After the snow, ice, rinse, and repeat, cabin fever has slowly creeped into Dallas. It strikes when you least suspect it, even during those epic House of Cards marathons, and urges you to get out of bed, put pants on, and do something with your life. Now that the snow has cleared, it's time to venture back into the world and spend a little time enriching the brain that you rotted with all that television.
Fortunately, you don't have to shell out much more than the cost of your monthly Netflix subscription to check out these five arts and culture events this week. Ranging from visual art to sheep herding, you're sure to find something that will make you want to get up off of your couch and interact with other human beings.
Arts & Letters Live: Peter Mendelsund Dallas Museum of Art Wednesday, March 4 $30 Peter Mendelsund's unlikely trajectory into the art world -- precipitated by the mandatory existential crisis -- is a story in and of itself, but his secondary career as a book jacket designer is equally interesting. As an artist, Mendelsund has designed book covers for literary greats (James Joyce, Michel Foucault) and cultural phenomena (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) alike. This talk at the Dallas Museum of Art may be at the top of your weekly entertainment budget, but book lovers and art fiends alike will appreciate this interesting exploration into "What We See When We Read"
Next Topic: What Is An Artist Talk? CentralTrak Thursday, March 5 Free For those of you who appreciate the almost comically meta, this artist talk about the nature of artist talks should be uniquely appealing. Hosting Daniel Atkinson, professor and artist-in-residence at Contemporary Arts Houston, this free lecture at CentralTrak will focus on the history of artist talks through the methods and approaches that artists have taken to this fixture of the art world. The talk promises to "make the familiar form strangely unfamilar," which is a better way to spend your Thursday than sucking down shots.
Out Of The Loop Fringe Festival Addison Conference Centre March 5-15 $10-$65
In its 14th year, Out Of The Loop Fringe Festival is still widely regarded as one of the best exhibitions of art, live theater, dance, and music in the city. For access to the entire ten days of exciting arts programming, patrons can purchase a festival pass for $65, an incredible bargain in this world of ever-increasing ticket prices, or stick to paying $10 per performance. During the festival, some of Dallas' best companies, including Contemporary Ballet Dallas, Danielle Georgiou Dance Group, and Blaque Artists Collective, will present a diverse slate of performances for any interest and experience level.
The Dallas Flea Spring Show Trinity Groves (2800 Bataan St.) Saturday, March 7 There is nothing more relaxing than spending a Saturday strolling through a selection of quirky goods from vintage shops and crafters, especially when you know that you're supporting people who love making their very own kind of art. The Dallas Flea is one of the city's most comprehensive shopping experiences for vintage, handmade, and quirky goods, especially if you've got a little bit of cash to spend. The Flea's events have been recognized by everyone from Vogue to Martha Stewart. This year marks the first that the event will be hosted at the massive Trinity Groves space, after making a move from SouthSide On Lamar last year. Spend your afternoon perusing the 100-plus booths of clothing, housewares, and general kitsch. At $5, it's much cheaper than having a designer seek out all of these items to decorate your home and improve your wardrobe.
2015 North Texas Irish Festival Fair Park March 6-8 Free-$30 Even if you don't have Irish heritage, the North Texas Irish Festival is a fun experience hat every Dallasite should have at least once. The festival focuses on traditional Irish music and dance, along with plenty of activities for kids and families. Acclaimed musicians from all over the world make the trip to North Texas every year for the festival, including Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul. You'll also find Celtic art, storytelling, whiskey tasting (!!) and sheep herding. With that kind of diversity, surely you'll be able to find something to enjoy.
