Arts Fort Worth invites organizations and individuals that are interested in and qualified to plan, produce, and facilitate an on-site participatory activity that that celebrates Fort Worth communities with a focus on the importance of creativity, collaboration, and connection within our communities during the inaugural Arts Forward city-wide arts summit. The Arts Forward summit will be a one-day event that will include keynote speakers, panels and roundtable conversations lead by state and nationwide experts, and Fort Worth arts organizations’ informational booths. The mission of this event is to bring together communities to educate, empower, and celebrate the advancement of the arts in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Project Overview

We are seeking artists, performers, creatives, and organizations who are passionate about engaging with the community through the arts. This on-site, one-day project will provide an opportunity for artists to lead an interactive and collaborative process resulting in a final artwork that reflects the values and voices of our community. The arts activity will take place in conjunction with the Arts Forward Summit on Saturday, March 29, 2025 on the campus of Texas Wesleyan University at 1201 Wesleyan St, Fort Worth, TX 76105. The theme of the arts activation project is the importance of accessibility to the arts.

Selected artist(s) will receive a stipend of $3000.00.

The selected individual/organization will be required to manage set-up/tear down and site clean-up/restoration. If volunteer help is anticipated, that should be noted in the proposal.

Proposals should include plans to facilitate attendee participation through active participation and dialogue that reflects the theme of the event. Proposals will be scored based on Artistic Merit, Qualifications and Experience, Adherence to Theme, Community Engagement, and Feasibility and Practicality.

Deadline for Submissions: Sunday, December 22, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

Submission fee: Free

Project Requirements:

• The artwork should engage and involve attendees to the summit in the creation or experience.
• Artists must be willing to collaborate with attendees during the project.
• Project should be designed to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
• Artists are expected to participate during the Arts Forward Summit event, Saturday, March 29, 2025 
• · The product of the activity will be temporary and will need to be removed from the site within 24 hours of the completion of the event.
• · Restrictions on materials and processes include anything that will permanently alter or damage the grounds of the host property. Production of and process in creating the project is subject to the University’s property restrictions. 

Who Can Apply:

We welcome applications from artists, performers, and organizations of all disciplines, including but not limited to visual and performing arts. Artists or organizations with experience in community-based projects or those interested in exploring this form of practice are encouraged to apply. This call is open to Tarrant County residents only. 

Guidelines

Arts Fort Worth reserves the right to reject inaccurately represented work or incomplete submissions. Interested artists, creatives, performers, and organizations should submit the following by the stated deadline:

1. A brief statement (750 words or less) describing your interest in the project and approach to community      engagement.
2. A project proposal outlining your concept for the community-based artwork of no more than      five (5) pages that demonstrates your approach the project’s theme and describes at least one prior project that demonstrate your ability to successfully complete this project. The proposal should also include a      timeline and total budget (not to exceed $3000.00) including the payment of staff, consultants, or contractors working on the project, and estimates of other costs or fees. Performance-based proposals should address how the event would be recorded.

3. Five (5) to ten (10) images of previous artwork/products, mock-ups, or plans can be submitted in in jpg or pdf format. 

4. Format all file names as LastInitialFirstInitialDocument.xxx (i.e. FKStatement.pdf or FKImage1.jpg).

5. Submissions will only be accepted through the Submittable platform. A Submittable account is required to apply, but the platform offers a free tier. 

6. Video and audio files can be submitted through the Submittable link.  

Project Timeline:

Friday, November 1, 2024: Call Issued

Sunday, December 22, 2024: Deadline for Submissions

Friday, January 24, 2025: Artist notified

Thursday, February 6, 2025: Project meeting 

Thursday, March 13, 2025: Project meeting

Saturday, March 29, 2025 Day of Event 

Submission criteria

The proposal should be submitted in pdf format. Corresponding images can be in jpg or pdf format with minimum width/height of 800 pixels, maximum size as 2MB. Files names should be formatted FirstInitialLastInitialDocument.filetype E.g. FKProposal.pdf or FKImage1.jpg Do not use spaces or special characters (!@$, etc) in image file names. 

Deadline

All applications must be submitted before midnight (CMT) on Sunday, December 22, 2024. Arts Fort Worth will notify accepted applicants no later than Wednesday, January 30, 2025 via email. 

Use of Images

Any image submitted may be used for non-commercial, marketing or promotional purposes directly related to the Arts Forward summit event. This use may include in any publications, printed materials, advertisements, or electronic media. Copyright and all other rights remain that of the artist. 

Contact

Please direct all questions to talkto@artsfortworth.org OR  817.738.1938 

Terms 

Arts Fort Worth will not provide funds for travel stipends or shipping costs. Artwork must be immediately removed after event. Storage is not available. Selected individuals/organizations will be required to have general liability insurance which constitutes the release of Arts Fort Worth from any liability in connection with the activity. 

By submitting your proposal, you are agreeing to the terms above. 

About Arts Fort Worth Founded in 1963 as the Arts Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, DBA Arts Fort Worth is a nonprofit organization with the mission to promote, nurture, and support the arts in Fort Worth. Arts Fort Worth administers a competitive grants program and manages the Fort Worth Public Art program, and operates the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, a dynamic arts complex with theaters, galleries, studios, and office suites, on behalf of the City of Fort Worth. Arts Fort Worth also provides educational programming and supports arts advocacy at all levels of government. Arts Fort Worth is supported in part by the City of Fort Worth and the Texas Commission on the Arts. For more information, please visit artsfortworth.org