On Thursday I went to the opening of Jonathan Dedman Dietz's photography show at the yet-to-be finished new space which will eventually house the Dallas Contemporary. Dietz, who is Nancy Dedman's grandson and a talented photo journalist, documented his travels to Burma. I love how these waiters were dressed and posing in front of a photo of a turbaned Burmese man. They were appropriately dressed for the heat -- there's no air conditioning yet -- and I was not. I wore a sweater. What was I thinking?
Nancy Dedman, sporting a summer sweater, too, but looking crisp and unwilted despite the humidity, told me that her favorite photo was this one at far left, of the man inside the wheel, "Because it wasn't staged. Everyone thinks it was because it's so dramatic, but Jonathan captured it just as it happened," she said.(I apologize for the lack of photos -- my camera has been broken. But it's finally fixed and so next time I'll have better photos for you. I borrowed these from someone who attended the show.)
The warehouse was decked out like a Burmese palace. Michelle Nussbaumer did the styling and I think she did a great job, don't you?
A Burmese boat cleverly turned into seating....
Later in the evening, this turned into a dance floor, with guest DJs Capera Ryan, Jennifer Miller, and Bernard Nussbaumer. I wish you could have seen architect Richard Drummond Davis and Contemporary director Joan Davidow swing dancing -- it was worth the price of admission!The party was a fundraiser for the museum, which needs to raise another $200,000 to finish the building. Kari Schlegel chaired the event -- she's so young -- and I wonder if this was her first. Kari is definitely someone to watch.
