The Flower of the Northside

On North Main, just blocks away from the Stockyards, stands the Rose Marine Theater. Since the early years of the twentieth century, the theater has been the center of its community. Since 1999, the theater has been the home of Artes de la Rosa.  

Photo courtesy of Artes de la Rosa

When the railroad came to town in 1876, it sparked an explosion on the Northside. As the city moved into the 20th century and families settled in the area, the need for family entertainment grew. In the 1910s, a theater called the Roseland was built on North Main Street. 

The rise of the Hispanic population of the Northside coincided with the rise of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. From about 1935 to 1960, the Mexican film industry rivaled only Hollywood in terms of production value and popularity. Stars such as Dolores del Rio, Cantinflas, and Katy Jurado captured the imaginations and hearts of people around the world.  

Burt and Marie Burkhalter, owners of what was now called the Rose Theater, recognized the importance of Mexican cinema to the people of the Northside and brought Mexican movie stars to the Rose Theater. People stood in line for hours for a chance to see their favorite stars in person. The Rose Theater (renamed the Rose Marine Theater in 1943) became the focal point of Hispanic entertainment in Fort Worth.  

Unfortunately, the end of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema corresponded with a major downturn in the fortunes of the Northside. The packing plants that employed much of the population of the Northside closed. Businesses all throughout the Northside, including the Rose Marine Theater, closed as the area was rocked by the economic downturn. The City of Fort Worth focused its economic efforts on other parts of the city, neglecting the Northside completely.  

This changed with the election of the first Hispanic City Council member, Louis J. Zapata. Zapata was a tireless champion of the Northside community, and he understood that the neighborhood needed a focus around which to rebuild. With a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development under Henry Cisneros, the City of Fort Worth bought the Rose Marine Theater, and with the support of the Northside community, renovated it. The Latin Arts Association of Fort Worth took over the management of the theater, and the rest, as they say, is history.  

Photo courtesy of Artes de la Rosa

Under the leadership of William Giron, Artes de la Rosa, formerly the Latin Arts Association of Fort Worth, has reached out past the boundaries of the Northside community to engage with the museums in the Cultural District, the Fort Worth Opera, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Cliburn, and the Fort Worth Art Dealers Association. With a background in economic development, Giron hopes to not only diversify Artes’ audience but give back to the Northside community while honoring the neighborhood’s history.  

Giron is not only championing the artist endeavors of Artes, he is hoping to spark economic growth on the Northside. “We need to build an economic ecosystem in the Northside,” Giron said. “We’re all interconnected – the arts create jobs which in turn creates patrons to support the arts.”  

Photo courtesy of Artes de la Rosa

To support this goal, Artes hired Sara Herrera as its new Director of Education. A Fort Worth native, Herrera will oversee the Artes Academy and various educational outreach programs. The Academy accepts children from all over the city and aims to build social and communication skills, as well as the self-confidence needed for students to become contributing members of society through practical art education. “I’m humbled and proud to be part of this,” Herrera said. “There are very few groups that not only talk the talk, they walk the walk, and Artes walks the walk.”  

In 2018, Artes received a Facebook Community Action Grant. The grant allowed them to expand the Academy, adding STEM elements to their art education. The purchase of 20 MacBook Pros gives the students access to the technical side of the arts, exposing them to experiences they might not have in their schools. This, in turn, helps the students realize their potential as adult members of the community.  

On any day of the week, Artes de la Rosa is showing an artist’s work, producing a play, or hosting a community forum. Right now, they are preparing for two shows to coincide with Spring Gallery Night. Brenda Ciardiello’s “Outsider” and Stormie Parker’s “Endangered Americas” run through the end of March. Once again, the Rose Marine Theater has become a focal point for the Northside community, and Artes de la Rosa continues to honor the Northside community’s past while leading it into the future.