The 2023 Impact Report: A Year of Homecoming
2023 was a milestone year for Future Front, y’all—and it’s time to get into it.
From opening The Future Front House to welcoming our largest number of visitors since 2019, we are so grateful for every (unexpected) moment of growth. Continue reading for some of our homegrown highlights of 2023.
✰ Our 3 big wins:
✰ Our TOP 10 growth moments:
No. 1 — We brought The Future Front House—a 2500 sq. ft. community space at 1900 12th St in historic Downtown East Austin—to life. Since we’ve opened our doors, The House has been home to 50 free creative community gatherings, like ceramics workshops and figure drawing clubs.
No. 2 — The Front Festival had a record-breaking year, with 1600 attendees supporting 33 women and LGBTQ+ artists across four days of independent music, film and art. (Including some of our biggest pool parties yet!)
No. 3 — Across The Front Market’s Spring and Fall Seasons, we exhibited 403 independent creatives, designers, makers, artists, small business owners and chefs from Texas.
No. 4 — 88 volunteers, board members, community curators and collaborators joined us throughout the year to contribute 850+ hours of support to the community.
No. 5 — We were recognized for our work by a number of community partners and grant-makers. We received the City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division and Economic Development Department Creative Space Assistance and Elevate Grants for the first time and continued creative community design projects with Downtown Austin Alliance, The Contemporary Austin, OTHR Agency, The LINE Hotel Austin, Pease Park, Plan C and more.
No. 6 — We wrapped our strongest season of Community Clubs, which saw 11 different Future Front members curate and host free creative sessions for 300+ community members. Sweet!
No. 7 — We worked on community partnerships like Pride Picnic with Pease Park, Neon Rodeo with Neon Rainbows, Drag Storytime with The Little Gay Shop and Drag Sing-Alongs with Gothess Jasmine to increase opportunities for queer creatives and advocate for drag as valid and vital performance art in Texas.
No. 8 — Through the Creative Future of Texas Fund, we distributed $5,000 in micro-grants to independent creative community projects like ours, including Thee Gay Agenda, Abode Press, WATER Literature, Black Girls in Arts Spaces (Austin) and Pastiche House showcases.
No. 9 — We worked with 20 artists and community partners to present one last Texas Feminist Throwdown. Centering arts and activism, The Throwdown raised more than $14,000 in mutual aid for creative organizations dedicated to community health and civic rights.
No. 10 — All in all, across our 67 markets, festivals, shows and community gatherings in 2023, we welcomed 16,274 visitors, opening up 1,250+ opportunities and $115,000 in commissions and contracts for women and LGBTQ+ creatives in Texas.
Editor’s Note: You can read our quarterly impact reports and budgets in more detail here.
✰ your attention maDE THIS POSSIBLE!
We would like to thank our 2023 staff, board, friends and members for their support.
We are also grateful to our partners and friends—particularly Tito’s Handmade Vodka, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, The City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division, The Line Austin, Pease Park, OTHR Agency and more—for their continued collaboration.
✹✹ Thank you for another year nurturing cultures of creativity, curiosity, community & intersectional design in Texas. ✹✹
