5 Free & Cheap Arts & Culture Events This Week

There is no such thing as “too much” culture or art to consume. Even if you’re heading out to a gallery opening or theatre performance a few times a week, you could still be rounding out your cultural experience with events that don’t necessarily fit into your interests. If you think you enjoy theatre, why wouldn’t you enjoy avant-garde film or performance art? Either way, it’s important for everyone who has an interest in expanding their cultural horizons step outside of the performances that they typically see.

But that’s expensive, and it isn’t like most of us have a budget to plunk down a few grand for a new piece of art or opening-night tickets to a new show. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities this week for you to learn a little something without having to spend too much cash. Plan your week around these five free & cheap arts and culture events — there’s something for everyone here.

Arts & Letters Live: Fashioning Our Identities
Dallas Museum Of Art
Tuesday, June 9
$15
Most of the talk surrounding fashion of any kind, not to mention haute couture, rarely centers around the way that women use fashion to shape their identities. This discussion features writer Sheila Heti, illustrator, author, and publisher Leanne Shapton, and fashion designer Lela Rose, are of whom all fashion heavyweights in their own right, and the editors of Women In Clothes, a collage-style book of essays from women (Lena Dunham and Molly Ringwold, among others) detailing their experiences with fashion. 

Tangerine Screening
Texas Theatre
Thursday, June 11
$10
Thursday night’s screening of Tangerine, directed and written by Sean Baker, is both the Texas premiere of the film and the first event of the Oak Cliff Film Festival. The film, which was shot in its entirety in widescreen format on an iPhone, creates an incredibly unique point-of-view while telling the story of Sin-Dee, a transgender sex worker, as she navigates the underworld of Los Angeles. Reviews after the film’s Sundance premiere called it “big-hearted” and “stripped down.” At only $10, you have no excuse to not check out such an acclaimed film that was shot on an iPhone.

Evening In The Shed
Dallas Farmers Market
Thursday, June 11
Free
If you haven’t been to the Dallas Farmers Market since the renovation began, the newly-resumed Evening In The Shed series is the perfect time to check it out. Formerly called “Market After Dark,” Evening In The Shed provides the opportunity to hang out with local farmers and purchase their wares, enjoy live music, and check out vendors making their own products on-site, like cheese and soap. Local breweries and wineries will also be on hand to provide the sauce, and you should probably pick up a few veggies to supplement your fast-food-only diet.

Dallas Tunnel Tour
Downtown Dallas
Friday, June 12
Free
If you’ve ever wondered exactly what the extensive network of underground tunnels that sit under Downtown are all about, entrepreneur Michael Sitarzewski wants to give you an extensive tour. Friday afternoon’s tour of “the tunnels” is expected to last about three hours, and is a way for Sitarzewski to bring awareness to these hidden jewels, along with opening up a discussion about how to make the space more accessible and useful. Sitarzewski plans to make the tour a monthly event, and will also be providing coffee from Stupid Good Coffee as the tour kicks off.

True West
That That
Thursday, June 11
$10
With this adaptation of Sam Shepard’s iconic play drawn from American pop-culture and the life of the Average Joe, That That’s performance of True West is certainly one of the can’t-miss theatre events of the week. In the early 2000s, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly earned a joint Tony nod for their performance in True West, and while Dallas’ own may not quite have that name recognition, it will certainly be a stellar show. If you attend Friday night’s performance, stick around after for a wrap party featuring local musicians and “A Very Special Performance from Taylor Swift,” whatever that means.