“We have held Dallas Arts Week in the past four years, and while we have been successful, we know that we could do so much more to promote creative learning and activity throughout the city,” says Patricia Blasquez, a spokesperson for Rawlings and a lead organizer of Dallas Arts Month. “We heard our arts partners, and we are extending Arts Week to Arts Month so that we can make sure we are showcasing all the art Dallas has to offer.”
Signature events for this year’s citywide celebration include:
March 12-July 16: México 1900–1950: Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, José Clemente Orozco and the Avant-Garde at Dallas Museum of Art
March 31-April 1: TITAS Presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
April 7-8: Dallas Art Fair at the Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG)
April 11: DeColonize Dallas opening reception at Nasher Sculpture Center
April 15: family event hosted by the Office of Cultural Affairs at Ron Kirk Bridge and Felix H. Lozando Sr. Gateway Park
April 18: Arts Advocacy Day at Latino Cultural Center
April 22: Changing Perspectives Block Party in the Dallas Arts District featuring BANDALOOP Vertical Dance Company as well as a variety of local artists. Presented by Dallas Arts District, HALL Group, TITAS Presents and AT&T Performing Arts Center.
Mayor Pro Tem Monica Alonzo, who chairs the city’s Arts, Culture and Libraries Committee, says the cultural participants in Dallas Arts Month range from large established institutions to small, emerging arts groups and individual artists. “This is a chance for our city’s talented artists to have their work seen by new patrons and an opportunity for everyone in Dallas to discover new art experiences that might just be right in their own back yard,” Alonzo says in a press release.
Anchoring Arts Month’s events is the annual Creative Conversation panel from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 10, at Dallas City Performance Hall. This year, the Office of Cultural Affairs and the American Institute of Architects will bring together a diverse panel to discuss a specific art discipline. “Our fifth Creative Conversation will focus on placemaking, specifically the intersection of art and architecture in activating public spaces and engaging the community, as well as being a growth engine for cities,” Blasquez says.
To register an Arts Month event, visit the Art&Seek calendar at artandseek.org and the event will automatically be entered on the DallasArtsMonth.com calendar. Follow Dallas Arts Month on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #DallasArtsMonth.