A Fort Worth glass art nonprofit that nearly shut its doors two years ago is close to trading its cramped Near Southside studio for a much bigger home in downtown Arlington. SiNaCa Studios is finalizing an agreement to relocate to a city-owned property at 300 W. Front St., with the Arlington City Council set to vote on a proposed 10-year lease on Sept. 29.
According to the Fort Worth Report, the proposed lease also includes an option to renew for another 10 years. The reported deal would have Arlington provide a $150,000 grant for facility improvements and reimburse SiNaCa up to $850,000 in monthly lease payments for approved renovations, with the nonprofit responsible for any additional improvements beyond that. SiNaCa's current building sits at 1013 W. Magnolia Ave., a converted gas station the organization moved into in 2010 after launching as a collective of glass artists at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center in 2008.
A Building More Than Five Times the Size
The Arlington building under consideration is reported to be 14,000 square feet, more than five times larger than SiNaCa's current Near Southside facility, per the Fort Worth Report. Under the proposed plan, the nonprofit would operate the property as an artist studio, a glass arts school, a gallery and a community arts facility all at once.
Board chair Clifton Crofford said SiNaCa needs to expand its programming and ensure long-term sustainability, according to the same report, and added that the organization found what he called a strong and arts-supportive partner in Arlington. SiNaCa reportedly searched throughout Tarrant County for a new home before connecting with Arlington leaders.
A Near-Closure and a Community Rescue
The push for a bigger space follows a rocky financial stretch. The Fort Worth Report notes SiNaCa struggled for five years to increase financial support from major donors and the city of Fort Worth, and the organization nearly closed in 2024. Community members stepped in that year, raising more than $85,000 to cover a budget shortfall, the outlet reported.
Breinn Richter said Arlington's willingness to invest in SiNaCa's future is significant for the organization's trajectory, per the Fort Worth Report. On the Arlington side, Maggie Campbell said the relocation supports the city's goal of creating a vibrant downtown and that an activated building at 300 W. Front St. would help anchor redevelopment along the rest of the street.
Mixed Feelings Over a Fort Worth Departure
Not everyone is celebrating the move. Megan Henderson said there is real sorrow around SiNaCa's departure, noting the studio built community-based knowledge of glassblowing and glass art in the Near Southside over the years. Henderson also said Fort Worth should reexamine its structural support for arts organizations, according to the Fort Worth Report.
SiNaCa's résumé includes bringing the Glass Art Society's international conference to Fort Worth in 2025, and the nonprofit remains partnered with the University of Texas at Arlington's glass studio. Its GuideStar profile describes its mission as offering the tradition of glassmaking as a creative medium through education, community and studio involvement, built around three core programs: class and demonstration instruction, rental studios for individual artists, and a gallery for student and local work.
What Happens Next
SiNaCa plans to continue workshops, classes and shows at its Magnolia Avenue location through the end of its current lease on Jan. 31, and to run a new mobile unit for workshops during the interim months, per the Fort Worth Report. If the council approves the agreement, the nonprofit plans to renovate the Arlington building for a reopening in late summer 2027.
An Arlington spokesperson, Susan Schrock, said the city would comment after next week's council vote, the Fort Worth Report reported. Until then, the fate of SiNaCa's next chapter rests with the Sept. 29 vote.
