Coronavirus Comeback

These are the first 4 major museums to reopen in Dallas-Fort Worth

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art will be the first of four DFW museums to reopen to the public, on Friday, June 19.

Photo courtesy of Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Four of the Metroplex's major museums are reopening, and they're all in Fort Worth. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame have all announced plans to reopen to the public amid the coronavirus pandemic as part of Fort Worth's "Reopen Responsibly" campaign.

First out of the gate will be the Amon Carter Museum, which will officially open on Friday, June 19 following member-only days, June 16-18. All exhibits that were on display at the time of closure will remain on display through at least July 5. They will initially limit capacity to 50 percent, increase sanitation of high-touch surfaces, and offer a low- or no-touch visitor experience. Social distancing will be enforced in the galleries, on the museum grounds, and in the elevators, and all visitors and staff will be required to wear face masks.

The Kimbell Art Museum will be next up on June 20, following two members-only days. The museum has extended its special exhibition, "Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum," through July. All staff will be required to wear masks, and they encourage anyone over the age of 2 to wear a mask as well, with masks available upon request. Capacity will be limited to 50 percent, and many features that need human interaction, like audio wands, parcel check, and the Buffet and the Café will be temporarily unavailable.

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame will open on June 24, with a members-only day on June 23. The exhibition "Laura Wilson: Looking West" will remain open in the Anne W. Marion Gallery until August. Among the precautions they're taking will be online ticketing or a contact-free ticketing kiosk onsite; hand sanitizer stations throughout the building; posted reminders to social distance, wash hands, and wear a mask; the closure of some interactive exhibits; and more. In addition, first responders (medical, police, fire) will be admitted free with another paid admission.

Finally, the Modern Art Museum will open on July 1. The exhibition Mark Bradford: "End Papers," originally scheduled to end on August 9, has been extended through January 10, 2021. In addition, Red Grooms: "Ruckus Rodeo," which was to have closed in March, will remain on display through August 16. Face masks or cloth face coverings are required for entry for anyone over the age of 2 and guests are asked to practice social distancing from other parties when they are in the museum. Touchless hand sanitizer dispensers will be located in all restrooms and throughout the building.

The only major Fort Worth museum to not yet announce its reopening is the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

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Music and Fashion

Miranda Lambert's 'Velvet Rodeo' wardrobe stars in new DFW exhibition

“Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo” at National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame

Photo by Tyler Conrad

“Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo” will open on November 7 at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame.

Country star Miranda Lambert is bringing a bit of Las Vegas glamour and bling to North Texas. Her one-of-a-kind wardrobe from her "Velvet Rodeo" residency will go on display at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame in Fort Worth when its new Icons Gallery opens November 7.

According to a release, the exhibition, called "Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo," was created in collaboration with Lambert, and will feature costumes from the singer's Las Vegas residency, which ran from September 2022 to April 2024.

Lambert said her inspiration came from an earlier visit to the Fort Worth museum, where she spotted historic Western pieces that she photographed and sent to her stylist, Tiffany Gifford. They combined those influences with the glitz of Elvis Presley's heyday to create the "Velvet Rodeo" wardrobe.

“Seeing these pieces now have a life beyond the stage as part of the Museum’s new Icons Gallery feels really full circle and special,” Lambert said in a statement.

Visitors will now have the opportunity to study garments usually seen in motion and under stage lights, appreciating the details that help transform clothing into an essential part of a performance.

The Icons Gallery is part of the Museum’s 16,000-square-foot expansion, which introduces new galleries and experiences that explore the accomplishments and influence of women of the West. The $19 million expansion features a new entrance facing Dickies Arena, new galleries including a photography gallery, an event space accommodating up to 250, and the new Cowgirl Carousel.

Miranda Lambert, right, with rodeo queens onstage at the 45th Cowgirl Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon at Dickies Arena. Photo by Ashley Gongora

Lambert, who was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 2021, is an active mounted shooting competitor and horsewoman, giving her a connection to the West that reaches beyond her music. "Velvet Rodeo" brings together Lambert's identity as a cowgirl and her creative expression as a performer.

“Miranda’s confidence, determination and independence make her a wonderful representative of the women we honor,” says Pat Riley, executive director of the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, in the release. “Opening our Icons Gallery with this collaboration celebrates her accomplishments while giving visitors a new way to connect with a cowgirl they know and admire.”

According to a museum spokesperson, the temporary exhibition will remain on display for at least one year; no specific end date was given.

In preparation for the expansion grand opening, the Cowgirl will be closed to the public beginning October 19 and will reopen November 7, with a members-only preview at 10 am and a public opening at noon.

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