Digital illustrator Tatyana Alanis headlines Fort Worth’s most accessible arts celebration

Every fall, Fort Worth’s historic Near Southside neighborhood transforms into a bustling canvas for ArtsGoggle — a festival that has evolved from humble beginnings into a cornerstone of the city’s cultural landscape. West Magnolia Avenue closes to traffic, artists set up shop on the street, and businesses and residents open to passersby.

Led by the community development nonprofit Near Southside Inc., ArtsGoggle started as a modest effort to showcase the district’s revitalization. The inaugural event drew a couple hundred visitors and showcased the work of a handful of artists within the neighborhood’s newly renovated storefronts. 

Now in its 21st year, ArtsGoggle has blossomed into a mile-long extravaganza featuring over 1,000 local artists, 50 live music performances and an array of food and drink vendors, drawing upward of 80,000 attendees annually. This year’s festival Oct. 19 is expected to be no different, standing as a testament to the power of community-driven art.

“We really believe that ArtsGoggle is the people’s festival,” said Megan Henderson, director of events and communications at Near Southside Inc.

As ArtsGoggle enters its third decade and continues to evolve and grow, it remains true to its commitment to accessibility. Not only is the event free to the public, it also places emerging artists and seasoned professionals on an even playing field. With a universal $100 application fee — a fraction of what festivals typically charge for participation — ArtsGoggle keeps the door open for artists at all stages of their careers.

“We firmly believe that if you are brave enough to set up a tent, stand in front of the public all day long, and share your work, then you deserve an opportunity to do that,” Henderson said. 

At the forefront of this year’s ArtsGoggle is featured artist Tatyana Alanis, a digital illustrator whose journey embodies the ethos of the event. A California native now living in Fort Worth, Alanis’ rise to artistic acclaim was rapid and unexpected. Just a few years ago, she was working a 9-to-5 job in finance, drawing illustrations for personal commissions as a side hustle.

While battling health issues during COVID-19, Alanis turned to art as an outlet. She started sharing her illustrations on Instagram under the name French 75 Studios — a nod to the cocktail she and her husband ordered on their first date.

“At first, it was a very private account,” Alanis recalls, noting she rarely shared any information about herself. “I just kind of wanted it to be an open diary for how I was feeling going through COVID.”

Before long, Alanis’ Instagram took off like wildfire — today, she boasts well over 300,000 followers. Her rising popularity led to more significant commissions, ultimately allowing her to quit her job and pursue art full time. Alanis’ client list reads like a who’s who of global brands, including Google, Hermès and Coca-Cola, to name a few. She is represented by top illustration agency Handsome Frank and has even seen her work for Sephora displayed in New York City among the towering billboards of Times Square.

Despite her impressive commercial success, Alanis remains deeply connected to her local community in Fort Worth. She still hosts monthly pop-ups at farmers markets and collaborates with small businesses — not out of financial necessity, but out of a genuine desire to engage with people. 

When selecting each year’s featured artist, Henderson and her colleagues scour roughly 1,000 applications from the prior year — and they examine more than just portfolios. Beyond having the ability to create beautiful and meaningful work, they seek out someone who serves as a mentor to other artists and a supporter of community efforts. Unsurprisingly, Alanis’ unique combination of talent and civic engagement caught the team’s eye.

“At every art show I went to this year, Tatyana was there not to promote her own work, but to support other artists,” Henderson notes. “She is very successful and accomplished, but she is also immensely humble.”

Though Alanis frequently ran into Henderson and the Near Southside team at events, she never once suspected she was being considered to headline ArtsGoggle. When they approached her with the offer before this year’s applications even opened, she was floored — and enthusiastically accepted. A longtime supporter of ArtsGoggle, Alanis participated in the festival for the first time in 2023 and was preparing to apply again when she received the news. “I guess you don’t really know when you’re planting those seeds how they’ll grow,” she said.

Festival attendees will have the opportunity to explore and shop Alanis’ work, which captures intimate moments of everyday life, including scenes from Fort Worth and the Near Southside. Her illustrations are timeless and contemporary, blending vibrant colors with warm tones to evoke a sense of nostalgia. The subjects of her pieces indulge in life’s leisurely moments — scrolling on their phones in bed, gazing out windows with coffee cups in hand, or enjoying simple pleasures like ice cream. “I think relaxing is impossible for me, so I like to draw a lot of comfortable, cozy settings,” Alanis says.

ArtsGoggle has showcased Alanis’ work across all promotional materials for this year’s event. She will also be given prime real estate at the festival. Having sold out of all her art last year, Alanis has been preparing for months to ensure she has enough inventory to last the day. Even if she sells out again, she says she will eagerly encourage patrons to explore and support her fellow artists’ offerings. Thanks to its inclusivity, ArtsGoggle attracts a broad spectrum of creatives including jewelry designers, photographers, sculptors and more.

According to Alanis, no other event she has participated in compares to ArtsGoggle — the scale, camaraderie and turnout are unmatched. “The fact that I can get this recognition for something I’ve always wanted to do, within my own community, is massive,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll ever do anything cooler than this.”