Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Earlier this year, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra unveiled its secret weapon. While Jaap van Zweden builds a top level orchestra, his daughter has been at work behind the scenes helping him strategize how to bring…
Video games are so powerful these days that they are practically on par with movies in terms of story, graphics and production. That might sound like a step forward until you realize that means that Adam Sandler may one day get to make his own game. There’s actually been a…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. “I tend to play wacked-out characters, but there’s no reason I couldn’t play doctors and lawyers.” Actor Van Quattro, a favorite among DFW theater directors and critics, is frustrated. He’s been auditioning for a lot…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. When Matt Tolentino was eight years old, and most of his peers were shooting each other with Nerf guns, he was writing a strongly worded letter to then mayor Ron Kirk. Tolentino had visited the…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. In years past, the Dallas-Fort Worth theater scene was in desperate need of diversity. In response to largely wealthy-and-white theaters, smaller niche companies began filling in the gaps with a varied and diverse slate of…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Erica Felicella is endlessly likable. That she would be a driving force behind one of the city’s coolest art events comes as little surprise after spending an afternoon with her. This executive director of Art…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. The art of Jeff Gibbons defies definition. His work is anything but straightforward, often subduing any obvious meaning in its layers of media. His art spans genres and takes on an interior life that requires…
When we think about the “LGBT” community, most of us tend to focus on the “L” or the “G.” Nell Gaither, executive director of Dallas’ Trans Pride Initiative, has been exclusively focusing on what is likely the most underserved population in the LGBT community, transgender and gender non-conforming people. In…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Chad Houser loves his job. The former co-chef-owner at Parigi in Oak Lawn is living his dream, and giving the same opportunity to disadvantaged youths everyday, as Executive Director and Head Chef of Café Momentum…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Christopher Carlos and Tina Parker often soak in the spotlight. No strangers to the stages of local theaters and frequently illuminating the televisions, these two keep busy with acting and directing gigs. And that’s when…
I have a confession. I didn’t grow up listening to the radio. I imagined I was like most young people in that way, but over the last couple of weeks, I’ve learned that’s not the case. When I’ve mentioned plans to attend an evening with Garrison Keillor, the reaction has…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. John Pomara exhibited artwork before the Internet. With degrees in studio art, and exhibitions on his resume dating back to the 80’s, it was more than a decade into his practice before he took an…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Know an artistic mind who deserves a little bit of blog love? Email lauren.smart@dallasobserver.com with the whos and whys. In 2009, Sarah Perry had an idea for a neighborhood market. She was tired of going…
The midpoint of this list seemed the appropriate time to acknowledge the Dallas Arts District. Decades in the making, the Dallas Arts District signals not only the city’s dedication to the arts, but is a significant promise to future generations. It’s reshaped how Dallas thinks and talks about the arts,…
Artist Stephen Lapthisophon has made his mark on Dallas in more ways than one. Born in Houston, he attended undergraduate at UT Austin and went on to get his MFA in Chicago, where he also studied comparative literature at Northwestern. In the early 2000s, he was looking for new opportunities…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Know an artistic mind who deserves a little bit of blog love? Email lauren.smart@dallasobserver.com with the whos and whys. By Michelle Foster Planted in Dallas and blossomed in New York, Lucy Dang is back to…
Michael Morris likes film. Understatement of the year. He loves film. He lives and breathes it. Morris is the man when it comes to video. Since moving back to Dallas four years ago, he has carved a niche for himself in the local art scene, bringing the history of avant-garde…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Know an artistic mind who deserves a little bit of blog love? Email lauren.smart@dallasobserver.com with the whos and whys. Katherine Owens has made her mark on Dallas as founder and artistic director of the critically…
Kayli House Cusick met Shannon Driscoll at a volunteer meeting for the very first Better Block Street Festival in Oak Cliff. They immediately clicked. And for that year’s fest, they wanted to fuse Shannon’s background as an art conservator and leader of adult craft workshops and Kayli’s work as a…
About once a year, the city of Dallas is treated to the offbeat, immersive theater of the Dead White Zombies. Seeing one of the troupe’s shows is unlike any play you’ve seen before. You don’t settle into a plush, comfortable seat. There’s nothing comfortable about the shows at all -…
“I don’t know if I’ve made any significant contributions other than following the advice of an early mentor to ‘keep making art’,” says Val Curry, sculptor and installation artist about making art in Dallas. But he’s probably wrong about that. This guy is one of the most interesting people you…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Know an artistic mind who deserves a little bit of blog love? Email lauren.smart@dallasobserver.com with the whos and whys. Edward Ruiz. Confetti Eddie. The man with the giant dinosaur outside of his studio. You might…
