It will be an artful weekend in and around Fort Worth, as visual art and theater events make up the majority of the list. With Fall Gallery Night taking place on Saturday, there will be a slew of new art exhibits opening and one significant closing. The theater front will bring a festival, fundraiser, and new local production. There will also be movies new and old, a TV star-turned-singer, and more.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time over this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, September 5
Moudy Gallery presents Kalee Appleton: "A Number of Grand Gestures" opening reception
The Art Galleries at TCU will present "A Number of Grand Gestures," featuring new work by Kalee Appleton, assistant professor of art at Texas Christian University. Featuring new, large-scale photographic prints, the exhibit explores ideas based around the skewed perception of digital technology and its role in informing a sense of place and memory. Following the opening reception, the exhibit will be on view through September 26.
Friday, September 6
Fort Worth Fringe Festival
The Fort Worth Fringe Festival, presented by Texas Nonprofit Theatres, Inc. and the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, will feature 14 different productions over the course of three days. The festival is headlined by Buckle Up Theatre's Bump, a highly physical, quick-paced play that probes modern relationships with comedy and pathos. The festival takes place through Sunday at Fort Worth Community Arts Center.
Magnolia at the Modern: Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins
Molly Ivins was a legendary Texas journalist, humorist, and media firebrand whose byline appeared in more than 400 newspapers nationwide, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Raise Hell is a documentary about the celebrated political columnist who used her razor-sharp wit to speak truth to power. The film will screen six times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Amphibian Stage Productions presents 20th Birthday Bash
Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary season, Fort Worth’s Amphibian Stage Productions will present its annual fundraiser event, a birthday bash celebrating 20 years of groundbreaking creative work by the company. The Birthday Bash will feature Broadway’s Christine Pedi and other birthday surprises, including special guests, games, prizes, and more. The company will also announce its 21st season at the party.
John Schneider in concert
For people of a certain generation, John Schneider will always be known as Bo Duke on CBS’s The Dukes of Hazzard. He is also an accomplished country musician, having released almost 30 albums in 40 years, including a series of albums in 2018. He'll play at Arlington Music Hall.
Saturday, September 7
Nash Farm presents Italian Car Fest
The Italian Car Club of North Texas and the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau present Italian Car Fest, an annual prelude to the 33rd Annual GrapeFest. The premier show of Italian automobiles in the Southwest features more than 90 vehicles, from Fiats and Alfa Romeos to Lamborghinis and Ferraris. The festival takes place at Nash Farm in Grapevine.
Casa Mañana Theatre presents Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, aka the “World’s Most Successful Rock Musical,” celebrates Holly’s meteoric rise to fame and the top of the record charts. Set during the golden days of rock ‘n’ roll, the production features hits such as “Peggy Sue,” “That’ll be the Day,” and “Rave On.” The last half of the show re-enacts his last night on earth, the concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, complete with the moves of Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. The musical will run through September 15 at Casa Mañana Theatre.
Art Tooth presents "Threads" opening reception
Art Tooth will present “Threads,” a group exhibition that explores the literal and figurative meaning of the term with pieces that utilize fabric or representation of fabric. The exhibition also references “threads” as a connection between people. Viewers are invited to recognize the many connections they are making when entering the gallery. Following the opening reception, the exhibit will be on display at Artes de la Rosa Cultural Center for the Arts through October 4.
Fort Worth Community Arts Center new exhibits
September 7 is Fall Gallery Night in Fort Worth, and Fort Worth Community Arts Center will celebrate by opening seven new exhibits. Featured exhibits will include Shamona Stokes: "Horn of Plenty," Greg Bahr: "Day Trippin," "Preservation is the Art of the City," "Creature Comfort," Ariel Bowman: "Wondrous Creatures," Jonathan Jackson: "African Contemporary," and Scott Prather: "Deified." All exhibits will be on display through September 26.
Sunday, September 8
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents "David Park: A Retrospective" closing day
Sunday is the final day to view "David Park: A Retrospective" at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, this is the first major museum exhibition in more than 30 years to present the powerfully expressive work of David Park (1911-1960), best known as the originator of Bay Area Figurative art. The exhibit traces the full arc of the artist's career, from his early social realist efforts of the 1930s to his mature figurative paintings of the 1950s.
Lone Star Film Festival presents Sunday Cinema Series: The Verdict
The Lone Star Film Festival's Sunday Cinema Series is winding down for the year, and one of the final films will be The Verdict, starring Paul Newman and directed by Sidney Lumet. Newman plays Frank Galvin, a lawyer who sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling. The film will screen at Four Day Weekend Theatre.
Casa Mañana Theatre presents Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, playing September 7-15.
