September is when the art world kicks into high gear, but we’re getting a little taste of what’s to come a few weeks early, with work from CalArts-trained talents; an icon of sculpture; and a colorful, campy tribute to everybody’s favorite country star.
“It Came From CalArts,” various artists at CentralTrak
Reception: August 22, 8-10 pm
Exhibition dates: August 22-October 4
Perhaps it’s the laid-back attitude or the sunbaked landscape, but there’s always been a special connection between California and Texas. For Texan talents who trained at CalArts, the influence of these two environments continues to inform their work long after they’ve left the Golden State. Curator and artist Robin Myrick (an alumna herself) decided to group together the work of her fellow graduates to examine how these “Calartians” navigate their blended worlds.
“This project is a labor of love,” she explains. “I graduated in 2008 and came back and have talked to a lot of alums here. [Going to the school] is a mind-blowing experience and changes the way you think about art and writing. In Texas, in particular, you feel like an alien presence. I started from the impulse of find other CalArts folks in Texas, but it came together as an actual exhibition.”
Focusing on artists actively doing art in Austin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio, the nine she discovered have wildly different disciplines, from the crochet work of Elaine Bradford to Denise Prince’s boundary-pushing photography. In order to further understand where these talents are coming from, CentralTrak will also offer an artist conversation with Danielle Dean, Peter Bo Rappmund and Ariane Roesch September 10 at 7 pm, followed by a slate of short readings, sounds and ideas on September 12 at 2 pm.
Chihuly and “Ted: Kincaid: Monday’s Romance is Tuesday’s Sad Affair” at Talley Dunn
Reception: August 29, 5-8 pm
Exhibition dates: August 29-October 4
Acclaimed glass artist Dale Chihuly has already made a great impression on our fair city — his 2012 show at the Dallas Arboretum was a sellout success, storm damage aside. Fans of his vivid sculptures will be thrilled to know Chihuly is returning to Talley Dunn’s eponymous space with gardens of glass, his beloved Jerusalem Cylinders plus a wall piece inspired by the Far East. An “Amber Spire Tower” nine-foot-tall vertical sculpture will lend a nod to his Arboretum installations.
"I have had the pleasure of witnessing first-hand the very special relationship Chihuly has with Dallas, from his exhibition at the DMA in the early 1990s to the stunning outdoor garden works created for the Dallas Arboretum,” says gallerist Dunn, who has a 20-year relationship with the artist. “It's been a wonderful experience for me to work with such a legendary artist as his career and vision have grown, and I am thrilled to be bringing him back to Dallas for another awe-inspiring exhibition."
Joining him will be Dallas-based artist Ted Kincaid, who will unveil his new series of ink on canvas tondo thunderhead clouds and waterfalls, a natural complement to Chihuly’s organic-influenced works.
“Tease It to Jesus,” various artists, and “Bushwacker,” the Hancock Brothers, at Webb Gallery
Reception: August 30, 4-7 pm
Exhibition dates: August 30-September 19
The Webb Gallery in Waxahachie always puts on more than just an art show. Owners Bruce and Julie Webb are back from an Outsider Art road trip and ready to roll into the season with “Tease It to Jesus,” the Texas debut of a portfolio of 35 different portraits of Dolly Parton. A big Parton fan herself, Julie Webb says she has a shrine to the singer in her office and couldn’t resist the subject matter.
“Someone told me about this project and I contacted Margot (Ecke) of Smokey Road Press. Once a year she does a 35-piece box set of different subjects, and she tied this one to a print conference going on in Knoxville (Tennessee), which is one of the reasons she chose Dolly Parton. The printmakers were chosen for their skill in creating a Dolly likeness — not just her big hair and big breasts, but her body language and how fascinating a person she is.”
Because the prints are a limited run, some are on their last editions, and all are affordable, ranging from $45 to $400. Also on hand will be master printers John and Charles Hancock, who are known for both their adept woodcuts and their performance art. Guests are encouraged to dress in their finest Smokey Mountain attire, and wearing wigs is encouraged.
“We hope people will come in costume,” says Julie Webb. “I’ve got six Dolly Parton wigs in my collection, so I’m ready to go at any point!"
A psychedelic Dolly Parton print by Justin Plakas from the Webb Gallery’s “Tease It to Jesus.”
Photo courtesy of Webb Gallery
A psychedelic Dolly Parton print by Justin Plakas from the Webb Gallery’s “Tease It to Jesus.”
Cliburn Junior 2023 winner Seokyoung Hong (center) with second-place Yifan Wu (left), and third-place Jan Schulmeister. Photo by Ralph Lauer 
Clayton Stephenson competed in the 2015 Cliburn Junior Competition and returned for the 2022 Cliburn International Competition, where he was a finalist. Photo courtesy of The Cliburn 
Italian pianist and Cliburn alum Alessandro Deljavan will serve on the jury. Photo courtesy of Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth