Bonafide Barber. Photo by Renee Umsted.
Junius Heights neighbor Rod Russell-Ides was getting a haircut at Bonafide Barber Shop. He noticed that the art made by students at a magnate school had been taken away, and he thought it would be cool to have a gallery there.
Not long before, he had read a magazine article about unusual business combinations: a barbecue place and a tombstone-carving business, and a car wash and dog wash venture, for example. That story inspired his idea to combine a barbershop and an art gallery.
When Russell-Ides pitched the idea to the barbershop’s owner, Omar Longoria, he was interested right away.
Russell-Ides is a landscaper, and he eventually started creating sculptural pieces to include in his designs. He started with cement water features made from imprints taken on mountainsides. More recently, he has started working with wood.
He reached out to two other local artists to get involved with the gallery.
Humberto DeGarrio, originally from Monterey, Mexico, has a studio in the Design District, and he has collaborated with Russell-Ides on sculptures in the past. He works in metal, and his sculptures can be found in London, Australia, Japan and Havana. The pieces selected to be included in the Bonafide Gallery will reflect his mantra: “Art is my life.”
Olivette Hubler works with watercolors. Her paintings are based on sketches she made while attending concerts of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. She’ll also have paper weavings in the gallery.
Watercolor by Olivette Hubler.
Russell-Ides will have a six-foot-tall sculpture called “Tree Drum,” which is made from a Kapok tree. In addition, he’ll display “Ghost Rider,” which is made of wood, steel and plastic, and some smaller pieces.
“Tree Drum” form by Rod Russell-Ides. Photo by Isabella Russell-Ides.
The gallery opening is scheduled for 7 p.m. March 19 at the Bonafide Barber Shop, located at 5420 Ross Ave. Pieces will be for sale.
