Museums, Art and Tours

Hosted at Cowtown Coliseum as a part of the Fort Worth StockYards National Historic District, the Bill Pickett Rodeo is the first and longest running Black rodeo in the nation. Rodeo being largely viewed as one of the least diverse sports mediums in the country, the Black Rodeo created a platform for the Black cowgirls and cowboys who would have otherwise remained in obscurity. With a dedication to diversifying, not only those who perform in the rodeo, but the audience coming to support these athletes, Bill Pickett Rodeo is sure to be an exciting event.

The National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, honors the diverse pioneers who contributed to the American western frontier. It showcases the history of cowboys, buffalo soldiers, and other significant figures from various ethnic backgrounds. This museum aims to educate visitors about the multicultural aspects of the western American heritage

Residing in the historic neighborhood of Polytechnic in Fort Worth, this collaborative project space has been provided by Sedrick and Letitia Huckaby. The house itself was originally owned by Sedrick’s grandmother, Hallie Beatrice Carpenter. The structure itself is over 100 years old, and hosts art exhibitions, collaborative projects, events, and educational programming.

The objective of the original owner and matriarch, Hallie Beatrice Carpenter, is shared by her grandson and his wife: to make art and artistic space available to all classes of people, with different levels and kinds of training. With the Western World becoming increasingly more invested in “high art”, namely the art produced by those in academia, the spaces welcoming the work of marginalized people is diminutive at best, and non-existent at worst. Kinfolk house strives to create a space for multiple art mediums, for artists of diverse backgrounds. To peruse the work of the contributors while walking the floors of this ancestral home is certainly a fulfilling way to spend one’s time in the city of Fort Worth.

The Fort Worth Opera tips the scales in their favor each time they offer “A Night Of Black Excellence”, a show celebrating Black performers in multiple mediums, including (of course) opera, spoken word, and instrumental music. Previous programs have included performances by renowned vocalists Jasmine Barnes, Karen Slack, Michelle Johnson, Limmie Pulliam, Audra Scott, Brandie Sutton, and Veronica williams.

The compositions performed included creations by Cyrus Chestnut, Duke Ellington, Shawn Okpebholo, and Nina Simone. Original pieces were also performed by composers Veronica Williams and Jasmine Barnes, both of whom lent their operatic voices to the evening’s event. In addition to the above composers of Color listed above, standards by European composers Puccini, Verde and Massenet were also included.