[Press Conference: "Meow Wolf Groundbreaking" (has open)]
[00:00:19]
MY NAME IS DEEDEE BEHAR.I'M THE CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER HERE AT MEOW WOLF, AND WE ARE SO THRILLED TO HAVE YOU ALL HERE FOR THIS MILESTONE OCCASION, UH, WHERE WE ARE GONNA BE BREAKING GROUND FOR OUR FIFTH PERMANENT INSTALLATION IN THE HEART OF THE FIFTH WARD.
UM, BEFORE WE GET STARTED TODAY, I JUST WANT TO, UH, START WITH AN LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE LAND WE OCCUPY TODAY HAS SERVED AS A SITE OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, SPECIFICALLY THE AT KABA ASH, THE TAPI LAMB TECAN, THE ANA BAND OF THE TANANA TRIBE, AND THE KERIK HAWA NATIONS.
UM, WE HAVE A FUN PROGRAM FOR YOU TODAY.
WE'LL BE HEARING FROM MANY FOLKS WHO HAVE HELPED GET MEOW WOLF HERE IN HOUSTON, INCLUDING MAYOR TURNER, WHO WE'RE SO HONORED TO HAVE TODAY.
UM, AND WE ARE JUST SO EXCITED TO SHOW YOU HOW WE'RE GONNA BE CONTRIBUTING AND CELEBRATING TO MAKING THE FIFTH WARD AND THE THRIVING ARTS ECONOMY IN HOUSTON, EVEN MORE SO.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER.
PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME OUR MC TODAY, HARRISON GUY.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF ARTS AND CULTURE FOR THE FIFTH WARD CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
WELCOME TO THE FIFTH WARD CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
AND IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE FROM THE FIFTH WELCOME HOME.
SO ABOUT THE FIFTH WARD CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
YOU KNOW, WE REALLY LIKE TO FOCUS ON ART, EYE TO EYE, SHOULDER TO SHOULDER.
WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT ART IS UP HERE, OR IT COMES IN TO SAVE THE COMMUNITY.
WE BELIEVE THAT FIFTH WARD HAS, IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE CREATIVE IN AND OF ITSELF.
AND SO OUR SLOGAN THAT WE LIKE TO USE WITH THE CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT IS ART FOR THE PEOPLE.
UM, AND SO WE WANT, I WANT TO GIVE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO OUR MUSIC.
WE HAVE FROM FIFTH WARD, BORN AND RAISED, FIFTH WARD, JOE CARUS, ONE OF THE MANY AMAZING ARTISTIC PEOPLE FROM THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO THE FIFTH WARD CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT IS MANAGED BY THE FIFTH WARD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
VERY HAPPY TO SEE OUR FOUNDER, UM, REVEREND CLEMONS, OUR CEO KATHY PEYTON, HERE WITH US TODAY.
UM, AND SO THEY ALLOW ME TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF FIFTH WARD AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ART AND CULTURE ALWAYS HAPPENING IN FIFTH WARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, GROUNDBREAKINGS ARE INTERESTING, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE TYPICALLY THINK ABOUT THE NEW SHINY THING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GEARED TOWARDS SUPPORT AND GETTING PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT A PROJECT.
BUT IN FIFTH WARD, WE REALLY LIKE TO THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE BEFORE TODAY.
SO WHERE WE START, THE STORY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
AND SO I'M THINKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT WERE FIRST HERE.
I'M THINKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT PUT THEIR BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS INTO THIS COMMUNITY.
I'M THINKING ABOUT MEL CHIN AND, AND MELVIN EDWARDS.
I'M THINKING ABOUT ARCHIE BELL AND THE DRILLS.
I'M THINKING ABOUT CLUB MATINEE.
I'M THINKING ABOUT THE DELUXE THEATER AND THE LONGSTANDING HISTORY AND HERITAGE THAT IS CREATIVITY IN FIFTH WARD.
SO I DON'T WANT US TO THINK THAT THE STORY STARTS TODAY.
IT STARTED A LONG TIME AGO FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CAN, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, ARE SO PROUD ABOUT WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN HERE IN FIFTH WARD.
SO LET'S GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF FIFTH WARD.
AND NOW I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, ALL THE FOLKS YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM THIS AFTERNOON.
WE ARE JOINED TODAY BY OUR AMAZING MAYOR, SYLVESTER TURNER.
UM, FOR NEARLY 35 YEARS, MAYOR TURNER HAS SERVED HOUSTON AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND HAS COMMITTED A LIFETIME TO BE A FLAG BEARER FOR THE UNDER UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED AMONG HIS MANY OTHER SUCCESSES.
MAYOR TURNER HAS PRIORITIZED ACCESS TO THE ARTS THROUGHOUT HIS TWO TERMS AS MAYOR.
THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE ARTS AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO FIFTH WARD.
IN ADDITION, WE'LL ALSO HEAR FROM OUR VERY OWN COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON, REPRESENTING THE GREATER FIFTH WARD.
UM, SHE'S GONNA COMMENT TODAY ABOUT THE CITY'S PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH MEOW WOLF.
HER SUPPORT, UM, WILL BE INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF FIFTH WARD AS WELL.
[00:05:03]
UM, IN THINKING ABOUT THE CITY, I ALSO JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE, UM, NICOLE IRVIN HERE FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.UM, WE WANT TO THANK HER FOR HER SUPPORT.
SHE'S GONNA ALWAYS, ALWAYS MAKE SURE MUSIC IS A PART OF WHAT WE DO.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
UM, YOU ARE TRULY A LIGHT IN THE CITY AND MAKING SURE THAT ART AND CREATIVITY IS THE FA IT REMAINS TO BE THE BAR OF THE CITY.
UM, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM MAL WOLF'S, CEO JOSE OSA.
HE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT MEOW WOLF, UM, WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT WILL IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM EVERY ARTIST'S FAVORITE DEVELOPER, JOHN DEAL, WHO'S, UH, BECOME A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM HIM AS WELL.
HE'S REALLY INVESTED HIS HEART INTO SMART DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO HEAR FROM HIM.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE? I SEE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, WHO IS MY COUNCIL MEMBER.
I LIVE IN SUNNYSIDE, AND SO WE'RE VERY GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE TODAY.
AND DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE THAT I DON'T SEE? WHO IS IT? VICE MAIL PRO.
AND IF WE MISSED YOU AND YOU'RE SHY, WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE.
YOU KNOW, IN FIFTH WARD, WE LOVE OUR DIGNITARIES, BUT WE ALSO LOVE OUR REGULAR FOLKS LIKE ME, RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE THE ONES THAT'S MAKING IT HAPPEN.
SO EVERYBODY HERE'S A STAR AND SUPER EXCITED TO HAVE EVERYBODY HERE TODAY.
ALRIGHT, SO FINALLY, UM, THE ONE AND ONLY GONZO 2, 4, 7, YOU KNOW, GONZO, AMAZING ARTIST.
HE WILL SCHOOL US ON THE HISTORY OF STREET ART AND HELP US OFFICIALLY BREAK THE GROUND FOR THIS HISTORIC EVENT.
UM, WHEN WE'RE ALL WRAPPED UP, PLEASE JOIN US ACROSS THE STREET AT ST.
ARNOLD'S, ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PLACES HERE IN THE DISTRICT, UM, TO HAVE SOME MORE FUN.
OKAY? I KNOW IT'S MIDDAY, BUT FOR THOSE OF US THAT CAN HAVE FUN.
THERE'S ALSO RUBY BEER AND GINGER BEER.
SO DON'T BE AFRAID TO STOP BY ST.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, PLEASE HELP ME AND WELCOME IN OUR AMAZING MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
LOOK, AS ALWAYS TO BE AROUND, UH, UH, HARRISON.
SO GIVE IT UP, GIVE IT UP TO HARRISON AGAIN, AN AMAZING AND AMAZING TALENT IN HIS OWN RIGHT.
AND LOOK, UH, IT IS GOOD TO SEE EVERYONE.
I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YO CAMMO AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE GONZO.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOME EXCEPTIONAL ARTISTS THAT ARE HERE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TASHA JACKSON.
THIS IS MY SECOND TIME IN YOUR DISTRICT TODAY.
SO, UM, SO YOU'VE GOT SOME INCREDIBLE THINGS HAPPENING, UH, IN DISTRICT B.
UH, AND YOU'RE SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, UH, WHO SAYS THAT DEE IS THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, BUT SHE'S IN DISTRICT B TODAY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I DO WANT TO, UM, CERTAINLY JOSE, UM, THANK YOU JUST FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
UH, BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN FIFTH WARD, WHICH WE AFFECTIONATELY REFER TO AS THE NICKEL, UM, IS REALLY A GAME CHANGER, UH, FOR NOT JUST FIFTH WARD, BUT FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
SO, LET ME JUST START OFF FROM THE VERY BEGINNING ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
UM, WE ALREADY HEARD ABOUT ME OFF AND, UH, SANTA FE AND VEGAS, AND DENVER.
UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, SOME OF MY COUNSELING MEMBERS FLEW TO, UH, VEGAS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO CHECK IT OUT.
NOW, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE GONNA GO AND CHECK IT OUT, BUT I, I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY IT TOOK THEM THREE DAYS TO BE THERE,
SO APPARENTLY THEY WENT EVERY DAY, UH, TO, TO CHECK IT OUT.
SO, UH,
AND THEN MY, MY COUNCIL, THE PERSON WHO SITS NEXT TO ME EVERY WEEK, UM, WAS ALREADY SOLD, QUITE FRANKLY.
SO MARTY IS, YEAH, I GOT, THAT'S MARTY, MARTY STAND OUT.
'CAUSE MARTY IS THE BIGGEST CHEERLEADER.
UM, AND THEN ANDY EON, THE CHIEF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, WAS RIGHT, UH, ANDY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
SO THANK YOU, ANDY, FOR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
UH, JOHN DEAL, JUST AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF RESPECT.
UM, I MEAN, HE HAS OPENED UP HIS FACILITIES AND CREATED THIS ARTIST COMMUNITY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO JOHN, THANK YOU AND YOUR WIFE, UH, FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE ARTS.
UM, AND THEN NICOLE IRVIN, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
WE ARE RIGHT IN VERY CLOSE TO WHAT WE CALL OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITY.
[00:10:01]
KNOW, GOOD TO SEE YOU, UH, PRESENT.AND THEN I DO CERTAINLY AGAIN, WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, PASTOR HARVEY CLEMONS AND KATHY PEYTON, UH, FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP.
BUT COUNCILMAN NATASHA JACKSON, THANK YOU, UH, BECAUSE YOU CAME IN SAYING THAT YOU WANTED TO MAKE SOME THINGS HAPPEN, UH, IN DISTRICT B.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, TODAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE LEADERSHIP.
LOOK, I'M NOT GONNA BE VERY LONG.
UM, HARRISON KINDA SAID A LOT OF WHAT I WANTED TO SAY.
I'M PROUD TO STAND HERE TODAY AND ANNOUNCE THE CITY'S PARTNERSHIP WITH MEOW WOLF.
AND THROUGH THIS PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, MEOW WOLF HAS COMMITTED TO RENOVATING AND REHABBING THIS HISTORICAL, UH, 1917, UH, WAREHOUSE, AND ANCHORING IT WITH COMPLIMENTARY RETAIL RESTAURANTS AND ART FOCUS, INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT GALLERY SPACE.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS THAT PASS THROUGH THE MEOW WOLF IMMERSIVE ART EXPERIENCE, EACH YEAR, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES JOBS FOR HUNDREDS OF LOCAL ARTISTS AND ARE TEACHINGS AND, AND PARTNERS WITH LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
IT'S MY EXPECTATION, UH, THAT WHEN HOUSTON MEOW WOLF OPENS IN 2024, IF IT COULD HAPPEN IN 2023, I WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATIVE
UM, AND IT WILL BRING OVER 100 NEW JOBS INTO THE COMMUNITY DURING THEIR FIRST OPERATING YEAR, AND WILL HIRE LOCAL TRADES AND COMPANIES TO HELP CONSTRUCT THIS $30 MILLION ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE.
THE MEOW WOLF IMMERSIVE ART PORTAL, COMING TO THE FIFTH WARD CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT IS PRECISELY THE KIND OF ATTRACTION THAT WILL HELP HOUSTON STAND OUT AS AN EVEN MORE ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION FOR BROAD AND DIVERSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE.
LOOK, UH, WHEN I CAME IN AS MAYOR, NO QUESTION, ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, THAT'S THE CITY OF HOUSTON, LARGEST MEDICAL CENTER, CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, UH, NUMBER ONE CITY FOR, FOR THE PORT IN THE UNITED STATES.
ALL OF THAT IS TRUE, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO BE KNOWN, UH, FOR OUR ARTS COMMUNITY AND WHAT WE ARE DOING, WE WANT TO HAVE A THRIVING ARTS COMMUNITY.
AND YOU, YOU CAN'T DO THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE SPACES AND PLACES THAT YOU CAN SHOWCASE, NOT JUST FOR THOSE WHO LIVE HERE LOCALLY, BUT CAN ATTRACT PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND QUITE FRANKLY, FROM OUTSIDE THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY FOR ME, UH, THIS IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WILL ATTRACT PEOPLE TO AN AREA THAT HAS BEEN UNDERSERVED FOR A LONG TIME AND WILL BE A CATALYST FOR OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT WILL, THAT WILL COME.
SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE MEOW WOLF CONTRIBUTE TO HOUSTON'S THRIVING ARTS COMMUNITY THROUGH THEIR PLANNED OUTDOOR ARTS ART INSTALLATIONS.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING EVEN CLOSER WITH THEM AS WE PARTNER WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES.
AND FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF ALONG WITH MEOW WOLF, WHO HAS WORKED HARD TO BRING HOUSTON THIS INTERACTIVE AND ENGAGING ART FORWARD EXPERIENCE THAT WILL BRING A SIGNIFICANT REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT INTO OUR HISTORIC AND UNDER-RESOURCED FIFTH WARD AT THE NICKEL COMMUNITY.
LOOK, UH, I WON'T BE MAYOR WHEN IT COMES, UH, BUT THAT'S AN INSIGNIFICANT FACTOR.
THE FACT IS THAT WHAT'S TAKING PLACE HERE NOW AND MOVING FORWARD WILL BE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
AND THEN IT PLACES A FOCUS ON, SO ON, ON THE ARTS WHERE THERE ARE SO MANY OF OUR KIDS ALL OVER THE CITY WHO ARE COMING UP IN COMMUNITIES LIKE THE FIFTH WARD, OR THE ACRE HOME, OR THIRD WARD, OR THE EAST END, WHO ARE HIGHLY TALENTED.
AND SOMETIMES YOU CANNOT BE WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE.
AND BY ME, OFF WOLF BEING HERE, IT MAKES IT AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO SEE AND BE INSPIRED AND TO BE ENCOURAGED.
SO WE ARE BUILDING A FU A CITY, NOT FOR YESTERDAY, BUT WE ARE BUILDING A CITY FOR THE FUTURE WHERE EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY COME FROM, THEIR LANGUAGE, THEIR FAITH, THEIR RELIGION, WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE, THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS A CITY WHERE THEY BELONG AND WHERE THEY ARE VALUED.
SO AGAIN, JOSE, LET ME THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
WHATEVER YOU NEED,
UH, ANDY IS RIGHT THERE, OKAY? UH, BUT, UH, BUT AGAIN, UH, THANK YOU.
I KNOW Y'ALL ARE GONNA OPEN UP IN THAT GRAPEVINE.
UM, I CAN'T THINK OF THAT CITY UP THERE,
SO WE'LL HAVE TWO LOCATED IN THE CITY OF HARRY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HARRISON.
AND NOW WE'RE HEAR FROM OUR COUNCIL MEMBER TASHA JACKSON.
[00:15:01]
IS AN HONOR.I'M SO HONORED, UM, TO BE HERE WITH SO MANY THAT HELPED MAKE THIS PROJECT HAPPEN.
MAYOR, THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AS MAYOR SAID, HE WAS IN OUR DISTRICT AT A GROUNDBREAKING IN, UM, THE NORTHEAST SIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND SO, AND NOW WE HERE TODAY, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A COMMUNITY TO COME AND JUST REALLY ENJOY THEMSELVES.
AND SO I'M REALLY THANKFUL, UM, FOR ME ALL WOLF, UM, FOR JUST THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
I SEE VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, JUST EVERYONE WHO WORKED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECT.
AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE ACTUALLY WENT OUT TO TOUR, UM, MEALL ROOF IN NEW ORLEANS, WELL, NOT NEW ORLEANS, LAS VEGAS.
UM, YEAH, NOT, I'M GOING TO NEW ORLEANS THIS WEEKEND, SORRY,
AND I ACTUALLY WAS SOLD ON A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION.
UM, BEAUTY, I MEAN, WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT IS THAT IT'S NOT ONLY A, A DESTINATION, UM, LOCATION, BUT WE USE LOCAL ORDERS TO CREATE, UM, THE EXPERIENCE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER.
I'M ALWAYS ABOUT ENGAGING COMMUNITY AND THIS IS WHAT MEOW WOLF IS DOING, ENGAGING COMMUNITY AND NOT ONLY ENGAGING COMMUNITY, BUT CREATING JOB OPPORTUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, IN MY DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING IN POVERTY AND SO THIS IS A OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO GET JOBS.
WE'RE PARTNERING WITH OUR BE SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVE.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAD A JOB FAIR THIS WEEKEND AND WE HAD SOME ARTISTS THERE.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GET HERE, ONCE YOU GUYS GET HERE, GETTING SOME OF THOSE FOLKS IN SOME GOOD PAYING JOBS.
AND SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, JUST FOR COMING IN.
UM, THE HISTORICAL FIFTH WARD, YOU KNOW, AND WISH WE CAN GET YOU OVER IN ACRES HOMES, IT'S THE HISTORICAL ACRES HOMES AS WELL.
BUT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HERE IN HOUSTON, WE HAVE THE FOURTH LOCATION, THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM, UH, JOHN DEE OF THE DEAL COMPANY.
IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO WATCH, UM, JOHN AND HIS TEAM INVEST IN THESE PROPERTIES TO HELP TRANSFORM OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, JOHN DEE.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING AND, UH, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA REACH OUT AND THANK THE MAYOR ONE MORE TIME BECAUSE HE REALLY HAS BEEN VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE ARTS IN HOUSTON.
AND AS I MENTIONED TO HIM A FEW MINUTES AGO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE 2004, AND IT WASN'T UNTIL HE TOOK OFFICE THAT WE GOT GAINED SOME RESPECT AND ATTENTION FROM THE CITY, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
I HAD A, OUR FIRST ART BUILDING, WINTER STREET STUDIOS WAS LITERALLY FIREBOMBED IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
AND THREE DAYS AFTER THE FIRE, THE MAYOR CALLED ME AND MADE ME PROMISE THAT I WAS GONNA REBUILD THE STUDIOS.
TWO SHORT MONTHS LATER, HE SHOWED UP WITH NEAR 350, 400,000 THAT THAT WAS RAISED, THAT WENT DIRECTLY TO THE ARTISTS TO HELP SUPPORT THEM WHILE THEY WERE OUT OF THEIR STUDIO.
SO IN EITHER EVENT, A A COUPLE OF OTHER THANK YOUS, UH, NEED TO GO OUT TO, UH, GREG LEWIS.
UH, HE'S A BROKE COMMERCIAL BROKER HERE IN TOWN.
WITHOUT GREG, NONE OF US WOULD BE HERE.
IT WAS HIS PERSISTENCE AND VISION, UH, THAT THAT AND ARM TWISTING THAT, THAT FORCED US INTO EXPLORING ME AL WOLF, WHICH, WHICH WAS A, A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEY WANTED ONE TEXAS LOCATION.
AND SO WE AGREED TO, TO PURSUE IT, UH, DESPITE THE, UH, NATIONAL BROKER, UH, DISCOURAGING US FROM DOING SO.
AND ORI BAUER IN MY OFFICE STEPPED UP AND IF HE EVER WANTS ANOTHER CAREER, HE OUGHTA LOOK INTO PROMOTING THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECAUSE HE PUT TOGETHER QUITE A PACKAGE, DELIVERED IT TO THE NATIONAL BROKER.
A DAY LATER, WE WERE ON THE PHONE WITH THE GUY WHO SAID WE WOULD NEVER GO TO HOUSTON, OKAY? AND THREE DAYS LATER, WE WERE ON THE PHONE WITH ALL THE TOP EXECUTIVES, AND 10 DAYS LATER, ALL THE TOP EXECUTIVES WERE STANDING IN THIS BUILDING AND WE SHOOK HANDS ON A DEAL BEFORE THEY LEFT.
SO IN EITHER EVENT, MOST OF IT'S BEEN COVERED BY GUY OR SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN UP HERE, BUT THIS IS HUGE FOR THE FIFTH WARD.
UH, THE MAYOR HAS IT, IT IT, IT'S WHERE HE WANTED IT TO BE.
IT, IT JUST SO HAPPENED WE HAD THE BUILDING, THE AVAILABILITY, AND UH, IT'S JUST GONNA BE A GREAT, GREAT THING FOR THE FIFTH WARD IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GET IT STARTED AND GET THE GROUND BROKEN AND MOVING ALONG IN CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO I WILL SAY THAT I ALSO GOT A CHANCE TO GO TO MEOW WOLF IN SANTA FE.
[00:20:01]
FOR THREE DAYS TOO, SO THERE MUST BE SOMETHING ABOUT THE NUMBER THREE, UM, THREE THERE.UM, BUT WHAT I WENT FOR IS BECAUSE MY POSITION ALLOWS ME TO STAND IN BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, OUR, OUR JUST REGULAR AMAZING FOLKS AND THESE, AND BIG PROJECTS LIKE THIS.
UM, AND THIS COULD BE REALLY INTIMIDATING TO A COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO I WENT WITH THE PURPOSE OF FIGURING OUT WHAT'S THE SOUL OF THE COMPANY.
AND I CAN TELL YOU I AM HIGHLY CRITICAL OF HOW PEOPLE DO COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND I WAS BLOWN AWAY AT THE COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY.
UM, THEY OVERDO COMMITMENTS AND COMMUNITY, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS, RIGHT? UM, AND SO NOW WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM, UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WHO SERVES AS THE CEO OF WOLF, JOSE OSA, HE JOINED WOLF IN EARLY 2022 AND BRINGS WITH HIM 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN EMERGING INDUSTRIES, MOST RECENTLY WITH VIACOM CBS.
AND I REALLY STAND HERE AS CEO ON BEHALF OF 1100 AMAZING EMPLOYEES AT MEOW WOLF AND OUR INVESTORS.
SO I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THEM.
SO PLEASE AND APPLAUSE FOR OUR, ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY COMMITTED.
AND I WOULD SAY MEOW WOLF IS ABOUT PARTNERSHIP FOR PURPOSE TO CREATE IMPACT.
AND ALONG THOSE LINES, I WANT TO THANK MAYOR TURNER AND COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN HELPING BRING MEOW WOLF TO THIS GROWING INCREDIBLY DIVERSE AND THRIVING CITY.
AND IN PARTICULAR TO THIS COMMUNITY, WHICH IS SO UNIQUE AND WE'RE GONNA BE SO PROUD TO BE PART OF.
I WANNA THANK YOU JOHN AND YOUR TEAM, THE DEAL COMPANY WE PARTNER WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE A VISION, A VISION FOR WHAT THINGS CAN BE AND WHO RESPECT THE HISTORY OF WHERE WE'RE GONNA PLACE OUR LOCATIONS.
AND WE COULD NOT HAVE FOUND A BETTER PARTNER HERE IN HOUSTON THAN JOHN DEAL AND HIS COMPANY.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A VERY LONG STANDING PARTNERSHIP.
WE'RE ALSO, YEAH, A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
AND YOW WOLF IS ALSO ABOUT ARTISTS AND COMMUNITY, AND IT ALL STARTS WITH FINDING ARTISTS, PARTNERSHIPS WHO CAN SHOW US THE HISTORY AND THE, THE RIGHT PARTNERSHIPS TO HAVE IN EVERY LOCATION AND TO FIND THE RIGHT ARTISTS.
AND WE CANNOT BE MORE THANKFUL ABOUT FINDING HARRISON AND ZO AND HELPING LEAD THE WAY FOR OUR OWN ARTISTS TO BE PROUD OF THESE PLACE AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU HARRISON AND ZO AND WE'RE INCREDIBLY EXCITED TO BE HERE IN HOUSTON AND IN THE FIFTH WARD, AND WE PROMISE TO MAKE ALL OF YOU VERY, VERY PROUD.
WE BUILD MIND BENDING EXHIBITIONS THAT ARE FULL OF IMMERSIVE ART AND STORYTELLING AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO HERE.
IT'S GONNA BE EQUALLY OR MORE, OF COURSE, AMAZING THAN THE OTHER THREE THAT WE HAVE IN THE FOURTH THAT ARE, UM, OPENING OUR PURPOSE.
WE CALL IT, WE SAY IT IS TO OPEN PORTALS OF POSSIBILITY.
WE OPEN PORTALS OF POSSIBILITY FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, FOR OUR ARTISTS, AND FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE TRY TO MAKE PEOPLE SEE LIFE IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY.
WE WANT TO IMPACT PEOPLE'S LIVES, WE WANNA MAKE LIFE FOR EVERYBODY BETTER.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA BRING ABOUT HERE.
LASTLY, I SAID WE ARE ABOUT CREATING IMPACT AND MANY OF YOU SAID IT TODAY, COMMUNITY MATTERS TO US.
UNDERREPRESENTED ARTISTS MATTER TO US, AND CREATING JOBS ALSO MATTER TO US.
AND WE'RE GONNA CREATE HUNDREDS OF JOBS BUILDING THIS PLACE.
WE'RE GONNA CREATE HUNDREDS OF OF JOBS OPERATING THIS PLACE.
AND PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY, AFTER WE OPEN, WE'RE GONNA PARTNER WITH TENS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TRYING TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE DAY BY DAY IN THIS COMMUNITY AND IN THIS CITY.
AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD TO BE HERE TODAY BREAKING GROUND WITH ALL OF YOU.
ALRIGHT, I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT GONZO BEING CONNECTED TO, UM, YOW WOLF AND BEING HERE WITH US IN FIFTH WARD.
WE JUST ACQUIRED A REALLY BIG PIECE AT THE DELUXE THEATER OF A PIECE THAT HE DID, ASKING THE QUESTION, WHAT GOT YOU THROUGH THE PANDEMIC? UM, AND EVERYONE GAVE HIM WORDS.
AND SO THERE'S THIS BIG COLORFUL PANEL THAT YOU'LL SEE AT THE DELUXE LEADER BY GONZO.
SO WE'RE HERE NOW FROM, UM, THE ARTIST LIAISON FEMALE WOLF IN HOUSTON.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? OKAY? UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN HOUSTON AND YOU'RE ALL HERE.
UM, SO QUICK THING, GRAFFITI STREET ART, HOUSTON AND, AND MEOW WOLF.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST STARTED I WAS, UH, PRETTY MUCH BORN AND RAISED IN THE EAST END.
AND AS A KID GROWING UP, I ONLY HAD ACCESS TO ONE PIECE OF PUBLIC ART.
[00:25:01]
AND THAT ONE PIECE OF ART INSPIRED ME AND A BUNCH OF OTHER KIDS TO WANT TO GROW UP TO BE ARTISTS.THAT LED ME TO THIS IDEA OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WANNA DO THIS FOR A LIVING, BUT I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I COULD BE AN ARTIST.
IT WASN'T UNTIL 19 79, 19 80, I'M SHOWING MY AGE, UH, THAT I GOT INTRODUCED TO THIS THING CALLED THE HIPHOP CULTURE, RIGHT? I HEARD RAP MUSIC, YO RAP'S, PART OF HIPHOP.
WHAT'S HIPHOP? IT'S RAP, IT'S DJ, IT'S B-BOY.
AND GRAFFITI, GRAFFITI IS THE VISUAL LANGUAGE OF HIPHOP ALREADY BEING ARTISTICALLY INCLINED.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I SAW KIDS THAT LOOKED LIKE ME, THAT WEREN'T FROM RICH NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM THE GHETTO THAT WERE MAKING ART WITH SPRAY CANS.
AND I WAS LIKE, YO, IF THEY CAN DO THAT, I CAN DO THAT, SEEING YOURSELF IN THE ARTIST.
AND THAT LED ME ON THIS MISSION OF WANTING TO BE THIS FULL-TIME IN THE CITY.
I'M LIKE, YO, HOW DO I MAKE THAT HAPPEN HERE? WELL, IT DOESN'T EXIST.
WELL, YOU GOTTA BUILD THE, BUILD THE COMMUNITY YOU WANNA BE A PART OF, BUILD THE CITY YOU WANNA BE A PART OF.
AND SO FOR THE, SINCE 1990, MY MISSION WAS TO HELP USHER IN THIS IDEA OF GRAFFITI, STREET ART, THIS NON, UH, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONAL ROUTE, THIS ALTERNATIVE, UH, ART IN THE CITY AT THE TIME THAT DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT, DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
AND LOOK WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY THROUGH, THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION AND JUST SHOWING THE PEOPLE THAT THE ARTISTIC VALUE BEHIND THE SPRAY CAN.
UH, NOW WE HAVE BLOCKBUSTER MURALS GOING UP ALL AROUND DOWNTOWN AND IT REALLY ADDS TO THE VISUAL, UH, TAPESTRY OF WHAT HOUSTON IS.
THAT BEING SAID, MEOW WOLF, WHY YOU CAN'T BE A LEADER IF YOU'RE JUST DOING WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING.
IN ORDER TO BE A LEADER, YOU HAVE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PATH.
YOU HAVE TO CUT THROUGH ALL THE NOISE AND DO SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE SAYS LIKE, I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE.
AND THEN YOU BECOME THE BENCHMARK.
AND THE BEAUTY ABOUT WHAT I'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WHAT MEOW WOLF IS DOING NOW IS DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT'S MAKING A CHANGE IN HOUSTON.
AND HOUSTON IS A CITY THAT'S BUBBLING UP ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL THAT WE ARE A CENTER FOR THE ARTS.
AND MEOW WOLF IS GONNA BE A BIG PART OF THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT BEACON THAT SAYS, YO, YOU WANT ART, COME TO HOUSTON.
UH, I'M THE NEW ARTIST LIAISON AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING A LOT.
A LOT OF THE ARTISTS THAT ARE PART OF I'VE ALREADY WORKED WITH IN THE PAST.
I'M EXCITED TO MEET NEW ARTISTS.
UH, AND MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE WE SET EVERYONE UP FOR SUCCESS SO THAT WHEN NEXT TIME YOU COME THROUGH THESE DOORS, YOUR MIND IS GONNA BEND AND YOU'RE GONNA GO TO ANOTHER UNIVERSE.
UH, SO GRAFFITI, UH, YOU KNOW, I USED TO DO IT IN THE DARK.
I USED TO DO IT IN TRAIN YARDS.
UH, AND NOW WE'RE ABOUT TO ROCK SOMETHING DOWN HERE, SO I WANT TO GET ALL MY DIGNITARIES, IF Y'ALL WANT TO COME WITH ME.
WE'RE ABOUT TO ROCK A LITTLE PIECE OF, UH, A LITTLE ART IF Y'ALL WANT TO.