Twice a year, folks from all over Fort Worth slide on cute strappy sandals, sip a cocktail, and step out the door to the city's art galleries and museums. Even those who claim not to appreciate art turn up for Gallery Night. It's as big a social event for girlfriend groups as it is an "arty" event for creatives.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Fall Gallery Night, presented by The Fort Worth Art Dealers Association and taking place all day September 8. Most participating venues (and there are a couple dozen) are open to the public from 12-9 pm.

To help you plan your day, here are a handful of hot stops not to miss (descriptions courtesy of FWADA). For more options, download the event brochure here.

Kimbell Art Museum's "Behind the Seams: Balenciaga" Gallery Night Pre-Party
The Kimbell Art Museum will kick off Fall Gallery Night with a pre-party inspired by the upcoming exhibition "Balenciaga in Black." It will be a night of live music by Tatiana "Lady May" Mayfield, champagne cocktails, and design-inspired Spanish hors d'oeuvres from Chef Katie Horne of Wild Salsa, Fort Worth. Gallery Night goers will enjoy an exclusive event in anticipation of the exhibit, opening October 7, and can even try their hand at creating their own couture. Wear black and you'll fit right in. The party begins at 5 pm.

Fort Worth Community Arts Center presents Rose Marie Mercado and Julia McLain: "Under The Cosmic Canopy" opening reception
Fort Worth Community Arts Center will present “Under the Cosmic Canopy,” a concept of installation artwork by two Dallas-Fort Worth-based artists, diverse in style, in sync in artistic dialogue, in their first exhibition collaboration. McLain and Mercado have produced individual themes that both correlate and complement each artist expressing her own passion. From botanicals to graphic animal whimsies, from still life settings to cityscapes, each artist invites the viewer to explore visual narratives that engage awareness of old forms and themes in new perspectives. Following the opening reception, which starts at 6 pm, the exhibit will be on view through September 24.

ArtSpace 111 presents Devon Nowlin: "Familiar Strangers" and Layla Luna: "DESERT: over and over"
The popular downtown-area gallery hosts two solo exhibitions for Gallery Night. The main gallery will feature Devon Nowlin’s "Familiar Strangers," a new series of paintings that combine complex figurative elements into surreal narrative compositions. In the studio, artist Layla Luna is featured with her series "DESERT: over and over," which contrasts the feeling of home with the vastness and repetition found in the West Texas desert, and the comfort each can provide despite their varying challenges. The exhibitions will be on display through October 6.

Gallery 414 presents "Recomposed" featuring Janet Chaffee and Andrew Ortiz
Gallery 414 opens a new exhibition on Gallery Night: "Recomposed," featuring Janet Chaffee and Andrew Ortiz. Chaffee’s work is an intuitive investigation of nature through materiality. Ortiz explores identity and experience through digital processes. The two artists utilize very different processes and subject matter as their inspiration but share an interest in layering imagery and material to re-contextualize personal experiences. Both will be present for a Gallery Night reception. "Recomposed" will run through October 7.

SiNaCa Studios presents Brandon Pederson
The funky Magnolia Avenue glassblowing studio hosts local artist Brandon Pederson and will present collaborative demonstrations between Pederson and the SiNaCa staff from 3-9 pm. Pederson, a Fort Worth native, launched his artistic career in 2015 and has been making strides in the local art scene. His preferred medium is wood and enjoys creating large scale sculptures of all types. At this innovative and unique collaboration, he at the staff will work together to realize his concepts in glass.

Rebecca Low Sculpture Gallery presents Willie Baronet: "Signs of Humanity"
Willie Baronet, artist and professor of advertising and marketing at SMU, has been buying and collecting homeless signs since 1993 as part of a long-term art project titled “WE ARE ALL HOMELESS.” In 2014 he began a 31-day cross-country trip to buy signs in 24 cities, which was the subject of the documentary film Signs of Humanity that debuted at the Dallas International Film Festival. It explores interrelated themes of home, homelessness, compassion, and humanity. The Camp Bowie Boulevard sculpture gallery will exhibit Baronet's works, as well as new works from the gallery artists, on Gallery Night.

Fort Works Art presents Reisha Perlmutter: "Undercurrents"
Fort Works Art welcomes artist Reisha Perlmutter to Fort Worth from her home in Brooklyn. Perlmutter has shown at some of the most prestigious galleries in New York and the Hamptons. Perlmutter’s works are charged with the role femininity plays in our society and the undercurrents that exist within this content and conversation. The female form, whether in her water-filled worlds or coated in mud, capture moments of purity and freedom for the subject and reflect upon their feelings on their bodies.