Arts & Culture

Most people raised on this side of the pond can attribute their love of British television to one source, PBS. From Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Doctor Who to Keeping Up Appearances and Fawlty Towers, our appreciation of the uniqueness of British television has grown over the past 35 years…

Never fear, oh young, hipster parents: The Polyphonic Spree’s Holiday Extravaganza has returned. After keeping a relatively low profile in 2010, Spree leader Tim DeLaughter has burst back into the region’s consciousness in multiple ways. A buzzed-about band (Preteen Zenith) and a revamped record label (Good Records Recordings) are just…

Long before cable access channels were home to community bulletin boards and City Hall meetings, people sat in basements, filming their very own shows. Of course, now we have YouTube, which is coincidentally home to most of the footage from ’80s and ’90s cable access shows. Earlene Hoople, the self-described…

Annie of the Little Orphan Annie comic strip may have had creepily empty eyes that were permanently rolled back into her curly little head, but she still managed to bring joy to kids and adults alike for more than 80 years. If you’re looking for a family-friendly type of fun…

When headed to the mall during the holiday season (or any season, for that matter), it’s not forefront in our minds to add “take cats and dogs with” to the to-do list right under “sharpen elbows” and “practice war face.” But given the price of quality Santa costumes these days…

We’ve all heard it before. Every year, a round, bearded man in a red polyester suit and pointy black boots makes his trip around the globe. He drops through the chimneys of the children on his “nice list,” slips a few presents under the Christmas tree, snacks on a few…

Look carefully at an old family snapshot. Does the image in your hand match the one held in your memory? Are details and vividness missing from you mind or from the photo? Has the moment the photo captured faded from memory, or does it come flooding back with smells, sounds,…

Holiday events require all hands on deck, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s festivities are no different. Through December 18, it’s one of the busiest organizations in town, delivering a packed schedule of holiday music featuring multiple choirs, guest conductors and special activities. A World of Joy is a new show…

God forbid you should talk during a performance at your local theater, let alone boo, shout or cheer. Heck, at the movies, even clapping will get you a few cocked eyebrows. Thankfully, for those of us who prefer to react to a performance, there is an alternative. Theatre Britain presents…

Ah, the holidays, that one time of year when otherwise happy philistines find themselves corralled into attending a ballet — The Nutcracker, the classic story of dancing toys, wicked rodents and a brave nutcracker. Pity the poor fools dragged away from their comfy nests and the warm glow of ESPN…

Do you find yourself void of Christmas cheer this year? Are you having a hard time envisioning sugar plum fairies, reindeer and Santa? The Dallas Arboretum’s Holiday at the Arboretum is an event for the entire family that might be the answer to your holiday blues. From now until January…

If you are looking for a fun, family-friendly holiday activity that doesn’t employ the same old neighborhoods full of lackluster Christmas light displays, then look no further than Dallas Heritage Village, 1515 South Harwood St. This year, the village celebrates its 40th year of old Texas culture, traditions and customs…

If you attended Artopia on December 3, you may have stopped first at the Barry Whistler Gallery reception for a little pregame celebration. If you missed out, you still can celebrate the opening of three incredible exhibitions. Featuring solo shows by 2011 MasterMinds nominee Lawrence Lee and sculptor Jonathon Cross,…

We typically use photography to mark events in our lives, to take photos of our families at holiday get-togethers and birthday parties, but the Sun to Moon Gallery is using photography to mark an event in an entirely different way. The gallery is holding its 10th anniversary celebration with a…

A Dallas art gallery is stepping up to support women’s reproductive rights. A group exhibition on view at the Smoke and Mirrors Art Gallery showcases a broad spectrum of art created and donated by women. The pieces will be sold to benefit the Texas Equal Access Fund, a reproductive rights…

About 350 years before modern day comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Daniel Tosh, French actor and playwright Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (known by his stage name Molière) had audiences in stitches. Little did the comedic master know way back then that he’d inspire another playwright — multiple Tony Award nominee David Hirson…

Unless you’re an extreme coupon clipper, there’s not much you can find these days that won’t cost anything, yet admission to Afterimage Gallery in the Quadrangle, 2800 Routh St., is just that: F-R-E-E. Following the gallery’s recent celebration of its 40th anniversary with 40 Exceptional Photographs, Afterimage is hosting Terry…

Brian Donnelly, known professionally by the moniker KAWS, is interesting for many reasons. Like, for instance, the fact that he blends elements of graffiti, commercial graphic design and fine art to create treatises on modern consumerism. Or that he designed the cover art for Kanye West’s 808&Heartbreak album. Or that…

Earlier today, the most important book of all time, Hot Guys and Baby Animals, appeared at the Dallas Observer headquarters. With its arrival came a ripple of unrelenting excitement and joy as it circulated around the newsroom. The book is straightforward, as you may have postulated: It’s 40 pages displaying…

Lens, the New York Times photo blog, debuted their “Picturing 7 Billion” photo project: a “time capsule” built with user-submitted photos that capture our little blue marble hurdling through space. It’s an incredible collection, and– wouldntyaknowit–our own contributor Danny Fulgencio is included in the mix. Danny’s work, for us, has…