A YEAR OF JAAP: In his first year on the podium, Dallas Symphony Orchestra music director Jaap van Zweden has won over his musicians, concertgoers and critics – pretty much the holy trinity for any conductor. And one of those critics, Scott Cantrell, says Van Zweden has the DSO on the cusp of the orchestral Big 5 in this highly complimentary piece from Sunday. If there’s any drawback to success at a mid- to high-level orchestra like the DSO, it’s that if one of the elites has an opening, they might come after your talent. So here’s hoping the maestros at those Big 5 continue on for a long, long time.

MOVING RIGHT ALONG: For 33 seasons, Fort Worth’s Hip Pocket Theatre has staged experimental works outside. The company will continue to do so, but that stage is getting quite a face lift. The new stage will be located within spitting distance of the old space and will offer a slew of new amenities. The company’s founders, Diane and Johnny Simons, talk more about their new home in this dfw.com profile.

QUOTABLE: “Artists always joke that a big doorway is as important as anything else. You need a door that you can get the big stuff through, and we have that here.”

Artist Rick Bullock, on a new multi-artist studio space just south of downtown Fort Worth. Fort Worth Weekly‘s Kultur blog has the details on how the space came to be.

ETC. Get-well wishes to Dallas Hub Theater’s Tim Shane, who was injured in a motorcycle accident on Thursday (theaterjones.com) … Latino Cultural Center art show finds plenty of buyers (dallasnews.com).