Cultural Arts in North Texas

The Area’s Best Kept Secret

The historic and thriving Arts District in Dallas is home to more than a dozen different performing and visual arts venues and organizations. Likewise, Ft. Worth’s Cultural District is home to several different art galleries, museums, and halls of fame. Together they compose one of North Texas’ best-kept secrets: a deep compassion and respect for the arts and culture

Dallas Museum of Art

Ranging from Ancient to Modern to Post-Modern

Founded in 1903, the Dallas Museum of Art’s exhibits depict art, design, and sculpture from all over the globe. Its impressive permanent collection boasts over 23,000 individual works! In 2008 the Dallas Museum of Art opened the Center for Creative Connections to provide “interactive learning experiences.” It also hosts community outreach programs throughout the year, including Late Nights where the museum is open until midnight and features performances, readings, and film screenings. Jazz Under the Stars is a free outdoor jazz concert in the museum’s lawn. To learn about these events and much more, check out the Dallas Museum of Art website.

Kimbell Art Museum

Established in 1936, with a Focus on Classical Art

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth contains a variety of works from around the world, from famous European art by Michelangelo and Picasso, to their Asian collection highlighting art from Neolithic China and Edo Period Japan. The museum itself is a work of art, constructed in 1972 by the famous American architect Louis I. Kahn. The Kimbell does not own any pieces from after the mid-20th Century nor any American art, entrusting those duties to the Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth, and the Amon Carter Museum respectively. To learn more visit the Kimbell Art Museum website.

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

One of the Nation’s Oldest Art Galleries

First granted a charter by the state of Texas in 1892 as the “Fort Worth Public Library and Art Gallery,” the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is the oldest gallery in Texas- and one of the oldest in the Western United States. Its mission statement is “collecting, presenting and interpreting international developments in post-World War II art in all media.” The Modern features over 2,600 works, making it one of the more prominent displays of post WW II art in the central United States. The Permanent Collection features over 3,000 works of contemporary art by Picasso, Pollock, and Warhol. To learn more visit the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s website.

Amon Carter Museum

Telling the Story of American Art

Art director Mitchell A. Wilder had a broad vision in mind for the Amon Carter Museum. Wilder believed that the grand story of American art could be interpreted as the history of many artists at different times working on “successive frontiers” in the great pageant of American history. This vision inspired the growth of a gallery featuring gorgeous landscape paintings, modern art, and one of the premier collections of American photography in the nation. The museum continues to collect American art and produces related programs, publications, and exhibitions. Philip Johnson, the museum’s original architect, designed and completed the building’s most recent expansion in 2001. The Amon Carter also houses one of the finest collections of American Western art in the world. To learn more visit the Amon Carter Museum’s website.

The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center

One of the World’s Greatest Concert Halls

The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is a concert hall located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. World renowned as one of the greatest orchestra halls, it is designed in the European shoebox style and seats 2,062. The shoebox design permits acoustics performance comparable to that of the Vienna Musikverein and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. The Meyerson Symphony Center has been home to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for over 20 years. To learn more about The Meyerson and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, visit the Dallas Symphony Orchestra website.

Bass Performance Hall

The Crown Jewel of Downtown Ft. Worth

The Bass Performance Hall was built in 1998 entirely with private funds. The European opera house-inspired limestone structure has been called the “crown jewel of downtown Ft. Worth”. The Hall itself is renowned for its superb acoustics, and is the permanent home to the Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Texas Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Opera, and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Built as a multi-purpose facility, the Hall is able to house symphony, ballet, opera, stage, musicals, and rock concerts. To learn more visit The Bass Performance Hall’s website.