SPARK! Dallas and Meow Wolf Grapevine Present PRISMATIC Pop-Up Experience

0
Spark! Dallas artist at work
Moonlight Sonata photo courtesy Spark! Dallas

SPARK! Dallas and Meow Wolf Grapevine are combining forces to spark creativity in local high school students with their PRISMATIC Pop-up Experience June 1-Sept. 29. SPARK! Dallas is the innovative educational facility fostering creativity in youth. They groundbreaking partnership with arts and entertainment company Meow Wolf brings the area’s second SPARK! PRISMATIC Art Pop-up Experience, featuring 28 area high school artists’ creations. The colorful exhibition is an immersive experience showcasing the students’ creativity through a variety of themed areas imagined, designed and built in a single color and theme. The community is invited to see the PRISMATIC Art Pop-up Experience June 1 to September 29 at SPARK!, located at Southside Lamar, 1409 Bothan Jean Blvd. in Dallas.

Prismatic pop-up red room
Red room photo courtesy SPARK! Dallas

Meg Bittner, executive director of SPARK!, said, “As an inaugural grantee of the Meow Wolf Foundation for 2023-2024, SPARK! Dallas is honored to announce Meow Wolf Grapevine as a presenting sponsor, which will contribute to the success of the PRISMATIC Art Pop-up Experience. This partnership not only provides financial backing, but also offers amazing opportunities for student enrichment, including behind-the-scenes tours at Meow Wolf Grapevine, mentorship from Meow Wolf’s Exhibitions team members and funding for materials.”

SPARK! Dallas Submissions

They received 22 submissions, and the following six public high schools were selected to participate based on their creativity, design elements and proposal submission: CityLab High School (Dallas ISD) – Dream Cream(sicle) (coral); Hillcrest High School (Dallas ISD) – Fungi Delight (red); Newman Smith High School (Carrollton/Farmers Branch ISD) – Orange Lovers (orange); West Mesquite High School (Mesquite ISD) – Snake Eyes (green); Williams High School (Plano ISD)–Automation Biker Frogs (purple); and Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas ISD) – Moonlight Sonata (blue).

Spark! Dallas opening
Green room artists photo courtesy Spark! Dallas

In addition to being the presenting sponsor and major funder for this initiative, Meow Wolf Grapevine is offering mentorship to the students and an opportunity to show the community their artistic creations come alive when the exhibition opens.

“I am thrilled to mentor SPARK! Dallas students to inspire and empower young creators,” said Exhibition Manager for Meow Wolf Grapevine Christy Howell. “This PRISMATIC Art Pop-up Experience offers students a platform to unleash their imagination and creativity. This partnership epitomizes the dynamic convergence of art, technology, and engineering, offering students an unparalleled chance to delve into immersive design concepts.”

Spark artists celebrate
Photo courtesy SPARK! Dallas

“Partnering with SPARK!, we are eager to see these innovative projects.” said Lead Exhibition Technical Engineer at Meow Wolf Daniel Bornhorst. “Meow Wolf Grapevine specializes in integrating traditional art with cutting-edge technology to create immersive experiences. From sound processing and lighting to scent design, we blend various elements to craft truly unique experiences which makes this partnership perfect.”

Bittner added, “These public high school students are amazingly talented, and I am impressed with how they have thoughtfully sketched and are creating their rooms into an interactive and immersive pop-up experience perfect for social media moments. I invite everyone to come see it and celebrate these students’ success.”

SPARK! Dallas Prismatic Exhibit Hours

Open to public starting June 1-Sept. 29. Fridays: 1-8 p.m.; Saturdays: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Sundays: 1-6 p.m. Adult Nights (age 21+): Thursdays starting June 6-Sept. 26, 5-9 p.m.

Ticket prices: Adults regular admission-$25; Children (ages 2-17)-$23; Teachers (with Teacher ID)-$20; Adult Night (age 21+)-$40, includes 2 drink tickets.
All tickets include the PRISMATIC exhibit and admission to the play sculpture areas. For more information, and to make a ticket reservation, please visit sparkdallas.org/prismatic/ or call 14-421-7727.

Spark! Dallas and Meow Wolf encourage high school artists
Dreamsicle artists photo courtesy Spark! Dallas

A nonprofit founded in 2010, SPARK! Dallas provides children from second grade to high school with a fully immersive creative environment with hands-on learning that develops their self-definition as creative individuals. Through an endless roster of workshops and pop-up activities, students exercise their creativity and learn from creative experts, innovators, and artists. The organization’s vision is to help students acquire creative skills to excel in school and compete in the work force. SPARK! also hosts interactive camps, field trips and birthday parties. SPARK! is located in the historic South Side of Lamar building at 1409 Botham Jean Blvd, Ste 004, Dallas, Texas 75215. For more information, visit https://sparkdallas.org/.

MEOW WOLF

Not your typical arts and entertainment company, Meow Wolf are creators of extraordinary, mind-bending experiences that transport millions of adventurers of all ages into breathtaking realms of imagination and wonder. As the proud recipients of numerous accolades, including Time Out’s #1 Immersive Experience in the US (2023), Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies (2022 and 2020), and USA Today’s Top 10 Best Immersive Art Experiences (2022), Meow Wolf is committed to engaging curious seekers through the magic of discovery and play. They are distinct in their collaboration with hundreds of visionary artists who infuse creativity into every Meow Wolf experience.

The journey began with the THEA Award-winning House Of Eternal Return in Santa Fe (2016), a mystery house with hidden passages and mesmerizing art exhibits. In Las Vegas, Omega Mart (2021) presented a surreal grocery store experience. Denver’s Convergence Station (2021) appeared as a maximalist architectural marvel linking four alien worlds. In July 2023, Meow Wolf unveiled The Real Unreal in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. They have plans to open a new location in Houston in 2024. As a certified B-Corporation, Meow Wolf leads in themed entertainment, innovating and celebrating human imagination. All are invited to join a journey that defies convention, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

Previous articleIKEA Grand Prairie Honors Veterans and Active Duty Military
Next articleCedar Hill High School Expands Football Tradition with New Girls’ Flag Football League
Jo Ann Holt
Jo Ann Holt is an award-winning journalist with 40+ years of experience as a writer and editor. She loves live performances, from country music concerts to Broadway musicals to community theatre productions. Holt also enjoys art and cultural festivals, and good food and wine. She’s toured Amsterdam, London, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and various cities in Mexico but looks forward to visiting even more countries. She has traveled by boat, plane, and train, but especially likes taking long road trips across the U.S. with her husband, retired history professor Durhl Caussey. They enjoy meeting friendly people, learning about different cultures, and visiting historic sites wherever they go.