Book Blog | K.Co Arts

- Aug 26, 2019
- 2 min read

August in Art

We took a small break in August to rest, spoil our ailing senior cat and plan what's coming up next for K.Co (cool things!)! While the time went too quickly in some ways, it was nice to breathe for a bit. But we didn't go the whole month without any art! For us, that would be a punishment, not a break!

Here is a selection of art we enjoyed in August:

These oil paintings were part of Craighead Green Gallery's "NEW TEXAS TALENT XXVI" exhibition. Not only are they skillfully painted (I initially thought they were photographs!), I love how the artist captured the humanity behind the helmet and mask.

"Wanderlust" by Sam Wilson, Craighead-Green Gallery.

In the luchador painting particularly, the title "Showdown" and the subject matter communicates that the wrestler is about to take on a much larger or more formidable opponent. The artist perfectly depicts a mix of apprehension and bravery in the subject's expression.

"Showdown" by Sam Wilson, Craighead Green Gallery.

"Punk Buddha Letting Go feat. Lichtenstein (Medium)" by Metis Atash, Samuel Lynne Galleries.

Samuel Lynne Galleries is such a fun place to see art. The exhibited works tend to be colorful and dramatic, and the space is so big that it is easy to spend a lot of time there. With an auditorium room, library nook and other comfortable spaces, it really is a destination in itself.

Lea Fisher abstracts. Samuel Lynne Galleries, Dallas Design District.

Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden, in North Dallas is another new discovery that is quickly becoming a favorite. It's an intimate gallery space on a large, lush piece of land, nearly hidden by trees on Spring Valley Road, creating an oasis of art that has been operating since the 1950s. We haven't seen its sculpture garden, as it's been under repair from storms earlier this summer. But both gallery exhibitions we've seen this summer have been very interesting. Here are some of our favorite selections from "Bird Show," on view through Sept. 7.

"Jamie's Opus" by Cindi Holt. Valley House Gallery.

During our (relative) downtime this summer, we launched a newsletter and are designing a new service offering, currently in beta to launch this fall, which connects art lovers to personalized recommendations, itineraries and guided experiences in the art and travel spaces. We love art and all the people and places we have connected with throughout our own adventures. It's exciting to expand the platform and do more good for more art lovers!

- Aug 6, 2019
- 2 min read

NW Arkansas Art Guide

In July, we had the opportunity to spend a weekend in Northwest Arkansas, visiting friends and exploring art in Bentonville. It was our third trip to this part of Arkansas, and we were excited to revisit old favorites and discover new ones!

Bentonville Art

We stayed in Bentonville at the 21c Museum Hotel downtown. Bentonville is small, but the presence of a few corporate headquarters (including Wal-Mart) means that it works to compete on a much bigger scale in terms of sophistication and options for professionals and/or people who might be traveling through to do business and want to take in a Bentonville art museum. This is good for everyone! Especially since most of what is available is free to the public.

This unique Arkansas hotel is called a "museum hotel" because it is art-focused, with a large gallery space on the ground floor and exhibitions throughout the building. I was excited by the quality of work and diversity of artists represented.

"March on Washington" by Andrea Bowers, Detail Shot.

"The Fly Woman Series" "Untitled," by Amparo Sard.

"The Fly Woman" series was rendered in pierced paper. Amazing! I'm glad these pieces were framed - I would have had to keep my hands in my pockets to prevent touching the images!

Bentonville Crystal Bridges

Bentonville is also home to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. We visit this museum every time we are in the area, and still haven't seen all of its permanent collection. It's huge, and the grounds host a sculpture garden representing impressive artists. The museum's trails connect it to downtown Bentonville, but it was too hot for us to make the trek, but there was plenty to see close to the museum. While we were there, we saw three deer! I wonder what they think of their impressive surroundings?

"Flowers that Bloom Now," by Yayoi Kusama.

From "Color Field," a sculpture by Jeffie Brewer.

From "Barbie and Baseball" by David Levinthal.

"We The People" installation by Nari Ward.

This installation script was made with beautiful, colorful shoeslaces!

"We The People," by Nari Ward. Detail Shot.

These are just a few of the wonderful highlights from this visit to the museum! In researching this post, I found a hint of something very cool coming to Crystal Bridges later on. My sleuthing skills only got me so far, but if you like pumpkins and infinity rooms, you'll likely be excited when they officially announce!

Arkansas Off the Beaten Path

Our friends live in Springdale, and they are also art explorers! They recommended a few things in the area that were new to us. Our favorite new discovery was the town of Siloam Springs, on the Arkansas/Oklahoma border. It was perfect for a quick rest stop, and had a lot of street art to discover.

Arkansas is only a few hours away from Dallas, and each time we go, we find something new to discover. We can't wait to go back and spend some more time with its art offerings and other experiences off the beaten path. Check back often as we add to our Arkansas Travel Guide and drop us a line with any recommendations!

- Jul 30, 2019
- 2 min read

July in Art

July was a busy month! We traveled to both Austin and NW Arkansas, which is a lot, even for us (but always fun) and saw a lot of great art here in D/FW as well. Honestly, it all runs together a bit, so I've enjoyed returning to some of those experiences while researching for this post.

We are staying closer to home in August, but have some plans to see new shows opening and also to add some different types of content to our platforms. The more we immerse ourselves in the arts, the more types of stories we see potential for. For example, this month we launched our first travel guide, because inevitably, people ask us where to go see art when they travel, or how they can find unique art experiences on their own. (Instagram hashtags are our secret weapon, FYI...)

As the summer winds down, we are excited about what the next season might bring. In the meantime, here is what caught our eye in July, in no particular order.

The artsy penguin mascot of 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville, Arkansas.

These guys were everywhere in the 21C Museum Hotel where we stayed in Bentonville, Arkansas! They moved around, but I never actually saw anyone moving them. Hmm....

Kaws "Ups and Downs" at NorthPark Center.

Another KAWS at NorthPark! I was familiar with the one near Macy's on the lower level, but this one was hidden near the AMC Theater. It's always fun to discover new treasures, especially in an environment that is free to see and open to all.

Lots of cool art books at Commonplace Books in Fort Worth.

"Jean-Michel Basquiat" art book, Taschen.

We checked out Commonplace Books, a new indie bookstore pop-up in Fort Worth, and I was impressed with its selection of art books. This Basquiat Taschen beauty in particular caught my eye and is now on my Christmas wish list. (Dear Santa, it's never too early!)

"Yellow Rose" by Landry McMeans, Yard Dog Art, Austin, TX.

When we travel, we always look for art as souvenirs. This "Yellow Rose" print is not only beautiful, but it's very "Austin," where we purchased it. I love how the yellow flower stands out against the light blue background. This is a hand-cut stencil print, but the artist, Landry McMeans does amazing work with paper craft as well.

"The Double Dare," by Deborah Roberts at 21C Museum Hotel Bentonville.

I have always loved Deborah Roberts' work, and was pleased to see it displayed in the hotel where we stayed in Bentonville. "The Double Dare" is the first of Roberts' work I have seen in person, and it was interesting to see how she creates such a compelling, expressive piece through collage.