Oak Cliff Artisans

The Oak Cliff Artisans' fall arts fair is next weekend, November 17th & 18th at Kidd Springs park. Exhibiting artists selling works will include:

Larry Pile - Stained Glass
Carl Spoto - Pottery
Abby Wood - Mixed Media
Carla-Marie Weir - Jewelry
Tefi Designs - Jewelry
George Cole - Clay & Metal
Maja McFaul - Jewelry
Ben James - Sculpture
Reid Barnhart - Wearable Art
Patricia Dillingham - Photography
Rachel Hoehn - Pottery
Stewpot Homeless Shelter

Modern Homes on Tour

This weekend is the first annual AIA modern home tour. Eight single and multi-family residences throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area designed by Texas architects are featured. Two homes in Urban Reserve along with several infill homes in established Dallas neighborhoods make the list, and all of them have their own modern take on inhabiting an urban environment. Architecture firms represented include Mitchell Garman, Morrison Seifert Murphy, Oglesby Greene, Zero3, dsgn, Clifford Welch, Buchanan Architecture, and Cunningham Architects.


Tickets are $25. The tour runs from 10am to 5pm Saturday November 10th and Sunday November 11th. 200 lucky-ducks will attend the premier party scheduled for tonight ($75, by invitation only). Contact jlorenz@aiaddallas.org or call 214-742-3242.

Nest

Congratulations to Heather Wiese-Alexander on getting a little NY Times attention. The proprietor of Nest, the home accent store in Snider Plaza, was interviewed on the hottest bets and worst bombs in recent modern design:

“People here do not have the trend-set mentality they might have in New York or Miami,” said Ms. Wiese-Alexander, a former art director for Neiman Marcus. “They latch onto trends after they’ve already been shown in all the magazines.” But she chose a neighborhood populated by what she calls the “height of Dallas society,” and filled her shop with clean-lined furniture and accessories that fit in both modern and traditional interiors.

Candlelight on Henderson

To cap off the election day ruckus, there's a chance to mingle and enjoy the civility of the cultural arts with a stroll through several art establishments off Henderson Ave, featuring beverages, snacks and some special deals. The 16th annual "Candlelight Walk on Henderson" is Tuesday, November 6, 2007, from 5 to 9 p.m. It's an enchanting evening in which to delight in food, drink and holiday fare

Participating stops include:

Again & Again Consignment Furniture ~ 5207 Bonita Ave. at Henderson ~ 214-826-6666
Another Place & Time ~ 2815 N. Henderson Ave. ~ 214-824-1875
ART is ART ~ 2811 N. Henderson Ave. ~ 214-823-8222
Emeralds to Coconuts ~ 2730 N. Henderson Ave. ~ 214-823-3620
Gypsy Wagon ~ 5211 Bonita Ave. at Henderson ~ 214-293-2361
La Mariposa ~ 2813 N. Henderson Ave. ~ 214-826-0069
Milton Kent Antiques ~ 2819 N. Henderson Ave. ~ 214-826-7553
Pandemonium Ltd. ~2726 N. Henderson Ave. ~ 214-370-5677

Design District Discounts

My favorite subject: superior mark-downs! Thanks to ShoppingBuzz for the tip!

Saturday, Nov. 3, renowned designer showrooms Allan Knight, Adele Kerr, Bausman, Carlin & Co., Heaven-n-Earth, Nova Collection, RMA and Tufenkian will be open from 10:00am-4:00pm with drastically reduced merchandise including furniture, unique accessories, fixtures, rugs, and Holiday items such as stockings, tree skirts and ornaments.

Head on over to 150 Turtle Creek Boulevard, west of Stemmons at Irving Boulevard. Additionally, Margaux’s Restaurant will be open for lunch11:30am-2:30pm.

Lighting to Love

This LED Bench (2002) by Ingo Maurer is installed in the first room of the Cooper Hewitt's exhibition, "Provoking Magic", featuring the esteemed lighting designer and artist. According to one site's (punctuationally-challenged) description, "this limited production table is a grand masterpiece by maurer. each bench is personally signed by ingo maurer. an extravagant table made of glass, 288 white internal leds that emit light on both sides. power conversion is provided by an external transformer. life span of the leds is an average of 100,000 hours (according to the manufacturer's specification)." All I can say is that the cool internal glow emanating from the glass is something fabulous, and it was a difficult piece to walk away from. The price for the privilege of unlimited seating time: approximately $24k. The rest of the exhibit (the whole second floor of the old Carnegie mansion on the Upper East Side) features installations like LED-equipped wedding costumes, maquettes for well-known designs, and some familiar works, like Lucellino lamps and MaMo Nouchies.

Oak Cliff Artists

There's a whole lot of art going in independent art: the fledgling La Reunion artists' collective, the reopening of the Texas Theater, and the renkindled Arts Conspiracy. Cliff Dweller magazine features artists working in Oak Cliff in this week's edition. There's always someone or something new to discover with the Dallas Arts Revue calendar. I can't say how many times I've been pleasantly surprised with a new find.

A good place to start exploring is the Artisan's Collective, which has recently moved around the block from Davis to Bishop Arts. The first Thursday of each month, galleries and stores stay open until 10pm, so it's a nice time to sip and stroll.

Architecturally Nosy

Sure, admit it. You like snooping around homes to see those little design details, whether it's at someone's party, an organized tour, an online real estate query, or an open house. You're nosy because you care about execution of design. Preservation Dallas's fall home tour is just a few weekends away, and this weekend it's mid-century modern and beyond on the Oak Cliff home tour. If the weather, football, the Fair, or work keeps you away from the Oak Cliff event this weekend, consider some couch-touring instead. This site pleasantly curates some of the signature gem homes in Dallas, from Tudor to post-modern. While we all know some of the homes on this list, it also includes some off the beaten track.