It started with a Sweet Tooth Hotel and led to a Psychedelic Robot. Last fall, pop-up art shows took Dallas — and Instagram — by storm. Unlike a museum or gallery, pop-ups place you in the action.
TFTI
April 25 – August 11 | Speaking of photo finishes, a brand new, limited run photo event has fans flocking to Arlington for the perfect trippy shot. TFTI is a photo experience company whose pop-up experiences put you in rooms where you’re floating among clouds, standing upside down, or posing with a loved one among dozens of floating roses. Learn more about this interactive show, and check it out for yourself while you still can.
CANDYTOPIA
April 5 – September 2 | 50% art exhibit, 50% candy store, and 100% irresistible. Candytopia captivated communities in California, Georgia and Minnesota, and its headed to Dallas for a sweet summertime show. The candy museum is an edible exhibit complete with candy-inspired artwork and a bounty of free samples. Here, you’ll find a room filled with confetti, a marshmallow pit and of course, candy — but steer clear of the Milk Duds. I call dibs.
SWEET TOOTH HOTEL
May 25 – August 31 | Dallas’ OG art pop-up is still alive and thriving, and shows no signs of slowing down. Designed and built like a real-life hotel, this interactive exhibit features floors and floors of original creative work curated by and from local artists. Chapter One was candy-themed, with a seemingly endless amount of artwork inspired by the artist’s favorite sweet treats. Chapter Two was “1955,” an ode to the space age that was out of this world. And the forthcoming Chapter Three is all about Discotech, combining music and media for an audio-visual experience. Find more details here.
MUSEUM OF MEMORIES
June 21 – August 31 | This new pop-up is filled with nostaligic photo-ops created by local Texas artist, Steffi Lynn. Walking through the Museum of Memories is a trip down memory lane, featuring adorable mural walls and interactive artwork. The pop-up was inspired by childhood memories and imagination, so leave ‘adulting’ behind and step back into a simpler time (that also has some really cute photo-ops).
SNAP151
April 5 – May 19 | As anyone gifted with the privilege of eyesight knows, my Instagram profile could use some serious help. Luckily, Snap151 is on its way to Dallas to provide us all with quality content to snap and share. This show gets down to business by offering an interactive photo studio for guests to capture easily Instagrammable pics of themselves and their friends enjoying lush and colorful locales. The show will be in Dallas for just six short weeks, but that’s enough to improve my Instagram game…right?
1969: GET BACK TO WHERE YOU ONCE BELONGED
March 14 – April 5 | Inspired by the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, the art gallery behind Psychedelic Robot has returned with a deep dive into all things ‘69. The Beatles, The Graduate, Jimi Hendrix, the moon walk and much more will be celebrated in a show that is one-half immersive, one-half traditional art exhibit. As a history fanatic, I’m particularly excited to see this iconic year come to life, even if it was the final year for my beloved Beatles. Don’t worry — I’m not still upset at Yoko. (Just kidding: I definitely am).
RAINBOW VOMIT
March 8 – May 6 | One can be forgiven for mistaking Rainbow Vomit for a colorful funhouse straight from Lewis Carroll’s dreams. Don’t let the bland storefront fool you: This immersive art experience is fully loaded with enough color and captivating artwork to keep you entertained for hours. The experience recently reopened, so don’t miss your chance to experience this one-of-a-kind exhibit for just $15. Trust me: It’s the most fun you’ll ever have at a gallery that has the word “vomit” in it.
Featured Image: Candytopia
Courtesy: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Candytopia