ARLINGTON MUSEUM OF ART
201 W. Main Street, downtown Arlington
Hours: Wed thru Fri 1-5; Sat 10-5; Sun 12-5; closed Mon & Tues
Admission: Free (donations are welcome)
(817) 275 4600
arlingtonmuseum.org
Located on west Main Street in old downtown Arlington, The Arlington Museum of Art is housed in a 1950′s former JC Penney store art moderne building. With a two-story expansive open gallery, the AMA is the anchor of a revitalizing downtown Arlington. The oldest art organization in Arlington, it began 45 years ago as an art association and fulfilled its dream to become a museum in 1989. The AMA exists to champion creativity and provide access to art for the cultural enrichment and economic development of our community.
“DARIEN RAINFOREST BASKETS OF PANAMA” is the exhibit which runs April 18th through July 3rd. The exhibition explores the history and artistry of the Wounaan and Embera Indians. The Darien Gap is where the Pan American Highway is interrupted on its way to South America. Their basket weaving is some of the finest ever woven in the world.
The Wounaan and Embera Indians inhabit the most lush and unique neo-tropical rainforest in the western hemisphere outside the Amazon basin. Three hundred inches of rain fall in the area per year. Virtually all travel is accomplished by bush plane or dug-out canoe. The waterways take the place of roads. The most remote villages could be lifted right out of the prehistoric times. Except for a few outboard motors, plastic containers, aluminum utensils, and an occasional visit by an outsider, the people of this region’s entire lives revolve around fishing, hunting, singing, dancing and making baskets or carvings.
Basket making has helped these people build an economic base to secure their family’s welfare and protect the valuable rainforest resources. All of the materials for the baskets are native to the area and gathered by hand. The Chunga palm tree is the primary source of material, along with the Nahuala Palm, also known as the “Panama Hat Palm.” Almost all the dye colors are extracted from natural sources found in the rainforest such as leaves, fruits, soils, etc.
The baskets are woven into various styles black and white geometrics, colored geometrics and pictographic. They can range in size from very large (3 ft in diameter) to tiny miniatures (one-half inch across). A typical basket contains approximately 35 stitches to the linear inch. The square inch count is about 200-250 stitches per square inch. Some exceptional baskets are woven with stitch counts of 80 stitches per linear inch or 1200 stitches per square inch. This stitch count is finer than silk. All the work is done by hand, in a thatched hut with no running water or electricity, literally a place with no sensitivity to the passage of time. Many authorities credit these baskets as being the finest woven in the world.
MORE INFO ON THE ARLINGTON MUSEUM OF ART:
The AMA offers a variety of tours. Most tours are free. Visitors can take a self-guided tours via the handouts available at the reception desk. Self-guided tours are available in both children and adult formats. Guided tours are available with AMA staff for groups of five or larger. Call the AMA’s Education office at 817.275.4600 to schedule a guided tour.
As for kids, the AMA offers a variety of free and tuition-based programs for children and families throughout the year. Programs include “Art Around the Corner”; “Youth Art Encounters”, “Summer Art Camp”, “Summer Art Around the Corner”, and adult and children art classes on evenings and weekends during the school year.
Note: Closed major holidays including Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day. The museum closes at 2pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
