Inaugural Arts Forward Summit Brings Artists and Community Leaders Together for Creative Growth in Fort Worth

Wesley Gentle has many reasons to be optimistic about the future of arts funding in Fort Worth. As the executive director and president of Arts Fort Worth, the nonprofit that allocates $1.1 million in grants to local arts organizations each year, he is not only tasked with financially supporting groups like Amphibian Stage, Artes de la Rosa, and other groups but also with advocating for these nonprofits.

To create a space for local artists to connect and foster a thriving arts scene, Gentle and his team established the inaugural Arts Forward Summit, which will take place tomorrow, March 29 at Texas Wesleyan University.

“Our goal is to build even stronger relationships across our arts ecosystem and to help us all identify opportunities we can collectively work towards,” Gentle tells PaperCity Fort Worth.

“Respondents to our surveys at community events like Arts Goggle and participants in Support Fort Worth Art’s Eureka project demonstrated a strong desire for our local arts and culture sector to convene around important topics. Other communities around the country have hosted successful arts summits in recent years.”

The event aims to bring together artists, community advocates, and policymakers to discuss the future of arts in Fort Worth. The event features a keynote speech from Randy Cohen, Vice President of Research at Americans for the Arts, who will share insights on the impact of the arts on communities and economic growth.

Community organizer and filmmaker Wesley Kirk says the Arts Forward Summit comes at a critical time for the city. Last year, Arts Fort Worth withdrew from managing the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, citing the cost of maintaining the over 70-year-old building. City leaders have yet to come up with a plan for properly restoring the community space. The summit offers an important platform for discussing the future of arts funding in Fort Worth, Kirk says.

“Bringing the arts community together is incredibly valuable,” he continues. “I look forward to discussing some of the most pressing issues. What are the ways we can uplift each other, support each other’s work, and make sure we are all moving forward in the same direction? If we want Fort Worth to be a world-class city and for the arts to be well-funded and well-supported, we all have to play our part in building this future.”

Arts Forward Summit: A Day of Learning and Connection

Saturday’s summit promises to be a dynamic experience that brings together artists, educators, community advocates, and policymakers. Attendees will explore key issues facing the local arts scene and discuss innovative ways to foster a thriving, inclusive creative community.

The event will kick off with opening remarks before offering three-panel discussions that allow participants to choose between topics like innovation in art education, the role of the arts in mental and physical health, and building stronger community partnerships through art. The Partnering with the Community session will examine the power of collaboration to expand access to arts education. Throughout the day, attendees can also participate in a collaborative art project led by artist Kirsten Maiwald. By the end of the summit, participants will leave with fresh ideas, new connections, and actionable strategies to help move Fort Worth’s arts ecosystem forward.

Gentle hopes the summit spurs community and city leaders to find ways to support the arts in ways that make our communities “healthier and more resilient.”

The City of Dallas, through its Office of Arts and Culture (OAC), is providing over $6.4 million in funding for local arts organizations. Austin allocates 15% of its Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue to local arts organizations, contributing up to $28 million in arts funding in recent years. Gentle believes Fort Worth can do better.

“Our team is working to gather the data that can more precisely tell us the state of public and private arts funding in Fort Worth, but it seems to me that arts nonprofits, educational institutions dedicated to the arts, unincorporated arts groups, and independent artists all find fewer options here when seeking funds than our peers in other large cities,” Gentle says.

Kirk, who founded the grassroots group Support Fort Worth Art, says it is vital that any big city has an organization that works on behalf of the city to ensure opportunities and access to art.

“For Fort Worth,” he says, “that’s Arts Fort Worth. Investing in the arts pays dividends. Having Wesley Gentle and the entire community rallying around [the idea of a] thriving arts ecosystem is making the city council realize that this affects all of us.”