For years, Fort Worth's Black cultural leaders have talked about creating spaces that preserve history, celebrate culture and serve the community. This Juneteenth, three of those institutions are coming together to do exactly that.
The National Juneteenth Museum, the new Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center and Kinfolk House are partnering on "All 'n All," an exhibition featuring work by 11 North Texas artists. The exhibition takes place at the African American Museum and Kinfolk House, and it anchors the National Juneteenth Museum's Freedom Vibes Festival, a 10-day celebration of music, food, art and culture leading up to Juneteenth.
But organizers say the collaboration itself may be just as significant as the exhibition.
"We wanted to support the idea that we can be a part of the community where our museum is going to be," said Christopher Blay, director of public programs for the National Juneteenth Museum and curator of the exhibition. "We're not going to be a silo in the middle of the community without any connection to the community."
The partnership arrives at a moment when Black cultural institutions are gaining visibility across Fort Worth.
The National Juneteenth Museum will be located in the Historic Southside District at the corner of Rosedale Street and New York avenue in Fort Worth. The museum is still fundraising and hopes to start construction in the fall of this year, 2026. But they are not waiting to create public programming like Freedom Vibes.
Kinfolk House has become a gathering space for artists, entrepreneurs and creatives on the city South Side. The gallery and event space is run by artists Sedrick and Letitia Huckaby in Sedrick's grandmother's house.
And the Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center is officially opening its first exhibition after restoring its historic building near Texas Wesleyan.
For John Barnett, founding chairman of the African American Museum's board, the collaboration demonstrates something larger than any single organization.
"We hope that it demonstrates harmony," Barnett said. "That there's no competitiveness among us and that we are really just proud to be Americans, African Americans in America."
The African American museum grew out of efforts to preserve the history of Butler Place, one of Fort Worth's most significant Black communities and public housing developments. After Butler Place was demolished, community leaders began discussing ways to ensure its history would not be forgotten.
That effort eventually led organizers to a 1913 building on East Rosedale Street, which has undergone extensive restoration.
"We took great care in the restoration of this building to preserve and make evident that this was not a tear-down and rebuild," Barnett said. "This was taking an existing structure and restoring it."
Today, the museum is operated by a volunteer board and continues gathering input from educators, faith leaders and residents as it develops its long-term vision.
Named after Earth, Wind & Fire's 1977 album All 'n All, the exhibition explores how artists create, sustain and reflect community through their work. Blay said the title was inspired by both the band's cultural influence and the communal spirit embedded in Juneteenth celebrations.
"The resonance of that music speaks a lot to community," he said. "Juneteenth is not only a static moment on the calendar. It spans 1865 to 2026, and it emphasizes freedom, celebration and community and those three things are ever present, both in Earth, Wind & Fire and the artists that are part of this show."
The exhibition includes paintings, photographs and mixed-media works by artists from across Dallas-Fort Worth. As Blay assembled the show, he discovered many of the artists were already connected through friendships, mentorships and creative collaborations. He found works by participating artists hanging in one another's studios, photographers had documented fellow artists and painters shared space on one another's wall.
"To have 11 DFW-area African American artists connected in symbiotic ways was a really resounding affirmation for an exhibition about community," Blay said.
That sense of interconnectedness extends beyond the artists themselves.
Together, the institutions are creating what organizers describe as an ecosystem rather than a collection of separate organizations.
For Barnett, that's essential as Fort Worth's cultural landscape continues to evolve.
"We want Fort Worth and vicinity to embrace, one, the collaboration," he said. "But each of the aspects that each of these institutions will embrace as we endeavor to elevate the awareness of African American history."
As Juneteenth celebrations continue to expand nationally, organizers say Fort Worth is building something more permanent; institutions dedicated not only to commemorating Black history but creating spaces where Black culture can thrive year-round.
"We want Juneteenth to be celebrated as an American holiday and an American experience," Blay said. "Freedom is a core tenet of the United States."
Details: All 'n All remains on view through Aug. 15 at the Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center and Kinfolk House as part of the National Juneteenth Museum's Freedom Vibes Festival.
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