Street People

American artist Allan Kaprow first used the term "Happening" to describe an art party on fellow artist George Segal's New Jersey chicken farm, but we all know how that turned out, with hippies co-opting the phrase in the late '60s to describe just about any place where good times were had or people got laid, art be damned. Nevertheless, the Nasher Sculpture Center will be one happening place starting this Saturday, when an exhibition of Segal's renowned, urban-focused sculpture opens. Featuring plaster people placed in familiar urban environments--a man places letters on a movie marquee in "Cinema," for instance, while a waitress and patron mingle at a lunch counter in "The Diner"--Segal's pieces are stark but intriguing explorations of the urban condition. And while the scene depicted in "Depression Bread Line" may seem unfamiliar to some, the piece is likely to resonate with many given the current economic trends. George Segal: Street Scenes will be on display through April 5 at the Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays (open till 9 p.m. on Thursdays). Call 214-242-5100 or visit nashersculpturecenter.org.
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: Jan. 24. Continues through April 5, 2009