Friday Morning Roundup

SOMETHING NEW FOR THE EYES: On Monday, the Irving Arts Center welcomes a stunning addition from one of Texas’ best-known artists. James Surls‘ Star Flower, which was commissioned by the center, will take up residence in the sculpture garden’s reflecting pool. Surls will be on hand for a meet-and-greet on Monday at 5 p.m. ahead of the official dedication Tuesday morning at 9. Surls should be familiar to regular visitors to the Dallas Museum of Art and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth as his work resides in each of their permanent collections.

KIDFILM REACHES A MILESTONE: I wanted to throw a special shoutout to the USA Film Festival’s KidFilm Festival, which celebrates its 25th year this weekend. The two-day program goes down at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas on Saturday and Sunday with the usual collection of films, tributes and special programs, including a sing-along version of The Wizard of Oz. There’s one name that always jumps out on a program to me, though, and that’s Aardman Animations. For the unfamiliar, Aardman is the British creator of the Wallace and Gromit series and other silly claymation gems that resonate as much with adults as kids. KidFilm will play a Shawn the Sheep film from Aardman as part of the animation showcase on Saturday afternoon at 2:30. If you are looking for something to take the kids to that you’ll enjoy as much as they will, this is a good bet. Click here for a PDF of the festival program.

THEATER THREE, NOW WITH PARKING!: Just passing along the following note from Jac Alder of Theatre Three, who is justifiably jazzed about a new addition over there:

With the opening (finally!) of the new parking garage right next door to the theatre, Theatre Three’s patrons have the best parking arrangement of any Arts venue in town! First of all, the new parking is FREE, brightly lit, plentiful, and all watched over by monitored security cameras. All parking is ongrade — that is, on the same level as the theatre’s courtyard entrance. There are entrances from all three streets (LaClede, Howell, and Vine). The short, smooth path to the theatre’s entrance courtyard now has handsome pavers. You’re now parking really close, under cover, (and more safely) all for free in this handsome new facility — the best parking situation of any existing or new arts venue in town!

Bill Marvel

Isn”t that the same Surls that used to stand in (over?) the lagoon at Fair Park? Part of the Dallas Museum’s collection? Did they de-accession it?
- Stephen Becker
  
  Bill — as far as i know, the Irving Arts Center commissioned this piece, so it should be brand new.
Tom Hendricks

Why do you think this art is stunning? It’s quite average and for me has little beauty, no originality, and no meaning.
Not only is modern art not modern anymore, but the media refuses to give it fair hard tough reviews anymore. It’s time to put the media on the spot and make you explain what is stunning about it.
I am an indie reviewer and an artist, and for me this is horrible inflated, empty, and non relevant art. A good big brown rock would have looked better.
Bill Marvel

Stephen, you’re probably right. My memory tripped over itself. There was a similar Surls in front of a downtown building — One Dallas Centre, I think.
The lagoon piece was actually by Kenneth Snelson, and quite different — except that it, too, was poised delicately on the Lagoon surface like a water strider.