Forgn Studio Launches New Art-Tech Incubator

July 7th, 2025, Houston, TX

FORGN STUDIO, based in Houston's East End Maker Hub, unveils a dual-purpose incubator that blends art and commerce. Through their unique partnership with Houston's largest maker hub, and supported by Fresh Arts as fiscal sponsor, TXRX, and dedicated studio space, FORGN empowers artists and creators to launch products and classes. Today we announce the first cohort: GridLights, a LED manufacturing and design company and Halo Speaker a rugged and loud portable speaker.

Unlike tech-centric incubators, FORGN champions creatives pursuing full-time artistic careers and innovators crafting public-serving projects. Rooted in the East End's historic manufacturing hub, FORGN fosters a dynamic ecosystem where cultural value meets market potential, driving impact through products launched, jobs created, and students reached.

Commercial Incubation for Market-Ready Ventures

FORGN equips artists and entrepreneurs with professional-grade tools and training—laser cutters, CNC, 3D printers, screen printing—and shared workspaces for prototyping and small-batch production. Residents benefit from branding assistance, co-produced media, and rubbing shoulders a group passionate about bringing manufacturing back to the neighborhood. Regular teaching classes and "first-look" events offer gritty feedback not found in traditional pitch competitions.

Educator Incubator for Empowered Teaching

FORGN’s teaching artist residency empowers creatives to build sustainable income and grow their personal brands through co-created, scalable workshops such as Digital Art 101, Sculpture, Blender, Pottery, Painting, and Creative Writing. Residents partner with FORGN through a revenue-sharing model that rewards initiative and long-term engagement over hourly pay. They design and lead their own multi-week or modular courses, drawing from their studio practices to create accessible, high-impact learning experiences—ranging from sculpture and creative coding to generative AI. Artists handle course development, pricing, and delivery, while FORGN provides infrastructure, promotional support, and a platform for reaching motivated learners. Residents go on to inspire hobbyists and entrepreneurs to launch community-driven projects—from immersive installations to skill-building programs—strengthening Houston’s creative education landscape.

Bridging Art and Innovation

FORGN's hybrid approach fosters collaboration between analog makers (painters, sculptors) and digital innovators (coders, generative artists), sparking unique outcomes. Through select workshops, youth programming, community events, and exhibitions, FORGN empowers a wide range of creators and strengthens Houston's cultural fabric.

Applications for residencies and product incubation cohorts open Fall 2025. Visit www.forgn.art or follow @forgnstudio for details.