The Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center is set to open June 12. Here’s what you need to know about its first exhibit.
In January, we discussed how the Fort Worth City Council approved funding for the Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center—now, that museum is set to open on June 12. KERA News announced yesterday that the first exhibition will be titled “All ‘N All: Artists Embracing Community.” The collection is the result of a collaboration between the National Juneteenth Museum and Kinfolk House.
John Barnett serves as the board chairman of the Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center, and he said everyone is excited about its “first foray into the community.” Barnett also told KERA that he and his colleagues considered it a privilege to work with Kinfolk House and the National Juneteenth Museum to put together such a meaningful exhibit.
Sedrick Huckaby, Kinfolk House’s founder, said his organization was as invested as Barnett’s in creating a harmonious partnership through this project. “Perhaps more than any other time in the city’s history we see institutions with Black leadership partnering with practitioners of Black descent,” Huckaby told KERA via email. “This is not a conspiracy. It is simply the evolution of the diversity of our city.”
The exhibit will feature mixed-media works, paintings, and photographs from 11 artists based in North Texas, including: Donnie Williams, Tatyana Alanis, Evita Tezeno, Jeremy Biggers, Vanessa Meshack, Missy Burton, Michael E. Johnson, CHOKE, Riley Holloway, Jennifer Cowley, and Charles Gray. Their pieces serve as reflections of Black culture and experience, as well as the theme of memory.
The National Juneteenth Museum’s director of public programs, Christopher Blay, curated the collection, which takes its name from the 1977 Earth, Wind & Fire album, “All ’N All.” The opening will coincide with the Freedom Vibes festival, an expansive Juneteenth celebration, scheduled from June 11 through June 20.
Here’s how to RSVP (for free) for the big night
If you would like to attend the opening of the Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center on June 12, you’ll need to RSVP in advance to ensure that event organizers know how many people to expect that evening. Please click here to be added to the waitlist. Admittance is free.
An opening reception is held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with Kinfolk House delivering remarks around 7 p.m. From there, guests will have the chance to browse and enjoy the exhibit, which is housed at both the African American Museum and Kinfolk House simultaneously. For those unable to attend on June 12, the museum will admit visitors between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Fridays, and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays through August 15.
The Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center is located at 3104 E. Rosedale Street. Kinfolk House is found at 1913 Wallace Street in Fort Worth.
