Date: June 13, 2023

Time: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Location: Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, 1600 Gendy Street, Fort Worth, Texas 71607

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is pleased to invite members of the media to the groundbreaking event for the highly anticipated Jane & John Justin Foundation Omni Theater project. This event marks a significant milestone in the Museum's commitment to providing educational and immersive experiences for the community.

 

Event Details:

The groundbreaking event will take place on June 13, 2023, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, 1600 Gendy Street, Fort Worth, Texas 71607. Parking is available in the Museum School parking lot on the corner of Montgomery and Lansford.

 

Agenda:

9:00 AM - Arrival and registration of media representatives

9:15 AM - Welcoming remarks by Museum President, Orlando Carvalho, Mayor Mattie Parker, and Board Chair Marianne Auld

9:30 AM - Groundbreaking ceremony with ceremonial sledgehammers

9:40 AM - Photo opportunities and refreshments

Key Attendees:

·     Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker

·     Representatives from The Amon Carter Foundation, The City of Fort Worth, The Jane & John Justin Foundation, Leo Potishman Trust, Tarrant County, The Burnett Foundation, William E. Scott Foundation, The Paul E. Andrews Foundation, and The Ryan Foundation

·     Local government officials and community leaders

·     Project architects and designers

Arts Fort Worth announces Wesley Gentle, CFRE has been appointed its next Executive Director & President.

“Over the past ten months, we have had the opportunity to see all of the leadership qualities, as well as the passion and dedication to the organization, that we believe to be necessary to successfully lead Arts Fort Worth into the future,” said Carter Shackelford, Chair of the Arts Fort Worth Board. “Initially, Arts Fort Worth engaged an independent executive search firm to help determine who should replace Karen Wiley by providing the Board a list of qualified candidates to interview for the role. However, after viewing the high level of work that Wesley has delivered since taking on the interim role, we no longer believe that an external candidate would add a greater value to the organization than what we have already seen from him.”

Wesley Gentle joined the staff of Arts Fort Worth in 2018, bringing with him prior experience fundraising for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Fort Worth Opera, in addition to his career as a performing artist.

As Interim Managing Director, Mr. Gentle implemented a new strategic plan, oversaw the organization’s finances and operations, strengthened partnerships, and led fundraising. As executive director and president, Mr. Gentle will continue the work of navigating the unique challenge surrounding the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. For twenty years, the Arts Center’s expansive galleries, unique theater amenities, and multiple office and classroom have served the arts community and beyond. The building, which is owned by the City of Fort Worth and managed by Arts Fort Worth, requires an estimated $26 million in improvements, and Fort Worth City Council has appointed a task force to recommend future uses for the property.

Arts Fort Worth offers consulting and managerial services and provides arts education, research, and advocacy programs to Fort Worth-area residents. In partnership with the City and other organizations, Arts Fort Worth’s competitive grants program supports arts nonprofits of every size to foster a culture of creativity and innovation throughout the city. Additionally, Arts Fort Worth partners with the City of Fort Worth to administer the Fort Worth Public Art program- bringing Fort Worth residents together to commission works of art that represent their communities’ stories. incubate numerous arts programs and empower the careers of thousands of individual artists and performers.

“When everyone in Fort Worth has the resources, opportunities and empowerment to share their stories through art, and when everyone here can see part of their own story reflected in the art around them, then Arts Fort Worth has succeeded in our mission. Fort Worth is a big city. We’ve got some work to do. But our organization has a long history of changing our city for the better, and I know this community is filled with amazing people who are ready to partner with us to see that vision through.”

Mr. Gentle also serves as president of the board for the Association of Fundraising Professional Fort Worth Metro Chapter, as a board member of Texans for the Arts, and as an active member of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth.

Arts Fort Worth is excited to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2023 under new leadership with Wesley Gentle, which will continue to move the organization toward an inclusive, expansive, and sustainable future.

Guests will have a new option to explore the 120-acre Fort Worth Botanic Garden in comfort as a free, daily shuttle service begins on May 14, Mother’s Day.

The branded “Beauty Bus” route will transport guests from the Garden Center to two other stops: the Japanese Garden and the Shelter House above the Rose Garden. Shuttles will run every half hour from 11 a.m. until close each day the Garden is open.

Staff hope the bus will make the Garden more accessible to all guests.

“The Beauty Bus will be a great addition to the Garden and our overall guest experience,” said President and CEO Patrick Newman. “It will help anyone who is mobility impaired explore our lovely grounds—or anyone who could simply use a lift getting around our expansive campus.”

Garden guests have long requested a shuttle service. From the Garden Center to the Rose Garden is under half a mile as the crow flies, but by foot and on meandering paths, the route can seem much longer. This is especially true for individuals in wheelchairs or pushing strollers–or if the weather isn’t cooperating.

Beauty Bus service will be free with Garden admission.

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Presents

Jammie Holmes: Make the Revolution Irresistible

On View August 11–November 26, 2023

FREE Opening Weekend August 11-13!

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents the exhibition Jammie Holmes: Make the Revolution Irresistible, on view August 11 to November 26, 2023. This is the first solo museum exhibition of the artist and is accompanied by a publication with contributions by exhibition curator María Elena Ortiz, Dr. Lauren Cross, Emory Douglas, and the artist.

Holmes creates captivating paintings that show the visual and conceptual significance of the Black figure. Challenging stereotypes, Holmes explores notions of masculinity, mourning, childhood, and race. His works are filled with emotion and painterly gestures; his figures are often depicted in vulnerable situations or simply engaging in moments of contemplation. Rooted in the lived experiences of Black communities in the United States, Holmes is part of a continuum of painters that explore the human figure in current social and political conditions.

Highlighting Southern histories and contemporary realities, the exhibition includes approximately 15 paintings ranging from early to recent works, showcasing the breadth of Holmes’s signature approach toward painting. An early work that references his hometown of Thibodaux, Louisiana, BOX FAN HEROES, 2019, is a vignette of Holmes's Southern upbringing that garnered national attention. The exhibition features striking paintings and deeply personal works; Blame the Man, 2021, captures a spiritual moment that alludes to how groups form bonds for resistance, while one of Holmes’s most recent works, Lefty, 2023, is a composition honoring veterans and the 1960s civil rights movement. Collectively, these works represent Holmes's community—the lens through which the artist explores this nation's history and invokes connections to essential themes of human existence.

Inspired by the culture of his hometown, Jammie Holmes's figurative and expressive paintings elevate common events in everyday life such as death, grief, faith, and family, into scenes of conviction and compassion. He garnered national attention in 2020 for a public artwork in which he hired planes in Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York to display banners with the last words of George Floyd, killed by police days before in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

His work has been exhibited at institutions including Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio; Dallas Museum of Art, Texas; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; Nassima Landau Foundation, Tel Aviv, Israel; and National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. His work is included in the collections of Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, East Lansing, Michigan; Brooklyn Museum, New York; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, California; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Nassima Landau Foundation, Tel Aviv; Pérez Museum of Art Miami, Florida; and Xiao Museum of Contemporary Art, Rizhao, China.

Share your thoughts on the future of 1300 Gendy Street

There are three convenient ways to provide feedback and help imagine the future of the City-owned building at 1300 Gendy St.:

• Attend a public meeting from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 30, at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center’s Sanders Theater, 1300 Gendy St. Residents who wish to speak can sign up at the meeting and will have three minutes each to present comments. The meeting will be recorded and posted online.
• Complete an online survey using the QR code below.

• Submit comments online.

Background on the project

Earlier this year, City Council appointed a task force to study future uses of the City-owned building located in the Cultural District at 1300 Gendy St. That building, currently leased by Arts Fort Worth for use as the Fort Worth Community Arts Center and the W.E. Scott Theater, consists of architecturally significant facilities constructed in three phases:

• 1954. Main Art Gallery, designed by Herbert Bayer.
• 1966. W.E. Scott Theater and Solarium, designed by Joseph R. Pelich.
• 1976. Art Museum and Porte Cochere, designed by O’Neil Ford Associates.

Current situation: Relying on a building condition assessment conducted in 2022 by architectural firm Bennett Partners, the City’s Property Management Department has determined that 1300 Gendy St. requires repairs with a combined cost of about $26 million.

Considering these repair needs and the scarcity of resources with which to address them, Mayor Mattie Parker proposed that the City Council appoint a task force on future uses of 1300 Gendy St.

The task force will:

• Review the 2022 building condition assessment.
• Assess existing and potential uses of the building.
• Assess potential funding sources for necessary repairs, renovations and ongoing maintenance.
• Conduct one or more public hearings and receive public comments.
• Recommend future uses of the building.
• Recommend funding sources for necessary repairs, renovations and ongoing maintenance.
• Present a final report to City Council by May 2.

FORT WORTH, Texas (March 6, 2023) — The Fort Worth Botanic Garden announces today its first-ever Zimbabwean sculpture exhibit, ZimSculpt, which will run April 15 through July 30,  2023.  

ZimSculpt will feature more than 100 exquisite sculptures by several dozen contemporary Zimbabwean artists.  Known as Shona sculpture, these contemporary pieces are carved from various types of serpentine and semi-precious stone, often weighing tons, and can be as large as seven feet tall.  This is the most collected form of African art that can be found at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Rodin Museum and in the homes of the Prince of Wales, the Rockefellers, Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover and the late Michael Jackson. 

“Botanic gardens are the perfect venue for sculptures, and we’re thrilled to feature these impressive stone statues throughout the Garden,” said Executive Vice President Bob Byers. “We’re also elated that this exhibit is making its premiere in Fort Worth. We expect visitors to come from miles around.”  

ZimSculpt is an exclusive exhibit from southeastern Africa for a limited engagement and does not showcase its collection in any galleries in the United States. It affords visitors a unique opportunity to view and purchase these amazing sculptures onsite.   

ZimSculpt is passionate about promoting the work of some of the finest Zimbabwean sculptors.  This exhibit supports 300 sculptors and their families in five different regions of Zimbabwe.  As part of the exhibit, onsite sculptors will demonstrate their artistry by carving statues using chisels, hammers, files and sandpaper to create beautiful works while guests watch and learn about the art.  

“Once a sculpture in the exhibit is sold, it is replaced with another sculpture, perhaps by a different artist,” said ZimSculpt Founder Vivienne Prince. “Therefore, the exhibit changes constantly. What visitors experience the first day of the show may be altogether different later in the exhibit.”  

Visitors may purchase any of the sculptures on display in the Garden as well as the ones created by the onsite artists and those for sale in The Marketplace, a large tent located in the parking lot in front of the Japanese Garden. The Marketplace will be open to guests seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering hand-held to medium-size sculptures.  Commissioned pieces may be ordered and made onsite by the artists.   

This limited engagement sculpture event is included in the price of Garden admission. Members receive free entry.  For more information, visit fwbg.org/zimsculpt.   

FORT WORTH, Texas (Feb. 15 , 2023) — Following a yearlong communitywide effort, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden submitted a final master plan Jan. 24 to the Fort Worth City Council, which approved the plan last night. 

Highlights of the 20-year plan include creation of a family garden, a new arrival and entry sequence from University Drive, a permanent stage for art and cultural performances, a culinary garden, new educational spaces and more. The process took just over a year working with a Master Planning Committee comprising consultants, local garden associations, Fort Worth ISD, Garden and BRIT board and staff members, along with other community advocates who submitted feedback during nine public engagement meetings or via online. 

“This plan belongs to the people of Fort Worth, and we are grateful to all of those in the community who participated in creating an extraordinary vision of what this beautiful botanic garden could become,” said Fort Worth Botanic Garden President and CEO Patrick Newman. “One of the things that came out in the master planning process is that this is much more than a place to see plants — it’s a place where the community gathers to create emotional souvenirs.” 

Key goals for the master plan included: 

1. An inclusive, clearly defined and easily shared vision and mission embracing the strengths and assets of both institutions. 
2. Sustainable buildings and landscapes demonstrating locally adapted development and how to achieve it. 
3. Design concepts and site elements that celebrate both institutions and bring them together into a unified, cohesive campus. 
4. A strong foundation for programming that supports the mission, improved guest experience, and growth in generated revenue.  

Studio Outside landscape architects led the consultant planning effort, along with architects from Bennett Partners, and public engagement facilitators from DEI Consultants, LLC.  

The City of Fort Worth Park & Recreation Advisory Board endorsed the plan in late 2022.  

For more information about the planning and public engagement process, visit: fwbg.org/masterplan 

Thousands of Beautiful Orchids to fill Rainforest Conservatory 

FORT WORTH, Texas (Jan. 24 , 2023) — The Fort Worth Botanic Garden invites visitors to “World of Orchids,” a dazzling indoor exhibit that runs Feb. 24 - April 9. 

“Orchid exhibits, frequently hosted by world-class botanic gardens, are the perfect opportunity to introduce our community to the beauty and splendor of one of the world’s most diverse plant families,” said Bob Byers, FWBG executive vice president. “Most orchids bloom in late winter and early spring, so that is the ideal time to showcase this amazing flower.” 

Fort Worth Orchid Society President Dotty Woodson described “World of Orchids” as a first-time orchid event of this magnitude in Texas. “It will turn the Fort Worth Botanic Garden’s rainforest conservatory into an exquisite orchid paradise with thousands of colorful orchids of every shape and size arranged in spectacular displays,” Woodson said. 

With approximately 30,000 species, orchids are the largest family of flowering plants in the world and grow on every continent except Antarctica.  Some orchids are terrestrial (ground-dwelling) and grow in temperate and boreal regions.  Many orchid species are epiphytic, which means they grow on other plants but derive moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water or from debris accumulating around them. 

H-E-B/Central Market is the exhibit’s presenting sponsor. “We're thrilled to partner with the Fort Worth Botanic Garden on its inaugural ‘World of Orchids’ exhibit. This world-class exhibit will put the Garden on the map for orchid enthusiasts and garden lovers all across the region and beyond," said Mabrie Jackson, senior director of public affairs, H-E-B/Central Market. "We’re excited to have these beautiful and exotic varieties available for enjoyment down the street from our store right here in Fort Worth." 

During the course of the exhibit, the event is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with last tickets sold at 4:30 p.m. Visitors may pay to see the orchid exhibit alone or pay to see a combination of the orchid exhibit and the entire Garden. Members pay a discounted price for the orchid exhibit.  For more information, visit fwbg.org/orchids. 

Fort Worth, TX (January 3, 2023) — The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Moo-seum Experience is back! The Moo-seum Experience, presented by Central Market, allows guests to experience the wonder of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, along with the Cattle Raisers Museum and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, for free with same day Stock Show admission from January 13 – February 4, 2023. The Noble Planetarium will follow posted showtimes and two brand new exhibits will be on view for guests of the Stock Show to peruse.

Explore all the benefits of the Moo-seum Experience with more open hours! The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History will follow adjusted hours during the run of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

Hours of Operation from January 13, 2022 – February 4, 2023

Monday – Saturday | 10 AM – 5 PM

Sunday | Noon – 5 PM

Museum members can enjoy the Moo-seum Experience, too! Members receive free daily admission to the Fort Worth Stock Show grounds with their official voucher, valid photo I.D. and membership card. Not a member yet? Become one now!

 

To learn more about the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo admission, visit their website!

Fort Worth, Texas (Wednesday, November 2, 2022) The Art Commission invites Fort Worth residents to comment on the Draft Heritage Park Public Art Master Plan on Monday, November 14, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. A second opportunity for public comment is scheduled for December 12, 2022, at the same time and location. 

On October 4, 2022, the City Council received a work session briefing on an exciting schematic design by MIG for improvements to Heritage and Paddock Parks in downtown Fort Worth. As part of this effort, Legge Lewis Legge, LLC, was selected through the Fort Worth Public Art program to develop a public art master plan that identifies opportunities, locations, and types of public art that, collectively, would celebrate the multicultural history of the site near the confluence of the West and Clear Forks of the Trinity River. To develop the master plan, Legge Lewis Legge, LLC, interviewed diverse groups of community stakeholders and subject matter experts to learn about all who have this special place ‘home.’ 

The Draft Heritage Park Public Art Master Plan is available on the Fort Worth Public Art website for review (www.fwpublicart.org/fwpa-master-plan/). Fort Worth residents are invited to comment, in-person, at one of the upcoming Art Commission Public Hearings or submit written comments via email (talkto@artsfortworth.org) or US Mail (Arts Fort Worth, Attn: Fort Worth Public Art, 1300 Gendy Street, Fort Worth, TX, 76107). Written comments received by Friday, December 9, 2022, will be reviewed by the Art Commission prior to adoption of the Heritage Park Public Art Master Plan. 

CONTACT:  

Elena Greer, Communications Manager 

817.298.3041 

egreer@artsfortworth.org