Canvassing.

There's No Doubt: The Cedars Is Going To Be Dallas' Next Hot Art Neighborhood.

Welcome to Canvassing, our weekly look at the conversations that surround the Dallas art world. Pull up a chair. Stay with us for a while. The view's pretty nice from here.

Last week in this space, I asked ten questions of the Dallas arts community, one of which saw me wondering aloud if the art scene could shift away from the Design District, and if so, to where?

Now, it seems as if we know the answer — and it's right in The Cedars, just as I'd suggested. Earlier this week, the Dallas Observer's Lauren Smart shared news of potential plans for a massive art-incubation center funded by The Bowdon Family Foundation and set to be called The Cedars Union.

This is pretty big news considering that The Cedars already hosts RE Gallery, And/Now, Homeland Security, Union Studios & Productions and Janette Kennedy Gallery at South Side on Lamar.

But it gets bigger: Wanda Dye of RE Gallery, who might become the Nancy Whitenack of The Cedars, then announced on her Facebook page that McKinney Avenue Contemporary could be relocating to the area — a tip that the Dallas Morning News later confirmed.

This is what we call game-changing news, folks — especially when you add in the fact that Alamo Drafthouse is also setting to open up shop in the neighborhood in the near future.

Suddenly, what we have here is a cultural district here that can rival the offerings of any other neighborhood in Dallas. If leasing prices remain affordable, don't be surprised to see more galleries join in on The Cedars' current stampede.

Of course time will only tell there. More pressing is today's Cultural Affairs Commission meeting at the Latino Cultural Center, which kicks off at 4:30 p.m. That get-together will be used to determine the future of the beloved (by many) and neglected (by our local government) Bagley/Orr Water Theater installation at White Rock Lake. Regardless of your feelings on this particular piece, the larger issue is how the City of Dallas will choose to care for public art in the future. For more information about this piece, check out Jerome Week's story on the matter for KERA's Art&Seek.

Also not to be missed is a strong group of openings going down this weekend. For what it's worth, my top five picks for the weekend are “DREAMARCHITECTONICS” by Frank + Lee Dufour at The Dallas Contemporary, “Crimcraw” by Jimmy Joe Roche at Erin Cluely Gallery, “Faces” by Alicia Harris at Lilliana Bloch Gallery, “Digital Distractions” by John Pomora at Barry Whistler Gallery, and “SMFW14” by Samantha McCurdy at RE Gallery.

Finally, in a shameless plug, I would like to share that I will be performing poetry on Friday night alongside my brother David Ratcliff, with musical accompaniment provided by The Adam Sewell Trio for This Ain't No Party Vol. 2.

Come by and say hello if you feel so inclined.

This Week's Openings and Happenings of Note.

THURSDAY
• Save The White Rock Theater at The Latino Cultural Center 4:30 p.m.
• Flamenco Sketches by Osun and Dange Loupe at Ash Studios 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
• New Works by Justin Terveen at Kettle Art 7:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.

FRIDAY
• “DREAMARCHITECTONICS” by Frank + Lee Dufour of Agence 5970 at The Dallas Contempory from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

SATURDAY
• Mural Unveiling by Shahla Yma at WAAS Gallery from noon to 5 p.m.
• “A Retrospective” by Geraldine Kutner at Wall Gallery from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• “Pinky Diablo” at {neighborhood} from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• “Crimcraw” by Jimmy Joe Roche at Erin Cluely Gallery from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• “Faces” by Alicia Harris at Liliana Bloch Gallery from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• “Digital Distractions” by John Pomora at Barry Whistler Gallery from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• “SMFW14” by Samantha McCurdy at RE Gallery from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• “Midtown Art Walk” at Gallery at Midtown from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• “Psyexpression” by Jeff Parrot at Ro2 Art Downtown from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• “The Vibes” at Ash Studios from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.