When you view the annual spring show of the Denton-based Visual Arts Society of Texas, you get the feeling that we’re living in sobering times. Gazes are steady or hard among the figures captured, and the abstract work presents a field of angles, slopes and shades that speak to mystery. The show’s introspective and downbeat tone could very well be the work of the man who selected it. Nic Nicosia, a graduate from the University of North Texas Department of Radio, Television and Film, is known for his edgy photographs. One critic said Nicosia “gauges the depth of suburban experience with a cold eye and a warm heart.”

It’s the weekend you’ve been waiting for.
The 2008 Denton Arts & Jazz Festival opens Friday evening. Before press time, the National Weather Service was predicting a 20 percent chance of rain on opening night — which isn’t nearly enough to discourage the faithful, or Neville Brothers fans. Saturday was promising to be a bright, warm day in Denton, with a possibility of showers on Sunday. And if you stay to the last verse of Brave Combo’s concert, you might want to bring a sweater. The jazz festival should have Quakertown Park buzzing. Six stages will stay occupied by singers, dancers and musicians. Vendors will keep belts straining with a steady supply of pizza, kettle corn, soul food and ethnic specialties, like lo mein and fried rice — and there is a temptation for every sweet tooth.