GAS is committed to making our conference and events as accessible as possible. This guide details everything you’ll need to know about Texas and our conference venues in particular. For any accessibility questions about this conference, please email [email protected].
GENERAL
Did you know that the University of Texas, Arlington (our main conference venue) is a pioneer in accessibility? The campus has been a leader in creating barrier-free spaces since the 1960s. You can explore maps of the UTA campus on their website.
TRANSPORTATION
There will be a variety of transportation options available in Arlington-Fort Worth area including:
- The GAS shuttle will run in a loop from the conference hotel to UTA Arlington to Grey Area Studios and back to the conference hotel; this shuttle does not stop at the different venues on the UTA campus. The Mav Moover will move people between our UTA venues. A special shuttle will also be available from the Crowne Plaza Arlington to SiNaCa Studios on Tuesday, May 13 for our Firestarter event and in the evening of Thursday, May 15 for the Fort Worth Gallery Hop. You can purchase the $10 Thursday night shuttle ticket as part of conference registration. We will also have a shuttle running from the Crowne Plaza Arlington to the Arlington Museum of Art for our Saturday night Closing Night Party.
- The Mav Moover, UTA’s shuttle service that runs throughout the UTA campus. We will have a special GAS route and schedule–details will be shared as we get closer to the conference.
- Car rentals–use the special GAS discount with Budget cars to save more! Parking will be available at UTA, SiNaCa Studios, and the Crowne Plaza Arlington. We highly recommend NOT attempting to park at Grey Area Studios and instead taking the shuttle from UTA to this venue.
- Uber, Lyft, and incredibly affordable local ridesharing options! You can use Ride Trinity Metro in Fort Worth for $2 per ride within their service area. Check out their website for further information.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The official conference hotel is the Crowne Plaza Arlington. Book your stay at $140/night with breakfast included. Every room in our conference hotel is a suite that includes a living room and restrooms within the suites are accessible.
CONFERENCE VENUES
All conference venues will have signage that includes the GAS Texas logo, and sans serif fonts for readability for people with dyslexia. At each venue for official programs (ie, demos, lectures, panels and lecmos), signs will designate a section of seats in the front row reserved for attendees with visual and/or hearing impairments. A wheelchair seating area will also be designated and reserved at each program location.
Address: 800-880 S Davis Dr, Arlington, TX 76013
Terrain: Wheelchair accessible and all on one level, mostly concrete flooring with very little cracking/damage. Ramp from parking lot on either side of building but there is a small set of steps at one entrance
Activities Taking Place Here: Hot demos, neon demos, kiln lecmos, Conference Kick Off demo, cold demo
Accessible Restrooms: Yes
Elevators: All activities on one floor
Address: 440 S Nedderman Dr, Arlington, TX 76013
Terrain: Very wheelchair accessible, mostly polished hard surface flooring, some hard carpeting upstairs
Activities Taking Place Here: GAS Market, lectures, panels, Midday Interactive Programming, Portfolio Review, registration, GAS office, and more TBD.
Accessible Restrooms: Plentiful accessible restrooms
Elevators: Yes
Address: 700 Greek Row Dr, Arlington, TX 76013
Terrain: Wheelchair accessible and with elevators. mostly polished hard surface floors.
Activities Taking Place Here: Film Festival, exhibitions, Goblet Grab, and Jewelry Trunk Show
Accessible Restrooms: Yes
Elevators: Yes
Address: 702 Planetarium Pl, Arlington, TX 76019
Terrain: Hard floors, elevators present, very wheelchair accessible.
Activities Taking Place Here: Lecmos, Recharge Station
Accessible Restrooms: Yes
Elevators: Yes
Address: 701 W Nedderman Dr, Arlington, TX 76010
Terrain: Hard carpeting. The slope of the theater is wheelchair accessible and there is also accessible seating.
Activities Taking Place Here: Conference Kick Off
Accessible Restrooms: Yes
Elevators: No elevators needed
Address: 401 N Bowen Rd, Arlington, TX 76012
DO NOT PARK HERE, PLEASE TAKE SHUTTLE FROM UTA
Terrain: Concrete and older asphalt outside, concrete floors inside. Some slight obstacles and uneven flooring, but wheelchair cutout present from parking lot to front door.
Activities Taking Place Here: Flame demos and flame performance
Accessible Restrooms: We will have accessible portable restrooms outside. Please use indoor restrooms if possible to keep these restrooms available for attendees with mobility needs.
Elevators: No
SPECIAL EVENTS
Address: 1013 W Magnolia Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104
Transportation: There will be a shuttle available on Tuesday night from the Crowne Plaza Arlington to SiNaCa for anyone with a Firestarter ticket. For the Thursday night gallery hop, you can add on a $10 shuttle ticket when you register for the conference.
Terrain: Mostly concrete, somewhat wheelchair accessible but may require a bit of tricky navigation. All one level with no stairs.
Activities Taking Place Here: Firestarter on May 12 and hot demo and gallery hop on May 15
Accessible Restrooms: Not ADA compliant, but near many local businesses/restaurants which do have ADA-compliant restrooms
Elevators: No elevators needed
Address: 1200 Ballpark Way, Arlington, TX 76011
Transportation: There will be a shuttle to the Arlington Museum of Art from the Crowne Plaza Arlington. The full shuttle schedule will be released closer to the conference.
Terrain: Hard floors with very wheelchair accessible with ramp at front entrance
Activities Taking Place Here: Closing Night Party and supplemental exhibitions
Accessible Restrooms: Yes
Elevators: No elevators
DAY TRIPS
Monday, May 12 from 3 to 7 pm
Join GAS for a truly remarkable evening in the Dallas Glass Art Scene.
-Cocktails at Kittrell Riffkind Gallery
-Tour of the duBois Collection
-Special Access to The Warehouse in Dallas
-Tour of the Rachofsky House with remarks by Jamie Carpenter
Accessibility: This tour makes visits to private homes and may pose accessibility challenges. Please reach out to GAS if you have questions or concerns.
Tuesday, May 13 from 9 am to 5 pm
Pickup Location: The shuttle will pick up at the Crowne Plaza Arlington at 9 am and will drop off at SiNaCa Studios for Firestarter at 5 pm.
Be immersed in the quintessential Texas pioneer experience…with a contemporary twist! Explore historic Grapevine for a taste of what a Western small town was like during the heyday of the cowboy. Bring the cowboy experience into the present by watching cowboys in action with cattle at the Fort Worth Stockyards. Be wowed by “mind-bending narratives brought to life with never-before-imagined art” at Meow Wolf and enjoy glassy activities at Vetro Glassblowing Studios and Art Gallery.
Accessibility Notes: This tour encompasses some surfaces with cobblestone streets and uneven surfaces. Not all tour locations have accessible restrooms. Please reach out to GAS if you have questions or concerns.
Wednesday, May 14 from 9 am to 2 pm
Pickup Location: The shuttle will pick up at the Crowne Plaza Arlington at 9 am and will drop off at UTA before returning to the hotel.
See the very best of Dallas with an architecture tour, a visit to the Dallas Museum of Art, a walk through the Nasher’s Sculpture Garden, and a picturesque stop at Klyde Warren Park, where attendees can enjoy food trucks as well as Tom Phifer designed public art elements and design.
Accessibility Notes: his tour visits outdoor parks which were specifically designed to be welcoming to visitors of all ages and abilities, including ADA accessible restrooms. Please contact GAS with any questions or concerns.
Monday, May 12–Wednesday, May 14
Pickup Location: All days of this package leave from the Crowne Plaza Arlington.
Get the full Texas Experience! Monday Night Collector Tour + Tuesday Day Trip + Firestarter + Wednesday Half-Day Trip = A Bundle of Texas fun and over $50 in savings! This package does NOT include Texas 2025 conference registration.
Accessibility Notes: This tour makes visits to private homes and may pose accessibility challenges. Please reach out to GAS if you have questions or concerns.