, Sweet Pass Sculpture Park is located on a one-acre lot in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of West Dallas, TX. Their program highlights emerging and mid-career artists from around the world. 

In our conversation, they talk about how they've built a pandemic-friendly art venue that has become a refuge for many and how "The Great Postponing" affected their exhibition program. These projects include Black Power Naps (Navild Acosta & Fannie Sosa), Ssalute (Marina Rosenfeld) for the 10th Aurora Biennial, The Staff of Aslecpias (Erik DeLuca) The Philosophy of Goo, their first collaboration that received an NEA grant in association with Wassaic Projects, and Tamara's solo exhibition How to Fold a Fitted Sheet all of which opened during the pandemic.       

Their ability to balance their vision for a "Socrates of the South" with their artistic practice and teaching positions is inspiring. In a post-COVID-19 age, when viewing art safely is not guaranteed, the need for more spaces like Sweet Pass will continue to grow. These two are true leaders and changemakers in the art world, and what Artroverted is dedicated to showcasing.

This episode was recorded on October 30, 2020

Find out more about Sweet Pass here: sweetpasssculpturepark.com and @sweetpasssculpturepark

Tamara and Trey talk about the origin of “Our Mutt” a Duchamp inspired dog bowl for the contemporary art lover who has everything. Visit www.ourmutt.com for more information and to purchase one for your artsy pooch! @ourmutt

In addition to her work at Sweet Pass, Tamara is a practicing artist and teacher. Her latest project featured an exhibition and a film centered around her obsession with goo. Her exhibition titled “How To Fold a Fitted Sheet” was shown at Ex.Ovo gallery in Dallas (September 12 – November 1, 2020).

About Tamara and Trey:

Tamara Johnson (b. 1984, Waco, TX) currently lives in Dallas, TX and works primarily in sculpture, performance and public art. Johnson obtained her BFA from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007 and her MFA in Sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 2012. Her recent projects have been exhibited in Texas at The Nasher Sculpture Center, The Blanton Museum of Art, Carillon Gallery at Tarrant County College, the Modern Museum, ex ovo gallery as well as various spaces in New York such as Socrates Sculpture Park, The CUE Art Foundation, Wave Hill, Maria Hernandez Park, SPRING BREAK Art Show, Air Mattress Gallery, Microscope Gallery, NURTUREart, Black Ball Projects, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art and CR10 Arts. In 2018, Johnson was awarded a grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council to complete the first public art piece in Maria Hernandez Park in Brooklyn, NY. She has been awarded a grant from The Foundation for Contemporary, an Individual Artist Award from the Santo Foundation, a Faculty Development Grant from Southern Methodist University (SMU) where she currently works as a Visiting Lecturer in Sculpture and a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Project Grant in conjunction with Wassiac Projects. In October 2018, Johnson and her partner, Trey Burns, opened Sweet Pass Sculpture Park — an art space in west Dallas featuring contemporary outdoor projects on a rotating basis. Sweet Pass Sculpture Park has received grants from the Nasher Sculpture Center and the City of Dallas Office of Arts & Culture. .tamarajohnsonstudio.com

Trey Burns (b. 1984, Goldsboro, NC) is primarily a lens-based artist based whose work also explores video, sound, computer programming, and installation. Burns is currently based in Dallas, TX where he   In 2008 he received an MFA from the Savannah College of Art & Design. In 2018, he started Sweet Pass Sculpture Park with his wife Tamara Johnson; as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization they are dedicated to experimentation, community engagement, and creating systems that exist in the gaps between ideas of gardens, green spaces, and public spaces while supporting contemporary art. Burns has been shown at the Ecole Nationale d’Architecture Paris, Malaquais Gallery (Paris, France) Pavillion Vendôme (Clichy-la-Garenne, France), the St. Paul’s Cultural Center (Chicago, IL), Wassaic Project (Wassaic, NY), ex ovo (Dallas, TX), Trestle Gallery (Brooklyn, NY), The May Gallery (New Orleans, LA), The Hand (Queens, NY) and et al Projects (Brooklyn, NY). In 2019, Burns received a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Project Grant in conjunction with Wassiac Projects and in 2020 he received an ArtsActivate grant from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. treyburns.com

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