Dallas Photo of the Day - Beauty Unexpected

'Through the Eyes of Our Children' Exhibit at the DMA

Through the Eyes of Our Children exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Arts through June 10th.

Through the Eyes of Our Children presents photographs made by students from the Dallas Independent School District’s Area 2. Inspired to follow personal journeys of discovery through their photographs, these students convey their perceptions and ideas about the neighborhoods—and even the broader community— in which they live.

Students from Charles Rice Learning Center, Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center, H. S. Thompson Learning Center, Pearl C. Anderson Middle Learning Center, and Lincoln High School participated in a Preservation LINK arts-in-education program called POINT OF VIEW. This three-tier exploratory course is designed to use literacy, art, and technology education to empower young people as they explore and express thoughts and feelings about themselves, their community, and their world.

Instructed by photographer David Herman, Jr., over seventy students, ranging in age from nine to seventeen, engaged in a twelve-week curriculum focused on the fundamentals of camera operation, photo composition, editing, and more. Engaged in listening, feeling, viewing, and capturing images, students worked hard to tackle the theme, Something Beautiful. While some images were shot with digital cameras, others are photographic prints taken with 35mm cameras using black-and-white film. In addition, each student was given a disposable 35mm camera in order to explore and illustrate their neighborhood’s character, assets, and people. Along with the images, students shared written thoughts about their life experiences, family, community, and what they believe to be “something beautiful.”

Hours
Tuesday and Wednesday: 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Thursday: 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Closed Mondays, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas

Casablanca and Heroes at the Angelika Tonight

The Dallas Angelika is showing "Romance Classics" every month so that lovers have something to do on a Monday night. Tonight's selection is the Humphrey Bogart classic Casablanca. Go, and melt. 7:30 p.m. at the theater, in Mockingbird Station. $9.25. 214-841-4700. www.angelikafilmcenter.com.

The Angelika also is showing the new episode of Heroes in hi-def on the big screen – absolutely free. What's better is that beer and wine will be available in the auditorium. 8 p.m. at the theater.

Dallas Wine and Food Festival

The Dallas Wine and Food Festival starts April 25 with a lineup of activities that ranges from a screening of Eat Drink Man Woman to a day of seminars, including the longtime favorite "Everyday Wines for Everyday People".

The five days also include the popular Rising Stars Chefs' Dinner on April 26, a laid-back salute to Texas food and wine on April 27, and the Taste of the World walk-around with dozens of Dallas restaurants and artisanal producers as well as medal-winning wines the evening of April 29.

For registration information, go to www.dallaswineandfood festival.com, or call 214-741-6889.

THE SCHEDULE

APRIL 25 - Gourmet Cinema

A screening of Eat Drink Man Woman and an Asian fusion dinner by Flavor's Weerayut "Oudi" Utedpornratanakul, 6:30 p.m. (film at 8 p.m.); $75. Angelika Film Center, Mockingbird Station (Mockingbird at North Central Expressway).

APRIL 26 - Rising Stars Chefs' Dinner

Prepared by the up-and-coming young chefs and paired with wines from Italy's Castello Banfi at 7 p.m.; $95. Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St.

APRIL 27 - Go Texan! Salute to Texas

A denim-casual walk-around of wines and foods made within a day's drive of Dallas, hosted by Dallas Morning News Taste Editor Cathy Barber. Participants include Becker Vineyards, Chisholm Trail Winery, Fall Creek Vineyards, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Cocoa Puro (with its Kakawa Cocoa Beans), the Mozzarella Company, Cou Rouge Cheese, Veldhuizen Family Farm and Paciugo (with its Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit-Sage gelato), 6 to 8 p.m.; $25. Eddie Deen's Ranch, 944 S. Lamar.

APRIL 28

Entertaining With Style

The $35 general admission includes access to all of the chef demos featuring local chefs such as Doug Brown of Amuse and Blaine Staniford of Fuse, wine tastings, a floral design demo, party-planning ideas, menu and entertaining tips, the Morning News Taste section's wine panel and more, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration and some events at the corner of McKinney and Armstrong. You also may sign up ahead of time for the individual seminars that follow:

Everyday Wines for Everyday People

10:30 to 11:45 a.m.; $25, reservations required. Milestone Culinary Arts Center and Viking Cooking School, 4531 McKinney.

Summer Splash

A sauvignon blanc tasting from 1 to 2:15 p.m.; $35, reservations required. At Abacus, 4511 McKinney.

Port Authorities

A port tasting with chocolate from 3 to 4:15 p.m.; $35, reservations required. At Milestone/Viking Culinary Center.

APRIL 29 - Taste of the World

A walk-around tasting featuring Dallas restaurants and artisanal food producers with medal-winning wines, as well as a silent auction; $65. Participants include Culpepper, Grotto Ristorante, Flavor Asian Fusion and Dessert Bar, Clay Pit Grill and Curry House, Blue Mesa Grill and Oceanaire Seafood Room. Auction starts at 5 p.m.; walk-around from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Hotel Crescent Court (around the plaza fountain).

Earth Day at the Amon Carter Museum

The Amon Carter Museum is hosting a Family Fun Day for Earth Day, with fun crafts made of recycled materials and stories that will bring art to life. The fun begins Sunday, April 22 at 1pm at 3501 Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth.

All Hail the 'Wicked'

The smash Broadway hit Wicked opens its second Dallas run at Fair Park Music Hall tonight. Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz, featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and book by Winnie Holzman, and is based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire. Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One - born with emerald green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for a truly spellbinding musical.

Runs through May 6 at Fair Park Music Hall. Call ticketmaster at 214-631-2787 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

EarthFest 2007

EarthFest 2007 is taking place between 10:00am and 2:00pm on Friday, April 20, in the AT&T and Pegasus Plaza areas of downtown Dallas. "Take a Closer Look" is our theme this year and we'll be bringing in exhibitors that focus on a variety of environmental topics and issues. You'll get a chance to learn about environmentally friendly gardening plants, sustainable building, recycling of electronics, earth-friendly products for the home, high efficiency/low impact transportation options, and much more. Local musicians, Vocal Trash, and food vendors will also be present for this exciting celebration. Partners include the City of Dallas, Downtown Dallas, Keep Dallas Beautiful, and EPA Region 6.

Half Price Books Promotes Green Choices

Typically, the companies that celebrate Earth Day with zest are the ones that profit from earth-friendly products or pollution.

Now a Dallas company that neither burns coal nor sells solar-powered vegetable steamers has started a campaign urging folks to go green ahead of the April 22 holiday.

Half Price Books launched a Web site this month that suggests ways regular people can improve the environment through everyday choices. Tips include: Take mass transit, unplug appliances that aren't being used and don't use Styrofoam cups.

The company said in a news release that environmentalism has long been part of its mission statement.

But the new Web site allows the bookstore chain "to give the public a way to learn more about how their actions can have a huge impact on our environment," the company said.

The Web site is www.becomegreen.info.

Mockingbird Station Expanding

Construction has begun on a major addition to Dallas' popular Mockingbird Station complex. The owners are adding about 23,000 square feet of retail space to the seven-year-old development at Mockingbird Lane and North Central Expressway. A two-story retail building will be built at the north end of the project on what is now surface parking. A formal groundbreaking is set for April 26. Along with the added retail and restaurant space, the construction will include a two-story parking garage behind the new shops. Built by Dallas developer Ken Hughes as a companion to DART's light rail station, Mockingbird Station now contains 178,000 square feet of retail space, 211 loft-style apartments and 150,000 square feet of office space.

Spring in Dallas Picture of the Day

Live Green in Plano Concert/Film Series

The Plano Department of Sustainability/Environmental Services and the Creative Arts Office have joined forces to present a concert and film series to promote green living. Saturdays and Sundays, April 13-28. The film starts at 7:15pm and is followed by the concert at 8pm. Held at the Cox Building Playhouse, 1517 Avenue H, at the corner of Avenue H and 15th Street, next to the Courtyard Theater. Tickets available at the door or in advance at www.planostages.com.

Portion of Tollway Will Close For the Weekend

The south end of the Dallas North Tollway will be closed for 36 hours this weekend while workers install new beams for the Cedar Springs Bridge. Northbound on-ramps to the tollway from Interstate 35E, Harry Hines Boulevard/McKinnon Street and Wycliff Avenue will be closed, as will the southbound on-ramps at Northwest Highway, Lovers Lane, Mockingbird Lane and Lemmon Avenue. All lanes of Cedar Springs Road over the tollway also will be closed.

The tollway will be closed in both directions between I-35E and Northwest Highway from midnight Fridaytonight to noon Sunday. One westbound lane of Cedar Springs Road will reopen at 8 a.m. Sunday.