One-Stop Art Shopping
Just a few weeks ago, a symposium of curators, writers and art cognoscente entertained the question, "Is Dallas the next New York?" Well, maybe. But only if Al Gore's weather forecast holds up and we're all inconvenienced by standing water at the Guggenheim.
Still, big art stuff really is happening here with increasing frequency. Witness the recent gift of more than 900 important contemporary works to the already not-to-be-sneezed-at holdings of the Dallas Museum of Art. Before that, artsies heralded the opening of the Nasher Sculpture Center (remember, that's a sculpture, but I'm a sculptor), considered one of the largest collections in the world devoted solely to stuff I'd die to have on my lawn. For now, we won't even count the new, cool as cement Fort Worth Modern Art Museum, which Dallas normally annexes whenever it suits us.
Now, an event scheduled for this weekend adds another notch to Dallas' gucci belt. The brand spanking-new Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas presents the inaugural CADD ArtFair, May 19 and 20 at 333 First Avenue, in between Fair Park and Deep Ellum, just east of downtown. Similar big art fairs, like New York's Armory Show and Miami's Art Basel have made a name for this genre of high energy happening slash alter ego to the otherwise zen-like life of art galleries. You'll see top-notch work gathered from a dozen of Texas' leading contemporary dealers and won't even once feel compelled to speak in hushed tones.
Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas ArtFair
333 1st Avenue, Dallas, 75226
Saturday, May 19, noon to 8 and Sunday, May 20, noon to 6.
$10 per person ($5 with student I.D.)
The new 40-page catalogue, "Art Guide to Dallas", is included with the price of admission.
