Calling All ArtsGogglers!

ArtsGoggle is Fort Worth’s premier festival of local arts.

This free-to-the-public, family-friendly event annually hosts more than 1,000 visual artists, 50 musical performances, artistic displays of every kind, food, drink, and fun for everyone. Unlike any event in Fort Worth, the festival exclusively focuses on highlighting the work of local artists, musicians, and performers of all media and experience levels. ArtsGoggle attracts a crowd of 60,000+ patrons that are as diverse as the event’s Near Southside neighborhood. Visitors are invited to park their cars and rediscover this revitalized urban district by Trinity Metro transit, by foot, or by bicycle, including Fort Worth Bike Sharing bikes.

ArtsGoggle started two decades ago as the Near Southside’s own indoor gallery night. Designed to showcase the district’s revitalization efforts underway via newly established businesses hosting one-day open houses in partnership with local artists, the event remained almost exclusively indoors for a decade before spilling out onto the street. Today, visitors are invited to stroll artists’ booths on Magnolia Avenue stretching more than a mile in length, and adjacent businesses, new and old, tout ArtsGoggle as their best day of sales each year.

ArtsGoggle prides itself in providing a casual, approachable, and vibrant environment for appreciating art and learning about the talents of our own community. This non-juried art festival is the launch pad for many artists showing their work for the first time. At the same time, ArtsGoggle draws some of the region’s most-celebrated artists as well. ArtsGoggle provides a supportive setting for both aspiring and professional artists with new collections to display, sell and discuss their artwork.

Artists are defined as visual artists working in studio arts and crafts. Painters, photographers, woodworkers, weavers, printmakers, sculptors, potters, jewelers, illustrators, writers, and creators in all media may apply.

TO PARTICIPATE AS AN ARTIST:

You must be an artist selling or showcasing artwork that you have made. No MLM or corporate mass production work will be accepted. Pre-fabricated items that are modified will only be accepted if the modifications are significantly artistic in nature. For example, tumblers with font-based decals applied to them will not qualify as art. To be accepted, all artwork should be the product of an artist’s unique artistic expression and skill. All acceptances are at the discretion of festival organizers.

Your artwork must be deemed appropriate for a festival environment. We’re not the art police, so we aren’t nitpicking, but instead want to make sure that ArtsGoggle is a safe environment for young art patrons, too.

You must be in attendance on the day of the event.

All artists must apply individually, even if you are planning to share a booth space with another participating artist.

ARTIST APPLICATION FEE: $100

This is a non-refundable application fee and is the only fee to participate in ArtsGoggle if approved.

DISCOUNTS:

50% STUDENT DISCOUNT Students and children may request a discounted application fee of $50. To qualify for this discounted rate, please email natalie@nearsouthsidefw.org with details about the age, schooling, and professional experience of the artist. If we are able to verify that the artist is a student or child, a promo code will be offered via email to discount your application rate to only $50.

50% INDOOR ARTIST DISCOUNT If you have made private arrangements with an indoor venue for ArtsGoggle, then we are happy to extend a discounted artist registration fee of only $50 since we will not need to provide electricity or other infrastructure to you at the festival. Private venues can be located in either Magnolia Village or South Main Village, but artists must make arrangements with the venue prior to applying for ArtsGoggle.

TO RECEIVE YOUR DISCOUNT YOU MUST GET A DISCOUNT CODE PRIOR TO PURCHASING YOUR APPLICATION. Please email megan@nearsouthsidefw.org to receive the Indoor Artist Discount Code by sharing the name of your indoor venue. Once you have the discount code, you can proceed to purchasing your ArtsGoggle application, and when completing your application you’ll select “INSIDE A PRIVATE VENUE” when asked about your location preference.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Midnight on August 14, 2024

TO PARTICIPATE AS A VENDOR:

Food, sweets, and non-alcoholic drink vendors are now welcome to submit a FREE APPLICATION to be considered for participation at ArtsGoggle.

FEES: $250 flat fee to participate if accepted.

The application is for vendors wishing to sell ready-made food products at ArtsGoggle. We are specifically seeking freshly prepared lunch and dinner cuisine; non-alcoholic drinks such as coffee, tea or specialty beverages; and snack items such as baked goods, snow cones, popcorn, pretzels and other handheld snacks.

Food vendors who are selling items that are designed for consumption AFTER ArtsGoggle and that could not realistically be eaten during the event, such as jams, salsas, and hot sauces should apply for ArtsGoggle using the ARTIST application by selecting “culinary artist” for their artistic medium when completing the application.

Please note, this is an application to request participation and does not automatically guarantee participation. ArtsGoggle management will review your application and contact you with approval if you have been accepted to participate. If approved, payment of $250 must be submitted no later than October 1, 2024.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Midnight on August 14, 2024

TO PARTICIPATE AS A VENUE:

The venue application is for Near Southside businesses, property owners, and spaces wishing to host artists or entertainment during ArtsGoggle. Official venue status allows businesses located inside the Near Southside district boundary, and especially focused on those in Magnolia Village, to participate as an official ArtsGoggle venue. Venue status allows businesses to promote their own ArtsGoggle programming via the event’s digital program and communications. Participating as a venue is recommended for businesses that are in or near Magnolia Village.

FREE APPLICATION

If accepted, the cost to participate is:

FREE to Near Southside, Inc. Member Businesses located in the Near Southside district

$100 per venue for non-member businesses located in n the Near Southside district

TO QUALIFY

A venue must contribute one or more of the following to the ArtsGoggle experience at your business:

An artist/s showcasing their artwork. Artists are also required to register with ArtsGoggle and pay a discounted indoor artist fee of only $50.

Live music or performance art booked by the venue

An ArtsGoggle-specific menu that provides quick service food options or a focus on culinary-arts experiences.

An artistic experience that adds value to the event, such as a public art piece, interactive art opportunity, artist demonstrations, or artist talks.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Midnight on October 1, 2024

TO PARTICIPATE AS A MUSICIAN:

MAGNOLIA VILLAGE AND SOUTH MAIN VILLAGE WILL BE MUSIC DESTINATIONS ON OCTOBER 19.

The 2024 ArtsGoggle will partner with South Main Village’s new signature event, Lost ‘N Sound, that is also taking place on October 19.

ArtsGoggle is centralized on Magnolia Avenue where visitor attendance typically exceeds 60,000-80,000 people. To help ease ArtsGoggle parking demands around the Magnolia Village area we operate an ArtsGoggle trolley service to dozens of South Main Village park-and-ride locations. With the ArtsGoggle trolley already drawing crowds to and from South Main Village for convenient parking, this year South Main Village has opted to align the season finale of their Lost ‘N Sound music festival to occur on the same day as ArtsGoggle. These two festivals are combining forces for one huge day of art and music in the Near Southside.

Our Near Southside staff will produce and coordinate both ArtsGoggle and Lost ‘N Sound simultaneously. Clear communications about the focus of each event is critical. Here is our best effort to explain the overlap.

ARTSGOGGLE = ART ON MAGNOLIA

ArtsGoggle takes place in Magnolia Village and has a primary focus is showcasing local visual arts. Stretching more than 18 blocks and anticipating more than 1,000 visual artists, ArtsGoggle is predominantly a visual art festival. However, each year, ArtsGoggle also hosts a series of “Main Stages” where local musicians join nationally touring performers. The 2023 ArtsGoggle featured three ArtsGoggle Main Stages and over 30 performances. This year’s festival footprint on Magnolia Avenue will be slightly smaller as we lose three blocks of Magnolia Avenue’s east end due to construction underway at JPS. This smaller festival site plan will require a thoughtful approach to the location of the ArtsGoggle stages. The 2024 ArtsGoggle will still host only one Main Stage on Magnolia Avenue and we expect that most of the music energy will shift to South Main Village indoor venues in partnership with Lost ‘N Sound.

LOST ‘N SOUND = MUSIC ON SOUTH MAIN

Lost ‘N Sound takes place in South Main Village and has a primary focus is showcasing local musicians.

The Lost ‘N Sound season season finale scheduled for October 19… ArtsGoggle day, so the two festivals will work together to bring a dynamic day of art and music to the Near Southside. Lost ‘N Sound is a new four-event music series that launched in May 2024 and will host its’ season finale on October 19. This popular new music festival hosts over 50 live music performances booked on each event date where thousands of patrons can be seen popping in and out of South Main Village “official venues” to check out the free performances on Lost ‘N Sound day. All South Main Village venues are encouraged to host live music on October 19 with free attendance to the public. It is anticipated that over 30 South Main Village venues will participate in the joint Lost ‘N Sound / ArtsGoggle finale by hosting live music on October 19.

WE’VE MADE THIS EXTRA EASY FOR MUSICIANS.

To avoid creating a mess of double-work for musicians, ArtsGoggle will utilize the same music database that is currently being used by Lost ‘N Sound. Musicians wishing to perform at Lost ‘N Sound OR ArtsGoggle can apply using a single application.

Using the Lost ‘N Sound music booking application, musicians will create a profile complete with their music links, bio, photos, video links, and fee requirements. The application also gives musicians a place to share their availability – as we are currently booking for both the September 14 Lost ‘N Sound and the October 19 LNS + ArtsGoggle finale. You can let us know which (or both) of the dates you would like to be considered.

All musicians wishing to be considered for either ArtsGoggle or Lost ‘N Sound should complete the Lost ‘N Sound booking application.