When considering Dallas art galleries that go against the grain, a few come to mind. But no other artist-run space has stuck it out as long and unconventionally as 500X (500 Exposition Drive), which has provided local emerging talent walls to start careers on since 1978. It’s remarkable that 500X has maintained in a city that loves to dismantle things as much as ours does. And yet, we rely on it. One of its traditions, the annual juried show, is back with an opening reception scheduled for Saturday evening from 7 to 10. Now this isn’t a tiny exhibition — nope. It’s what folks around town might refer to as A Big Damn Deal. You’ll see work by dozens upon dozens of local talents, all vetted prior to hanging. I love this because it means you’ll almost certainly find a new artist that turns you on ... aesthetically speaking, of course. You can’t have a juried show without a juror — you can try, but stuff gets really messy really fast. This year’s big picker is Iris Bechtol, an artist and former 500Xer, who now has the cool job of Gallery Director of the Eastfield College Art Galleries and Coordinator of the Permanent Collection. So artists, when you’re making out the card for that cookie bouquet, you’ll want to include the entire title. The show will be up until March 3. Visit 500x.org.
Sat., Feb. 16, 2013