Aimee (West) Cardoso, one of the co-founders of Art Tooth and a North Texas artist, died, along with her husband, Lucas, in a car accident on Friday, August 25, 2023.
Lucas and Aimee Cardoso. Photo by and courtesy of Tyler Germaine.
Mrs. Cardoso was born on December 23, 1990, and grew up in the mid-cities area of North Texas. A competitive swimmer, Mrs. Cardoso’s interest in art blossomed in high school. It was also in high school that she met her future husband, Lucas Cardoso; the pair married on April 26, 2014.
In 2013 she received a BA in Studio Art with an Art History minor from Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. A highlight for her at the college was in 2011 when she participated in a study abroad intensive in Orvieto, Italy. Prior to graduating, Mrs. Cardoso returned to Texas in the summer of 2012 to work as a gallery intern at Ro2 Art in Dallas. During that time, she assisted with organizing and presenting multiple solo shows at three gallery spaces and two satellite venues. Ro2 would later host two solo exhibitions of Mrs. Cardoso’s work.
Aimee Cardoso at Ro2 Art in Dallas.
In a social media post, Jordan Roth, Co-founder and Director of Ro2, remarked, “Aimee was not just beautiful; she was a sparkling light. She had an energy that was infectious, eyes that understood you before you spoke a word, and a smile that could light up any room… We have lost a dear friend and a bright light in our lives.”
Following her graduation from Messiah College, Mrs. Cardoso returned to North Texas and began working at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. During her nearly ten years at the museum, she held a variety of positions, including Gallery Attendant, Lead Information Desk Associate, Assistant Manager of Visitor Services, and ultimately, Administrator for Tour and Docent Programs. Though she departed the organization in December 2022 to pursue her MBA at the University of Oklahoma, Mrs. Cardoso remained a beloved member of the Modern’s work family.
Aimee Cardoso, Shasta Haubrich, and Dee Lara O’Neal at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Terri Thornton, Curator of Education at the Modern, told Glasstire, “The only thing that exceeds the love Aimee had for the Modern is the Modern’s love for Aimee. She was luminous in every way, curious and unrelenting in her pursuits. The Education department, Modern docents, and all who worked with Aimee were marked by her affability, and in that way she is with us forever.”
It was early in her career at the Modern that Mrs. Cardoso met and teamed up with other local emerging artists and arts administrators to form a group they named “Exhibitionists.” What first began as a simple conversation between Mrs. Cardoso and Dee Lara O’Neal at the Modern’s visitor services desk became a way to organize exhibitions of works by staff members of local museums, including receptionists, security guards, and gallery attendants.
Mrs. O’Neal spoke with Glasstire and noted that throughout these early years of arts organizing, Mrs. Cardoso was still newly wed. Mrs. O’Neal commented that Mr. Cardoso, who was a small business owner and a salesman, was incredibly supportive of his wife, attending every art opening.
A photograph of some of the co-founders of Art Tooth: Dave Riddile, Ariel Davis, Aimee Cardoso, and Shasta Haulbrich.
In 2016, Exhibitionists merged with Bobby on Drums, another Fort Worth-based arts organization, to form the nonprofit Art Tooth. In her initial role with Art Tooth, Mrs. Cardoso served as a curator and managed many of the administrative tasks. She served as the organization’s Executive Director from 2017 to 2020. Co-founder and current Art Tooth Executive Director Shasta Haubrich explained that Mrs. Cardoso was extremely gifted at project management and identifying local emerging artists to work with.
Ms. Haubrich told Glasstire, “Aimee was a jack of all trades, especially for Art Tooth. I sometimes thought she magically knew how to do everything well, but she was always willing to learn more if needed. As a thoughtful and thorough curator, she brought a level of sophistication to everything she did. She connected with everyone she worked with in a special and beautiful way.”
Shasta Haulbrich, Aimee Cardoso, Nancy Lamb, and Ariel Davis. Photo by Walt Burns.
The untimely deaths of Aimee and Lucas Cardoso have hit the Fort Worth community hard this past week. Friends, family, colleagues and collaborators have taken to social media to share memories and condolences. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support the Cardoso family.
Lucas and Aimee Cardoso. Photo by Tyler Germaine.
A celebration of the lives of Aimee and Lucas will take place on Friday, September 8, at 2:00 p.m. at the Prestonwood Baptist Church (6801 W. Park Blvd) in Plano, Texas.
