DORF is moving to 218 South Lamar Blvd., joining neighbors Zach Theatre, Dougherty Arts Center, and The Long Center to expand the Downtown Austin arts district.
/For Immediate Release
Sept. 18, 2024
Media Contact:
Heather Wagner Reed
heather@juiceconsulting.com
713 208 3891
AUSTIN-BASED, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN ART GALLERY DORF ANNOUNCES ITS MOVE TO NEW GALLERY SPACE AT ZILKER POINT; PUBLIC INVITED TO OPENING RECEPTION ON OCT. 25
Granted in collaboration with the City of Austin, DORF celebrates new location this Oct. 25 featuring latest exhibit “Soft Opening,” on display Oct. 25 - Jan. 11, concurrent with the Austin Studio Tour
(AUSTIN, TEXAS — Sept. 18, 2024; source: Juice Consulting) — DORF, the Austin art space supporting creatives since 2018, announces its move to a brand new gallery space inside the Zilker Point Development (located at 218 South Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78704). This relocation is made possible through a landmark agreement between public and private entities; the City of Austin and 218 Zilker Point Owners, LLC. DORF has secured an up to 10-year lease for just $1 per year, with a city ordinance protecting this rent-free space for future arts nonprofits. To celebrate their new space, gallery founders Sara Vanderbeek and Eric Manche will be hosting an Opening Reception Event on Friday, Oct. 25 at the new gallery from 7 - 11 p.m.
The event will feature the opening of a two-month-long exhibition entitled “Soft Opening,” which will run from Oct. 25 through Jan. 11, available to the public on Saturdays from 12 - 6 p.m., and for the Austin Studio Tour happening Nov. 9 and 10 from 12 - 6 p.m. each day. The show will explore the theme of softness in all its forms and feature works by local, as well as NY and LA-based artists Eepi Chaad, Michael Anthony Garciá, Nitashia Johnson, Bárbara Miñarro, Natalia Nakazawa, Rebeca Proctor, Libby Rosen and James Viscardi. Programming will also include a performance by Michael Anthony Garciá at 8 p.m., music by DJ Apanda, complimentary libations, and the Connor’s Creamery soft serve truck. For more information about this exciting event, see the following link. For media who wish to attend, please RSVP to sophie@juiceconsulting.com.
The new gallery space will be stripped down, with no walls or furniture, allowing the art to interact fully with the expansive room. The artworks for this inaugural show were specifically curated to highlight the openness and in-progress nature of the space as it continues to be built, taking full advantage of the high ceilings and natural light flooding the space.
During the Austin Studio Tour,DORF is partnering with East Side Pot Shop (ESPS) for a special pop-up ceramic workshop in the new gallery space led by ESPS owner and “Soft Opening” artist Rebeca Proctor. The workshop takes place Nov. 10 from 2 - 4 p.m. For more information and to sign up, visit DORF's website. This project has been financed in part by the City of Austin’s Elevate Grant Program.
“We're so thrilled to have secured a rent-free space for our art organization thanks to a unique arrangement between public and private entities,” said DORF Executive Director Sara Vanderbeek and Creative Director Eric Manche.
“This collaboration shows what is possible when cities recognize the value of art and invest in its sustainability. We hope this model inspires future collaborations between city officials and Austin’s many essential arts nonprofits. We can’t wait to open the doors to our new home, welcome guests, and continue to amplify the many vital voices of Austin’s creative community.”
This initiative is a significant victory for the creative community in a city where many independent arts venues have been forced to close due to skyrocketing real estate prices. DORF serves as a model for how creative spaces can thrive in a rapidly developing city through partnerships with city council members. Also included in the negotiation is a $100,000 Tenant Improvement budget to build out the space. The building is designed by distinguished local architects Runa Workshop.
This move positions DORF in the heart of a new arts district alongside cultural landmarks such as Zach Theatre, Dougherty Arts Center, and The Long Center for the Performing Arts. DORF’s new space includes a 1,062-square-foot gallery, a rooftop garden, an outdoor plaza with a stage for performances, and a commissioned permanent sculpture by artist Jessica Bell, all within walking distance from Lady Bird Lake. Plans for the new space include DORF’s Fellowship in Professional Practice program (FiPP) to help provide professional development and exhibition opportunities for local emerging artists, a family-friendly clay workshop open to the public, and moreregularly scheduled, exciting art exhibitions and programs to come.
ABOUT THE TEAM AT DORF:
Sara Vanderbeek (Executive Director and Curator) is an artist, consultant, and advocate based in Austin, TX. Her work responds to place, politics, motherhood, mental health, and trauma. Her work has been shown at venues nationally, including The Contemporary Austin (TX); Bentonville Film Festival at Cache (AR); Facebook Open Arts (TX), and Tiger Strikes Asteroid (TSALA) (CA), among others. She has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, City of Austin Economic Development Department, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, and was a finalist for the 2022 Artpace International Artist-In-Residence Program. She received her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design.
Eric Manche (Creative Director) is an artist, filmmaker, animator, and creative director living in Austin, TX. His first feature-length film, “Slimed,” was released by cult film company Troma Entertainment in 2018. He is a founder of satirical video collective Basic Cable Television, a group formed in 2006 while a student at Rhode Island School of Design. He is currently finishing Basic Cable Television’s first full-length episode, and recently completed the 10-episode children’s art education series, “A Day at Laguna Gloria,” in collaboration with The Contemporary Austin. Manche is the Founder and Creative Director at Bingo Bango Creative, a boutique video production house providing visually compelling video, animation, and creative content.
Other members of the DORF Gallery team include Emmy Laursen, part of the Board of Directors, Curator of Programs & Engagement at The Contemporary Austin and Founder and Therapist at Facing East Therapy, as well as Advisory Council members Lise K. Ragbir, Co-founder & Managing Partner of VERGE and independent writer whose essays about immigration, race, and culture have appeared in The Guardian, Time and USA Today; identity-based, multidisciplinary artist Alexis Hunter; Mexican American interdisciplinary artist and independent curator Paloma Mayorga; and copywriter, content strategist, creative consultant and Founder of Rooster Cricket Creative, Meg Furey.
ABOUT DORF:
Founded by Sara Vanderbeek and Eric Manche in 2018, DORF is a nonprofit art space with a mission to build a village of artists, advocates, and innovators. DORF’s values of openness, intention, expression, and community have guided its programming, which includes exhibitions that tackle social justice, amplify marginalized voices, and foster meaningful dialogues.
“Since their launch, DORF’s consistently innovative programming of talented artists has kept us coming back and staying tuned for more.” — Best of Austin, The Austin Chronicle
“Delivers an experience that is politically, emotionally, and aesthetically challenging and feels homegrown in the best sense.” — Michael Agresta, Texas Monthly
“An empathic space for artists and visitors...with the aim to heal, empower, [and] express solidarity.” — Kristen O’Brien, Culture Map Austin
The new space at Zilker Point continues this mission, offering an expanded platform for artistic expression and community engagement. You can find more information about DORF and their upcoming shows on the gallery website here, and follow them on their Instagram.
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MEDIA NOTE:
For press requests or general inquiries, please contact the team at Juice Consulting:
Sophie Niles
512 636 4269
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Madison Snelling
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