Nansii Downer turns personal loss into arts leadership in northeast Tarrant County

Nansii Downer, 71, doesn’t view art simply as a hobby. It’s something she believes has the power to save lives. 

“Art is so important to me, because it’s that venue that any person can use,” she said. 

She carries that sentiment with her everyday in her role as an executive director of ArtsNet, also known as the Arts Council of Northeast Tarrant County, an organization that brings free concerts and art classes to senior citizens and individuals with limited financial resources, mobility issues due to medical conditions or transportation challenges. 

The arts council, founded in 1975 originally as the Trinity Arts Foundation, serves communities in 16 Tarrant County cities, including Bedford, Euless, Haltom City and Richland Hills. 

Downer’s dedication to the arts has earned her recognition in 52 Faces of Community, the Fort Worth Report’s weekly series spotlighting unsung heroes in Tarrant County.

Downer’s love of the arts spans decades. She first joined ArtsNet as a board member in 2005 before leaving and returning in early 2021 to assist the organization after the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the art council’s abilities to sustain employees. 

In 2019, ArtsNet reported a revenue of $225,523. The art council’s finances dropped to $92,668 the following year, according to the organization’s tax filings. 

Downer’s involvement with the arts only grew after a family tragedy fueled her to turn loss into positivity. In December 2021, her son and daughter-in-law died in a car crash. She turned to quilting to navigate her grief. 

“The first thing I thought of was, ‘How do I alleviate the pain?’” Downer said, with tears in her eyes. “And you always go to alcohol or some kind of drug. I knew I couldn’t do that. I just sewed and sewed and sewed until I couldn’t sew anymore. It kept me from going downhill.”

In August 2024, Downer took on the role of executive director of ArtsNet, becoming the art council’s only full-time staff member. 

She works with the art council’s group of board members to bring the “Art on Wheels” and “Masterworks Concert” programs to several community centers, senior housing complexes and concert venues across its northeast region. 

Cindy Deming, an ArtsNet board member, praised Downer for her “hands-on-approach” to coordinating all the events across the community, highlighting her dedication to mental health and creativity. 

Although the arts council is reestablishing itself slowly, Downer has struggled with keeping the programs afloat strictly through fundraising efforts, since there has been some uncertainty about the future of arts grants across the country. 

“I take a very small paycheck, because the bottom line is, I want to help people not to build that wall, not to disengage,” she said. 

In September, ArtsNet will host its “Taste of Northeast” celebration — an event featuring local restaurants, vendors and live music — in hopes of securing funds to expand its service reach.

Amid the financial difficulties, Downer remains dedicated to ensuring arts remain accessible to communities that need them most. 

“Somedays it’s like being in a dinghy in the middle of a big lake with one oar and the wind is picking up,” Downer said. “I could jump out and say ‘I’m not going to do this anymore, it’s too much,’ but then the boat would go down. I’ve chosen to stay in the boat.” 

David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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