We've all had one of those friends--the kind who will listen intently as you vent your problems, maybe hold your hand, nod sympathetically, hand you a Kleenex, then once you've had your say, tell you how much worse off he or she is than you. For these pals, a friend in need is just a friend who needs to be reminded that his or her problems are insignificant in comparison. But if you need a friend who doesn't think complaining is a competition, you might need a Needy Baby--because, as the motto says, "Needy Babies: Because you are one and you need one." Heart broken? Anxious in social situations? Insecure? Needy Babies might be just what the doctor ordered. Dallas filmmaker and artist Kim Flores and her partner Mike Swanson created these 2-foot-tall handmade fleece and felt stuffed creatures: six dolls, each with its own neurosis and sidekick. There's Hazy and Muggy, Jitter and Woobie, Jumpy and Ticker, Moco and the Booga Babies, Techie and Bug and Woozie and Dose. Flores, whose house is filled with mutant prototypes, says people find empathy in the problems of these quirky dysfunctional dolls--someone to listen and to take care of. As birth mother, Flores wants to keep track of her adopted kids with a Web site to track the Babies' adventures and travels; it should be up in mid-April. Find out more when Flores hosts the Needy Babies Coming Out Party with artist talk from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Mighty Fine Arts Gallery, 407 N. Tyler St. in Oak Cliff. The Needy Babies will be on display there through May 8 from noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and by appointment. Call 214-942-5241. --Shannon Sutlief
Make One
3/19
They say, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." As it turns out, wishes aren't horses, though nowadays, beggars would probably prefer a nice Hoveround. If you're not a beggar (or you already own a personal mobility vehicle), perhaps your wishes tend toward the finer things in life--wine, travel or art. In that case, the Dallas Center for Contemporary Art has you covered with its fourth annual Wish! auction. The event features more than 50 works by Texas artists such as Scott Barber, James Surls, Greg Metz, Robert Rauschenberg and many more, along with "Live Luxury" items such as a stay at The Carlyle in New York or a year's supply of Pellegrino. The Wish! Art Auction Party begins at 7 p.m. March 19 at the Dallas Center for Contemporary Art, 2801 Swiss Ave. Advance tickets are $60 to $75. Call 214-821-2522. --Michelle Martinez
