Dallas and Fort Worth may boast dueling personalities when it comes to pace, history and local identity, but one thing Big D and Cowtown have in common: Art. Each has a wonderful, well-appointed city district filled with galleries, performance venues, public pieces and nationally-respected collections.
On May 18 (or, in one case, May 20) five museums in Dallas and Fort Worth will join more than 150 cultural institutions across the country offering free admission or other perks in celebration of the 9th annual Art Museum Day.
This year's theme is Hyperconnected Museums, emphasizing ways museums provide ways for community members to engage with art through social, sensory, physical and intellectual programming.
Here is information on how local museums are participating in Art Museum Day 2018 and ways each stays hyperconnected to visitors all year long.
Amon Carter Museum
Permanent Collection: Focused on the American West featuring a large number of cowboy masterpieces by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell
Location: Fort Worth Cultural District
Admission: Always free (plus, free parking in the museum lot on Camp Bowie Blvd.)
Art Day specials/events: Regular docent-led tour from 2-3 p.m. and 10-percent discount on select items in the museum store on May 18
Hyperconnection: Thursday night Cocktail Series with food trucks and live music; themed tours -- like an upcoming Buffalo Hunt; family programming like the Itty Bitty Art series for babies and toddlers; and Sunset Cinema, an outdoor picnic film series on the museum lawn
Kimbell Art Museum
Permanent collection: Works by definitive masters, including Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso and Cezanne, that prizes "quality over quantity"; plus, ancient world art
Location: Fort Worth Cultural District
Admission: Permanent collection is always free; find free parking on this map (the museum suggests free underground garage parking in the Piano Pavilion)
Art Day events/specials: Free all-day admission to the current special exhibition From the Lands of Asia: The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection on May 18
Hyperconnection: After-hours Social Club on select Friday nights -- note, the next event is May 18 -- featuring live music, hors d'oeuvres and half-priced wine and craft beer; Soul Sundays, an all-levels yoga class (which fills up quickly; register in advance); the second Saturday After Hours happy-hour event featuring live music, appetizers and a signature cocktail; art workshops and summer camps for children and teens; a book club exploring literary connections to the art world; lectures and more
Meadows Museum
Permanent collection: Twentieth-century Spanish paintings, including those by Goya, plus sculptures by international artists -- notably Calatrava's Wave, prominently displayed on the campus' main thoroughfare -- and works by university alumni and faculty; more information here
Location: Dallas, on the Southern Methodist University campus
Admission: Free on May 18 (admission is generally $12 for adult non-members; parking in the adjacent underground garage is always free for museum visitors)
Art Day specials/events: Free admission, including special exhibitions, on May 18
Hyperconnection: Re-connections, a free, "relaxed social gathering" for individuals with early stage dementia and their families or care-givers; informal drawing sessions led by guest artists; a Family Day with art making, gallery talks and sensory exploration on June 23; lectures and more
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Permanent collection: International post-World War II art, including works by Andy Warhol and Donald Judd
Location: Fort Worth Cultural District
Admission: Generally $10-16 for adults over age 18, which includes permanent collection and special exhibitions (Note: new prices take effect on June 10.)
Art Day specials/events: Free admission and docent-guided tour on Sunday, May 20 -- please note, this is the only local museum participating on a day other than May 18
Hyperconnection: First Friday at the Modern happy hour series with live music, appetizers and drinks; two film series: Magnolia at the Modern, showing mostly new independent films and documentaries, and summer Tuesday Evenings at the Modern, which shows films related to current exhibitions and lectures; lectures and curator conversations; live music, theater and dance performances; food and dining events at Cafe Modern; workshops and camps; free gallery conversations designed for individuals in the Deaf community on the fourth Tuesday of each month; and podcasts, videos and blog posts by art experts
Nasher Sculpture Center
Permanent collection: Modern sculpture and twentieth-century paintings with indoor and outdoor exhibition space in a beautiful garden
Location: Dallas Arts District
Admission: Generally $5-10 for adult non-members; free admission every First Saturday
Art Day specials/events: Free admission on May 18
Hyperconnection: The 360 Speaker Series featuring lectures by artists, critics and curators; Target First Saturdays, with free admission and family programming; Soundings, a live classical music series; and 'til Midnight at the Nasher, which pairs free, live outdoor concerts with film screenings every third Friday from March-November
