NorthPark Center and Business Council for the Arts held its 6th annual ARTsPARK Community Art Fair this past Saturday featuring dozens of organizations from across North Texas that showcased some of the region’s best art and culture. 

“Each art organization presented its own interactive table with a hands-on activities,” Kristen Gibbins, Public Relations for NorthPark Center explains. “Some of the highlights included the Fine Arts Chamber Players' on-the-spot violin lessons, the Nasher Sculpture Center's clay art project, Craft Guild of Dallas' glassblowing demonstration and the Islamic Art Revival Series/Texas Muslim Women's Foundation showcasing the art of Arabic script.”

A free event for NorthPark shoppers, Gibbins says it’s hard to give an exact number of folks in attendance, but she says that either way, she can say, “each year it gets bigger and better than the last. The event was bustling with activity from start to finish [this past weekend] and our participating organizations were thrilled with the robust turn out.”

Last Saturday's ARTsPARK event offered participating galleries including Circuit 12 Contemporary, Galleri Urbane, Zhulong Gallery, Cydonia Gallery, The Public Trust, Lab Art Texas; Participating Arts Organizations were Dallas Museum of Art, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Crow Collection of Asian Art, Anita N Martinez Ballet Folklorico, Creative Arts Center of Dallas, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Dallas Historical Society, Dallas Zoo, Nasher Sculpture Center, Texas Sculpture Association, Fine Arts Chamber Players, Undermain Theater, Dallas Summer Musicals, Art Conspiracy, IN3 Art Worldwide, Texas Visual Arts Association, Friends of the Dallas Bath House Cultural Center, Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, Indian Cultural Heritage Foundation, Dallas Area Fiber Artists, Art Conspiracy and the City of Dallas Trinity River Project as well as live demos by Southwestern Watercolor Society, The Craft Guild of Dallas, Texas Sculpture Association, Nasher Sculpture Center, The Creative Arts Center and Texas Visual Arts Association.

Also on hand for live performances were the Dallas Zoo, Anita Martinez Ballet Folklorico, Texas Ballet Theater, McGuire School of Irish Dance and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

One exciting addition to ARTsPARK this year was called “Gallery Row,” featuring artworks on display and available for purchase from Dallas’ thriving gallery scene.

“The Gallery Row was a new offering this year, which featured five Dallas' galleries,” Gibbins says. “Each gallery brought works of art that are currently for sale and that are representative of their niche.”

While Gibbins says it is hard to pinpoint just one thing that stood out above the rest over the weekend, she does conclude that, “Overall, this ARTsPARK event was the most interactive in its history. Visitors enjoyed the back-to-back entertainment/performance schedule, which included everything from Dallas Black Dance Theatre to the Dallas Zoo.”

NorthPark Center in Dallas offers more than 235 stores and restaurants, including over 60 market exclusives and 42 dining options. Anchored by Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Dillard’s and AMC NorthPark 15 theatres, NorthPark Center offers choices in every category including a  collection of luxury boutiques and the world’s most renowned jewelry and timepiece brands. With award-winning architecture and landscaping, an extraordinary collection of world-class, modern and contemporary art and an expansive 1.4-acre CenterPark garden, visitors also enjoy the shopping centers cultural experience as well.