“‘As critics of utopian thinking have long regarded, the futures we imagine reveal the biases of the present; it seems entirely possible that imagining different futures and temporalities might help us see, and do, the present differently,’ says Alison Kafer, PhD, a Disabilities Studies scholar and Associate Professor of English and Women’s and Gender Studies at UT Austin.

As an artist and community organizer born and raised in Austin, my ambition is for future generations of Texans and Tejanxs to experience more joyous, creative lives. Throughout my career I have dedicated myself to working collectively with organizations and putting in the work necessary to make that happen—whether it be creatively, logistically or otherwise.

After transformative years for our organization, I am enlivened by our ability to reemerge as something new and better rooted in our reality, but still with ample room to grow and change with our members and collaborators.

I say this again and again, this organization has given me a platform to explore community organizing beyond the realm of a single industry or a boxed in cultural narrative. I have learned it takes responsibility, ownership, compassion, consideration and love to actively build and maintain the spaces we want to see in our local communities. I live a much fuller life as a creative being because of my civic involvement in the place I call home and I have worked with and within our organization in a variety of roles over the last four years. I have watched in awe and actively participated in the creation of a nurturing learning environment where folks have challenged themselves to new ideas, extended networks, and fresh perspectives—all with space to make mistakes or show up less than perfect. 

There will always be a need to imagine new realities, to tweak things that may be good for some to be better for all. To build the future that contains mutual respect and opportunities for a wide spectrum of identities, we must do the work here and now. As the 2020-23 Board President, I couldn’t be more excited about our organization’s work today.”

“I am a fifth-generation Texan, born and raised on the border in a little, rural farming community called Rio Hondo. I grew up with quintessential small-town-girl dreams of becoming a singer-songwriter. So once I graduated from high school, I headed to the Live Music Capitol Of The World.

When I moved to Austin, Texas in 2011, I settled in with earnest enthusiasm. I was studying journalism at The University of Texas and searching for my place in the city’s music scene. Three years in, I found myself continually burning out, confused, lonely and discouraged. I struggled to find collaborators, resources and models for the kind of work I wanted to do—things I wanted to make. I became aware that many of the spaces I wanted to be in were not reflective of people who looked like me or related to my experiences. It was difficult to imagine what a creative career and life for myself would even look like.

So, as part of an honors’ course my senior year, I started interviewing women in creative industries to see if they felt the same. To my surprise, they did. I thought it may be a good idea for us to get together—and from that invitation Future Front’s first meet-up was born.

We have been evolving ever since.

This project has become an ongoing experiment in creative community, Texan identity and belonging, a place to design the third spaces we dream of. A place to try things on, make mistakes and collaborate. It’s ultimately a love letter.”