ARTS Summit 2026

ARTSForward Panelists

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Friday, February 27 & 28, 2026 | Texas Wesleyan University

LEARN – EXPERIENCE – CELEBRATE

Below is a list of our panelists for ARTSForward 2026, click on the image or the button to learn more about each panelist.

Friday 2/27 – Youth Summit – Featured Speakers

Mattie Parker, Mayor of Fort Worth

Mayor Mattie Parker was elected in June 2021 as the 45th mayor of the City…

Ruby Macnab

Rudy Macnab was born in London, England, but has spent most of her life in…

Wesley Gentle, Executive Director and President of Arts Fort Worth

Wesley Gentle serves as Executive Director of Arts Fort Worth, where he leads strategic initiatives that…

Emi Matsushita, Youth Summit – Careers in the Arts Panel

Emi L. Matsushita is a movement artist, educator, and creative entrepreneur with over 28 years…

Jesse Cannon II, Youth Summit – Careers in the Arts Panel

Jesse Cannon II is the Executive Director of Visual & Performing Arts in Fort Worth ISD….

Joe Brown, Youth Summit – Careers in the Arts Panel

Joe Allen Brown has a long history in Fort Worth and the theatre community. This…

Mouty Shackelford, Youth Summit – Careers in the Arts Panel

Mouty Shackelford is an artist and founder of Artsy Scoop, a Fort Worth–based arts and culture publication…

Chris Kiley, Keynote Address

Chris Kiley is the Executive Director of Texans for the Arts. Chris has been deeply…

Krystal Jones, Keynote Address

Krystal Jones was appointed director of the Department of Arts & Culture in June of…

Sam Santiago, Master of Ceremonies

Sam Santiago, CDE® is an international entrepreneur with three decades of experience across the airline,…

Wesley Gentle, Executive Director and President of Arts Fort Worth

Wesley Gentle serves as Executive Director of Arts Fort Worth, where he leads strategic initiatives that…

Alida Labbe, Art in Public Places Panel

Alida Labbe joined the Arts Fort Worth team to support the Fort Worth Public Art…

Heidi Tournoux-Hanshaw, Art in Public Spaces Panel

Heidi Tournoux-Hanshaw serves as the Director of Clinical Services at The Art Station. Since joining…

Kirsten Maiwald, Art in Public Spaces Panel

Kirsten Maiwald began her artistic path at UNT, where a formative experience working with youth…

Mark Thistlethwaite, Art in Public Spaces Panel

Mark Thistlethwaite is an art historian and longtime TCU professor, where he taught American visual…

Nansii Downer, Art in Public Spaces Panel

Nansii Downer is the executive director of ArtsNet, also known as the Arts Council of Northeast…

Austin Flores, Evolution of the Film Industry in Fort Worth

Austin Flores is the Location Specialist for the Dallas Film Commission. He is also the…

Red Sanders, Evolution of the Film Industry in Fort Worth

Red Sanders is the founder and owner of Red Productions here in Fort Worth. Not…

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Taylor Hardy, Evolution of the Film Industry in Fort Worth

Taylor Hardy is the Associate Film Commissioner and Marketing Manager for the Fort Worth Film…

Tyler Germaine, Evolution of the Film Industry in Fort Worth

Tyler Germaine is a director, photographer, and visual artist based in Dallas–Fort Worth. With over…

COME LEARN, EXPERIENCE, AND CONNECT

Arts Fort Worth believes in making the arts accessible to everyone. Inspired by local and national arts organizations, the tiered ticketing system ensures that anyone who wants to attend can do so:

Discount Saturday Ticket: $25 for those with limited financial means at the time of purchase.
Standard Saturday Ticket: $50 helps cover the cost of the event.
Pay-It-Forward Ticket: $125 allows you to contribute toward discounted tickets, helping others experience the summit.
Heart of Gold Reception: $100 for Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. at our annual Heart of Gold awards ceremony to recognize leaders in the arts. Enjoy heavy appetizers and drinks before celebrating movers and shakers across the arts scene!

Get Your Summit Tickets