Discover 200+ artists

Cottonwood Art Festival returns to Richardson for a creativity-filled weekend

Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Art Festival

See the work of Tony Paraná and more than 200 other artist.

Cottonwood Art Festival

The award-winning Cottonwood Art Festival returns to Richardson October 3-4, bringing more than 200 artists, live music, irresistible food, craft beer, and plenty of opportunities to discover something new.

Among this year’s highlights is the festival’s 2026 Fall Featured Artist, Tony Paraná, a Houston-based artist whose vibrant work explores identity, family, cultural heritage, and the stories that connect communities.

Born in Bahia, Brazil, Paraná draws inspiration from childhood memories, Brazilian traditions, family, and everyday life. A self-taught artist, he began painting after moving to the United States in 2002 — a decision he describes as life-changing.

Tony Paraná's work explores identity, family, and cultural heritage. Photo courtesy of Cottonwood Art Festival

“I never imagined I would become an artist,” said Paraná. “When I moved to the United States in 2002, I simply woke up one morning and decided to start painting. That decision changed my life.”

Today, Paraná works from his Houston studio while balancing his roles as an artist, educator, musician, and father of three. His intuitive artistic process blends memory, emotion, and cultural identity into colorful paintings designed to tell stories that resonate across generations and communities.

His creative work extends beyond the canvas. Paraná is also a musician, capoeira instructor, educator, and community leader. He founded the Montrose Art Society in Houston and later created MASA (Mobile Art Space for the Artists), a repurposed shipping container that serves as a free community gallery and creative space.

Being named Cottonwood’s Featured Artist is particularly meaningful for Paraná, who applied to the festival five times before being accepted.

“It’s one of the best art festivals in the country. When I was finally accepted, I immediately felt a connection with the people there. Visitors truly engage with the artwork and the artists. Being selected as the Featured Artist is incredibly meaningful and makes me believe even more in the work I’m creating,” he said.

Festival organizers selected Paraná in recognition of the way his work reflects Cottonwood’s emphasis on storytelling, cultural connection, and community engagement.

Visitors to the Fall 2026 festival will have the opportunity to meet Paraná in person and view his latest body of work, along with an impressive range of art from artists working in painting, sculpture, ceramics, and more.

Beyond the art, Cottonwood Art Festival offers a full weekend of entertainment, with live music, food, craft beer, and plenty of reasons to linger and explore.

The festival also places an emphasis on nurturing the next generation of artists. Through two community outreach programs, Cottonwood provides opportunities for local students to learn about the importance of art and explore their own creativity.

Whether discovering a new favorite artist, meeting creators face to face, or simply enjoying a fall weekend filled with art, music, food, and community, Cottonwood Art Festival offers plenty to see and experience.

The Cottonwood Art Festival takes place October 3–4, 2026, in Richardson, Texas.

cottonwood art festival richardson arts and culture painting local art promoted

Dinosaur Display

Rare dinosaur exhibition makes American debut at Perot Museum in Dallas

The March of the Triceratops exhibition

Photo courtesy of Naturalis Biodiversity Center

The March of the Triceratops exhibition will go display at the Perot Museum in Dallas in July 2027.

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science will become the first North American venue to host the international tour of The March of the Triceratops when it comes to Dallas in July 2027.

The immersive exhibition features five Triceratops fossil skeletons from the only known herd ever discovered, offering rare insight into how the enormous plant-eating dinosaurs may have lived 66-68 million years ago, according to a release from the Perot Museum.

The March of the Triceratops presents more than 1,200 bones and fossil fragments from five Triceratops horridus discovered together in a single rock layer near Newcastle, Wyoming from a late Cretaceous-aged rock unit called the Lance Formation.

The prehistoric herd and its Late Cretaceous environment are brought to life through soundscapes, animations, augmented reality, and life-size models.

Visitors will be able to see a true-to-size female Triceratops model and animatronic calf, explore interactive stations and touchscreens, and take part in hands-on fossil discovery experiences.

“The March of the Triceratops offers our community the rare opportunity to experience a truly landmark exhibition of some of the most complete Triceratops skeletons ever found,” said Dr. Linda Silver, Eugene McDermott Chief Executive Officer, Perot Museum, in a statement.

“Dinosaurs have the power to capture our imagination like nothing else, and seeing these remarkable specimens up close is the type of 'wow' moment that inspires awe. Complementing the outstanding scientific work and discoveries of our own paleontology team, we’re proud to make Dallas a dinosaur destination.”

The exhibition was developed by Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Netherlands and presented and toured in partnership with MUSEUMsPARTNER.

The fossils of the five Triceratops were discovered in 2013 and collected over six field seasons between 2015 and 2019 by a team of researchers, paleontologists, preparators, students, and volunteers from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center.

The touring exhibition combines years of fieldwork, advanced imaging, and precision-built structural design to recreate the prehistoric world.

It comes to Dallas following presentations at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and the Auckland Museum, New Zealand.

The exact run dates of the exhibition at the Perot Museum have not yet been announced.

science museums history dinosaurs exhibitions-visual-arts

Loading...