New Museum Exhibits & Our Local Film Society

We are fortunate, in Fort Worth, to have quality parks and outdoor exercise areas, a top-ten zoo, good music venues, and of course museums (pl: musea?). I would rank them as some of the best for cities our size and larger. A lot of volunteer effort goes into these places and a lot of donated money, something for which I am most grateful.

This February, the Amon Carter Museum opens two attractive exhibitions. Admission is always free.

Here they are:

Intimate Modernism: Fort Worth Circle Artists in the 1940s
February 16 – May 11
Discover the fascinating story of visual art and American modernism that is embedded in the history of 1940s Fort Worth. See nearly 100 works created by a group of artists who together formed the first modern art colony in Texas. Drawn together by a shared interest in art, dance, music, theater, and myth, they sought new avenues of artistic expression to counter the prevailing preference for more conservative artistic styles. This unique cultural moment in the city's history developed into what is now a thriving arts community in Fort Worth.

The Art of the American Snapshot, 1888 – 1978
February 16 – April 27
Experience the range and creativity of amateur photography in the United States in this first-ever exhibition to examine the evolution of snapshot imagery in America. With the advent of George Eastman’s Kodak camera and roll film in 1888, photography became an everyday aspect of modern life. Learn about this phenomenon and its profound impact on American life, memory, and fine art photography. Organized by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

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On a similar note, we are fortunate to have a new addition to the arts community:

The Lone Star Film Society is a Fort Worth based, non-profit organization whose mission is the "supporting of the art of independent films." They hosted a well attended Film Festival last year and are planning a new one for 2008. The Film Festival website is: www.lsiff.com. Also, the organization has started a new blog. If you are interested in films and independent films, the weblog address is: http://lonestarfilmsociety.blogspot.com

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Unrelated word origin thought: The word "museum" I assumed to be of Latin origin. I was wrong. Without looking it up, as I did, on Wikipedia, can you guess the country of origin and what proper noun it derives its meaning from?