Art&Seek, my favorite place to be…just launched an absolutely fabulous new site just in time for their 2-year anniversary. Alan Melson deserves the medal of A&S….Check it out every single day.

I love this photograph…

I gushed awhile back about the greatness that is Ryan Scheer and Lucky Rabbit Films. I fell in love with the whole bunch after watching (and watching and watching over and over again) their brilliant short film on Deadman.

I just found another great video (above) that Ryan and crew have done…a PSA..for the Austin-based SIMS Foundation…

The SIMS Foundation’s Mission is to provide access to and financial support for mental health and addiction recovery services for Austin-area musicians and their families. SIMS was founded in 1995 by the friends and family of Sims Ellison, a talented young Austin musician, after his battle with depression ended in suicide.

Austin is hailed as “The Live Music Capitol of the World” for good reason. With over 200 live music venues and internationally recognized music festivals such as SXSW and ACL, thousands of musicians make this city their home. Unfortunately, with the rising cost of living and increasing competition for jobs in the music business, many musicians find themselves struggling financially and emotionally.

Irregular hours, travel schedules, financial insecurity and proximity to alcohol and drugs can take their toll on musicians and their families, sometimes resulting in depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and alcohol and drug abuse. Professional musicians are often uninsured or underinsured and cannot always pay out of pocket for expensive counseling and addiction treatment. That’s why SIMS is here to help. SIMS serves more than 600 clients annually and provides over 5,000 units of service (defined as one counseling session or one day in recovery).

Leave it to Austin to provide such a wonderful organization directed towards musicians in need with little or no insurance.

Keep an eye on Lucky Rabbit Films. Every dang thing outta there is fabby, quite fabby.

Saturday, April 3
1919 Hemphill in Fort Worth
DFW Punk – a documentary about Dallas punk and new wave in the 80’s and 90’s by Laura Tabor-Huerta
Doors at 7 – Show at 8 p.m.
Read my Q&A with Laura on Art&Seek

Thursday, April 15
Magnolia Gallery in Dallas
The End of the Beginning – An Exhibit by Photographer Dylan Hollingsworth

James Bland had a history of Dallas music photographs hung throughout the theater. DJ Mr. Rid aka Mark Ridlen was spinnin’ vinyl GREATNESS in the lobby bar…speaking of which, the joint was absolutely GORGEOUS!

Jason Carney put on one helluva slam poetry performance…you coulda heard a pin drop. Josh Alan Friedman was quite the star of the evening with a line to purchase his latest book, Black Cracker and a standing ovation for his perfect musical performance on stage.

I hit the road back to Richardson before Mark Growden performed, but Liles didn’t miss a beat with his trusty video camera.

Make plans to hit the Kessler Theater very soon and very often. It’s quite fabby.

Ed. Note: The above video was shot and edited for KERA’s Art&Seek.

…this is now!

Bonus cut…

It’s time…

Saturday, March 20
Doors at 6 p.m.
The Opening of the Kessler Theater
Featuring: DJ Mr. Rid (spinning) – Josh Alan Friedman’s Book signing Black Cracker – “A Photographic History of Music in Dallas” by wicked-awesome photographer James Bland – Performances by Mark Growden – Slam Poet Jason Carney – Josh Alan Friedman
Cost: It’s on the house, just bring booze money
Full bar

The girl-child and my grandpuggy…I love ‘em so…

LaGrange: the opening night musical wrap up. Music courtesy of Slick 57

I was there one of those Quick nights, to shoot a portion of the Jason Janik studio tour for KERA’s Art&Seek. I was supposed to focus, that night, on Jason…but I’m a big Blythe Beck fan…and as you can tell by the video, I didn’t have my glasses on, so I didn’t know how out of focus my camera was that night…who cares, it was Blythe Beck! Thanks jason, Blythe and Farah Fleurima for letting me hang out!

Jason Janik, along with the good folks over at Quick, put together ho…ho…holiday photos of local musicians, personalities and a chef, including Gordon Keith, Tim DeLaughter and the fam, Blythe Beck, Smile Smile and Bowling for Soup, set to a Christmas classic movies theme. You can check out the photos by picking up a copy of Quick, which can be found, like, anywhere. Plus, check out the peek-a-boo videos shot during the photo sessions. Pretty nifty stuff.

Art&Seek Artist Studio Tour with ArtCon5 Artist Jason Janik

Art&Seek Artist Studio Tour with ArtCon5 Artists Tom Sale and Judy Vetter aka The Tom and Judy Show

Art&Seek Artist Studio Tour with ArtCon5 Artist VET

Art&Seek Artist Studio Tour with ArtCon5 Artists (and artist coordinators) Vanessa Neil and Kevin Obregon

Art&Seek Artist Studio Tour with ArtCon5 Artist Jason Ice

ArtCon 5 – The Day Before – The artists gather to make their art – 9 a.m., Friday December 11

ArtCon 5 – The Day Before – The artists gather to make their art -2 p.m., Friday December 11

ArtCon 5 – Art&Seek was there and they brought glitter, glue sticks and lots of crayons!

Big ups to Tiffany Kieran and Tyler Watson for helping with video and interviews. Lots’o'fun

If you are lookin’ for me, I’m over here…

If you haven’t picked up your copy of Quick this week, drop everything and go fetch one now. I just took a stroll down to the mail room (that’s where we keep all the local print media) to read David Hopkins’ first comic strip installment of We’ve Never Met and it’s freakin’ HILARIOUS! The Fine Line gives it 3 thumbs-up!

Hurry up and open…open…open…open…

Dude, Sweet Chocolates from Cindy Chaffin on Vimeo.

Lessee…full bar’n'music‘n’really wicked awesome artists with wares fer sale…I know where I’ll be on Saturday…

Trailblazin’ the Craft Scene Since 2007
Etsy Dallas, the original Dallas team and the first city team in Texas, is a cooperative craft collective of artists and designers living and working in Dallas who sell their wares on Etsy, the web’s premiere marketplace for all things hip and handmade. Etsy Dallas boasts talent from a range of mediums and crafts, and is independently run by its members with the blessing and loving support of Etsy.

Because of the determination of the original members, Etsy Dallas has become a force in the handmade movement, both locally and beyond. In the wake of Etsy Dallas’ inception in 2007, other Texas teams have formed including Etsy Austin, Alamo City Etsy, Etsy Fort Worth, Northeast Texas Etsy, Artisans of Houston and North Dallas Etsy. Two years later, Etsy Dallas continues to be the model as a leader in the art/craft scene.

Mission
This mission of Etsy Dallas is to promote the handmade movement, and to create an environment to buy and sell handmade goods in the Greater Dallas area.

Goals
~To promote each others’ goods by selling locally in the Greater Dallas area.
~To promote awareness of the handmade movement and indie lifestyle, with a focus on our Etsy shops.
~To act as a cooperative resource and support network for each others’ businesses.

History
Etsy Dallas was founded in September of 2007 by Stephanie Hindall of Tefi Designs and a handful of others (including co-leader Pamela Michelle) eager to spread the handmade movement across the metroplex. Today we are doing just that with two local craft shows that have garnered city-wide support and national credibility (learn more about the Bash HERE). Etsy Dallas has transformed itself over the years into a tight-knit collaborative group that supports each other’s handmade endeavors with love and good times.

Guitars by Cade Sadler

HOME? from Willie Baronet on Vimeo.