Art Worth Festival names 2026 artists for Clearfork show

The Art Worth Festival has selected its 2026 artist lineup for the October 23-25 event at The Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth. The free festival will feature work from artists in 21 states, live demonstrations, classical music and daily performances by The Fort Worth Opera.

Why it matters: - The Art Worth Festival is positioning itself as a serious regional art fair, with a juried lineup chosen from hundreds of applicants. - The free event gives Fort Worth audiences access to visual art, craft demonstrations and classical music in one place.

What happened: - The Art Worth Festival announced its 2026 roster of invited artists. - The festival runs October 23-25 on the lawns of The Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth. - The fifth annual edition takes place Friday, October 23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, October 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. - The invited artists were selected by a panel of jurors. - The lineup includes artists from 21 states. - Many Texas artists are included in the exhibition. - Examples of the artists’ work are available on the festival website.

The details: - Selected work spans 3-D media including glass, metal, wood, clay and fiber. - The roster also includes 2-D work such as painting, printmaking and photography. - The festival says it aims to present work at a level comparable to the nation’s top art fairs. - The 2026 jury included the directors of the Saint Louis Art Fair in Clayton, Missouri, and Rittenhouse Square, the nation’s oldest art festival in Philadelphia. - The jury also included Amy Flynn, a recently retired art festival leader, plus Fort Worth arts figures Pam Summers, a ceramic artist and owner of Cliff House Gallery, and Thomas Lake, a longtime block captain at the Fort Worth Main Street Art Festival. - The festival will also feature continuous demonstrations of glassblowing, metalsmithing, woodturning and other disciplines. - The demonstrations are designed to increase public understanding of the skills involved in making art. - Classical music performances will run throughout the three-day event. - Area ensembles from elementary and high schools will perform. - The Fort Worth Opera will perform daily. - The Shops at Clearfork has a dozen restaurants onsite. - Libations will be available on the lawn festival site. - Onsite vendors include Clearfork’s CRÚ Food & Wine Bar.

Between the lines: - The mix of national jurors, live craft demonstrations and daily opera suggests Art Worth is trying to stand out from a standard art market. - The festival is also using food, drink and venue amenities to make the event feel more like a full weekend destination. - The selection of artists from 21 states signals a broader reach than a purely local show.

What's next: - Festival organizers will publish and promote the full artist list and examples of work through the festival website. - ArtWorks Foundation will continue to use the festival to support artist growth through exhibitions and education. - The foundation also plans scholarship support for advanced study workshops and is working toward a regional Center for the Decorative Arts in Fort Worth. - The festival is supported by local businesses including Carson Hearing Care and Central Market. - Media sponsors include WRR 101.1 FM, KERA TV, 360 West Magazine, Artsy Scoop Magazine, and LKCM Media Group’s Hank FM and The Ranch FM. - Grants from the Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District, the Ryan Family Foundation, the William E. Scott Foundation, the Garvey Texas Foundation and others help make the festival free to the public, along with free parking at Clearfork.

The bottom line: - Art Worth is leaning into juried credibility, cross-disciplinary programming and free access to build a high-profile fall arts event in Fort Worth.