5 Art Events for Your Weekend

Oil & Gas Show 
Inspiration can be found in any number of places. It seems a handful of artists have found it in the oil and gas industry, exploring its political, financial and cultural implications. This weekend, Level Gallery (2722 Logan St.) — formerly WAAS — brings together the work of artists from across the nation, including Dallas-based William Messimer and Blake Boettcher, for an exhibition titled The Oil and Gas Show. The variety in approach and output casts a new perspective on the industry and its effects on the world. The opening reception will be from 6-9 p.m. Thursday. More at level-gallery.com.

Pushing Boundaries: Paul Kremer & Eduardo Portillo
One of the goals of new art space Site 131 is to draw connections between the work of different artists by pairing them together for exhibitions. The first exhibition featured artists who use the process of layering; the second, which opens with a reception from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, pairs two artists whose work pushes boundaries in different, exciting ways. Paul Kremer's enormous, hard-edge abstractions will share the gallery with Eduardo Portillo's more subtle pieces. For the opening, guests are encouraged to wear white for a new tradition called White Night, which celebrates the winter spirit. More at site131.com. 

Piero Golia in Conversation with Ann Goldstein
The Chalet at the Nasher Sculpture Center is a special place. The street-facing gallery, which has at different times hosted overnight readings, chili nights, mariachi bands and gospel choirs, also serves as a place to plop down for a daytime cup of coffee or Champagne. The artist behind the space, Piero Golia, will discuss it for the Nasher Speaker Series at 2 p.m. Saturday. The talk is free with admission. More at nasherscuplturecenter.org.

State of the Arts: Women in Arts Leadership
In spite of the ever-growing numbers of women with degrees and the ambition to participate in the conversation both in the arts and beyond, men still hold more leadership positions. This is just one of the topics that will be addressed at the State of the Arts conversation hosted by Anne Bothwell of KERA Thursday night. She brings Amy Lewis Hofland, director of the Crow Collection of Asian Art; Margie Reese, executive director of Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture; and Tina Parker, co-artistic director of Kitchen Dog Theater onstage with her at 7 p.m. at the Dallas Museum of Art. Admission is $5. Tickets available at dma.org.

Michael Mazurek: New Paintings
If you haven't seen the latest works from Michael Mazurek at Beefhaus, make this your weekend to do so. A few friends of mine wandered in on my recommendation and described what they found as "definitely not paintings," which I thought was a lovely reaction to work that challenges conceptions of beauty and the medium of painting itself. The gallery will be open at 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.