Fort Worth Art Collective, formed in spring 2013, is a group of established professional artists from multiple disciplines working together to show art across various locations. The group started off hosting single-day pop-up shows in vacant spaces before expanding into longer-run curated shows.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bernardo Vallarino, lead coordinator with Fort Worth Art Collective, said the goal with the latest exhibition is to invite guests to support local creatives during a time when the Fort Worth art community doesn\u2019t have a central hub to highlight their works, referring to the closure of the Fort Worth Community Arts Center<\/a> in December 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n The community arts center in the city\u2019s Cultural District closed to the public after learning the city-owned building is in need of roughly $30 million in repairs<\/a>. The community arts center housed galleries, a theater and various arts organizations and artists.\u00a0<\/p>\n Arts Fort Worth, the organization that managed the building, vacated the facility in June and has since temporarily relocated to the new downtown library branch at 512 W. 4th St. The future of the community arts center remains uncertain<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a bridge for artists to be able to show locally within a museum context,\u201d Vallarino said. \u201cWe\u2019re pulling these threads of commonality between the artists.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The exhibition opens to the public with a reception at 6 p.m. July 18 and runs through Aug. 17. All exhibitions in the Help Center Gallery are free to the public.\u00a0<\/p>\n What Tarrant County artists are featured in the exhibition?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n Ariel Davis\u00a0<\/p>\n Aubree Dale<\/p>\n Becky Wilkes<\/p>\n Bernardo Vallarino<\/p>\n Bill Barter<\/p>\n Brenda Melgoza Ciardiello<\/p>\n Charles Coldewey<\/p>\n David Mikitka<\/p>\n Ivette Ramos Levy<\/p>\n Jan Ayers Friedman<\/p>\n Julia McLain<\/p>\n Lisa Cunningham<\/p>\n Lou Chapman<\/p>\n Lynne Buchanan<\/p>\n Mike Cunningham<\/p>\n Ron Crouch<\/p>\n Susan Sitzes<\/p>\n Veronica Jaeger<\/p>\n Mexican American artist Brenda Melgoza Ciardiello has been a member of the Fort Worth collective for nearly three years. This is her fifth time participating in one of the group\u2019s exhibitions. Her large-scale art painting \u201cAqu\u00ed All\u00e1,\u201d which explores connections to her heritage, will be on display at the Arlington showcase.\u00a0<\/p>\n Each showcase is unique, Melgoza Ciardiello said, but the upcoming exhibition is special as it provides mutual support and mentorship for the participating artists.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe collective was able to leverage these regional connections to give us the opportunity to show in a museum, which for some of us is the first time in our careers,\u201d she said. \u201cThis gave people the opportunity to bring out work that otherwise may not be shown very often.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Melgoza Ciardiello hopes guests walk away inspired to support independent artists.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy to get caught up in just looking at the same people that you\u2019re interested in all the time, but I think people will see some really interesting practices represented here and hopefully connect with those creatives and support them,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tired of shouting? Help us bring facts into focus.<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s no shortage of opinions out there, but facts are harder to come by. At the Fort Worth Report, we deliver local reporting grounded in truth so that you can make informed decisions for yourself and your community.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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