Here is what the design district galleries have to offer this weekend, looks like some good work out there…get out and do your walls a favor.

Conduit Gallery: Billy Hassell, Leticia Gomez and Gabriel Dawe
Opening Reception Sat. May 8 (5:30-8:30 PM)
1626-C Hi Line Dr, Dallas, TX
214.939.0064 // conduitgallery.com
image: Leticia Gomez

Note: Gabriel Dawe’s project room installation has been extended because it is so good, don’t miss the chance to peep it before it comes down for good.
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Holly Johnson Gallery: David Alysworth
Opening Reception Sat. May 8 (6-8PM)
1411 Dragon Street, Dallas, Texas 75207
214.369.0169 // hollyjohnsongallery.com
image: David Alysworth
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Marty Walker Gallery: Douglas Leon Cartmel
Opening Reception Sat. May 8 (6-8PM)
2135 Farrington St, Dallas, TX 75207
214.749.0066 // martywalkergallery.com
image: Douglas Leon Cartmel
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Craighead-Green Gallery: Orna Feinstein, Linda McCall and Frank Morbillo
Opening Reception Sat. May 8 (5-8PM)
1011 Dragon St, Dallas, Texas 75207
214.855.0779 // craigheadgreen.com
image: Orna Feinstein
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Galleri Urbane: Sara Haba and Andrea Zuill
Opening Reception Sat. May 8 (6-8:30PM)
2277 Monitor St, Dallas, Tx 75206
432.386.0590 // galleriurbane.com
image: Andrea Zuill
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PDNB: JIMMY & DENA KATZ
Opening Reception and book signing: Sat. May 8 (5-8PM)
1202 Dragon Street, Suite 103, Dallas, TX 75207
214.969.1852 // pdnbgallery.com
image: Jimmy and Dena Katz
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OK. It’s been a LONG time since I have posted to this blog, this isn’t the first time this has happened. I am sure it would be a lot less noticeable if there were other people contributing to this, but for whatever reason nobody else seems to stick around longer than a few posts. That being said, I am recommitting myself to this blog. I’ll start off with some recent art and culture events that have transpired since the hiatus.

The Dallas Contemporary Opens in its New Location on Glass St.
Although the opening was postponed, The Dallas Contemporary set it off in their new spot with a solo exhibition by LA based artist James Gilbert. Gilbert’s exhibition, Warnings and Instructions, has been extended through the Wish! auction on May 15th. If you haven’t seen this show get on it. This is by far one of the most ambitious installation pieces Dallas has seen in a long time.
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POPUP 310 Opens in the West Village
On February 13, 2010 James Cope (associate curator of the Goss-Michael Foundation) and I started a pop up art space in the West Village which was occupied by Gardens until their abrupt exit from the WV. The project has been an ever-changing group show of artwork by emerging and established artists, with the focus of the project on entry level collecting. Upcoming events include a fashion event with V.O.D. at the helm, a live performance by Psycho Pony and our big huge farewell party with FD Luxe on June 5th. For all of the details hit the POPUP 310 BLOG.
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Holly Johnson Gallery Turns 5
Holly Johnson Gallery celebrated 5 years this past March with a group show titled, Back and Forth: Celebrating 5 Years. A solo show of Houston artist David Alysworth opens this Saturday, so go by and check out the show and wish her a happy belated anniversary.
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Goss-Michael Foundation is moving on up
Michael Craig-Martin closed out The Goss-Michael Foundation’s Cedar Springs location in fine style. It was fitting that the YBA mentor be the final show in this space. His was by far the most well considered exhibition since the foundation formed in 2007. They will reopen this fall in a 12,000 square foot space in the lower oak lawn area. For more details visit their site at gossmichaelfoundation.org
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Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas Adds 3 New Members
After the closing of the Art Lab and several of its member galleries, there was a lot of speculation about whether or not the group known as CADD (Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas) would be able to bounce back. With the addition of PDNB, 500 X and Galleri Urbane, as well as a fall line up of events (which will be announced soon), the group seems to have rebounded quite nicely.
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Houston Artist Lane Hagood wins 2010 Hunting Art Prize
This past weekend was the Hunting Art Prize Gala in Houston. In short this art prize is the most generous offered in North America at the tune of $50,000. The competition is open to Texas based artists and is limited to drawings and paintings. The unique thing about the prize is that it is awarded based off of a single image. The pedigree and name of the artists are not known to the panel of judges, which is an effort to keep everyone on equal footing. Of the 1,400 entries a little less than 10% move on to the final round of judging. I was a finalist for the prize this year, so I decided to take the trip down. The gala was really impressive. I found that most of the work was good, even if it wasn’t my taste, it was well done and the people attending were friendly. As finalists we were encouraged to stand around our painting for most of the evening. I did that for about 10 minutes and decided that wasn’t for me. This decision was made easier given that my piece had sold 2 days before. The winner’s piece, Books I Have Possessed, was a clever painting and definitely stood out in the section where it hung. More importantly, Lane Hagood, in my brief assessment, is a good dude and the prize will certainly give him a much needed financial boost, as at the podium he reported having $178 in his bank account. I will definitely be entering next year to try and bring the prize back to Dallas.
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That’s it for now. I will be back tomorrow with this week’s art openings and some stuff on the retail and restaurant front.

Last week I swung by the Goss-Michael Foundation to meet my good friend James Cope for lunch. They had just put the finishing touches on their upcoming show featuring Marc Quinn, and I had a chance to take a look around. This is an incredible show, and I believe it is the best exhibition the foundation has mounted to date, that says a lot since they have hosted the likes of Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Noble and Webster and Richard Patterson among others.

Here are the details…
The exhibition runs from September 24, 2009-January 23, 2010…Plenty of time to work this in your schedule.

The GMF is located at 2500 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas, TX 75201 // 214 696 0555

For more details visit their website…gossmichaelfoundation.org

This Friday in Oak Cliff…

Decorazon Gallery: David Peterson
Opening Reception Friday, September 11, 6-9:30 pm
417 North Bishop Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75208
214.946.1003 // decorazongallery.com
image: David Peterson
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Next Saturday in Deep Ellum…

The Public Trust: Manifold: An Exhibition of Editioned Works
Opening Reception Saturday, September 19, 6-9 pm
2919-C Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75226
214.760.7170 // trustthepublic.com
image: Marcel Dzama
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Barry Whistler Gallery: Lawrence Lee
Opening Reception Saturday, September 19, 6-8 pm
2909-B Canton St, Dallas, TX 75226
214.939.0242 // barrywhistlergallery.com
image: Lawrence Lee
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Kettle Art: The Green Line
Opening Reception Saturday, September 19, 7-10 pm
2714 Elm St, Dallas, Texas 75226
214.573.7622 // kettleart.com
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Best part about next Saturday is that will be the first day the Dart “Green Line” will be in effect. This has been a long time coming, so why not park your car, go all Quad City DJs and, “get on the train and ride it!” The Reel FX + Brad Oldham “Travelling Man” collaboration (pictured above) is a sight to see, as is Frank Campagna and crew’s ode to the Deep Ellum tunnel, which is across the street from the man.

Like I said, galleries load it up for the fall. My favorite Brit, James Cope is serving up some real bangers and mash at the Mac with his show Blueline, while Dale Chihuly, the often imitated never duplicated, glass blower kicks off the fall at Dunn and Brown. Keep an eye out (pun intended), because this one opens on a THURSDAY. For all of you who love vintage technology, Dan McPharlin is holding it down in a huge way at Conduit, with his sculptures in the project room. Beloved Dallas artist Otis Jones is opening a solo show at Holly Johnson Gallery, while Howard Sherman (H-Town Represent) is gonna be sittn’ crooked in his slab at Pan American. Newly crowned MFA champ Sarah Williams steps into the ring for her solo heavyweight debut at Marty Walker Gallery, while wooden pixel pusher Shawn Smith sets it off at Craighead-Green. Head north for a walkie-talkie at Valley House Gallery and Sculpture Garden with Mary Vernon. And finally, in the immortal last words of Billy Batts in Goodfellas,”Go home and get your fu@#in’ shine box” because PDNB’s Burt Finger has laced up a collection of vintage shoeshine boxes coupled with photos from the 30s to the 70s of the entrepreneurs who used them. Part 2 is coming up next week so stay tuned in to find out what is happening in Deep Ellum and the O.C.

The Mac: Blueline: Brian Fridge, Amy Revier, Edward Setina and Paul Slocum
Curated by James Cope of The Goss-Michael Foundation
Opening Reception Saturday, September 5, 5:30-7:30 pm
3120 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75204
214.953.1212 // Blueprint Show Archive
image: Paul Slocum
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Dunn & Brown Contemporary: Dale Chihuly
Opening Reception Thursday, September 10, 6-8 pm
5020 Tracy Street, Dallas, Texas 75205
214.521.4322 // dunnandbrown.com
image: Dale Chihuly
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Conduit Gallery: Jill Foley, Steven Miller, Project Room: Dan McPharlin
Opening Reception Saturday, September 12, 5:30-8:30 pm
1626-C Hi Line Dr, Dallas, TX
214.939.0064 // conduitgallery.com
image: Dan McPharlin
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Holly Johnson Gallery: Otis Jones
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 12, 5-8 pm
1411 Dragon Street, Dallas, Texas 75207
214.369.0169 // hollyjohnsongallery.com
image: Otis Jones
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PanAmerican ArtProjects: Howard Sherman
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 12, 5-8 pm
1615 Dragon St, Dallas, TX 75207
214.522.3303 // panamericanart.com
image: Howard Sherman
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Marty Walker Gallery: Sarah Williams
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 12, 6-8 pm
2135 Farrington St, Dallas, TX 75207
214.749.0066 // martywalkergallery.com
image: Sarah Williams
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Craighead-Green Gallery: Shawn Smith, Arturo Mallmann and Ursula O’Farrell
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 12, 5-8 pm
1011 Dragon St, Dallas, Texas 75207
214.855.0779 // craigheadgreen.com
image: Shawn Smith
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Valley House Gallery: Mary Vernon
Artist Talk: Saturday, September 12, 10:30 am
6616 Spring Valley Road, Dallas, Texas 75254
972.239.2441 // valleyhouse.com
image: Mary Vernon
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PDNB: Shine
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 12, 6-8 pm
1202 Dragon Street, Suite 103, Dallas, TX 75207
214.969.1852 // pdnbgallery.com
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Christina Rees, director of Road Agent, recently published 2 articles entitled State of the Union parts 1 and 2 on glasstire. In a nutshell, the first article was a personal account of how the economy has affected her gallery, some thoughts about how everyone else is doing and what Dallas’ elite collectors should do about it. Part 2 is an in-depth exploration of what running a gallery is like and the types of collectors that are out there, and what they should be doing to support galleries.

At the end of the second article a person commented on Herb and Dorothy Vogel. Herb and Dorothy started collecting from today’s leading contemporary artists before they were famous. This was also before a lot of them had representation and before many of today’s superpower galleries had even opened their doors. They bought small and they bought often. They continued to support these artists throughout their careers, whether by attending every opening in Chelsea or buying small works from the galleries. They had an eye for minimalism, but still maintained a diverse collection. The point is that they did this on the combined salary of a librarian and a postal worker.

The moral of the story is that collecting art is not just for the social elite. I have seen so many people who have little resources be more fashionable than those who can afford any designer label. Being on the pulse is not about dollars, it’s about sense. The same is true of art. If you love it, go and and take some in. Check out your local galleries. Right now I am looking at 8 framed drawings by a well known artist that are $300-$350 framed. In the other room there are original prints starting at $30, if $300 sounds too rich.

I have sold so many people their first piece of art, the reaction is the purist joy I have ever seen (as it relates to commerce). You will never make another purchase like it. There is this ultimate satisfaction that comes with supporting the arts. You directly impact the life of an artist. It is encouraging when an artist sells work. It motivates them to make better work, those sales keep their gallery’s doors open. In turn the gallery continues to develop the artist’s career, museums take note, they are awarded grants and residencies. Before you know it, that piece you bought for $300 five years ago is now going for $1500 or more. Speculative investment is not the reason to buy, you should buy what you love. The point is that original art and prints will never be worth less than what you pay for them, unlike that wall decoration for $300 for at Z Gallerie.

I am a little late in posting this, but it was kind of a shocker and it has been difficult to deal with.

On Thursday June 26th, Andrew Sie unexpectedly passed away at the age of 48. Andrew was half of Light and Sie the beautiful contemporary art gallery that he ran with business partner and long time friend Stanley Light. In his short time as director of Light and Sie he produced 11 exhibitions with an amazing group of artists and curators. He had a wealth of knowledge about the art world that ran as deep as his passion for the work itself.

Andrew was a colleague of mine, but moreover he was a friend. It was fitting that the last time I saw him was at the gallery during an opening, I along with many others will miss Andrew dearly.

Long time no post… I have a good reason, on March 21st I got married, then Honeymoon, moving, plus everything else I have going on= no time to blog. I am back in the saddle and what better way to do so than with a whole lot of art openings.

Conduit Gallery: Lance Letscher, Stephen Lapthisophon and Jennie Ottinger
Opening Reception Sat. May 2 (5-8PM)
1626-C Hi Line Dr, Dallas, TX
214.939.0064 // conduitgallery.com
image: Lance Letscher
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Holly Johnson Gallery: Christopher French
Opening Reception Sat. May 2 (5-8PM)
1411 Dragon Street, Dallas, Texas 75207
214.369.0169 // hollyjohnsongallery.com
image: Christopher French
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PanAmerican ArtProjects: Maysey Craddock, Faith Gay & Darlene Wall
Opening Reception Sat. May 2 (5-8PM)
1615 Dragon St, Dallas, TX 75207
214.522.3303 // panamericanart.com
image: Maysey Craddock
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Marty Walker Gallery: Jay Shinn & Rupert Deese
Opening Reception Sat. May 2 (5-8PM)
2135 Farrington St, Dallas, TX 75207
214.749.0066 // martywalkergallery.com
image: Jay Shinn
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Craighead-Green Gallery: Heather Gorham, Leslie Tejada and Carolyn Zacharias McAdams
Opening Reception Sat. May 2 (5-8PM)
1011 Dragon St, Dallas, Texas 75207
214.855.0779 // craigheadgreen.com
image: Heather Gorham
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PDNB: Wu Jialin & Don Schol
Opening Reception Sat. May 2 (5-8PM)
1202 Dragon Street, Suite 103, Dallas, TX 75207
214.969.1852 // pdnbgallery.com
image: Wu Jialin
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Normally I would just list one of my gallery’s openings along with the other openings, however this one is different. I can’t begin to tell you what a tremendous influence and inspiration the work of Charley Harper has had on me as an artist and designer. The man had one of the most sophisticated color palettes ever, and I don’t even know where to start when it comes to his imagery, just completely amazing.

That being said, here are the details…

Charley Harper: An exhibition of original paintings and vintage serigraphs
Opening Reception: Sat. March 7, 2009 (6-9PM)
Exhibition Runs Through April.

The Public Trust
2919-C Commerce St. Dallas, TX

PDNB Gallery: Todd Stewart: The Garden
Opening Reception Sat. Feb. 21 (6-8PM)
1202 Dragon Street, Suite 103, Dallas, TX 75207
214.969.1852 // pdnbgallery.com
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PanAmerican ArtProjects: Colin Murasko – Instinctive Sensibility & Carolina Sardi – Counterpoints
Opening Reception Sat. Feb. 21 (6-8PM)
1615 Dragon St, Dallas, TX 75207
214.522.3303 // panamericanart.com
image: Colin Murasko