At the end of the year, we like to look back at what you, our readers, were most interested in. As always, in 2023 we covered breaking art news across Texas, blockbuster exhibitions organized by local institutions, the changing of Texas’ art ecosystem, and so much more.
Below, you can find a list of our ten most-read stories from 2023.
The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas
One: Walmart Versus High Art in Bentonville, Arkansas
The most-read article on Glasstire this year was a profile of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art by writer Barbara Purcell. The piece is a meditation on what makes the museum unique, its founding by Walmart heiress Alice Walton, and the impact it has had on the town of Bentonville.
The exterior of Winter Street Studios in Houston after its 2022 fire. Photo: Taylor Clendennen.
Two: Man Suspected of Lighting Fire at Winter Street Studios Dies of Suicide
Late in 2022, the Winter Street Studio building in Houston was damaged by an act of arson, leaving dozens of artists with destroyed art and without a place to work. Then, just a few days later, the man who was believed to have started the fire died of suicide.
Vinod Hopson leading a tour in Houston, c. 2016. Image courtesy of The Idea Fund.
Three: Vinod Hopson, 1975 – 2023
In February, the Houston-based artist, storyteller, and cultural worker Vinod Hopson died at the age of 48. Hopson was known around town for his longtime position with FotoFest, and for his research and storytelling project, Those Who Desire.
Maritza Bautista, Gil Rocha, and Cande Aguilar speaking to a crowd at Arts Fort Worth.
Four: Fort Worth’s Shifting Art Scene
In this piece, Jessica Fuentes, Glasstire’s News Editor, took an incisive look at the landscape of Fort Worth’s art scene, dissecting the landscape of the city’s galleries, museums, and nonprofit spaces.
A rendering of Meow Wolf Houston. Courtesy of Meow Wolf
Five: Meow Wolf Breaks Ground in Houston’s Fifth Ward
In addition to opening a new location in Grapevine this year, the arts and entertainment company Meow Wolf announced that it will open a new location in Houston in a forthcoming development in the city’s Fifth Ward.
Vernon Fisher installing work in the Dallas Museum of Art’s exhibition, “Concentrations 17: Vernon Fisher, Lost for Words,” 1988. Photo: University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History/Dallas Museum of Art.
Six: Vernon Fisher, 1943 – 2023
In April, longtime North Texas artist Vernon Fisher died at the age of 80. In addition to his respected and successful career as an artist, Fisher had an extensive career as a professor at the University of North Texas, during which he taught and mentored many Texas artists still working today.
Lucas and Aimee Cardoso. Photo by and courtesy of Tyler Germaine.
Seven: Aimee Cardoso, 1990 – 2023
In August, Aimee Cardoso, who was known in North Texas as an artist and one of the founders of the artist-run project gallery Art Tooth, and her husband, Lucas, died in a car accident. Cardoso’s death caused an outpouring of support and remembrances from Fort Worth’s and Dallas’ art communities.
Sophia del Rio, “White men who paint landscapes are not artists,” 2023.
This complex article traces the story of and fallout around a performance by Fort Worth artist Sophia del Rio, for which she cut up a copy of a print by another Fort Worth artist, Billy Hassell.
Jerry Saltz at the Dallas Museum of Art
Nine: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Art Critic Jerry Saltz Comes to the Dallas Museum of Art
In January, Jerry Saltz, who is perhaps the world’s most famous art critic, came to the Dallas Museum of Art to deliver one of his signature lectures in promotion of his new book, Art is Life.
Sharon Kopriva, “Bower Boat,” 2023, wood, found objects, resin over mache, plaster and metal screen. Photo: Paul Hester.
People love “Best of” lists! This year’s Glasstire Best of featured picks from across Texas by more than 20 Glasstire staffers and contributors.
