Art&Seek Jr. is one mom’s quest to find activities to end the seemingly endless chorus of the “I’m Bored Blues” while having fun herself.  Impossible you say? Check back on Tuesdays for kid-friendly events that are fun for adults, too

I have to admit, I’m not as outdoorsy as I’d like to be.  My siblings will tell you that my idea of camping is an air-conditioned cabin with wi-fi no more than 10 minutes from a major city. This wasn’t always the case though. When I was a kid growing up in Bellevue, Neb., I was outside all the time – as were all the other children in the neighborhood.  It wasn’t because we necessarily wanted to be outside; given a choice we probably would have parked ourselves in front of the television for hours at a time watching Gilligan’s Island reruns. The truth was our mothers were far too busy to tolerate a pack of children inside the house. Besides the obvious of the messes we created, there was always the threat of “waking the baby” (there seem to be at least one in every house in my neighborhood). It could be 30 degrees outside with snow falling, and still our moms would say, “It’s a beautiful day. Go outside and play!” As it turned out, this was the best thing in the world for us. The woods behind my house became our playground. We climbed trees, made forts, explored and we took in and appreciated the nature around us without really trying. Nothing was forced; it was all very, well … natural.

Rose and her Uncle Bill listen to the frogs along one of the many trails at the Trinity River Audubon Center

Director of Education, Benjamin Jones shows Rose how to listen for owls

I know I sound like one of those crotchety old people who insists their childhood was superior or more virtuous than the previous generation, but sometimes I wish that Rose could experience that post-baby boom world with 30 neighborhood kids to play with in the woods right behind the house like I did.  There’s not much I can do about the neighborhood playmates (people don’t have kids like they did in the 70s) but we are lucky enough to have some pretty cool woods nearby to explore. For those of you who don’t know, the Great Trinity Forest is right down the road, and The Trinity River Audubon Center is just the place to start the exploration. The land that TRAC sits on used to be an illegal dumpsite but was reclaimed by the City of Dallas. It features trails in the Great Trinity Forest as well as restored wetlands and prairies. The center has many hands-on exhibits, four miles of nature viewing trails, the Children’s Discovery Garden as well as some excellent exploring activities. One you don’t want to miss is the Free Third Thursday event. There’s free admission all day (hence the name), giving you plenty of time to do the guided hikes and some bird watching. Later in the evening, there’s live music, food tastings and a monthly guest speaker. Probably the coolest  part of the event is the monthly Owl Prowl led by director of education Ben Jones. The prowl starts at about sunset in the lobby, where Ben talks briefly about owls (did you know that if you had owl eyes they’d be as big as oranges) and owl etiquette (never play owl calls more than once a month, because it can agitate owls on the nest). After that, everyone heads out on the trail armed with flashlights. It’s about a 45 minute hike, during which  you don’t actually see the owls — it’s too dark on the trails. Instead, a recording of owl calls is played, and hopefully the owls call back. We were lucky enough to hear two call to us just as the hike was ending. I don’t know if it was the excitement of hearing the owls answer our call or the fact that Rose got to be a helper with her princess flashlight, but she really enjoyed herself. I liked it because she got to experience a little of the same outdoors I did as a child.

Therese Powell is an Art&Seek calendar coordinator and KERA-TV producer.  She spends most of her free time seeking out adventures for her 6-year-old daughter, Rose.  Tell us about your time at the Trinity River Audubon Center  or clue us in to your ideas for quirky kid adventures by leaving a comment. Or email Therese at tpowell@kera.org.

Guest blogger Arlington Jones is a jazz pianist, composer and educator. He is also the Artistic Director for Sammons Jazz at the Sammons Center for the Arts. And he’s part of a team coordinating D’JAM Jazz Appreciation Month in April. For more D’JAM events, check here.

Since its inception, jazz has made an influential mark on so many people in different ways. I was reminded of this as I attended some of the D’JAM (Dallas Jazz Appreciation Month) events this past week.

Checking out Walter Winn's work. Photo: Hope Jones

I went to see Walter Winn’s “Art of Music” exhibit at the Janette Kennedy Art Gallery in Dallas. Walter Winn was a jazz drummer in the Dallas area who worked with Texas greats like Red Garland and Marchel Ivery. In addition, Mr. Winn was also an artist. I never had the opportunity to meet him in person, but this weekend I was able to enjoy a part of his legacy thanks to his paintings. Winn depicted fellow Texas musicians such as Roger Boykin and Leroy Cooper as well as other jazz musicians including Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, and Dizzy Gillespie. His realistic painting of the late sax player David “Fathead” Newman brought back all the great memories I have of working with “Fathead”.

As I laid eyes on his works, it came to mind that you never know how music will affect people. Obviously, Winn had a deep love for jazz, which led him to creatively express his adoration through painting these fascinating works of art. He is a part of the list of jazz musicians like Miles Davis and Tony Bennett who are known for their paintings as well. I learned from one of the D’JAM committee members that in the late ’70s, Winn co-created the Martin Luther King Jr. Keep The Dream Alive sculpture. This work of art boldly sits in front of the Martin Luther King Community Center in Dallas. Although I’ve lived in the Dallas area most of my life and passed this sculpture hundreds of times, I never knew this musician’s remarkable story. I’m thankful for the opportunity to have experienced Winn’s impressive contribution to jazz through visual art.

Jisun Choi Quartet. Photo: Arlington Jones

I also attended the Sammons Jazz concert featuring The New Collection and Jisun Choi Quartet on April 4. The New Collection led by Paris Rutherford (creator and former director of the University of North Texas Jazz Singers) did not use any other instruments except the voice. We often associate jazz with instruments you play, but it was good to hear the artistry of this group as they vocally executed rich jazz harmonies. They presented a diverse repertoire and improvised by scatting solos and sometimes created rhythms by beatboxing. In the same fashion of a jazz band, the group came together to create one unified sound.

Then Korean jazz pianist and Brookhaven College music professor Jisun Choi took the stage with her quartet. She played all original compositions and even surprised the audience with a guest performer who played a Korean instrument called the Haegum. This was a first for the Sammons Jazz audience. They sat with anticipation of what would come next as the group adeptly performed their set. I appreciated the way Choi artfully revealed her culture through jazz.

To top it off, I had a conversation with a man about jazz that I will never forget. As he shared with me his passion for jazz, he stated, “Jazz saved my life.” To me, this statement shows us why efforts like D’JAM are so important. There is no doubt that jazz makes lasting impressions, which are reflected in both the expressions of the musician and gratitude of the listeners. Indeed, jazz still moves people and can have a positive impact on their lives.

Afternoon Delight is a daily diversion for when you’re just back from lunch, but not quite ready to get back to work. Check back weekdays at 1 p.m. for another one.

If some big company gave you a boatload of money to make a video, you could hardly do more with the money than this.

Marley is an extensive new documentary on the life and times of Bob Marley. Nearly everyone whoever worked with the reggae legend is interviewed in the film directed by Kevin Macdonald, who won a best documentary Oscar for his 1999 film One Day in September.

The film debuted at SXSW last month, and while anyone who’s ever listened to music is familiar with Marley’s sound, you might not know as much about the work he did to hold Jamaica together during a time of political unrest. That part of the story, as well as the vivid depiction of Jamaica then and now, make Marley a must-see for serious music fans.

The film opens locally on April 20, but you’re in luck – we’ve got passes to giveaway to a special advance screening of the movie on Thursday night at 7 at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas. All you have to do is print out a pass and get there early – seating is first come, first served, and these things fill up. If you check it out, be sure to let us know what you thought by dropping us a comment here.

HOUSE OF HORRORS: WaterTower Theatre scored quite a coup when it secured the rights to the local premiere of August: Osage County. Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer- and Tony-winner takes place in a family’s home and, on the surface, focuses on the search for the family patriarch, who’s gone missing. But as the search drags on, there is plenty of opportunity for the family members to rip each other to shreds and expose their unfulfilled lives. If you saw the touring version when it rolled throught the Winspear Opera House, you know this is powerful stuff. So should you take in WaterTower’s version? In his theaterjones.com review, Mark Lowry calls the cast, “quite possibly the most perfect ensemble of local actors for this script.” And on Front Row, Lindsey Wilson writes, “The superb cast is a who’s who of Dallas’s most beloved actors, and luckily not a single one is wasted in this ensemble drama.” Check it out through April 22.

FUTURE STARS: TCU is currently hosting art exhibitions for its master’s candidates. This year, four artists are being featured, and Gaile Robinson writes on dfw.com that, “These are four students worth watching, or even supporting by buying their work. The price will never be less than it is now.” She also profiles each artist on the site.

THE SCENE DOWN UNDER: Green Bandana Group is an organization that, “invests in cutting edge ideas, people, and projects in the arts, culture, and entertainment world.” If you’re interested in underground art, you would do well to check out Green Bandana’s website. Its most recent blog entry breaks down the three levels of local art world – museum, gallery and underground – and highlights some of the artists moving through the system.

Is that KXT’s Paul Slavens, playing keyboards with Salim and The Travoltas Saturday night at Lee Harvey’s? Why yes. Yes, I believe it is.

The Deep Ellum Art Festival may have had a little run in with the rain on Sunday, but Dane Walters, KERA/KXT videographer and editor, was on the scene Saturday and captured these shots. Enjoy!

The documentary Bully has been in the news quite a bit of late. The film looks into problems school kids face with being bullied and was at the center of a recent battle between its distributor – The Weinstein Co. – and the MPAA over its rating. After editing a bit of the saltiest language, Bully was eventually downgraded from an R to PG-13, meaning its target audience could actually see the movie. (Note to the MPAA: If you’re worried about protecting kids ages 13-17 from hearing naughty words, don’t be – middle school is home to some of the most prolific and creative cussers alive.)

If you want to check out what all the hubbub is about, there’s an advanced screening of Bully on Wednesday night at 7 at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas. If you’d like to go, just download a pass (if it asks for the code, enter ARTSEERMT1) and get there early – seating is first come, first served.

If you can’t catch the screening, Bully opens locally on Friday.

Afternoon Delight is a daily diversion for when you’re just back from lunch, but not quite ready to get back to work. Check back weekdays at 1 p.m. for another one.

What would some of the world’s busiest public spaces look like without all the crowds and cars? Photography team Lucie & Simon show you.

FAIR FARE: In its fourth year, the Dallas Art Fair seems to be raising its profile nationally. You get that sense when you see previews in publications like The Wall Street Journal. Still, the top of the story focuses on the fair’s desire to make a local connection. “I don’t really think Miami Basel has a lot to do with Miami,” fair co-founder Chris Byrne tells the paper. “We want to have great exhibitors, but we want [the fair] to be grafted into the community.”

SHIELD YOUR EYES: In sorta related news, there hasn’t been a resulution yet in the Museum Tower vs. Nasher Sculpture Center situation, in which the Nasher is annoyed by a glare cast onto its space by the new tower. But John Sughrue, a developer of the tower and co-founder of the Dallas Art Fair, says he’s doing his best to find a solution while answering his critics. Chief among them: former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller. “The biggest threat to Ray [Nasher] was just having a large shadow over the sculpture center and the garden. It never dawned on him or me or anyone else at the time that, instead, it would be this giant solar project next door,” Miller tells dallasnews.com. “That is just so much worse than anything we had envisioned. And poor Ray would just be devastated.” Sughrue’s response: “I would say she’s right, if I were in a position to write a $200 million check to determine the absolute fate of this project. But since that is an impossibility, her remarks are completely inaccurate.”

SAME ‘OL SITUATION: Attracting a new, younger audience – it’s what all arts groups strive for. But opera companies in particular have a tough time with it because opera itself can be tough to sell to newcomers. In a column for theaterjones.com, Dallas Opera general director Keith Cerny writes that the opera world has been trying to figure this all out since at least the days of Mozart and Wagner and offers a few suggestions.