At the program launch in Jubilee Hall on Thursday night, festival manager Sarah Natali said they had to do the festival on a smaller scale.

"We usually get our major funding from Festivals Australia and we didn't get any this year," she said. "We get some seed funding from Horsham Rural City Council and the Besen Family Foundation, but it will be a proportion-based festival."

Art Is... gets its major funding from Creative Victoria each year as part of an organisational investment program.

Miss Natali stepped into her role earlier this year, after the former director resigned while she was general manager. She said the theme of this year was "Moulding our future".

"It's about sustainability, making the world a better place for our children," she said. "We've got Nichola Clarke exploring recycling and genetically-modified crops, and her work will be displayed in the roundabouts on Firebrace Street.

"We've also got lots of opportunities when you can come and develop new skills. Art Is... is about audience participation and community engagement, so we have an artist coming up from Melbourne Robert Knight who is going to teach charcoal and acrylic painting, and others teaching stop-motion animation and garment-making."

A panel discussion on 30 years of Victorian writing at the Centre for Participation and a night of sustainable dining at Baa 3400 also feature on this year's program.

Miss Natali said this year's festival would also gift Horsham a permanent exhibition.

"We're doing a project with the Local Learning and Employment Network called 'Trees Tell Tall Tales', which will be launched on Wednesday June 5," she said.

"When people walk along the Wimmera River, there will be these signs, and if you scan them with your phone the tree will tell you a story."

Festival Chair Robbie Millar said 2019 festival was the last of three years worth of themes the committee had planned out. He thanked volunteers for the job they did, and said the organisation would be seeking help to design themes for coming years soon.

Art Is... 2019 will be officially opened at Red Rock Books and Gallery on Friday May 31 at 5.30pm.

NOTE: A previous version of this story said Art Is... did not receive funding from Creative Victoria this year. The story has been altered to include the correct information, which is that Art Is... gets its major funding from Creative Victoria each year as part of an organisational investment program.