Whether it was through her 29-year tenure as the curator for education at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, or as the creator of its seminal Tuesday Evenings lecture series, her joint “Blind Alley Project” with sculptor and husband Cameron Schoepp or the gently compelling graphite on paper drawings she produced in her studio, Terri Thornton’s impact on the visual arts community in Fort Worth and beyond is destined to endure in a deep and meaningful way. 

Terri Thornton’s legacy endures in the artists she inspired and the programs she built—always leading with quiet brilliance.

Thornton died of cancer this past December at 66 years old. She was foundational in establishing educational programs that provided unparalleled learning opportunities for the public as well as continued exposure for the countless artists whose works she featured.

“In my mind, Terri was probably the coolest and most interesting person in the room 99.9% of the time,” says Jesse Morgan Barnett, who serves as the Modern’s assistant curator for academic programs.

Barnett worked closely with Thornton for over a decade and is not alone in his praise for Thornton’s creative generosity and joyful mentorship. He says that many of the museum’s current educational initiatives evolved from protocols established by her.

“Terri was an early advocate of extending invitations to practicing artists to build curriculum for the Modern’s school and public programs,” Barnett says. “She was extremely interested in providing students of all ages a growing relationship with the Modern’s permanent collection and special exhibitions.”

Among the museum’s robust array of offerings are its Summer Art Camp and Art Study, an annual summer film series, a Teen Artist/Project designed for high school students, architecture-focused tours and Spanish-language tours, all of which were designed or developed by Thornton and her team. 

Thornton’s greatest contribution, and one that many cite most lovingly, is her curation of the Tuesday Evening Lecture Series, which has featured notable artists such as Vernon Fisher, Helene Winer, Alejandro Cesarco and Carrie Yamaoka. The series has been scaled back to two to three per season and is now called Exhibition Lecture Series.

With wisdom and warmth, Terri Thornton guided students to see art not just as an object, but as a conversation.

“She valued offering the public, as well as students, educators and artists, a free lecture series that supplemented the Modern’s permanent collection and exhibition programming,” Barnett says. “Its continuity and breadth were essential to the education department’s programming and her curation of artists and writers within the field of contemporary art helped the DFW art community think more broadly about ideas and experiences the works were asking us to consider.”

In an interview shortly before her death, Thornton spoke about her work with other artists and how it greatly enhanced her own opportunities as a lifelong learner. She maintained that, in spite of her many years as an art teacher at both the high school and university levels, she has always felt herself to be more of an artist than an educator. 

“I understand the philosophy behind teaching and all that, but, for me, remaining art-focused is what actually makes me a better educator,” Thornton said. “Everything I’ve ever done has always been within the realm of art, and I need my subject to drive whatever it is I’m trying to put forward. For me, art is the impetus for everything I do here.”

A Celebration of Life for Terri will be held this spring.