Future Front Hosts Pride Picnic, Advocates for Austin’s Marginalized Artists

Family-friendly. Dog-friendly. Human-friendly. "Abundant sunshine, community vibes and a delightfully queer celebration of the summer solstice at Austin’s first and oldest public park" is what you can expect at Future Front’s Pride Picnic at Pease Park this Saturday, according to the homegrown nonprofit's website. The organization, which produces two annual community-led events — the Front Market and the Front Festival — has come a long way over the last decade.

Founder Jane Hervey first got the idea for the project during her final honors communications course as she completed a Journalism degree at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. She pitched a blog called "Boss Babes ATX" which consisted of interviews with "women and femmes" on their place in the creative industry. A musician herself, she was already familiar with Austin’s arts and music scene from playing live shows on weeknights and running her own DIY arts and culture magazine. But she felt alienated, and noticed a lack of diversity presented in local culture, she said.

She interviewed 50 different independent artists and culture producers about barriers they face as female-presenting creatives in Austin. The study revealed a consensus of concern about the industry, and revealed a desire among respondents to support the work of marginalized individuals in collective spaces. This led to the first "Boss Babes ATX" meetup with 200 attendees in May 2015.

"It was a shocking exploration, because I didn’t really go into it thinking that other people would feel the same way I did," Hervey said, noting that these perspectives weren’t largely voiced back in 2014. "I was surprised about how everyone’s answers were pretty much the same. There were all these validating trends of what people saw in the industry, and what people thought they were able to do as a result."

Boss Babes ATX becomes Future Front

Following that initial meetup, the group launched workshops and a market. They also started their own music and film festival. Hervey said the organization grew based on what members wanted to see in the community. After seven years of experimentation, Boss Babes ATX rebranded as Future Front following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

"We’ve just kept that ethos. We’re still really volunteer led. We have a small, four-person staff now, and we produce three seasons of programming," Hervey said. "We still primarily amplify women and LGBTQ+ independent artists and creatives in Texas."

Hervey now works for Future Front full time as its executive director. She said that people’s cultural attitudes swing like a pendulum every two to three years, and the last decade has seen a shift in perception on identity, politics and art. She attributed these changes in large part to the emerging artists coming out of the social media landscape.

She said her organization reflects the struggles marginalized artists experience.

"Right now, some of the challenges we’re facing in this community are limited arts, cultural and creative funding." Hervey said. "We’re underneath a microscope, like we’re really visible, but also not really supported. Everyone talks about Austin artists, but where are the patrons and donors who support and advocate for their work?"

‘Culture can’t be engineered’

Hervey said her work has gotten harder in some ways and easier in others over the last decade, but now is a moment that calls on Future Front to stay true to the organization’s goals. The core values listed on their website, include creative thinking, collaborative community design, personal and professional curiosity, local advocacy and experimental DIY energy.

"Culture can’t be engineered. It has to have supportive environmental conditions to thrive, and that looks different for everybody, but culture is a fundamental aspect of society," Hervey said. "I want to see homegrown culture championed. It’s an economic argument, it’s a culture argument, and it’s also just what’s cool."

She said the purpose of building a community is to witness each other, and fostering connections is what they hope to do with the Pride Picnic.

"This is a moment in time where we gather and take it with us," Hervey said. "We’re trying to practice curiosity and creativity here, and all of those things are easier said than done. You have to access a really human part of yourself to show up, but we try to make that a tiny bit easier."

Future Front’s 2025 funding fallout

Future Front receives support from a number of sources, with individual community donations contributing the majority of their revenue stream, but they still rely on local, state and federal grants. She said that organizations like hers are already feeling the sweeping effects of federal funding cuts under the current administration. Hervey said her organization lost $65,000 that had already been awarded to them from the National Endowment of the Arts.

"I’m a firm believer that these things shift and swing," Hervey said. "Historically, any time we have ever divested from art and culture, we have always regretted it, as a country, a community and as a people. I’m sure we’ll feel the pang of not investing in these communities really soon, because it’s a huge part of public infrastructure."

Hervey said these moments call on everyone to stick to their guns of what they care about and want to see in the world. Her organization is still going after grants and always welcoming new donors. Their current strategy expands the scope of their work with new projects, including cultural district initiatives, and an upcoming collaboration with the Downtown Austin Alliance.

Future Front’s summer programming is anchored by the Front Festival over Labor Day weekend. In addition to their fourth annual Pride Picnic, you can also look forward to a market during Hot Summer Nights in mid-July, poolside DJ parties at the Line hotel over the summer and creative workshops hosted at the Future Front House, their headquarters located at 1900 E 12th St.

"We’ve got such a wealth of generous, honest and collaborative people in this town, and that is the beauty and magic of Austin," Hervey said. "If you tap into it, you’ll live here forever."