Holmes, Doloris

Doloris Holmes, performance artist, poet and founder and director of the White Mask Theatre, has been active in the New York area since 1962.

Doloris Holmes is a performance artist and poet who founded the White Mask Theatre. Her work has been exhibited in the New York area since 1962. In 1972 she went to Spain to visit a prehistoric cave and was profoundly influenced by the art she saw there. Her experience there led her to reexamine her life and her marriage to the poet Armand Schwerner. When she returned to the United States they divorced and she decided to pursue a new life dedicated to her artistic talents. Her first performance upon her return from Spain was called Fish-Joy and was about her thoughts and experiences in the cave. Her experience in the cave also inspired her to found the White Mask Theatre. In May, 1978 she took on a new name to symbolize her rebirth and new life. She chose the name Janais to honor both Janis Joplin and Anaïs Nin. Holmes has two sons, Adam and Ari Schwerner.

Performance artist, poet.