Madeworthy Mar/Apr 2026

ART AND CUL TURE

Everything Under the Sun

Summer at the YMCA is filled with possibilities. From camps that spark adventure to swim lessons that build confidence and life-long skills. Whether it’s a child’s first splash, first friendship or first night away, the Y creates experiences that help kids grow, try new things, and feel supported every step of the way. Every child can find their place at the Y.

ADVENTURE DAY CAMP

Ages: 5-12

Epic fun for kids with games, activities, and adventures in a safe and enriching place. Weekly themes & field trips round out the fun!

OVERNIGHT CAMP SWIM LESSONS FOR ALL AGES

Ages: 7-15

Ordinary is off the schedule this summer! At YMCA Camp Carter, kids wake up to fresh air and prepare for a day of screen-free fun.

Ages: Infant - Adult

Build confidence with every stroke in a Y swim lesson. With a focus on safety, swimmers will develop skills for a lifetime.

Issue 52 | Creativity Takes Courage Mar/Apr 2026

Publisher Victoria Wise

Editor Lee Virden Geurkink

Associate Publisher Jennifer Kieta

Contributing Writers

Lyle Brooks

Julie Rhodes

Tabetha Weeks

Photographer

Emily Vasquez

Illustrator

Lead Design

Conor Dardis

Trish Wise

Cover Design

Victoria Wise

Madeworthy Magazine is an extension of Tanglewood Moms, LLC., and serves to tell community stories for a family audience. For website and magazine advertising opportunities, please contact: Victoria@MadeworthyMedia.com

Looking for more copies of Madeworthy Magazine? You can subscribe at TanglewoodMoms.com for free or pick up copies at Central Market in Fort Worth.

If you hang around art afcionados much, you will probably hear the words “plein air” bandied about. The term, from the French “en plein air," simply means “outdoors.” But what does it mean in an artistic sense?

A little history is in order. Until the early part of the 19th century, artists made their own paints from raw pigments rather than nipping down to the art supply store for a tube of cobalt blue or mosaic gold, which made painting anywhere but a studio diffcult. However, after paint in tubes became available, artists were free to paint where they liked, and they really liked painting outside. The Impressionists were especially fond of heading out into a feld or to a pond to commune with their muse.

“Plein air [painting] is fun because it gets you outdoors,” Doug Clark said. Clark is a local artist who started a popular plein air group here in North Texas called PAINT, an acronym for “Plein Air in North Texas.”

Clark, who is both a sculptor and a painter, specializes in wildlife art, something that goes hand in hand with plein air. "I've always loved camping and fshing and just being outdoors," Clark said. "To me, plein air adds to the enjoyment of painting and being

QContributors Question

How have the arts and culture in Fort Worth shaped your identity or sense of belonging?

Fort Worth offers a third space, a place outside of work and home, for people to engage with the arts and with each other. It's good knowing that there are still people who value art, creativity, and beauty.

The opportunity to spend a few hours walking through one of the awesome museums or galleries is like having a super-secret sauce for inspiration.

As an artist, I love the access to worldclass museums in Cowtown. I've recently entered two national art shows and have met so many other artists through a weekly plein air group.

Cowboys and Culture! You don't have to be a real cowboy or even a real artist to fnd your place here. Fort Worth invites you to participate in all its annual events. Even on a regular weeknight, you can get dandied up and enjoy an evening with friends.

Get Out and PAINT

by Lee Virden Geurkink

outdoors. I'm able to enjoy nature while I'm painting, and I love that."

Anyone is welcome to join PAINT on their jaunts into nature, regardless of age or artistic ability. The group paints in picturesque locations around the area, such as Benbrook Lake, city parks, and the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge.

“We have members ranging in age from the 40s through the 80s,” Clark said. “Some are retired. Some still work. Some are professional artists, while others just like to paint for themselves. A lot of the artists use oil paints, but some use watercolors or sketch. We even have some who use acrylics outdoors.”

"There really are no rules. We just go out and have a good time."

Usually, after a painting session, the group will either go somewhere for breakfast or brunch, or Clark will invite them over to his house for what he calls Show and Tell.

“What I fnd interesting is that when we go out as a group, we’re all looking at basically the same thing,” Clark said. “But at Show and Tell, you’ll have 15 very different paintings with different lighting and moods, even though we all saw the same thing.”

An artist from an early age (“I was always getting in trouble for doodling in class.”), Clark went to TCU, where he studied English and history, "so I could go to law school." After the frst week of law school, Clark decided that practicing law was not for him and became a teacher. He frst taught third-grade ESL before his principal offered him the position of art teacher. While he taught children about art, he started exploring his own talent.

"My father was a painter," Clark said. "Not full-time – he was a systems analyst – but he would sell his work. But being an artist was never anything my parents encouraged me to do."

After the COVID pandemic, Clark had enough of teaching and started creating art full-time.

As an actor, I am forever grateful for Fort Worth's arts and culture scene, and I've been so encouraged by the enthusiastic patron community that champions great work in our city.

Arts and culture in Fort Worth have given me a community language. It’s one of the easiest ways to connect with other families, to meet friends, and to feel part of something bigger than my own routine.

“Doug is an important person in a lot of lives,” said Trish Wise, a local artist whose work is seen in every issue of Madeworthy in Fresh Family Recipes.

“He not only gets us together [for plein air sessions], which always attract plenty of attention, but he invites us back to his home for amazing meals and camaraderie.”

“A lot of time, you’re not around people as an artist,” Clark said. “You’re working in a studio. Studio work is a solo activity. Plein air is a social activity; you’re not only inspired by nature, you’re inspired by the people around you.”

“Winston Churchill was a painter,” Clark continued. “He said that what he liked most about painting was that when he was painting, painting was the only thing he thought about. Even during World War Two, he would paint to take his mind off the war.”

So, if you're out and about and see a group of people painting, there's a good chance it could be PAINT. Go over and say hi. You could even join them.

And be sure to incorporate the phrase "plein air" into your conversations about art.

Fort Worth Events - Mar/Apr 2026

Through Mar 1 Cowtown Marathon cowtownmarathon.org

Mar 1

Lady Gaga: The MAYHEM Ball dickiearena.com

Mar 3

First Tuesdays: Wine Tastin & Education Night stagewest.org

Mar 5-26

King James (regional premiere) circletheatre.com

Mar 6

In Conversation: Artist Rashid Johnson themodern.org

Mar 7

TCU Children’s Gallery fwmuseum.org

March 7-September 7

Soccer: More Than a Game perotmuseum.org

Mar 8

Cliburn Family Concerts: Flight of the Bumblebee

SUMMER READY get

cliburn.org/concerts

Mar 8

Texas Independence Jam billybobstexas.com

Mar 19-22

Disney On Ice Presents Jump In! dickiesarena.com

Mar 19

Mandyland EP Release Show thepostfw.com

Mar 20

Sensory Hour/Hora Sensorial kimbellart.org

Mar 21 through Apr 12

The Spongebob Squarepants Musical casamanana.org

Mar 21

Kathleen Madigan: The Day Drinking Tour

dickiesarena.com

Mar 21

Dover String Quartet cmsfw.org

Mar 27-30

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Apr 9

Second Thusdays at the Carter: Landscapes & Legends cartermuseum.org

Apr 9

David Nail: Down to the Studs tulipsftw.com

Apr 9-12

Late Nite Catechism basshall.com

Apr 10-26

Oklahoma!

stolenshakespeareguild.org

Apr 11

27th Annual Zoo Run fortworthzoo.org

Apr 11 Spring Market & Glass Garden sinacastudios.org

Apr 11-12

Mar 10-15

You Don’t Own Me casamanana.org

Mar 12-29

A Case for the Existence of God stagewest.org

Mar 13-15

Diversions

texasballettheater.org

Mar 15

Academy Awards Watch Party themodern.org

Mar 15

6th Annual Spring Fling Party facebook.com/ wanderingrootsmarkets

Mar 16-20

ART BREAK! at the Modern themodern.org

Mar 17-20

Spring Break at the Carter cartermuseum.org

Mar 17-20

Spring Break Art Extravaganza kimbellart.org

Mar 17

Couples Cook: An Irish Dinner centralmarket.com

NCAA Div1 Women’s Basketball Championship Regional Rounds dickiesarena.org

Don Quixote balletfrontier.org

Apr 16-18

Mar 21

6th Annual Cowtown Crawfsh Boil fortworthstockyards.org

Mar 24-29

Back to the Future: The Musical basshall.com

Mar 25 through Apr 12

Did You Eat? amphibianstage.com

Mar 28

Kimmie Rhodes Live in the Rose Chapel southsidepreservation.com

Mar 29

Parent & Child: Breakfast at Hogwarts centralmarket.com

Mar 31 through Apr 24

The Music of Fleetwood Mac casamanana.org

Apr 3

Rangers vs Reds – Home Opener mlb.com/rangers

Apr 4

Peter & the Wolf cmsfw.org

Apr 4

The Dead Thing: The Music of the Dead

thepostfw.com

Apr 6-12

FEI World Cup Finals dickiesarena.com

Apr 7

First Tuesdays: Healing and Meditation with Kaity Stone stagewest.org

NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships dickiesarena.com

Apr 17

TCU Women’s Beach Volleyball Fight in the Fort gofrogs.com

Apr 17

Everclear billybobstexas.com

Apr 18

Log Cabin Village’s 60th Birthday Party logcabinvillage.org

Apr 18

25th Anniversary Concert: Atrium String Quartet cmsfw.org

Apr 24

Butterfies & Boots Ball 2026 awww.org

Apr 23 through May 16

Rent circletheatre.com

Apr 24-26

TCU vs University of Houston Baseball gofrogs.com

Apr 24

Kiln Forming: Wine Down Workshop sinacastudios.org

Apr 25

Voices 2 Youth Poetry Slam themodern.org

Apr 25 Lost ‘n Sound lostnsound.org

Apr 25

Adult Workshop: Landscape Collage cartermuseum.org

Apr 30 through May 3 Mayfest mayfest.org

Fresh Family Recipes

How appropriate that the Fresh Family Recipes in our art issue come from Cultural District favorite, Don Artemio, and its little sibling, Dos Mares? Chef Juan Ramón Cárdenas and his son, Chef Rodrigo Cárdenas, are known for their contemporary approach to Mexican cuisine. They have shared three recipes with us that are sure to entice your family and friends' palates.

Lamb “Doves”

In Chef Juan Ramón Cárdenas’ hometown of Saltillo, tacos made with four tortillas are called “palomas” or “doves.” The original recipe calls for cabrito, or kid goat, but Chef Cárdenas suggests substituting lamb for kid goat, as it's diffcult to fnd kid goat in family-friendly amounts.

Ingredients

For the árbol chile salsa

1 tablespoon oil

8 dried árbol chiles

8 green tomatoes

¼ onion

2 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

For the cabbage salad

½ of a green cabbage, sliced into thin ribbons

½ of a red cabbage, sliced into thin ribbons

1 large tomato, cut into small cubes

¼ cup olive oil

2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

For the palomas (doves)

1 ½ cups lamb conft (see recipe below)

6 to 8 four tortillas sliced avocado

Directions

For the salsa

Lamb Confit

A conft is a well-seasoned piece of meat cooked slowly in its own fat. As lamb fat is hard to fnd, substitute lard or beef tallow. [Editor’s Note: Yes, this sounds rich. It is. However, you don’t use a lot in the recipe, and it freezes beautifully. Additionally, I adapted Chef Juan Ramón Cárdenas’ recipe to make it more family-friendly.]

Ingredients

2.5 to 3 pounds of lamb shoulder chops 1 heaping tablespoon of kosher salt 2 cups lard or beef tallow

2 cups neutral oil, like canola

Directions

Rub the lamb all over with the salt. Place them into a resealable bag and refrigerate overnight.

Place a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the lard or tallow and the oil. Once the lard or tallow has melted and the mixture is shimmering, pat the lamb pieces dry and add them to the oil mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low to low, depending on your stove, and cook the lamb for 3 to 4 hours, or until the bones slide out of the meat. If you have a meat or frying thermometer, keep the oil between 190° and 199° during cooking.

Remove the lamb from the pot. [Editor’s Note: I placed the lamb on a rack that had been placed on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and allowed the lamb to drain.]

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the dried chiles until they turn from red to brown. Remove the chiles from the skillet and place in a blender with the green tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves until smooth. This will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

For the cabbage salad

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

For the palomas

Pour the salsa into a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the lamb conft; stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced and the mixture looks dry.

Heat the four tortillas and fll with lamb conft in salsa. Place the tacos on a comal or griddle over medium heat, and toast lightly on each side.

Serve the palomas with the cabbage salad and sliced avocados. You are welcome to add your favorite salsa. Serves 4.

Ceviche a la Mexicana

Ingredients

6 to 8 ounces frm, white fsh (such as snapper, halibut, seabass, grouper, or mahi mahi), cubed

¼ of a yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, sliced

1 Persian cucumber, diced

1 ripe tomato, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons chile sauce from palomas recipe (optional)

½ cup lime juice

2 teaspoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 scallion (green onion), sliced

¼ peeled beet, grated (garnish)

¼ peeled carrot, grated (garnish)

Directions

Mix the onion, jalapeño, tomato, and cucumber in a bowl.

In another bowl, combine the lime juice and chile sauce (if using), then add the fsh so it can "cook" in the mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and no longer than 4 hours.

Before serving, combine the marinated fsh with the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. To serve, place on a plate or in a pasta bowl, then drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with the grated carrot, beet, and scallion. Serve with good-quality tortilla chips. Makes enough for 2 as an appetizer.

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfsh, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions.

Cut the meat into small pieces or shred it. The conft will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days or can be frozen for use within 6 months.

Ceviche de Coliflor (Vegan)

Ingredients

1 white caulifower, cut into small pieces

½ red onion, thinly sliced

1 serrano chile, thinly sliced

½ cup lime juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ bunch cilantro leaves, chopped

1 large mango, cubed

1 Persian cucumber, grated and drained

½ peeled carrot, grated

½ cup corn kernels

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the caulifower for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, place in a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate.

Once the caulifower is chilled, add the onion, serrano, lime juice, and kosher salt and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or no longer than 4 hours.

Before serving, add the cilantro, mango, cucumber, carrot, corn, and tomato to the bowl with the marinated caulifower, then toss to combine. Season to taste. Serve with tortillas or as a salad. Makes enough for 8 as a starter or 4 as a salad.

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Made in Fort Worth: Fort52

by Madeworthy Editorial Team

photos courtesy of Jason Kindig. photos by Jason Kindig and Rebekah

Byrne

Made in Fort Worth is all about people and businesses who help make Fort Worth, Fort Worth. For our art issue, we would like to introduce you to Calli Galati and Rachel Hausser, who have elevated the humble deck of cards to a work of art. [Editor's Note: The interview is edited for length; the full interview will be shared online.]

Madeworthy: For readers who are discovering Fort52 for the frst time, how would you describe your company and the products you create?

Fort52: We create luxury playing cards with original watercolor images… created to specifcally bring to mind great memories of different cities or trips. Our decks are made up of bright and beautiful watercolor art, making them so much more than your standard playing cards.

strengths complement each other?

F52: Calli is the creative force… coming up with new ideas, and [she] is also the technical piece to our puzzle. Rachel is more the organized piece - dealing with emails, numbers, and keeping things on track. It takes both kinds to run a small business; there’s no way we could do it without each other.

MW: Which product best represents Fort52 right now, and why does it feel especially meaningful to you?

MW: Running a small business together comes with both rewards and challenges. How do your individual

F52: All our playing cards feel meaningful at the time we create. The Cowtown Cards will always be special to us, as it was our frst deck and gave us the idea of launching a line of playing cards. The Let’s Rodeo deck is fun. We even included a hotpink pair of cowgirl boots that our girls

MW: Your playing cards feel like they are made for gathering. How do you envision people incorporating Fort52 into their homes and routines?

F52: We both enjoy incorporating our cards into [our lives]... We love hearing from customers about their favorite game night traditions, as well. Putting the decks in the clear acrylic boxes makes the cards a tabletop piece as well, so they’re easy to grab… and aren’t just in a drawer somewhere. Later this year, we are launching a few more familyfriendly games, so be looking for those!

MW: What’s inspiring you lately?

F52: Everything bright and colorful! We are thinking outside the box for a few new decks we have in the works. Our kids are also getting older and have opinions on what is fun and cool…

MW: Before Shop Fort52, what did each of you do?

Christmas cards. Since then, we have evolved to offer only playing cards and changed the name to Fort52 in 2021.

MW: How do your personal tastes and histories show up in what you create?

F52: We started creating locationspecifc decks of cards as stocking stuffers, thank you gifts, nods to different college towns, a memento for a trip, you name it. They encapsulate memories made in different cities. We then started brainstorming on what make the best memories… [and] launched the Rodeo, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and summer decks.

MW: Fort Worth plays a subtle but steady role in your work. How has living and creating here shaped you as women and as designers?

F52: We both studied advertising/ public relations at TCU. We each took corporate roles after college… at a Christmas in Cowtown committee meeting in 2016, they were talking about any new vendors we had heard of who should be part of the market; we then looked at each other and thought this is our time! We launched Wabash Road that fall, doing invitations, gift tags, cups, napkins, and

F52: We’re both from here, went to high school here, and TCU, so a love for Fort Worth runs deep within us. Calli lived in Dallas for a few years but came back about the time we started our business. A talented mom friend came to us with her drawing of a horned frog for her daughter’s birthday invitation (back when we created invitations), and that got the ball rolling on the cards. Calli, with her creative mind, thought, “What else can we do with this?” And that’s how the cards were created. So, you could say our love and knowledge of our city is what started us on the path we're on now. One horned frog drawing helped launch over 30 different decks of cards.

Quality Bedding at Dream

Provoking Powerful Change: Dev'n Goodman on the Power of Art and Community

by Lee Virden Geurkink

Last October, an art exhibition called A Good Gathering opened at the Pool Near Southside, a gallery and art space on 8th Avenue.

This, in and of itself, was not earthshaking news. After all, art exhibitions and shows frequently open in the Near Southside. It is, after all, a major artistic hub for our city.

But A Good Gathering was different than most art shows that we see in Fort Worth. It wasn’t just a collection of art hanging on walls. It was a series of events for artists, entrepreneurs, communicators, and the public to connect and engage, to learn and collaborate, as well as a collection of art (by 20 local artists, both new and established) hanging on walls.

It’s probably not news to you, Dear

Reader, that we Fort Worthians love our art. We’re justifably proud of our museums. Most cities our size are lucky to have one decent museum. We have three world-class museums. We have theater and ballet companies that perform both traditional and avant-garde works. Look at the sheer number of art-related events and festivals in Fort Worth every year. From the Main Street Arts Festival and Spring and Fall Gallery Nights, from ArtsGoggle to Lost ‘n Sound, Fort Worth is more engaged with its artistic community than most cities of our size. But back to this unique art experience we were talking about.

A joint exhibition between A Goodman’s Education and Art Tooth (see page 16), A Good Gathering was structured around four “pathways.”

Art Tooth explained, “The Art Pathway

highlights creative expressions that celebrate the joy of gathering. The Entrepreneur Pathway connects attendees with innovators shaping community engagement. The Cultural Pathway, presented with the Fort Worth Film Club, offers a curated selection of flms. And the Community Pathway brings together all the elements through hands-on activities designed for all ages.”

“Art speaks to our souls,” said Dev’n Goodman, the founder and presiding genius of A Goodman’s Education. “It can facilitate conversations that need to be had, and it’s harder to put up barriers to keep people out when you’ve experienced their soul.”

In their series, “52 Faces of Community,” in which they honor “unsung heroes for making

extraordinary differences every day: the people who are our neighbors and who quietly make our lives better every day,” the Fort Worth Report describes A Goodman’s Education as an “events business” and Dev’n as an “events planner." While strictly true, these descriptions fall far short of the mark. Yes, Dev’n plans and hosts events across the city, but she is more than just an events planner. She is an entrepreneur, a cultural communicator, and an educator.

I frst met Dev’n at an open house at I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM & VPA. She was my older child’s humanities teacher, and she impressed me from the get-go. My older child is very much a STEM kid, into math and computer science and at the time had little interest in anything else, and yet, Dev’n was able to get them excited

about literature and history, something I had been trying to do for years. She created a safe, creative space in her classroom for her Gen Z STEM and arts kids to connect with the material and, more importantly, with each other. In fact, longtime readers of Madeworthy may recognize Dev’n from our 2020 feature, "Top Teachers of Fort Worth." These top teachers were voted on by members of the Tanglewood Moms Facebook group. “As a teacher who always taught outside the boundaries, I really appreciated that you all welcomed me like that,” she said.

Education and communication come honestly to Dev’n. Both of her parents are/were educators. Her father, Patrick Goodman, is the offensive coordinator for the football team and the head boys’ basketball coach at New Waverly High School in New Waverly, Texas. Her mother, Crystal Goodman, is a retired education administrator who once served as principal of Dunbar Middle School. (It’s because her parents were educators that young Dev’n did not skip from kindergarten directly to the sixth grade, no matter what the school and various tests said was possible. They recognized that her physical and emotional maturity needed time to catch up with her intellectual maturity.)

It is my frm belief that every child should have That Teacher – a teacher who sparks a fre, who expands that child’s mind in unexpected yet profound ways, who makes connections that create new understanding. Dev’n’s That Teacher was a science teacher who understood the value of the humanities. “Our science projects were also art projects,” Dev’n remembered. “Each project had to use a different medium. I loved it. My model of a cell was a cake. My DNA double helix was made out of sugar cubes.”

Not only did that science teacher combine art into the science curriculum, but she also read to her students. Dev’n said, “When we came into her class, she read to us. She had a massive rain stick for white noise, and when everyone sat down, we were expected to be quiet, and then she read for the frst 15 minutes of class.”

Numerous studies have been done on the importance of reading to children. Not only does reading literature to children help with language development and important cognitive skills, but it also helps develop their imagination, emotional skills, and empathy. Dev’n absorbed far more than just scientifc facts in that science class. And she took the imagination and empathy from that classroom with her into her career as a teacher.

While she was a teacher in the Fort Worth Independent School District, Dev’n started a relationship with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, which eventually led to a series of

powerful changes.”

Dev’n is possessed of a powerful intellect, and she is a mesmerizing speaker. Our conversation in the lobby bar at the Hotel Dryce lasted for over two hours. It ranged over such diverse topics as the relationship between frst cousins Richard II and Henry IV of England, the TEA takeover of Fort Worth ISD, and the history of the connection between hip hop and Ralph Lauren.

When asked about Art Tooth’s collaboration with A Goodman’s Education in A Good Gathering, Shasta Haubrich, Executive Director of Art Tooth (see page 16), said, “Together, [we built] on years of working individually with the creative community. Bringing together more than two dozen artists—including many we’ve each admired and collaborated with—is a powerful way to celebrate Fort Worth and its art scene.”

“”

Art speaks to our souls. It can facilitate conversations that need to be had, and it’s harder to put up barriers to keep people out when you’ve experienced their soul.

discussions called “Listening for a Change.” For fve months in 2021, participants were invited to listen to two specifed podcast episodes, chosen to provoke curiosity and introspection, and then take part in a discussion.

Also in 2021, Dev’n created and produced a virtual theater show in collaboration with Fort Worth theater company, Amphibian Stage. A video anthology of music, poetry, and personal histories, This Is My Story aimed to record and amplify the voices of Black men in Fort Worth, including such fgures as Fort Worth ISD’s Dr. Carlos Walker and local event coordinator/caterer Henry Wasonga Abuto.

It was during the poduction of “Listening for a Change” and This Is My Story that Dev’n realized that her interest in the intersection of art, education, and community could be more. She left teaching in 2022, worked for about a year as an engagement manager at TechFW, and then struck out on her own with A Goodman’s Education.

Throughout 2024 and 2025, A Goodman’s Education hosted or cohosted events centered around art, culture, and community. Whether it was a panel discussion exploring the roles of women and community or a Black art tour done in conjunction with Art Tooth, each event served to connect and educate.

“Everything I do with A Goodman’s Education is centered around art, culture, and community,” Dev’n said. “Art connects us and can provoke

education and community.

During March (which is, of course, Women’s History Month), Dev’n is hosting a Women’s Writers Book Swap at Hotel Dryce, featuring a book talk and signing by Jeanette Settembre, author of the acclaimed debut novel Little Red Flags. (There is also going to be a silent book club for introverts who want to read the book but don’t want to attend a talk.)

In June and July, A Goodman’s Education is collaborating with Bodega South Main to produce the Vibe Music Series (exact dates were still pending at the time of publication). There is another Black art walk planned with Art Tooth, and another art show in the spirit of A Good Gathering is scheduled for October.

“I’m a Libra,” Dev’n grinned. "You know, as a Libra, I love me some art.”

Dev’n hopes to expand A Goodman’s Education. She’s looking for partners who are focused on building community and hosting events centered around art, culture, and “just having a good time.” Her long-term goal is to turn A Goodman's Education into a brick-and-mortar venue with space for events, shows, and lectures.

"I've always been fascinated by salons, you know, like Parisian salons," Dev’n said. “I love the idea of having cultural talks in interesting places. You know, in the Northeast, having a lecture on art or music or something is a big thing. I’d love to get that trend started down here.”

Traditional art shows and exhibitions usually include an opening reception, where art patrons view the works and mingle while sipping warmish glasses of sparkling wine. They may listen to some remarks by the artist and/or the gallery owner, which (hopefully) will spur the patrons to purchase the art.

Selling art was just one of the goals of A Good Gathering. Patrons were encouraged to engage their bodies in movement and mindfulness sessions, make their own works of art in handson workshops led by art educator Natalia Margarite, view flms in a series of screenings curated by TCU’s Dr. Marcellus Perkins, and participate in a panel discussion led by Kaci Merriwether-Hawkins, founder of Black Girls in Art Spaces, and Dr. Stacie McCormick, professor of English, Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies, and Women and Gender Studies at TCU. There was even a door raffe in which an attendee won one of those pieces of art hanging on the walls.

Glasstire, an online arts magazine that promotes Texas's visual arts on a regional and national level, named A Good Gathering one of the top art shows in Texas for 2025.

After the success of A Good Gathering, Dev’n isn’t resting on her laurels. She took some time to rest at the end of last year, but she’s back. Starting in February with a screening of the 1991 flm Daughters of the Dust at The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, followed by a panel discussion, A Goodman’s Education’s 2026 calendar is punctuated by events incorporating music, literature, flm, and art, with an emphasis on

Our conversation came to an end, not because we had run out of things to say, but because the organizers of an event later in the evening at Hotel Dryce needed the space. The event was to introduce what was described as a “local boy band.” In a full circle kind of coincidence that only happens in books or movies, that local boy band is made up of Dev’n’s former students at I.M. Terrell.

2026 in Art

Exhibitions, Shows, & Festivals in North Texas

North Texans are spoiled for art. Whether you prefer to experience art in a museum, a gallery, or in non-traditional locations during Gallery Night, 2026 is chock full of special exhibitions showcasing some of the world’s best art and artists. No matter your age, your interests, or your location, there's something for everyone.

Texas America250

Through March 3

Grapevine Tower Gallery

In celebration of our nation’s semiquincentennial (that's 250 years to those of us who don't speak Latin), the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau invites you to explore treasures from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission that tell the story of Texas over 250 years, from Spanish missions to the space race. This traveling exhibition examines the role Texas played in the evolution of the United States of America.

Soccer: More Than a Game

March 7 THROUGH September 7

Perot Museum

Experience the thrill of the world’s most beloved sport in Soccer: More Than a Game, a fast-paced, family-friendly exhibition exploring how physics, biology, and technology shape play on and off the feld. Test refexes, measure kicking power, and discover the brain-body connection through interactive challenges and real-world science.

Rashid Johnson • A Poem for Deep Thinkers

March 8 through September 27

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

In his frst major exhibition in more than a decade, Rashid Johnson uses Black history, art history, and philosophy as a framework for exploring masculinity, parenthood, self-care, and identity. Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers traces Johnson’s development through early photographic pieces to more recent paintings and assemblages.

David Lozano • Puncture Through March 14

William Campbell Gallery

By layering media such as oil paint and acrylic sculpture, Houston-born artist David Lozano draws on traditional folk art techniques, including papel picado, the “pecked” tissue paper fags seen in Mexican celebrations, and milagros, the small, metal charms used in Hispanic cultures as religious offerings, to explore identity, rupture, and desire while inviting the viewer to see the traditional in new ways.

Benito Huerta • Brownsville

Through March 14

William Campbell Gallery

In Brownsville, Huerta, the former Director and

by Lee Virden Geurkink

Curator of the Gallery at UTA, explores the principles of "living art," an experimental, dynamic style of art that responds to its surroundings and evolves over time. The works in Brownsville aim to capture moments that defne our lives while inviting viewers to look at the familiar or mundane through a new lens.

Black Photojournalism

March 15 through July 5

Amon Carter Museum of American Art

The years between 1945 and the mid-1980s were a time of great change in the United States. From the post-war boom through the Civil Rights movement and beyond, Black Photojournalism explores the essential role of Black photojournalists in documenting historic events and everyday life in Black-owned media outlets during those turbulent times. These photographs create a historical record of Black life that is rich and nuanced, and that serves as a tool for empowerment and education.

The Holy Sepulcher • Treasures from the Terra Sancta Museum, Jerusalem

March 15 through June 28

Kimbell Art Museum

For centuries, European monarchs competed to demonstrate their piety and support for Christianity in the Middle East by commissioning art and religious items. Composed of more than 60 dazzling pieces gifted by kings, queens, and other rulers to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, The Holy Sepulcher: Treasures from the Terra Sancta Museum, Jerusalem includes reliquaries, crosses, chalices, vestments, and candlesticks created out of rich materials by the most talented craftsmen and artists of the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe.

Paradise on Earth • Florals in Indian Textiles

April 1 through November 29

Dallas Museum of Art

For thousands of years, Indian textile artists turned to the natural world for inspiration. Exploring the impact of plant and foral imagery in Indian textile and garment design, Paradise on Earth: Florals in Indian Textiles examines the interconnectedness of craftsmanship, art, and nature and showcases the richness of clothing, decorative arts, paintings, and textiles from the Mughal Empire (1526-1827) to the present.

Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival

April 16 THROUGH 19

Downtown Fort Worth

The granddaddy of all Fort Worth’s art festivals, Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival returns for its 39th year in 2026. One of the top-rated fne arts festivals in the country and certainly the biggest in Texas, Main St. is an outdoor gallery featuring the art of more than 200 jury-selected artists in media such as sculpture, painting, photography, and more, and is one of the highlights of North Texas's cultural year.

The Cinematic West • The Art That Made the Movies

Through April 25

Sid Richardson Museum

The Hollywood Western wouldn’t be the Hollywood Western without the works of Western artists like Charles Russell, Frederic Remington, and many others. Their art explores the mythology of the American West– a mythology that Hollywood enthusiastically embraced and amplifed. The Cinematic West: The Art That Made the Movies juxtaposes paintings, sculptures, and illustrations with movie posters, silent-movie clips, and other ephemera, revealing parallels between “fne art” and “mass media.”

Cottonwood Art Festival

May 2 & 3 and October 3 & 4

Cottonwood Park, Richardson

Now in its 57th year, the Cottonwood Arts Festival has become one of the most prestigious fne arts festivals in the United States. Featuring artists from all over the nation, "The Cottonwood" has become a Richardson tradition on the frst weekends of May and October.

Grapevine Main Street Fest

May 15 THROUGH 17

Downtown Grapeviney

Grapevine's annual street festival, celebrating all things Grapevine, is a family-friendly festival that features food, shopping, and entertainment. It also includes the Grapevine Art Project Market, which features art from the Grapevine Art Project, a nonproft dedicated to supporting and promoting artists in the city and to providing scholarships to art students in the area. Continued on page 14

Continued from page 13

North Texas Art Festival

May 16 & 17

Katy Depot, Denison

Situated on the shores of Lake Texoma, Denison is a small town with a big city arts culture. Juried local, regional, and national artists come to Denison every year for the North Texas Arts Festival. Musicians from across Texas and the Southwest perform as families enjoy the kid-friendly activities and shop for art at the historic Katy Depot.

Waste to Wonder

Through May 24

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

We are increasing a throw-away culture. Massproduced items have a single use and are meant to be disposed of instead of repaired and kept. In collaboration with the Tarrant County Education Foundation, Waste to Wonder explores how innovation and creativity can transform one man’s trash into another man’s treasure with hands-on exhibits that delve into what it means to be truly sustainable.

The Questioneers • Read. Question. Think. PLAY!

Through May 24

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

While little ones might balk at spending a couple of hours looking at art, The Questioneers: Read. Question. Think. PLAY! is a hands-on exhibit that encourages questioning, thinking, and problemsolving. Based on the popular children's book series by Andrea Beaty, which includes favorites such as Rosie Revere, Engineer, and Ada Twist, Scientist, this exhibition will have your kiddos using their little gray cells while having loads of fun. (Just don’t tell them that they’re learning while they’re playing!)

Roy Lichtenstein in the Studio

Through August 16

Nasher Sculpture Center and the Dallas Museum of Art

When someone says "Pop Art," most people automatically think of Roy Lichtenstein's large-scale interpretations of comic book panels. However, Lichtenstein's oeuvre is more wide-ranging, encompassing sculpture, prints, and murals. The Nasher Sculpture Center and the Dallas Museum of Art celebrate the acquisition of over 50 works from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation in this joint exhibition of drawings, sculptures, and prints by the groundbreaking artist, shown at the neighboring institutions.

The Statue of Liberty • From Bartholdi to Warhol

August 16, 2026 through January 3, 2027

Amon Carter Museum of American Art

“’I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’” In honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Carter explores the place of the Statue of Liberty in America’s visual culture and the evolution of depictions of French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s monolithic work, Liberty Enlightening the World, as well as its continuing relevance in America’s visual culture. The exhibition is anchored by a rare bronze cast of Lady Liberty, one of only fve small-scale bronze casts made during Bartholdi's lifetime.

Georgia O’Kee!e and the Carter

Through September 2027

Amon Carter Museum of American Art

It’s ftting that a museum dedicated to American art has created an exhibition of works by the artist known as “the Mother of American Modernism.”

For the frst time, the Carter explores its ties to O’Keeffe, possibly America’s most recognized artist, showing not only her paintings and works on paper from the Museum’s collection, but also photographs, letters, and other materials from O’Keeffe and other artists such as Alfred Stieglitz, Laura Gilpin, and Eliot Porter.

Preservation Is the Art of the City

September 10 through September 12

Location to be determined

In its 23rd year, Preservation Is the Art of the City showcases the work of North Texas artists while raising money for Historic Fort Worth, Inc. The event, spanning several days around Fall Gallery Night, allows art patrons to connect with local artists and their works and celebrates the talent and creativity of our city.

Denton Arts & Jazz Festival

September 11 THROUGH 13

Downtown Dentond

Not just a bedroom community for the bigger cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex or the home of the University of North Texas, Denton has established itself as a center for the arts in North Texas. Founded on the belief that all forms of art should be available to everyone free of charge, the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival offers professional and amateur artists and musicians alike a place to share their art with the public.

Paper Technologies • Italian Prints and Drawings

Through September 20

Dallas Museum of Art

Through the selection of works from early modern Italy, from Venice to Rome, dated from 1500 to 1750, Paper Technologies: Italian Prints and Drawings explores a complex relationship between drawings, prints, and their afterlife. The increasing availability of paper enabled advancements in drawing and printmaking, and the exhibition features works from the Dallas Museum of Art’s permanent collection as well as never-before-seen pieces from private collectors.

Fire

and Earth • Early Chinese Pottery from the MacLean Collection

Through September 27

Crow Museum of Asian Art

Architect Louis Sullivan once declared that “Form follows function.” Fire and Earth: Early Chinese Pottery from the MacLean Collection features 45 vessels spanning the Neolithic period (ca. 10,000–2000 BCE) through the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), exploring how function and technological advances shaped the development of pottery across China, from simple earthenware vessels to early glazed porcelain.

Paper Knife • Objects of Beauty in Early Modern Japan

Through September 29

Crow Museum of Asian Art

When I say the word “samurai,” what springs to mind? Sword-wielding warriors fghting for their lord’s honor, correct? That image is only a small part of what samurai were. Exploring developments in decorative and fne arts, Paper Knife: Objects of Beauty in Early Modern Japan explores how pastimes, such as calligraphy, tea ceremonies, and landscape painting, were defning features of the elite samurai class, and how craftsmanship and materials elevated the mundane to the sublime.

Photography’s First Century • Masterworks from the Bibliothèque nationale de France

October 4, 2026 through January 17, 2027

Kimbell Art Museum

Photography’s First Century: Masterworks from the Bibliothèque nationale de France is the Kimbell's frst-ever exhibition celebrating the art of photography. The Bibliothèque nationale de France holds one of the most extensive collections of photography in the world, and this exhibition uses its holdings to trace the development of the medium over its frst century, from the technological breakthroughs of early photographic processes such as the Daguerreotype and calotype to the impact of war and politics between the World Wars.

Celia Álvarez Muñoz • El Limite

Through October 18

Amon Carter Museum of American Art

In a new iteration of her installation for the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, from 1991, Texasbased artist Celica Álvarez Muñoz has transformed the Carter's sloping frst-foor gallery. In El Limite, Muñoz references the works of Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada in two large-scale photographs and explores the effects of the railroad on the connections and divisions among cultures, languages, and traditions.

Art Worth: A Festival at Clearfork

October 23-25

The Lawn of the Shops at Clearfork

A relative newcomer among North Texas art festivals, Art Worth is a celebration of visual art and classical music with a juried exhibition of art by Texas and national artists and music from local schools and professional companies. Art Worth also affords the public the opportunity to enjoy glassblowing, pottery, and metalsmithing demonstrations and to converse with the artists.

Cottonwood Art Festival

May 2 & 3 and October 3 & 4

Cottonwood Park, Richardson

Now in its 57th year, the Cottonwood Arts Festival has become one of the most prestigious fne arts festivals in the United States. Featuring works in all media by nearly 200 artists from across the nation, "The Cottonwood" celebrates the visual and performing arts and has become a Richardson tradition on the frst weekends of May and October.

CHICAS TACOS AND CATERING

SHASTA HAUBRICH

by Lee Virden Geurkink

Madeworthy’s Community Member Spotlight was created to shine a light on people in our community who walk the walk, not just talk the talk. These are people who work to make Fort Worth a better place. For our art issue, we naturally thought of Shasta Haubrich. The Executive Director of Art Tooth, Shasta works tirelessly to advocate for local artists while working as an artist herself. [Editor's Note: Shasta's answers have been edited for length. We will run the full interview online.]

Madeworthy: Tell us a little about yourself.

Shasta Haubrich: I mostly grew up in Cleburne, but we lived in Japan until I was four, and I was born in Washington state. I received an associate’s degree from TCC, then worked at The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth for 10 years, and I consider that part of my education. I have two (barely) adult children, Aurora and Apollo, a few porch cats, and my son has a bearded dragon.

MW: Your Patreon says that you create "pop-culture focused art." Can you tell us more about that?

SH: Growing up in the country as an only child, I spent a lot of time watching TV. So, I like researching sitcoms, TV shows, and movies. For my most recent project, I watched every episode of “The Golden Girls” and tried to catalog every time they said some version of "What are you doing up?" Then I painted those scenes in three large canvases. I am also about to start selling prints of favorite TV and movie scenes, and hopefully will start selling zines.

MW: Congrats on 10 years of Art Tooth! Tell us the idea behind its founding.

SH: I started Art Tooth with six other artists from various backgrounds with a mission to create more opportunities for artists in Fort Worth. In many ways, it is diffcult for artists to show their work without a relationship with a gallery. So, we decided to start creating our own art shows. Our frst show was at Gallery 76102, then at BRIK. We moved on to collaborating with various businesses and groups in different ways, including Hotel Dryce, The Pool at Near Southside, FWSSR, Mayfest, and more.

MW: When did it become clear that Art Tooth wasn’t just a collective of artists, that it was evolving into a nonproft with a real mission?

SH: We fgured out pretty quickly that we could make a difference as a nonproft versus a collective. We had our frst gallery show in August 2016 and established ourselves as a nonproft by March 2017. In 2025, we worked with 70 artists and held 19 events. Twenty-fve of those artists were people I had never shown before.

MW: A lot of art-based nonprofts are not run by artists. How does being artist-run make a difference in what Art Tooth does?

SH: I think it makes it easier because I can anticipate what makes it hard for artists to get their work out there and try to eliminate those barriers, because I have the same issues trying to show my art. It's easier for me to talk to artists directly and understand what they need.

MW: Art Tooth is committed to supporting artists from underrepresented communities. Why are inclusivity and equity in art representation so important?

SH: Art should refect society.

Statistically, it is more diffcult for non-white artists to get their work into galleries, so if we are truly supporting all artists, we need to help mitigate those barriers.

MW: How does Art Tooth ensure inclusivity and equity in your works?

SH: In the past, we have generally just tried to see who we have worked with and fnd a balance, but we are about to start implementing a process of surveying our past artists and getting a clearer picture of where we need to make improvements.

MW: Do you think your efforts have led to more diversity in the contemporary art scene in Fort Worth?

SH: No, we can't take any credit for that. I think we could be doing more.

MW: How do you juggle your work as an artist with your job as Executive Director of Art Tooth?

SH: I am actually pretty bad at it. Sometimes I sign up for stuff with my own art just so I have a deadline to meet, and then I get my artwork done at the last minute.

MW: How does your career as an artist infuence the way Art Tooth supports artists?

SH: I grew up in a small town and put myself through school while raising two kids, so I have my own hurdles to face, including imposter syndrome and feeling like I am not educated enough. I know what fears and hopes artists have, and I know that sometimes getting that frst chance is everything to keep you going.

MW: Where do you see the contemporary art scene in Fort Worth going in the next fve years?

SH: I hope we keep going and expanding, but these rent prices are a big issue. We need more support once artists reach the point where they can sell high-dollar pieces. If we can establish more residencies where artists get free studio space and get paid to work, that will help signifcantly.

MW: Where do you see Art Tooth going in the next fve years?

SH: We tried to have studio spaces, and that didn’t work out, but it would be great to have a permanent offce and fnd funding for studios in the next fve years so we can expand how we collaborate with artists in new ways.

MW: Where do you see your art going in the next fve years?

SH: I just hope it gets weirder.

Lightning Round: Fort Worth Favorites

• Coffee shop - Black Coffee and Avoca have my favorite matcha lattes, and Cherry has my favorite drip coffee.

• Breakfast/brunch place - Montgomery Street Cafe and Cafecito

• Hangout with friends - Chat Room and Boiled Owl

• Place to relax and recharge - My house

• Artist or musician (if this isn't too political!) - Can't pick one artist as a favorite, but Son of Stan, Spring Palace, and Hotel Satellite are my current fav local bands.

• Yearly event or festival - ArtsGoggle

• Favorite museum - The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, obs

• Thrift or consignment shop - Doc’s Records

• Best bartender, cocktail, or mocktail in town – Oh, this one is defnitely too political for me!

• Best hamburger joint - Gusto’s

• Best barbecue - Smoke’N Ash (Fort Worth-adjacent)

• Mexican restaurant - I have done very little research in this category, but San Luis is probably the one I visit the most.

When the Squeezebox

of

The Bandits’ frontman and superlative accordionist, Abel Casillas, leads with undeniable fair. The group's dynamic shows have earned them a stellar reputation that precedes them wherever they go. Whether your heart futters at the down-home country twang or the sweet Tejano shine coming off Casillas’ titular squeezebox, the Bandits radiate soul in heavy doses. Their showstopping sound harkens back to the timeless grooves Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender laid down after uniting in 1970s San Antonio.

Casillas, the driving force behind the Fort Worth-based quartet, is a man who understands the rhythms of life and the hiatuses that are necessary to keep business on track and the creative juices fowing. Following the release of their third studio album, Check To Check on State Fair Records, the band took some time to navigate the natural turbulence of life. The group has entered the new year with new songs on their mind.

The Bandits’ downtime allowed Casillas to refect on his creative intentions and direction. With this fresh perspective, he’s been able to engage the craft of songwriting with renewed energy. He warmly explains that the Bandits are stepping back into the studio to start recording their next collection of songs. They are aiming for a summer release with plenty of shows on the road to support it. In addition to the batch of songs he’s been writing for the Bandits, he’s also been felding pitches for tunes from other writers as well.

When asked what he’s been working on, Casillas

warms as he says the upcoming album will sound "very country, very Texas, very south of the border." He is committed to fully realizing the sound he has forged over the years with core instruments like accordion, guitar, and bajo quinto, creating a lively

mix of tunes that brings crowds to their feet. “I don't want to add anything extra that I'm not going to have in the actual band. Everything starts with a squeezebox and guitar.” He adds, ”Like, the soul's going to be shredding both ways.” The pathway to their return begins with the upcoming release of their new single, “I'm a Music Man,” which is expected to be released soon after this writing.

Crucially, Casillas emphasizes the band’s camaraderie on this album, ensuring the sound is authentic to their Fort Worth roots. That musical foundation begins with the accordion. He began playing as a teenager, so his primary creative ideas often take the form of accordion riffs and chord progressions. It also means he’s got more than a dozen of these beautiful instruments. Each one has its own story, sound, and feel, which comes out in the music they make.

“I’ll have an idea sometimes in my head that I can play on the accordion. Then, I'll get it on the piano. From the piano, I'll get it to my voice.” He continues, “I'll start fguring the chords out, before you know it, I've got a song going.”

The music the Bandits are working on now comes from years of entertaining crowds across the country, which, like a pair of broken-in boots guide the dancer, guides the arrangement of ideal grooves for twostepping around a sawdust-covered dancehall. Highlights are playing at AMERICANAFEST in Nashville, a Halloween gig at the hallowed Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, and their last record release at Billy Bob’s Texas.

“Call me a homer,” he explains. “I was born and raised in Fort Worth. [The record release] was just amazing. I was in awe; it brought tears to my eyes. I was so happy. “

As the Bandits enter the studio, they’ll be sharpening their live shows with the same determination they always have. “We've played so many gigs with each other. It's just like, we don't miss a beat. We're going to get everything refned and get that calendar rolling for the year. I know what the band's worth, you know, so I'm not going just to go out there just to go."

For more than six decades, Cit proudly ser ved For t Wor th communities with exper t cr ser vice, and lasting protec estimate to protect your l

YOU HOM live music festivals dining events

A Museum Day that Works

by Tabetha Weeks

I looked down, and my toddler was gone. Seconds later, I heard, “Please don’t touch that.” He was halfway to a historic piano behind a velvet rope.

That was the day I learned the hard way. "Kid-friendly" does not always mean toddler-proof. Now I plan museum days completely differently.

Here’s my toddler-proof plan (that I really use) for the Fort Worth Cultural District, built for short attention spans, nap schedules, and the reality that you will not see everything.

www cityroofing net

My favorite starting point for toddlers is the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. We keep renewing our membership because it is that rare place designed for children ages 2 to 6.

(One important heads up: The Children's Gallery is scheduled for renovation, so check what is open before you promise your children anything.)

Do not aim to “fnish the museum.” Aim to win the morning. Two to three strong stops, one reset, lunch, leave. Pick the version that matches your child’s stamina.

The Two-Hour Win 10:00 to 10:10 – Arrive, bathroom, quick snack, set expectations. “Two things, then playground.”

10:10 to 10:45 – First high-interest stop. Choose one: Hands-on pretend play OR dinosaur-focused area and fossil digging vibe, if your kid is in that dinosaur phase.

10:45 to 11:15 – Second stop. Go where you can say “yes” a lot. If they are melting, skip the second stop and go straight outside.

11:15 to 11:45 – Outdoor wiggles at the museum's Galaxy Park Playground. It's every tired mom's secret weapon.

11:45 to 12:00 – Quick exit loop. Walk back to the front to use the bathroom and wash hands. Have kids eat a quick lunch at home before napping.

The Play Hard Day Itinerary as above, but add on:

12:00 to 12:30 – Jane and John Justin Foundation Omni Theater.

The museum offers plenty of shorter options that work for shorter attention spans. (Pro move: Do the theater last. Toddlers will sit longer when they are already a little tired.)

If your child is still hanging on after the morning, you have two solid options. You can have a packed lunch at the museum café area or the patio. It’s simple, cheap, with no transition drama. Or take the short drive to Zoli's Pizza. Order quickly, then send them to the patio and play area so you can eat hot pizza.

If your kid is somehow still awake and alert, choose one nearby option:

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden for a calmer walk-and-look reset, or the Fort Worth Dream Park for maximum running, climbing, and “getting the wiggles out.”

Some days, however, you can feel it. Your patience is thinning, the toddler tantrum is warming up, and everything is about to go sideways. Call it early. Let them play at Dream Park for 20 minutes if they can handle the transition. Then grab a drive-through lunch on the way home. A museum day that ends before the meltdown still counts as a win.

However, sometimes your kid needs lower stakes. If the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is not the move, you do have options.

Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Toddler Studio is a free monthly program for children ages 2 to 3.

Carter Playdate is a free monthly program for ages 3 to 5 with art, a story time, and a simple activity.

Family Workshop is a quarterly program for families with children ages 6 to 12, featuring a themed gallery experience and a family art project.

Kimbell Art Museum

Studio A is a free drop-in play space for ages fve and under.

Pictures and Pages/Fotos y Libros is a storytime-style program designed for ages 4 to 6, with sessions scheduled. Check the calendar.

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

The Sunday Family Tour is held on Sundays at 2 p.m.

Drawing from the Collection for Children is the frst Sunday at 2 p.m., for ages fve to 12, and it replaces the tour that day.

Casa Mañana Head to Casa Mañana for a kidfriendly show when sitting still feels more realistic than roaming galleries.

Log Cabin Village

If you want living history without the “don’t touch” stress, this is your place. Hours and last admission times vary, so check before you go.

HVAC Services

MEMBERS ZOO MORE FOR FAMILY

With membership, you get unlimited admission to the Fort Worth Zoo plus savings on some of your family’s favorite experiences, including girafe feedings, Summer Zoo Camp and so much more.

Park for free

Bring friends along with discounted tickets

Save on Safari Splash tickets

Ride the Yellow Rose Express for less

“Shakespeare? Is that in English?”

This is an example of the questions Jason and Lauren Morgan, founding directors of Stolen Shakespeare Guild, get every now and then. They’ll tell you this with a good-natured wink and a laugh. But perhaps a better question might be, "Shakespeare? In Fort Worth?" And the answer is (miraculously) “YES.”

Flashback to 2007: Jason and Lauren Morgan frst began showcasing the work of their upstart theater company, one that dared to perform Shakespeare, of all things, at the Sanders Theatre, the blackbox theater in the late and lamented Fort Worth Community Arts Center (FWCAC). Tenants of the FWCAC received unhappy news in July of 2024: the city was giving tenants fve months to vacate. After almost 20 years, the Morgans, along with

their friends Hamlet, Cordelia, Puck, and Prospero, would be homeless.

“We were just inundated with questions,” recalls Lauren of the initial furry of the news. But soon after the die was cast, heroic board members, patrons, volunteers, and artists all jumped in to advocate, raise money, haul supplies, intercede with the city, and champion the herculean task of rerooting Fort Worth’s only classical theater company. In December of 2024, with only 12 days left to fnd a home, Stolen Shakespeare Guild (SSG) signed its frst-ever mortgage in 20 years of operation.

Fast-forward to now: Lauren and Jason sit under work lights in their new space. She’s wearing painting clothes, her hair up. Jason has been prepping light design. And they are both about to welcome actors for a rehearsal of the frst show of the 2026 season in their new theater on Decatur Avenue in Diamond Hill, minutes from the Stockyards.“A lot of things went right for this to happen for us,” says Lauren, who still seems a bit dazed and undeniably grateful.

The Morgans have also been doing right by a lot of other people, too. They managed to remodel the space in only six months — in time to mount and perform their full season’s slate, despite not opening until July 2025 — giving their artists jobs and patrons their fll. The Morgans opened their new space to other displaced theater groups,

by Julie Rhodes

including the Fringe Festival, which had its highestgrossing year there. They’ve welcomed a Hispanicheritage theater troupe and a solo artist, both seeking a reasonably priced space in which to showcase their work. “We want to make it really affordable [for these artists],” says Jason, who then jokes, "The only people we might not rent to would be another Shakespeare group!”

But what is perhaps the Morgans’ biggest investment is about to take fight: SSG’s education and outreach programming. “I believe that classical theater lays the foundation for all theater in the future,” says Lauren. “Art can be built upon itself. Classical theater lays the groundwork for modern theater. [Kids] see it in action so they know it’s fun, and moving, and that you can emotionally connect to it. They are the audience of the future.”

Hundreds of kids each year attend SSG productions at a discounted school rate, some of them encountering theater for the very frst time. How do they react to Shakespeare's English, which so many adults fnd intimidating? “We try not to put things on a pedestal,” says Jason. “We try to direct so everybody can see themselves onstage — so it’s relatable and easy to understand.” Now with a dedicated theater space all their own, SSG can explore extending runs, putting on more productions, and offering more hands-on classes for students.

They’ve already begun by offering Good Neighbor Scholarships to high school students at nearby Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School to attend their Bard’s Apprentices Workshop. Students compete in a monologue competition for scholarships, then attend camp to learn about classical acting, tackling soliloquies, sonnets, and group scenes. “Those kids are so talented,” says Lauren. “Some do have interest [in acting] but maybe don’t have another outlet to have the experience.”

The Morgans have a mandate from SSG’s mission statement: “Stolen Shakespeare Guild is dedicated to uniting and enriching the community through the preservation and celebration of classic theater.” Which of course begs the question: what IS “classic” theater? The Morgans defne it as works that are classics in their genre, including Shakespeare, Ibsen, and Moliere, of course, but also Rodgers and Hammerstein and plays based on the works of Jane Austen or Charles Dickens. Lauren points out that at A Christmas Carol in December, multiple generations of families enjoyed the same show together — the defnitive example of “uniting and enriching” the community — even though she hesitates to label SSG shows “familyfriendly” in the sanitized sense.

“King Lear may not be for everyone, but everyone has had a chance to see it,” she says. “And the musicals do bring a lot of new people in, and hopefully they will come see some lesser titles.” This sort of pragmatic, egalitarian sensibility

towards audiences is a key reason so many of the Morgans’ diverse patrons have stayed loyal despite the theater moving up north. “A lot have followed us, and we’ve also been able to reach new people,” Lauren says, adding that there is not a lot of live theater available in north Tarrant County — in Keller or River Oaks, for instance. The Morgans are betting, as they always have, that Stolen Shakespeare Guild will have something for

everyone in their new digs. And that applies to more than what’s in the season lineup.

“I think we need to fgure out what things look like for this organization and what is the best way to expand,” says Lauren. “Are we able to offer classes? Could we do a teen show over the summer? More summer camps? We have more exploring to do.”

In the meantime, they’re busy mounting a Jane Austen classic, followed quickly by perennial favorite Oklahoma!, opening April 10th.

When asked to sum up the past year’s tumultuous, miraculous move in a single Shakespeare quote, Jason jumps in with, “To be or NOT to be!” He and Lauren both break out in laughter that feels both deeply ironic and genuinely tender. That joke is still a bit too close to home.

Lauren thinks for a moment, then offers, “This is the stuff that dreams are made on.”

Jason interrupts, “Is that the right play?”

“It IS from The Tempest!” she insists, laughing, but admits, “You’ll have to fact-check that quote.” The line she’s referencing — Prospero’s — has been paraphrased in about a hundred different pop culture references over the past 500 years (“the stuff dreams are made of”, “the stuff of dreams”, etc.), proving even the Shakespeare experts need Google sometimes. (Turns out, she only got a word or two wrong, and you’ll need to look it up to see which.)

Relatable? Inspirational? Against all odds, SSG has managed to be both this year, both on but especially off the stage.