ART AND JAZZ

STAGE WEST PRESENTS FIRST TUESDAY: AN ENCOUNTER WITH ART AND JAZZ

 Stage West continues its First Tuesdays events on Tuesday, June 7 with

An Encounter with Art and Jazz. It will start at 6pm, and will last approximately 90 minutes.

Tickets are $20 each. Stage West’s season ticket holders receive a variety of additional

discounts for the program.

OPENING ACT:

Time to visit with friends old and new! Guests receive a complimentary drink at the beginning of

the evening and bar snacks will be provided.  Patrons will enjoy the sublime piano jazz of noted

musician Johnny Case.

MAIN EVENT: Director of Kinfolk House and noted artist Jessica Fuentes will discuss the art in

the Kinfolk House satellite exhibition Matriarchy on display now at Stage West, as and will also

explain the process of curating a show.

JOHNNY CASE: Johnny was born into a musical family in Fort Worth, and during the 1950’s was

a child performer with his older brother, guitarist Jerry Case. By age 15, he knew that jazz was

his true calling. Case has recorded a number of albums and played jazz at venues all over,

including the historic Hotel Texas, Sardines Ristorante (a 28-year gig), Caravan of Dreams, and

Lili’s Bistro. Currently, he plays at Pinky’s Champagne Room, Ridglea Country Club and Arts

Fifth Avenue.

JESSICA FUENTES: A longtime Fort Worth resident, Jessica Fuentes has exhibited her work

locally for over a decade and is a former member of the F6 Gallery Collective and 500x gallery.

Most recently her work was included in the temporary public art exhibition, New Stories: New

Futures curated by Dr. Lauren Cross.

As an art educator with 15 years of experience, Jessica has taught in public schools and higher

education and worked in museum education. Jessica was instrumental in developing the C3

Visiting Artist Project at the Dallas Museum of Art and the Carter Community Artists initiative at

the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

Jessica has contributed to institutional publications and national blogs. She also authored the

chapter, “Representation Matters: Diversifying School Tour Curriculum” in the book Creating

Meaningful Museum Experiences for K-12 Audiences: How to Connect with Teachers and

Students (October 2021), edited by Tara Young.

Currently, Jessica is the Director of Kinfolk House, News Editor for Glasstire, and a freelance

museum consultant. Additionally, she serves on the board of Make Art with Purpose (MAP),

Artes de la Rosa, and on the Education Planning Committee for the Smithsonian Latino Center.

In her downtime, she can usually be found with her family out in nature, enjoying an art

museum, or making art in their home studio.

KINFOLK HOUSE: Kinfolk House is a collaborative project space that inhabits a 100-year-old

historic home, where community and art converge in the predominantly Black and Latina/e/o

neighborhood of Polytechnic in Fort Worth, Texas. Its goal is to uplift the beauty, talent, and

culture in Polytechnic and feed its creativity by offering collaborative exhibitions, events, and

educational opportunities of various disciplines. Through partnerships with community-minded

creatives and project-based artists, they will build outside the preconceived ideas of “what art

is,” exploring the intersections of life, cultural pursuits, and artistry.