'Tuesdays At The Modern' Lecture Series Challenges How We Think About Art

Arlington TX

01 November, 2021

1:01 PM

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By Lee Escobedo, Fort Worth Report October 31, 2021 When is an artist talk, more than an artist talk? This has been the never-ending question Terri Thornton, curator of education at the Fort Worth Modern, has been trying for over 25 years not to answer, but instead, pose a bigger and more interesting question. Art talks happen almost every day, all across the world. To be remembered, you have to stand out. Audiences need to walk out challenged, their thought processes put through the wringer. Thornton sees the experience of each lecture as unique, akin to walking blind into a gallery and experiencing art without a guide telling you how to feel. Thornton believes art is best experienced on one's own terms, without being told how or why. In her role with the Modern, Thronton leads the selection process and organization of each lecture series and has since she joined the museum full time in 1995. "I talked to friends and artists and came away with an agreement that it's great to be promoted and supported by a museum locally, but it's more important to be fed by content from voices we don't otherwise have access to directly," she said. Thornton selected Tuesday as the day for her series because, '"it seemed to be an evening not yet claimed." The series has 10 lectures in the spring and 10 in the fall, each one always falling on a Tuesday so that, "it became a habit. Or at least predictable." To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.