While a nickname like Cowtown doesn't necessarily elicit a plethora of galleries with work from burgeoning painters, photographers and sculptors, Fort Worth's vibrant art community is one of the things that makes the city so special.
Embrace the city's creative spirit at the 40th annual Fall Gallery Night, where this year's sponsor, the Fort Worth Art Dealers Association, brings art galleries, museums and nonprofit exhibition spaces to display new works from flourishing artists.
"It's a unique opportunity for the public to have a dialogue with the artists about their work," says Shea Patterson Young, FWADA's executive director. "Anytime you have an active art community, it enhances the environment of the entire city. I believe art always broadens our horizons and helps us see things from different perspectives."
Art Tooth & Blackhouse
Gallery Hop on the Party Bus
Two buses. Six stops. One killer after-party at Fort Worth's coolest venue. Take a ride on Art Tooth's party bus for the ultimate Fall Gallery Night experience. Choose the early bus or the late bus and then hang on tight as you're chauffeured around town to several different galleries, including ART7, Gallery 414, and the ArtHunt Pop-Up at WestBend. Bus tickets include admission to the limited-capacity, after-hours celebration at the Blackhouse in Rock Island (which is also where the journey begins). Grab tickets quick to snag a seat on this white-hot party machine. 1105 East Peach St., Fort Worth, TX 76102
Art on the Boulevard
Diverse Local Collective, Co-op Exhibit
Kicking off its reception at 2 p.m., Art on the Boulevard will present the creations of numerous Fort Worth artists in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels, pencil and 3D sculpture. This cooperative gallery on Camp Bowie features a variety of styles, from photorealism to abstract expressionism. On Fall Gallery Night, visitors can enjoy works by Gale Johnston, Bob Fox, Gloria Sepp, Dolores Hibbard, Bruce Love, Todd Ford, Loretta LaMothe, Clara Williams and Jennifer Stufflebeam. A large selection of watercolor and acrylic works on paper will also be available for purchase. Enjoy wine, soft drinks and light bites while chatting with the artists - almost everyone exhibiting artwork will be present. 4919 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. B, Fort Worth, TX 76107
The Gallery at UTA
Concurrent Exhibitions of Multifaceted Figures
Discover two artists whose work mirrors one another through explorations of geometric patterns, flat abstractions and human figures. Richard Armendariz, a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, uses traditional techniques and carving imagery to design surreal works with dramatic backgrounds and cultural references. Matthew Bourbon, a professor at the University of North Texas, blends the boundary between reality and theory through multifaceted portraits of human behavior. See works by both artists at the two-person exhibition: Richard Armendariz / Matthew Bourbon. The Gallery at UTA will be open until 6 p.m. on Fall Gallery Night. 502 S. Cooper St., Arlington, TX 76019
Rebecca Low Sculptural Metal Gallery & Studio
A Transient Collection
Willie Baronet brings his much-heralded installation of homeless signs to Fort Worth, offering a unique contemplation of humanity that has been featured by NPR, BuzzFeed and Huffington Post. Since 1993, Baronet has spent thousands of dollars to purchase the hand-drawn signs made by homeless people across America (they cost between $10 to $20 each). His long-term collection now numbers over 1,300 signs, and his exhibit has been shown across the U.S. and abroad to raise awareness about the homeless. Reflect on the meaning of compassion on Fall Gallery Night - and be sure to check out the gallery's sculpture garden, too. 7608 Camp Bowie West, Fort Worth, TX 76116
Artspace111
Opening Night forTwo Solo Shows
Two solo exhibitions will launch on Fall Gallery Night at this festive indoor/outdoor art space, which will also host a food truck and live music from Clint Niosi and Rage Out Arkestra. Sept. 8 is the opening reception for "Familiar Strangers," by Devon Nowlin (Main Gallery), and for "Desert: Over and Over," by Layla Luna (Studio). Nowlin's new series of surreal, figurative works are visually rich stories that examine the complex estrangement between collective aspirations and manufactured desires. Luna's signature enclosures move outdoors in her new exhibition, which contemplates the disparity between nature and comfort. Both artists are Fort Worth natives and will be in attendance. 111 Hampton St., Fort Worth, TX 76102
Fort Works Art
Underwater Beauties by Acclaimed NYC Artist
Discover a dreamlike, watery world of naturalistic female figures and mud-coated forms at Reisha Perlmutter's exhibit "Undercurrents," which celebrates its opening reception on Fall Gallery Night. The Brooklyn artist's stunning oil paintings balance between the ideas of self-acceptance, imperfection and the relationships that women have with their own bodies. Her works feel bold yet weightless, shimmering with the light of transformation and transcendence of the self. See the peaceful, fluid imagery of this nationally acclaimed painter and come away with an evolved understanding of the role of femininity. You can meet the artist on Fall Gallery Night and enjoy refreshments, plus music by Ronnie Heart. 2100 Montgomery St., Fort Worth, TX 76107
SiNaCa Studios
From Wood to Glass With Fire and Air
Discover blazing-hot live art at this glass-blowing studio on Fall Gallery Night. Fort Worth artist Brandon Pederson will be working with the SiNaCa team to reimagine some of his sculptural wooden creations in glass form. The crew will be fabricating multiple pieces of glass to be assembled in the hot shop, ultimately producing an entirely new work of art. Pederson is known for his hands-on craftwork with large-scale wooden sculptures. He develops different textures with various techniques, focusing on the process of making instead of the concept behind his art. Pederson's innovative experiments with wood will be an invigorating starting point for the glass artisans of this Magnolia Avenue studio.
1013 W. Magnolia Ave.,Fort Worth, TX 76104
Fort Worth Contemporary Arts
Stroll With "Les Flâneuses"
The flâneur is the act of a gentleman who strolls and is a connoisseur of city streets and passionate spectator of modern urban life. In 19th-century Paris, the flâneur was the consummate aesthete and a literary figure - and always a man. "Les Flâneuse," an international group exhibition, explores the experiences of the contemporary female flâneur - "if there is such a thing." This multimedia exhibit ponders the concept through sculpture, video, photography, audio and painting. Works reflect upon themes of street fashion, transgression, gender, walking creativity and the politics of the pavement. Some of the artists will be present on Fall Gallery Night; the entire exhibition includes pieces by Martha Cooper, Alicia Eggert, Retha Ferguson, Laura Oldfield Ford, Roxane Huilmand, Alicia Paz and Tuesday Smillie. 2900 W. Berry St.,Fort Worth, TX 76109
William Campbell Contemporary Art
Colorful Cloud Nine From Fort Worth Favorite
Playful cloudscapes, pensive figures, and illusory tulips – all with a touch of surreal magic – are the focus at JT Grant's latest exhibition, "Walking the Horizon." Sept. 8 is the opening night for this acclaimed Fort Worth artist, who paints in his backyard studio in Fairmount. Grant's contemporary works are imbued with a sense of uneasy dichotomy. Unfinished edges, brushy imagery and visible underpainting feel charged by a chaos within. Lucid colors roam the canvas, deconstructing reality into an intense internal experience. Grant's work hangs in the permanent collection at the Dallas Museum of Art, and the artist has lectured at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Kimbell Art Museum and TCU. His skies are absolutely sublime. Refreshments will be served on Fall Gallery Night. 4935 Byers Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76107
