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Stunning new art exhibition celebrates 100 years of Texas State Parks

100 Years of Texas Parks

Courtesy of TPWD

Texans love to get outdoors, and we're lucky to have 89 state parks, historic sites, and natural areas to explore across our great state. Totaling more than 640,000 acres, these public lands are reaching a major milestone in 2023 and one traveling exhibition is commemorating the event throughout the year.

Kicking off at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, "The Art of Texas State Parks"honors the Centennial Celebration of Texas State Parks with a stunning visual survey of more than 30 parks. Featuring works by some of the state's most celebrated artists, the display started at the Bullock on January 7 and run until April 30 before moving on to other cities later this year.

Several years in the making, the exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, and the Bullock Texas State History Museum. H-E-B provided additional support for the project as a presenting sponsor of the Texas State Parks Centennial Celebration.

“We are grateful for the partnership that is bringing 'The Art of Texas State Parks' to museums across Texas, spreading the message about these natural treasures that belong to us all,” said TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz, Ph.D., in a release.

In total, 30 Texas artists were commissioned to create works celebrating parks across Texas, all with the mission to increase public awareness of Texas parklands and heighten their popular appeal through their elegant and inspired works. Participating artists represent multiple regions across the state, including: Pat Gabriel, Billy Hassell, and Jim Malone (all of Fort Worth); David Griffin (Lubbock/ Dallas); Mary Baxter (Marfa); Charles Criner (Houston); Ric Dentinger (San Antonio/Santa Fe NM); Fidencio Duran (Austin); Brian Grimm (Fredericksburg); Clemente Guzman (San Antonio); and many more.

Along with the traveling exhibit, the project also includes a commemorative book published by Texas A&M Press, which is already available online through Texas A&M Press, the Bullock Museum Store, and Amazon. Proceeds from book sales and the sale of the artwork through Foltz Fine Art in Houston will be donated to Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation to benefit Texas State Parks.

“It was a real pleasure to see the passion these artists brought to this project, and we’re thrilled these works will be on display at prestigious museums across Texas,” said Andrew Sansom, co-author of the commemorative book and founder of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, in the release. “It is our fervent hope that these works of art will inspire present and future generations of Texans to forever appreciate and protect their parks.”

After its spring stay in Austin, the exhibit will travel to the Houston Museum of Natural Science from May 26 to October 1 before heading to the Panhandle Plains Museum in Canyon from October 27 through February 18, 2024. The exhibit will also be displayed in 2024 in College Station, Albany, and Tyler.

Those looking to participate in the Centennial Celebration all year long can visit TexasStateParks.org/100years, which includes info on the ongoing partnership between Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and TPWD, as well as details about special community events taking place at state parks throughout 2023.

Texas State Parks Centennial

Courtesy of TPWD

Billy Hassell, Red-bellied Woodpecker with Mallards, Daingerfield State Park, 2021, oil on canvas, 40x30 in.

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

Best ways to celebrate your Pride throughout June in Dallas-Fort Worth

Have Some Pride

The month of June is designated as Pride Month to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and various groups and businesses around Dallas-Fort Worth are showing their support in a multitude of ways.

Here are some of the best ways we've found for members of the community and allies to participate in Pride Month in style. While some are specific events, other celebrations will occur all month long. Find even more events here.

Monthlong celebrations

Pride Month screenings at Rooftop Cinema Club
Rooftop Cinema Club on top of the Worthington Renaissance Hotel in downtown Fort Worth will screen a variety of films with LGBTQ+ themes or characters throughout the month of June, including Mamma Mia!, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Birdcage, Moulin Rouge!, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and The Devil Wears Prada.

Special Pride drink from Gong cha
Gong cha, which has seven stores in the DFW area, will donate a portion of every purchase of their special Lemon Ai Love Yu bubble tea to the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) in name of #Equalitea. The special Pride drink is a sweet and tart Lemon Ai Love Yu bubble tea with white pearls and (edible) glitter for some extra festive sparkle. The limited time promotion will run through June 30.

Luckys Pride Celebration
A Dallas institution off Oak Lawn Avenue for more than 35 years, Luckys has long been a supporter of the LGBTQ community. They'll celebrate Pride Month throughout June with a special commemorative T-shirt and a celebratory cocktail, the Pride ’Rita, featuring El Jimador Blanco tequila blended with Chambord, lime juice, and agave nectar.

Electric Shuffle Pride Brunches
Every Sunday in June starting at 12 pm, Electric Shuffle in Deep Ellum will host a Drag Brunch and donate 10 percent of those brunch sales to DIFFA. There will be big-name performers, a Drag Race Royalty special guest, high-tech shuffleboard, live DJs, and more. Additionally, $1 of each purchase of their new summer cocktail, the Prickly Pear Margarita, will be donated to DIFFA.

Pride events

Weird Wednesday Night Market + Secret Movie Screening
June 7, 5-10:30 pm: Fort Worth Community Cinema hosts a special Pride Month Weird Wednesday event at Southside Preservation Hall. The event will feature more than 35 food vendors (but it's BYOB), along with art, collectors, "retro preshow," and a screening of a secret Pride Month comedy at 8 pm. Admission is free, but they request “pay what you can” donations for entry into the movie. Register here.

Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum presents “Voices of LGBTQ+ Dallas”
June 7, 7 pm. The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum is hosting “Voices of LGBTQ+ Dallas,” a special exhibition program for Pride Month highlighting trailblazers in the Dallas area LGBTQ+ community. The program featuring speakers such as Chris Luna and Naomi Green is already sold out, but the Museum’s current special exhibition, Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement, is on display through June 18.

Arttitude presents OutLoud: A Night of Pride
June 8, 6 pm: OutLoud: A Night of Pride is an inclusive event where artists and performers can fearlessly share their stories and experiences. The event will include poetry, burlesque, and a music performance by special guest Gina Chavez. At the Latino Cultural Center.

Dallas Wings Pride Night
June 9, 7 pm: Pride Night for the Dallas Wings of the WNBA. They'll be taking on the Phoenix Mercury, who feature Brittney Griner as their star player. All attendees at College Park Center in Arlington will receive a special rally towel for the occasion.

Arlington Pride Celebration
June 10, 5-11 pm: Arlington's Pride Celebration takes place at Levitt Pavilion, which will fill with vendors and performers including RuPaul's Drag Race Queens, Symone, Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Kennedy Davenport, and Lady Bunny will DJ. The event is family-friendly and (well-behaved) dog-friendly. Admission is free, but tickets are required for entrance.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden presents Pride in Bloom
June 10-11: Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will highlight Pride Month with its second Pride in Bloom celebration, featuring a full weekend of LGBTQ+ artisans, entertainers, chefs, and small businesses. Visitors can shop items at the vendor market, pack or purchase a picnic, listen to live entertainment, and enjoy Gary Lee Price’s Great Contributors’ bronze exhibition. Admission to the Children’s Adventure Garden will also be free.

Dallas Arts District presents Pride Block Party
June 16, 6 pm: The Pride Block Party in the Dallas Arts District features a variety of activities at the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and Crow Museum of Asian Art, and throughout the district. Activities include gallery tours, drag performers, comedy, dancing, and a fashion show.

LGBTQ SAVES Youth Pride Picnic 2023
June 17, 10 am-2 pm: Designed as a youth-centered Pride event for LGBTQ individuals 24 and younger, the festivities include a free picnic lunch and activities in Trinity Park. Participants are invited to invite their family or chosen family, but tickets are required. Ticket priority will be given to LGBT+ youth. Volunteers are needed, too. Register here.

Dallas Comedy Club presents "Stand-Up for Hope"
June 17, 5 pm: Stand-Up for Hope is a stand-up comedy show featuring all-LGBTQ performers and benefiting Dallas Hope Charities, which helps provide food, shelter, and services that instill dignity, stability, and Hope For All. Hosted by Stefan Newman, host of Queer Factor, the event will feature performances by Kim Wadsworth,Kerry Day, Charlotte Parker, Lucia Hardaway, and Jamie Zeske.

Ride for Pride
June 24, 9 am: Ride for Pride is a four-mile bike ride down the Katy Trail and back, starting at Reverchon Recreation Center. There will also be Health and Safety fair from 10 am-2 pm.

Holiday sensation Lightscape returns to Fort Worth for 2023 with new displays and pricing

Planning ahead for the holidays

Fort Worth's biggest holiday sensation of 2022 is coming back for a second year, promising to be even better than the first: Lightscape walk-through holiday lights experience will return to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, November 17, 2023-January 1, 2024.

Tickets are on sale now for FWBG members and go on sale to the general public Friday, June 9, according to a release.

The 2023 edition is being "reimagined" with 80 percent newly designed displays, organizers say. The popular Winter Cathedral and Bluebonnet displays will return.

“You may think you’ve seen Lightscape, but you’ve never seen this Lightscape," says Patrick Newman, CEO and president of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, in the release. “This is a celebration of the holiday spirit and a way for families and friends to come together to create a new holiday tradition with long-lasting memories – we like to call them emotional souvenirs.”

There's also new pricing for 2023, set based on feedback from the first year, Newman says. Although ticket prices are not yet available on the FWBG's website, organizers tease in the release that they just might be cheaper. (Admission for 2022 ran $28-$30 for adults and $18-$20 for children ages 3-12. FWBG members received $5 off of each ticket. Prices did not include parking, which ran $15-$20.)

According to the release, off-peak tickets for 2023 will be as low as $15 for adult members of the FWBG. Guests also can purchase an "Anytime Access" ticket that includes parking, flexible arrival times, and a dedicated check-in line, they say, although pricing is not yet available.

“This year members receive a deeper discount with $8 off each ticket, a great incentive for attending Lightscape at a lower price while also receiving free year-round Garden admission,” Newman says.

Lightscape, produced by the Fort Worth Botanic Garden in association with Sony Music and Culture Creative, made its North Texas debut in November 2022 and immediately attracted sell-out crowds as the most Instagrammable holiday experience in DFW.

The event immersed visitors in more than a mile of holiday light and music displays incorporated into the natural landscape of the garden.

A CultureMap review of the experience said, "What makes Lightscape different from other modern Christmas light attractions is that it’s not a constant, over-the-top, bombastic blast of LEDs. There are high-lights and low-lights, moments of razzle dazzle and moments of quiet contemplation. Parts are whimsical, parts are worshipful."

Lightscape creators aim to build on the success of last year’s inaugural show, organizers say, and are hard at work on new displays created exclusively for Fort Worth.

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