In honor of one of my best friends and Art Star writer, Matt Hayes - I have put together our probable itinerary for our weekend in Dallas. It is super artsy and covers some of the coolest places, groups, and events you might not have known existed in Dallas.



Friday June 19, 2009

1 p.m. Darryl's House

Matt Hayes, my best friend, fraternity brother, line brother, fellow artist, and partner in crime, who I talk to everyday but haven't seen in a year - arrives to Casa de Ratcliff. There are general hello's and greetings with my family, and with luggage dropped off into the guest bedroom we depart.

2 p.m. Goody Goody Liquor - Oak Lawn

With a bunch of BYOB events this weekend, what better place to shop for tasty spirits to share with all. Amazing variety and prices. Ask for best friend and Goody Goody in-house wine consultant, Giacomo Yaquinto, who never leads you wrong when picking out the proper vino for the occassion. Matt and I grab a few bottles and then continue on.

3 p.m. Zaguan's

One of the best places in Dallas to order a quick bite is Zaguan's, a South American bakery and cafe. Ham and Cheese Cachitos, Tequenos, and perhaps their award winning Cachapas will be involved. After getting the food wrapped up to go we continue our journey.

3:30 p.m. Grapevine Bar

What is better on a Friday than Happy Hour? At the Grapevine, a gem of a bar in the Oaklawn area of Dallas, drinks are $2 you-call-it until 7 p.m. Matt and Darryl buy a few rounds for his friends, hilarity and amazing conversation ensues, and of course a great game of H-O-R-S-E on the outside basketball court. You are encouraged to attend.

7:00 p.m. Jazz Night Out

A summer night calls out for great music, and you won't find anything better than Jazz Night Out hosted by Sol Studio Art. From 6 - 8 p.m. an art exhibit and reception for Ignacio Guevarra, Solange Mariel, and Ximena Mariel. Then from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. the last performance of the legendary Sam Ezzeldin Trio, featuring Sam Ezzeldin, Bo Thomas, & Ryan Hagler, before Sam departs back to Egypt. A fun and eclectic group of people will be in attendance. This event is BYOB and Pass The Hat for the musicians. As always being graciously held at the home of Federico and Solange Mariel (one of the coolest couples you could ever meet) 10171 Robin Hill Lane Dallas, TX. 75238.

11:30 p.m. Balcony Club

We strongly believe that you can never have too much of a good thing. So what should you do after listening to 3 hours of the best jazz music in town... go listen to even more great jazz music. Probably my favorite bar in Dallas, the Balcony Club has great Jazz music at just the right volume for listening and yet still having a conversation. The Martini's are out of this world, especially the Peach Martini made by Karen O' Leary.

Saturday June 20, 2009

12:30 p.m. Bishop Arts District

One of the coolest areas in Dallas to just stroll around. Checking out the Soda Gallery is a must and the Bishop Arts District will be a great way to start our shopping adventure for the perfect shirt.

2 p.m. Ahab Bowen

Next stop on our shopping adventure is the go-to vintage store in Dallas. The perfect place for finding that perfect accessory or fun shirt without looking like the typical Uptown crowd clone.

3 p.m. North Park Mall

If all else fails, there is always the mall - and North Park is about as good as any. We will be sure to check out Billy Reid, Adidas, and Lush. If walking around the mall gets you tired, grab a strawberry-banana smoothie at Thirsty's.

4 p.m. Gloria's

Tasty Mexican and Salvadorean Food and tastier Margaritas. Their pork tenderloin quesadillas are to die for.

5:30 p.m. Light and Sie Gallery Opening

Now the evening starts in earnest with one of my favorite activities, gallery hopping. Light and Sie is one of my favorite galleries in town ( I love Andrew Sie). Haven't missed an opening in a year, and the streak continues.

6:00 p.m. Cameron Gallery Opening

The Cameron Gallery is the type of gallery I don't go to. However, it features art about San Miguel de Allende and artists from there, and I am a sucker for nostalgia and good memories.

6:30 p.m. Central Trak Gallery Opening

The coolest art space in Dallas you may have never been to, and the best place outside of And/Or to see new media/video art. Director Charissa Terranova knows what she is doing in managing this artist residency space.

8 p.m. Artist's Night Out

What can be said about this event that hasn't been said already? Simply put this is the event that changed my life. There is nothing better going on Saturday than Artists Night Out, and if you think there is, you haven't been to Artists Night Out. A magical open mic experience created by Solange Mariel and Will Richey in 2004 that attracts the best artists in Dallas that you have never heard of (and a few you have). Just eclectic, wonderful, magical, fun, etc. In a word - Pure. The last one was July 2008. The one before that was July 2006. They don't happen often - but at this event is the magic and community that so many say does not exist in Dallas. Be there. No excuses.

A few notes:

Please bring something to share - its a big part of the A.N.O. culture and tradition is the potluck - food and drink for yourself and some extra for others.
Also if you HAVE to have a chair, I would bring it. There are about four large couches and a few chairs at the space but they will fill up quickly.
If you would like to help out at the door, or interested in bringing either some coolers with ice, or napkins, plates, and cups, let me know cause we need those.
If you are a creative person, please bring your art! Bring a poem, bring your instrument, even if you have never done something like this before, you will never find a better audience and people who "get" it then at Artist Night Out

Here is the email from Will Richey:

An Artist's Night Out
upstairs from Hal Samples' gallery
@ SPACE - www.thisisspace.com
2814 Main Street, Ste #201
Dallas, TX

THIS Saturday - July 20, 2008
8:00pm - $5 donation

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Dearest Giacomo,

I love getting your letters from Argentina. I can almost taste the wine and language in your every line. I wish that our biggest decisions would always be between whether to visit glaciers or follow whales.

But these last two months have been crazy. For our city and for our country - and yes even I am quite different than when you left me.

First I will talk about art because that is always the love that binds us. I am happy to say that the Conduit Gallery has launched a comeback - you would be proud of Nancy these days. Their current show is one of the best I've seen in a while.

Also, I've been to openings at Light and Sie, Dunn and Brown, the new CADD gallery downtown, and the new Samuel Lynne Gallery. The CADD gallery has its moments, and half of Dunn and Brown was good. Light and Sie fell off from earlier this summer when they had the best art exhibit I've seen in Dallas in four years. But it is Samuel Lynne that deserves our attention.

As quick as we are to praise great men - we are equally quick to damn them - and Samuel Lynne promised to bring 21st century art to Dallas and spectacularly failed to deliver. Fortunately for us all, 21st century art has been here for quite some time.

I have been thinking a great deal about the act of writing lately, and will have my first "real" poetry workshops in early 2009 trying to inspire young people to love poetry. One will be at Brave Art and one might be at the Dallas Theatre Center. I managed to sell another painting last week - which for me these days is like hearing the echo of a distant prayer.

Alas, I haven't felt much like an artist recently. I haven't felt much like anything. My non-profit has been on hold for the last two and half months - and it tears me up inside. Yet I know that my job and ability to make money is important. I feel like I know twice as much about the world now! I have received my Texas life and health insurance license and my Series 7 license. This week I will hopefully earn my Series 66 license and will finally be able to start work as a registered investment advisor representative.

I am very excited about it, I think I will be able to help hundreds of people become financially secure - people who aren't rich but who are artists, teachers, non profit workers, small business owners - the type of people that make our country great.

Needless to say, I have been following this financial turmoil very closely. It is like every day you have to keep a scorecard just to keep track of who owns who. But throughout it all I have tremendous faith in our country and in American ingenuity. I firmly believe that innovation in clean energy and green technology is our path back to prosperity and that the rise or fall of our great country will be determined by how well we do in those areas.

Yet, I agree with you - I don't know when conservatism stopped being about the best of everything and started being about gutting moose and Joe-Six Pack. We went to a very elite and conservative school for 8 years - and I saw not one moose gut.

But then again we were always liberals and maybe we didn't understand that swallowing a six pack in one gulp is just as important fancy houses and exotic trips. That sometimes one must sacrifice deeply held beliefs, trample God and country, in order to save both hair and hide. Regardless of the election outcome, it is a bad time for intellectual conservatism (quite possibly an oxymoron).

I didn't receive your postcard from Uruguay yet -but I will anxiously look for it. I am at an odd place in regards to females - they are there but I don't think I am. Who would have thought that I would still be recovering from two years ago - but I am still trying to figure out the more mundane parts of my personality. But the big parts are firmly in place - my life is entirely about serving other people and praising my God. Why that can be so simple to me (yet so difficult for most!) but things like deciding whether or not to kiss a girl can be so hard is beyond me.

Dallas misses you. It is State Fair time and the world is abuzz about football on all levels. The days are perfect now in early October, not scorchingly hot anymore, very sunny, a light breeze - I was even struck to use the word "bucolic" yesterday.

My family is well, David is trying to decide about colleges and getting through his senior year. Mom probably won't be affected by the DISD layoffs (it is a huge mess, they came up 64 million dollars short in the budget this year and didn't realize this until September), Dad is still working nights at the pharmacy. Hopefully, I will be fully working and back to chasing my dreams by the time you return. If you do stay in Dallas - I can at least get you an interview at my job :)

I love you and miss you and think of you always. Keep having the journey of a lifetime in Argentina. Give my best to Laura.

Always,

Darryl