Future Front — Work Sample 1

sample no. 1 — THE FRONT FESTIVAL

Since 2016, we have hosted The Front Festival, an annual showcase of emerging women and LGBTQ+ musicians and filmmakers in Texas. To date, the festival has exhibited more than 300 artists and hosted 10,000+ guests.

BEHIND OUR FESTIVAL’S COMMUNITY ORIGINS: The Front Festival emerged eight years ago from collaborations with local femme and queer filmmakers and musicians within our community, and the festival maintains a robust community practice to this day. Now, more than 50% of the artists showcased each year are booked via a public submissions process and Artist Open Call.

The festival has nurtured years-long relationships and garnered support from artists and directors, including established femme and queer voices like Dorian Electra, Jessica Williams, Lizzo, Alok V. Menon, Madame Gandhi, Juliana Huxtable and Katja Blichfeld. We've also established relationships with venues and partners, such as The Contemporary Austin and The Line Hotel, year-round to continue introducing festival artists to paid opportunities outside of the festival itself. On average, The Front Festival and its partnerships distribute more than $25,000 in art commissions and honorariums per year.

sample no. 2 — THE FRONT MARKET

Since 2016, we have hosted The Front Market, a biannual exhibition space where contemporary artists, makers, creatives, designers, chefs and craft-folk in Texas can exhibit and share their work. The program supports 500 booth spaces and more than 10,000 visitors to Texas per year.

BEHIND OUR MARKET’S COMMUNITY ORIGINS: The Front Market emerged in 2016 from collaborations with local femme and queer makers within our community, who were frustrated by the lack of opportunities for unconventional artists and craft-folk to display, share and sell their wares. The Front Market has continued to maintain that community practice, too. The market is now entirely curated through a juried process by representatives from former participants in the fair.

Moreover, the market has become a hub for incubating experiential femme and queer community performances and installations, including everything from family-friendly drag shows to ice-dyeing workshops and weaving demos.

sample no. 3 — THE FUTURE FRONT HOUSE

Since 2016, we have utilized our flagship programs, The Front Market and Festival, as well as our community space, The Future Front House, as a hub for creative growth, hosting and commissioning artist installations and workshops. This sample shows various projects at The Future Front House and within our Creative Residency, in which artists approach us with an idea and we fund/co-produce their community programs:

• an immersive installation debuted by Dallas-based artist Molly Sydnor whose work explores biraciality and bisexuality in our community space in East Austin in Fall 2022

• a mural by Black queer artist Tiara Unique Francois permanently installed in our community space in Fall 2021

• a virtual reality installation by Austin-based artist Alie Jackson installed at a community event in 2019

• a community craft workshop by multidisciplinary artist Coelina Edwards at a public exhibition in 2018