Dallas art show lets portraiture break out of the frame
The Carl and Marilynn Thoma Foundation’s latest exhibition is a game-changer for portraiture, as it breaks free from traditional frames and fills every corner of their Cedar Springs headquarters.
The foundation, which was launched in 2014 by art collectors from Oklahoma, focuses on arts education throughout the Southwest, with scholarships and philanthropic initiatives. Having relocated to Dallas in 2023, the couple has quickly become immersed in the local arts scene, loaning work from their vast collection to various museums.
The yearly show, "Presence of Absence: Embodied Portraiture," is a standout, featuring 65 works that range from classical saints to digital video portraits, including a piece by stage director Robert Wilson of Lady Gaga. The exhibition was curated by collections manager Meagan Robson and digital arts curator Kathleen Forde, who drew from the foundation’s eclectic collection of Spanish American art, post-War painting and sculpture, Japanese bamboo, and high-tech media work.