By Jared Lax
Fall Gallery Night, hosted by the Fort Worth Art Dealer's Association (FWADA) Sept. 7, allows local art galleries and museums to display contemporary art in various ways and in various venues. The night, which is free to the public, "invites you to take-in the visual arts and celebrate our unique community's cultural richness," according to FWADA's website. But with 23 participating venues located in different areas of Fort Worth and only nine hours to enjoy it, how do you make the most of Gallery Night? We consulted Joe Greenslade, Director of Engineering at the Industrial Fastener Institute, and Kathy Dolan, a faculty member at UNT Health Science Center, two Gallery Night veterans who have attended every year for more than 15 years.
Winter Shadow by Soon Warren on view at The Atrium Gallery
Transportation:
Driving is the popular option. "Parking and all that can be a little bit crowded," says Dolan, "but it is manageable because people are always coming and going." Dolan added that "the galleries tend to cluster," making it easy to park and walk to multiple venues within a comfortable distance. A bike could work, but walking everywhere would make Gallery Night an exhausting experience.
Order:
"I like to end at [Rebecca Lowe's Metal Sculpture Gallery], so I usually will start in and around downtown, and then work my way up to West 7th, and then over to Camp Bowie before finishing up at Rebecca's," suggested Greenslade. Lowe's Gallery is Greenslade's favorite, so he makes a point every year to save plenty of time and end the night there. Dolan, on the other hand, is most concerned about ending the night close to home. "I draw the biggest concentric circle and kind of just get closer to home," she said. Whether your eye is on a specific exhibition or on a specific bedtime, determine where you want to end and allow the rest of the night to shape up accordingly.
Rings by Rebecca Low
Best Way to Enjoy Gallery Night:
For Dolan, Gallery Night is governed by the less is more adage. "One of the things that tends to happen is you get this list and you're so intent on making it to the next place that you don't stop to savor the place that you're at," she acknowledged. Another way to enjoy Gallery Night, Greenslade emphasized, is with great company. "[My wife and I] will get one or two couples to go with us who have an interest in modern art and we make a long afternoon or evening out of it. It's just a lot of fun to talk with our friends and discover new pieces together." A great mindset and great company are two surefire ways to relish the evening.
Best Thing About Gallery Night:
"I enjoy discovering new artists and new pieces that I haven't seen," says Greenslade. "Plus it's an opportunity to see a lot of friends with similar interests." Additionally, the quality of the art is consistently a highlight of the night, as Dolan pointed out. "I think the galleries really make an effort to show some of their best work."
The Grass is Always Greener by Dennis Farris on view at Galerie Kornye West
How do you experience Gallery Night? Send us your tips to [email protected] or share them on Facebook. Event brochures will be available at local galleries and online closer to Sept. 7. For more information, visit fwada.com.
