"Instead of another [Klyde Warren Park], use that money to start the careers of 50 filmmakers," said the Texas Theater's Eric Steele.

See also:
- These Large Keith Haring Murals Are Coming to the Dallas Art Fair
- #DallasArtsWeek Brings Branding, Non-Offensive Art and White Males

The purpose of the 75-minute chat, Rawlings said, was to talk about how Dallas can attract more artists -- the mayor called them "human capital," thus reducing them to something sounding like slave labor -- and convince them to stay. His solution was a typically business-oriented three-part plan: first, "build great edifices" (like the City Performance Hall, Wyly Theatre and Winspear); second, find good people to operate the big, new buildings; and third, finally get around to working on convincing those who make the art, the plays and the music to come to Dallas and create stuff.

It's the "if we build it, they will come" model. Which doesn't work with artists, who don't much like traveling in herds and don't get to work in those fancy "edifices" until they've been invited. Young or old, artists go where they can afford to live and make their art without starving.

Jeremy Red's "Alex 1," 2011

There's Jeremy Red's solo show of unconventional portraits, Catching Up -- his first here since he moved from Denton to Seatle, WA in 2003. There's a group show called from outside, in floats a music box, and then Tom Russotti is putting on a mock trial of sort under the show name Hatchjaw and Bassett LLP. The latter is clearly a commentary on overpriced attorneys and frivolous lawsuits. The former, well, they are an exciting mash-up that provides us a three-in-one of Fine Lookin' Pieces.

Courtesy of Valley House Gallery and Sculpture Garden

The paintings of Sedrick Huckaby raise quilts from craft to art in his incredible renderings of quilts alone and in groupings, with props and without, hanging and crumbled, revealing backs and fronts. They are masterfully tactile and strangely provocative.

Huckaby's piece "The Day We Talked a New Talk" is an exceptional example of his understanding of quilts as far more than pretty craft. The quilts in this piece are among graffiti, wood, and cardboard boxes. Perhaps they are what makes an alley a home, fills a dark space with the light of art, or provides warmth. Or, maybe they do all three.

In Alice Walker's famous short story, "Everyday Use" Walker challenges readers to consider the things we choose to surround ourselves with and how we use and respect (or disrespect) them. That is precisely what Huckaby's work does as well, creating conversations where before there was only ignorance and silence.

See the exhibition, Sedrick Huckaby: When Old People Talk to Young People, through December 3 at Valley House Gallery and Sculpture Garden. Huckaby will speak on his work Monday, November 14, at 7 p.m. also at the gallery.

Courtesy of Goss Michael Foundation

Nigel Cooke's "Experience," 2009

Cooke lives only part-time in what most of us call reality. The rest of the time, well, let's just say he falls down the rabbit hole. "When I'm painting, it's like a trance," he says. "You have to be ultra sensitive to what's happening. My goal is always to introduce things I don't understand."

On the other end of that rabbit hole, is a series of characters and images and experiences that Cooke paints and sculpts.

When Cooke speaks -- as he did last Friday during a reception for his new eponymous exhibition at Goss Michael Foundation -- he refers to the figures in his work as if they exist, as if they have lives of their own: "They're trying to understand the world around them with creativity just as I'm doing."

What he's found and created in his fabricated other world are creatures who are making art and looking for meaning in a world where, much like ours, not a whole lot makes sense. It's a world where the abstract makes more sense than reality.

"The figures are melancholical and adrift just like a real life, laughing at the absurdity in their worries," he said. here's certainly inevitability to ruin. They're about looking for the answer and getting it and the painting completes it. They're about making a monument to their own creativity."

Bananas are anthropomorphized. Long-haired, drinking, monster truck-driving characters make art. "The characters are waiting for the painter to tell them what is to be done. They get distressed by the painting. The paint moves in on them."

BrandonBird.com

Rest assured, both designs are available in pink or black.

When an email from Bird's site pops up, we get really excited. Like kids in a fucked-up, shifted reality art gallery that welcomes kids and doubles as a candy store.

Yesterday, we got the "Lunchbox Time!" email and well, we just couldn't be more thrilled. Bird used his patented approach to address the "not really all that relevant" pop culture topics of season-before-last Celebrity Rehabber Eric Roberts and 2008's Clint Eastwood vehicle Gran Torino. And then he attached them to the icons of childhood.

In the newsletter, Bird offers that "leathery people are really fun to paint btw" as well as another little tidbit about these lunchboxes that makes us geek out even more: "Both are made using genuine plastic Thermos lunchboxes. Which of course were completely discontinued a week after I got the idea to do lunchboxes, and like a good Ferengi, I had to call around and track down one of the last remaining supplies in America."

So, newly inspired by these honorable mentions, we now count down our 10 Favorite Brandon Bird Creations:

Olsen twin with sad kitty, other Olsen twin with sad puppy (both Lula B's West)

As of yesterday afternoon, all of these paintings were still looking for homes. Most could be had for less than $60. We found them at Curiosities in Lakewood and Lula B's in the Dallas Design District.

Surely, any resemblance to famous people is strictly coincidental. But who's really to know?

Photos by Leslie Minora

David Sena creates firework art in the courtyard of Gallery Interiors.

After 18 years in New York, the Brooklyn-based artist who started East Village tattoo shop, North Star Tattoo, is finally showcasing his honed talent in his old hometown of Dallas, and it's about damn time. His work will be on display at Gallery Interiors on Preston Road until July 31.

Walking into the shop full of plush beautiful furniture, it's easy to think you've made a mistake, but once you wind through the displays and into a room toward the back, you'll find a make-shift gallery that's a perfectly comfortable place to browse, both more homey and beautiful than the starkness you've become accustomed to.