Cycle City.

Friday Night At Lab Art and Random Art Gallery, Dallas' Minority Artists Were Front And Center.

The voice that whispered a prophecy to Ray Kinsella was a wise being when it suggested that, “If you build it, he will come.”

But it may have been selling things short, too. Because, turns out, if you build a bunch of bikes, droves of people will come.
Yes, Friday night played out like a large celebration of Dallas art and artists. And it was unflinchingly a celebration of the 214's more “urban,” black and minority art, too.

At Lab Art in the Design District, seven different artists — Erykah Badu, Jeremy Biggers, Joonbug, DJ Sober, Blue the Great, Hindue and the Sour Grapes Crew — were all featured in a gallery showing called “Dallas By Way of Dallas,” in which the artists all customized bikes from City Bicycle Co. But these artists did more than just slap some paint on these rides. Badu's take, for instance, was especially political: She lynched a bike and made a short film of it.

Later in the night, the unofficial after-party thrown by 16.Bars.XXX and Blue the Great took place at Random Art Gallery, and served as the rambunctious follow-up offering to the earlier cosmopolitan festivity. BeMyFriend was on the ones and twos, providing a foolproof soundtrack for any turn-up function. (Read: There was lots of Future. Lots and lots and lots of Future.)

The party also served as a homecoming for Justus and Blue the Great, as both by way of Dallas artists have been making as splash on the West Coast — Justus as a collaborator with Dr. Dre and ” target=”_blank”>where all the Dallas artists of color are, the answer was right there, just willfully ignored by the mainstream local media. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised. After all, last night Viola Davis became the first black woman to ever win an Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Drama — this in the year 2015, folks.

It ain't from a lack of trying or talent, though. I can assure you of that. Because, sure, if you build it, people will come.

But, y'know, others still might not.