Dear Pennies & Pens,
So apparently, I’m some sort of glutton for punishment because after a hectic Valentine’s Day weekend, I spent another weekend attending and covering more events here in Dallas. But don’t worry, I’m not complaining because all the events I went to were pretty cool.
I love going to events because you get to meet new people and experience new things. This helps you learn more about the world and yourself. So if you’re a bit of an introvert, I would encourage you to break out of your shell every now and go to an event! Moving right along, today, I present to you LOUD.Life: The Dallas Festival of Ideas + Carneal Simmons Opening Reception.
The first event I went to was The Dallas Festival of Ideas. The Dallas Festival of Ideas is a 2 day conference/festival that includes thought-provoking programs, interactive discussions, live music, visual art, and stage performances. Since the Festival received generous support from its sponsors, this year’s festival was free.
I actually think that’s great because it made the audience much more diverse since the event was more accessible. As a startup owner, I know I can’t pay for every event but it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t attend or gain something from the event. So when I learned that this event was free, I definitely wanted to support it.
The event started with a panel discussion called Finding Your Role in an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem with Russell Simmons, Salah Boukadoum, Trey Bowles, Nina Vaca, and Gail Warrior. Russell Simmons dropped straight knowledge during this panel! He talked about how there’s no such thing as failure because you learn from experience and how he built Global Grind, Def Jam, etc.
I also enjoyed the “How can literature shape and define a city? How can a city write its own story and how can Dallas shape its next chapter?” panel with Alma Guillermoprieto, Lauren Smart, Darryl Dickson Carr, Lisa Hembry, Merritt Tierce, and Will Evans. I liked this panel because the panelists talked about to make Dallas a more literary city as well as explaining what they do.
There was also a panel called “How Can Dallas Attract and Retain Its Creative Talent?” with Joshua King, Kimi Nikaidoh, Will Richey, So So Topic, and Zannie Voss. This panel was cool because the discussion focused on the arts scene in Dallas and what can be done to make it grow. Everyone seemed to agree that Dallas has the potential to be an artistic powerhouse but that it has not yet reached its critical mass. Check out The Dallas Festival of Ideas here: thedallasfestival.com
After I left The Dallas Festival of Ideas, I went to Carneal Simmons Gallery for the Landscape Redefined Opening Reception. The Landscape Redefined is an exhibition focusing on the work of painters Sherry Giryotas and Gwen Davidson, along with photographer Kalee Appleton.
Each of these artists approach the creation of landscapes with different techniques and unique perspectives. While at the event, I browsed the galleries as I sipped on my glass of wine.
I truly fell in love with the pieces on display and I definitely think you should check out the exhibit.With that said, check out their website: www.carnealsimmons.com
And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything. With us, keeping it real never goes wrong.
