What’s new with North Texas artists right now? That’ll be the topic we’ll tackle at this season’s first installment of State of the Arts this Thursday, Oct. 10 at the Dallas Museum of Art. The event is presented by the DMA and Art&Seek.

Join KERA’s Jeff Whittington who will lead a conversation with artists Janeil Engelstad, Christopher Blay and Stephen Lapthisophone.

Janeil is the founder of Make Art With Purpose, which launches a huge collection of art projects and collaborations this month. All of them come from a social practice approach, exploring how art can make a difference in issues from climate change to immigration.

Stephen Lapthisophon has been teaching and practicing art in Dallas for many years. He’s a professor at University of Texas Arlington. His first major museum show will be the next Concentrations series at the DMA, “coffee, seasonal fruit, root vegetables, and ‘Selected Poems.'”  He’ll participate in a lecture “Art Beyond Sight on Oct. 18 at the DMA (both he and co-lecturer John Bramblitt are sight-impaired). And he’ll give a gallery talk on the Concentrations show on Oct. 30..

Christopher Blay is an artist and instructional assistant and curator at The Art Corridor Galleries. Perhaps you caught his time machine installation at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary, or you may have seen his work at William Campbell Gallery in Fort Worth. Or maybe you know Frank Artsmarter.

Art, the Smarter Way! With Frank Artsmarter from Christopher Blay on Vimeo.

Please join us at the DMA Thursday. And to get warmed up, listen to Think on Wednesday. Krys Boyd will talk with Janeil about the concept of social practice. What does it mean when artists forgo painting and sculpture for community outreach projects? That airs Wednesday at noon on KERA FM 90.1.