Land Acknowledgement

Meet our Interviewees:

The painting Grandiose: A Pleasant amount of Self Delusion depicts the ugliness and historic challenge of systemic racism and redlining experienced in Dallas and in the broader United States. The work was inspired by a historic redlining map of South Dallas. The vivid representation on canvas is a statement meant to give a snapshot of the practice. The hope is that as one views the ugliness of how our financial system has historically operated, we acknowledge and accept that reality and look for ways to work towards a better and more equitable future.

The painting captures the stark contrast between Black and white people and their places of residence in the greater community. The heavy red lines show the deliberate separation of different races and their residences. The paint sample cards and selection of paints used show varying tints of white, shades of black, and red.

History teaches us that there is nothing as a “pure” white or a “pure” Black person. That is the delusion; The reflection beyond the question of, “how white is white?” The single black dot is a nod to the “one drop rule” that is a legal principle of racial classification in the United States with all the varying tints of white. Even with the one drop rule, white persons (to the naked eye) are considered white even if they have “Black” or “other” ethnicities in their makeup. The paper bag rule, where one’s skin toned is compared to a paper bag, was used to determine ethnicity. If one’s skin tone was lighter than a paper bag, they could “pass” for white.

The title of the painting Grandiose: A Pleasant Amount of Self Delusion is inspired from a quote from Jim Schutze’s book The Accommodation. Grandiose Delusion speaks to the elevated impression some white persons may have of themselves. The grandiosity they have is the product of historical practices (redlining, eminent domain, and gentrification) that have delivered privileged and preferred outcomes for the people in power.

Redlining is a discriminatory practice through which banking services, most commonly home loans, are withheld from customers who reside in neighborhoods classified as “hazardous” to investment. These neighborhoods have large numbers of people of the global majority, typically racial and ethnic minorities, largely African-American.

Eminent Domain is the practice that empowers local governments to obtain property owned by private residents. This practice has allowed cities to engineer certain people living in certain places, while creating new communities and business opportunities.

Gentrification is the process through which communities are designated for revitalization and investment. Young, upscale, largely white persons move into these gentrifying communities. This practice is happening in full effect today in communities like Oak Cliff (particularly in Bishop Arts and other North Oak Cliff communities) and parts of West Dallas now branded as Trinity Groves.

Jennifer Monet Cowley is a visual artist, curator, fashion designer, and educator. She has been painting and drawing since the age of 5. In high school, she studied fashion design and commercial art. Upon entering college, she initially majored in architecture, but her love for art prevailed and she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art and Performance from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1993. Jennifer works in various mediums: colored pencils, pastels, gouache, acrylic, and watercolors. Jennifer also designs and paints wearable art. She has also curated groundbreaking art shows and exhibitions. She has been told that her curatorial concepts are groundbreaking and can rival some of the best in the world. Jennifer is an artist whose versatility and skills have empowered her to create distinctive works that express her unique style and voice.