Diane Allen is the guest curator of this upcoming Art Show Experience.
Desert X 2021
Diane Allen is part of the Desert X board of directors. Desert X 2021 is scheduled to return to the Coachella Valley Feb. 6 - Apr. 11, 2021.
García-Alvarez joins returning Artistic Director Neville Wakefield for the third edition of the international art exhibition that will activate California's desert landscape through site-responsive installations by renowned international contemporary artists.
I am thrilled to be joining Neville and the team at Desert X as co-curator of the 2021 edition. The Coachella Valley is a vibrant and complex locale of layered histories forged by a multitude of communities. I look forward to spending time in the region working closely with artists, local residents, and other stakeholders in order to put together an exhibition that considers the desert not just as an ecology but also as a home, a border, and an idea. My hope is that this iteration of Desert X can shed light on a set of lived experiences that are shared across geographies and cultures.
– CÉSAR GARCÍA-ALVAREZ
Desert X has been an honor to work on and an extraordinary journey into the unknown with some of the most significant artists working today. The overwhelming response to the exhibition’s first two editions and the lure of the desert and its endless possibilities continue to inspire me. I am excited to welcome César as co-curator and am confident that the curatorial acumen that he brings along with a deep involvement and understanding at both local and international levels will be instrumental in shaping and developing new voices and outlooks for 2021.
– NEVILLE WAKEFIELD
She for social impact
Diane Allen became an Ambassador to the independent She For Social Impact Awards. In March 2020, the international Advisory and Judging Board, which is comprised of recognized experts, announced the female nominees for the inaugural 2020 Awards, who they selected from diverse fields such as technology, science, business, finance, and culture.
The independent She For Social Impact Awards honor women from all walks of life, different industries and regions of the globe, whose impact-led works address the world’s most pressing issues through innovation and vision. These women challenge the “business as usual” mentality and status quo by pursuing advanced solutions for a sustainable future.
The aim of the Awards is to amplify the efforts of recognized women and to create a truly diverse, global network of dedicated role models who inspire others to take actions, to foster collaborations, and to elevate other women. Independence, as well as human and professional quality, are the core considerations for attributing the Awards. Pursuing the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is part of the Award’s mission. The Awards are a not-for-profit initiative by German-born, award-wining strategist and entrepreneur Nadine Bruder.
The winners of the inaugural, independent She For Social Impact Awards will be announced on June 3, 2020 in Berlin.
More about the independent Awards and the nominated women.
Via Art Fund
Diane Allen is a Board Member of the VIA Art Fund. Emphasizing direct engagement with contemporary visual art, VIA Art Fund supports projects that exemplify our core values of artistic production, thought leadership, and public engagement, VIA–by way of–Art. Partnering directly with artists, curators, and cultural institutions around the world, VIA Art Fund patrons support innovative artistic endeavors in various forms, from the production of new work for exhibition and institutional acquisition, to symposia, educational programs, publications, and scholarly journals.
VIA Art Fund stands apart in the landscape of contemporary arts funding as a collective, democratic initiative that connects art patrons with cultural producers.
We accept grant proposals from artists, curators, cultural organizations, and biennials for the production, exhibition, public dissemination, and institutional acquisition of new works of art and ideas, with a particular emphasis on works mounted beyond traditional exhibition environments.
Since its founding in 2013, VIA Art Fund has awarded over $4 million in grants to a growing number of groundbreaking artists and leading cultural institutions and has built a coalition of dedicated philanthropists across the United States.
http://viaartfund.org
DESERT X
DIANE ALLEN IS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR DESERT X. SHE IS ONE OF THE FIRST BOARD MEMBERS AND HOSTED THE FIRST FUNDRAISER IN LA. DESERT X IS PRODUCED BY THE DESERT BIENNIAL, A 501(C)3 CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION, CONCEIVED TO PRODUCE RECURRING INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITIONS THAT ACTIVATE DESERT LOCATIONS THROUGH SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATIONS BY ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS. ITS GUIDING PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES INCLUDE PRESENTING PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS OF ART THAT RESPOND MEANINGFULLY TO THE CONDITIONS OF DESERT LOCATIONS, THE ENVIRONMENT AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES; PROMOTING CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT FOSTER DIALOGUE AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG CULTURES AND COMMUNITIES ABOUT SHARED ARTISTIC, HISTORICAL, AND SOCIETAL ISSUES; AND PROVIDING AN ACCESSIBLE PLATFORM FOR ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO ADDRESS ECOLOGICAL, CULTURAL, SPIRITUAL, AND OTHER EXISTENTIAL THEMES.
https://www.desertx.org/
Photo by Lance Gerber
DESERT X ALULA
Diane Allen is on the Board of Directors for Desert X. Organized collaboratively by Desert X and the Royal Commission of AlUla (RCU), Desert X AlUla is a site-responsive exhibition running 31 January – 7 March, 2020. Taking place in the desert of AlUla, an ancient oasis in Saudi Arabia, it brings together a plurality of voices, co-curated by Saudi Curators Raneem Farsi and Aya Alireza with Desert X Artistic Director Neville Wakefield.
Desert X AlUla is the first site-responsive exhibition of its kind in Saudi Arabia. An exploration of desert culture, the exhibition is a cross-cultural dialogue between artists from Saudi Arabia and its surrounding region and artists from previous iterations of Desert X in California, taking its cues from the extraordinary landscape and historical significance of AlUla.
https://www.desertx.org/alula
Photos by Lance Gerber
Art vs. Cancer Round 2 (2019)
PHASE ONE is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting ground-breaking Phase I and Phase II clinical cancer research, innovative education and treatment programs, and funding forward-thinking leaders in the scientific and medical community.
They will be hosting a special Art vs Cancer fundraiser on Wednesday, November 13th from 7-10PM at “Various Small Fires.”
Supporting and discovering young emerging artists, Diane has coupled her trendsetting skills in spotting new talent while also helping raise awareness and funds for Cancer research for ART VS CANCER.
Diane makes it her mission to visit artists in their studios and to listen to their personal stories that they each have to share on the topic of cancer. This process resulted in 140 different artists participating in the auction this year, raising over 70’000 USD in funds for the Phase One Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research. Diane is already gearing up for the 3rd edition of ART VS CANCER next year.
As the Executive Vice Chair of PHASE ONE’s Board of Directors, Diane has helped raise over 20 million dollars for the organization dedicated to funding first round of clinical cancer trials and has enlisted a network of over 3,000 donors to date.
Desert X 2019
Diane Allen is a board member of Desert X.
Desert X, a sprawling outdoor art exhibition in California’s Coachella Valley, returned in its second iteration Feb 9- April 21, 2019. Its 19 featured artists and collectives are unapologetically taking on timely topics from indigenous rights to nuclear testing. The widely acclaimed show, made up of site-specific installations by leading contemporary artists, received over 200,000 visitors in its 2017 debut and became a social-media sensation.
This year, stretching over 50 miles, Desert X (which is open to the public through April) places its focus on California’s shrinking Salton Sea, thus bringing environmental issues to the forefront in a region speckled with indelible traces of climate change. And given the show’s proximity to the hotly debated U.S.–Mexico border, commentary on the treacherous landscape, the hope of refugees, and the nature of borders has also become central. Here, we share seven of Desert X 2019’s most compelling works:
https://www.desertx.org/dx19
Photo by Lance Gerber
Art vs. Cancer (2018)
PHASE ONE is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting ground-breaking Phase I and Phase II clinical cancer research, innovative education and treatment programs, and funding forward-thinking leaders in the scientific and medical community.
They will be hosting a special Art vs Cancer fundraiser on Wednesday, November 13th from 7-10PM at “Various Small Fires.”
Supporting and discovering young emerging artists, Diane has coupled her trendsetting skills in spotting new talent while also helping raise awareness and funds for Cancer research for ART VS CANCER.
Desert X 2017
DIANE ALLEN IS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF DESERT X. FROM FEB 25 THROUGH APRIL 30, 2017, THE COACHELLA VALLEY AND ITS DESERT LANDSCAPE BECAME THE CANVAS FOR A CURATED EXHIBITION OF SITE-SPECIFIC WORK BY ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING ARTISTS, WHOSE PROJECTS AMPLIFIED AND ARTICULATED GLOBAL AND LOCAL ISSUES THAT RANGED FROM CLIMATE CHANGE TO STARRY SKIES, FROM TRIBAL CULTURE AND IMMIGRATION TO TOURISM, GAMING, AND GOLF. THE ART WORKS, IN VARIOUS INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LOCATIONS, WERE FREE TO VIEW AND OFFERED VISITORS A WAY TO SEE THE VALLEY AND REFLECT ON SERIOUS AND PLAYFUL ISSUES THROUGH THE LENS OF THE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS' CREATIVITY AND WORK.
https://www.desertx.org/artists
Rochambeau (Rock, Paper, Scissors) @ Satellite Art Show
A durational performance in three acts, with Kim Ye, Martin Durazo and Claudia Huiza was performed at the ACE Hotel DTLA Nov 2017, at the Sagamore Hotel for the Miami Art Fair Week and then at Satellite Artist-Run Art Fair, in Miami, Dec 7, 2017
