After a year which consisted of 6 exhibitions, great educational programming and 7,000 visitors, CADD (The Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas is vacating the Art Lab in Downtown. My gallery is one of the founding member galleries of this organization. I personally have designed everything from the logo to the 3 art guides CADD has released. That was quite a trail we blazed in between Neiman Marcus and The Joule Hotel, and I am sad to see it come to a close. I hate to blame it on the economy, but sustainability was an issue. I realize that times are tough, but if Dallas doesn’t support the culture in this city, there will be very little left after the recovery. I think the psychology of the recession is causing this wave of frugality amongst people who haven’t suffered the same loss as others, mainly those I am now going to discuss.

Here is a list of some of the places I have found myself at either grabbing a drink or a bite this summer: The Old Monk, The Idle Rich, Meridian Room, Libertine, Toulouse, Cowboy Chow, Twisted Root, Social House, The Porch, Lakewood Landing, Bolsa and Cafe Madrid among others.

This represents a pretty good sampling of Dallas: Expo Park, Deep Ellum, Uptown, Knox-Henderson, Lower Greenville, Oak Cliff and Lakewood. Most of the times I was at any of these places it was pretty packed out and people were spending money. I would consider most of the people at these places as people who I could see frequenting and patronizing art galleries, and some of them probably do, but a majority don’t. Why is that?

Art is a great investment. Although this investment can be lucrative, that is not what I am referring to, but rather how much investing in art can enrich your life. I remember the places I lived in that were sans art, and the house that my wife and I have that is filled with it, the difference is massive. Art is a way to engage with people, it sparks stimulated conversation and debate. Art galleries are the best place to meet quality people. There is a certain amount of effort required to know where good galleries are and when they are having openings. These people are the same people that take you to amazing restaurants that you have never heard of. That great feeling you get when you go to a place before it gets all blown out, never goes away with galleries.

The fall is the best time for galleries, we book our best shows then. Although the Art Lab will soon be no more, visit caddallas.net for a list of the best galleries in Dallas. Come out this fall and test the waters, the drinks are on us. And when you hang that first print, drawing or painting you pick up, get ready because people will be jockin’ you like crazy…guaranteed.