Olaf Growald
A scene from ArtsGoggle, the Near Southside's annual art festival.
It's official — the Near Southside is the state's newest cultural district.
The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) has approved the Near Southside's application for the designation — that means the nearly 1,400-acre district is now eligible to apply for TCA grants and will be recognized by the state as a destination for arts investments.
The area becomes Fort Worth's second cultural district, the first being the museum district, where institutions like the Kimbell Art Museum and Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth are located.
Other areas recently deemed cultural districts by the TCA are the Red River Cultural District in Austin, the Deep Ellum Cultural District in Dallas, and the Fifth Ward Cultural District and Historic Third Ward Arts District, both in Houston.
“We’re proud that the Near Southside is gaining recognition as a hub for creativity and growth,” Mike Brennan, president of nonprofit Near Southside, Inc., said in a statement. “This community is filled with dreamers, artists, and risk takers that deserve to be recognized, and we are so honored to see our thriving district receive this support and validation.”
The Near Southside has long been a hub for arts and culture, home to theaters like Amphibian Stage and Stage West, live music venues like Main At South Side, glass-blowing studio SiNaCa Studios, and other art-driven establishments. The area also hosts popular events like ArtsGoggle, Open Streets, Friday on the Green, and Park(ing) Day that together attract over 100,000 attendees from around North Texas annually.
Near Southside Arts (NSA), which is managed by Near Southside, Inc., is the nonprofit managing the cultural district. The NSA steering committee that led the application and planning process for the designation included leaders from Amphibian Stage, Stage West, SiNaCa Studios, Studio Cufflink, and various other arts organizations.
“To us, this designation is proof that Near Southside has our priorities right,” said Megan Henderson, director of events and communications for Near Southside, Inc. “We’re proud to see our creative community and unique Near Southside culture flourish for the past 25 years and now, with the support of TCA, we know Near Southside Arts will be an important catalyst as we begin our next chapter of growth.”
NSA will celebrate the cultural district designation with a series of curated events and virtual initiatives scheduled throughout October, dubbed "ARTober." Events include mural and public art unveilings, virtual concerts, and other arts-oriented programming.
Also in October, NSA will be partnering with Minneapolis-based nonprofit Artspace to study a proposed “creative incubator” development project which, according to a news release, will "bring yet another creative hub in the district."
