This summer, North Texas is turning sports fandom into a citywide cultural experience. Ahead of the FIFA World Cup, museums and public spaces across the city are exploring how sports intersect with art, history, science and community. Here's a sample of what's happening in Dallas, Denton, Arlington and Fort Worth.
DALLAS
Exhibitions
Soccer: More Than A Game: Family-friendly experience that captures the excitement of the sport and explores how physics, biology, and technology shape every aspect of the game. Through Sept. 7. Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Game Changer: United By Sports: Explores how sports are interwoven with American history, spotlighting defining moments that put the nation on the world stage. It also highlights overlooked historic milestones in sports. Explore pivotal moments when sports brought the nation together. Through Jan. 10. George W. Bush Presidential Museum
"The World is Ours": A sculpture featuring a bronze hand lifting an immense, gently rotating globe. Find it on the same platform used for the historic ‘'Big Tex' sculpture that welcomes visitors to the Texas State Fair. May 9. Fair Park.
FESTIVALS & GATHERINGS
PRIDE Block Party: Celebrating the diversity and welcoming spirit of Dallas. A music and visual arts block party that starts on the street and invites all into the Crow Museum of Asian Art, Dallas Arts District, Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center. It attracts thousands of visitors each year. June 19. Dallas Arts District.
Flora Street Live: This block party will include ticketed performances in Strauss Square, Broadway Dallas’ presentation of the musical “Clue” in the Winspear Opera House, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerson Symphony Center. BANDALOOP Vertical Dance Company, known for dancing atop and on the sides of buildings, will perform. There will also be a free Changing Perspectives festival in Sammons Park and TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND will present a showcase of local arts organizations in Moody Performance Hall. June 26. Dallas Arts District.
Thursdays on Tap: A special soccer-themed edition of the Perot Museum’s popular Thursdays on Tap program, featuring food, live music, and soccer-related activities. July 9. Perot Museum of Nature and Science.
Independence Day Celebration (America 250 Celebration): Live performances and fireworks display to celebrate the nation’s 250th Birthday. July 4. Klyde Warren Park
Red Ball Project Dallas: The Dallas and Texas premiere of artist Kurt Perschke’s international project. Over 10 days, a 15-foot inflatable red sphere will travel throughout the Dallas Arts District and surrounding downtown neighborhoods. June 19- 28. Dallas Art District
Deep Vellum Literary and Music Festival: Explore literary readings and spoken words in coffee shops, restaurants, galleries and empty spaces filled with art, while enjoying a local artist market on the streets of Deep Ellum. July11. Crowdus Street
Copa de Cliff Oak Cliff: Oak Cliff’s most famous streets, Bishop Avenue, Jefferson Boulevard and Winnetka Avenue will be filled with performances, car clubs, food, markets, performances. Each highlights the diverse history and culture of Oak Cliff. June 24. Oak Cliff
Illuminature at the Dallas Zoo: An animal experience by day and an illuminated lantern festival by night featuring FIFA World Cup-themed lantern installations. Halperin Park will fill its acres with cultural celebrations and performances on its Pavilion stage. Through June 28. Dallas Zoo and Halperin Park.
TARRANT COUNTY
More Than A Match
The immersive fan experience at the Arlington Museum of Art spotlights World Cup memorabilia, legendary players’ jerseys, scarves, maps and contemporary art across four exhibits. Through Aug. 2. Arlington Museum of Art
Montana Xibalba: Translation #2
Take a close look at a 1963 painting by artist Jess Collins that re-creates a soccer game from a yearbook photograph he found in a second-hand shop. Artwork is free to view in the museum’s lobby. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Summer of Soccer
Discover nearly 30 extra-large soccer balls painted by local artists around downtown Fort Worth. The balls will be installed at Sundance Square Plaza through June 7. The artworks will then be scattered throughout the 37-block downtown district to score points with passersby during the matches. Through July 19. Downtown Fort Worth
DENTON
1967: When Soccer Came to Texas
The Dallas Tornado Soccer Club was the first professional soccer team in Texas. It was founded by two wealthy sports fanatics in 1967, coached by a Yugoslavian immigrant, and employed only one American player. See original artifacts, photos, and ephemera from the archive of The Dallas Tornado's first coach, Bob Kap, including team pennants from soccer clubs around the world. Through June 27. UNT CoLab
