Anyone who's been to an import store or visited Target's short-lived Global Market collection is familiar with Muslim art, whether they know it or not. But that's not the surprising part of Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art From the Victoria and Albert Museum. It's that this exhibit of Muslim art contains works made for Christian and Jewish institutions by Muslims when all three were united as "people of the book," meaning they all followed the "Word of God"--no matter the form it took. But that was centuries ago; way to regress, guys. The exhibit covers a large time span and a range of styles, from secular works created for courts to religious ones to Arabic calligraphy. The exhibit runs through September 4, Tuesdays through Sundays, at the Kimbell Art Museum, 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth. Admission is $2 to $6, but half-price on Tuesdays and always free for kids under 6. Call 817-654-1034.
Friday, April 22
This weekend. Deep Ellum. Den of Thieves. No, it's not the latest black metal trio headlining Club Indigo or a bunch of Christian high school kids bringing their band out of the garage and into The Door. Den of Thieves is the first play at the new Dallas Hub Theater at 2809 Canton St., between Crowdus Street and Malcolm X Boulevard. The play was written by Stephen Adly Guirgis for LAByrinth Theater Company, where it was directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman and starred Sam Rockwell, and the Hub's company, Shane-Arts: SATER, opens its tenure here with Den of Thieves, telling the story of a "ragtag would-be criminal crew" assembled in a 12-step program for recovering thieves. Opening night is Friday at 8, and it runs through May 14 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $15 to $25. Call 214-749-7010.
Saturday, April 23
Everyone has his own definition of what makes a body a work of art. For some, it's that perfectly symmetrical belly button. Others, the perfectly lickable scar on Harrison Ford's chin. But surely everyone can agree that the models in the annual Body Art Ball are works of art. The event features 20 artists painting, glittering, gluing and attaching other props and fabrics to 20 models, making them living, breathing (but, let's hope, not sweating) murals, who will perform during a runway walk with a light show and music. Previous entrants have included a boogie-woogie bugle girl with painted-on vintage uniform and thigh-high stockings and a flamenco dancer with painted brocade-style blouse and exaggerated geometric fishnets. VIP tickets are $100 and include reserved seating at the show and a reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Tea Room side of the Gypsy Tea Room, 2548 Elm St. General admission tickets are $25 for standing room only, starting at 8 p.m. in the Ballroom side of Gypsy, 2513 Main St. Call 214-498-5885 or visit www.thebodyartball.com.
Sunday, April 24
Festivals are sprouting like dandelions in our "naturally" landscaped yard. And the question is "Do you want some old-fashioned fun or some really, really old-fashioned fun?" There's Euless' Arbor Daze, the only place where visitors can get a free tree to plant and see Kool and the Gang perform. Radio stations KLUV, KVIL and the Oasis booked the main-stage musical acts this year, with the Doobie Brothers headlining Friday, Kool and the Gang on Saturday and Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Richard Elliot and Peter White sharing the stage on Sunday. There will also be Sara Hickman on Saturday, a carnival midway, a petting zoo, food and drinks, kids activities and performances by local arts groups. Arbor Daze takes place at Bear Creek Parkway and Fuller-Wiser Road. Admission is free; parking is $5. Call 817-685-1600 or visit www.ci.euless.tx.us/arbordaze/default.htm. Then, there's Blackland Prairie Festival, which celebrates Plano's history with representations of life in the early 1900s. Activities include gunfights, genealogy workshops, working artists, storytellers, tours of historic homes via an 1880s stagecoach and authors discussing their books on Plano's history. Blackland Prairie Festival is 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday in historic downtown Plano. Admission is free. Call 972-423-7809 or visit www.blacklandprairiefestival.org.
Monday, April 25
Back in middle school when Mom made all our clothes, having homemade outfits was not a badge of honor. But dresses hemmed with imperfect, non-factory stitches and one-of-a-kind shirts made from deconstructed T-shirts grace the pages of fashion magazines, and being crafty enough to be able to say, "Oh, yes, I whipped this number together during last night's The O.C. using a too-small thrift-store dress and my mom's White Snake concert tee," is priceless. See what can be done with felt, buttons, fabric remnants and other nontraditional sources during the Denton Craft Mafia's fashion show at Hailey's, 122 Mulberry St. in Denton. There will be live music by a DJ, the Silver Arrows, The Dreamtigers and Super Love Attack, plus a runway show that features contributors' fashions styled by Denton store Alter Ego. It starts at 9 p.m.; tickets are $4. Visit www.dentoncraftmafia.com or www.haileysclub.com.
Tuesday, April 26
We learned the difference between a square and a circle with Tupperware puzzle ball, a red and blue plastic monstrosity into which yellow plastic shapes were shoved into their appropriate openings. It's also how we learned about cheating: The circle could fit into the rectangle space when turned sideways. Take that, Tupperware! But here's a cheat-free way to learn the lesson. This week's NasherKids Tuesday event features a lesson in shapes and curves taught by admiring small- and large-scale sculpture throughout the center's museum and gardens. Kids will also make their own art based on the collection. NasherKids Tuesdays is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday through May at the Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St. Sessions include activities such as guided tours, story times and crafts. Call 214-242-5169 for reservations.
Wednesday, April 27
We used to think that everything awesome, but imaginary, was at the end of the rainbow. Sure, there are leprechauns and pots of gold, but there are also dragons, unicorns, real-life My Little Ponies, the flying dog-thing from The NeverEnding Story and Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street. None of these will be at the Beyond the Rainbow Luncheon & Fashion Show. But Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Carly Patterson, Dale Hansen, Gary Cogill, Mattie Roberts, Victoria Snee and many more will be. Sure, they're real, but at least they're famous. This 17th annual event benefits the Children's Cancer Fund. Aikman and Staubach are co-chairs, while the others will escort the 100 "models" from Children's Medical Center, who are the highlight of the fashion show. It also includes raffles for items such as an original watercolor by artist Olivia Bennett and a live auction that features a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a four-night stay in a three-bedroom condo on Harbor Island in the Bahamas and a spa girls night out for six. Beyond the Rainbow takes place at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel, 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway, in the Chantilly Ballroom. The reception starts at 10 a.m.; lunch follows at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $100. Call 972-458-2013.