Arts & Culture

Was Frida Kahlo the original Cindy Sherman? The Mexican artist’s self-portraits were certainly ahead of their time, and painted Kahlo as a rebel, a lover, a documentarian and a woman in tune with the natural world. As she once famously said, “I was born a bitch. I was born a…

CentralTrak’s spring series of discussions has been getting blood flowing and brains oxygenating in terms of what we need to make Dallas a better place for the arts. A couple weeks ago, the need for art criticism was dissected. Last week, a creative brain trust engaged in “Not Waiting for…

Grease isn’t just a film (or a Broadway production, or a soundtrack) — it’s a rite of passage for us girls. Where so many teen movies relegate that preoccupation of the teen mind — sex — to subtext, in Grease it’s all right up front: If sweet Sandra wants to…

Here in the South we do things Yankees just don’t. We’ve got big hearts and big hair, which is why charity marathons simply will not work. Who wants to resurrect an up-do on mile 23? Not us. That’s Yankee business. When we find a cause worthy of support, like the…

Do you hear the hoof steps? No, it’s not half-price meal days at Golden Corral — it’s The Kentucky Derby. On Saturday, Sissy’s Southern Kitchen & Bar (2929 N. Henderson Ave.) celebrates ponies and gambling with its second annual Jockeys & Juleps. In the spirit of Southern hospitality (re: talking…

Calling all orcs: Your nerdiness has a new home base. It’s a gaming store that promises to provide “a safe and accessible place for gamers of every level,” which means this heckling bitch won’t be there. Common Ground Games (CGG) will officially open on Free Comic Book Day which means…

Is that a pencil in your pocket, or are you just happy to see Taffeta Darling? The pin-up model and perennial Comic Con costume sweetheart is the model for this month’s Dr. Sketchy sketching session, a whole new experience in drawing classes. To hell with bowls of fruit and strategically…

Local flamenca Delilah Buitron isn’t content with dancing by herself. She founded an educational program, teaching the art of flamenco to eager local feet, and an annual Flamenco Festival at the Ochre House Theater (825 Exposition Ave.). Her passion is so infectious, so positively charming, that we caught a secondhand…

Is there a name for that feeling you get when you suspect the boogieman is hiding in your backseat? And if so, is it a cute French word? Answers to this and other questions posed by horror film fanatics can likely be answered at Texas Frightmare Weekend, our annual celebration…

Story time ain’t just for the kiddos these days. Much as we love curling up with a good book, we love it even more when someone wants to do the reading legwork on our behalf, which is why we’re thrilled about the Dallas Museum of Art’s Texas Bound series. The…

How often do you find yourself watching a cooking challenge on TV and longing for just one bite? Top Chef, Chopped, Iron Chef — they’re all entertainingly fun to watch, but nothing is better than witnessing a chef challenge in person. That’s why we’d love to invite you to Dallas…

It’s hard to resist the sound of a good Afrobeat tune, and we have one man to thank for its prevalence in modern culture — Fela Anikulapo Kuti. The Nigerian musician, composer and social and political activist led the life that musical legends are made of. And with some help…

Dallas artist Justin Ginsberg debuts his solo exhibition Mesophase at Ro2 Art (110 N. Akard St.) Friday. According to his statement, he attempts to “utilize molten glass in non-traditional means, directing it to engage in extreme, and sometimes violent interactions, with outside forces/materials.” He goes on to cite a certain…

The Dallas Opera has been keeping the identity of its new Music Director under top-secret lockdown. While waiting for the big reveal, we started daydreaming about this newest addition to Dallas’ classical music scene and compiling a wish list. The big reveal came yesterday at TDO’s Winspear offices. After sitting…

Perched atop Bolsa in Oak Cliff is a magical workspace called House of MacGregor, a five-year-old specialty hat store run by local milliner Cassie MacGregor. On a recent afternoon, women shuffle in and out, many with small children clinging to their legs, and then leave clutching massive boxes that seem…

Lumen Light Team from The Lumen on Vimeo.Local husband and wife artgang Brad Holdham and Christy Coltrin have added a new limb to their Traveling Man family tree. The series of metal sculptures was designed for the Lumen’s private collection and features an assembly of hip hotel employees, existing in…

I love a reliable party. And gambling. And white linen, mint juleps, ponies, big hats, the look of relaxation that floats in wealthy people’s eyes, ironed tablecloths and spontaneous hugging. The Kentucky Derby has all of those things, and has consistently showed ’em off since 1875. Bless its heart. Dallas…

I know, I know: It goes too fast, I should be careful what I wish for, etc. etc. But for the moment, damn, I wish my infant son was 5 or 7 or 9, and that he had a perfectly oiled glove, and that he knew what to do with…