THE GIVING SEASON — THE ARTS

Books are always welcome gifts, especially for art lovers. Check out the offerings at the museums, especially the companion books to recent exhibits including Imagined Realism, the story behind the Scott and Stuart Gentling exhibit at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. You’ll see and read why the siblings are Fort Worth’s underappreciated treasures and the city’s own version of famed realist Andrew Wyeth. $60, Amon Carter Museum of American Art

The Frida fan in your life will love Frida Kahlo: The Complete Paintings, an XXL-format 624-page book that takes an extensive look at the famed artist’s works and a deep dive into her career. Included are paintings that have never been written about before, pages from her diary, personal letters and photos of husband Diego Rivera and her beloved Mexico home, La Casa Azul. $200, Neiman Marcus or taschen.com

“Buy” a flower bed at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, and the honored recipient can delight in a vicarious green thumb (and bragging rights) while your donation benefits the nonprofit. A sign will mark the Blooming Bed dedication; sponsored benches get a brass plate. Initiated by the Fort Worth Garden Club, 100 percent of the money earned from “Blooming Beds and Benches” goes back to the nonprofit. (Admission and sales at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden/Botanical Research Institute of Texas only cover 10 percent of the operating costs.) Donors also get tickets to an after-hours garden party on March 31. The deadline for sponsorship is Jan. 15, 2022. Prices range from $325 ($425 for nonmembers of FWBG/BRIT) for a bed of tulips to $5,500 for a 10-year sponsorship of a bench, fortworthgardenclub.org/donate/blooming-beds-and-benches

Find other ways to benefit FWBG/BRIT. Annual memberships run from $50 to $100 and include numerous perks, such as admission to other gardens in the U.S., including the Dallas Arboretum. brit.org/support/tributes-and-honor-gifts

Memberships and subscriptions are among the most welcome gifts a family or individual can receive. They don’t take up space and, for the most part, can be used at the recipient’s leisure. Plus they benefit nonprofit organizations — museums, theater groups, dance troupes, opera and symphony organizations — that have lost revenue because of the pandemic. Check with your favorites on how to give the gift of art and culture.

Now that major touring acts and other performers are back on the road, tickets make a fine gift no matter one’s musical tastes: Elton John’s two-day tour hits Dallas starting Jan. 25; Erykah Badu plays The Factory in Deep Ellum Feb. 26; Kenny G heads to Bass Performance Hall for three nights starting March 18; John Mayer performs at American Airlines Center on April 24; Rod Stewart is set for July 1 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. Check with the venue or the artist’s website for ticket info and updates.