Media Release
July 13, 2016
Arts Council Contact: Kathleen Forrest, Public Engagement Coordinator
Kroger Contact: Bo Wachendorf, Art Manager
Three new stores will feature original artworks
Fort Worth, TX (July 13, 2016) — The Kroger Company has partnered with the Arts Council of Fort Worth to commission original works of art by local artists for three new stores being built in the north Fort Worth area. Kroger, which is investing $1,000,000 in an initiative to add murals to more than 65 new stores across the United States in 2016, is engaging local artists to create an enhanced shopping experience. The Arts Council of Fort Worth is assisting Kroger with artist selection and project management for the new stores.
Artist Lindsey Dunnagan was selected for Store #532, located at 5241 N. Tarrant Parkway in North Richland Hills, which will open to the public on July 15, 2016 with a Grand Opening Ceremony at 9:00 a.m. The piece Dunnagan created for this location, titled Native Treasure, is an indoor mural on acrylic panels that elegantly layers swaths of color, intricate line drawings of iconic Fort Worth destinations, and aerial views of nearby neighborhoods rendered in gold paint.
Dunnagan’s work explores the role of memory in shaping our sense of identity and place, and celebrates the spirit of community and the unique identity of the neighborhood and its surroundings.
“Dunnagan’s work helps us recognize how our environment affects our everyday lives. In her images, you will see the reflection of our local landscapes and iconic structures that serves to celebrate the uniqueness of Fort Worth. The complexity and depth in her work will continue to reveal something new for customers to enjoy with their friends and family,” remarked Karen Wiley, President and CEO of the Arts Council of Fort Worth and member of the artist selection panel for this project.
Dunnagan has dual Masters Degrees in Art History and Painting & Drawing from Texas Women’s University, and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Design Architecture from Texas A&M University. Until recently, she was Adjunct Professor of Art at Texas Christian University, and is now Assistant Professor of Art at Truman State University. Her most recent solo exhibition, the Journey Home Project, is on display at Carneal Simmons Contemporary Art in Dallas through August 27, 2016.
Murals will also be commissioned by local artists for two other Kroger stores that will tentatively open in December. The Arts Council of Fort Worth will issue an open Call to Artists soon.
ABOUT THE ARTS COUNCIL
The Arts Council of Fort Worth was formed in 1963 to provide funding and leadership to assure the advancement of the arts throughout the Fort Worth. Today’s Arts Council continues to promote, nurture, and support the arts in Fort Worth by providing fiscal and business resources to local artists and arts groups while also serving the community through management of the Fort Worth Public Art Program and Fort Worth Community Arts Center. For more information, please visit www.artsfortworth.org.