Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/956460
letter editor STEVEN VISNEAU, SISTERBROTHER MGMT. 18 D uring my college days, I began what is still a go-to ritual: Any time I feel pangs of sadness, stress, or anxiety, I force myself to drive to The Modern in Fort Worth. There is something about the brilliant Tadao Ando–designed museum that immediately calms me. I make a beeline to Anselm Kiefer's Book with Wings (1992-1994), take a deep breath, then roam in an almost meditative state. The building and its monumental openness — and its remarkable contemporary collection — induce immediate thoughtfulness and solitude. This is something only the best museums and the best art can accomplish. For our April issue, creative director Michelle Aviña wanted to find a surreal, otherworldly setting for our fashion feature. After some thought, The Modern jumped to mind, and Michelle and her team went to work. The result is, in my opinion, the strongest set of fashion images we have published in the magazine. They are not only a thoughtful display of fashion, but these photographs transport you to another world — a dreamlike state, where modern design, architecture, and art intersect. We profile many artists in this month's issue, but I must applaud Michelle, along with Mexico-City photographer Iván Aguirre and stylist Doug Voisin, for creating their own remarkable work of art, exclusively for these pages. This month's onslaught of art events (the Dallas Art Fair; Nasher Prize Gala; Dallas Museum of Art's Art Ball; MTV Re:Define; The Joule's Eye Ball, et al.) drives our story selection deep into the realm of art. For me, the conceptualization of this issue began back in January. On a trip to Chicago to visit my boyfriend, I was fortunate to attend an intimate re- ception celebrating Chicago-based artist and 2018 Nasher Prize Laureate Theaster Gates. A small group of Dallasites joined (Nasher Sculpture Center director Jeremy Strick; Nasher Prize chairs Christen and Derek Wilson; former chair Sharon Young), and I relished the opportunity to share a conversation with the remarkable man behind some of the most intriguing, complicated, and boundary-breaking work being done in art today. Gates' vision for revitalizing Chicago's notorious South Side and injecting it with a heavy dose of art and culture is admirable and vitally important; and it is something our own city and contingent of creative heavyweights should take note of when thinking about solving the socioeconomic, racial, and urban-planning complexities that plague South Dallas. During the reception, the ever-so eloquent Strick said it best: "The [Nasher Prize] jury wanted to do something else," he said. "What they are interested in is who is making art now that speaks most powerfully to this moment. And who is the artist whose work is most influential and most top of mind for young artists working today. Whose work is going to be influencing the next generation of artists. And, again, asking those questions, they were led to Theaster Gates." I look forward to seeing Theaster again, this time in Dallas, at the Nasher Prize Gala on Saturday, April 7. Christina Geyer Dallas Editor in Chief christina@papercitymag.com