We recently connected with Dave Fallon and have shared our conversation below.
Dave, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I’ve done recently was a series called Coordinates: A Journey Towards Peace. The series was part of a photography fellowship I was awarded. It documents the search for peace in an urban environment. As a Black man, I’m statistically more likely to live in an urban area. And I do. As an individual with a disability it’s not easy for me to hop in the car and drive to the cabin or lake for the weekend.
But we all need a place of peace. Coordinates is a story about the journey to as well as arriving at, urban peace.
I feel it is a very valuable story because it tells a story that is often untold. It is both a call-to-action, and a peaceful reflection. We all deserve peace.
Dave, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a multimedia artist based in Minneapolis, MN. I’ve studied fine arts since I was young. I moved to Los Angeles where I studied graphic design, later returning to Minneapolis and working in advertising design. My life changed dramatically when I was diagnosed with intractable epilepsy. I had to leave my job and everything came to screeching halt. I was resigned to throwing away my dreams and living vicariously through others. It’s always darkest before the dawn.
In 2019 I returned to my fine art roots. And I started to find peace and fulfillment. During the pandemic and after the murder of George Floyd, my art took another dramatic turn. I picked up my came to capture a moment in history. I didn’t realize I would soon become a professional photographer.
I realized it was time to bring my art to a place of service. To use my art as a vessel for social change. I began seeing my art as part of a greater social contract. I was going to speak for the unheard.
Since then I’ve received several awards, I work for equal accessibility to the arts, and I volunteer with art non-profits.
To whom much is given, much will be required.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Vote. In Minnesota we are incredibly fortunate to have access to so much funding for the arts. From the state arts board to regional arts councils to municipalities, Minnesotans do an amazing job of providing funding for the arts.
And with good reason. Social advancement requires vibrant and outspoken art. Art gives people a way to explore life from new perspectives. It asks difficult questions. It tells moving stories. It brings us together.
This funding requires good policy. And good policy requires good policy makers. So vote.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In 2016 I had intensive brain surgery to treat epilepsy. It was a method that was very new and still under review. In fact, I’m the only person I know who has a microchip in their brain.
In 2020 I went through a mental health crisis and nearly died. I grieved with the rest of the world as we watched George Floyd murdered, as hearts broke and as the phoenix rose from the ashes of injustice.
I asked an abstract modern artist, “How do you know when you’re done (with a painting)?” Her answer was profound. “You have to trust in the process.”
Life is full of laughter, love, pain and suffering. It’s full of mysteries and surprises. It’s a process. Perhaps THE process.
Trust in the process. 
Contact Info:
- Website: davidfallonart.com
- Instagram: @stylo_erotique
- Other: https://www.peopleincorporated.org/2022/12/spotlight-inspiring-client-story/