Following the departure of Lucia Simek as Executive Director and the cancellation of a major survey exhibition of Dallas artist Ike E. Morgan, the Dallas Contemporary is undergoing a period of transition.
Ms. Simek was appointed Interim Executive Director in September 2024 following the departure of Carolina Alvarez-Mathies, then was hired in the official role in February 2025. She announced her departure less than a year later, in December, citing a desire to practice independently. Subsequently, the planned Ike E. Morgan exhibition Sometimes People Need Moonlight, curated by Bradley Petty and scheduled for April through August 2026, was canceled.
Contacted by Glasstire, Julie Webb, proprietor of Webb Gallery in Waxahachie, which represents Mr. Morgan, expressed ongoing support for DC and told Glasstire the cancellation was due to “simply timing.”
An installation view of “You Stretched Diagonally Across It: Contemporary Tapestry” at Dallas Contemporary, April 2025
Dallas gallerygoers have noted that sections of DC’s interior exhibitions space have remained unused during shows and events, including the recent Dallas Art Book Fair, which only filled half the space it had occupied in previous iterations. Though rumors have circulated that this was due to roof issues, Tammy Cotton Hartnett, DC Board Vice President, told Glasstire that while the roof has recently undergone routine maintenance, no exhibition spaces have been affected. She explained that DC’s four galleries are apportioned depending on the exhibition schedule and are programmed in concert with artists depending on their needs.
“As you can imagine, the operations of a [37,000-square-foot] building requires constant maintenance to make sure our art loans are safe and visually well presented,” Ms. Hartnett said.
She noted that the Francisco Moreno solo exhibition Historia Sintética, scheduled for the same period as the Ike E. Morgan show, opened successfully on Friday, April 17, and has welcomed “a record number of visitors.”
Francisco Moreno, “WCD Project,” 2012-2015, acrylic on panel, oil enamel on 1975 Datsun 280Z, 144 x 288 x 60 inches and 47 x 155 x 64.5 inches. Image courtesy of the artist. Photo: Kevin Todora
While Mr. Moreno’s show is open to DC visitors, the Gallery 1 space is being used to store artwork from the recent exhibition You Stretched Diagonally Across It: Contemporary Tapestry. Ms. Hartnett explained that utilizing available space for storage has so far saved the institution approximately $250,000. She said DC has also recently launched a rental program, making the space available after regular hours and between exhibitions, in part to draw in new audiences.
While no details are available yet on the search for a new executive director, Ms. Hartnett emphasized that DC is fully operational, with films currently running in its black box theater, and more exhibitions, activations, and programming in the works, though details were unavailable prior to publication.
Regarding the potential for revisiting an exhibition of Mr. Morgan’s work, Ms. Hartnett praised the dedication of the Webb Gallery to the artist and said, “We’re hopeful to revisit timing when the gallery owners have fully cataloged and preserved the extraordinary works and we’ve named our new interim director.”
Visit the DC website for information on the Historia Sintética exhibition and other programming.