Dallas artist and illustrator Stuart Hausmann recently won the 2015 “A Year on the Plaza Art Competition” with the official unveiling last month in the Dallas Arts District at the Catholic Foundation Plaza.
The annual “A Year on the Plaza Art Competition” began in 2006 when The Catholic Foundation Plaza was dedicated as a gift from The Catholic Foundation to the Dallas community to commemorate the Foundation’s 50th anniversary. The 3,900-square-foot public space is an oasis for Dallas citizens and visitors to enjoy and each year, professional artists are invited to submit artwork for an opportunity to be showcased in the Dallas Arts District for an entire year.
Hausmann’s winning mural is titled “Paint the Town” and Matthew Kramer, president and CEO of The Catholic Foundation said that a panel of highly respected members of the local arts community chooses the winning piece each year.
This year’s Selection Committee included: Father Rudy Garcia, rector of the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe; Cindy M. Gummer, owner of The Enchanted Galleries; Patricia B. Meadows, Art Connections; Katherine Wagner, CEO of the Business Council for the Arts; and architect Gary Skotnicki.
The winning artwork is put on public display in October with the 28-by-9-foot art wall actually a digitally enlarged version of the original artwork, which measures 28 inches by 9 and 2/3 inches. “Once the large piece is taken down, a smaller version of the artwork is mounted on the Art Wall with the artists’ statements,” Kramer said.
All nine of the past winners’ works can be seen on the wall in The Catholic Foundation Plaza.
“Since living in Dallas, I have had the honor and privilege of working and volunteering for a number of wonderful organizations within the city’s Arts District,” Hausmann said. “Places such as the downtown YMCA, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Dallas Public Library all offer the public wonderful resources for enrichment and entertainment. I have also witnessed firsthand how these places, along with countless other establishments in and around the Arts District, help to foster, nurture, and inspire learning and creativity with Dallas’ youth. I used this observation as the main source of inspiration when creating my mural.”
The Catholic Foundation has presented this art competition for a decade and Kramer said Dallas Arts District visitors are encouraged to stop by and enjoy a new piece of public art each year.
“Nestled in with historic buildings like the Cathedral and amazing new performance venues, The Catholic Foundation Plaza is truly a place for anyone in the community to experience art,” Kramer said. “We are pleased to provide a platform for professional artists to inspire others with their work.”
There are no entry fees for submission and winners receive $2,500 and their artwork displayed for a year with honorable mention winners receiving $250.
“It is an amazing feeling to know that my art will be seen by so many people in the Arts District for the next year,” Hausmann concluded. “October marked my third year of living in the city of Dallas, and I could not have imagined a better way to celebrate.”