On Mental Health, Burnout and Liberating Third Spaces
This Fall, we welcomed back Highlander Center for the second iteration of Future Lands, an all-day teach-in exploring the artistic, cultural and creative impact of southern people’s struggles for justice and democracy.
This Fall, we welcomed back Highlander Center for the second iteration of Future Lands, an all-day teach-in exploring the artistic, cultural and creative impact of southern people’s struggles for justice and democracy.
We dove deep into the third spaces we love and the impacts of healing and visioning in movement-building—all through the lens of Black Feminist resistance.
SCROLL FOR TAKEAWAYS.
this edition’s COMMUNITY NOTES & highlights:
✰ NO. 1 — Emotional literacy is crucial in movements DESIGNED for liberation and joy.
We began the day with a session on Mental Health and Burnout in Organizing, led by Dr. Seyi Amosu, on emotional regulation and emotional identification for leaders in movement work. By identifying and supporting our emotional environments, we create safer spaces to gather, challenge supremacist beliefs, as well as nurture our shared values.
✰ NO. 2 — THERE IS NO JOY WITHOUT INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE PRACTICES IN PLEASURE.
In a midday workshop led by Irma Garcia of Dirty South Sex Ed and Eden Hakimzadeh of Lavender Orange, we continued our exploration of leadership within movement-building. Through exercises in somatic grounding, a tea ceremony, as well as a group discussion, we were each prompted to map our relationship to pleasure in practical ways.
✰ NO. 3 — FIFTY YEARS LATER, THE COMBAHEE RIVER COLLECTIVE STATEMENT IS ANYTHING BUT STATIC. IT’S A LESSON IN LANGUAGE, SELF-IDENTIFICATION, COMMUNITY-BUILDING, transfiguring conflict AND exercising POWER.
We closed out the day with a close reading of the Combahee River Collective Statement and conversation between Jaimee Swift of BlackWomenRadicals and Monaye Johnson of Black Reading To Heal.
In revisiting the text on its 50th Anniversary, we examined the value of shared language as a space to identify shared values, embracing conflict as a necessity for community-building, welcoming difficult discussion and discomfort, as well as the vital role history plays in the present.
Through the Combahee River Collective Statement, we also explored the value of Black Feminist perspectives in the here and now—and how many issues presented in the text are still echoing through our organizing spaces today.
Explore the visual recap below.
Photos by Prasado Studio
Did you miss Future Lands?
Find the presentation slides and packets from this Fall’s teach-in here.
You can learn more about all of the artists, makers, creatives and cultural strategiest who joined us here. For details on future events, stay tuned on Future Front’s calendar.
On Collective Memory, Testimony and Austin's Changes: A Path of Impermanence
Learn about our 10-day exhibit, A Path of Impermanence, featuring archival photo prints by Future Front Resident Artist Liz Moskowitz.
For one week only in October 2024, Future Front hosted a guest exhibition by documentary photographer (and Future Front 2024 Resident Artist) Liz Moskowitz.
The archival photo project, titled A Path of Impermanence: life along a highway expansion, featured portraits of residents, workers and community members directly impacted by the construction of the I-35 Capital Express Central Project, alongside interview quotes and onsite artifacts.
Continue reading to learn more about the show, as well as Liz Moskowitz.
✹ ABOUT THE SHOW, A PATH OF IMPERMANENCE: LIFE ALONG A HIGHWAY EXPANSION
Liz Moskowitz is a photographer and filmmaker. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York she has lived in Austin, Texas for almost 20 years. Much of her work stems from a compassionate attempt to understand and honor the dignity and nuances of people, places, and issues. She approaches each individual and community that she photographs with intentionality and an open-mind. Her photo projects oftentimes include direct quotes from participants as a way to make the photographic process more collaborative and inclusive. Broadly speaking, topics her work has explored include access to mental health services in rural areas, criminal justice reform, efforts to mitigate climate change, reproductive health care, and the cultural consequences of urban development.
“A PATH OF IMPERMANENCE” features photo prints, interview quotes and on-site artifacts.
A Path of Impermanence: life along a highway expansion is a photo exhibit by local photographer Liz Moskowitz that includes archival photographic prints, interview quotes, and site-specific artifacts. Moskowitz’s images of the people, places, and landscapes impacted by the large-scale I-35 highway expansion speak to broader themes of displacement, community, memory, and change. All images were shot on 120mm film with a medium format camera.
The I-35 Capital Express Central Project is currently underway, the beginning of potentially a decade of construction to widen the main highway that runs through Austin, Texas. It is the largest expansion of I-35 in Austin’s history and more than 50 businesses are being displaced and countless lives are being impacted. During times of momentous change, it can feel like the future is happening now and the present is already a memory. How can we collectively remember what will soon no longer be here?
“The businesses that I focused on were really small, local businesses. Many of them have been around for decades, and they really have a cultural impact.
Some people got enough money from TxDOT to be able to buy a piece of property, and they’re excited that they’ll hopefully never have to move again. Some places don’t have to move ... but they might be impacted by the construction and feel a little uncertain. Some places are still in limbo.
I noticed what a lot of what existed was either just documentation of the buildings that were going to be relocated or torn down, or the end result: the fancy ribbon cutting. What I felt was missing was really portraits and testimonies of the people that were being impacted by a change outside of their control.”
*Read LIZ MOSKOWITZ’s interview with KUT austin HERE.
View select prints from the exhibit below (courtesy of LIZ MOSKOWITZ):
EXPLORE Photos from the exhibit’s COMMUNITY reception:
The reception—hosted in The Future Front House on Saturday, October 19—included a panel Q&A between Rosa Fry, Programs Manager at Preservation Austin, and small business owners Alma of Escuelita del Alma, So-Han of West China Tea and Jay of Cafe Hornitos. All photos by Jeffrey Jin
A Path of Impermanence was funded in part by a grant from Preservation Austin in support of its mission to empower Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation. This project is also supported in part by the City of Austin Economic Development Department, Future Front Texas, and the Summerlee Foundation.
DID YOU MISS A Path of Impermanence?
Keep up with what we’re up to at Future Front—from events to membership—here.
The Front Market Gift Guide (2024)
With The Front Market’s 2024 Season officially wrapped, this year's Gift Guide—featuring 200+ women and LGBTQ+ creatives from The Front Market—is live.
It’s THE MOST WONDERFUL time of year.
With The Front Market’s 2024 Season officially wrapped, this year’s Gift Guide—featuring 200+ women and LGBTQ+ creatives from The Front Market—is live! Keep reading for how to shop and our favorites across each of this year’s gift categories.
SHOP SMALL. SUPPORT LOCAL. SHOW UP.
SHOP SMALL. SUPPORT LOCAL. SHOW UP.
NO. 1 — ACCESSORIES
Featured MAKER:
HANDMADE NAIL artist 10PIECEEXPRESS
10PIECEXPRESS was creative with the belief that nails are the ultimate accessory, even in the midst of a busy lifestyle. Homegrown in Austin, the brand aims to make custom-made, fun and premium quality nails more accessible and less time-consuming for everyone. Each nail is designed to be reusable, providing a sustainable option for those who want to switch up their style without creating unnecessary waste.
Featured Gift:
zone 9 nail set ($65)
NO. 2 — ART
Featured maker:
Print-MAKER AND PAINTER WAVY ROLLER
Victoria Cardenas (she/her), aka Wavy Roller, was raised in Buda, Texas and now currently resides in Austin. She is a self-taught artist that primarily works with acrylic on canvas but is constantly exploring other creative methods such as murals, screen printing, block printing, and more! Her love for sharing art began with vending and meeting others that can relate to her art, as it gave her the courage to keep going creatively. Her art explores connection (and lack of connection) that is all around her; with herself & her own trauma, others, and nature. She explores these feelings through fun calming colors and shape. She believes it's important to find her relation to everything in existence no matter how big or small!
Featured Gift:
RADIATE KINDNESS print ($5 to $35)
NO. 3 — APPAREL
Featured MAKEr:
SUSTAINABLE APPAREL BRAND livelihood
Based in Austin, Livelihood has used its goods to plant thousands of native trees in public parks and green spaces throughout our city.
“We launched Livelihood Apparel with a simple goal: to help you do the things you love, how you love, more sustainably. That’s why we craft high-quality apparel made from natural, recycled, and biodegradable fibers that move, breathe, and dry with every stride. And because making better apparel isn’t enough, we invest 25% of our profits into Livelihood Projects to restore native habitats in urban parks and trails, helping us bring nature back to where we encounter it and need it most: in the cities we call home.”
Featured MAKER:
Knitwear brand sweater p*rn
Handmade in South Austin by artist Kate Greene, Sweater P*rn’s range of design-forward knitted pullovers and sweatshirts are one-of-a-kind.
Size-inclusive, you can custom order a sweater from Kate at any time of year.
Featured Gift:
SWEATER P*RN PULLOVER (price varies)
Featured mAKER:
screenprint brand emsbrynart
100% sustainabiy sourced and hand-printed, Emsbrynart is the apparel and accessories brain child of Austin-based artist Emily Lawson.
From celebrity sightings to sold-out drops, their tees have circled the world this year.
Featured Gift:
ONE-OF-A-KIND EMSBRYN TEE ($30 TO $42)
Featured SHOP:
AUSTIN-BASED BOUTIQUE dylan wylde
With a brick-and-mortar concept in Central Austin, DYLAN WYLDE offers an array of independent designers and thoughtfully curated closet additions.
Items are available in-store only.
Featured Gift:
DYLAN WYLDE BELT & JEANS (prices vary)
NO. 4 — Ceramics
Featured maker:
fletcher ceramics
Handthrown and designed by Sabine Fletcher—a full-time artist in ceramics, photography, set dressing and production assistance—Fletcher Ceramics features palette-forward takes on functional ceramic classics.
Featured Gift:
FLETCHER MUG ($55)
NO. 5 — HOME GOODS
Featured MAKER:
honeywood home decor
Honeywood is a Latina-owned and operated woodworking company based in Austin, Texas. Founder, Kaliegh Benck, launched Honeywood in March of 2022 after years of dreaming of becoming a full-time artist. Her work strives to create unique and sustainable pieces that add warmth to the home. Often incorporating recycled and reclaimed materials, Benck focuses on making one-of-a-kind art pieces and reducing product waste.
Honeywood produces small batch, handcrafted wooden goods and art for the home. Benck’s work often relies on clean lines, wood’s natural grain intricacies and a fusion between past and present silhouettes and techniques.
Featured Gift:
chelsea cutting board ($80)
NO. 6 — JEWELRY
Featured MAKER:
CHAUNCEY AND COCO JEWELRY
Chauncey and Coco IS a lifestyle brand founded by sisters Mehek Ahmed and Nida Ahmed in 2016. Based in Texas, the duo specializes in constructing noteworthy jewelry and home décor that integrate a passion for color, contemporary art and modern design. As self-taught visual artists, they have always been inspired by the principles of color theory and form. Their journey began with a desire to create functional art pieces that not only serve a purpose but also spark conversations. Each collection they design is a testament to artistic evolution, personal style and community.
Featured Gift:
CHAUNCEY AND COCO SOLSTICE EARRINGS
NO. 7 — SELF-CARE
Featured shop:
fragrance curator terre gaillarde
Founded by Austin-based creative Amanda N., Terre Gaillarde (formerly 8-12) is a concept shop offering scents from origins near & far, new & familiar. Their curation of perfume, candles, incense, & bath immersions centers aromatic artists inspired by their sense of home and heritage.
Featured Gift:
fayoum fragrance ($132)
NO. 8 — FOODS & SIPS
Featured Vendor:
BEEBEE’S FLAVORED SYRUPS
“Like most people, I love my flavored lattes. Some of my favorite things to do are making lattes for friends & family (it’s my love language), and trying different coffee shops around town and when traveling.
In my search for the best ingredients for my at home lattes, I noticed a lack of high-quality syrups. Everything seemed to be loaded with artificial flavors, dyes, and preservatives. While there are clean label options, they still didn’t match the syrup quality and taste crafted in-house at thirdwave coffee shops. I resorted to making my own syrups at home, using all-natural, high-quality ingredients - fast forward three years, and the idea of sharing these recipes was born.
At Beebee’s, we hope to help bring comfort, community, and customization to your daily ritual. We can’t wait to see the yummy beverages you make!”
Featured Gift:
Beebee’s mexican hot cocoa syrup ($19)
NO. 9 — PETS, PLANTS & PAPER GOODS
Featured shop:
the green room atx
Owned by Austin-based plant enthusiasts, Ale and Hector, The Green Room ATX is a backyard shop in Austin Texas, specializing in rare and columnar cacti. Beyond their hard-to-find varieties, the shop also offers everyday indoor and outdoor plant options (for the gardening and plant parent newbie alike).
Open by appointment or popping up around town, The Green Room ATX also offers plant care and lawn care services.
Featured Gift:
THE GREEN ROOM SUCCULENTS (PRICES VARY)
Future Front’s Gift Guide features entirely women and LGBTQ+ vendors from The Front Market, which opens every Spring and Fall to feature more than 400 Texas-based creatives and small business owners per year.
Learn more here.
The Front Market's Fall 2024 Season at Waterloo Park: The Official Recap
For The Front Market’s Fall 2024 Season, we exhibited 175+ creatives and welcomed 4,000+ visitors at our largest location yet—Waterloo Greenway—in the heart of downtown Austin.
For The Front Market’s Fall 2024 Season, we exhibited 175+ creatives and welcomed 4,000+ visitors at our largest location yet—Waterloo Greenway—in the heart of downtown Austin.
Keep reading for a full look at this season’s impact.
All photos by Yvonne Uwah
this season’s three highlights:
✰ No. 1 — 175+ CREATIVES Exhibited & 4,000+ Visitors Welcomed
From ceramicists and fiber artists to woodworkers and jewelry makers, we exhibited more than 175 women and LGBTQ+ creatives and independent business owners across Texas, with 2,000+ visitors joining us each day (a record high since our reopening in 2021).
✰ No. 2 — 100% Community-Led CURATION & PRODUCTION TEAMS
It took four staff members, 25 board members, 19 event volunteers, 250+ collaborators and six months of planning to open The Front Market’s Fall 2024 Season at Waterloo Greenway for the first time.
✰ No. 3 — $2,000+ DONATIONS RAISED, $10,000+ In Commissions & Contracts DISTRIBUTED
Thanks to support from our members, volunteers and sponsors at Waterloo Greenway, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Waymo, The City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division, Moontower Rentals, Miscellaneous Rentals, Topo Chico, Red River Cultural District, the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation and Texas Commission on The Arts, we were able to keep the market free and open to the public, with complimentary community workshops each day.
The market’s production and programming generated more than $10,000 in commissions and contracts for women- & LGBTQ-owned creative teams in Austin, too.
You can read about this season in KVUE, Austin American-Statesman, Austin Chronicle, KXAN and CultureMap Austin, too.
BASK IN THE VISUAL RECAP:
Four WAYS TO STAY INVOLVED:
✰ Shop our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide (click Here) for a list of Texas-based creatives that exhibited with The Front Market this year.
✰ Head to thefrontmarket.com (click here) to tap into the Fall 2024 Season lineup of vendors, workshops, DJs, and collaborators at anytime.
✰ Remember why spaces like The Front Market matter.
We dive deeper into what supporting women and LGBTQ+ vendors, as well as our local creative and small businesses communities, means at thefrontmarket.com/mindset.
✰ Explore all we do at Future Front—and find what’s for you—at futurefronttexas.org/programming.
Thank you to our sponsors, partners and friends.
✰
Thank you to our sponsors, partners and friends. ✰
THE FRONT MARKET WOULD NOT BE ABLE to nurture creative communities without support from our sponsors, members, staff, volunteers, friends and you. Thank you.
The Front Market will return on May 3 and 4, 2025 at Distribution Hall.
Applications will open in January at Thefrontmarket.com/apply.
Global Art Exhibit—Body Freedom for (Every)Body—Makes A Tour Stop at The Future Front House
In November 2024, we hosted Body Freedom for Every(Body), a cross-country art exhibition tour that takes place inside a 27-foot box truck.
In November 2024, we hosted Body Freedom for Every(Body)—a cross-country art exhibition tour that takes place inside a 27-foot box truck—for its official Austin, Texas tour stop.
Presented by Project for Empty Space, the exhibit took place in the parking lot across the street from The Future Front House, spotlighting global artists’ works on themes of Reproductive Justice, Queer Liberation and Trans Joy.
In celebration of the exhibition, we welcomed Austin’s creative community, as well as a special guest performance by Future Front Resident Artist Olivia Komahcheet, throughout the weekend.
SCROLL FOR A visual recap.
About Body Freedom for Every(body):
As a traveling art exhibition, BODY FREEDOM FOR EVERY(BODY) explores bodily autonomy, with a specific emphasis on intersecting themes of Reproductive Justice, Queer Liberation, and Trans Joy through contemporary art.
Over 100 artists’ visions are represented in this project: the aim is to reinforce community(ies), create safe spaces, and cultivate joy. The project emerged as a response to a relentless wave of conservatism that continues to politicize queer liberation and restrict reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare. The overarching message of this program is broadening awareness of the right to Safe, Legal and Accessible healthcare that allows us to live in our power and choice.
BODY FREEDOM FOR EVERY(BODY) is a project in many parts. Our cross-country exhibition tour takes place inside a 27-foot box truck, sharing the work of over 100 artists to cultivate community coast-to-coast. There is also a space towards the truck cab to record ‘Truck Talks,’ a series of monologues and dialogues reflecting on Body Freedoms, eventually becoming an oral history archive.
Explore photos from the TOUR STOP (BY YVONNE UWAH):
Did you miss Body Freedom for Every(Body)?
For details on future events and guest exhibitions at Future Front, stay tuned on Future Front’s calendar.
How To Support Creative Small Business Owners: A Five-Step Guide
What conditions are best for our communities’ growth? In this guide, we break down proven ways to show up, shop small and sustain local.
What conditions are best for our creative and small business communities’ growth?
Keep reading for five tips from our research and experience on how you can best support women-owned, LGBTQ-owned and POC-owned businesses.
This article was written and compiled by our Founding Executive Director Jane Hervey.
HERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO PUT ON BUSINESSES YOU CARE ABOUT:
1.) SHOP LOCAL.
Take a peek at your expenses and bank statements over the last few months. What businesses do you spend your money on? An even better phrasing of this question is: What businesses do you assign value to?
Are local businesses on that list? If not, that’s a good place to start. Local businesses better support our communities’ economies. Reports show that local businesses generate 70 percent more local economic activity per square foot than big box retail, because they hire locally and typically do not outsource labor. And the businesses in your local community are more likely to be owned by women, people of color, LGBTQ folks and more. When it comes to diversity in ownership, small businesses beat large corporations and Fortune 500s by a long shot.
2.) BE LOUD ABOUT IT.
Women, LGBTQ and POC small business owners, solopreneurs, freelancer and side hustlers are part of the largest growing segment of entrepreneurs, yet the most underserved. They deserve community support, visibility and opportunities to market to larger audiences.
So become part of the movement by becoming a fan. Advocate for the business owners that you know, research businesses you could better support in your community and amplify the spaces and places that put diverse business owners on.
Whether you post on social media or tell your friends, spreading the word works.
3.) VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLAR AND PAY FULL-PRICE.
This one’s tough. So many of us make our lifestyles work by shopping large retailers, getting those big box discounts on groceries, or relying on Amazon for cheap solutions and deliveries.
When we pay a little more to go local—when we pay small business owners for services and products that we *might* be able to get cheaper elsewhere— we are doing our part to ensure they can earn a living wage and pay a living wage to their own employees and staff. Studies show that our economies and communities only stand to benefit from more gender-equal business ownership, as women are also more likely to advocate for equal pay, create socially conscious businesses and media and employ more diversely.
Also, when we consciously support racially and culturally diverse businesses, we have the opportunity to redistribute economic wealth and value within our communities more equally. And that’s something we can get behind.
4.) SHOW UP.
When we pay attention to the small businesses in our immediate communities (like the grocery store down the street or the barber shop around the corner or that nonprofit community center in our neighborhood), we create a sense of place. The small businesses and organizations around your physical home often double as community spaces, too; you can physically see and be around other people who live in your area. Moreover, in times of crisis or gentrification, small businesses’ successes or failures may be a significant indicator of changes that will impact you or neighbors.
So, when budgets are tighter than usual, you can still support businesses you care about by showing up to their events, opening emails, reading their announcement and/or paying attention to what’s going on.
5.) CHECK YOURSELF.
If you want to build supporting local, diverse businesses owners into your lifestyle, make it real. Audit your bank statements once a quarter, take stock of where you’re assigning value with your spending and then adjust.
Being mindful—and realistic—about how you participate in your local economy and community will make you a better advocate. You’ll better understand how you contribute to the ecosystems around you and how you can continue to show up and support. :)
Want more?
You can keep up with what we’re doing to nurture the creative and small businesses we want to see in the world at thefrontmarket.com.
Announcing a New Mural by Artist Steffi Lynn Tsai at Allens Boots, In Partnership with Waymo
This October, Future Front is proud to announce the launch of a new mural by Austin-based illustrator, designer and small business owner Steffi Lynn Tsai in partnership with Waymo.
This October, Future Front is proud to announce the launch of a new mural by Austin-based illustrator, designer and small business owner Steffi Lynn Tsai in partnership with Waymo. The mural will be on display at Allen’s Boots—an iconic South Congress mainstay since 1977—through December 2024.
The mural is part of a broader rollout of Waymo partnerships this Fall. Now offering rides in Austin, the autonomous driving technology company has partnered with organizations like Future Front to support local artists and small business communities. For this particular project, Future Front tapped renowned illustrator and designer Steffi Lynn Tsai, a generational Austinite, long-time muralist and the co-founder of independent boutique Roommate Collective.
“This mural celebrates the vibrant energy of Austin where local businesses, the environment and community come together. Inspired by the natural beauty of the city, I wanted to design the mural where it looks like we are looking outward from inside the car on a trip through Austin. Small businesses and a respect for nature keep our community grounded. I hope this mural inspires appreciation for both—the entrepreneurs who shape our city and the environment that sustains it.”
Check out the official announcement video on Instagram here, and keep reading to learn more about the artist, including a Q&A exploring her connection with Austin and inspiration for the mural.
✹ ON Creative Connections with Steffi Lynn Tsai
Steffi Lynn Tsai is a hand-letterer, illustrator, and muralist from Austin, Texas. Now traveling the country painting walls to walls and coast to coast!
Steffi’s work is inspired by everyday things, feelings, and simple imagery from her imagination or her surroundings. She likes to create work that inspires people and brings community together through positivity.
Steffi is also most drawn to the environments she grew up around in Texas, and loves being able to incorporate Texan nature into all her works. Steffi aims to make the final results unique to the environment in which they will exist. The goal for her creations is to inspire people through positive messaging, bright colors and everyday imagery that people can connect with!
Q — Describe yourself! Who are you? What is your practice?
I am Steffi Lynn an illustration artist that specializes in murals!
Q — Why murals as a practice? What do you love about them?
I love seeing an idea develop from a small thought to something that is out living in the world for everyone to see at a large scale. I like the challenges that murals can provide and the excitement it can bring to people when they see it!
Q — What was your process and inspiration with this mural project?
I started the process by looking at the overall surface area where the mural will live. I like to work in balance and symmetry, therefore splitting the design between the panels played a big role in the composition. I wanted to create a mural that was inspired by a road trip through the landscapes and environment around Austin. So the middle panel was painted to look like the viewer is sitting behind the dashboard of a vehicle, looking out. I wanted to make sure the mural was bright and colorful so it is eye catching when people walked by.
Q — Tell us about Roommate Collective and your connection to the Austin artist scene.
Roommate Collective is a collective retail space that houses 3 small businesses- Have a Nice Day, Jollie Ollie, and Little Note. As an Austin native, I’ve always wanted to have a place where my products can live and I thought it would be perfect to open a store with 2 friends who thought the same. We are located in Springdale General beside other local businesses and have artists markets multiple times a year! I want to bring all creators together so we can continue to support each other's crafts and passions.
Q — Our theme this year is RITUALS. What are some of your favorite rituals, whether it’s for your creative practice or personal wellness?
This year, an important ritual for me in my creative practice and personal wellness is to be patient with myself. To not rush a project, not rush a feeling, a design , not rush rest.
Q — What’s your favorite Future Front program or moment?
I had no idea Future Front did a festival every year!! That is insane and so much work and soooo impressive!
Behind the Scenes with Steffi and Waymo:
About Waymo x Future Front
Future Front and Waymo will continue to collaborate on projects this year spotlighting the importance of small businesses and independent creatives in Austin, including an activation at the upcoming Fall Season of The Front Market, where 150+ women and LGBTQ+ artists, makers and craftspeople local to Central Texas will be featured in a weekend-long pop-up market at Waterloo Greenway on November 23 and 24, 2024 in Downtown Austin.
ABOUT WAYMO
Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with a mission to be the most trusted driver. Since our start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has been focused on building, deploying, and commercializing the World’s Most Experienced Driver™ technology to improve the world's access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo One, the world's first fully autonomous ride-hailing service. To date, Waymo has autonomously driven tens of millions of miles on public roads and tens of billions of miles in simulation, across 13+ U.S. states. For more: www.waymo.com.
ABOUT FUTURE FRONT TEXAS
Homegrown in Austin, Future Front (formerly known as Boss Babes ATX) is an award-winning, culture space and exhibition series—with women and LGBTQ+ creatives at the front. As a 501c3 arts & culture nonprofit, we produce two community-led exhibitions, The Front Market and The Front Festival. Beyond our flagship exhibitions, we host year-round shows and workshops at our creative space in historic East Austin, welcoming 20,000+ visitors per year.
Through these programs and a diverse network of partnerships, we invite the public to dream of a future where creativity, curiosity and intersectional design thrive in Texas—where we see ourselves and our cultures reflected in our communities. Learn more about how it all works, the team, and the important work they do at futurefrontexas.org, and by following along @futurefronttexas on Instagram, Facebook & TikTok and @futurefronttx on Twitter.
PS — We are fundraising for our future. We have a goal of $10,000 by December 2024 and are halfway there. Find ways to support below:
Behind Hot Summer Nights Market: Pop-Up Shops & Vinyl Swaps with Red River Cultural District
This July, we partnered with Red River Cultural District to present The Front Market for Hot Summer Nights, an annual festival celebrating Austin's live music scene.
This July, we partnered with Red River Cultural District on a special vintage and upcycled edition of The Front Market, as part of their Hot Summer Nights festival in downtown Austin.
Held at Stubb’s Liberty Lunch from 7PM to 11PM on July 19 for the first time, this night market featured pop-ups from 16 local curators and creatives, vinyl DJ sets by DJ Mira Mira and DJ Beaujolais, and a community vinyl swap, among vintage posters of the RRCD’s history.
Keep scrolling to get the recap.
MEET THE NIGHT’S ARTISTS AND SPECIAL GUESTS.
PARTICIPATING DJS & VINYL SWAP HOSTS:
Xochi Solis (she/her) is a mixed media artist born and raised in Austin, TX. Her works include multilayered, collaged paintings that rely on the illusions created by photographic surfaces to tell a nuanced narrative about time, place, and sensation. Solis grapples with the question of how to represent an environment where her heritage, her body, and dreams of the future can co-exist. In addition to her studio practice, she spins vinyl records as Mira Mira focusing on the preservation and performance of Tejanx culture.
Follow along at xochisolis.com and @xochisolis. You can listen at mixcloud.com/mira_mira.
Gabrielle Rose (she/they) is a hospitality professional and vinyl DJ based in Austin, Texas. She is active as a resident DJ of Queer Vinyl Collective and independently as DJ Beaujolais, where she pushes the boundaries of her creativity as a vinyl DJ and natural wine enthusiast. She enjoys creating synergetic experiences around craft food and music that foster conversation, learning and community. Her current work includes designing weekly "grape.jam" DJ sets where she pairs vinyl tracks inspired by the associations and memories evoked by interesting natural wines.
Follow along at gabrose.com and @djbeaujolais.
Get the visual recap:
thank you tO red river cultural district for having us.
Hot Summer Nights will be back in July 2025. Check back for details at redriverculturaldistrict.org.
PS — We are fundraising for our future. We have a goal of $10,000 by December 2024 and are halfway there. Find ways to support below:
Introducing Our Annual Supper Club (and Fundraiser) with Austin-Based Chef Deepa Shridhar
For our third re-opening anniversary, we hosted an intimate three-night supper club at The Future Front House with one of our favorite South Indian-Texan chefs, Deepa Shridhar.
FOR FUTURE FRONT’S THIRD BIRTHDAY, WE HOSTed AN INTIMATE SUPPER CLUB WITH ONE OF OUR FAVORITE CHEFS, DEEPA SHRIDHAR.
For three nights this July, we transformed The Future Front Texas House into a communal dining experience by serving a multi-course South Indian-Texan menu from chef Deepa Shridhar.
Paired with the menu from Austin’s neighborhood grocery Thom’s Market, a delicious cocktail menu from Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Topo Chico, ingredients included everything from fermented figs to sesame quail and jaggery. Each dish was hand-selected as an artistic expression through food.
(All proceeds from ticket sales each evening supporting participating tallent, as well as The Future Front House’s free space program for local creatives.)
MEET THE DINNER’S INAUGURAL HOSTS.
Deepa Shridhar (she/her) is a chef, writer, podcaster and TV & Digital personality residing in Austin. Shridhar has been cooking professionally for twelve years, worked at some of the best restaurants in Texas, including her own award winning food trailer, Puli-Ra, and supper club, specializing in South Indian Texan cuisine, her own brand of Third Culture Cuisine.
Currently, Shridhar collaborates on supper clubs and pop ups with like minded businesses across the country that include award winning restaurants and food businesses alike. She’s been featured in many national publications and multiples appearances on the Food Network including Chopped, as a runner up.
Chef Deepa has a substack under the moniker: Sicc Palette. Sicc Palette is a digital platform that houses her podcast, newsletter and a variety of video content that focuses on personal narratives, the definitions of fine dining, immigrant, third culture cuisine and recipes flavored by her South Indian Texan perspective.
Photo by Nitya Jain
Jane Hervey (she/her) is a creative director, recording artist and (accidental) nonprofit founder, living and working in Austin, Texas. Originally from the South Texas border, she currently runs Future Front, a 501c3 culture space she started in 2015, as well as her own creative house, group work.
Over the last decade, she has collaborated with a range of people & places on culture-driven brand strategies, curated experiences and storytelling campaigns—whether she’s working with independent creatives & organizations or brands like The LINE Hotel, Bumble or Red Bull. She’s been a guest speaker for organizations like SXSW, Austin FC, Blake St. Bentonville, We All Grow! Los Angeles, The University of Texas, The Texas Downtown Association and Women Who Code. She’s also lent her time toward grassroots community design and equity initiatives, as well as civic task forces led by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, the City of Austin, the Austin Community Foundation and more.
As an artist, Jane is a singer, songwriter and producer, pulling influences from the likes of Björk and Frank Ocean. The daughter of a zoologist, her work builds worlds around the high-brow, low-brow aesthetics of rodeo queen girlhood and the dreamy tropical, jewel tones of the Texas coast. Since putting out her first four-track lo-fi EP “Sour Grapefruit” in 2019, she has played South by Southwest (SXSW), opened for the likes of OSHUN, Nomi Ruiz, Bunny Michael and composed for an internationally recognized cross-border sound album.
Her work has been profiled in Texas Monthly and ADWEEK, as well as recognized in the City of Austin’s Women’s Hall of Fame. You can learn more at janeclairehervey.com.
three sweet nights of food, art and community, y’all.
bask in the photo recap:
thank you to all who attended.
Art Dinner will be back in July 2025. Check back for details at futurefronttexas.org/comethrough.
PS — We are fundraising for our future. We have a goal of $10,000 by December 2024 and are halfway there. Find ways to support below:
The Front Festival 2024: The Official Recap
Featuring 65 women and LGBTQ+ artists, filmmakers, performers and independent creatives across Texas, The Front Festival 2024 welcomed 1,300+ visitors this weekend.
Over labor day weekend 2024, The Front Festival took over The LINE HOTEL Austin, The Contemporary Austin—Laguna Gloria and Cheer Up Charlies for four days of independent music and film.
Featuring 65 women and LGBTQ+ artists, dancers, filmmakers, musicians, chefs, performers and independent creatives, we welcomed more than 1,300 guests.
Keep reading for a full look at this year’s impact.
All photos by Jinni J and Manny Frayre
thE FRONT FESTIVAL 2024 highlights:
✰ No. 1 — 65 Artists Exhibited
Meet every musician, filmmaker and artist in The Front Festival’s 2024 Lineup here.
✰ No. 2 — 1,300+ Visitors Welcomed
Across Central Texas (and nationwide), friends and family traveled in for a sweet weekend in our Austin hometown. Big shouts to Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Waymo, The LINE Hotel Austin, The Contemporary Austin — Laguna Gloria, Liquid Death, the Red River Cultural District, Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation, as well as Future Front’s donors and members., for making it all possible.
✰ No. 3 — $1000+ Fundraised
Thanks to donations at the door and our Cocktails For Good Bar by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, we fundraised $1000+ for our Creative Future of Texas Fund throughout the weekend.
✰ No. 4 — $11,000 In Commissions & Contracts
The festival’s programming generated more than $11,500 in commissions and contracts for the festival’s artists and production teams.
✰ No. 5 — 100% Community-Led
It took four team members, 28 volunteers and curators, 50+ collaborators and nine months of planning to open The Front Festival 2024.
This year, for the first time ever, all participating artists were curated from our Annual Open Call, too.
THREE WAYS TO STAY INVOLVED:
✰ Head to thefrontfest.com to keep tabs on next year’s festival (Labor Day Weekend 2025).
Explore each artist on our 2024 lineup here.
Learn more about why the festival exists here.
Want to be a participating artist in next year’s festival? Read about our Artist Open Call here.
✰ Remember why spaces like The Front Festival matter.
We believe in the power of a good show, emerging talent and storytelling.
The Front Festival is an annual, end-of-summer community festival, featuring independent music, film and creative experiences curated by Future Front. Hosted in Austin, we put Texas women and LGBTQ+ artists at the front of our lineups.
A portion of all ticket sales fundraise for Future Front’s Creative Future of Texas Fund, which has distributed $20,000 in awards since 2020. We couldn’t do it without you.
✰ Explore all we do at Future Front—and find what’s for you—at futurefronttexas.org/programming.
Apply to a program, like our upcoming Fall Season of The Front Market.
Attend upcoming events at the Future Front House and around Austin.
Visit The Future Front House, open Tuesdays through Fridays for gallery viewings and drop-ins.
Become a member and get complimentary access to all our events, community Slack group, weekly office hours and full creative directory.
Become a volunteer and help us put on more events like this!
Thank you to our sponsors, partners and friends.
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Thank you to our sponsors, partners and friends. ✰
We would not be able to nurture the creative communities we care about without support from our sponsors, members, staff, volunteers, friends and you. Thank you.
