12 Awesome Things to Do This Weekend, June 26 -29

Spend Saturday night in the Design District Head to the West Dallas haven of fine art for a few gallery exhibition openings. At Red Arrow Contemporary, catch a modern exploration of printmaking in the latest exhibition Stay Up All Nite, featuring the work of Austin art collective, Industry Wrecking Crew…

Oh, We Could Hazard a Guess

It’s difficult to know why Archibald John Motley Jr. never received the recognition he deserved during his lifetime. This modernist painter depicted African-American life in his native Chicago, exploring race, gender and sexuality with a voyeuristic perspective. His paintings cast light on issues of racism through portrayals of folklore and…

Winners Are the Worst People

Do you feel like playing Cards Against Humanity with your friends is growing redundant? Are you searching for strangers to impress with your horribleness? Good news: Alamo Drafthouse (100 S. Central Expressway, Richardson) hosts a weekly Cards Against Humanity tournament. At 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, the theater’s Glass Half Full…

Asleep at the Wheel

It shouldn’t make you sad that kids these days haven’t heard of Bob Wills. After all, they’re the ones missing out. One of Texas’ greatest musicians, he gave the world Western swing and most of his music is just one Youtube search away. But if you feel it’s your duty…

Wear White. Will Photograph.

Fashion etiquette dictates that there are roughly four months of the year during which white can be worn. And though no one follows the rules anymore, there is one photographer whose one demand is that if you want your picture taken on Saturday, you must be dressed in all white…

Legendary Locals of Oak Cliff

Dallas has been tuned into Oak Cliff for the past few years, in large part because of the gentrification of the Bishop Arts District. Suddenly distinctions like North Oak Cliff and the rise of the culinary arts prove valuable for real estate companies who develop a neighborhood that many might…

Self-Taught Artist Ricardo Paniagua Creates Art on Assignment

For Ricardo Paniagua, the canvas is sculpture and his sculpture is a canvas. He uses vivid colors to reconfigure recognizable shapes, suggesting interests in geometry and psychedelia, and to talk to Paniagua is to talk to someone inspired. His self-taught artistry and varied creative outputs are what he considers “assignments”…

If You’re in Expo Park, Stop and Watch Some Video Art

It’s a Thursday night in Expo Park and a quick duck into the Amsterdam Bar accidentally becomes an art experience. A small group has gathered on the sidewalk in front of Beefhaus (833 Exposition Avenue) to watch a projected video of lobsters staring back at them. It’s part of Gregory…

17 Awesome Things to Do This Weekend, June 19- 22

The Oak Cliff Film Festival happens this weekend. Allow me to offer a few reasons you should care: Movies, drinks, bike rides, dance parties, and croquet. If you need more convincing, head over to Jamie Laughlin’s preview of how it all happens this weekend. If you’re like me, the above…

A Khaleesi With Her Clothes On

Fun House Theatre and Film had preteens play Stalin. It cast kids in a play by Neil LaBute. They spoofed potty-mouth playwright David Mamet. It’s all been good, clean fun. But we wonder about this Game of Thrones, Junior show opening at Fun House (1301 Custer Road., Plano) at 7:30…

TTYL, C U at Indie Fest

You know what word gets a lot of play? “Indie.” There was a time when that was merely the nickname of the world’s sexiest archeology professor, Indiana Jones. Now we shorten and then overuse every word in the English language, until our vocabulary melts into oblivion. But it’s like totes…

Juneteenth Blues & Jazz Festival

Before you correct me with your endless knowledge of American history, no, this is not a typo: The Juneteenth Blues & Jazz Festival is happening on from 3-9 p.m. on Sunday, June 22. The African American Museum’s annual celebration may be a few days late, but it’s worth the wait…

Dirk Slam Dunks a Home Run

Everybody loves Dirk. Including other athletes. That’s why he’s the perfect face to slap on a charity. This weekend, he invites his famous friends to join him in a friendly game of catch at Dirk Nowitzki’s 2014 Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game. The proceeds benefit his nonprofit organization that offers sports…

We Ask Theater Professionals, “Why So Much Shakespeare?”

In the past month, I have received five press releases about upcoming productions of 13 Shakespeare plays. Well, technically one is a performance of his sonnets. If Mama Mia! is ubiquitous, Billy Shakes is omnipresent. As a nerdy lit major in college, the idea that I would someday grow tired…