Learn the Secret of Life

Nasher Xchange ends with enticing infomercial promising secret to everlasting life

The Nasher Sculpture Center's Xchange program will come to the end of its four-month run on February 16, and the Good/Bad Art Collective will finally unveil the last piece of the puzzle, premiering the short film FOREVER on Saturday, February 8, at 3 am on KTXA/Channel 21.

Yes, that's 3 in the morning, meaning you'll either have to set your DVR or pull an all-nighter to catch the premiere of the 28-minute piece. The timing is intentional, of course, as the film is supposed to have the feel of an infomercial. Ones like I Hate My Hair! and Joint Relief air on KTXA at the same time on other days.

The film will also air at 1:40 am on Sunday, February 9 on WFAA/Channel 8, with additional airings in New York on February 14 and Los Angeles and Miami on February 16. All dates and times are subject to change, so make sure to check your local listings.

FOREVER isn't actually selling anything except, oh, the secret to immortality. The film mainly features a lone actor recounting stories about his family, along with his philosophies on life. His monologues are intercut with footage captured on opening night of the Xchange program, when visitors to the Good/Bad studio were invited to perform three different tasks for the cameras.

Anyone who participated in the initial filming will have to pay really close attention to those segments for a glimpse of themselves, as each lasts for only a minute and has multiple people blending into each other. Those segments are accompanied by a voiceover inviting viewers to call the on-screen number, where they will learn the secret to everlasting life.

How successful the film is in its message and as an addition to the Xchange program as a whole is up to the individual viewer. At the very least, it's a compelling piece of solo theater by the actor, Fred "Spike" Spiker, who may or may not be the son of late actor Steve McQueen.

If you happen to miss the two local airings, Good/Bad Art Collective says it'll air the film again at some point in the future.

Good Bad Art Collective's short film/infomercial Curtains mainly features an unnamed actor recounting personal stories and his philosophies on life.

Photo courtesy of Good Bad Art Collective

Good Bad Art Collective's short film/infomercial Curtains mainly features an unnamed actor recounting personal stories and his philosophies on life.

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Art for all

Dallas’ Katy Trail will debut new public art biennial in 2027

The Katy Trail/Facebook

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Dallas' most popular jogging trails will fill with art next year: A new contemporary public art biennial called KTX Biennial will debut in spring 2027 along Dallas’ Katy Trail.

"The KTX Biennial marks Texas’ first biennial of its kind dedicated to public art and provides an open-air platform for engaging with ambitious contemporary artworks, free and accessible to all," says a release.

Organized by Friends of the Katy Trail executive director Amy Bean and Katy Trail art director Amanda Dillard Shufeldt, the inaugural event will invite New York-based curator Jovanna Venegas to organize a display of nearly a dozen existing and newly commissioned works by living artists from across the world. Venegas, the curator at SculptureCenter, has an international reputation for exhibiting and commissioning major works by living artists.

The Dallas presentation will span the 3.5-mile former railroad corridor running through Dallas’ Uptown, Knox, and Highland Park neighborhoods, which attracts 2 million annual visitors, they say. Artworks will be thoughtfully integrated into the trail’s natural environment, organizers say.

"Building on the Katy Trail’s existing public art program - which has featured work from the likes of Iván Argote, Eddie Martinez, Will Boone, Nic Nicosia, Carolyn Salas, and more - the Biennial thoughtfully integrates art into its natural environment, creates new avenues for discovery for local and national audiences, and fortifies Dallas’ standing as an international art destination," the release says.

Beyond the artworks that fill the trails, the event will include educational programs, public activities, panel conversations, and partnerships with local institutions and organizations, organizers say.

“The KTX Biennial grows directly out of our belief that the Katy Trail belongs to everyone," says Bean in the release. "By bringing ambitious contemporary art into an open-air setting, free and accessible to all, we are inviting both longtime visitors and first-time audiences to experience the Trail in an entirely new way. This Biennial strengthens the Trail’s role not only as a place for recreation, but also as a space for creativity, reflection, and shared discovery."

The inaugural KTX Biennial will open in spring 2027 and will be free and open to the public.

arts art festival sculptures gallery museums katy trail