As we approach the end of summer, we’re so happy with all the progress we’ve made. Our studios are built, and each one is now home to an artist! We came together for a team and volunteer workday (with just a few faces missing) at the beginning of August – the first of many!
Arts Fort Worth Residency
Our big news in this update is that Arts Fort Worth selected Easyside for their 2023-2024 Artist Collective Residency! What does that mean, you ask? The Artist Collective Residency is an incredible program run by Arts Fort Worth to share resources and opportunities with local arts organizations like us. We will have an office in the Community Art Center, as well as helping them to plan their monthly Art Aid workshop series for the upcoming year, hosting some of our own events there, and curating a couple of exhibitions. This opportunity comes at a perfect time, as it gives us some needed flexibility in the final build out of our own space and provides a platform to initiate and deepen collaborations with artists and organizations that we respect.
Arts Fort Worth, and the Community Art Center they manage, are arguably the biggest resource Fort Worth has for practicing artists in Tarrant County. Between their community-led exhibitions, theater programs, and workshops, Arts Fort Worth does a lot to make sure that local artists have space to show their work and see new things. As many of you may know, this past spring a City of Fort Worth task force assessed the future of the Community Art Center in light of years-worth of deferred repairs to the historic building. After two community feedback sessions they recommended a redevelopment of the building, with the arts remaining its main focus. The Community Art Center has been an incubator for many of Fort Worth’s smaller arts organizations and nonprofits, offering office space, training, and much more. We’re honored to be the most recent beneficiaries of that tradition.
Localities
On a related note, we wanted to share that several of our studio artists are featured in Localities, an exhibition at the Community Art Center through the end of August. This show was curated by TCU’s Master of Art History grads, and it brings together a group of artworks that consider aspects of belonging. Be sure to check it out, as well as all the other exhibitions on view.
Our fridge friends
Finally, we wanted to give a shout-out to an organization that we’ve long admired, FunkyTownFridge. From the beginning of the pandemic, this grassroots mutual aid organization has been feeding Fort Worth through community fridges and pantries. There are currently 4 locations around town where anyone can take or leave food items at any time. It’s a super egalitarian model that builds solidarity while addressing a need. We’re currently storing a couple of extra fridges and pantries for FunkyTownFridge while they look for new places to permanently host them. Make sure to follow them on Instagram for updates (@fridgetalktv), and consider dropping off some groceries at a fridge near you!
