MOVING PICTURES: KARL STRUSS AND THE RISE OF HOLLYWOOD
Amon Carter Museum of American Art
3501 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, 817-738-1933, cartermuseum.org

Explore the storied career of photographer and cinematographer Karl Struss through a multimedia exhibition. Struss worked as a photographer in New York before heading to Los Angeles for a fresh start during Hollywood’s Golden Age. The exhibit has archival material, films and more than 100 photographs on display from the Carter’s Struss Artist Archive and highlights Struss’ innovative artistic approaches and techniques. Behind-the-scenes footage, film stills, publicity images and Struss’ Oscar award for cinematography in 1927’s “Sunrise” help tell the story of one of Hollywood’s most influential cinematographers from the early 20th century. Through Aug. 25

TEXAS JURIED EXHIBITION
Artspace111
111 Hampton St., Fort Worth, 817-692-3228, artspace111.com

Select artists will showcase contemporary 2D and 3D artwork as part of the 11th annual Texas Juried Exhibition. Margaret Adler, curator of paintings, sculpture and works on paper at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, served as juror for the exhibit. The artist who wins best in show will receive a cash prize and a chance to exhibit at Artspace111 during the 2025 season. Awards are supported by the Love Texas Art Foundation. Through Aug. 24

REBECCA MANSON: BARBECUE
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
3200 Darnell St., Fort Worth, 817-738-9215, themodern.org

Ceramic leaves, flowers, a barbecue grill and assorted debris mounting into piles encourage visitors to the “Rebecca Manson: Barbecue” exhibit to pause for moments of self-reflection. Manson pushes clay to its most fragile places in her first solo presentation at a museum. A designated trail is formed by the nearly 8-foot-tall mounds as elements of a summer barbecue come into view, but the falling leaves give off an autumnal feel. The competing seasons bring out tension while the foliage juxtaposes sweeping gestures with instances of stillness. Dualities are present to demonstrate the simultaneous existence of opposing realities. Through Aug. 25

Seward Johnson’s famous V-J Day sculpture (top) is one of more than 20 sculptures made by Johnson currently on display at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Each sculpture brings everyday happenings to life. Photos courtesy of Fort Worth Botanic Garden

SEWARD JOHNSON SCULPTURES
Fort Worth Botanic Garden
3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth, 817-463-4160, fwbg.org

More than 20 lifelike sculptures by the late artist Seward Johnson are on display at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. The sculptures are strategically placed throughout the garden to blend in with their surroundings. These pieces can fool the eyes, beg for double takes and bring classic art to life. Johnson’s iconic V-J Day scene “Embracing Peace” and the Mona Lisa-inspired “Reason to Smile” are included in the garden’s exhibit, which celebrates the power of renewal and connection through art and nature. Through Sept. 1

TALISMAN
Artspace111
111 Hampton St., Fort Worth, 817-692-3228, artspace111.com

Artist Layla Luna’s “Talisman” exhibit illustrates a narrative rendering of time and emotional space through a series of paintings and small sculptures. The images depict deserts in West Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, while the clay sculptures of southwest-dwelling animals honor the amulets, trinkets and talismans. These “sacred souvenirs” serve as reminders of lessons learned during the journey and hold within them the magic of an experience. July 26-Aug. 18

Willem and Jan Dermoyen, after Bernard van Orley, “Duel between Francis I and the Marquis Civita Santangelo” (detail), c. 1528-31, wool, silk and metal-wrapped thread, 173 1/4 x 322 in. (440 x 818 cm), Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples.
Photo courtesy of Kimbell Art Museum

ART AND WAR IN THE RENAISSANCE: THE BATTLE OF PAVIA TAPESTRIES
Kimbell Art Museum
3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, 817-332-8451, kimbellart.org

Monarchs and religious leaders showed off their power and wealth through the art of tapestry during the Renaissance. These expensive pieces served as immersive and elaborate tools for dynamic storytelling and political propaganda. In the “Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries” exhibit, seven large-scale tapestries commemorate Emperor Charles V’s decisive victory over the French King Francis I, ending the 16th century Italian wars. Each piece is about 27 feet wide by 14 feet high. Court artist Bernard van Orley designed the tapestries, which were woven in Brussels by Willem and Jan Dermoyen. Military leaders, horsemen and mercenary foot soldiers are depicted in landscapes dotted with hills, towns and forests. Arms and armor from the era are also part of the exhibit. Through Sept. 15

T.REX: THE ULTIMATE PREDATOR & MARS ROVER
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
2201 N. Field St., Dallas, 214-428-5555, perotmuseum.org

Experience the story of T-Rex, the most iconic dinosaur in the world, through life-sized models, fossil casts and interactive elements. “T.rex: The Ultimate Predator” looks at the hunter’s sensory abilities and social behaviors while tracking the dinosaur’s evolution from a superfamily that included more than two dozen species and spanned 100 million years. The exhibit also includes recent discoveries about the dinosaur and shows how paleontologists study fossils to understand the biology and behavior of T-Rex. For those interested in space exploration, check out the “twin” model of NASA’s Perseverance rover. Perseverance is part of the Mars 2020 mission and is seeking signs of possible ancient microbial life and collecting rock samples. Images and videos from the ongoing mission will be on display in the exhibit along with a close-up, detailed model of the Perseverance rover and its companion, the Ingenuity Mars helicopter.
T.rex – Through Sept. 22
Mars Rover – Through Sept. 2

DRAWN TO NATURE
Amon Carter Museum of American Art
3501 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, 817-738-1933, cartermuseum.org

Explore historical and modernist artworks from the Carter’s works on paper holdings from the 18th through 21st centuries in the “Drawn to Nature” exhibit. Nature is seen in a historical perspective from the first investigations of the American landscape by European American artists. The modernist approach takes an up-close look at nature as a way of rendering the real world through abstraction. Artists John James Audubon, Thomas Moran and Sandy Rodriguez are included in a collection that displays botanical and zoological beauty in all its complexity. Through Sept. 29