Put on your fastest sneakers because the chase is afoot once again for Art Quest.
The scavenger hunt for original artworks — presented by AURORA, a public arts organization — returns to Dallas for a second year June 3, 10 and 17.
“We have always brought elements of excitement and fun into unique and very novel experiences with AURORA,” said Joshua King, the co-founder and executive director.
This year, the scavenger hunts take place on separate weekends in Bachman Lake, South Dallas and Pleasant Grove. Players will follow three clues given for each neighborhood, King said. Searchers have a chance to discover an original sculpture by a North Texas artist — Eliza Au, Karla Garcia or Hobbes Vincent — commissioned by AURORA. The winner each weekend can keep the art and also visit the studio of the artist who created their prize.
Participants are encouraged to sign up for AURORA’s newsletter to get complete information about Art Quest before the game starts, according to a statement.
The first clue will be revealed each Saturday at 10 a.m. through AURORA’s Instagram feed.
AURORA’s team used research from the Dallas Cultural Plan to target neighborhoods needing more access to the arts, King said.
“We were really looking at how we get beyond the cultural core silos and the cultural core audiences who come to performances and exhibitions every day,” he said.
AURORA established partnerships with grassroots community organizations that have been in these neighborhoods for years, he said. King declined to name current community partners before clues are revealed because “that will mess up the quest, just fyi,” he said with a laugh.
The family-friendly scavenger hunts celebrate art, technology and community, said King.
Eliza Au used 3D printing to design her sculpture and printed the mold for the ceramics work. Alternatively, Karla Garcia incorporated the technology to scan her handmade clay object, adjusted the design digitally and printed her final work in resin.
Vidya Ayyr, one of last year’s winners, found the Art Quest prize outside the Bachman Lake Branch Library only minutes after seeing the visual clue. She took home the vase, titled "Pearly Gates" created by Brooks Oliver, a Denton ceramic artist.
"I was very excited by the whole project,” Ayyr said, “but the one that I was most excited about was trying to find it in my own neighborhood. To choose an area like Bachman Lake that has its own history and then to promote a scavenger hunt in that area was doubly exciting.”
Ayyr is founder and executive director of BrainCharge, a nonprofit that supports people caring for patients of brain injury, illness or trauma. After the fun, positive experience with Art Quest, she said she is recommending the event to her caregivers.
“It was one of the best things that I've participated in, in a long time,” said Ayyr. “From a public health standpoint, I really loved the crossover — the idea of inclusive communities, of health and wellness, of being out, and the central focus of promoting art and appreciating local artists.”
AURORA’s Art Quest 2023
- Saturday, June 3 — Bachman Lake/artist Hobbes Vincent
- Saturday June 10 — South Dallas/artist Eliza Au
- Saturday June 17 — Pleasant Grove/artist Karla Garcia
How to play:
- Follow @dallasAurora and #AuroraArtQuest on Instagram
- Subscribe to AURORA’s newsletter for the most up-to-date information
- Check Aurora’s Instagram feed at 10 a.m. on June 3, 10 and 17 for the clue to begin that weekend’s scavenger hunt
- Be the first to find the hidden artwork