Make a reference to the coast in Texas and it's assumed said coast is lapped by "waves" from the Gulf of Mexico. Texans can be slightly too "We have everything you'd wanna see here in the Lone Star State!" But Barry Whistler and his gallery are reminding us of the two primary coasts (the ones on either side of our country) with a group exhibition titled Coast to Coast. L.A. is in da house with Emi Winter (paint on shaped canvas) and Bob Wilhite (sculpture). And NYC is represen'in' with Adam Raymont (drawing and collage) and Mark Williams (painting). Dallasites get a taste of fresh works from artists new to this scene and a reminder that Texas ain't the end-all, be-all. There's virtually a guarantee, too, that if you asked any of these artists about their favorite beach spots, those patches of sand, unlike our Gulf shore, are probably sans the mucky globs of tar. How proud they must be. The Barry Whistler Gallery is located at 2909-B Canton St. and is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Visit www.barrywhistlergallery.com or call 214-939-0242.
Friday, February 18
Don't be embarrassed. At some point in most everyone's life, discretion falls by the wayside and you go for it. Maybe you'd had some liquid courage or maybe you just wanted to see what all the fuss was about, but our 10 bucks says that the one-night stand looked a little less fetching the next morning. But don't harbor resentment. Just let it go. Nothing lost, nothing gained. Keep those pants on and head to a one-night stand much less regrettable: H2O, the first exhibition in a series of local artists' One Night Stands. The series is geared toward getting art out of galleries for a night and into venues frequented by those who may not typically attend gallery showings--specifically, office environments. The first show features works with a common theme as well as artists who all reside in Big D. Artists include Sibylle Bauer (photography), Robert Boland (installation), Alex Duplan (video), Jennifer Morgan (painting) and others. The reception is free and open to the public. If you don't have one under your belt yet, now's the time. Be a total art slut from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday at Mad River Post/Dallas, Studio 26, 3900 Willow St., and take in that art with all the passion available. How to feel even better about that one-nighter? The raffle of the evening benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as well as The McKinney Avenue Contemporary. Now that gets us really excited. Call 972-216-4910.
Saturday, February 19
Seriously, this year, we just don't have the time. Someone else is going to have to pick up the responsibility of running the pageant pools. It's very simple; just set up three categories: how many times the phrase "world peace" is used, how many budding "inspirations to young people" there are and (this applies to televised events only) how many inappropriate and smarmy comments are made by judges and/or older male hosts. Luckily, the 2005 Miss Teen Dallas County Scholarship Pageant is a local gig and, with only two pool categories to manage, our replacement can get his feet wet relatively painlessly--although we do caution against errant glitter in live settings. The pageant will name a young, talented woman who will then compete for Miss Teen Texas 2005 in July and is hosted by Miss Dallas County 2005, Brooke Webster. This smaller pageant will help audiences hone their wit and beef up the insults for more competitive events. In that respect, this pageant will be educational as well as entertaining. And, yeah, we admit that it's cool that some hardworking girl gets money for school. Just don't tell anyone we said that; it'll ruin our rep as judgmental hardasses. The pleasantries start at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Plaza Theatre, 521 W. State St., on the square in downtown Garland. Admission is $12. Call 214-476-0619.
Sunday, Februaruy 20
Seven years ago, we rode in an RV from Dallas to Chicago with six other people, and aside from a head bump from the top bunk, a frog inexplicably splattered on our windshield and an unfortunate (and as yet unclaimed) incident in the loo, the trip was quite comfortable, and we were totally surprised. We were sure that the journey would be bumpy, cramped and most likely result in an I'm-never-speaking-to-you-again situation. So, proven wrong, we gotta give the modern RV props (yeah, yeah, we said "props") for being way cooler than the on-truck camper we spent time in while Dad was deer hunting in earlier years. Having said that, we get why so many people agree with the voice of Tom Selleck when he says "Go RVing" and why so many folks will head down to Dallas Market Hall for the final day of 2005 Dallas RV SuperSale on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. The sale features educational seminars, new 2005 models, filming of the RV Lifestyle Reality Show and even a "Pint for a Pint" blood drive with the American Red Cross and Blue Bell Ice Cream. The show will also be open 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is $8 ($3 on Thursday). Check out www.trva.org and www.GoRVing.com. Call 1-800-880-7303.
Monday, February 21
It just cannot be helped that every time we think of bartender competitions involving the showy tosses and other "flair," we immediately put the needle down on our mental record of the Beach Boys' "Kokomo." The problem is quite widespread, has been given the unofficial title of Cocktail Syndrome and is the result of a combination of lack of exposure to real bartenders and overexposure to Brian Brown and Tom Cruise. We think almost everyone would agree that they'd like that song to stay out of mind forever. There just might be a solution. Sure, you can watch a rerun of it on the Food Network, but why not catch the finals for the Ultimate Bartender Challenge at Kismet Lounge on Monday instead? Associate the stunts, the perfect pours and the swill with the superheroes of local bartending instead of bad acting...and do it while you still can. In fact, before heading out to 3707 Greenville Ave. for the Service Industry Night showstopper, we recommend destroying that VHS copy of Cocktail you still have stored under the bed. You know, just so there's no temptation to resurrect the fake flair and bad hair. The cover is free, and wells and drafts are $3. Overcoming Cocktail Syndrome, however, is priceless. Call 214-823-8883.
Tuesday, February 22
Listen to big band jazz and you can almost hear the fun the musicians are having. It's a genre that engages both player and audience in a physical reaction to the music, an undeniable and sort of involuntary release of rhythm that immediately overwhelms feet with tapping and incites the slapping of one or both knees. In the world of jazz, it's the fun kind. It doesn't aim over any heads, doesn't put anyone to sleep and would never be caught on the Oasis radio station. The students of the Meadows Jazz Orchestra celebrate that energy and accessibility (which by no means says that big band is any easier to play) with a free concert on Tuesday at 8 p.m. The 18-piece ensemble will perform classics including Duke Ellington's "Ko-Ko," the Count Basie Orchestra's "I Thought About You" and Thelonius Monk's "Ask Me Now." The orchestra will also perform an original piece by director Akira Sato. The Bob Hope Theatre of the Owen Arts Center is located at 6101 Bishop Blvd. on the Southern Methodist University campus. Call 214-768-1951.
Wednesday, February 23
The ancient Chinese believed that jade preserved the body after death. The durable stone (ranging from deep green to pale celery colors) has long been used in Chinese and other societies with the belief that it held magical powers. As durable as jade is, however, it takes amazing talent to shape it and even more talent to carve designs into it. The Crow Collection of Asian Art, 2010 Flora St., welcomes the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service's Magic, Myths and Minerals: Chinese Jades From the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The exhibition features 37 pieces, from ancient times through 1911, just centimeters across that were carved by artisans mostly for private collection. The animal figures are significant in Chinese myth and fable and the detailing of them obviously painstaking. The pieces are beautiful, but Magic, Myths and Minerals also tells the symbolism of the small jade carvings as well as the importance and meaning they had for the original owners. The combination of craftsmanship and belief is breathtaking. The exhibit closes May 1. Admission is free. Call 214-979-6430.