A major touring exhibition of the Hudson River School — the group of pioneering, 19th-century American landscape painters — is the highlight of the Amon Carter’s 50th anniversary year. Which also happens to be the first year for its new director, Andrew Walker.

The Kimbell Art Museum will be putting major artists in context in 2011 — in particular, through two shows, Picasso and Braque: The Cubist Experiment and Caravaggio and His Circle in Rome.

Today in the roundup: Rediscovering an Italian painting star, a Tony winner returns to Dallas and the Bush Library designer wins an award.

Walker Evans, Margaret Bourke-White and Berenice Abbott created groundbreaking bodies of work: Evans for his depictions of Southern poverty, Bourke-White for her towering images of industrialization, Abbott for her New York street scenes. We talk to Jessica May, co-curator of the Amon Carter exhibition ‘American Modern,’ about these three artists, how each crossed paths and influenced the others, about the dot-matrix and the urge for narrative.

Today in the roundup: DTC pulls a switcharoo for A Christmas Carol, cool cavases in Fort Worth and Texas pulls back on a film incentive.

Here’s a little holiday gift to share with three friends: Tickets to the Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea at the Kimbell Art Museum, plus lunch and more!

Today in the roundup: Give it Up! heads to New York (sorta), Dallas Black Dance Theatre debuts new work and Jubilee Theatre resurrects God’s Trombones.

Today in the roundup: Interpreting Vernon Fisher, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at Casa Manana and local music notes.

Slant 45 is a project of the Super Bowl Host Committee and arts-education specialists Big Thought — it’s gotten more than 35,000 North Texas kids picking up trash and planting trees for the Big Game. But it’s more than just making everything look nice for Jerry. There are volunteering lessons involved. And, yes, children’s artwork.

Soprano Ava Pine — who apprenticed with the Dallas Opera, performed with the Fort Worth Opera and who’s coming back here next week for the Dallas Symphony’s Christmas Celebration — THAT Ava Pine was just nominated for a Grammy Award. She’s joined by two others with North Texas ties.