29rooms

“A visually immersive artistic exhibit. A sensory overload in the absolute, very best sense of the phrase” is how I would describe Refinery29’s 29Rooms: Expand Your Reality.

For the first time, Refinery29 is bringing this experiential event to Dallas, TX and will be at Gilley’s South Side Ballroom from August 9 – 18. Dallas is the second stop of the new five-city Expand Your Reality tour. This art, music and culture phenomenon is bringing together a diverse group of local, national, emerging and established creatives and collaborators spanning the spectrum of art, entertainment, politics, and style. The tour will continue on to Atlanta, GA from August 29 – September 8, Toronto, ON (Canada) from September 26 – October 6 and Washington D.C. from October 18 – 27.

There are two new elements to the 2019 tour. The Art Park is 29Rooms’ new artist collective initiative which invites a local artist from each of the tour stops to transform a geometric playground into a canvas for creativity. Representing Dallas in the Art Park will be Dan Lam who is known for her colorful, otherworldly sculptures that draws in curious viewers for a more in depth look.

Also new is The Traveling Billboard – a full-scale billboard mural by locally-based artists, welcoming guests to 29Rooms and highlighting talent from within each tour community. The Dallas billboard will be created by Denton-based artist and UNT professor Alicia Eggert, whose work focuses on the relationship between language, image, and time.

I was able to experience all 29Rooms and envelope myself into the art, creativity and strong messaging of many of the rooms. From getting my palm read in the A Blind Date With Destiny room to supporting social change in THE VALUES STAND In Collaboration with the ACLU, the entire experience leaves you pensive and visually stimulated. Pair that with music, the camera and modern lighting of No Filter and the Refinery29 shop (yeah, I picked up a few things) and you have the perfect colorful and culturally diverse outing.

Tickets for 29Rooms Dallas are available now at 29Rooms.com starting at $34.

DATES: Friday, August 9 – Sunday, August 18

TIME: Sessions at 1:30pm (Tuesday – Thursday) and Sessions at 10:30am (Friday – Sunday) *General Admission ticket guarantees access for one 2.5-hour session

LOCATION: Gilley’s South Side Ballroom – 1135 S Lamar St Dallas, TX 75215

Please visit www.29rooms.com or @29Rooms on social media for more information and updates.

TEENAGE BEDROOM In Collaboration with Uzumaki Cepeda (photo below)