Denton, Texas Art Guide

For our last Art Adventure of 2019, we made an afternoon trip to Denton, Texas, roughly 45 minutes away from our house, and full of interesting art, art spaces and local creative flavor!

Texas Woman's University and the University of North Texas weren't in session so their galleries were closed, and we had recently visited the Patterson-Appleton Art Center, so this trip was focused on public art and murals. And there was plenty to see!

Denton mural. Photo: James Khattak.

The murals we saw were mostly in and around the downtown square, which surrounds the courthouse and is lined with coffee shops, independent stores, restaurants, and my new favorite, Gnome Cones!

Gnome Cones, Denton Square. Photo: James Khattak.

Some murals were easy to find, and others were more hidden in alleys or on the side of buildings. The sense of discovery added to the adventure!

Denton Mural, Elephant. Photo: James Khattak.

Away from the square, we enjoyed the Armadillo Art Gallery, inside the equally great and highly-recommended Cryptozoology Coffee and Armadillo Ale Works.

I went to school in Denton twenty-something years ago and it is fun to see how it has changed, but I also wish it some of this had existed when I was there, because it was pretty sparse back then and we had to work a little harder to make our own fun. (Maybe it made us stronger, haha! Or stranger!) There is one holdover from my time, a pizza restaurant where people who could be grandparents now, used to swing from the wooden rafters as part of an "experimental rock" band performance. Aah, college.

But Denton has long been, and still is a supportive and exciting place for art and artists, both for art lovers and for artists themselves. The Good/Bad Art Collective did some really interesting work here, and of course its music school, arts community and the creative talent coming out of the colleges has been and is still legendary and quite forward-thinking.

There is a creative streak there that evolves, of course, but doesn't go away. I love the vibrant murals and interesting businesses around the square, and love that places like Scrap Creative Resuse and Denton Camera Exchange exist to offer supplies and specialized equipment at a variety of price points.

Denton feels like its much further away from Dallas than it really is, and its energy makes you feel like you've had a comprehensive "art adventure" with a digestible time and cost investment. If you're visiting from elsewhere, it's an easy car rental's drive from Dallas or Fort Worth, and close to D/FW airport. There's also a train that runs from downtown Denton to suburban destinations and connection points to greater Dallas.

Visit our Maps page to see where we spotted some of our favorite Denton murals and street art, as well as other interesting places!

November Highlights

In November, we were able to see a few "new to us" spaces and exhibitions close to home! We finally visited the Haas Moto Museum, spent a day seeing what's new at the Dallas Contemporary and in Deep Ellum, and we also went on a Fort Worth Art Adventure to see the newly remodeled Amon Carter Museum of American Art!

Haas Moto Gallery, Dallas Design District.

Alicja Kwade at the Dallas Contemporary.

Alicja Kwade at the Dallas Contemporary.

Matthew Bourbon at Kirk Hopper Fine Art.

Gordon Parks "The New Tide" at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

Justin Favela's "Puente Nuevo" at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

Creatively Speaking

On the Friday before Thanksgiving, I was invited into a middle school classroom to speak about building a career in the art business. These were art students just beginning to learn about their professional possibilities, so I spoke mainly about my own art and illustration work, incorporating some of the high points of K.Co's work and entrepreneurship in general that they could relate to.

The ideas that seemed to resonate with them the most were that:

• Art can be a business that earns a living. We talked about illustrating for clients, illustrating for customers, and some of the business processes behind creative work.

• Art doesn't have to be either/or. You can be an artist and a student, another type of professional or a caregiver. The important thing is that you keep evolving and don't quit.

• The qualities for success are similar for both artists and entrepreneurs: Curiosity, Resourcefulness and Professionalism. Can you identify and creatively solve challenges and communicate ideas, and are you ethical and true to your word? These are attributes that anyone can begin cultivating at any time; even students!

I also shared a little about my personal journey from journalism to marketing to corporate tech and then to art. I wanted the students to know that where you start may not be where you finish, and that that's okay. To find lessons learned in their experiences, and if they don't see a seat at the table for them, use those lessons to make their own seat. It's something I am still learning at 43, and hope I can help younger generations of creatives by example.

The classroom was full of work by very promising young artists, and they asked great follow-up questions and were engaged listeners. I hope they remember their art teacher and me when they're famous one day!