Historic preservation and creativity will meet this week when the doors open for Preservation Is the Art of the City, a three-day art show and sale event hosted by Historic Fort Worth.
The 22nd annual showcase will begin with Party With the Artist on Sept. 4 at First on 7th, located at 500 W. 7 St. Attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with artists and preview — and purchase — original art works before they become available to the public. The kickoff party begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the announcement of 10 artist awards and sales offered at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $175 per person and are available in advance online.
A public art show will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 5 and noon to 9 p.m. on Sept. 6. Admission is free for these two dates. The art sales will benefit Historic Fort Worth.
Event Honorees
Butterfly Dream, oil on canvas, by Carolyn Natishyn
Carolyn Natishyn
The featured artist this year will be Carolyn Natishyn. This Dallas native currently resides in Arlington and holds a BFA from the University of Texas at Arlington and an MFA from Texas Christian University. Her paintings have been shown in both solo and juried exhibitions.
Preservationists Mary Kathryn Anderson and Warren Gould will also be honored. The married couple has been active in North Texas community efforts. Anderson served as director of community development at the Tarrant Area Food Bank, and Gould’s career involved practicing civil law in the service of people trying to obtain disability benefits.
Warren Gould and Mary Kathryn Anderson
The two are ideal honorees, according to Jerre Tracy, Historic Fort Worth’s executive director. Their creativity and leadership have influenced others to protect their own historic neighborhood, Tracy said.
“This year’s honorees, Mary Kathryn Anderson and Warren Gould, remind us that preservation is both an art and a responsibility,” said Tracy. “Just as HFW’s artists capture beauty on canvas, Mary Kathryn and Warren chose their home in the 100-year-old Park Hill neighborhood for its timeless architectural beauty and their responsibility to safeguard its ongoing future in this prominent neighborhood.”
A Little Something About Park Hill
Fort Worth’s Park Hill neighborhood, which saw its first homes built in 1926, was designed by the renowned landscape architectural firm Hare & Hare.
The father-and-son team out of Kansas City left their fingerprints all over Fort Worth. Their prolific work, which spans several states, includes the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, and their influence is seen throughout Fort Worth’s Rivercrest Estates and Highland Park.
Today, Park Hill is known for its rolling hills with tree-lined streets and well-preserved early-20th-century homes — a testament to the legacy of Hare & Hare and a well-maintained neighborhood.
Protecting neighborhood integrity has long been a tenet of Historic Fort Worth, and the nonprofit has been recognized for its work. It was established in 1969 and honored in 2009 with the Texas Historical Commission’s Governor’s Award in Preservation. As a member of the National Preservation Partners Network, Historic Fort Worth, Inc. is dedicated to preserving Fort Worth’s history in multi-faceted ways.