My Palace in Dallas - Elizabeth Hooper O'Mahony

“Solitude requires you to move past reacting to information created by other people and focus instead on your own thoughts and experiences – wherever you happened to be”

— Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism

What’s that I hear? Oh, it’s the crispy, crunchy sound when I stepped on the first leaf of fall! That’s right, folks, when this piece came out, we should all be in cute coats, a cute drink in hand, and get ready to sip wine by a cozy fireplace, or in my case, my heater.

I started My Palace in Dallas during the height of the pandemic, and it was born from pure curiosity: I want to know, I want to see, and, most importantly, I want to document what the people around me have become after these unprecedented years. They can be artists or comedians, or they can also be the people you meet on the street—which is quite hard cause, supposedly, people in Dallas don’t walk at all. So, what is it that they do? This project delves into their stories and, as the name suggests, explores their Palace in Dallas.

Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Elizabeth Hooper O’Mahony. I knew we would become friends when one day, during the art fair week, we were standing across the street from each other, both looking absolutely pissed at the ongoing traffic that stopped us from crossing, and that’s when I knew it was time. When I said it’s time, it means the timing is right for me to get tipsy on free wine at the 12.26 gallery opening and tap her on her shoulder a few days after our sidewalk meet-cute. Time flew by after that, and early this summer, we sat down in her amazing home filled with pieces that make me drool, and talked about her journey, life’s funny full circle moment, and what this city and being creative are to her.

Hello Elizabeth! Thank you for sitting down with me today! Before I bomb you with questions, for anyone who might not have the chance to know who you are, would you like to tell me a bit about yourself? Who are you, and what is it that you do?

I’m Elizabeth Hooper O’Mahony, a 48-year-old woman born and raised in Dallas. I was a high school teacher for a long time, gave birth to my two girls, Ava and Celia, and now I own and design jewelry for my brand: Elizabeth Hooper Studio.

You are a powerful woman across genres, from art collection to running your own jewelry brand. Could you tell me what the journey was like for you? How did you get to where you are now?

I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a double major in Anthropology and Literature. My dad always wanted me to study something more business-related, and of course, me being me, I didn’t listen, and now I’m running my own business, the full circle irony and poetic sentiment is very much there. *laughs

Aside from a rebellious teenage spirit, I genuinely found my majors interesting. Studying different cultures and writing about them was something I enjoyed and found important, but lo and behold, as my dad predicted, when I got out of school, I didn’t know what to do with my education.

However, I was lucky enough to have a connection to the African arts curator at the Dallas Museum of Art. She was seeking a curatorial assistant to help with writing a catalog and conducting research. Having a glimpse into a side of the art world after working at DMA for a little over a year, I decided maybe working in art wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be, but researching the meaning behind people’s work and writing about it stuck with me.

Post DMA, given my skill set, the only thing that seemed logical was to become a teacher. My dad has always been interested in education, which has had a significant influence on my decision to enter the field. I taught kindergarten at Hockaday for a year, and it was a disaster. Anybody who knows me knows I’m really good with kids, but teaching five-year-olds is a completely different story. The passion for and interest in teaching were there, so after some reflection, I decided to apply to The Teacher’s College at Columbia University and got my master's in English education there.

My education journey was rewarding and challenging. I taught for over a decade in NYC public schools and schools in Texas. After having my first daughter, Ava, I realized teaching wasn’t something I could picture doing for the rest of my life, and I retired from that profession.

After my second daughter, Celia was born, I felt the urge to do something besides being a mom, and it got me thinking, what is something I could do that is fashion-related and creatively stimulating?

Style has always been an important pillar in my life. After doing some research, I discovered metal smithing at the Craft Guild of Dallas. Five plus years went by in that classroom, and it got to a point where it started to feel like I had the skillset and passion to turn it into a business. That’s really how the whole thing happened. I’ll spare you the details, but the learning curve was enormously challenging. Running a business is really a complicated and daunting journey, but that’s where the fun part for me is; I’m constantly mapping out the journey as I go and that’s a roadmap of my own that I get to carve out; I do believe that’s where everyone’s individuality shines.

Despite having an early in-depth exposure to the art world through working at DMA after college, you didn’t start collecting or being involved in the Dallas art scene until way later. What was that trajectory like?

Art was meant to be a big part of my life.

I don’t really know if there was a specific incident that made it happen, but I’ve always been drawn to beautiful things. To me, all things aesthetically aligned that involve a vision stimulate me, which is one reason I am drawn to art and design. I love the process of creating things and have the deepest respect and admiration for artists. To me, it’s like magic; artists are shamans in a way. They are portraying the past, painting the now, and predicting the future. It’s such a fascinating process to me, and I got to a point where, financially, I could start dipping my toe into the collecting pool. My artist friends helped lead me down this path, knowing people in the scene and establishing my taste, so forth and so on. My life would not be as rich if I didn’t have relationships with artists and folks in that arena - they have helped open up my world and made my own craft better. I truly believe they go hand in hand.

I didn’t really get into the “I’m here to collect art” mindset until 2017. In college, I befriended a lot of artists across different mediums; they would gift me works, so I’ve always had art around me. You know how everything in life eventually becomes a full circle? When I was a kid, my dad was super adamant about going to art museums. Every time we vacationed, we spent most of our time walking through museums and looking at local architecture. I have fond memories of going to Rome, being in the Sistine Chapel, and looking at La Pietà. Even as a kid, I couldn’t wrap my little head around how people make this, how is this even possible?

Those moments of disbelief and amazement were embedded in my sensibility and became something I very much enjoyed. My time in DMA was an unexpected connection to that sentiment; the rest of my trajectory got me away from art until I started metal smithing, which led me back into the world of art, a full squiggly circle if you will.

Five years can be a long or short time period to hone your craft, depending on how you view it. Was there something or a sign you were waiting on before deciding it’s the right time to turn it into your business?

I think it’s just how my personality functions. At some point, I took a step back and realized time is running away from me; if I don’t do this now, it’s never going to happen.

I don’t think I was waiting on anything in particular; both my kids were old enough, so it had nothing to do with that. I’m a classic overthinker and I used to think everything needed to be just right before acting, but age and wisdom have taught me that all there is is now and things can never be just right. There’s never a true right time to start things, and I believe I was holding myself back due to a lack of confidence. I wasn’t sure if I could make it work, or constantly thinking I didn’t have all the right pieces in place, too many what ifs, and not enough why not. I am glad I have grown out of that mindset - well, for the most part.

The journey was an uphill battle. It takes time, a lot of trial and error, but if it’s something that you really enjoy doing and have enough belief in yourself, you can make it work. But the hustle never ends, that is for sure.

After enduring all the learning curves, not just in your crafts but also running a business of your own, as someone who decided not to go to business school despite your father’s suggestion, do you think he would say I told you so? *laughs

Oh, he 100% would because he was just like that! He would definitely have given me shit for it and told me that had I studied business, my brand probably would’ve been more successful *laughs

I was such a huge fan of my dad; he was one of those figures that was very high up in my heart, and I was always working for his validation because I admired and loved him so much. He was such a dynamic and interesting person. He owned his own engineering firm, and I remember thinking it must be so cool not having a boss and possessing that level of freedom. He would always talk to me about how being a business owner is and how wonderful it is to create something and work for yourself. The seed for running my own business was always planted by him, but to be fair, I didn’t launch the business until after he passed away.

It's such a bummer too, because not only do I want him to witness me trying my best to make my business work, but I would really enjoy his advice. The advice would be old school as all hell, and his field is vastly different from what I am doing, but I know he would have so much wisdom and practical advice to share.

Sometimes I wish he were still around so I could ask him a question or have him take a look at what I’m planning and hear him say how he would’ve done it differently. It’s bittersweet because, in a large part, I do what I do because I’m unconsciously motivated by him, so I feel even closer to him now that I am my own boss.

As you built your brand with Elizabeth Hooper Studio, you’ve slowly and surely become the face, if any, a living billboard of the brand. How do you feel about Elizabeth Hooper O’Mahony and Elizabeth Hooper studio being so intertwined as two individuals?

I’m happy to be the face of the brand.

I am the heart and soul of the brand, and I think for every designer that is important to realize and own. To me, anytime a new brand is formed, if you’re not the forefront of the messaging and the personality of it, people have a hard time understanding the culture you’re trying to create. For a small business like mine, people want to know who you are and how your personality ties in with your craft. It’s not like you have to be attractive or likable, but you have to be responsible for the culture and world you’re building.

Take the David-Jeremiah piece on the wall, for example. It looks cool, it’s beautiful, but if I hadn’t spent hours with him talking about his concept and his life, the piece would not have as much meaning to me as it does now. Objects can’t go beyond being pretty if you know nothing about the person who made them. The conversation, or the knowledge, things like these are what breathe life into it.

Am I comfortable getting my picture taken, being in lookbooks, or even going on to be interviewed? eh, not really, I don’t love it, but I understand the importance of being recognized that way. If that’s what it takes for people to be comfortable and familiar with the brand, I’m more than happy to do so.

Collecting art is an investment of time and money. How do you navigate through your decision-making process when, at times, talking to the artist and learning about their work through in-depth conversation just isn’t an option?

In the back room, there is a piece by Wanda Koop that you can kind of see from here.

Wanda is a famous Canadian artist whose career spans decades. The reason I could pull the trigger on her piece without speaking to her was that I already knew so much about her. I went to her show at the DMA, read about who she is, and saw her retrospective. I sort of knew about her practice without ever knowing her in person. Although I do think it’s because she’s already on an echelon of artists where a lot of people knew her, whereas for someone smaller like David-Jeremiah, it’s more difficult to learn about him without him being right in front of you.

The pieces I have accumulated around the house from artists that I didn’t get to interact with are works from people like Wanda, a little more self-explanatory. The meaning for those pieces, though, is an image and narrative that I put together with information and interviews I am privy to. I’m pretty sure if she shows up right now and tells me all about that piece, it would hold a very different meaning and evoke different emotions in me than it does now.

At the core of making and sharing art, being creative, for me, is a human connection. I can sit here and look at the Kesewa Aboah, and there could be a connection that feels abstract, whether or not I ever talked to her. I automatically have a connection to her because I’m sitting in front of something she created. That is the thing about art that fascinates me so much; I could be surrounded by all these pieces, and I will have my own connection to them, but knowing them would bring the meaning behind every piece to a whole new level. Either connection is extremely sacred and special to me.

To further peek into who you are, can you tell me where you usually get your inspiration from?

Quite literally everywhere.

I don’t know if it’s the same with everybody else, but the concept always comes first. To me, concepts are important because I have to have a starting point, a story, before I can make something. What inspires said concepts could come from anywhere; it could be a brutalist architecture I come across while reading about it, and I get blown away by the geometry and materiality behind it. I would then think, well, these are basically shapes made out of certain material, which is essentially what I do with metal smithing and jewelry making, so I would start looking into that.

As random as that example is, it should tell you how I always have my antenna up, trying to source inspiration and information to build a concept behind my works. I have a collection called Bricolage, which means to tinker, and it’s inspired by punk rock culture. Again, the concept came from listening to music; a punk song came on, and I was drawn to the attitude, aesthetic, and all the history behind it. I sat there listening to it and decided to see if I could turn something that raw into tangible accessories.

My ability to make things comes from turning something so conceptual and abstract into a story, which gets reflected in the pieces I create. There is all this information out there, and I’m constantly paying attention to what would resonate with me. Resonating is the most important thing to me; I have to care about it, otherwise it would lose its authenticity in representing who I am and would definitely reflect poorly on my craft. So my inspiration comes from all over, as a creative and designer, you have to constantly be viewing things in ways unique to you. I could go on walks and spend too much time taking photos of the shadows at any given time. It’s never a guarantee that these inspired moments would work or what came out of it would even see the light of day, but I know what I can and can’t, and the archive of designing notes I kept throughout the years is what allows me to release my collections that speak to who I am the most.

It’s been five years since the pandemic hit, and for some reason, we all came out alright, if not stronger. What did you do to stay centered and sane? Have any of those new habits carried over now that things are back to normal?

I hated the pandemic.

I am not a person who enjoys sitting around; I have become more relaxed over the years but I think that’s just a function of age. I am an extrovert, social, and being outside and seeing my friends are important to me. I felt trapped, and that was really hard for me.

I managed to find ways to cope, though, by reading and tolerating constant cooking. The silver lining was that it’s ok to sit down for a minute, chill out, understand the value of time, and be patient; I think that mentality got carried over to where I am now. Understanding that slowing down allowed me to delve into things that I’ve always enjoyed but never given much time to.

I’m sure you have your fair share of traveling experience and exposure to different scenes across the states and even countries. From an industry perspective, what do you think sets Dallas apart from all the other well-known big cities or any other city you’ve been to?

Dallas is one of those cities that is self-aware enough to know that it isn’t New York, Paris, or LA. There is an eagerness and ambition in Dallas culture; it aspires to be a major city. It gives people like me a lot of opportunity to have our beginning and grow because the community is thirsty for it. Dallas, as a city is hungry and wants to develop a unique culture.

It’s also affordable enough for you to embark on creative journeys that wouldn’t be as easy if it were in any other fully saturated and expensive hubs. There is a shift happening here, slowly and surely. Culturally, Dallas is having its momentum and trying really hard to ride it as the cultural foundation continues to be built. It will always be a part of Texas and will have to fight to break out of certain molds, but there are very talented people here doing interesting things.

Are you a Dallas native? Knowing you for quite some time, you must’ve spent quite some time finding your creative identity here. What do YOU think of this city?

My answer will be a little bit different because I was born and raised here.

I like Dallas, but because I’ve been here so long, I am starting to get sick of it. In fact, I am fairly certain that once my kids are old enough and have left the house, I would probably move on from this city, too. Don’t ask me where, though I have no idea. *laughs

I truly love Dallas; I am fortunate to have carved out an inspiring and enriching community here that brings me a lot of joy. If you had asked me the same question fifteen years ago, I probably would not have answered you the same way. Doing what I do now and the scene I’m involved with has opened this city up for me the way I never would’ve imagined fifteen to twenty years ago, and for that I am really grateful.

I genuinely think that there’s a community of people here that are so talented, interesting, enriching, with a desire to do great things. There is a real momentum within the community of people that I’ve managed to become a part of, and that gave me an immense amount of affinity and love for the city that I didn’t have many years ago.

As I look around, I can see a lot of your taste in a tangible form! Now, the hard part is, what would you say is your most prized possession in your home?

The art that I’ve collected is what matters to me the most. Many of them require a second look, which is great because I won them and I can look at every detail as close up as I want to. Even after so many years, I still would stop dead in my tracks because I discovered some new details, or when the light hits differently, it reveals a new character or color to me. That makes being in this space so fun; you’ll never run out of things that surprise you, and that’s what makes art so important to me too; it’s stimulating and inspiring and all around me.

Like I mentioned before, I enjoy understanding the story behind each piece by talking to the artist, while some of them you see around my home I didn’t get the chance to do so, simply having them inhabiting the space is a story on its own. It’s an honor I don’t take lightly so I’ll just list out the artists whom I got to collect, and I’m sure you’ll see them in the photos throughout this article.

David Jeremiah
Ted Larson
Kesewa Aboah
Erika Jaeggli
Janet Werner
Maja Ruznik
Jeff Gibbons
CF Meng
Sonya Kelliher Combs
Jackie Feng
John Garcia
Xxavier Carter
India Sacchi
Wanda Koop
Mick Rock
Keer Tanchak
Sam McCurdy
Julia Maiuri
Emily Furr
Amy Bessone

And we are almost to the bottom of my list of Qs for today, for those who are interested in getting into this business or starting something of their own. What suggestions or advice would you like to give them, or wish you had known sooner?

I think what I do is two-fold; it’s something creative, which then became a business that I run.

If you are a creative person who paints, writes, composes, whatever it is, learn to take time and dig into it. You love it for a reason; being creative and tapping into it is the most rewarding thing you can do. It’s incredibly enriching to discover a creative outlet of your own, whatever it may be. Make sure to carve out your time and hone your craft. Spend as much time as you can doing it, learn all about what makes up the craft, and only after you feel comfortable and have confidence should you consider transforming it into a business.

It might sound like a harsh reality, but the creative part of the business is only part of what you will be doing. Ignorance is bliss because it keeps you from stopping yourself, but part of me does wish someone had told me this sooner all the parts of running a business. Had I known about the avalanches that are required to run a business, I would’ve been able to deal with things differently.

Flying off the cuff is a dangerous way to start your own business, but there’s never really a universal playbook for things like this, so understand the risk you're taking and be capable of constant rejection and failure, and find a way to deal with it emotionally and financially!

You don’t have to be perfect at it, and you will always find someone along the way to help you with it, but the balance between the two sides of the coin is the most important thing, second to passion and talent in my opinion.

To wrap this interview up, also because I am curious personally, what’s on the horizon for you? Are any “Big things coming” in the works for you? What would you like the world (whichever random soul stumbled upon this article) to know about?

I am launching the brand at one of my very favorite stores, Maxfield in LA, and I have multiple events coming up between now and the end of the year. One is with the brand Gladys Temez, a hat maker based in LA. Other than that, I am just continuing to evolve the brand. I am working on adding precious stones to the line - pave diamonds, sapphires etc that I think will open up new opportunities!