Art openings and events: August ‘08

by Laura Seewoester

Ah yes, it’s that time of year again, the “dog days of summer” (if you will) where everything slows down because just thinking about going outside makes you sweat. And with gas prices, vacations are shorter and closer to home base, blah blah blah, which leaves a lot of people hot and bored. I, however, have a secret. Art museums must keep their temperatures between 68 and 72 degrees with low levels of humidity to keep the artwork and wood frames from deteriorating. Galleries are also typically on the cool side. So there, now you don’t have to be hot or bored. Here are this month’s highlights (you can also get a full listing of receptions here). I know it is a little slow, but gallery owners need vacations too. Everyone is also starting to get geared up for the DADA Fall Gallery Walk next month, which just so happens to coincide with the D.E.E.P. Fall Gallery Walk. Yes, I believe they did that on purpose.

August 1-3

• At The MAC, the elements of life, death, love, food and drink are intertwined in the show Gastronomia / erotica y estimulante. The exhibit opens Saturday.
• HCG Gallery presents Karen Garrett, opening on Friday. Garret is a sculptor and has used a variety of media in her work, including clay, raw cardboard, resinated cellulose laminate, and stained glass (to name a few).
• Deep Ellum Good Buy opens this weekend at Kettle Art, featuring memorabilia from Deep Ellum's hey day from the mid 80's to about 2000. Photos, posters, artwork, etc. You name it, it's on the wall.

August 8-10

• The Public Trust is opening Tonybones: A Solo Exhibition of New Work. This exhibition will explore the artist work in a variety of media including, painting, neon, wooden cutouts and the first ever Tonybones print editions. The exhibit will run until Septemeber 6.
• The gallery at the Landmark Magnolia is opening a show on Thursday (the 7th) featuring photographs by Kent Barker. Remnants consists of images Barker took while traveling between Dallas and Taos.
• Erik Tosten and Polly Perez are opening a show at mighty fine arts.
• The 14th Street Gallery in Plano is opening a group show, featuring works by Mirtha Aertker, Sharon Stevenson, and Gabrielle Castaneda Pruitt. You can even take the Dart Rail to the 15th stop.
• On Sunday at the Manske Library in Farmers Branch, an exhibit opens by former Richardson High School teachers Sarah Scott and Carol Stum. The exhibit also features works by potter Randy Findley and folk artist Cynthia Erdei.

August 15-17

• A mixed-media show focusing on representations of “landscape” is opening at UTD’s Centraltrack. Artists include Lanie DeLay, Peter Ligon, Jim Malone, Lisa Nersesova, Mark Schatz and Mike Westfried.
• A photography exhibit by Greg Cox is opening at Gallery 2910 in Deep Ellum.

Other on-goings and goings-on

• Conduit Gallery is hosting "The Program," which is an art video series that's part of the larger Dallas Video Festival. Screenings are every Saturday of the month. Check the full schedule for listings.
• Explore modern China at the Trammell Crow Museum at the exhibit Documenting China: Contemporary Photography and Social Change. Don't forget, the Trammell Crow is always free.
• Currently on view at Pan American is Candyland. Inspired by the game’s theme and candy-colored palette, we are exhibiting abstract works by some of our gallery artists: William Cannings, Elisa D’Arrigo, Joe Ramiro Garcia, Faith Gay, Daniel Joglar, Colin Murasko, McKay Otto, Carolina Sardi, Rusty Scruby, Charlotte Smith, and Ellen Frances Tuchman.
• The MAC is hosting an art talk with Nancy Israel on the 6th. She will be discussing "On the cutting edge: How Caravaggio taught the world to embrace contemporary art." There will also be an art talk with Gail Sachson taking a critical look at the Gastronomia show.
• The Ice House Cultural Center is offering classes in Mexican Folk Art (Arte de la Gente) on Saturdays from mid August to the end of September. After an initial fee of $30 for supplies, each class is only $10 after that so if you go to one, you might as well keep going.