Oliver Stone’s film about George W. Bush, W., hits theaters Oct. 17, but our local rep for Lionsgate, the film’s distributor, passed along to me a couple of passes to an advanced screening of the film on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the Dallas Angelika. And being the nice guy that I am, I’m offering our readers a chance to win them. All you have to do is correctly answer the following trivia question:

“Oliver Stone has directed many actors to Oscar nominations, yet he shares a birthday with only one of them. Name this person.”

The first three people to send the correct answer to artandseek@kera.org with “W.” in the subject line each will win a pass good for you and a guest to attend the screening. Good luck.

UPDATE: We have our three winners. Thanks to all who took a guess. And for the record, the answer is Tommy Lee Jones.

Photo credit: Lionsgate

At any rate, Jeff Curnow, the former principal trumpet of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, tears the lid off the simmering warfare going on between the brass section and the woodwinds in this helpful, animated commercial (”Penetrating sonic target barriers”) for a line of weapons-grade mouthpieces.

On a side note, I think I should be commended for not working any cannibal jokes into this post. Just know that it took great restraint.

John McCain believes that arts education can play a vital role fostering creativity and expression. He is a strong believer in empowering local school districts to establish priorities based on the needs of local schools and school districts. Schools receiving federal funds for education must be held accountable for providing a quality education in basic subjects critical to ensuring students are prepared to compete and succeed in the global economy. Where these local priorities allow, he believes investing in arts education can play a role in nurturing the creativity of expression so vital to the health of our cultural life and providing a means of creative expression for young people.

The statement was released last week to the Salt Lake Tribune. Julie Checkoway’s article, “McCain’s anticipated arts policy comes in at four sentences long,” is here. Lee Rosenbaum’s CultureGrrl blog has more: “I’d call that an education policy, not an arts policy.”

To read a little more about what DCT and One Thirty have to say about their productions, check out our roundup.

Sandy French (background) hooking away on her bracelet, and my finished product (foreground).

Guest blogger Lydia Regalado is an arts educator, crafter and blogger who writes about people who gather to make things.

My experiement continues…

Second Stop: Beading Dreams

Beading Dreams, another beading boutique in Dallas, offers some of the most interesting classes beyond basic wire wrapping and silk knotting around: Rosary 101, Dream Catcher Earrings, Lovely Lariats, just to name a few. Most classes are $35. This cozy spot is where I found an Introduction to Wire Crochet class. Crocheting with wire is a simple technique that requires few tools with a funky, eye-catching outcome. There is no need to be perfect or pattern-specific, as the jumbled design hides any flaws, making it a very forgiving piece — great for the crochet beginner. Beading Dreams offers a great selection of beads and findings, supplies and classes. Its schedule of classes is packed with several options, but they do offer private lessons in case you can’t attend or want to learn a technique that’s not offered. The staff is patient and helpful, which is a good thing as beading can sometimes string you out. Project photos are available on the store’s Web site, or stop by to see the samples for yourself. Classes and supplies are affordable, and the best part is the 15 percent discount offered to students for the yearly quarter that the class was attended. That means if you take a class now, you can save money on needed supplies for holiday gifts!

DIY Dialogue:
Knitting and crocheting is “knot“ necessarily tied to the past idea of feminine tradition. Contemporary art often incorporates traditional handicraft with non-traditional materials. Local artist Lanie Delay’s interactive installation made of crocheted telephone wire and working phones intrigued me last January at 500x’s EXPO 2008. Artist Oliver Herring is shown knitting mylar sculptures with protective gloves in the “Play” episode from Season 3 of the PBS series Art21, “Art in the Twenty-First Century.” There is a connection between art and craft, but what is the difference? Please share your thoughts by posting a comment.

Next Up: Urban Street Bazaar

If you missed this event in May, Urban Street Bazaar is happening again this Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.. Meet and shop with 40 DIY vendors, showcasing and selling their handiwork, fashions and art in Bishop Arts District. More information.

See you there!

And the answer to Stephen’s question (see below) about who the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts would get to make their opening-day announcement is really quite simple.

Just get the Greatest Voice for Announcing Anything in the World.

James Earl Jones

– who promptly gave the dignitaries and million-dollar arts patrons assembled at the Belo Mansion a little sampler (Jacques’ Seven Ages of Man speech from As You Like It, some reminiscences of playing Of Mice and Men at SMU, Fences on Broadway and The Great White Hope on stage and film — funny, there was nothing about this guy, though). And then Jones didn’t even announce the one (the only) new fact. The official opening date of the DCPA. That was left for John Eagle, head of the opening ceremony committee.

October 12, 2009.

Fashion knitwear designer Wenlan Chia at The Woolie Ewe in Plano.

Guest blogger Lydia Regalado is an arts educator and blogger who writes for Art&Seek about people who gather to make things.

Inspired by the ReadyMade lecture at the Dallas Museum of Art a couple of weeks ago, I decided to explore the use of materials in one craft, specifically needle arts: knitting and crochet. There are many shops and classes that support this kind of exploration in our community, and for this experiment I took advantage of two one-of-a-kind boutiques here in North Texas: The Woolie Ewe in Plano and Beading Dreams in Dallas.

First Stop: The Woolie Ewe

Family owned and operated in Plano since 1989, The Woolie Ewe is North Texas’ central supplier of yarn and supplies for the needle arts. A candy store for the yarn enthusiast, the selection of colors and textures is extensive and tough to wrap your head around. There are yarns from all over the world, wool, cotton, silk, tons of patterns and books. Walking into the store can be mind boggling, but the staff is there to help with “purls” of wisdom and patience for everyone no matter their level of experience. Additionally, The Woolie Ewe carries the yarns and patterns of international knitwear designers and suppliers such as Debbie Bliss, Sally Melville and Wenlan Chia to name a few. But, The Woolie Ewe is doing more than stocking these designer’s products, it is bringing these designers in for workshops and events for 2008 – 2009.

Recently, I went for the book signing of fashion and lifestyle designer Wenlan Chia’s new book of knitting patterns and designs, Town and Country. Rarely does one think of knitting as sexy, contemporary and fashion forward, but Wenlan has been changing the way one thinks about knitting with her line Twinkle by Wenlan by attaching whimsical, quirky and playful words to her knitwear and yarn since her debut in 2002.

Twinkle’s designs definitely have a young feel to them, and are simple to create. The designs utilize Twinkle’s own line of chunky handknit yarns, which is stocked by The Woolie Ewe. The chunkiness of the yarns and big needles needed for most projects means they are quick to finish and satisfying, even for a beginner like me. Many of these projects would make good gifts, as they are quick to create and one of a kind.

If you would like to make some of Twinkle’s designs for yourself or for someone else, consider signing up for one of their classes, or just stop by. Private and group classes are available in knitting, crochet, needlepoint and needlefelting. Visit The Woolie Ewe at 1301 Custer Road, located on the southwest corner of 15th Street and Custer Road in Plano in the Pitman Corners Shopping Center. Store hours are Monday through Friday 10 - 6, Saturday 10 - 4:30 and closed Sunday. For a current schedule of classes and workshops, or to shop on-line, visit www.woolieewe.com.

Next Up: Part 2 of DIY Making and Materials

Wire Crochet at Beading Dreams

• The Telegraph (London): Bad for British theater

• Hollywood Reporter: Bad for media companies

• Bloomberg: Bad for art auction houses

• Bloomberg: Bad for art galleries

• Bloomberg: Bad for the whole entire art market

• Washington Post: Bad for high fashion

• The New York Times: Bad for New York theaters

• Boston Globe: Bad for Masschusetts art groups

• Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Bad (maybe) for Seattle Art Museum

• Orlando Sentinel: Bad for Central Florida art groups

• The Independent (UK): Great for an online satiric series

• Bloomberg: Great for a French comic book

• Bloomberg: Great for movies — if you like Depression-Era Hollywood