Fiber art, urban wildlife photography, and an AAPI heritage celebration open simultaneously at White Rock Lake on May 2 — with a free artist reception and live music the same evening.
On the eastern shore of White Rock Lake, one of Dallas’s most beloved and beautifully situated cultural venues is opening three exhibitions at once this May — and celebrating all of them together on Saturday evening, May 2, with a free public reception and live music. The Bath House Cultural Center at 521 E. Lawther Drive is the kind of place that reminds you Dallas has depth — and this month’s programming is some of the strongest the center has offered.
All three exhibitions run May 2 through 30. Admission is free. The opening reception is Saturday, May 2 from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring live music by Rafa X Josue and open to everyone.
Enlaced: The Language of Fiber
The first of the three exhibitions, Enlaced: The Language of Fiber, is a sweeping celebration of what happens when artists take thread, yarn, fabric, and textile and push them far beyond anything a traditional loom could imagine.
Curated by Enrique Fernández Cervantes, the show brings together 25 artists whose work spans sculptural forms, art quilts, tapestry, and mixed media — engaging both innovative and time-honored techniques to explore themes of personal identity, storytelling, nature, and abstraction. The work reflects the full range of what fiber can do when treated as a serious artistic medium: woven pieces that function as painting, embroidery that becomes sculpture, quilts that carry intimate narratives, and installations that fold unexpected materials into textile traditions.
The featured artists are Sally Ackerman (Dallas Yarn Bombers), Paulina Altamirano, Monica Barrera, Juju Bartush, Sue Benner, Deborah Boschert, Jan Byron, Melanie Campbell, Han Cao, Angeles García Aguilar, Corey Godfrey, Dayna Lingner, Laurie Mahoney, Christine Miller, Nancy Ofori, Lu Peters, Yasmin Ramirez, Rocío Ramírez-Landoll, Dionne Rockwell, Carolyn Skei, Jay Torres, VET, Carmen Villarreal, Carolina Yáñez, and Robbie Zeske.
Where the Wild Still Breathes: Photographs by Lili Banta
The second exhibition brings Dallas’s own urban wildlife into sharp, intimate focus through the lens of photographer and conservation advocate Lili Banta.
Where the Wild Still Breathes is a body of work grounded in quiet observation and urgency — intimate photographs of species and ecosystems that persist in the margins of the city, often overlooked, often under pressure. Each image holds both presence and fragility. The animals in Banta’s photographs are not in distant wilderness. They are here, in Dallas, sharing the city’s green spaces, creek beds, and lakeshores with 1.3 million people who mostly walk past them without a second glance.
Banta’s mission is to change that. As a photographer and conservation advocate, she explores Dallas’s hidden natural world and encourages others to recognize the beauty and value of the animals living alongside them in an urban environment. Visitors who have seen her work often respond the same way: “This was taken here?” — initial disbelief giving way to genuine awe at what is living in their own backyard.
If you’ve never thought of Dallas as a wildlife city, this exhibition will change your mind.
Big Luck: An Art Celebration of AAPI Heritage
The third exhibition, Big Luck, is a mixed media show featuring works by eleven Asian American artists from the DFW area, Los Angeles, and Seattle — and the story behind its title is as meaningful as the work itself.
Curator Mylan Nguyen, whose own work is also included in the exhibition, has crossed paths with many of the participating artists through art school, exhibitions, and community events over the years. The sense of connection she felt working alongside these talented creators inspired the title Big Luck — a reflection of gratitude for the relationships built and the community formed through shared creative practice.
The exhibition spans painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and mixed media. The works are not unified by a single theme but by the artists’ use of their craft to explore heritage, identity, and personal perspective. Big Luck is part of the Bath House Cultural Center’s third annual Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage and dragon boat festival.
Featured artists: Julian Callos, Eun Jee Chong, Lucy Haigan, Eun Lee, Chi Leong, Joanna Lin, Lo, Annie Nguyen, Mylan Nguyen, Brent Ozaeta, and Taro Waggoner.
Opening Reception — This Saturday
All three exhibitions open together this Saturday, May 2 with a free public reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Bath House Cultural Center. Meet the artists, experience the work, and enjoy live music by Rafa X Josue — a Dallas musical duo whose sound is worth arriving early for.
No tickets. No cover. Just show up.
Exhibition and Venue Details
Exhibitions: Enlaced: The Language of Fiber / Where the Wild Still Breathes / Big Luck Dates: May 2 through May 30, 2026 Opening Reception: Saturday, May 2, 6 to 8 p.m. — free and open to the public Live Music: Rafa X Josue Location: Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther Dr., Dallas, TX 75218 — at White Rock Lake Admission: Free
Contact: Manager Jessica Trevizo: [email protected] Cultural Programs Coordinator Analise Minjarez: [email protected] Curator Enrique Fernández Cervantes: [email protected]
Website: bathhousecultural.com Facebook: Bath House Cultural Center
