Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/699459
Summer Swells + Fabulous Fauna: Shows nod to the sultry season in subject or aesthetic. At Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery, "Critters" conjures the mystery of all creatures great and small, from minute frogs in the backyard of David Johndrow to regal goats snapped by Kevin Horan, Pop Art dairy cows in the lens of Randal Ford (ringers for Elsie the Cow on vintage Borden's memorabilia) and avians informed by hyperrealism as conceived by Cheryl Medow. The profound Keith Carter and the timeless mid-century imagery of Elliott Erwitt round out the talent (through August 27) … Summer's palette and attitude are channeled by a two-person show at Galleri Urbane that pairs Dallas artists Danny Rose and Cat Rigdon in a loose conversation about the landscape. Rose's aptly titled "The Sun Shines Blue" evokes the notes of jazz while presenting languid mountains and oceanic curves against grounds of cerulean blue. Rigdon does a dance with watercolor; her deft dashes of pigment are enlivened by beading and embroidery in "Backyard Daoism" (both shows, through July 30). Drawing Matters: The museum-caliber "Slipstream" at Kirk Hopper Fine Art is all about graphite. Guest curator Susie Kalil selects 11 Texas artists, historic and current, who create transformative abstract and figurative works; their commonality is a sense of the surreal and an inner reality. Boldface names James Surls, retired SMU prof Roger Winter and Alexander Hogue are included, as well as the under-known Lynn Randolph and Mary Jenewein, two Houston artists whose work alludes, respectively, to homelessness and the experience of hospitalization. A drawing by Angelbert Metoyer graces the catalog cover (through August 6). News of Import: The departure of Olivier Meslay, the Dallas Museum of Art's main European scholar (and a former Louvre curator), creates a second big vacancy at the museum. Read more at papercitymag.com. Catherine D. Anspon Art Notes Bill Haveron's No U-Turn, 2015, at Kirk Hopper Fine Art COURTESY THE ARTIST AND PDNB GALLERY COURTESY THE ARTIST AND KIRK HOPPER FINE ART Cheryl Medow's White Ibis with Fish, 2014, at Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery I t should be said: Blue sky comes standard with Lamborghini's Huracán Spyder. With a starting price nearing $270,000 — about $40,000 more than its coupe brethren — the Huracán Spyder is breathtaking in more ways than one. Besides an electrohydraulic soft top (in black, brown or red) and body-colored hard tonneau cover, the LP 610-4 ("610" denoting the horsepower and the "4" referring to all-wheel drive) Spyder includes standard carbon-ceramic brakes, LED headlamps and tail lamps and 20-inch Giano wheels. Variable-ratio "dynamic" electric- assist steering, magnetorheological dampers and an all-important nose-lifting apparatus are optional. While the convertible gains about 225 pounds over the coupe, thanks to an efficient combination of aluminum and carbon fiber, the resulting chassis is 40 percent stiffer than that of the Gallardo Spyder, its predecessor and the best-selling open-top model in Lamborghini's history. Hand-built in Sant'Agata Bolognese, a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10 engine with 8,500-rpm redline is routed through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to all four wheels. Lambo claims a zero-to-60 time of about 3.2 seconds with Thrust Mode launch control. And because so much attention has been paid to the topless Huracán's aerodynamics, top speed is the same as the coupe's — 201 mph — with the top stowed or in place. And what a top it is. A 17-second power transformation from closed to open and back again at speeds as high as 31 mph is a well-orchestrated visual delight. So many panels, buttresses and deflectors deploy and/or disappear that it deserves musical accompaniment. With the top down, the rear deck lid features two long fins that stretch from right behind the passenger compartment to the rear fascia — a styling cue that differentiates the Spyder from its coupe counterpart. As one would expect, driving the Spyder is the same as motoring in the exotic coupe — low, quick and satisfying — with one exception: the sound. If you like the unmistakable harmony of a Lamborghini 10-cylinder engine, you'll be bathed in it from head to toe with the top down. The interior largely carries over from the Huracán coupe, though the Spyder boasts innovative ducts that reduce air turbulence in the cockpit, as well as removable lateral wind guards that let sun worshipers enjoy conversing even when the top is down. When small talk isn't the order of the day, the rear window opens to let the engine's symphony into the cabin, a feature borrowed from the larger Aventador Spyder. A crisp, foot-wide thin-film transistor instrument panel with digital gauges also makes its debut with the Huracán Spyder — part of the standard multimedia Infotainment System II. As in the coupe, the ANIMA (Advanced Network Intelligence Management) switch on the steering wheel accesses various driving modes, from sporty and dynamic to extreme performance and handling. The three programs — Strada, Sport and Corsa — affect the characteristics of the engine, sound, transmission, all-wheel drive and ESC handling system. The start button, meanwhile, is stunningly placed beneath a red cover, not unlike one found in a military jet, and is surrounded by an interior available in five trim choices and 17 colors. From $267,545, at Lamborghini Dallas, 610 South Central Expressway, Richardson, 888.400.6950, lamborghinidallas.com. A TOPLESS ITALIAN MONSTER JIM SHI PEERS BENEATH THE HOOD. Lamborghini Huracan Spyder A s one door closed, another has opened for megawatt chef Stephan Pyles. His recently debuted Flora Street Cafe follows the closure of Stephan Pyles restaurant, which anchored the Dallas Arts District dining scene for 10 years. Flora Street Cafe is still in the Arts District, but closer to the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center and the Winspear Opera House, on the ground floor of the Hall Arts building — perfect for pre- or post-performance dining. Pyles fans are abuzz over the club-like atmosphere evoked by its earthy finishes, Flocking to FLORA Summer posole, smoked shishito broth, rockfish escabeche Flora Street Cafe dark wood floors, jewel-toned silk tapestry and 15 deconstructed-glass chandeliers. Pyles' modernist Texas fare includes plenty of meat (akaushi wagyu ribeye, wild boar loin and jowl barbecue, pheasant and Nilgai antelope) and homegrown produce (the local garden roots drizzled in poblano-lime butter are superb). Another focal point is Shy Light, a work by artists Lonneke Gordijn, Ralph Nauta and Jozeph Hendricks that hangs above the leather- paneled walnut bar. The robotic sculpture — which was crafted in Amsterdam of silk, aluminum, steel and LED lights — unfolds with the choreographic motions of a flower. Flora Street Cafe, 2330 Flora St., 214.580.7000, florastreet.com. Linden Wilson Glass chandeliers suspended at different heights in the dining room In the dining room, a jewel-toned, 3-D silk tapestry designed by fiber artist Tim Harding ALL PHOTOS BY IMANI CHET LYTLE