Queer Latine artist Ryan Semegran attending the opening night of Dallas Contemporary’s inaugural staff exhibition, above, and their artwork eucharist baptism for the impure one, which is included in that exhibit, below.

Ryan Semegran works to make space for themself, other local artists to show their work

KAMILA VARGAS-GONZALEZ | Dallas Voice Intern
editor@dallasvoice.com

The blank canvas that is Dallas Contemporary’s white walls and concrete floor is painted with collections of staff members’ artwork. The non-collecting contemporary art museum, at 161 Glass St., is holding its first staff exhibition through Aug. 8, and Nonbinary Latine artist Ryan Semegran is leading the way.

Semegran and other collaborators curated and spearheaded this unique production to pave the way for themselves and other artists.

“It was so fun,” Semegran said, recalling the exhibition’s opening night earlier this month. “I’ve been working with The Contemporary for three years, and the fact that my boss let us do this is kind of insane.”

Semegran is a multidisciplinary performance artist and sculptor based in Dallas. Their work focuses on their identity and community, highlighting their queerness, Latinidad and religious guilt.

eucharist baptism for the impure one

In addition to being an active artist, Semegran works part-time as a visitor service member and docent for Dallas Contemporary while studying to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from the University of North Texas.

“I feel like when I’m not doing anything, [I can hear] my parents like, ‘You need to be doing something right now!’” Semegran said, mimicking the stern voice in their head that keeps them busy and in check.

To add to the multiple art endeavors they pursue, Semegran is also constantly persistent in ensuring members of their community receives recognition for their art. Their big project to succeed in this goal started with Dallas Contemporary’s inaugural staff exhibition.

“Most museum workers are either in the gift shop, are docents, art guards, custodial staff,” Semegran said. “… me and my co-workers are mostly people of color, and in most of the museum institutions, all of the higher-ups are white. Being able to reclaim that space for ourselves meant a lot to me.”

Ryan Semegran’s principle dancer in the Dallas Contemporary’s staff exhibition

Big institutions should value their workers more and give them the space to show their own work Semegran believes. According to the 2023 report, Workplace Equity and Organizational Culture in U.S. Art Museums, by Museums Moving Forward, 74 percent of art museum workers cannot afford to pay for basic living expenses, and employees are overwhelmingly white. Yet entry-level workers are the most diverse.

“[We] give so much time, and we give so much labor to these institutions, the least that they could do [is give us] the space to show our work,” Semegran states.

 

 

Artist Ryan Semegran performing eucharist baptism for the impure one. (All photos by Dorian Dayton)

Semegran has been a strong force in the art community, from actively calling for more representation and easier accessibility for local artists to display their work in exhibitions to participating in shows themselves.

Just to name a few of those shows, in 2022, they participated in Visibility and Stature, an exhibition presented by The BIPOC Artist Association at UNT. In 2024, their work was shown in MaricónX: Stories de Mi Tierra presented by Arttitude. Today, their work is exhibited at Dallas Contemporary’s staff exhibition.

There is an urgency to have visibility, Semegran says, noting, “My identity has always informed my practice.” In the past three years, Semegran has had 15-plus shows presenting their performance art and sculptors.

“Being able to physically express myself and express the things that have happened to me … and have me physically be there for people to look and see — it means a lot to me,” Semegran explains. “I know that it makes people uncomfortable, but I think there’s a point where people need to see that.”

Their most recent performance art pieces, eucharist baptism for the impure one and principal dancer, are exhibited at Dallas Contemporary.

“I always try to uplift other [artists] within my communities,” Semegran said. “I wish information [on how one can display their work in art exhibitions] was more accessible.”

For more information on the staff exhibition and Dallas Contemporary, visit DallasContemporary.org