5 Art Exhibitions to See in Dallas This Weekend

North Texas Masters of Light
The American Society of Media Photographers is home to some pretty talented storytellers. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Especially if the media outlet is paying pennies per word. This weekend the wide array of talent in the ASMP's Dallas branch alone takes over the walls of beloved Deep Ellum gallery, Kettle Art (2650-B Main St.) with some spectacular photography in an exhibition titled North Texas Masters of Light. See the work from 7-10 p.m. Thursday. Admission is free. More at kettleart.com.

Occiput
Last year, in a period of crisis, Dallas-based artist Lucia Simek took her three kids to Wyoming to visit her family. She refers to this time as “self-exile.” There she found herself surrounded by nature on the verge of catastrophe. At the base of Yellowstone, one of the country's volcanic hot spots, she embraced the latent fear of everyday life — the instability inherent in being alive. She found herself compelled to capture every moment that bore significance on film. She returns to the symbolism of these images with a fresh eye for Occiput, a solo exhibition of her videos and photographs opening at The Reading Room (3715 Parry Ave.) from 6-9 p.m. Saturday. It's likely you'll experience the very personal expand into the general, only to become specific to you, the viewer. Admission is free. More at thereadingroom-dallas.blogspot.com.


Emergency Measures
Have you noticed that “awareness” is often discussed as something to be aspired to? As if we as humans have lost our natural capacity to be aware of our surroundings or, more vital, the impending threat of danger? We install alarm systems to awaken us, as though the crash of a glass window breaking won’t be enough, or fire alarms to alert us to a room filled with smoke. It’s as though our lives have grown so comfortable we won’t recognize danger even when we’re looking directly at it. The art on display at The Power Station (3816 Commerce St.) in Emergency Measures this weekend is meant to shake us out of this nascent fog and explore what it means to “trigger” awareness. Artists on display include Rodney Graham, Jill Magid, Mark Manders and others. See it in opening reception from 7-9 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. More at powerstationdallas.com.
Martin Delabano & Robert Birmelin
Dallas-based artist Martin Delabano is probably best known for his use of bold color in fragment. He uses a variety of media to create vignettes, or small anecdotes. He breaks out of this and ventures into a more abstract realm for his newest work, which will be on display this weekend at Kirk Hopper Fine Art. See his work in opening reception from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, in conjunction with an exhibit of New York-based artist Robert Birmelin, who makes his Dallas debut. His drawings and paintings capture life in the bustling metropolis of New York City, including scenes of life-sized rodents. 


Dallas Zine Party
Anyone can make a zine. Call it self-publishing or DIY, but zines are more about ideas than skills. That’s the beauty of it and it’s also why the Dallas Zine Party will likely play host to a wide variety of characters. If you’re curious who is writing, drawing or illustrating their ideas and then stapling them together, you’ll want to attend the inaugural event at The Wild Detectives (314 W. 8th St.) from 1-5 p.m. Sunday. The beer will be flowing, music from local bands moth face and Kitbashes will take over the microphone throughout the day, and there will be a plethora of zines. Admission is free. More information at dallaszineparty.com.