June 3, 2021

Foundry District Announces New Art

By FWBP Staff, Fort Worth Business Press, May 14, 2021

M2G Ventures announced May 12 a major lineup of immersive art experiences and placemaking initiatives to take place in the company’s hallmark development project, The Foundry District, beginning with the unveiling of The Sweet Tooth Motel on June 5.

The Foundry District is a collection of 98,782 square feet of redeveloped mid-century warehouses within Fort Worth’s Cultural District.

The expanded art project launches with the opening of The Sweet Tooth Motel and included an expansion of Inspiration Alley and a newly forged partnership with Fort Worth Bike Sharing.

“The moment for growth and reestablishing connections is upon us. The team at M2G has always prioritized the community’s experience and the unique offerings of our diverse lineup of entrepreneurs and businesses beyond solely the development of buildings,” said M2G Ventures Co-President Jessica Miller Essl.

Miller Essl said the district became a sort of beacon for innovative businesses and patrons seeking something new from the start.

“So our choice to double down on the success and bring new art and events to The Foundry was a simple one to make. Our team understands that inspiration, beauty, and connection are possible through art, innovative ideas, and curious conversation and that is something that will carry us into the next phase of our city’s expansion,” she said.

The artistic collaboration and partnership with Sweet Tooth Motel results from a long-standing relationship with Sweet Tooth Hotel’s founder and creative director Jencey Keeton and M2G.

The Sweet Tooth Motel is a portable art experience that provides the creator with a new way to travel and safely showcase art installations from the past two years of exhibits as well as new work.

Projects will include new exciting placemaking initiatives like landmark signage, district-wide wayfinding, and tenant expansions, among others, M2G said in a news release.

The Foundry will simultaneously unveil the expansion of what Forbes noted as one of the “15 Best Places to Experience Art” ¬– Inspiration Alley.

As Texas’ largest outdoor art gallery, Inspiration Alley is a place where walls serve as canvases and has been established as a destination for art lovers and Instagrammers alike. More than 60 art pieces can be found meandering the Foundry District, and it is the reason that USA Today named Inspiration Alley a “must-see place” when visiting Fort Worth, the news release said.

The new expansion includes a long-anticipated walkthrough from Carroll Street to Vacek Street and the addition of a number of new murals from DFW artists along its walls.

Beginning early June, The Foundry District will be home to a new fleet of specialty bikes thanks to Fort Worth Bike Sharing. The collaboration will include a new cycle station with a few signature Foundry additions including specialty branded bikes and the creation of “unicorn” cycles that will be released for citywide use.

These unicorn bicycles will integrate design and art by  artist and M2G Ventures Chief Creative Officer Katie Murray. The Fort Worth Bike Sharing collaboration will also bring curated bike ride events and programming that start and end in The Foundry District.

“We are, now as much as ever before, committed to the success and prosperity of the city we love,” Miller Essl said. “Our hope is that this new expansion will excite and spark new energy among our neighbors and community while continuing to put Fort Worth on the map for innovation.”

The Sweet Tooth Hotel brings together work by some of Dallas’s most innovative artists and a curated selection of products and art to purchase in its gift shop. The Sweet Tooth Hotel is currently a 5,000 square foot experiential art venue and bar in Dallas’s Victory Park, and its fourth installation “Intangible” featuring an all-female curation of fiber artists is open now. Concepted by husband and wife, Cole and Jencey Keeton, the first installation of Sweet Tooth Hotel delivered five sugar-themed rooms based on popular treats.