[Arts & Culture Committee on August 14, 2024.]
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TO THE PUBLIC, AND WE'LL BE BROADCAST ON HTV, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S MUNICIPAL CHANNEL.
WELL, I, I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE MY COUNCIL MEMBER.
THERE'S NO POINT IN GOING THROUGH THE WHOLE ROLE.
I'M CERTAINLY GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE CO-CHAIR, THE VICE CHAIR, MARIO CASTILLO, AND WE'LL JUST STOP WITH YOU RIGHT THERE.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE TO OPEN UP THIS MEETING, WE'LL DO THAT, AND THEN WE'LL GO FORWARD WITH THE OTHER REPRESENTATIVES.
I, UH, AM GLAD THAT WE ARE, ARE ABLE TO RECONVENE.
I KNOW WE HAD A COUPLE OF MEETINGS, UH, THAT WERE CANCELED DUE TO STORM AND WEATHER RELATED ISSUES.
UH, BUT I'M EXCITED TO, TO BE HERE AND, UH, TO DISCUSS THE BLOOMBERG PUBLIC ART CHALLENGE AWARD.
ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, UH, A LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER.
THEN WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM THE MAYOR PRO TEMS OFFICE, AS WELL AS REPRESENTATION FROM, HOLD ON JUST A SECOND.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE.
I RAN FOUR OR FIVE ERRANDS DURING THE, THE BREAK, AND SO I'M A LITTLE, UH, FLUSTERED, BUT EVERYTHING IS WELL.
UM, THE AGENDA FOR TODAY'S MEETING HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO ALL MEMBERS.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? IF THERE ARE NO CHANGES, THE AGENDA WILL STAND AS APPROVED.
HEARING NONE, THE, THE AGENDA IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
AND I'D LIKE TO START AGAIN BY WELCOMING EVERYONE TO TODAY'S MEETING.
WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
I'M THRILLED TO SEE SUCH STRONG ENGAGEMENT AROUND THE ARTS AND CULTURE IN OUR CITY.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXTEND SPECIAL WELCOME AGAIN TO EACH OF MY COUNCIL MEMBER COLLEAGUES, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AND SO WE ARE GONNA MOVE FORWARD TO THE AGENDA, AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY, SOME OF OUR SPECIAL GUESTS TODAY.
WE HAVE MARK, FOLKS AND HIS WONDERFUL STAFF FROM THE HOBBY CENTER.
IF YOU COULD STAND IF YOU ARE HERE.
MEG BOOTH WITH PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON, JOHN ABADI LEE, AND THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE STAFF.
I, JOHN HAS A DOG THAT I HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH.
AND SO
UH, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON.
YOUR DEDICATION AND LEADERSHIP HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ADVANCING OUR SHARED GOALS.
NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE PRIMARY AGENDA ITEM, THE BLOOMBERG PUBLIC ART CHALLENGE AWARD, HUMAN SHELTER.
WE HAVE PRESENT A PRESENTATION FROM SEVERAL DISTINGUISHED GUESTS.
WE HAVE THERESA ESCOBIDO FROM MOCA, WE HAVE CYNTHIA, CYNTHIA ALVARADO FROM THE MIDTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND MIDTOWN CULTURAL DISTRICT, AND NIKKI ANU FROM KOREAN RECOVERY RESOURCES.
EACH PRESENTER WILL HAVE THE FLOOR TO PROVIDE THEIR INSIGHTS AND UPDATES REGARDING THIS INITIATIVE.
AND SO, AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR THE PRESENTERS TO COME FORWARD AND BREATHE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS AFTERNOON.
AND THANK YOU GUESTS TO THIS COMMITTEE MEETING.
I KNOW THIS IS A MUCH ANTICIPATED MEETING, AND THERE'S LOTS OF ENTHUSIASM ABOUT OUR GETTING TOGETHER TODAY.
I'M HERE, UM, REPRESENTING THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, ALONG WITH CYNTHIA FROM MIDTOWN AND FROM CAREER AND RECOVERY RESOURCES.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION AROUND THE HORSESHOE REGARDING PUBLIC ART.
SO WE THOUGHT WE'D TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU A VERY SIGNIFICANT PROJECT, UM, THAT IS FUNDED BY EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE THINK IS GONNA HAVE TREMENDOUS IMPACT.
BUT WE ALSO WANNA SHARE, UM, WHAT WE THINK THIS WILL DO IN
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A WAY OF CONNECTING COMMUNITY AND ADDRESSING AN IMPORTANT CIVIC ISSUE.BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THE PRESENTATION PULLED UP, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND RUN THROUGH THE SLIDES FROM OUR PAPER COPIES.
HOPEFULLY YOU EACH HAVE A PAPER COPY IN FRONT OF YOU.
SO, I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY BROADLY TO SHARE PROGRAM WIDE OR OFFICE WIDE, SOME OF OUR THOUGHTS AND OBJECTIVES AROUND PUBLIC ART.
AND SO, FIRST SLIDE YOU SEE WILL BE ENTITLED OUR PURPOSE, AND I MEAN THIS BROADLY AS AN OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, BUT ALSO AMONGST OUR PARTNERS WHO ENGAGE IN THESE OPPORTUNITIES WITH US.
OUR PURPOSE BROADLY, UM, FROM MOCA AT MOCA IS TO INTRODUCE MEANINGFUL ARTWORKS TO HOUSTON'S NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH TOGETHER HOLISTICALLY TELL THE STORY OF OUR CITY AND REPRESENT THE DIVERSE POPULACE OF OUR CITY, SHARING THE PERSPECTIVES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM HOUSTONIANS TO VISITORS AND VISITORS ALIKE.
UM, BROADLY SPEAKING, THE POINT OF OUR PUBLIC ART INITIATIVES ARE TO MAKE HOUSTON A VIABLE, THRIVING, AND HAPPY PLACE TO BE FOR BOTH OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ACROSS ALL OF THE PROGRAMS WE RUN AT MOCA.
THESE INITIATIVES RELY ON DEEP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THOUGHTFUL PLANNING, CREATIVE STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS REAL ISSUES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, RESEARCH IN PLACE, AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT WHERE THESE ARTWORKS WILL BE INSTALLED.
INVITING ARTISTS TO CREATE CONCEPTS THAT ENGAGE COMMUNITY AS PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS, DEEPENING OUR SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS AS THEY DEVELOP.
THIS IS SOMETHING, ESPECIALLY OUR PARTNER, HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE SUPPORTS, UM, AND INCREASED PROMOTION AROUND ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THE STORYTELLING AS OF ARTWORKS THAT COME TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND ASKING OURSELVES WHAT PUBLIC ART DOES.
WE ARE NOT JUST INTERESTED IN WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, BUT WE'RE INTERESTED IN ALL THE PERIPHERAL AND SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFITS ART AND ART MAKING BRING TO OUR CITY.
IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S LISTED HERE, I'LL ALSO ADD, REALLY THINKING ABOUT ARTISTS AS PROBLEM SOLVERS IS SOMETHING THAT THIS WORK REQUIRES OF US AND HAVING FAITH IN THEIR ABILITY TO PROBLEM SOLVE.
I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE, UM, THE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND METHODS THROUGH WHICH ARTWORKS ARE INSTALLED ON CITY PROPERTY.
NUMBER ONE, YOU'LL SEE CIVIC ART PROGRAM.
THERE'S A DOLLAR SIGN BEHIND THIS BECAUSE THIS AMONG THE LISTED METHODS, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY IN WHICH THE CITY INVESTS CITY FUNDS AND PUBLIC ART.
THE OTHER PROGRAM, OR THE OTHER METHODS YOU SEE ARE DRIVEN BY SPONSORSHIP AND DRIVEN BY REQUESTS FROM COMMUNITY.
SO OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR CIVIC ART ORDINANCE, WHICH DRIVES OUR CIVIC ART PROGRAM.
IT ALSO MENTIONS OUR TEMPORARY ART PROGRAM THROUGH WHICH CONSTITUENTS AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY CAN OFFER TO PLACE ARTWORK ON CITY PROPERTY, RETAINING OWNERSHIP, AND RETAINING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE UPKEEP OF THE ARTWORK.
ANOTHER MEANS THROUGH WHICH ARTWORK COMES TO THE CITY IS THROUGH GIFTS OF ARTWORK.
THESE ARTWORKS MUST BE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, THEN THEY'RE ADDED TO OUR CIVIC ART COLLECTION.
ANOTHER VERY SIGNIFICANT WAY WE SEE ARTWORK INSTALLED ON CITY PROPERTY IS THROUGH, UM, OUR INROADS WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS TO INSTALL ARTWORK ON CITY PROPERTY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS INCLUDES OUR TRAFFIC CON CONTROL SIGNAL, UM, CABINET PROGRAM, THE MINI MURALS YOU SEE ON INTERSECTIONS, BUT IT CAN ALSO INCLUDE ARTWORK ON BRIDGES, ON BRIDGE HEADS, SIDEWALKS, TRAIL HEADS, OTHER SYSTEMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE WITH WHICH PUBLIC WORKS SUPPORTS.
WE ARE MAKING HEADWAY INTO NEW PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS WHEREIN AN OWNER OF AN ARTWORK, AGAIN, ASK FOR PERMISSION FOR LONG-TERM PLACEMENT OF ARTWORK ON CITY PROPERTY.
AND THEN WE HAVE SPECIAL PROJECTS.
SPECIAL PROJECTS IS HIGHLIGHTED TODAY BECAUSE WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT ONE OF OUR SPECIAL INITIATIVES, COMPETITIVE PROCESS THROUGH WHICH WE WERE AWARDED, UM, SIGNIFICANT FUNDS FOR A TEMPORARY PUBLIC ART PROJECT.
IT IS THE BLOOMBERG PUBLIC ART PROJECT.
IT WAS A CHALLENGE THAT WE PROPOSED COLLABORATIVELY WITH MIDTOWN, BOTH MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
SO AS THERE'S SOME NOTES HERE ABOUT THAT CHALLENGE, THIS BRINGS US TO THE PRESENT.
IN NOVEMBER, 2022, BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES INVITED MAYORS OF US CITIES WITH OVER 30,000 RESIDENTS TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS OR PROJECTS THAT CELEBRATE CREATIVITY, CATALYZE PUBLIC PRIVATE COLLABORATIONS, AND STRENGTHEN LOCAL ECONOMIES.
MORE THAN 150 CITIES FROM 40 UF STATES APPLIED WITH PROPOSALS ADDRESSING A LARGE RANGE OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION AND CIVIC ISSUE, UM, INCLUDING URBAN REVITALIZATION, SUSTAINABILITY, AND EQUITY.
17 FINALISTS WERE SELECTED FROM THIS POOL OF 150 CITIES, AND EIGHT CITIES WERE AWARDED $1 MILLION, INCLUDING THE CITY OF
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HOUSTON.FOR THIS PROJECT, HUMAN SHELTER SUBMISSIONS WERE EVALUATED ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS, INCLUDING THEIR POTENTIAL VIABILITY AS DYNAMIC PUBLIC ART PROJECTS, BUT ALSO ON THE POTENTIAL TO IMPACT CIVIC ISSUES, POTENTIAL TO EMBRACE NEW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES, AND THE CAPACITY TO ESTABLISH OR STRENGTHEN PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
ORDERED CITIES RECEIVE GRANTS UP UP TO $1 MILLION FOR TEMPORARY PUBLIC ART PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS, AGAIN, AN URGENT CIVIC ISSUE.
THESE GRANTS COVER PROJECT RELATED EXPENDITURES, INCLUDING DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO INCLUDE MARKETING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT, AS WELL AS AN EVALUATION TEAM THAT WILL HELP US TRACK THE IMPACT THIS PUBLIC ART CAN HAVE IN A PRACTICAL SENSE ON OUR CITY AND ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SINCE LAUNCHING IN 2014, THE BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES PUBLIC ART CHALLENGE HAS SPURRED MORE THAN $100 MILLION IN ECONOMIC BENEFITS.
SO REMEMBER WHEN I SAID WHAT WE THINK ABOUT PUBLIC ART? DOES ECONOMIC BENEFIT IS PARAMOUNT AND CERTAINLY AN, A GREAT EFFECT OF PUBLIC ART PROGRAMS IN OUR CITY.
I WAS REALLY CURIOUS AS TO WHY BLOOMBERG WOULD INVEST SO MUCH MONEY IN PUBLIC ART.
WE KNOW WHY WE SUPPORTED AT THE CITY, BUT REALLY INTERESTED IN THEM SHARING DATA WITH US ABOUT WHY THEY MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT ACROSS THE NATION.
SO I'M SHARING A COUPLE OF SLIDES THAT TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT THEY'VE SEEN FROM THIS PROGRAM, UM, IN PREVIOUS ITERATIONS.
SO IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE PUBLIC ART, THE PUBLIC ART CHALLENGE, GRANT HAS AN OVERARCHING OBJECTIVE TO ELEVATE THE ROLE OF ARTISTS IN CIVIC LIFE AND TO CATALYZE CLOSER AND MORE EFFECTIVE PUBLIC PRIVATE COLLABORATIONS, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THE SECTOR.
NOTICE, WE HAVE NOT YET EVEN DISCUSSED MUCH ABOUT ART EXCEPT FOR ITS PRACTICAL IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
THE LAST ROUND OF BLOOMBERG PUBLIC ART CHALLENGE GRANTS, UM, THERE ARE $5.35 MILLION INITIAL INVESTMENT.
I'LL SAY AGAIN, CATALYZED OVER $100 MILLION FOR LOCAL ECONOMIES.
THIS IS TREMENDOUS, AND WE HOPE TO RECEIVE SOME OF THE SAME BENEFIT WHILE WE RUN THIS PROGRAM IN HOUSTON.
IN ADDITION, OTHER BENEFITS INCLUDE INCREASED CIVIC PRIDE, WHICH WE KNOW PUBLIC ART AND GENDERS, UM, AND A BRINGING TOGETHER OF COMMUNITY, WHICH IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT IS INHERENT IN PUBLIC ART PROJECTS.
PREVIOUS PROJECTS EVALUATED SHOW THREE OVERARCHING IMPACT CATEGORIES WHEN EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE PROGRAMS. TEMPORARY PUBLIC ART PROJECTS, I'LL SAY POLICY AND PRACTICE, PUBLIC POLICY IS POSITIVELY INFLUENCED BY THESE PROJECTS.
NEW WAYS OF WORKING ARE DEVELOPED AND ESTABLISHED, AND OF COURSE, THE, AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS ARE CATALYZED THAT WAY.
KNOWING PLACE OR IMPROVING OUR SENSE OF PLACE, CITY SPACES AND THEIR CIVIC ROLES ARE TRANSFORMED.
OF COURSE, WE THINK OF THAT IN TERMS OF BEAUTIFICATION AND IMPROVING THE SAFETY OF OUR, OUR PUBLIC SPACES.
AND THEN THE THIRD IMPACT AREA WOULD BE PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY ARE CATALYZED BY WHAT THEY LEARN FROM THESE PUBLIC ART PROJECTS IN A TREMENDOUS AND OFTEN ACTIONABLE WAY.
PROJECTS IN PREVIOUS CHALLENGES.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT KINDS OF THEMES OR ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED BY PUBLIC ART PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, REPURPOSING VACANT BUILDINGS AND STIMULATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ADDRESSING ILLEGAL DUMPING HEALING INTERVENTIONS, FOLLOWING MASS SHOOTINGS, IMPROVING FOOD ACCESS, AND THE ENSUING POLICY CHANGE THAT COMES FROM RAISING AWARENESS AND RECONCILING HISTORY.
ONE OF THE PROJECTS IN THE LAST ROUND WAS ABOUT COMMEMORATING THE 1921 TULSA RACE MASSACRE, UM, IN OHIO.
OTHER FINDINGS FROM THESE PROGRAMS SUGGEST THAT THESE CONNECTIVE AND MULTI-TIERED INITIATIVES INFORM GOVERNMENT POLICY.
THEY SPUR COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP THAT, AGAIN, GEN ENGENDER CIVIC PRIDE.
THEY BOOST LOCAL BUSINESSES, PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC, AND WALKABILITY, AND THEY ENHANCE THE WELLBEING OF COMMUNITIES OVERALL.
IN PARTICULAR, WE WOULD SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CONCEPT THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED THAT WAS AWARDED THIS, THIS GRANT FUNDING.
SO KNOWING THAT WE WERE TO ADDRESS A CIVIC ISSUE, WE REACHED OUT TO CULTURAL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY, ASKING THEM FOR PROPOSALS.
MIDTOWN CAME THROUGH WITH SOMETHING THAT IS TRULY IMPACTFUL AND RELATES IN A VERY DI DIRECT WAY TO THE DEEP WORK THE CITY HAS DONE TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
SO THAT IS VERY MUCH PART OF WHY WE DECIDED TO PARTNER WITH THEM TO DEVELOP THIS PROPOSAL.
HOUSTON, AS MANY OF US KNOW, IS A NATIONAL LEADER IN ITS EFFORT TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND WE ASPIRE TO BE A WITCH CITY, WHICH LEADS THROUGH EXAMPLE AND THE DESIGN OF A TEMPORARY ART INITIATIVE DEVELOPED AS A MEANS OF ECONOMIC INTERVENTION FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
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ALSO TO SUPPORT CREATIVE EXPRESSION, ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT.ULTIMATELY, WE HOPE THIS EFFORTS SUPPORTS THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND THEIR DAY-TO-DAY SURVIVAL AND IN THEIR PURSUIT OF AN AUTONOMOUS AND SAVED LIVED EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE CONFIDENT IN THE DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS OF OUR PARTNERS IN THIS WORK.
THE PURSUIT OF DYNAMIC ACTION THROUGH ART, MAKING A FEW MORE NOTES ON THIS PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BE LAUNCHING SOON.
HUMAN SHELTER CENTERS VISUAL STORYTELLING IN PUBLIC SPACE AND WILL FEATURE COLLABORATIVE ARTWORKS CREATED BY HOUSTON AREA ARTISTS.
WE'RE FOCUSING THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS ON HOUSTON AREA ARTISTS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENT.
THESE ARTISTS WILL BE INFLUENCED BY THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
THE ARTWORKS WILL BE EXECUTED IN, DO INCLUDE MULTIMEDIA MURAL INSTALLATIONS, APPLIED ARTWORK FOR FIVE METRO BUS SHELTERS, AND A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS, EVENTS, AND TOURS OF ARTWORKS THROUGH AN EMPLOYMENT FIRST MODEL.
INSPIRED BY THE SUCCESS OF HOUSTON'S HOUSING FIRST MODEL, THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WILL PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED INCOME OPPORTUNITY AND OTHER RESOURCES TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS BY ENGAGING THEM IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEMPORARY ART FOR THE MIDTOWN HOUSTON NEIGHBORHOOD, THIS CONCEPT WAS DEVELOPED AGAIN, COLLABORATIVELY BETWEEN THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, THE OFFICE OF HOMELESS INITIATIVES, MIDTOWN MANAGEMENT AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS, HOUSTON METRO CAREER AND RECOVERY RESOURCES, AND THE HOUSTON COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, EACH, WHICH OFFER KEY INSIGHT AND EXPERTISE.
THE NEXT SLIDE YOU'LL SEE, OR THE NEXT PAGE YOU'LL SEE SHOWS A MAP OF OUR SITES FOR ARTWORK, WE'RE GONNA INSTALL EIGHT INSTALLATIONS OF VARIOUS KINDS ALONG THE MILAM CORRIDOR.
THIS WILL CREATE A VEHICULAR ROUTE, A PEDESTRIAN ROUTE, AND A CONNECTED, UH, SYSTEM OF EXPERIENCE WHERE WE OFTEN ENCOUNTER THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
NEXT, YOU'LL SEE A TIMELINE OF OUR WORK.
WE ARE ISSUING SIX OPPORTUNITIES FOR CREATIVES NEXT WEEK, HOPEFULLY MONDAY.
UM, THAT WILL BE THREE REQUESTS FOR QUALIFICATIONS FROM HOUSTON AREA ARTISTS, AND THAT INCLUDES ARTISTS RESIDING IN THE NINE COUNTY METRO, AS WELL AS THREE RFPS SEEKING PROPOSALS FOR VISUAL STORYTELLERS, FILMMAKERS, AND ARTISTS OF OTHER KINDS.
WE WILL MOVE THROUGH ARTIST ELECTION PROCESS THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR AND HOPE TO HAVE ALL CON, UH, ARTISTS SELECTED, ASSIGNED, AND CONTRACTED BY DECEMBER, LAUNCHING THEIR DESIGN PHASE WHERE THEY ENGAGE COMMUNITY WORK WITH CAREER RECOVERY, ET CETERA.
BEGINNING IN JANUARY, WE HOPE FOR THESE ARTWORKS TO BE INSTALLED AT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR BY MIDYEAR NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN WE WILL, UH, PROCEED TO ENJOY THESE ARTWORKS, EVALUATE THEM, SHARE THEM, ILLUMINATE STORYTELLING AROUND THEM FOR A YEAR AFTER INSTALLATION.
AGAIN, I'M GONNA RETURN TO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THESE PUBLIC ART WORKS DO.
UM, IT'S FITTING FOR A CREATIVE RESPONSE TO THE COMPLEX ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS.
THAT GOALS FOR THIS WORK ARE COMPLEX AND VARIED.
NUMBER ONE, WE EXPECT FOR THIS INITIATIVE TO DISRUPT PERCEPTIONS OF HOMELESSNESS HELD BY THE GENERAL POPULATION AND THE HOUSTON PUBLIC THROUGH THE HUMANIZATION OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT ALSO BY ILLUMINATING WHAT DRIVES THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO THESE ISSUES.
WE EXPECT FOR THIS OUR, THIS PROJECT TO PROVIDE A MEANS OF ADDRESSING THE ECONOMIC ALIENATION FELT BY, BY THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND OFFER FAIR WAGES FOR TIME WORK.
WE EXPECT FOR JOBS LIKE THIS TO BE PRIMING, UH, WALLS BEFORE MURALS, UH, LANDSCAPING, ANYTHING THAT PREPARES A SITE FOR ARTWORK AND ANYTHING WHICH MAY HELP MAINTAIN AN ARTWORK.
WE ARE GONNA ASK THE TEAMS AT CAREER AND RECOVERY TO DO IN A PRACTICAL SENSE, AND AGAIN, PAY THEM LIVABLE WAGES TO HELP THEM ON THE ROAD TO AUTONOMY.
WE'RE GONNA USE THIS OPPORTUNITY AS A CASE STUDY TO, TO EVALUATE THE SUCCESS OR MERITS OF ADDRESSING ISSUES THROUGH OF HOMELESSNESS, THROUGH AN ART MAKING, UM, AND PUBLIC SAFETY INTERVENTIONS.
WE EXPECT FOR THIS WORK TO INSTIGATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS DEPARTMENTAL, MUNICIPAL, AND INTERLOCAL ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT WE CAN REPLICATE THE HUMAN SHELTER MODEL IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS EXPERIENCING A HIGH, UM, INCIDENCE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS.
WE WILL, UM, INFORM ART MAKING THROUGH DEEP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND DATA FOCUSED STRATEGIES.
THE CITY HAS A TON OF RESOURCES ABOUT ITS WORK TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS SO FAR ACROSS PROBABLY THE PAST FIVE ADMINISTRATIONS, IF
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NOT MORE.WE WANNA CONSOLIDATE THAT DATA AND WE WANNA PROVIDE IT TO ARTISTS SO THAT THEY CAN, AGAIN, PROBLEM SOLVE AND CREATE INTERVENTIONS WITH LET, WHICH LET, LETS US SHARE THE STORYTELLING OF THIS WORK, BUT ALSO, WHICH HELPS US GENERATE NEW IDEAS FOR HOW TO INTERVENE IN THESE EXPERIENCES.
WE EXPECT FOR THIS WORK TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND PUBLIC PRESENTATION OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR LOCAL ARTISTS.
IT WILL BEAUTIFY AND MAINTAIN ATMOSPHERE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT WE ALSO WANNA ENCOURAGE ARTISTS TO THINK ABOUT SYSTEMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AS A PLATFORM FOR ART AND ART MAKING.
FROM HERE, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO CYNTHIA, WHO'S GONNA SPEAK ABOUT WHY THIS PROJECT MADE SENSE FOR MIDTOWN AND SOME OF THE WORK MIDTOWN HAS DONE TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS SO FAR.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE MIDTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND THE MIDTOWN CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HEARING US TODAY, AND I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY BOARD MEMBERS, SOME BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY AND SOME OF OUR CULTURAL ARTS LEADERS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR SHOWING UP TO SUPPORT.
UM, THIS INITIATIVE MADE SENSE FOR MIDTOWN BECAUSE WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT IS DEEPLY INVESTED IN CULTURAL ARTS, NOT JUST AT THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT LEVEL, BUT OUR REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HAS, UH, SUPPORTED, UM, UH, PROJECTS, CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE PUBLIC REALM THAT ARE AROUND CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, MAJOR INSTITUTIONS HERE IN HOUSTON.
UM, I FEEL LIKE WE CAN'T REALLY CALL OURSELVES A TRULY INTERNATIONAL CITY OF ART IF WE DON'T INCLUDE ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
UM, AND THINK ABOUT THAT PERSONALLY.
I'VE WORKED, UM, WITH HOMELESSNESS AND OUTREACH FOR ABOUT, FOR 20 YEARS, AS LONG AS I'VE WORKED IN MIDTOWN.
I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS.
I'VE BEEN WITH THAT ORGANIZATION PROBABLY FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS.
UM, AS YOU ALL ARE ALL AWARE, HOUSTON IS THE LEADER IN HOUSING FIRST NATIONALLY.
UM, SO WHEN THE CITY BROUGHT THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, ASKED ABOUT AN IDEA, I, I WAS LIKE, WELL, LET'S DO SOMETHING AROUND HOMELESSNESS AND THEN HOUSED AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
UM, WE GOT A TEAM OF PEOPLE TOGETHER THAT THANK GOODNESS HELPED EXPAND THE IDEA.
I THINK THERE'S SO MANY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE, WHETHER IT'S ME SEEING A HOME UNHOUSED INDIVIDUAL OR AN UNHOUSED INDIVIDUAL THE WAY THEY VIEW US.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO TRY TO BRIDGE THESE GAPS BETWEEN US? UM, FIND A WAY TO TRY TO, UM, ECONOMICALLY EMPOWER PEOPLE AND BRING PEOPLE BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE, IF THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
I THINK THIS PROJECT MEETS ALL THE GOALS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED, THE CITY MIDTOWN, AND CAREER AND RECOVERY RESOURCES ON MANY, MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS.
I THINK WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EMPLOY HOUSTON ARTISTS AND GIVE OUR HOUSTON, UH, ARTS BUSINESSES THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, I'M ALSO WORKING WITH THE SIX OTHER CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICTS TO CREATE A STRATEGIC MASTER PLAN OR STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK THAT THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS CAN WORK FROM.
DURING, DURING THAT WORK, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE HEARD IS, AND I'M NOT SURE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE AWARE OF THIS, BUT WHEN WE HAVE A HURRICANE, LIKE A HURRICANE HARVEY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT DEVASTATES OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO OUR ARTS COMMUNITY AS WELL, WE HAVE OTHER CITIES THAT COME CALLING ON OUR ARTISTS SAYING, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME WORK IN X, Y, Z CITY, WE'LL GIVE YOU A STUDIO SPACE AND A $50,000 STIPEND TO COME AND CREATE.
NOW IN OUR CITY, WE CAN'T LET OUR ARTISTS LEAVE OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE LOSING OUR TALENT IF WE DO THAT.
SO I THINK THIS PROJECT HELPS ADDRESS THAT, AND I THINK IT ALSO HELPS ADDRESS THE, THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE.
I KNOW THAT THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO BE LOOKED AT, UH, VERY CLOSELY NATIONALLY.
UH, IT'S, IT'S A PROJECT THAT I REALLY FEEL CAN BE A TEMPLATE FOR OTHER CITIES AND COMMUNITIES TO USE, UM, ON ANY FINANCIAL LEVEL.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT.
IT CAN BE A $50,000 PROJECT IN YOUR COMMUNITY, BUT LET'S PLANT THE SEEDS AND FIND OUT HOW WE
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CAN MAKE THIS WORK, UM, AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE.I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHANGES IN MIDTOWN THAT I'VE SEEN.
I'VE BEEN IN THE, UH, WORKING AT MIDTOWN FOR 20 YEARS AS, UM, IN, IN DIFFERENT JOB TITLES.
BUT NOW AS THEIR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, EXCUSE ME.
WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT BACK IN 2012, UM, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, I ASKED THEM FOR $10,000 TO DO AN APPLICATION TO SEND TO, TO TCA TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL OF A CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
AND I DID HAVE BOARD MEMBERS VOTE AGAINST IT AT THAT TIME.
UM, AND, AND A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD DIDN'T WANT IT.
SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS DIDN'T WANT IT EITHER.
WE FAST FORWARD NOW, AND WHEN I SPEAK TO OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, IT'S ABOUT HOW WE CAN PROTECT OUR CULTURAL ARTS DESIGNATION AND KEEP THAT DESIGNATION IN PLACE.
WE HAVE TO REPORT EVERY YEAR TO TCA, BUT I ALSO DO A 10 YEAR REPORT TO TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS.
UM, WE WERE RENEWED IN 2022 FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS.
SO TEXAS COMMISSIONER ON THE ARTS ALSO HAS TO SEE PROJECTS OF VALUE, UM, AND HOW WE'RE WORKING TO EMPLOY ARTISTS, HOW WE'RE BRINGING THE COMMUNITY OUT TO PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS AND TO PARTICIPATE, UM, IN OUR PUBLIC ART PROJECTS.
THEY ALSO HAVE TO SEE VALUE IN THAT BEFORE WE CAN BE RENEWED AGAIN.
UM, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE CULTURAL ARTS DESIGNATION, OUR ASSESSED VALUE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN 2012 WAS $1.2 BILLION.
SO WE FAST FORWARD NOW AND WE ONLY HAD 24 ORGANIZATIONS IN PLACE, CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND PRESENTERS.
HONESTLY, I DIDN'T EVEN THINK WE HAD ENOUGH TO APPLY.
AND WE, I DID WRITE THE 200 PAGE APPLICATION.
UH, FAST FORWARD, UM, WE HAVE OVER 160 VENUES AND PRESENTERS AND ORGANIZATIONS OUT OF MIDTOWN IN THE LAST 12 YEARS.
OUR VALUE HAS GROWN FROM 1.2 BILLION TO $2.8 BILLION.
THAT'S 133% INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF THE COMMUNITY.
CULTURAL ARTS HAS PLAYED A MARKED PART IN THAT.
UM, WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE WANNA LIVE WHERE THERE'S ART, THEY WANNA BE A PART OF, OF CULTURAL ARTS.
THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO WALK OUT THEIR DOOR, GO TO A GALLERY OPENING, GO SEE A SHOW, GRAB A GO TO EAT AT A RESTAURANT AND GRAB AN AFTER, AFTER DINNER DRINK.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING TO CREATE IN MIDTOWN, AND WE SEE IT HAPPENING IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
UM, ONCE WE APPLIED AND RECEIVED OUR DESIGNATION, THE YEAR AFTER THAT, I GOT PHONE CALLS, EXCUSE ME, FROM OTHER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS ASKING HOW THEY COULD APPLY.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY AND COME TO THE TABLE, UH, TO GET FUNDING FROM TCA FROM BLOOMBERG, FROM THE BROWN FOUNDATION, FROM THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT, FROM WHEREVER THEY CAN TO MAKE ARTS REALLY GROW AND GO IN THIS CITY.
THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, THAT I THINK ABOUT IT AND WHAT OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS THINKS ABOUT IT AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I'M, WE'RE SO BLESSED TO HAVE A BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT IS FULLY ON BOARD, WHETHER IT'S THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OR THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, FULLY ON BOARD WITH SUPPORTING, UH, PUBLIC ART IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ARTISTS TO WORK IN MIDTOWN, AND I THINK THEY'RE AWARE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, COME OVER TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND SEE WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
AND NOW WE'LL HEAR FROM NIKKI FROM CAREER AND RECOVERY RESOURCES REGARDING THE PARTICULAR INTERVENTION SHE'S DESIGNED THAT WILL EMPLOY THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
WE BELIEVE IN HOUSING FIRST 'CAUSE WE OBVIOUSLY SERVE THE UNHOUSED POPULATION, BUT WE BELIEVE IN A SIMULTANEOUS HOUSING FIRST AND EMPLOYMENT FIRST MODEL.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE UNHOUSED POPULATION ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND THEY DESERVE TO LIVE LIVES OF DETERMINATION, SELF-DETERMINATION.
THEY CAN DETERMINE WHAT THEIR LIFE SHOULD BE LIKE, AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THEM FIND A PATH TO JUST A SELF, UH, LIFE OF SELF-DETERMINATION.
THE BLOOMBERG PROJECT PROVIDES CAREER AND RECOVERY RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITY
[00:30:01]
TO SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING, UM, HOMELESSNESS.IN 2019, WE DEVELOPED A PRIZE, UM, A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, TRANSITIONAL JOB TO HELP INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND THOSE WHO ARE HOUSED EARN INCOME.
I, WE SEE THE HOMELESS POPULATION JUST EVERYWHERE.
I THINK THAT IF YOU GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN INCOME, THEY SHOW UP.
SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN 2023, WE HAD OVER, UM, 750 INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PART OF OUR UP PRICE PROGRAM PROVIDING LANDSCAPING SERVICES.
THEY COME TO OUR LOCATION SEVEN 30 IN THE MORNING, EVERY MORNING THEY GO TO WORK PROVIDING CLEANUP, SERVICES, LANDSCAPING, HEAT, COLD, NO MATTER WHAT.
THEY SHOW UP AND THEY ALL, FOR THE MOST PART, IF THEY ARE STILL UNHOUSED, GO BACK TO THEIR ENCAMPMENTS.
BUT THEY SHOW UP EVERY DAY TO WORK, AND THERE IS PRIDE IN THE WORK FOR THEM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT BEING GIVEN A HANDOUT.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORKING FOR THEIR OWN INCOME.
SO THIS PROJECT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT INITIATIVE.
I THINK THAT THE UNHOUSED POPULATION, THEY HAVE WONDERFUL STORIES TO TELL, WHICH I'M GLAD WILL BE DEPICTED IN THESE WONDERFUL ARTS THAT BLOOMBERG IS SUPPORTING.
WHEN WE SEE SOMEONE WHO IS UNHOUSED, WE MAY MAKE JUDGEMENTS ABOUT WHERE THEY CAME FROM OR HOW THEY ARRIVED AT THAT SITUATION, BUT YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW WHAT TRAUMA THEY'VE EXPERIENCED.
SOME PEOPLE, IT WAS JUST COVID THAT CAUSED THEM TO, UM, BECOME HOMELESS.
SO I BELIEVE IN THIS PROJECT BECAUSE IT HELPS THE POPULATION TO TELL THEIR STORY FROM A HUMAN SIDE, WHERE WE CAN DEFINITELY SEE, OKAY, LET'S REMOVE THE JUDGMENT AND HEAR FROM THESE PEOPLE AND SEE THEIR STORIES.
FROM A HUMAN TO HUMAN ASPECT, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME AT CAREER AND RECOVERY RESOURCES, THAT WHEN SOMEONE EXPERIENCING, WHO IS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS COMES TO OUR ORGANIZATION, THAT WE GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEIR BASIC NEEDS MET, WHICH IS HEALTHCARE, HOUSING, AND INCOME.
WITHOUT, YOU CAN HOUSE A PERSON, BUT WITHOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN AN INCOME AND CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY, THAT'S ONLY 25% OF THE WORK.
SO WHEN WE GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, THAT'S ONE WIN.
THEN WHEN WE GIVE THEM HOUSING, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE.
AND THEN WE GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN AN INCOME.
THEY CAN BUY THEIR OWN FOOD, THEY CAN BUY THEIR OWN CLOTHING.
THEY THEN BECOME ENGAGED MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.
AND I'M SO GLAD THAT THIS PROJECT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE OUR CLIENTS AND THE UNHOUSED POPULATION IN HOUSTON THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST EARN MONEY AND TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
NOT A HIDDEN PART OF HOUSTON, BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE TO THE HOUSTON POPULATION.
TRANSITIONAL JOBS ENABLE CLIENTS ON HOUSED POPULATIONS TO, UM, GET THEIR FOOT IN THE DOOR, ENABLES THEM TO FIND A PATH TO STABILITY, ENABLES THEM TO DO SOMETHING, GAIN SKILLS.
AND THEN REALLY, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, EACH WEEK WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
ON FRIDAYS, THEY ARE PAID FOR THE WEEK, FOR THE WEEK'S WORK.
THAT MONEY GOES BACK TO THE ECONOMY, NO MATTER HOW LITTLE IT IS, THEY'RE ABLE TO BUY FOOD, THEY'RE ABLE TO STAY AT A HOTEL IF THEY'RE STILL ON HOUSE.
SO I THINK GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST NOT ONLY IN THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO IN THE ECONOMY OF HOUSTON, IS A GREAT WIN FOR ALL OF US.
AND FINALLY, ON THE LAST PAGE, JUST TO SHOUT OUT TO SOME OF OUR, OUR PARTNERS IN THIS WORK, WE WILL BE ENGAGING METROS, UM, ART AND TRANSIT PROGRAM AND THEIR ADOPT A SHELTER PROGRAM TO COVER THE ARTWORK AT FIVE METRO STATIONS, AGAIN, ON MILO.
UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS CAREER RECOVERY FOR THEIR DEEP EXPERTISE AND INFO SHARING, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CREATIVES DEVELOPING ARTWORKS SO THAT THEY CAN DEVELOP SENSITIVE AND INFORMED APPROACHES TO DEVELOPING ARTWORK.
WE'LL BE, UM, RUNNING OUR ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS THROUGH FRESH ARTS.
THOSE WILL BE ANNOUNCED MONDAY NEXT WEEK.
UM, AND WE HOPE WE CAN ENGAGE OUR OFFICES TO SHARE AND PROMOTE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THEY WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO ALL HOUSTON AREA ARTISTS, NOT JUST ARTISTS IN MIDTOWN.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR PARAMOUNT PARTNER IN THIS WORK IS MIDTOWN.
WE HAVE A NEW PROJECT MANAGER ON THE PROJECT, CHANDLER,
[00:35:01]
SHE'S HERE AS WELL, WHO'S GOING TO TAKE OVER THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS WORK.UM, AND SO AGAIN, THROUGH AND THROUGH WE'RE HAVING CREATIVES DEVELOP SHAPE AND REALLY INFLUENCE THESE INITIATIVES.
BUT I REALLY WANNA EMPHASIZE THE MULTI INTERDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF THIS WORK.
AND IT REQUIRES EXPERTISE FROM MANY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES, PERSPECTIVES AND MINDS.
AND IT CONNECTS US ALL TO DO DEEPER WORK.
SO WE WANNA COPY AND PASTE THIS MODEL IN OTHER WAYS IF WE CAN, UM, BECAUSE OF COURSE THERE ARE OTHER COMMUNITIES WHO DO ADDRESS AND NEED TO ADDRESS, UM, THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS WITH CREATIVE INTERVENTIONS.
UM, WE THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TO SPEAK TODAY AND WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS COMMITTEE WAS CREATED, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THERE WAS SUCH A GREAT NEED FOR IT, AND I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM FROM PEOPLE IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY, AND SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, WITH A QUESTION OR COMMENT.
I'M SO GLAD TO KNOW ABOUT THIS.
LIKE THIS IS A GREAT, GREAT DEAL, AND I LOVE HOW CAREER RESOURCES IS PLAYING A ROLE, AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
WHAT, LIKE, GIMME AN EXAMPLE OF LIKE, WHAT ONE OF THE INSTALLATIONS MIGHT BE? I MEAN, IS IT PHOTOGRAPHS? UM, LIKE WHAT, SO WE'RE WORKING, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE'RE WORKING WITH METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY.
WE HAVE FIVE BUS SHELTERS THAT ARE ON THE MILAM, RIGHT.
UM, WE SELECTED, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS ARE, RIGHT? BUS SHELTERS AND UNDERNEATH THE ELEVATED.
SO AT THE ELEVATED, IT'S GOING TO BE, UH, RIGHT THERE AT PIERCE.
IT'LL BE SOME PAINTED COLUMNS.
AND THEN THE, UH, BUS SHELTERS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE, UM, IN THE BACK OF THE SHELTER, YOU KNOW, SOME TYPE OF WHATEVER DESIGN WE COME UP WITH, THE, THE ARTISTS AND THE UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS COME UP WITH, UM, SOME TYPE OF A, OF AN INSTALLATION THAT METRO WILL, WILL THEN INSTALL.
AND HOW MANY GET AWARDED OF THESE BLOOMBERG TEMPORARY ART? HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE AWARDED? THERE'S NOT A SET NUMBER.
WE KNEW THERE WERE 17 SEMI-FINALISTS, BUT ONLY EIGHT CITIES ACROSS THE NATION WERE AWARDED THE MILLION DOLLAR.
SO IT'S VERY PRESTIGIOUS, AND IT DOES MEAN THAT THE REST OF THE NATION IS LOOKING AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PUBLIC ART IN HOUSTON, IN ADDITION TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF COMMISSIONING WE'VE BEEN DOING SINCE 2020.
EYES ARE REALLY ON HOUSTON, NOT ONLY IN OUR LEADERSHIP, IN IN HOMELESSNESS, OUR INTERVENTIONS FOR HOMELESSNESS, BUT ALSO IN PUBLIC ART.
SO WHEN I WENT TO THE, UM, THEY HAD A ZOOM MEETING FOR BEST PRACTICES, HOW TO MAKE THE APPLICATION, THERE WERE OVER 300 CITIES ON THAT CALL.
HONESTLY, I SAT THERE AND WENT, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS MOVE FORWARD.
WELL, IT WAS A GREAT IDEA FORWARD, AND, AND IT OBVIOUSLY WAS DEVELOPED REALLY WELL.
AND, UM, JUST THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, VICE CHAIR CASTILLO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE INFORMATION.
THIS IS, UH, SUCH AN INCREDIBLE, UH, PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, AND IT'S ONE EXAMPLE WHERE WE SEE ART CONTRIBUTING TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF, OF HOUSTON IN A WAY THAT ALSO ADDRESSES, UH, ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE'RE IMPACTED BY, WHICH IS HOMELESSNESS.
AND YOU DON'T OFTEN THINK OF THE TWO GOING HAND IN HAND OR WORKING TOGETHER, BUT HERE WE HAVE THIS EXAMPLE OF HOW IT WORKS, AND IT'S, UH, IT'S VERY INSPIRING TO SEE AND TO LEARN.
I HOPE, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO AREN'T HERE GO BACK AND WATCH THIS BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THEY WOULD ALL BENEFIT FROM LEARNING MORE ABOUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT STARTS HERE, HOW DO WE GROW THIS? HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE ART TO IMPACT SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY THAT WE MIGHT NOT NATURALLY THINK THEY GO, UH, AND WORK TOGETHER ON? BUT HERE WE SEE A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT HAPPENS.
AND SO I'M, I'M SO GLAD THAT Y'ALL ARE HERE SHARING THIS INFORMATION, SHARING THIS STORY, BECAUSE, UM, AS YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THE NATION LOOKS TO US AT HOW WE HANDLE HOMELESSNESS.
THEY'RE LOOKING TO US AT HOW WE HANDLE OUR, OUR CIVIC ART.
WE'RE DOING SOME INCREDIBLE THINGS AND SOME INNOVATIVE THINGS.
UM, SO LET'S KEEP THAT MOMENTUM GOING AND SEE WHERE ELSE THIS CAN GO.
BUT, UH, I LOVE THAT ART IS PLAYING A KEY ROLE IN THIS BECAUSE, UM, IT JUST DEMONSTRATES ITS VALUE AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO
[00:40:01]
THE CITY AS A WHOLE.AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE REPRESE REPRESENTATIVE FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ.
I GUESS I WAS SO ENGROSSED I DIDN'T SEE HER COME IN.
UH, NOW WE'LL HAVE A QUESTION FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR OUR MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND I ECHO, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND VICE CHAIR CASTILLO, UH, STATED, THIS INFORMATION IS PHENOMENAL AND THE EFFORTS AND THE INITIATIVE, UM, OF THE PROGRAM IS, UH, SUCH A BENEFIT TO THE CITY.
UM, I THINK YOU MENTIONED, BUT, UM, IF YOU WILL, HOW WILL THE, UH, RFQ AND RFPS BE COMMUNICATED? WE WILL BE ISSUING A PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE OPEN OF ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES SIMULTANEOUSLY, UM, NEXT WEEK.
BUT WE WILL ALSO BE PROMOTING THROUGH MOCA THROUGH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, UM, THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM.
BLOOMBERG ALSO SUPPORTS US WITH PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS TEAM FOR THE PROJECT.
SO WE HAVE LOTS OF SUPPORT IN DEVELOPING THAT CONTENT.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO WORK PRIMARILY WITH FRESH ARTS, FRESH ARTS INC.
UM, WHICH IS AN ARTS DISTRICT.
HOUSTON IS GOING TO MANAGE THIS SELECTION PROCESS FOR US AND THE APPLICANT SUBMISSION, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, AGAIN, WE INVITE ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SHARE THE NEWS.
WE'RE HAPPY TO SEND THE INFORMATION FROM MOCA TO YOUR OFFICES SO YOU CAN POST TO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AND OTHER PLATFORMS, ET CETERA.
AND ALSO, I'D LIKE TO, UM, GIVE A KUDOS TO CAREER AND RECOVERY SERVICES.
UM, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN A, A PHENOMENAL RESOURCE.
I KNOW WHEN MAYOR PRO, TIM CASTEX TATUM, UM, REACHED OUT TO YOU ALL FOR ASSISTANCE, UM, WITH, UH, RECOVERY FROM THE, UM, HURRICANE BUR AND OTHER, UM, INITIATIVES THAT WE HAD TO HELP PEOPLE RECOVER FROM THE HURRICANE, CAREER RECOVERY RESOURCES WERE THERE ON THE SPOT.
AND WE DO APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR WORK, BUT KUDOS TO YOU ALL.
AND I HAVE TO ECHO THOSE SENTIMENTS.
YOU CERTAINLY HELPED, UH, IN DISTRICT D AT BLACKSHIRE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, THE AESTHETICS, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ARTS AND CULTURE, RIGHT? UH, AESTHETICS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CHILDREN SEE WHEN THEY COME TO THE CAMPUS.
AND YOU ALL DID A PHENOMENAL JOB.
AND WE APPRECIATE AND EVEN GOT ME A PHONE CALL FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT.
SO I'M CONVEYING THOSE SAME THANKS TO YOU.
I, I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY MORE C I'M SORRY, UH, REPRESENTATIVE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND TO PRESENT THIS IMPORTANT WORK.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADD OUR VOICE TO THE THANKS.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH, AGAIN, MOCA ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS THROUGHOUT DISTRICT C AND I KNOW THE COUNCIL MEMBERS REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE ART, UH, WORK THAT'S GOING INTO THE CITY.
AND ALSO WANTED TO SHOUT OUT CAREER RECOVERY AND RESOURCES.
'CAUSE Y'ALL DO SO MUCH GREAT WORK.
AND WE PARTNERED WITH Y'ALL COUNTLESS TIMES, INCLUDING DURING HURRICANE BARREL.
SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, Y'ALL ALWAYS BEING THERE AS A PARTNER.
AND I ALSO WANNA ECHO, UH, WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER, CASSICK TAM'S REPRESENTATIVE SAID, UH, DO SHARE THAT WITH OUR OFFICE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE RECEIVE THAT SO WE CAN SHARE IT OUT APPROPRIATELY.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO, UH, CAN YOU GIVE ME A, A JUST OVERARCHING IDEA ABOUT THE BUDGET FOR THIS? LIKE HOW MUCH GOES TO ARTISTS, HOW MUCH GOES TO INSTALLATION? HOW, I MEAN, I DON'T NEED A LINE ITEM THING, BUT JUST AN IDEA.
I MEAN, I, I, I'M INTERESTED IN, IN THE AMOUNTS GOING TO, UM, THE ACTUAL, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW, IF YOU CAN JUST SHARE IT WITH ME.
I'M SURE IT WAS PART OF YOUR PROPOSAL, YOU'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW YOUR EMAIL.
THE RANGE ARTISTS RECEIVE YOUR MIC.
I THINK YOU NEED TO TURN THE RANGE VARIES, UM, DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT TYPE.
UM, AND SO WE CAN DEFINITELY PUT A FEW, UM, NOTES TOGETHER TO SHARE.
BUT FOR EXAMPLE, THE METRO SHELTERS, UM, WE'RE REALLY ASKING FOR A GRAPHIC ARTWORK.
UM, AND THEN METRO WILL PRODUCE IT.
SO WE WILL SEE A LESSER ARTIST FEE THAN FOR ARTISTS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY PAINTING ON A LARGE SCALE MURAL.
MURAL, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CAPSTONE INTERVENTIONS UNDER THE OVERPASSES AT SPUR FIVE AND AT, UM, 45 WILL HOPEFULLY BE MULTIMEDIA INSTALLATIONS, INCLUDING MURALS, LIGHTING INTERVENTION, ET CETERA.
SO THOSE REQUIRE LARGER BUDGETS BECAUSE THEY'RE MORE COMPLEX AND INVOLVE MORE, UH, ELECTRICS PERHAPS.
YEAH, JUST FOLLOW UP, UH, NO, UH, FURTHER COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES RIGHT NOW.
UH, BUT WE WILL NOW OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION BEFORE YOUR COMMENTS.
I BELIEVE THE FIRST PERSON IS DENISE O'NEILL.
[00:45:01]
IF YOU WILL, STEP TO THE PODIUM PLEASE.AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I HAVE PROVIDED FOR YOU ALL, UH, A PRINTOUT OF, OF, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN LOOK THROUGH.
I BROUGHT WITH ME, UH, YOUR NEIGHBOR, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, EVAN SHABAZZ.
UH, MY, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF OUR BOARD, YVAN PHILLIPS DUPRE, IS HERE WITH US.
AND THEN I ALSO HAVE A SALES AND MARKETING EXPERT, UH, DENISE, JOSHUA WITH ME.
UH, SO I'M, I'M HERE TODAY TO REAL QUICKLY GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESSION OF THE FATE TO BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL.
I BROUGHT THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO IN FRONT OF THE MAYOR, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS TO BRING THIS PROJECT TO FRUITION.
UH, SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE, UH, GATHERED AND INCREASED THE LIST OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE THAT'S DETAILED IN THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE.
AND SO I WANNA JUST MAKE SURE THAT I STAY VISIBLE AND ALSO OFFER MYSELF, UH, TO YOUR SERVICE IF YOU ARE NEEDING CONNECTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY OF ARTS, UM, ARTS ARTISTS AND ART LEADERS.
UH, I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS PROJECT.
WE HAVE SO MANY FESTIVALS HERE IN HOUSTON, AND I DON'T WANT THIS PARTICULAR FESTIVAL TO BE SEEN AS JUST ANOTHER LITTLE FESTIVAL.
THIS IS ONE THAT WILL CHANGE OUR HISTORY.
IT WILL TAP INTO THE $1.8 BILLION, UM, BUYING POWER OF AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO LOVE ARTS, AND ALSO PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT, UM, FESTIVAL EVENTS AND, AND ARTISTIC, UH, VENTURES THAT WE ARE PRESENTING.
IT, IT WILL DIFFERENTIATE ITSELF FROM MAJOR FESTIVALS LIKE THE ESSENCE FESTIVAL THAT SUPPORTS THE ECONOMY OF, OF NEW ORLEANS, BECAUSE IT IS PRESENTING, UH, FINE ARTS.
UH, SO THE ESSENCE FESTIVAL IS GREAT.
UH, IT'S WELL KNOWN, BUT IT DOES NOT PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE OPERA.
THE SYMPHONY, UH, DOESN'T DO THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
IT DOES NOT REALLY PUSH CAREER ADVANCEMENT AND EDUCATION.
AND SO, ALONG WITH THE GREAT PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE, WE WILL SPREAD OUT THIS FESTIVAL THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND BRING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE CITY.
SO MY, MY CHARGE AND MY REQUEST IS THE SAME THAT THE CITY FIND A WAY TO ASSIST ME IN GETTING SOME MORE SUPPORT.
UM, I I, MY ARMS ARE, ARE ONLY SO LONG, SO I DON'T KNOW WHO TO REACH OUT TO.
SOMETIMES I HAVE A REALLY GREAT TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HELPING US, BUT I, MY MY REACH NEEDS TO BE FURTHER IN TERMS OF PENETRATING THE MARKET AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE ARE COMING IN JUNE OF 2025.
I'VE ALSO ASKED FOR FUNDING FROM THE CITY.
AND, UM, I'VE, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT AND IF IT'S POSSIBLE OR NOT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IF THE CITY REALLY WANTS TO DO IT AND SEIZE THE VALUE, WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
UH, DENISE, UH, I'D LIKE TO CONNECT YOU WITH NICOLE IRVIN.
WELL, SHE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU ARE HERE TODAY AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, KEEP IT AT THE FOREFRONT 'CAUSE IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT YOUR INITIATIVE AND CERTAINLY WANT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT COME TO FRUITION.
THANK YOU ALL, UM, FOR THE SERVICE YOU DO FOR OUR GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, AND FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK, UM, THE COMMUNITY HERE.
UM, MANY PEOPLE SUPPORTING THE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR HERE IN HOUSTON.
I AM CEO FOR, UM, PERFORMING ARTS.
PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON WAS FOUNDED IN 1966 TO BRING THE MOST CELEBRATED TOURING ARTISTS AROUND FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO HOUSTON STAGES.
UM, WE ARE PROUD THAT OUR PROGRAMMING REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY.
WE ALSO SUPPORT COMMISSIONING, UH, HOUSTON ARTISTS AND PROVIDE EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UM, ONE QUICK PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT, UM, BEFORE I GET INTO MY POINTS IS THAT THIS WEEK IS THEATER WEEK.
[00:50:01]
IS THE THIRD YEAR OF AN INITIATIVE THAT GIVES A BUY ONE GET ONE FREE, UM, TICKET OFFER TO ALL HOUSTONIANS.THERE ARE OVER 22, UM, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS.
UH, HOUSTON FIRST IS A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL PARTNER LEADING THAT CHARGE.
AND, UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO PARTICIPATE IN IT.
UM, I AM HERE TODAY THOUGH REALLY REPRESENTING THE CULTURAL SECTOR.
AND THE POINT THAT I WANNA MAKE IS THAT THE CULTURAL SECTOR IS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I HAVE DISTRIBUTED SOME SHEETS ALSO ARE, UM, MY ORGANIZATIONS SEASON BROCHURE.
BUT THE SHEETS ARE, UM, DATA THAT ARE PUBLISHED, UM, BY AMERICANS, UH, FOR THE ARTS, IT'S THE ARTS AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY REPORT.
IT REPRESENTS FISCAL YEAR 22 WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WITHIN THE NON-PROFIT CULTURAL SECTOR HERE.
AND JUST A POINT THAT THAT IS THE YEAR FY 22 THAT WAS STILL BEING IMPACTED BY COVID WITHIN THE PERFORMING ARTS AND THE NON-PROFIT ARTS INDUSTRY HERE.
BUT IN THIS REPORT, YOU SEE SOME REALLY IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS.
AND I'M GONNA GO A LITTLE LO-FI HERE WITH MY, UM, SLIDE PRESENTATION.
THAT IS THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT ARTS GENERATED TOTAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT'S BIG NUMBERS, IT'S A B IN THE NON-PROFIT ARTS.
WE SHOULD ALL BE REALLY PROUD OF THAT.
THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN LOCAL AND STATE TAX REVENUE THAT IS GENERATED BY THE NON-PROFIT CULTURAL SECTOR THAT HELPS THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE A MOUNTAIN DECLINE TO BALANCE THAT BUDGET.
THIS NUMBER $280 MILLION IS THE TOTAL EVENT RELATED SPENDING DOLLARS BY NON-LOCAL INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THESE ARE TOURISM DOLLARS THAT THIS COMMUNITY GENERATES FOR THIS CITY.
WE ARE SUPER FORTUNATE AS A NONPROFIT CULTURAL SECTOR TO ANTICIPATE ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON INTO THE CULTURAL SECTOR THROUGH THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
THAT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS INVESTMENT WILL RETURN APPROXIMATELY $300 MILLION OF SPENDING IN TOURIST DOLLARS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN THE CULTURAL SECTOR IS GONNA RETURN ALMOST $3 TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
SO MY POINT TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS, IS THAT THE NONPROFIT ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR, IN ADDITION TO ALL THE WONDERFUL QUALITY OF LIFE IMPACT THAT WE MAKE, ALL OF THE VARIOUS AREAS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN THIS CITY, UM, WE ARE AN ECONOMIC GENERATOR FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE SHOULD CONSIDER THE CULTURAL SECTOR A WISE INVESTMENT AND ONE OF OUR BEST ASSETS.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, I'LL LEAVE.
I SHOULD BE IN, I SHOULD BE IN THE QUEUE.
UM, MEG, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.
UM, YOU CERTAINLY GOT MY ATTENTION WHEN YOU MENTIONED $1.3 BILLION AND, UM, ECONOMIC IMPACT.
IS DATA FROM 2023 AVAILABLE YET? OR IF NOT, WHEN WILL IT BECOME AVAILABLE? AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS DOES THIS ABOUT EVERY FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS.
AND THE LAST TIME THEY DID IT WAS 2015.
UM, AND, UH, THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN 2017.
THIS IS DATA FROM FY 22 PUBLISHED, UM, VERY RECENTLY.
I THINK IT WAS JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO.
UM, I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT TO UNPACK HERE AND TO FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT IS.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU HAVE FOOD AND DRINK, RETAIL, SHOPPING, OVERNIGHT, LODGING, LOCAL TRANSPORTATION, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES THAT ARE SEEING BENEFITS FROM FOLKS VISITING, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR ARTS AND CULTURE.
UM, I WOULD SUGGEST, UH, MADAM CHAIR, WE HAVE A COMMITTEE MEETING THAT FULLY DIVES INTO THE ECONOMIC IMPACT BECAUSE I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE THEATER
[00:55:01]
DISTRICT PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S THIS, BUT THERE'S ALSO OTHERS THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO AND SEE WHAT ARE WE REALLY GETTING AS A CITY IN TERMS OF BENEFITS FROM THE MONEY THAT WE INVEST AND WHAT THAT COMES BACK IN THROUGH ALL OF THIS ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.THANK YOU FOR THE, UM, INFORMATION, UM, ON THE IMPACT OF THE ARTS AND THE, ESPECIALLY THE ECONOMICAL IMPACT ON THE ARTS AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, THIS IS VERY GOOD INFORMATION AND I DO ECHO WHAT VICE CHAIR, UM, CASTILLO MENTIONED.
AGAIN, I THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO HAVE, UH, A COMMITTEE MEETING WITH A DEEP DIVE INTO THE IMPACT, UM, UM, OF THAT.
AND ALSO WANT TO, UM, JUST SAY THAT I DID TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEATER WEEK AND GOT MY TICKETS FOR THE UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER.
SO, UM, JUST A FOLLOW UP TO THAT, IF WE, UM, PLAN IN ADVANCE, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET A REPRESENTATIVE FROM AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS, UM, TO COME TO HOUSTON TO, UM, PRESENT ON THIS DATA BECAUSE THEY WERE REALLY THE PEOPLE.
IT, IT WAS NOT, UM, TAKEN FROM WITHIN HOUSTON BY A HOUSTON ENTITY.
THIS WAS A NATIONAL STUDY THAT'S BEING DONE, UM, ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO IT MIGHT BE NICE TO, IN TO INVITE SOMEONE FROM AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS TO COME PRESENT ON IT.
YOU'RE LIKE THOSE MEMES THAT PEOPLE AT THE FRONT DOOR WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR SHEETS, BUT 1.3 BILLION IS ALSO LIKE WHAT WE COLLECT IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
UM, UM, REALLY APPRECIATE THE NUMBERS.
AGREE WITH EVERYBODY THAT WANTS TO DIVE DEEP BECAUSE YOU, YOU'VE HEARD EVERYBODY'S HEARD, YOU KNOW, IN, IN TIMES OF FINANCIAL CRUNCHES, PEOPLE KINDA LOOK RIGHT TO THE ARTS.
AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WE AMPLIFY, UM, THE GOOD WORK THAT'S DONE THROUGH THE ARTS AND CULTURAL SECTOR AND HOW IT DOES POSITIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO OUR OVERALL BO BOTTOM LINE AS A CITY.
SO THANKS FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT AND FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK YOU DO AT THANK YOU WARMING ARTS HOUSTON.
CAN YOU PULL UP SLIDE TWO PLEASE,
UM, IF YOU COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND YEAH.
WHAT COULD YOU AND YOUR GROUP DO TO EXPAND YOUR WHOLE OPERATION? WHAT WOULD Y'ALL NEED TO EXPAND YOUR OPERATION TO MAKE IT GROW OR, OR EXPAND? WHAT? UM, IT WOULD BE CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS.
IT WOULD BE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THAT THE ARTS ARE NOT THE DESSERT COURSE THAT WE ARE MEAT AND POTATOES OR POLENTA OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS ON YOUR PLATE.
UM, SO WHAT WOULD YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU NEED? WOULD YOU NEED, UM, MORE VENUES LIKE FROM HOUSTON FIRST OR WHAT WOULD IT BE? WE DON'T NEED MORE VENUES.
WE NEED MORE RECOGNITION THAT THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM ARE DOING EXTRAORDINARY WORK THAT, UM, REFLECT THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS KNOWN FOR, UM, OUR MEDICAL SECTOR, OUR RODEO FOR SPORTS, FOR BEING THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
WE SHOULD EQUALLY BE KNOWN FOR AN ABSOLUTE CULTURAL SECTOR, UM, EPICENTER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY.
WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF OUR ARTS.
EVERY ONE OF OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD TALK ABOUT HOW EXTRAORDINARY THE ARTS SECTOR IS.
UM, AND WE SHOULD NEVER THREATEN THE HOT TAX DOLLARS TO THE ARTS.
IF ANYTHING, WE SHOULD GIVE MORE.
WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO GIVE MORE MONEY TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE SHOULD CELEBRATE, UM, THE WORK THAT CYNTHIA IS DOING, THE THREE THAT WERE HERE, UM, WITH THE, THE BLOOMBERG MILLION DOLLARS THAT'S COMING TO HOUSTON TO PUT US ON THE MAP.
UM, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF CELEBRATE CELEBRATING OUR CULTURAL ASSETS AND WE DON'T DO THAT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILMAN AND WOMEN.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING FOND CIVIC CLUB.
WE ARE LOCATED BESIDE PER FIVE, ADJACENT TO U OF H MAIN CAMPUS IN DISTRICT.
I I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU FOR AN ADVOCACY IN UPHOLDING THE CITY ARTS ORDINANCE.
AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY ARTS ORDINANCE WAS PASSED TO MAKE SURE HOUSTON'S PUBLIC ARTS REFLECTS HOUSTONIANS.
WE HAVE A GREAT DIVERSE CITY AND OUR ARTWORKS MUST REFLECT THAT.
AND THIS IS WHY I'M HERE TO OPPOSE
[01:00:01]
THE INSTALLATION OF A FIVE STORY TALL SCULPTURE NAMED THE SMOKE SACKS, ALONG WITH A PLAZA NAMED AFTER THE SMOKE SACKS DONOR, THE INGER PLAZA AT 25 11 CARROLLTON STREET, WHICH IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR DEAR FONDE PARK, WHICH IS A LONG BRACE BAYOU RIGHT NEXT TO U OF H MAIN CAMPUS.THE ARTS ORDINANCE REQUIRES CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE A PROJECT LIKE THIS, AND THE APPROVAL WAS NOT OBTAINED.
AND YOU CAN REFER TO THE CITY ARTS ORDINANCE SECTION SIX FOR THIS, THIS PROJECT VIOLATES THE ARTS ORDINANCE POLICIES IN VARIOUS AREAS.
THE ONES THAT ARE DEAR TO US AND THAT REALLY IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITY INPUT AND SIZE OF WORK.
THE ARTS ORDINANCE PASSED TO SAY THE NO PUBLIC WORKS LARGER THAN 10 FEET.
AND WE'RE TALKING FIVE STORY TALL.
IT'S BIGGER THAN BIG TECHS IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO DALLAS, THE STATE FAIR.
SO ALSO REPRESENTATION, PRESENTATION.
WE ARE PRIMARILY HISPANIC NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE ARTIST THAT MADE SMOKE SEX IS FROM AUSTIN.
HE DOES NOT REFLECT OUR HISPANIC NEIGHBORHOOD IN CULTURAL OR SUBJECT MATTER BECAUSE IT IS A SAXOPHONE AND THERE'S NOTHING SAXOPHONE LIKE CHARM NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE'RE A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE HAVE THE LEGACY OF THE ORANGE SHOW, WHICH WAS MADE BY OUR POSTAL WORKER, JEFF, THAT LOVED OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IF THIS PROJECT IS PERMITTED, IF YOU'RE WONDERING ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT AND WHAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, INVESTED IN THIS, IS THAT IF THIS PROJECT IS PERMITTED, IT WILL SET THE PRECEDENT NOT ONLY IN DISTRICT I, BUT ALL OVER THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, THE ARTS ORDINANCE.
SO THE FOND CIVIC CLUB IS COMMITTED NOT ONLY TO OUR COMMUNITY ADVOCACY, BUT ALSO FOR ALL COMMUNITIES IN HOUSTON.
ANY QUESTIONS? I'M, I'M CONSULTING ABOUT HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TO HELP YOU FACILITATE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
UH, THERESA COULD YOU RESPOND TO THAT QUESTION TO HER CONCERNS RATHER? SO I'LL SHARE FROM MOCA'S PERSPECTIVE WHY WE'RE IN SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT SHARE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I WANNA SHARE A LITTLE BACKGROUND WITH YOU ABOUT PUBLIC ART IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT'S IN PLACE, WAS DRAFTED IN 1999.
BEFORE 2020, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN SOMEBODY IN MY POSITION AS PROGRAM MANAGER FOR ALL OF THE PUBLIC ART INITIATIVES IN THE CITY.
BEFORE MOCA MANAGED THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM, WE HAVE HAD DEPARTMENTS INDIVIDUALLY COMMISSION ARTWORK SEPARATELY.
SO NEVER BEFORE TILL 2020 HAS THERE BEEN ANY SORT OF OVERSIGHT AT ALL FOR THE STRATEGY, WHICH PROVIDES PUBLIC ART INTERVENTIONS.
WHAT WE'VE DONE SINCE THEN IS LOOK AT WHERE ARTWORK IS A PLACE IN OUR CITY WHO IS MAKING THAT ART.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MESSAGES, THOSE ARTS SHARE AND WHAT THEY IMPLY ABOUT OUR CITY, AGAIN, HOLISTICALLY, AS I MENTIONED IN MY OWN PRESENTATION.
SO WE ARE WELL AWARE THAT WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT IS IN NEED OF UPDATING.
THAT HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION AT THIS HORSESHOE QUITE A BIT LATELY.
AND WE DO HAVE PLANS TO UPDATE THAT ORDINANCE.
BUT IN TERMS OF ITS APPROPRIATENESS AND ITS SIDING, IT IS, WE ARE INTERESTED IN ENHANCING INVESTMENT ALREADY EXPENDED TO ENHANCE OUR TRAIL SYSTEM.
FOR ONE, WE'RE INTERESTED IN PROMOTING MOVABILITY, UM, PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCES.
AND WE KNEW FROM OUR PREVIOUS, UM, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WA, COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN'S PREDECESSOR, THAT THERE WAS AN INTEREST IN INSTALLING ARTWORK ON OUR TRAIL HEADS, AGAIN, TO ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE OF THOSE WHO USE THAT MODALITY.
WE'RE ALSO INTERESTED IN INSTALLING ARTWORK IN LOCATIONS WHERE IT DOES NOT PRESENTLY EXIST.
WE HAVE NO ARTWORK FROM THE CITY OR FROM PARTNERS FROM THE CITY IN THE AREA OF FOND FUNDEE PARK.
[01:05:01]
IS ABSOLUTELY, UM, ADJACENT TO THE ORANGE SHOW.THE ORANGE SHOW APPROACHED US IN AN INTEREST IN SUPPORTING OUR DESIRE TO PLACE ARTWORKS IN AGAIN, LOCATIONS WHERE IT DOESN'T ALREADY EXIST.
AND IN WAYS THAT HELP US TELL THE STORY OF OUR CITY AND ENHANCE INVESTMENT ALREADY EXPENDED THE SMOKE SOCKS IS A MEANS THROUGH WHICH WE GET TO CELEBRATE HOUSTON'S TREMENDOUS HISTORY IN MUSIC AS A PIONEER IN MUSIC, I'M NOT THE EXPERT.
GRACIE CHAVE IN THE ROOM IS OUR MUSIC OFFICER WHO CAN ABSOLUTELY SPEAK TO THE, THE ENORMOUS PRESENCE OF MUSIC HISTORY IN HOUSTON.
SO WE DO BELIEVE THAT THIS ARTWORK IS REFLECTIVE OF THE CHARACTER OF THE CITY.
UM, LET'S SEE WHAT OTHER CONCERNS WE DO PLAN TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY, TO SHARE THIS NEWS AND TO INVITE COMMUNITY, UM, INTO DISCUSSION WITH THE ORANGE SHOW TO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE ANY CONCERNS OR FOR US TO CLARIFY SOME OF THESE NOTES.
UM, BUT ALL IN ALL, WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE PLACEMENT OF THIS ARTWORK BECAUSE IT HELPS US MEET MANY OF THE GOALS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN OUR ARTS AND CULTURAL PLAN.
AND WE DO BELIEVE THAT THIS PROJECT WILL SET A PRECEDENT.
WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SET A PRECEDENT FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
THIS IS A WAY FOR US TO INTRODUCE ARTWORK TO OUR LANDSCAPE AT NO COST TO THE CITY, AND IN A WAY THAT THE OWNER RETAINS OWNERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTENANCE ALSO, WHICH THE CITY WILL NOT HAVE TO EXPEND FUNDS OR PERSONNEL TO DO SO.
ALL IN ALL, WE FEEL LIKE THIS PROJECT HELPS US MEET MANY OF THE GOALS SET FORTH BY OUR ARTS AND CULTURAL PLAN, BY OUR PROGRAM GOALS, AND BY THE REQUESTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, WE DO WELCOME OPEN DIALOGUE AROUND THESE ISSUES, BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND THE PER PERSPECTIVE OF OUR OFFICE, ENGAGING IN PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO INSTALL PUBLIC ART IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD.
I'LL SHARE EXAMPLES OF WHERE THOSE KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS EXIST BROADLY.
ALL THE ARTWORK AT HERMAN PARK, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS NOT OWNED BY THE CITY, BUT OWNED BY BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP IS PLACED THROUGH THESE KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS.
MEMORIAL PARK, HERMAN PARK, A LOT OF TIMES WE ENTER IN THESE KINDS OF AGREEMENTS WITH CONSERVANCY.
THE PROPOSAL TO DO THIS WITH THE ORANGE SHOW ALLOWS US TO BEGIN DOING THAT WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS, WHICH HAVE A TREMENDOUS PRESENCE IN OUR CITY.
I SPEAK, CAN I SET SOMETHING STRAIGHT? THANK YOU.
UM, SO YOU STATE, SO I THINK WE'RE ON THE SAME POINT.
IF WE ARE TO UPHOLD WHAT MARY PARKER STARTED HER LEGACY OF MAKING SURE THAT THERE ARE GUIDELINES, ONE THAT YOU HAVE MENTIONED WAS PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE.
AND I THINK YOU HAVE STATED THROUGHOUT YOUR TIME HERE IN YOUR COMMENTS, ART THAT HAVE REPRESENTED HOUSTONIANS AND YOU JUST MENTIONED FOUR COMMUNITIES THAT DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE ART.
WE ARE A SMALL RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE HAVE THE ORANGE SHOW AND WE HAVE MID PARK.
THE ORANGE SHOW HAS PURCHASED, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ACRES.
IT'S, IT'S AT LEAST FIVE ACRES OF LAND IN WHICH THEY CAN PLACE THE SCULPTURE THERE.
SO WE ARE NOT HERE TO SAY, OH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY ART.
WE'RE HERE SAYING WE HAVE PLENTY OF ART.
ACTUALLY ORANGE SHOW MADE BY ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS IS IN THE, UH, LIST OF A THOUSAND THINGS TO SEE IN THE WORLD.
WE LOVE ART, BUT WE HAVE ENOUGH AND, OH, GO AHEAD.
CAN I, WELL, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT HH PART HAS PROVIDED PERMISSION VIA CONTRACT, AND I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ IS HOSTING A COMMUNITY MEETING ON THIS.
AND SO I KNOW YOU HAVE A, A COMMENT.
UH, NO, AND I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT THE ORDINANCE HAVE A COMMENT.
YOU ARE THE CITY ARTS COMMITTEE.
SO THIS IS YOUR, I'M NOT HERE TO TEACH YOU ABOUT YOUR OWN CITY ARTS COMMITTEE ORDINANCE OR TO MOCA, BUT IT'S NOT FOR 1999.
AND I, I CAN SHARE WITH YOU, IT'S, IT'S ONLINE.
AND THE REASON WHY WE'RE SAYING THIS IS BECAUSE CONTRACTUALLY TELL ME SOMETHING.
WHAT GOOD IS IT TO HAVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AFTER YOU HAVE ALREADY DETERMINED TO DO A PROJECT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS BEFORE THE PROJECT HAS BEEN APPROVED.
AND IF THE CITY COUNCIL, MEN AND WOMEN HAVE NOT, AND THIS IS WHY THIS ORDINANCE WAS PUT IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL HAVE A SAY BECAUSE YOU'RE REPRESENTING US.
WE ARE NOT GONNA RESOLVE IT HERE.
I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO HAS A COMMENT.
MY QUESTION, UM, HAVE Y'ALL TALKED TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ABOUT A VARIANCE OR GOING THROUGH THE VARIANCE PROCESS FOR THIS PARTICULAR
[01:10:01]
PROJECT? SO I'M NOT, UH, THE ORANGE SHOW HAS ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT.I AM NOW REACHING OUT TO THE FRAUD CONTROL, UH, TO MAKE SURE WHAT JURISDICTIONS ARE THERE.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE IS THERE'S NO COMMUNICATION, THERE'S NO SPECIFICATIONS IN THE CONTRACT THAT'S TO THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT.
THE DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS THAT EXIST, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE ONE DRAWING THAT THEY HAVE SUBMITTED ALONG WITH THE CONTRACT, IT SHOWS THE PLAZA, INGER PLAZA IN OUR HISPANIC NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, THAT IS GOING TO BE, UH, TAKING PART OF OUR VERY NARROW TWO LANE STREET, WHICH GIVES ACCESS BETWEEN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND OST.
SO THE LOCATION, I WOULD LOVE IT FOR IT TO BE ALONG ALLEN PARKWAY.
YOU KIDDING ME? FIVE STORY TALL.
IT WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL ALONG THE BAYOU.
UM, OVER THERE AT, UM, ALONG GU OAK BAYOU, THAT RED SCULPTURE THAT IS SIZE APPROPRIATE.
THERE'S PLENTY OF LAND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
A VERY NARROW STRIP OF LAND THAT CANNOT ACCOMMODATE, I'M SURE THE, THE, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WILL HAVE TO BE INVOLVED BECAUSE THERE'S NO LONGER CLEARANCE.
THERE'S A NARROW STREET, TWO-WAY STREET, VERY BUSY.
AND THEN THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF LAND, WHICH WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE A A, A CONCRETE BENCH.
I'M LIKE, DON'T TAKE THE BENCH FROM US.
OKAY, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FAVORS THERE.
IT'S A NICE AREA TO STOP IF YOU'RE GOING ALONG YOUR BIKE RIDE.
IF YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING FROM FROM PARK TO PARK FROM HERMAN TO MASON, YOU PASSES F THE PARK, SMALL LITTLE PARK.
SO TO PUT SOMETHING OF THAT SIZE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
BUT THEN TO MAKE IT INTO A DESTINATION IN SUCH A SMALL AREA WITH NO AVAILABLE SHOULDER TO PARK ON WOULD BE HAZARDOUS.
SO THERE'S SO MANY ISSUES WITH DISPLACEMENT OF THIS FOX DOOR, ALL SCULPTURE.
UM, WHAT IS LITTLE KNOWN ABOUT OUR PUBLIC ART PROJECTS, WHICH TOUCH THE GROUND, IS THAT THEY HAVE TO UNDERGO PERMITTING.
SO ALL THESE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, I WAS JUST SHARING THAT ALL OF OUR PUBLIC ART PROJECTS, WHICH TOUCH THE GROUND SURFACE, HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PERMITTING PROCESS REVIEWED BY PUBLIC WORKS.
SO IT HAS TO BE ENGINEERED, IT HAS TO BE ARCHITECTED OR DESIGNED ACCORDING TO CODE ENFORCEMENT.
AND IT WILL BE EVALUATED THAT HAS YET TO HAPPEN WITH THIS ARTWORK.
BUT IT WOULD BE A MUST TO HAPPEN BEFORE ANYTHING WOULD BE DESIGNED FINALLY, OR INSTALLED.
UH, KARINA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND PROVIDING YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
UM, THERESA, THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THAT BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT.
UM, I JUST, I JUST WANNA ADD THAT COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ IS A BIG BELIEVER IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND HE VERY MUCH LOOKS FORWARD TO THE DIALOGUE, UH, THAT'S PENDING AT OUR FUTURE FONDE COMMUNITY MEETING.
UM, SO HE LOOKS FORWARD TO, TO THIS CONVERSATION, BUT JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS LYON CHONG, THE NEXT SPEAKER, JANICE BOND.
I'M ESTEEMED COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, CITY ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS YOU HERE TODAY.
UM, JANICE BOND, UM, I AM A GALLERIST, UM, BASED IN THE MONTROSE DISTRICT, UM, BUT ALSO HAVE BEEN AN ADMINISTRATOR AND CONTRACTOR IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, SINCE MY RETURN IN 2020.
UM, I WANT TO TALK A BIT ABOUT, UM, CIVIC ART AND DESIGN, UM, AND OUR ORDINANCES, BUT ALSO REALLY SPEAK TO MAKING SURE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR PROCESS AND OUR POLICIES BEING A PART OF OUR PRIORITY OR BEING REFLECTIVE OF OUR PRIORITIES.
THERE IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT INTRICACIES THAT WE WON'T GET INTO IN THIS CONVERSATION HERE TODAY.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MEETINGS THAT ARTISTS AND CREATIVES AND EVEN BUSINESS OWNERS AREN'T A PART OF.
BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HARD NUMBERS, LET'S SAY, LET'S GO WITH, UM, CIVIC ART AND DESIGN AND THEN IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGY.
WE COULD PAIR THOSE TOGETHER IN THIS CITY.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ON HOW TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THOSE PARTICULAR INDUSTRIES WITHIN THE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR.
[01:15:01]
BECAUSE FOR EVERY PROJECT THAT COMES INTO THE CITY THAT'S FOCUSED ON CIVIC ART AND DESIGN, IT IS NOT JUST THE ARTISTS THAT ARE RECEIVING FUNDS, IT ARE ALL OF THE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO IT.IT OPENS THE SPACE FOR EQUITY, NOT JUST IN THE CREATIVE SERVICES FIELD, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FABRICATORS, CONSERVATORS, TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES, WRITERS, COPYWRITERS, LAWYERS AND MORE.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATING MORE HYPERLOCAL, CREATIVE ECONOMIES THAT ARE NOT ONLY SUSTAINABLE, BUT HAVE A SUBSTANTIVE FOUNDATION TO GROW CIVIC ART DESIGN FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, BOTH AS A CONTRACTOR WHO'S WORKED ON THE INSIDE, BUT ALSO WORKING ALONGSIDE ARTISTS DIRECTLY, IT IS WHAT I'VE SEEN AS THE MOST EQUITABLE AND DIRECT PIPELINE TO SEE US MOBILIZE AND GROW.
I LITERALLY WITH BAGS STILL IN, UM, A TAXI CAME THROUGH ONE OF OUR AIRPORTS THIS AFTERNOON THAT I BELIEVE MULTIPLE TIMES HAS NOW BEEN LISTED AS THE BEST IN THE WORLD.
AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF TERRAZZO, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE ARTWORK, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE PROGRAMS, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, IMMERSIVE ART AND TECHNOLOGY, BY THE WAY.
UM, IN OUR REGION, I KNOW FOR CERTAIN WE HAVE THE FIRST IMMERSIVE AND DATA-DRIVEN TECH-BASED INSTALLATION, UM, IN OUR STATE AT GEORGE BUSH IN A CONTINENTAL AIRPORT.
AND THAT WAS A DIRECT EFFECT OF THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM, OUR CIVIC ART DESIGN PROGRAM.
AND SO IN LOOKING AT THAT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE IMMERSIVE ART AND TECHNOLOGY SECTOR PROJECTING TO GROW UP TO 80 BILLION, EIGHT ZERO BILLION BY 2030 AND 22% OF THAT MARKET SHARE, BEING IN THE UNITED STATES AND OUR CITY CONTINUOUSLY MARKETING TO BE AT THE NEXUS OF ART, CULTURE, TECHNOLOGY, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF OUR TRADITIONAL IDENTITY, THEN WE HAVE TO AGAIN, HAVE OUR PROCESS AND OUR POLICIES, UM, REVEAL THE TRUE PRIORITY.
SO I WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST AS A GALLERIST OR UM, A PUBLIC ART MANAGER OR WHATEVER HAT I'VE WORN THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, BUT I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO COLLECTIVELY AND ESPECIALLY AT YOUR TABLES, IF AS YOU'RE MAKING THESE CONSIDERATIONS, START TO REALLY THINK ABOUT DO WE OR DO WE NOT TRULY WANT TO RETAIN ARTISTS IN THIS CITY? DO YOU WANT ARTISTS TO LIVE HERE? DO YOU WANT ARTISTS TO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN RAISE FAMILIES HERE? DO YOU WANT ARTISTS TO FEEL LIKE THERE IS A FUTURE IN THIS CITY BESIDES AN APPLICATION FOR A GRANT OR A DISASTER RELIEF OR SOMETHING THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT RECEIVE? IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE ALSO KEEPING THEM IN MIND? AND ALSO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TRULY EQUITIZING COMMUNITIES, AGAIN, IF CIVIC ART DESIGN IS ALSO INCLUDING FABRICATION, TRANSPORTATION, LANDSCAPING, FOUNDATIONS, CONCRETE POURING, YOU NAME IT, THEN WHAT ARE WE SAYING WHEN WE'RE BRINGING THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS INTO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES BY CREATING PROGRAMS THAT CAN SUPPORT THEM IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO BECOME PARTNERS IN BUSINESS FOR THESE OPPORTUNITIES? EVERYONE WINS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY THE PROCESS AND THE POLICIES SHOULD REVEAL AND BE ALIGNED WITH THE PRIORITY OF THE CITY WHEN IT COMES TO ARTS CULTURE AND DEVELOPING AND SUSTAINING THE HYPER-LOCAL CREATIVE ECONOMY.
UM, YOUR COMMENTS ARE PART OF PUBLIC RECORD AND WE WILL SEE IF WE CAN GET, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WERE, UH, QUESTIONS THAT WE COULD DIRECTLY ANSWER, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED REGARDING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THOSE THAT ARE, UH, CREATING THE ART IN THE CITY.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT TO THE FOREFRONT.
AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF WHICH WE'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS AND HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO STEP OUTSIDE OF ABSOLUTELY.
THE, THIS IS A CREATIVE THING.
THERE'S AN ENTIRE LIVELIHOOD, MULTIPLE LIVELIHOODS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO EACH OF THESE CREATIVE PROJECTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ANYONE THAT DIDN'T SIGN UP THAT WANTS TO COMMENT.
IF NOT, UH, IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
THE MEETING IS HEREBY ADJOURN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND PARTICIPATION AND THE TIME IS 3 27.