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[Arts & Culture Committee on September 11, 2024.]
COMMITTEE MEETING OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH, UH, 2:05 PM GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.UM, THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND WILL BE BROADCAST LIVE ON HTV, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S MUNICIPAL CHANNEL.
PRESENTATIONS AND HANDOUTS FOR TODAY'S MEETING ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON WEBSITE, HOUSTON TX.GOV/COUNCIL FORWARD SLASH COMMITTEES.
UM, WE ARE JOINED TODAY BY STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S, OFFICE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE.
YOU CAN CARRY ON FOR A MINUTE.
UM, SO I WANNA START BY WELCOMING EVERYONE TO THIS IN-PERSON MEETING.
UM, WE HAVE SEVERAL IMPORTANT TOPICS THAT WE WILL BE DISCUSSING TODAY, AND WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SO MANY LEADERS FROM THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMUNITY HERE WITH US.
UM, IT'S INVALUABLE TO HAVE THIS MUCH, UH, SUPPORT AND, UH, THIS MUCH PRESENCE HERE AT OUR COMMITTEE.
IT'S A BRAND NEW COMMITTEE, UM, AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO SEE SUCH STRONG ENGAGEMENT.
UH, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, NICOLE IRVING, THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS HERE AS WELL.
UM, SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE EVERYONE.
AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA START, I WILL NOTE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, SO WE WON'T BE TAKING ANY VOTES.
UM, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, FIRST ON THE AGENDA IS THE MUSIC PROGRAM OVERVIEW, AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO CALL UP GRACIE CHAVEZ.
JASON KANE, AND CLAUDIA DESCO GRACIE FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, MUSIC AND CULTURAL TOURISM OFFICE.
JASON MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ENTERTAINMENT, HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW, RODEO, AND CLAUDIA, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER.
AND WE WILL BEGIN OUR PRESENTATIONS.
SO, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, CO-CHAIRS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ.
AND, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, MY FELLOW ARTISTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
UM, BUT I'D BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T TAKE A MOMENT TO HONOR AND REMEMBER, LIVES LOST ON NINE 11.
I'M HERE TODAY, UM, TO DISCUSS THE ONGOING WORK IN MUSIC FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SINCE THE FIRST COMMITTEE MEETING, WE HEARD FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, UM, THE CIVIC PROGRAM, UH, ART PROGRAM MANAGER INTRODUCED THE UPCOMING HUMAN PUBLIC ART PROJECT FUNDED BY BLOOMBERG MOCA'S DIRECTOR PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW ON THE WAYS THE CITY SUPPORTS THE ARTS SLIDE, BUT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
ASIDE FROM MANAGING AND SUPPORTING HOUSTON'S CULTURAL INVESTMENTS BY IMPLEMENTING POLICIES AND INITIATIVES THAT ENHANCE ACCESS TO CREATIVE AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES ACROSS THE CITY AND ACROSS DIVERSE CREATIVE ECOSYSTEMS, UH, INCLUDING PUBLIC ART GRANTS, CULTURAL FACILITIES, AND NOW MUSIC SLIDE.
HOUSTON MUSIC IS ONE OF OUR CITY'S TRULY RICH CULTURAL ASSETS.
SUPPORTING HOUSTON'S MUSIC INDUSTRY IS CRUCIAL FOR SUSTAINING NOT ONLY LOCAL MUSICIANS AND A THRIVING MUSIC SCENE, BUT ALSO ITS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THE ADMINISTRATION IN OUR OFFICE ARE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO ENHANCING SUPPORT FOR MUSIC
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BY APPOINTING A DEDICATED INDIVIDUAL TO LEAD THIS INITIATIVE AND BY PROACTIVELY SEEKING INPUT FROM OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.I'M THE, UH, UH, MUSIC AND CULTURAL TOURISM OFFICER FOR, UM, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
BUT, UH, OVER THE LAST 28 YEARS, UH, IT'S, IT WAS MY EXPERIENCE AS A MUSIC JOURNALIST AND MUSICIAN WITH DEEP ROOTS IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT LED ME TO THIS, UM, FOUNDING ROLE AT THE CITY SLIDE.
AND ONE OF MY FIRST INITIATIVES WAS FACILITATING MAKE MUSIC DAY HERE IN HOUSTON.
SINCE 2021, HOUSTON HAS JOINED OVER 1000 INTERNATIONAL CITIES FOR A GLOBAL CELEBRATION OF LIVE MUSIC ON THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER, JUNE 21ST.
AND IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE'VE SEEN ATTENDANCE GROW FROM 5,000 AND UP EACH SUMMER, UH, VENUES AND PERFORMERS PARTICIPATING, INCLUDING OUR CONSULAR CORE, UM, WITH NINE PERFORMANCES HOSTED AT THE OPENING OF THE EASTERN GLADES, UH, SECTION OF MEMORIAL PARK.
AND THAT WAS HOSTED BY THE FRENCH CONSULATE.
AND INCLUDING IN THAT PARTICIPATION WAS ALSO SEVEN CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICTS.
DOZENS OF NEIGHBORHOODS PARTICIPATED, AND MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS AND MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATIONS SLIDE.
AND IN THOSE FOUR YEARS, UM, THERE HAS BEEN, UM, ONGOING PARTNERSHIPS, NOT ONLY WITH THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF FRANCE IN HOUSTON, BUT, UH, AND THE HOUSTON PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION, BUT ALSO NOW DOWNTOWN HOUSTON PLUS.
AND IN ONE OF THOSE HIGHLIGHTS, UM, THIS SUMMER, WE ALSO KICKED OFF, UM, MAKE MUSIC DAY CEREMONIES AT MARKET SQUARE AND HAVE HAD MANY PERFORMANCES LIKE, UH, TAIKO DRUMMING AT ROTHKO CHAPEL SOUND BATH AT DISCOVERY GREEN.
OUR METRO STATIONS HAVE ALSO BEEN ACTIVATED WITH MUSICIANS, UH, EVEN FLOWER POT MUSIC AT MANDEL PARK AND MANY, MANY PERFORMANCES, UM, ACROSS OUR MUSIC BUSINESSES, UM, IN THE CITY AND OUTSIDE THE OUTSIDE THE CITY.
THE NEXT INITIATIVE WAS, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION'S NEED FOR, UH, BECOMING CERTIFIED WITH THE STATE.
AND HOUSTON WAS, UH, STATE CERTIFIED AS A MUSIC FRIENDLY CITY THAT SAME YEAR BY THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE AS PART OF BECOMING A TEXAS CERTIFIED MUSIC COMMUNITY.
UM, HOUSTON CONFIRMED A MUSIC OFFICER LIAISON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM, LAUNCHED A LOCAL MUSIC DIRECTORY AND CREATED A MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD SLIDE.
AND WITH SUCH SIGNIFICANCE TO WHO HE, WHO HOUSTON IS, THIS OFFICE RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO ESTABLISH A BOARD TO IMPACT AND INFLUENCE THE CITY'S WORK.
IN 2022, CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AN ORDINANCE DRAFTED BY MYSELF TO ESTABLISH THE HOUSTON ADVISORY BOARD APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR.
THE BOARD REPRESENTS THE DIVERSITY, INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCES, AND, I'M SORRY, EXPERTISE IN HOUSTON'S MUSIC COMMUNITY SLIDE.
AND THE HOUSTON MUSIC ADVISORY, UH, BOARD'S MISSION IS TO SERVE AS A LIAISON BETWEEN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY AND OUR MUNICIPALITY TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES AND FOSTER THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSTON'S MUSICIANS.
A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING IS ALSO FOUND ON THIS MICROSITE HOUSTON MUSIC LIVE.
THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE MADE UP OF NINE, BOARD OF NINE MEMBERS AND THREE ALTERNATES.
UM, AND THEY REPRESENT THE DIVERSITY AND INTERESTS.
OKAY, I SAID THAT
UH, ANNE LUNDY AND FORMER BOARD SECRETARY ERIC JIMENEZ SLIDE.
AND JUST A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
OUR BOARD O OFFICERS INCLUDE, UH, CHAIR JASON WOODS, VICE CHAIR, MARK AUSTIN, SECRETARY TRACY DENETTE, TREASURER, DREA THORNTON, ANNA GARZA, HENRY RY, BETTER KNOWN AS G DASH FROM SW HOUSE, ERICA DEION, JOGGY AL, JASON KANE, AND ALTERNATE BOARD MEMBERS, MARISSA SIGNS, MIKE MOORE, MICHAEL MOORE, AND LUPE OLIVARES JR.
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SLIDE.SO THE WORK CONTINUED AFTER THE CERTIFICATION AND THE ORDINANCE PASSING.
THE MUSIC COMMUNITY WAS INVITED TO JOIN THE INAUGURAL MUSIC BOARD AND MOCHA FOR A LISTENING SESSION.
AND MUCH LIKE A TOWN HALL MEETING, THIS IS WHERE THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, UH, WHERE MUSIC COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHARE FEEDBACK AND DISCUSS KEY ISSUES.
ANNUAL LISTENING, LISTENING SESSIONS ARE NOW SCHEDULED EACH FALL TO BETTER UNDERSTAND CURRENT CONCERNS IN OUR MUSIC ECOSYSTEM.
THIS COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ALSO HELPS MOCA AND MORE BE MORE RESPONSIVE AND RECALIBRATE RESOURCES OFFERED EACH YEAR.
SO THESE ACTIVITIES, UM, ARE DEVELOPED BY MYSELF WITH THE, UH, THE MUSIC BOARD SUPPORT THAT SHAPE EVENT PROGRAMMING AND WORKSHOPS TO CONTINUE THE ADVANCEMENT OF OUR HOUSTON MUSIC COMMUNITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, BASED ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FROM FALL OF 20 22, 3 FOCUS TOPICS WERE DESIGNATED FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AND THAT WAS MUSIC EDUCATION, COLLABORATION, AND HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SLIDE.
IN 2023, WE BEGUN, WE BEGAN WITH A SERIES OF PANEL DISCUSSIONS, UH, THAT WE DEVELOPED AT OUR OFFICE AND MOD.
IT WAS MODERATED BY DONNIE, UH, HOUSTON, A PODCASTER THAT, UM, HAS A PRETTY LARGE FOLLOWING, UM, AND ALSO DEDICATED TO HOUSTON MUSIC.
AND THAT WOULD ENCOMPASS THE, UH, BOARD'S DESIGNATED TOPICS TO ADDRESS THE HISTORY AND PRESERVATION OF HOUSTON MUSIC CULTURE.
IN THAT THREE PART SERIES, UH, WE INCORPORATED EDUCATION AND COLLABORATION WITH THE PRESERVATION THEMATIC WITH DISCUSSIONS AROUND PRESERVING HOUSTON MUSIC LANDMARKS, ENCOURAGING MORE RECORDINGS AND DOCUMENTATION, AND INSPIRING INTERGENERATIONAL MENTORSHIPS BETWEEN MUSICIANS.
EACH LIVE RECORDING IS AVAILABLE ON HOUSTON MUSIC LIVE AND ON DONNA HOUSTON'S PODCAST YOUTUBE SLIDE.
SO THE IMPACT FROM THAT FIRST YEAR, UM, INCLUDED STEPS TO PRESERVE OUR LOCAL MUSIC, HERITAGE, EDUCATION, AND HOPEFULLY PRIDE AROUND THE HISTORY OF OUR RICH MUSIC CULTURE.
AND THIRDLY, MEANINGFUL COLLABORATION BETWEEN GENERATIONS OF MUSICIANS AS WE ROLL INTO THE BEGINNING OF 2024.
UM, THIS YEAR'S FOCUS INCLUDED MUSIC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, GRANTS AND FUNDING, AND AGAIN, COLLABORATION IN RESPONSE.
OUR COMMUNITY ACTIVATIONS HAVE BEEN STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SOUND DIPLOMACY, U OF H LAW CENTER, TEXAS ACCOUNTANTS AND LAWYERS ASSOCIATION, SOUND SYNC MUSIC, AND OF COURSE, HOUSTON ARTS LINES.
ALL THOSE LIVE RECORDINGS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE, UM, ON OUR MICROSITE.
AND SO FAR, THIS YEAR'S IMPACT INCLUDES MAKING MORE MUSIC MUSICIANS OF AWARE OF GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, AND THE PROCESS INCREASING COLLABORATION BETWEEN LOCAL FILMMAKERS AND OUR MUSICIANS, AND HARNESSING THE IMPACT MUSIC CAN HAVE ON, UM, CITY ECONOMIES.
BUT THE TRUE MEASURE WILL COME, UM, EACH FALL, UM, AND LATER NEXT MONTH WHEN WE HOST ANOTHER LISTENING SESSION TO HEAR THAT FEEDBACK IN REAL TIME.
AND, UM, SO FAR THIS YEAR WE'VE ALSO, UM, BEEN, UM, GLAD THAT THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THROUGH OUR OFFICE AND WITH THE MUSIC BOARD HAS ALSO BEEN RECOGNIZED, NOT ONLY, BUT BY THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE, BUT ALSO, UM, SUGAR LAND.
TEXAS HAS BEEN INSPIRED BY THIS WORK, BUT I'D LIKE TO NOW INTRODUCE JASON KANE.
HE'S NOT ONLY ONE OF OUR MUSIC BOARD MEMBERS, BUT ALSO THE ESTEEM MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO.
THANK YOU VERY, AND EXCUSE ME, JUST A SECOND, LET ME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, UH, PO POSITION FIVE AT LARGE, WHO HAS JOINED US.
DON'T NEED TO, DON'T NEED TO PUSH IT.
UM, WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.
I, UM, UH, AM HERE TO REALLY SPEAK ABOUT TWO ASPECTS.
ONE IS THE IMPACT THAT MUSIC HAS HAD FOR THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO, WHICH HAS BEEN A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY SINCE 1932.
UM, AND SINCE 1948, WE HAD OUR FIRST MUSICAL ENTERTAINER, WHICH WAS GENE AUTRY, AMERICA'S FIRST MULTIMEDIA STAR.
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AND, UH, HE NOT ONLY PROVIDED MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE RODEO, BUT HE, UH, ALSO ACTUALLY PROVIDED THE STOCK TOO.HE HAD A STOCK COMPANY AT THAT TIME.
SO FOR OVER 92 YEARS, THE RODEO'S BEEN A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND ONE OF THE MAIN DRIVERS FOR THE RODEO HAS BEEN OUR MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT.
UH, OF COURSE, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IN APPROXIMATELY JANUARY, EVERYBODY STARTS TO ASK THE QUESTION WHO'S COMING TO THE RODEO? SO THAT THESE MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT ELEMENTS HAVE, HAVE BEEN, UH, A KEY PART OF ALL OF OUR MARKETING THAT GOES FORWARD INTO THE RODEO SEASON, WHICH OF COURSE TAKES UP MOST OF THE MONTH OF MARCH SLIDE.
NOW, TO KIND OF PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, GIVEN THAT MUSIC IS DRIVING, UH, A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IN TERMS OF YOUTH EDUCATION, RAISING MONEY FOR EDUCATION OVER THE, UH, HISTORY OF THE RODEO.
SINCE 1955, WE'VE RAISED, UH, OVER $500 MILLION FOR YOUTH AND EDUCATION.
AND AS PART OF OUR MISSION, UH, OVER THE RECENT HISTORY, WE'VE CONDUCTED, UH, AN ALL IMPORTANT ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY.
AND IN 24, OUR RESULTS, UH, REALLY SHOW IN, YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLE RETURN TO THE COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON, $326 MILLION OF TOTAL IMPACT, UH, $179 MILLION OF DIRECT SPENDING DIRECT JOBS OVER 3,500, AND OF COURSE, TOTAL JOBS, UH, OVER 5,600.
SO, UH, THIS KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS THE OVERALL IMPORTANCE THAT MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT PLAYS, NOT ONLY IN THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO, BUT ALSO IN THE, UH, COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON IN GENERAL.
AND PART OF THOSE, UM, MUSICAL ASSETS, UM, INCLUDE THE HOUSTON MUSIC DIRECTORY WE LAUNCHED IN 2022.
UM, MUSICIANS AND MUSIC PROFESSIONALS CAN NOW FIND ONE ANOTHER IN THIS SEARCHABLE DATABASE.
AND, UM, IT'S ALSO A GREAT WAY FOR THE CITY, UM, TO MARKET OUR CREATIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY ACROSS THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA.
SO, IF YOU'RE A MUSICIAN OR IF YOU'RE A MUSIC PRO, UM, YOU'RE ENCOURAGED TO, UM, SCAN AND OR GET STARTED BY GOING TO, UH, HOUSTON MUSIC LIVE, UM, TO THE MUSIC DIRECTORY.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER 500, UM, FOLKS THAT HAVE CREATED A PROFILE.
AND SO NOT ONLY ARE WE USING THIS INTERNALLY HERE AT THE CITY, BUT THESE ARE ALSO OPPORTUNITIES AS WE GET SPORTING EVENTS LIKE THE WORLD CUP COMING IN, UM, FOR FOLKS TO FIND THAT CREATIVE, UM, THOSE MUSICIANS HERE IN OUR CITY.
UM, SLIDE ONE WAY WE'RE GOING TO USE, UH, THIS MUSIC DIRECTORY IS ALSO SUPPORTING OTHER MUSIC PROGRAMS. UM, LANDMARK PERFORMING ARTS VENUES LIKE MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER CONTINUE TO OFFER PAID OPPORTUNITIES TO MANY OF OUR EMERGING LOCAL MUSICIANS.
THE MUSIC BOARD AND MOCA HAVE PARTNERED WITH MILLER TO SUPPORT MILLER SUMMER MIXTAPE CONCERTS EACH YEAR THAT FEATURE THESE TALENTED ARTISTS.
A REGISTRATION DRIVE WILL BE PART OF A CALL FOR ARTISTS, AND THE MUSICAL LINEUPS WILL BE CURATED FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTORY FOR SHOWCASES SLIDE.
SO, AS WE WENT OVER, THESE ARE THE PILLARS THAT GIVE US A VALUABLE FOUNDATION FOR ALL THE SUPPORT WE'RE BU WE'RE BUILDING IN ORDER FOR OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY TO THRIVE IN COMING YEARS.
HOUSTON'S HOUSTON'S MUSIC IS KNOWN FOR ITS UNIQUE AND INFLUENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS WORLDWIDE, BUT BACK HOME, OUR MUSIC INDUSTRY IS VIBRANT, DIVERSE, AND CONTINUALLY EVOLVING.
AND IT HAS A STRONG EMPHASIS ON INDIVIDUALITY AND CULTURAL EXPRESSION.
AND WHILE HOUSTON RAP MAY DOMINATE, IT ALSO INCLUDES CLASSICAL COUNTRY, ZYDECO, JAZZ, DENO, AND CUMBIA, ALL THAT REFLECT OUR MULTICULTURAL POPULATION.
SO WHEN WE QUEUE UP OUR HOUSTON PLAYLIST, WE SHOULD ALL DO OUR PART IN FOSTERING ITS GROWTH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
I DON'T SEE ANY QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
I, I'M JUST BEEN ON LINE SINCE YOU'VE BEEN TALKING, LOOKING
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AROUND THE DIRECTORY.I MEAN, NOW I KNOW WHERE TO GO AND I'M LOOKING FOR A MUSICIAN.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
HOW, HOW IS THE, HOW HAVE YOU GOTTEN THE WORD OUT ABOUT FOR PEOPLE TO SIGN UP? I'M SURE THERE'S LOTS MORE OUT THERE.
UM, ONE WAY MOSTLY INITIALLY WAS, UH, WITH OUR INAUGURAL BOARD MM-HMM
AS THERE ARE ALSO STAKEHOLDERS IN OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.
THEY WERE ALSO INVOLVED, UM, YOU KNOW, DAY TO DAY WITH FOLKS THAT ARE NOT ONLY MUSICIANS, ARTISTS THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO OTHER, UM, MUSIC BUSINESS SUPPORT SYSTEMS. UM, AND SO THAT'S THE FIRST WAY WE, WE REALLY GOT THAT WORD OUT.
UM, ALL OF OUR LISTENING SESSIONS, ANOTHER GENERAL REMINDER THERE MM-HMM
AND THEN, UM, AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, MOST RECENTLY OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER.
HOPEFULLY THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT THAT WILL COME UP FOR PARTNERSHIPS.
AND I CAME IN A LITTLE BIT LATE, BUT WHAT IS THE ORGANIZATION THAT MADE THE DESIGNATION THAT WE'RE A MUSIC TEXAS? IT'S THE, IT'S THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE.
AND, AND THEY'RE LIKE A STATE YES.
WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, MA'AM.
THANK YOU, CHAIRWOMAN GRACIE, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING.
I, I'M AWARE THAT JUDGES RECENTLY STARTED UP AS A, UM, AS AN OFFICE, AND THEN OF COURSE, CREATING THE MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD.
AND, UH, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN, THAT YOU'VE SHARED SO FAR, UH, I FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN A HEAVY LIFT, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF GOOD WORK BEING DONE WITHIN A YEAR OR SO TO, TO GET IT TO WHERE IT'S AT.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT ELSE CAN COME FROM IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING THAT I, THAT ATTRACTED ME WAS THE, TO, TO THE PRESENTATION WAS THE MILLER SUMMER MIX TAPE.
AND, AND WHAT COMES TO MIND MORE AND MORE IS, UH, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT HOUSTON BECOMES A DESTINATION, NOT JUST FOR THE RODEO, WHICH IS A STAPLE FOR THE CITY, BUT ALSO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, IN AUSTIN.
HOW DO WE BRING TECH INVOLVED AS WELL? UM, REALLY CREATING A, A, A DESTINATION WHEN IT COMES TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE ON THAT SPACE.
SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING BRING SOME OF THOSE PARTNERS AS WELL.
THERE'S SOME FOLKS, UH, ONE OF 'EM IS YOUR ALTERNATE BOARD MEMBER, UM, UM, RISA, YEAH, SORRY, UH, MARISSA, WHO DOES A LOT OF WORK ALREADY IN THE CITY, AND I THINK THEY'RE JUST, UH, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE THAT FOLKS ARE COMING TO HOUSTON, SPENDING MONEY, RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING, THAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, SALES TAX THAT WE CAN GET AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, HOWEVER WE COULD BE OF HELP, DEFINITELY WANNA BE A PARTNER.
ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT SINCE LAST YEAR'S, UH, TEXAS LEGISLATURE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE CREATING MORE INCENTIVES FOR THE FILM INDUSTRY TO COME TO HOUSTON, I'M SORRY, TO TEXAS, THERE ARE MORE OPPORTUNITIES ALSO FOR, NOT ONLY FOR OUR LOCAL MUSICIANS, BUT OUR REGIONAL MUSICIANS, NOT ONLY TO LICENSE MUSIC, BUT ALSO SCORE STUFF.
SO, UM, A LOT OF THAT, UH, CONNECTIVE TISSUE IS HAPPENING NOW.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK.
AND, AND I GUESS I SHOULD GIVE, GIVE Y'ALL A SHOUT OUT AS WELL.
FOR JUNE 21ST, I WAS PART OF THE MUSIC, UH, MAKE MUSIC DAY, UH, AT MARKET SQUARE, AND IT WAS, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT TO KICK OFF.
UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER WE CAN CONTINUE TO GIVE MORE EXPOSURE TO THAT EVENT, TO SEE THOSE POPUP MUSIC, UH, EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY.
UH, AGAIN, CONSIDER US A PARTNER.
UH, BOTH GRACIE AND JASON, CERTAINLY.
WHO, UH, IS ACTUALLY A, A VERY, VERY CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE.
WE WENT TO SCHOOL TOGETHER, HER MOM WAS MY TEACHER, ALL OF THAT.
AND SHE WAS MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THE HOUSTON MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD.
AND SO CERTAINLY, UM, I KNOW OF HER WORK.
AND SO, JUST MY FINAL QUESTION, JASON, GIVE, GIVE A INSIDE SCHOOL.
ANYWAY, WELL, THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR COMING DOWN AND GIVING US THIS INSIGHTFUL INFORMATION.
AND NOW WE'LL HAVE MY FRIEND CLAUDIA DESCO OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER.
CLAUDIA GIVES ME, UH, 10 MINUTES OF FAME EVERY TIME THEY HAVE A MAJOR PRODUCTION, AND SHE ALLOWS ME TO COME AND GREET THE CROWD.
SO, YOU KNOW, THANKS CLAUDIA, AND THANK YOU.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ.
IT HAS BEEN SO EVIDENTLY CLEAR WHEN I GOT HERE, I WAS TOLD OF YOUR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT OF MILLER OUTDOOR, AND JUST IN MY FIRST YEAR, UH, HERE AS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE MILLER THEATER ADVISORY BOARD, I HAVE SEEN THAT TO BE TRUE.
SO I REALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND I THANK YOU MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE FOR BEING HERE FOR LENDING ME YOUR TIME.
TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THIS HOUSTON BELOVED INSTITUTION, I'M CLAUDIA DE VASCO, THE NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE MILLER THEATER ADVISORY BOARD, AS PART OF THE ROSTER OF ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
NOW, MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER IS SO FAMILIAR TO ALL MANY HOUSTONIANS, IF NOT JUST FOR ROLLING DOWN
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THAT HILL AS WE WERE KIDS.AND I STILL SEE THE KIDS DOING IT EVERY WEEK AT THEIR FIELD TRIPS, BUT FOR THE SHOWS THAT WE GET TO ENJOY UNDER THE STARS.
SO TODAY, I HOPE TO GIVE YOU MORE INSIGHT ON MILLER OUTDOOR, IN HOPES, UH, THAT YOU WOULD KEEP THIS HOUSTON GYM IN YOUR CONSIDERATIONS AS YOU DISCUSS PERFORMING ARTS SUPPORT IN HOUSTON AS A CRUCIAL COMPONENT TO A THRIVING, INDUSTRIOUS AND FUTURE MINDED CITY.
SLIDE A COUPLE OF SLIDES, ACTUALLY.
MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER WAS FOUNDED OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
LAST YEAR WAS CELEBRATED OUR HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY.
WE'VE BEEN PRODUCING PERFORMING ARTS FREE TO THE PUBLIC SINCE THAT TIME, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
IN 1970, BY ORDINANCE ISSUED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE MILLER THEATER ADVISORY BOARD WAS FOUNDED AND CHARGED WITH STEWARDING FUNDS TO PRODUCE FREE PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS TO HOUSTONIANS AND VISITORS AT MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER, MTAP.
THE ORGANIZATION THAT I LEAD UPHOLDS THE PROGRAMMING TO OUR CORE VALUES BY REVIEWING AND APPROVING THE CALENDAR OF PERFORMANCES AND ENSURING THAT THE SEASON REFLECTS THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN ITS DIVERSITY AND OFFERINGS.
OUR BOARD CONSISTS OF 21 MEMBERS, EACH APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR WHO HOLDS OFFICE AT THE TIME THAT THERE IS A VACANCY, AND THEN CONFIRMED BY COUNCIL AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SLIDE NOW, MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER.
THE STRUCTURE, THE HILL, THE ENTIRE FOOTPRINT IS A VENUE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OPERATED AND MANAGED BY HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION AS REFLECTED IN AN MOU BETWEEN THE CITY AND HOUSTON.
FIRST, IN ABOUT 2013, OUR TWO TEAMS, MT.
A AND THE MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER, HOUSTON FIRST VENUE TEAM, WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER TO PRODUCE OUR FULL SEASON OF FREE PERFORMANCES, WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CITY AND PARK ENTITIES SUCH AS THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT,
WE ALSO SHARE RESOURCES AND ARE STARTING TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS FOR COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER PRESENTERS IN TOWN.
ALSO PRESENT IN THE ROOM HOBBY CENTER, AND, UM, UH, DISCOVERY GREEN, UH, PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON.
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES, THE ADVISORY BOARD OF MILLER THEATER ADVISORY BOARD AND PAST LEADERSHIP HAVE REALLY WORKED DILIGENTLY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PERFORMANCES AT MILLER, WHICH WE REALLY SEE HA SAW HAPPEN OVER THE LAST 20 OR SO YEARS, ENSURING THAT HOUSTONIANS HAVE ACCESS TO NOT JUST FREE PERFORMANCES, BUT HIGH CALIBER PROFESSIONAL PERFORMING ARTS SLIDE.
MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER IS HOUSTON'S GATEWAY TO THE PERFORMING ARTS, BOTH FOR LOCALS WHO MAY STILL BE HESITANT TO EXPLORE CERTAIN GENRES, OR THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO BUY TICKETS, HOWEVER, HIGH OR LOW THEY MIGHT BE, THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A RELAXED EXPERIENCE TO BRING FAMILIES OR HAVE PERHAPS HAVE NEVER ENGAGED WITH PERFORMING ARTS AND ARE MAYBE TENTATIVE ABOUT WHAT IT MIGHT FEEL LIKE TO ATTEND.
BUT IT'S ALSO A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE THAT IS ONLY FOUND IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR HOUSTON FOR HOUSTONIANS, BUT ALSO TO THE VISITORS OF THIS GREAT CITY.
WHILE WE ALL KNOW MILLER OUTDOOR, I OFTEN FIND THAT FOLKS PERHAPS DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY, UH, WHAT PROGRAMMING IS COMPRISED OF AT OUR THEATER.
MOST ARE NOT AWARE THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR PERFORMANCES AT MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER ARE FROM ARE PRODUCED BY LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND CULTURAL NONPROFITS FROM THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY TO SMALLER YET REALLY WONDERFUL, FANTASTIC COMPANIES LIKE OPEN DANCE PROJECT AND DS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC, APOLLO CHAMBER PLAYERS, AND SBA TO NAME JUST A FEW.
WE ALSO OFFER WEEKDAY MATINEES FOR YOUTH PERFORMANCE OR YOUTH PERFORMANCES, BRINGING IN STUDENTS ALL OVER THE REGION FOR MUSIC, DANCE, THEATER, OPERA, ENRICHMENT, AND OUR MILLER PRESENTS SERIES ALLOWS US TO BRING IN TURING AND NATIONAL SHOWS AS WELL AS CURATED PERFORMANCES SUPPORTING LOCAL ARTISTS WITH PAID OPPORTUNITIES, AS YOU HEARD FROM GRACIE, SUCH AS OUR MILLER SUMMER MIXTAPE, UH, WHICH WE JUST HAD ABOUT A FEW WEEKS AGO.
ACTUALLY, MILLER ALSO HOSTS ANNUAL SIGNATURE CULTURAL EVENTS, SUCH AS OUR JUNETEENTH CONCERTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION, AS WELL AS ELTO AT MILLER, WHICH IS COMING UP ON SUNDAY.
NOW, PRIOR TO COVID MILLER WAS BRINGING IN OVER 400,000 VISITORS TO OUR PERFORMANCES A YEAR.
NOW WE'RE STILL BUILDING UP AFTER THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT WE ARE EXPECTING TO SERVE OVER 250,000 VISITORS BY THE END OF THIS SEASON.
ALL THIS FREE PROGRAMMING, OF COURSE, IS NOT FREE TO PRODUCE.
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.
AS HOT FUNDS MAKE UP 80 TO 85% OF OUR ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET.
ADDITIONAL FUNDS ARE RAISED FROM GRANTS, FOUNDATIONS, INDIVIDUAL DONORS, AND CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS SLIDE.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET
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IS SPENT ON THE PERFORMING ARTS, PRODUCING THE SHOWS, AND THE PROMOTING OF THOSE SHOWS.WHEN OUR LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS FROM HOUSTON GRAND OPERA TO COMMUNITY MUSIC CENTER OF HOUSTON ARE OFFERED A PERFORMANCE SPOT AFTER AN APPLICATION AND REVIEW PROCESS EVERY YEAR, MT A THEN GRANTS FUNDS TO THOSE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT THEM WITH PRODUCTION COSTS.
M TTAB NOW ALSO COVERS THE COST OF PRODUCING AT MILLER SECURITY USHERS, VENUE PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT, SOME THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO OUR VENUE BECAUSE WE ARE IN A PARK, A CHANGE THAT WE MADE AFTER COVID TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR OUR PARTNERS TO RE RETURN TO OUR THEATER.
THIS DID INCREASE OUR ANNUAL COST SIGNIFICANTLY.
IN ADDITION TO THE COSTS THAT WE'VE INCURRED AFTER COVID LAYOFFS AFFECTING THE HOUSTON FIRST VENUE PRODUCTION TEAM.
IN ADDITION TO THE THESE EXPENSES, MTA STAFFS A SMALL TEAM OF FIVE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND ONE PART-TIME EMPLOYEE ALONGSIDE HUNDREDS OF CONTRACTED WORKERS THROUGHOUT OUR SEASON.
OUR VENUE PARTNER HOUSTON, FIRST GROUP STAFFS, A GROUP OF SEVEN FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND SEVERAL ADDITIONAL WORKERS, SECURITY, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS.
AND THOUGH THEY ARE NOT DIRECTLY EMPLOYED BY MT A B, WE ARE ALL PART OF THE UNIFIED FAMILY AT MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER, WITHOUT WHOM WE'D BE ABLE TO OPERATE.
MILLER IS NOT ONLY A CULTURE CULTURAL GEM IN HOUSTON, BECAUSE OF OUR EXCEPTIONAL PROGRAMMING AND WIDESPREAD ARTS ACCESS, WE'RE NOT ONLY SIGNIFICANT IN THE LANDSCAPE OF HOUSTON'S ARTS AND CULTURE OFFERINGS, BECAUSE WE ARE THE LARGEST VENUE OF OUR KIND IN THE COUNTRY.
WE'RE ALSO NOT ONLY SPECIAL AND BELOVED BECAUSE WE FEATURE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT DON'T HAVE PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE OF MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER, OR BECAUSE OF OUR DIVERSE PROGRAMMING.
WE ARE A FORCE IN HOUSTON, REGARDLESS OF US BEING A FREE VENUE, AS AN E ECONOMIC GENERATOR, AS A PROVIDER OF FUNDING JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY THIS YEAR, WE GRANTED 39 ORGANIZATIONS, ROUGHLY $750,000.
AND THAT IS SOLELY THE AMOUNT WE SPENT TO FUND THE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTING THEIR PRODUCTION COSTS.
AS AN EXAMPLE, I'LL GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IT COSTS ONE OF OUR PRODUCING PARTNERS TO PRODUCE AND, UH, SHOW AT MILLER, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS CO IT COST THEM ABOUT $500,000 TO PRODUCE A TWO NIGHT SHOW AT MILLER, WE GRANT THEM ABOUT $85,000.
THESE GRANTS ARE LESS NOW THAN THEY WERE BEFORE COVID.
IN ADDITION TO THAT GRANT, WE DO COVER THE PRODUCTION COSTS FOR THE, THAT PRODUCTION, ABOUT 25,000 IN PRODUCTION STAFF, RENT, INSURANCE, SECURITY USHERS, ET CETERA.
THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE WHAT IT COSTS THEM, THE REST OF THE, THE FUNDS THAT THEY HAVE TO RAISE TO MAKE THE SHOW HAPPEN, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE FUNDS THAT THEN WE PROVIDE, AND ALSO THEIR ADMIN AND OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
NOW, IF WE LIVE STREAM A SHOW TO REACH MORE FOLKS, UH, NOT JUST IN HOUSTON, BUT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL $6,000 PER SHOW.
AND THAT IS A BENEFIT THAT UNFORTUNATELY WE HAD TO CUT THIS SEASON FOR MANY OF OUR PARTNERS SLIDE.
I'VE BEEN HONORED THIS YEAR TO COME BACK TO MY HOMETOWN AND LEAD MILLER THEATER ADVISORY BOARD AS A NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR.
IT'S BEEN JUST ABOUT A YEAR SINCE I CAME BACK AFTER HAVING SPENT MY CAREER IN THE ARTS TV, FILM, AND THEATER BACK TO A VENUE THAT MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON MY LIFE AND WORK AS A, AN ARTS MANAGER, BUT AN ARTS CREATIVE, AN IMPACT ON ME AS A FIRST GENERATION MEXICAN AMERICAN, AN ALUM OF THE HISD ARTS MAGNET PROGRAMS. MILLER WAS MY FIRST SYMPHONY.
IT WAS MY FIRST SHAKESPEARE, AND IT WAS MY FIRST OPPORTUNITY PERFORMING IN A PROFESSIONAL VENUE WHEN I WAS AT H-S-P-V-A.
I KNOW FIRSTHAND THE SIGNIFICANCE THAT THIS INSTITUTION HAS ON OUR STUDENTS, ON OUR COMMUNITY, ON OUR PERCEPTION AS A WORLD CLASS CITY.
MY VISION FOR MILLER INCLUDES TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE HOW WE REFLECT DIVERSITY OF HOUSTON IN OUR PROGRAMMING, ESTABLISHING MILLER AS AN ASSET FOR LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, THE CITY HOUSTON FIRST, AND AUDIENCE BUILDING ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND OTHER STRATEGIC EFFORTS, INCREASING OUR IMPACT BY REACHING MORE PEOPLE IN HOUSTON AND THOSE WHO VISIT AND FOCUSING ON ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND PROFESSIONALS IN HOUSTON CAN ENJOY MILLER.
FOR THE NEXT A HUNDRED YEARS SLIDE.
I ASK YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING GOALS AND CHALLENGES AS YOU EXPLORE HOW YOU AND THE CITY CAN SUPPORT OUR WORK.
LAST YEAR, WE LAUNCHED A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN.
I BELIEVE YOU HAVE THE, UM, BROCHURE FOR THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR THREE VENUE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT WE ARE SEEKING TO FUND.
WE'RE CURRENTLY AT ABOUT 50% OF OUR GOAL.
THESE PROJECTS ARE MAINLY TO IMPROVE THE AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE, IMPROVE ACCESS ON THE HILL, A DA COMPLIANCE AND ADJUSTMENTS, AND IMPROVE THE SEATING, AS WELL AS CREATING A GATEWAY TO DIRECT AUDIENCES TO MILLER, HOPING TO BREAK GROUND WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
MT A IS CURRENTLY RAISING ALL THOSE FUNDS TO COVER THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION ON OUR OWN.
THE OTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS, AS A CITY VENUE, WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH HPRD, THE PARK, HERMAN PARK CONSERVANCY,
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TO MANAGE RESOURCE RESOURCES AT HERMAN PARK, INCLUDING TRAFFIC, PARKING, UH, SECURITY.HOWEVER, THE BIGGEST OF THESE CHALLENGES HAS BEEN PARKING CAPACITY AS MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED, UH, TRYING TO SEE A SHOW AT MILLER, OR FROM THE MANY STORIES I'VE HEARD FROM SEAN AT MILLER ABOUT SURGEONS NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE MEDICAL CENTER WHEN OUR SHOWS ARE TOO POPULAR, PLEASE CONSIDER THAT OFTENTIMES AS ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, WE HAVE OVERLAPPING NEEDS WITH OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, NEEDS IN OUR CITY, INCLUDING PARKS, METRO SAFETY, PUBLIC, AND EDUCATION.
AND FINALLY, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I WANNA COMMUNICATE IS THAT MILLER'S WORK RELIES ON THE SUPPORT OF ALL THE OTHER PERFORMING ARTS INSTITUTIONS IN HOUSTON.
SO SUPPORTING THE OTHER ARTS NONPROFITS, UH, NONPROFITS, BIG AND SMALL, THE OTHER PRESENTING COMPANIES IN TOWN, AND THE ORGANIZATIONS AND TEAMS THAT SUPPORT THEM, INCLUDING, UH, MOCA, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE AND OUR CULTURAL DISTRICTS IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER FOR US TO CONTINUE THAT WORK.
SO I'LL CLOSE WITH, UH, THE LAST SLIDE, WHICH IS ALSO TO PLEASE JOIN US AT MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER.
WE HAVE SHOWS, SHOWS UNTIL NOVEMBER 2ND.
IF YOU'D LIKE TICKETS, I'M HAPPY TO RESERVE THOSE FOR YOU SO YOU CAN COME CHECK OUT OUR SHOWS.
OUR, OUR SEASON ENDS ON, I BELIEVE I SAID NOVEMBER 2ND, MOSTLY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU ONE-ON-ONE IF I HAVEN'T ALREADY, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR VISION FOR THE CITY IS AND HOW MILLER CAN PERHAPS FIT IN THOSE GOALS AND STRATEGIES SO THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER UPLIFTING HOUSTON AS THE GREAT CITY THAT I GREW UP IN, AND THAT I KNOW THAT IT CONTINUES TO BE.
AND I SAID 10 MINUTES OF FAME.
IT'S ACTUALLY ONE MINUTE
THE ENTERTAINMENT IS JUST PHENOMENAL AND IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN FREE ENTERTAINMENT.
UH, AND SO I ALWAYS PUT IN THAT, THAT PLUG, BUT I ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE MENTIONED IT, BUT SHE'S ALSO THE FIRST LATINA MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT OUR DIRECTOR OF MOCA CERTAINLY ADVOCATED FOR YOU TO COME AND GIVE THIS PRESENTATION.
AND SO I AM THANKFUL TO BOTH OF YOU.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
UM, AND CLA CONGRATULATIONS ON, ON BEING THE MANAGING DIRECTOR.
UM, SOME FOLKS AROUND IN, IN THIS ROOM MIGHT REMEMBER THAT THERE IS SOME, UH, CONTENTIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ART AND WHAT IT COSTS AND, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW MUCH WE SHOULD BE INVESTING IN IT.
UM, YOU SHARED THAT 80 TO 85% IS FROM THE HOT FUNDS.
IF WE WERE TO RESTRUCTURE THAT HOT CONTRACT, UM, WHERE WE'RE TAKING AWAY MONEY, HOW, HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WILL IMPACT THE MILL OUTDOOR QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY AS IT IS AFTER THE PANDEMIC? JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER ARTS INSTITUTIONS, OUR PRODUCTION COSTS, OUR LABOR COSTS HAVE INCREASED QUITE DRAMATICALLY.
WE ARE ALREADY FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTINUE PROGRAMMING EVEN AT THE RATE THAT WE HAVE BEEN THESE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT AN INCREASE IN FUNDING.
UH, BUT MOSTLY I WANNA ADVOCATE FOR OUR PRODUCING PARTNERS, THE LOCAL PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
WE GIVE GRANTS, WHICH IS SOME FUNDING, BUT IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T COVER THE FULL COST OF DOING A FREE SHOW AT MILLER.
AND I, I FEAR FOR THE FUTURE OF MILLER, IF WE CAN'T SUSTAIN, UH, THEIR BEING ABLE TO PRODUCE TO OFFER THAT FREE PROGRAMMING TO THE CITY.
I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THEM, AND CERTAINLY ANY REDUCTION IN THE FUNDING WOULD MEAN THAT WE ALSO, UH, HAVE TO, UH, RECONSIDER HOW WE FUND THOSE SHOWS.
UH, AND I WANT TO DEFINITELY THANK THE CHAIRWOMAN AND THE, AND VICE CHAIR FOR, UH, AND OF COURSE, THE DIRECTOR FOR BRINGING YOU UP.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THESE OPEN CONVERSATIONS SO THAT WAY THERE'S A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, WHAT THAT MEANS TO THE CITY.
UM, I I THINK THE CONVERSATION WAS, WELL, ART, AND IT'S USUALLY THINGS THAT ARE PAINTED, OR IT'S NOT JUST PAINT RIGHT, UH, ON A WALL, UH, PER SE, BUT ALSO THE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
UH, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT IS, UH, FOR THE CITY WHEN IT COMES TO THE MILLER OUTDOOR? AS FAR AS, OR DO YOU HAVE THAT NUMBER? I DID, AND YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T BRING IT TODAY, BUT ONE THING I KNOW I BELIEVE, UM, UH, FOLKS HAVE SHARED WITH YOU PREVIOUSLY THE WORK OF AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS AND THEIR RECENT SURVEY.
THERE'S ALSO AN ECONOMIC, OR AN, UH, UH, GENERATOR, A CALCULATOR IS WHAT I MEANT TO SAY, TO SEE HOW MUCH EACH AR YOU CAN PLUG IN YOUR NUMBERS TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU GENERATE.
I CAN'T GIVE YOU A NUMBER AT THE MOMENT.
UM, AND CERTAINLY NOT AS MUCH AS SOME OF THE REALLY LARGE ARTS INSTITUTIONS IN TOWN, BUT SIGNIFICANT NONETHELESS, AND ALSO AS A WHOLE INDUSTRY, QUITE SIGNIFICANT IN TEXAS.
SO, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD JUST CLOSE WITH THIS CHAIR, MY CHALLENGE TO YOU AND TO EVERYONE IN THIS, IN THIS ROOM, UM, WE HAD FOLKS COME IN AND SAYING, WHY ART? I WOULD NEED MY, MY DRAINAGE FIXED.
[00:40:01]
WHY ART? I NEED MY ROADS FIXED.UM, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, FOR YOU ALL TO ALSO BURDEN SOME OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO COME IN FROM THE COUNCIL TO HELP EDUCATE US ALL ON WHAT THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT IS, UH, WHAT, UH, REDUCING THE HOT CONTRACT WILL DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE ARE DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING IN THAT ARE DEDICATED TO THE ARTS.
YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY TAKE 'EM AWAY AND PUT 'EM INTO ROADS, RIGHT? YOU CAN'T PUT 'EM INTO DRAINAGE.
AND SO, I, I, I REALLY, AND I'M LOOKING OUT TO THE AUDIENCE NOW, UM, THIS IS A, THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT WE ALL NEED TO HAVE WITH, UH, THE REST OF THIS BODY WHENEVER WE'RE HERE AND, AND LISTENING TO FOLKS.
BECAUSE WHAT RISES TO THE TOP IS, UH, WHY ARE WE PAINTING FOR A MURAL? WHY ARE WE PAYING FOR A MURAL WHEN WE NEED OUR, OUR DITCHES, UH, MODE AND MAINTAIN? AND SO I CHALLENGE YOU ALL, I WELCOME YOU ALL, AND KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SUPPORTERS HERE AROUND THE HORSESHOE THAT WANNA SEE, UH, THE ARTS CONTINUE TO BRING IN DOLLARS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND PROVIDING A SPACE FOR LOCAL ARTISTS, WHETHER IT'S MUSIC, WHETHER IT'S MURALS, ART, AND IN WHATEVER, WHATEVER FORM.
UH, AND SO AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AT THE MINERAL OUTDOOR.
MAY I ADD A COMMENT AS WELL TO SUPPLEMENT? UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
IF THERE'S ONE POINT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT THE, THE IMPACT THAT THE ARTS HAS IN TEXAS WHERE ONE IN 25 JOBS IS IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES, THE, THE NUMBER FOR HOUSTON, I BELIEVE IS IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FOLKS WORK SPECIFICALLY IN ARTS.
BUT ALL THE OTHER, UH, FOLKS THAT WORK TO MAKE THE PERFORMING ARTS HAPPEN ARE OFTENTIMES WHAT WE FORGET ARE PART OF THE BIG, UH, YOU KNOW, NETWORK OF PEOPLE.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FUNDING FOR THE ARTS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, JOBS AT, AT MILLER.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HIRE SECURITY OFFICERS.
UH, WE KEEP THOSE BATHROOMS OPEN THROUGHOUT THE WEEK FOR VISITORS, UH, AT HERMAN PARK, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, HUMAN, UH, HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION FUNDS THAT.
BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER JOBS AT MILLER, UH, AT THE OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, FROM DESIGNERS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, LABOR WORKERS THAT I, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY ARTS ORGANIZATION THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO RECENTLY, UH, THAT'S OPERATING IN A SURPLUS WITH SORT OF FLUFFY THINGS.
WE'RE, WE'RE ALL TRYING TO HOLD ONTO OUR PEOPLE.
AND I DO THINK THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, SUPPORTING THE ARTS AND, AND WHAT THAT FUNDING LOOK LIKE, LOOKS LIKE WE CAN MOST ALMOST ALWAYS DIRECT TO CONNECT LEAD TO JOBS OF PEOPLE HERE IN HOUSTON.
RECOGNIZING VICE CHAIR, MARIO CASTILLO.
UM, CLAUDIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, UH, ALL THE INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, WE HEAR ABOUT THE MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER, AND EVERY TIME, YOU KNOW, WE GET INFORMATION OR WE GET SOMEONE THAT COMES UP TO TALK ABOUT IT, IT JUST, UH, AMAZES YOU AGAIN BECAUSE IT'S SO UNIQUE AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO IMPACTFUL TO THE CITY.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEING A CHILD AND SEEING YOUR FIRST, UM, WHATEVER IT WAS THAT YOU SAW MANY TIMES THERE.
AND THAT TOOK ME BACK TO BEING THERE AS A KID AND ALL THE KIDS THAT HAVE HAD THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCE, UH, AT THE MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER.
AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, INTO ADULTHOOD WITH FAMILIES, YOU NAME IT.
UM, IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO HEAR, UH, AGAIN, JUST ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
UM, AND I WANT TO ECHO, YOU KNOW, THE DESIRE FOR THE REAL NUMBERS AROUND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT BECAUSE, UM, WE CAN'T OVERSTATE THAT.
AND, AND I THINK THAT IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE IT CAN GET LOST IN ALL OF THE OTHER GREAT WORK THAT IS BEING DONE THERE.
UH, ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SUPPORTED AND THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PERFORMANCES THAT WE BRING IN AND THE CROWDS.
UM, BUT THAT'S A REAL IMPACT THAT WE FEEL AS A CITY.
AND, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUES, TAX REVENUES, SALES, TAX REVENUES, I MEAN, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE TIED TO PERFORMANCES AT THE MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER, SPENDING AT OUR LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS, OUR RESTAURANTS, YOU NAME IT.
UM, PARKING, YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS.
SO IT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
UM, AND EVEN IF IT MAY NOT BE AS BIG AS THE OTHER INSTITUTIONS, IT ALL ADDS UP.
AND, AND EVERY OTHER ORGANIZATION OUT THERE THAT HAS AN IMPACT, YOU KNOW, THOSE START TO BECOME REAL NUMBERS WHEN YOU COUPLE THEM TOGETHER.
AND, UM, SO WHENEVER THAT INFORMATION CAN BE PROVIDED, UM, PLEASE DO SEND IT, BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW.
UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SHARE WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AND, AND JUST WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS AS WELL.
UM, BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE TALK ABOUT, UH, THE IMPORTANCE
[00:45:01]
OF THE MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER, AS WE TALK ABOUT OTHER COMPONENTS OF OUR ART AND CULTURE, UM, WE WANNA ALSO KNOW WHAT IMPACT ANY POTENTIAL REDUCTION HAS AS WELL.UM, AND IF IT'S A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF FUNDING, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU? DOES THAT MEAN CUTTING SHOWS? DOES THAT MEAN CUTTING EMPLOYEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? BECAUSE THAT, AGAIN, IS A REAL IMPACT THAT YOU'RE FACING AND THAT OTHER PORTIONS OF OUR ARTS AND CULTURE AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE FACING.
AND SO, YES, WE WANT TO KNOW THE IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, BUT ALSO, UH, WHAT ANY POTENTIAL REDUCTION OR CUT WOULD LOOK LIKE AS WE DEBATE, YOU KNOW, THESE DECISIONS.
WELL, THANK YOU CLAUDIA
AND IT'S GREAT TO HEAR HOW OUR ICONIC OUTDOOR VENUE CONTINUES TO ENHANCE HOUSTON'S CULTURAL TOURISM THROUGH MUSIC AND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
OKAY, OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS AN UPDATE ON HOUSTON'S CULTURAL DISTRICTS, WHICH PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE CITY'S ARTISTIC LANDSCAPE.
WE'RE EXCITED TO HEAR FROM TWO LEADERS IN THIS AREA WHO ARE HELPING DRIVE THE VISION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THESE CULTURAL HUBS.
MARCY DALLAS, FOUNDER OF CULTURAL LAUNCH IS OUR FIRST PRESENTER FOR THIS SECTION, AND SHE, AGAIN, IS THE, UH, FOUNDER.
AND SO WE, WE KNOW WE ARE GONNA GET A GREAT PRESENTATION, AND CERTAINLY, UH, YOU MAY PROCEED.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING US, AND THANK YOU FOR INVITING US TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.
WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
AND WE'RE ALSO REALLY HAPPY TO TAKE COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ UP ON HIS INVITATION TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE ARTS AND CULTURE IS DOING FOR HOUSTON, BOTH HERE AND TO CITY COUNCIL.
CULTURAL DISTRICTS ARE INTERESTED IN THAT.
THE ART SECTOR'S REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT, SO YOU'LL SEE US AROUND.
UM, WE'RE GONNA START SO LONG, UM, FROM YEP, WE START AND WE TOUCH.
WE GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT THE DISTRICTS THEMSELVES.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING, UM, UH, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, SINCE 1937, HOUSTON ENDOWMENT HAS BEEN INTEGRAL TO THE GROWTH OF HOUSTON ENDOW OF, OF, OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, AND WE HAVE EVOLVED OUR FUNDING AS THE CITY EVOLVES, RIGHT? UM, AND SO, UH, AN ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE OF HOW WE WORK IN COMMUNITIES, UH, WAS THE RECENT GROUNDBREAKING OF RIVERSIDE HOSPITAL.
WE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO PURCHASE THE HOSPITAL AND RECONVEY THAT BACK TO THE COUNTY SO THAT IT CAN TURN THE HOSPITAL BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL HEALTH HUB.
THIS IS HOW WE WORK OFTEN QUIETLY.
UM, AT HOUSTON ENDOWMENT, WE AIM TO ENHANCE THE VITALITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF ARTS AND CULTURE THROUGHOUT GREATER HOUSTON.
OUR FUNDING STRATEGY SUPPORTS A DIVERSE MIX OF ORGANIZATIONS FROM LARGE INSTITUTIONS TO GRASSROOTS INITIATIVES, ENSURING THAT THE ARTS REMAIN A POWERFUL DRIVER OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.
THIS IS WHY WE PROUDLY SUPPORT EFFORTS LIKE THE ADVOCATES FOR A LATINO MUSEUM OF VISUAL AND CULTURE ARTS ARCHIVES, ALMA, FOR SHORT, AND THE HOUSTON FRIEDMANS TOWN CONSERVANCY.
ALONGSIDE THE SEVEN CULTURAL DISTRICTS, THESE GROUPS PLAY PIVOTAL ROLES IN PRESERVING AND AMPLIFYING THE RICH ARTS ASSETS AND CULTURE HISTORY OF OUR CITY.
WE ARE SUPPORTING THE SEVEN CULTURE DISTRICTS AS A BIG BET.
THE SEVEN CULTURE DISTRICTS, AS YOU KNOW, ARE STATE DESIGNATED DISTRICTS THAT MARCY WILL, UH, SPEAK TO A LOT MORE.
UM, AND THEY RANGE FROM WORLD RENOWNED INSTITUTIONS IN THE MUSEUM AND THEATER DISTRICTS TO COMMUNITY BASED INITIATIVES LIKE THE FIFTH WARD AND THIRD WARD CULTURE DISTRICTS.
THEY HAVE HISTORICALLY WORKED INDEPENDENTLY, BUT BY FOSTERING COLLABORATION AT THEIR REQUEST, WE ARE FUNDING THEM TO AMPLIFY THEIR COLLECTIVE POWER.
OUR FUNDING SUPPORTS SHARED EFFORTS TO DEVELOP A CO-WORKING BLUEPRINT, ALLOWING THE DISTRICTS TO POOL RESOURCES, CREATE JOINT INITIATIVES, AND ADVOCATE FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION AND CELEBRATION ACROSS THE CITY.
THIS IS IMPORTANT BEYOND ECONOMIC IMPACT.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE SOUL OF OUR CITY.
AND SO IT, IT ENCOURAGING COLLABORATIONS AND ADVOCACY IS A WAY THAT WE HAVE EVOLVED OUR ARTS AND CULTURAL FUNDING.
UM, WE ARE IN FACT LEANING INTO A BRIGHT FUTURE OF ADVANCING AND, UH, ADVANCING ADVOCACY AND CULTURAL CELEBRATION.
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SO, UM, MARCY HERE WILL SPEAK MORE ABOUT HOW THE DISTRICTS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO PROMOTE CULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES THAT ENHANCE THE CREATIVE ECONOMY.AND, UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK DIANE WHO'S BEHIND THE SCENES ADVANCING THE SLIDES.
COULD YOU GO BACK THREE SLIDES TO THE CULTURAL DISTRICT LEADERSHIP SLIDE? I WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, BEFORE I TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE CULTURAL DISTRICT PROGRAM IS ABOUT AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND ALSO HOW WE, UM, USE IT HERE LOCALLY, I JUST WANNA INTRODUCE YOU TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SEVEN STATE DESIGNATED CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN HOUSTON.
WE WILL BE ASKING EACH OF THEM TO GIVE A PRESENTATION TO YOU OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MEETINGS SO THAT YOU HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT EACH CULTURAL DISTRICT, UM, REPRESENTS.
BUT HERE, JUST TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU GUYS TO STAND, UM, OH, AND INTRODUCE, UH, CYNTHIA ALVARADO FROM MIDTOWN, JASON OLIVER FROM THIRD WARD, ANGELA CARRANZA FROM ARTS DISTRICT HOUSTON, HILLARY HART FROM THEATER DISTRICT.
JAN JOYCE FROM EAST END, AMY YATES FROM THE MUSEUM DISTRICT, AND HARRISON GUY FROM FIFTH WARD.
THANK YOU GUYS ALL FOR BEING HERE.
SO EVERYTHING THAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY IS WORK THAT THEY ARE ALL LEADING.
UM, AND I AM HELPING TO FACILITATE, UM, THROUGH THIS, THROUGH FUNDING THAT HOUSTON ENDOWMENT HAS SUPPORTED US WITH.
SO, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WAY THAT FUNDING WORKS FOR THE ARTS TOO.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT CITY FUNDING FOR THE ARTS.
HOUSTON ENDOWMENT IS A MAJOR FUNDER OF THE ARTS.
IT REALLY IS SUCH A COMBINATION OF FUNDING, UM, THAT MAKE THE ARTS WORK IN HOUSTON WITHOUT FUNDING FROM THE CITY.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT FUNDING FROM THE STATE, UM, ALSO PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY, UM, CORPORATE SUPPORT, INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT, THAT KIND OF THING.
IT'S A, IT'S A WHOLE MIX OF FUNDING.
UM, AND CITY FUNDING IS ONE VERY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL PIECE OF THAT.
AND YOU'LL ALSO HEAR TODAY HOW STATE FUNDING FOR THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS IS ALSO ONE REALLY IMPORTANT CRITICAL PIECE OF THAT.
UM, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, YOU'LL HEAR MORE FROM EACH DISTRICT, BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE KINDS OF ARTS EXPERIENCES THAT YOU CAN HAVE THROUGH THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN HOUSTON.
WHAT I THINK IS SO INTERESTING ABOUT THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS IS THAT THEY REPRESENT A REAL BROAD BREADTH OF EXPERIENCES THAT A PERSON CAN HAVE.
SO YOU CAN, ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT ARTS EXPERIENCES IN HOUSTON OUTSIDE OF JUST, YOU KNOW, THE PAINTING THAT, UM, COUNCILMAN FROM MARTINEZ MENTIONED IS THAT THERE REALLY ARE SORT OF CREATOR FOCUSED DISTRICTS, UM, HERITAGE FOCUSED DISTRICTS AND INSTITUTION FOCUSED DISTRICTS.
SO THE, SO THE ARTS AND CULTURE, I THINK TRADITIONALLY THAT PEOPLE THINK OF WHENEVER IT COMES TO CULTURAL DISTRICTS ARE THE LARGE INSTITUTION FOCUSED DISTRICTS.
THOSE ARE THE MUSEUM DISTRICT AND THE THEATER DISTRICT IN HOUSTON.
THOSE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR THE LONGEST.
THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOR LONGER THAN THE STATE CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION PROGRAM.
CITIES INVESTED IN PLACES LIKE THAT AS EARLY AS THE 1960S.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE VERY ROBUST MUSEUM AND THEATER DISTRICTS IN HOUSTON.
HOUSTON ALSO HAS CREATOR FOCUSED DISTRICTS.
SO THAT'S A PLACE LIKE, UM, IF YOU GO TO SAWYER YARD, SECOND SATURDAY OPEN STUDIOS EVENTS WHERE WE HAVE MORE THAN 300 WORKING ARTISTS, UM, THAT'S INSIDE OF ARTS DISTRICT HOUSTON, IF YOU GO TO ART IN THE PARK IN MIDTOWN, WHICH IS AN ANNUAL EVENT WITH, UM, AN ART MARKET THAT HAPPENS IN MIDTOWN EACH YEAR.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE HERITAGE FOCUSED EVENTS, WHICH WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE EASTERN STREET FEST, UM, WHICH CELEBRATES HISPANIC HERITAGE IN EAST END THROUGH MUSIC, UM, AND ARTS PROGRAMMING, OR THE LIONS AVENUE RENAISSANCE EVENT THAT HAPPENS EACH SPRING IN THE FIFTH WARD.
SO THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS REPRESENT BOTH HISTORICALLY THE LARGE SCALE WORLD CLASS ARTS INSTITUTIONS THAT HOUSTON OFFERS TO PEOPLE.
AND IT ALSO OFFERS COMMUNITY FOCUSED PROGRAMMING THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THE DIVERSITY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHY THIS PARTNERSHIP, I THINK, CAME TOGETHER AND MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, BECAUSE WHENEVER THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS ARE TALKING, WE ARE REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE BROAD BREADTH OF EXPERIENCES, UM, THAT REPRESENT ARTS AND CULTURE FOR THE CITY.
SO TOGETHER HOUSTON'S CULTURAL DISTRICTS, HERE'S A MAP OF THE LOCATION OF THE CURRENT SEVEN CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
UM, TOGETHER, HOUSTON'S CULTURAL DISTRICTS REPRESENT A CROSS SECTION OF THE DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND ARTS EXPERIENCES THAT MAKE HOUSTON SO UNIQUE.
EACH DISTRICT HAS ITS OWN IDENTITY, WHICH YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT FUNCTION AND GOAL.
ALL OF THE DISTRICTS USE ART AS A TOOL TO EDUCATE, ENTERTAIN, AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE WHILE SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY AND CITY ECONOMY.
COLLECTIVELY, THE CULTURAL DISTRICT SHARE CONCERNS ABOUT PRESERVING, STRENGTHENING AND SUSTAINING THEIR DISTRICT SO THAT THEY IN TURN WILL ATTRACT INVESTMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND CREATIVE AND CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT, NOT ONLY TO THEIR CULTURAL DISTRICTS, BUT ALSO MORE
[00:55:01]
BROADLY FOR THE ARTS ACROSS HOUSTON.AND I'LL JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO SAY THAT THESE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES OF THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS ARE THE BOUNDARIES ESTABLISHED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND ALSO THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS HAS AN ONGOING OPEN APPLICATION FOR ANY NEIGHBORHOOD TO APPLY TO BE PART OF A CULTURAL DISTRICT.
SO IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A CULTURAL DISTRICT INSIDE OF YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT, WE WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO PEOPLE IN YOUR DISTRICT ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO CREATE CULTURAL DISTRICTS THERE, BECAUSE, UM, AS YOU'LL SEE IN A MINUTE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE SOME REAL, UM, RETURN ON INVESTMENT THERE.
SO I'M JUST GONNA TAKE A MINUTE TO TELL YOU WHAT THE TEXAS CULTURAL DISTRICT PROGRAM IS AND WHY IT EXISTS.
SO THE SEVEN DISTRICTS THAT I MENTIONED TO YOU REPRESENTED BY THE LEADERS BEHIND ME ARE DESIGNATED BY TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS, EXCUSE ME.
IN 2005, THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE GRANTED TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS, OUR STATE ARTS AGENCY AUTHORITY TO DESIGNATE CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN CITIES AROUND TEXAS.
CULTURAL DISTRICTS ARE DE DEFINED AT THE, AT THE STATE LEVEL AS SPECIAL ZONES THAT HARNESS THE CULTURAL RESOURCES THAT STIMULATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURAL VITALITY AND CULTURAL TOURISM.
THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 DESIGNATED DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND SEVEN OF THOSE ARE LOCATED IN HOUSTON.
AND NOT THAT HOUSTON IS COMPETITIVE OR ANYTHING, BUT WE DO HAVE THE MOST OUT OF ANY OTHER CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, SO THE STATE STARTED DESIGNATING CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN 2005.
WHENEVER THAT DESIGNATION FIRST STARTED, IT WAS REALLY A NAME ONLY.
THERE HAVE BEEN EIGHT YEARS WHERE FUNDS HAVE BEEN GRANTED FROM THE STATE TO SUPPORT CULTURAL DISTRICTS THAT STARTED IN 2015.
UM, OF THOSE EIGHT YEARS OF FUNDING, MORE THAN $30 MILLION IN, IN GRANTS HAVE GONE OUT TO CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
AND THE PROGRAMS WITHIN THOSE CULTURAL DISTRICTS, $30 MILLION ACROSS THE STATE, $15 MILLION OF THAT 30 HAS COME TO HOUSTON.
SO HOUSTON HAS BEEN ABLE TO CAPTURE AN ADDITIONAL $15 MILLION THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD ACCESS TO FROM THE STATE, UM, WERE IT NOT FOR THE CULTURAL DISTRICT PROGRAM.
SO, AND AGAIN, WE'RE ABLE TO CAPTURE HALF OF ALL OF THE FUNDING IN THE STATE.
UM, JUST THIS MONTH, THE CULTURAL DISTRICT, THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS MET AND APPROVED FOUR, AN ADDITIONAL $4 MILLION FOR STATE ARTS GRANTS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND OF THAT 4000002.7 MILLION WAS DIRECTLY THROUGH THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT BOTH THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND THE ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS, THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN CULTURAL DISTRICTS ARE ABLE TO PULL DOWN FROM THE STATE TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT THE CITY DOES, WHAT PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY DOES, WHAT CORPORATE SUPPORT, AND WHAT INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT DOES FOR THE CITY.
UM, THE ORGANIZATION, TEXAS CULTURAL TRUST, WHICH IS BASED IN AUSTIN, HAS BEEN COMMISSIONING STUDIES FUNDED FOR 10 YEARS OR SO BY HOUSTON ENDOWMENT AS A SIDE NOTE, UM, TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF CULTURAL DISTRICTS THAT THEY'RE HAVING ON THE STATE.
AND SO THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT ARE, UM, IMPACT OVER TIME AND ALSO IMPACT OF SPECIFIC INVESTMENTS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THIS SLIDE SHOWS A STUDY FROM 2020 WHERE THEY LOOKED AT FOUR GRANTS THAT WERE GIVEN THROUGH THAT CULTURAL DISTRICT GRANT PROGRAM AT THE STATE LEVEL, WHICH WAS A $542,000 INVESTMENT, WHICH YIELDED $52.3 MILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
THAT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IS BOTH MONEY THAT'S SPENT BY THE NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATION AND INDIRECT ACTIVITY THROUGH CULTURAL TOURISM, THROUGH PEOPLE BUYING TICKETS TO AN EVENT, TO PEOPLE STAYING AT A HOTEL, GOING OUT TO DINNER, ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH GOING TO AN ARTS PROGRAM.
SO THE STATE HAS SEEN THAT THEIR INVESTMENT IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS HAS, HAS, UM, PAID OFF AND HAS HAD A NICE ROI.
AN EXAMPLE IN HOUSTON, UM, IN A RECENT STUDY THAT TEXAS CULTURAL TRUST DID SHOWS A $130,000 GRANT THAT WAS GIVEN THROUGH THE CULTURAL DISTRICT PROGRAM, DISTRICT PROGRAM AT THE STATE LEVEL TO THE HOUSTON BALLET, WHICH YIELDED AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ALMOST $15 MILLION.
SO THEY INVESTED $130,000 AND SAW A $15 MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT.
IN 2016, THERE WAS A STUDY DONE, UH, THAT INCLUDED, UM, THE, UH, THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, WHICH IS IN HOUSTON'S MUSEUM DISTRICT WHERE THERE WAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS INVESTMENT FROM THE STATE, WHICH YIELDED A NEARLY $4 MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT.
THE OTHER THING THAT TEXAS CULTURAL TRUST IS LOOKING AT ARE THINGS LIKE,
[01:00:01]
UM, TAX COLLECTIONS WITHIN CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND PROPERTY VALUE WITHIN CULTURAL DISTRICTS.SO THIS SLIDE IS A RECENT, UM, STUDY THAT LOOKS AT THEATER DISTRICT, WHICH SHOWS A STUDY INCREASE IN TAX COLLECTIONS THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT, AND ALSO A STEADY, UM, INCREASE IN PROPERTY VALUE.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR HOUSTON? SO WITH THE, SO THE CULTURAL DISTRICT, THE SEVEN CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN HOUSTON HAVE BEEN MEETING FOR SEVERAL YEARS TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE ALL HAVE SORT OF THE SHARED GOAL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURAL TOURISM, BUT EACH DISTRICT IS PRETTY DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER.
WHENEVER YOU LOOK AT, SAY, FIFTH WARD VERSUS THE MUSEUM DISTRICT, OR THEATER DISTRICT VERSUS, UM, ARTS DISTRICT HOUSTON, THEY ALL BRING SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT THEY ALL SORT OF HAVE DIFFERENT GOALS, BUT COLLECTIVELY THERE'S A REAL, UM, THERE'S SOME REAL SYNERGY THERE.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN TALKING FOR YEARS REALLY ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO, UM, IF WE HAD A BIT MORE CAPACITY TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND SO HOUSTON ENDOWMENT STEPPED IN AND HELPED US WITH THE CAPACITY TO WORK TOGETHER.
UM, AND SO BEGINNING LAST YEAR, WE STARTED TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, THROUGH COLLECTIVE WORK OF THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
SO WE TALKED TO LOTS OF PEOPLE, WE TALKED TO PEOPLE AT THE CITY, WE TALKED TO PEOPLE AT HOUSTON.
FIRST WE TALKED TO PEOPLE AT GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, WE TALKED TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY, WE TALKED TO RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON, AND WE LEARN TWO THINGS.
ONE IS THAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS REAL.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS FROM AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS.
WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS, UM, THAT YOU GUYS I THINK HAVE ALL BEEN PRES PRESENTED THROUGH MOCA AND HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, WHICH WE WILL HAPPILY TALK MORE ABOUT.
UM, WE HAVE THESE, UM, ECONOMIC IMPACT NUMBERS FROM TEXAS CULTURAL TRUST AND TXP, THEIR PARTNER WHO DOES THAT ECONOMIC RESEARCH FOR THEM IN AUSTIN.
BUT THE OTHER THING THAT THE ARTS DO UNIQUELY ARE REALLY UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO DO IS IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT EXISTS IN THE CITY.
SO THIS IDEA ABOUT COMMUNITY COHESION AND CULTURAL VIBRANCY, THESE WERE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HEARD WHENEVER WE TALK TO PEOPLE IN THE CITY ABOUT WHAT WAS THE IMPACT THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS WERE HAVING.
WE HAD THE SORT OF NUMBERS ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, BUT WHAT WE LEARNED REALLY WAS THAT IT WAS REALLY SORT OF THE EXPERIENCE OF LIVING IN HOUSTON, UM, AND HAVING THESE ARTS EXPERIENCES IN HOUSTON THAT REALLY WAS THE THING THAT CITIZENS OF HOUSTON WERE INTERESTED IN.
SO WE HEARD THINGS WHENEVER WE TALK TO PEOPLE, LIKE BEING HERE MAKES ME FEEL INSPIRED AND PROUD TO BE A HOUSTONIAN.
OUR BEING HERE MAKES ME REALIZE HOW LUCKY WE ARE IN HOUSTON BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH GREAT, UM, ARTS EXPERIENCES AVAILABLE TO US HERE.
SO THE OTHER PIECE THAT WE HEARD WHENEVER WE TALKED TO PEOPLE WAS THE COMMUNITY WANTED TO SEE WHAT KIND OF IMPACT THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS COULD MAKE IF THEY WORK TOGETHER.
BECAUSE WHAT WE HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS THAT HOUSTON IS A GREAT CITY FOR ARTS AND CULTURE.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT CITY FOR ARTS AND CULTURE.
WE HAVE AMAZING ARTS AND CULTURE.
WE DON'T NEED, WE DON'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE TO MAKE SORT OF ARTS AND CULTURE GREAT.
WE JUST NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF TALKING ABOUT IT.
YOU GUYS NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB, YOU KNOW, GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP VISIT HOUSTON, HOUSTON FIRST.
ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES, IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT, UM, AND ELEVATE THE NARRATIVE ON ARTS AND CULTURE IN HOUSTON, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY WANTED TO SEE US WORK ON.
UM, AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S, UM, THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, UM, AS WE SORT OF, OUR COLLECTIVE WORK STARTS TO, UM, OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, OUR PRIORITIES ARE LOOKING AT, UM, ARTS AND CULTURE, CONNECTION AND VISIBILITY.
SO THE TWO INITIATIVES THAT WE'LL BE TAKING ON ARE CHAMPIONING ARTS AND CULTURE IN HOUSTON, AND CELEBRATING ARTS AND CULTURE IN HOUSTON.
SO FOR CHAMPIONING, UM, OUR WORK WILL LOOK LIKE GROWING A NETWORK OF ARTS AND CULTURE CHAMPIONS IN HOUSTON.
THAT IS PEOPLE WHO WORK IN ARTS AND CULTURE, AND THAT IS PEOPLE WHO DON'T WORK IN ARTS AND CULTURE, BUT WHO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT ARTS AND CULTURE MAKES ON THE CITY, BOTH THROUGH THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND THEIR EXPERIENCES IN LIVING HERE, UM, AND IN INCENTIVIZING PEOPLE TO COME TO HOUSTON TO WORK.
BEFORE I LIVED IN HOUSTON, I LIVED IN NEW YORK CITY AND I WORKED FOR A BIG MUSEUM THERE.
AND WHENEVER I TOLD PEOPLE THAT I WAS MOVING TO HOUSTON, THE PEOPLE AT THE MUSEUM SAID TO ME, YOU'RE GOING WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HOUSTON FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, YOU KNOW, WAS THE KIND OF RESPONSE THAT I GOT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU GET TO HOUSTON AND YOU LOOK AT THE ARTS AND CULTURE AND IT'S GOT EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE GOT.
WE JUST DON'T DO A GOOD ENOUGH JOB OF TALKING ABOUT IT.
UM, SO IT'S BEEN MY MISSION SINCE I GOT HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT NARRATIVE CHANGES.
[01:05:01]
OTHER PIECE IS CELEBRATING ARTS AND CULTURE.SO AGAIN, SO IT'S THIS, THIS IDEA OF BOTH HAVING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT ARTS AND CULTURE MAKE, HAVING PEOPLE ARTICULATE, UM, THE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IMPACTS THAT THEY HAVE, THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS THAT THEY HAVE, AND THEN CELEBRATING WHAT ARTS AND CULTURE MEANS IN HOUSTON.
AND SO WE ARE, UM, GOING TO INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL OF THAT WITH US.
COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO CAME TO OUR FIRST CHAMPION EVENT THAT WE HAD TWO WEEKS AGO, WHICH WAS GREAT, UM, AND WAS ABLE TO WELCOME THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE PLANNING TO HOST SEVERAL EVENTS, WHICH WE WILL INVITE ALL OF YOU TO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, BOTH SO THAT THE ARTS AND CULTURE CAN GET TO KNOW YOU SO THAT YOU CAN GET TO KNOW THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE, AND SO THAT WE ALL SORT OF HAVE A COMMON UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOW ARTS AND CULTURE CAN SUPPORT THE CITY'S GOALS AND HOW THE CITY'S GOALS CAN SUPPORT ARTS AND CULTURE IN HOUSTON.
UH, WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU MARCY AND BA FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I THINK WE DEFINITELY KNOW THAT THE, THE, UM, PRIVATE AND PHILANTHROPIC PHILANTHROPICAL COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT TO THIS, THIS, UH, THIS, THIS WHOLE SPACE, RIGHT? UM, WHEN YOU HEAR THAT WE WANT TO CUT FUNDING, UH, THROUGH THAT HOT CONTRACT, WHAT DOES THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT THINK? UM, DOES IT EXCITE Y'ALL? DOES IT
OUR DOLLARS CANNOT MEASURE UP TO PUBLIC DOLLARS AS, AS INVENTIVE AS WE CAN BE, AS EXPERIMENTAL AS WE CAN BE IN OUR FUND, MAKE IN IN OUR, UH, GRANT MAKING.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE RELY ON THE PUBLIC WILL TO SUPPORT ARTS AND CULTURE THAT IS ESSENTIAL.
AND IT IS LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, PARKS WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN NARRATING WHY THE PUBLIC SHOULD SUPPORT THE PARK SECTOR.
I THINK THE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR CAN DO THE SAME.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE'RE SUPPORTING THE WORK OF THE LEADERS BEHIND US.
THESE ARE FOLKS THAT AT THE REQUEST, WE ARE SUPPORTING THE WORK TO ENHANCE THEIR CAPACITY.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, THE PUBLIC WILL COMES AND GO AND, AND AND, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT.
UM, BUT IF, IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
BUT, BUT CLEARLY WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE.
SO WE TAKE AWAY MONEY FROM YOU AND YOU'RE GONNA PROBABLY TAKE AWAY MONEY FROM THAT PROGRAM AS WELL.
UM, AND, AND THEN JUST GENERALLY WITH THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS, UM, WHERE DO YOU THINK THE CITY OF HOUSTON OR O MOCA SHOULD BE DOING MORE? UH, WHETHER IT'S FUNDING, WHETHER IT'S, UM, SUPPORT IN, IN WHATEVER ASPECT WHERE, CAN YOU KIND OF HELP GUIDE US TO SEE WHAT, WHERE THESE CULTURAL DISTRICTS CAN CAN BE SUPPORTIVE? WELL, I'LL SAY THAT MOCA MADE A CRITICAL INVESTMENT IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.
THEY SUPPORTED THREE CULTURAL DISTRICTS WHO HAD TRADITIONALLY BEEN UNDER-RESOURCED BY THE CITY, UM, TO HELP WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING OR WHATEVER INITIATIVES THOSE CULTURAL DISTRICTS WERE INTERESTED IN DOING.
UM, AND THAT WAS REALLY A CHANGING POINT FOR THE CULTURAL.
SO IT REALLY CAN BE THESE STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS LIKE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT MAKES LIKE MOCA MAKES SOMETIMES TOO, THAT REALLY LOOKS AT LIKE, HOW CAN WE LOOK AT WHERE THERE'S A SOLUTION AND SUPPORT THAT SOLUTION SO THAT IT CAN HELP TO SUPPORT THE SECTOR AS A WHOLE.
UM, SO THAT WAS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT I THINK, FOR THE GROWTH OF THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND IN THEIR WORK TOGETHER.
UM, THE OTHER PIECE IS REALLY TALKING ABOUT JUST, JUST LETTING PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE GREAT ARTS AND CULTURE THAT EXISTS IN YOUR DISTRICT, GETTING TO KNOW WHAT EXISTS THERE.
WE ARE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU TOO.
HE SMARTS ALLIANCE AND MOCHA JUST PUT TOGETHER A GREAT TOOL THROUGH A, UM, ARTS CALENDAR WHERE YOU CAN LOOK AT ARTS AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES THAT'S HAPPENING IN EACH ONE OF YOUR DISTRICTS.
AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN FILTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE EXPERIENCES IN YOUR DISTRICT AND YOU CAN ALSO FILTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES IN, UM, CULTURAL DISTRICTS GENERALLY IN HOUSTON TOO.
UM, AND SO AS WE, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT GETTING IN TOUCH WITH EACH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY, INVITING YOU OUT TO THINGS, SHARING WITH YOU THE IMPACT THAT THE ARTS AND CULTURES IS, IS MAKING IN HOUSTON, WE'LL ASK YOU TO THEN SHARE IT OUT ALSO.
AND SO THAT REALLY IS THAT CRITICAL PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHENEVER WE TALK ABOUT CHAMPIONING THE ARTS.
IT'S NOT JUST THE ARTS CHAMPIONING THE ARTS, BUT IT'S PEOPLE WHO RECOGNIZE THAT THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS ALSO CHAMPIONING THE ARTS.
UM, WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT THAT MARCY AS WELL AND CONTINUE TO SHARE ALL THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS THAT IT PROVIDES TO THE CITY.
[01:10:01]
I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS WE, IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT SINCE, YOU KNOW, THIS PAST EIGHT MONTHS THAT I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE GOING ON NINE IS, UH, OUR, WHERE OUR FINANCIAL STATUS IS AS A CITY, RIGHT? UM, AND USUALLY IT'S KIND OF GLOOM AND DOOM WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN IN THE DEFICIT FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS AND SO ARTS GETS PUSHED TO THE SIDE.UM, MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW HOW MUCH OF OF IT IS, IS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE FINANCES FOR THE CITY AS WELL IS IMPORTANT.
SO CONTINUE TO SHARE THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS TO ENSURE THAT THE REST OF THIS BODY UNDERSTANDS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH Y'ALL ARE REALLY SUPPORTING THE CITY MORE THAN TAKING AWAY.
I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, YOU HAVE AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION? YES.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE INFORMATION.
UM, I WAS EXCITED TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, THE FOCUS ON EXPLAINING AND GETTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND THE, AND TELLING THEM MORE ABOUT WHAT CULTURAL DISTRICTS ARE.
UH, 'CAUSE I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY A NEED THERE.
UM, AS I'VE BEEN A PART OF THIS COMMITTEE AND I'VE TALKED TO MY CONSTITUENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEING THE VICE CHAIR OF ARTS AND CULTURE AND DIFFERENT CIVIC CLUBS, DIFFERENT SETTINGS.
THERE'S A SOLID UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT CIVIC ART IS AND THE CITY'S ART PROGRAMS, BUT NOT SO MUCH AROUND THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A BIG OPPORTUNITY THERE TO HELP GET MORE ENGAGEMENT AND GET MORE INVOLVEMENT, UH, FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND FROM OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS, UH, AROUND OUR CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
AND IF THERE ARE WAYS THAT, UH, MY OFFICE CAN HELP ASSIST THAT, UH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
UH, I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE PRESENTATIONS LINED UP HERE AT THE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS ALSO A GREAT, UH, VENUE TO GET INFORMATION OUT INTO THE PUBLIC, BUT I DO THINK THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFIT THAT CAN COME FROM THAT, UH, THAT'S BEING UNDERUTILIZED AT THE MOMENT.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS YOU LAY OUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, HERE IN THE, THE REPORT.
I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS SUCH VALUABLE INFORMATION, UM, FROM, FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT IT IMPACTS.
UM, AND THAT'S SO VALUABLE, UH, TO HELP UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IS GENERATING.
MY QUESTION IS, UH, AROUND CREATING A CULTURAL DISTRICT OR GETTING ONE ESTABLISHED MM-HMM
WHAT IS THAT PROCESS LIKE? I KNOW YOU SAID IT'S DONE THROUGH THE STATE.
SO TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS IS OUR STATE ARTS AGENCY, AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
THERE'S A POINT PERSON WITHIN TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS WHO'S IN CHARGE OF CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
THERE'S AN APPLICATION AND INFORMATION ON THEIR WEBSITE ABOUT HOW TO CREATE A CULTURAL DISTRICT.
IT'S A, EACH OF US HAVE BEEN THROUGH IT.
SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO SHARE WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN HOUSTON WHO ARE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT ESTABLISHING A CULTURAL DISTRICT.
UM, SO THERE'S SORT OF, THE TECHNICAL INFORMATION IS THERE AND TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS IS ALWAYS THERE FOR A PHONE CALL.
THE TEXAS, UM, CULTURAL DISTRICT PERSON IS THE POINT PERSON.
HE'S EASY TO CALL UP AND ASK A QUESTION TO.
UM, BUT IF YOU SORT OF WANT THE NUANCES OF WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WITH AN APPLICATION, I THINK THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS THAT ARE ESTABLISHED HERE WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT THAT TOO.
I MEAN, JUST DURING THIS PRESENTATION, I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY AROUND POTENTIALLY AN L-G-B-T-Q CULTURAL DISTRICT HERE IN THE CITY, UM, AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT CAN COME WITH THAT.
SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING I'LL BE REACHING OUT ABOUT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT, I MEAN, YOU SEE BY THE MAP THAT THOUGH THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS REALLY DO REPRESENT A BROAD BREADTH OF CULTURAL EXPERIENCES THAT A PERSON CAN HAVE IN HOUSTON.
HOUSTON HAS A VERY DIVERSE CITY, AND SO WE ARE NOT SORT OF REPRESENTING EVERY SINGLE ELEMENT THAT EXISTS NOW.
BUT AT THE START, YEAH, I'LL ADD A NOTE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A RIGOROUS APPLICATION PROCESS AND I THINK, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY OF HOUSTON NAMING HOUSTON FRIEDMANS TOWN AS A HERITAGE DISTRICT ACTUALLY SPURRED US TO ACT.
WE ARE NOW PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR THAT CONSERVANCY TO BUILD THEIR CAPACITY TO PULL TOGETHER THE KIND OF CULTURAL ASSETS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO THAT'S ACTUALLY US WORKING TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE COULDN'T HAVE ACTED ALONE, UM, WITHOUT SOME KIND OF, UH, UH, DESIGNATION AND IT DIDN'T NEED TCA, RIGHT? I THINK, I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN, CAN REALLY SUPPORT THE CITY INFRASTRUCTURE OF ARTS AND CULTURE IS, UM, SPEAK ABOUT IT.
AND I'LL ALSO ADD THAT LONG CONNECTED THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS WITH THE HERITAGE DISTRICT TOO, IN A NEW WAY FOR US TO
[01:15:01]
THINK ABOUT WHAT CAN THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS LEARN FROM HERITAGE DISTRICTS AND SORT OF WHAT THEY HAVE GOING ON AND WHAT CAN A HERITAGE DISTRICT LEARN FROM A CULTURAL DISTRICT AND HOW CAN WE DO THAT KNOWLEDGE SHARING PIECE OF IT.THAT WAS A BIG PIECE WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY LAST YEAR TOO, WAS PEOPLE JUST WANTED A PLACE TO GO WHERE THEY COULD LEARN INFORMATION OR WHERE THEY COULD SHARE INFORMATION THAT THEY HAD.
THIS KNOWLEDGE SHARING PIECE OF IT IS A BIG PIECE OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING TOGETHER OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
AND I DIDN'T PROPERLY INTRODUCE YOU LONG TO, UH, THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF ARTS AND PARKS OF HOUSTON ENDOWMENT.
I THOUGHT MARCY WAS GONNA PITCH IT BACK TO ME.
BUT SHE DOESN'T HAVE MY SCRIPT, RIGHT.
SO AT ANY RATE, I, I JUST WANNA TELL YOU BOTH, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL PRESENTATIONS AND IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HEAR ABOUT THE WORK BEING DONE TO SUPPORT OUR CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND THE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR CITY.
UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE ANSWERED ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS' QUESTIONS, BUT WE DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AND SO, UH, I'M GONNA ASK THESE SPEAKERS, I WILL CALL YOUR NAME.
I'LL CALL YOUR NAMES AND IF YOU COULD COME UP AND THEN YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR COMMENT.
HOW MANY MINUTES DO THEY HAVE COME IN? TWO.
UH, OF COURSE WE WILL, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL TIME IF NEEDED IN MOST CASES.
SO, UH, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS RANDY RO, AND IF I MISPRONOUNCE IT, PLEASE CORRECT ME.
IS RANDY HERE? OKAY, WELL I GOT AWAY WITH IT THEN IF IT WAS WRONG.
HOW ABOUT, UH, LAURA CANELLI? IS THAT CANNEL OR CONNOLLY? CONLEY.
I'VE LIVED WALK, WORKED AND WALKED IN HOUSTON FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
UM, I LAUNCHED URBAN PATHS 10 YEARS AGO AND BEGAN MY MISSION TO GET HOUSTONIANS WALKING, UH, FOR THEIR HEALTH AND WELLNESS.
I WANNA THANK YOU TODAY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR YOUR, UM, TIME AND ATTENTION TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
AND FOR ALL THE LEADERS BEHIND ME TODAY, I WANNA THANK THEM AS WELL.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, I RECENTLY HEARD YOU SPEAK AT AN EVENT AND YOU HAD SAID THAT YOU'RE ON THIS COMMITTEE, BUT YOU, YOUR BACKGROUND'S IN PUBLIC HEALTH, NOT IN THE ARTS, BUT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU'RE EXACTLY IN THE RIGHT PLACE BECAUSE PUBLIC ART IS VERY MUCH, UM, AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY OR THE ARTS ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND WHEN WE THINK OF PUBLIC HEALTH, WE OFTEN FOCUS ON THE CLINICAL APPROACHES TO DISEASE.
BUT THERE'S GROWING SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT THE ARTS HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT, UM, ON OUR, BOTH OUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.
ART CAN REDUCE STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, ALL OF WHICH ARE VERY COMMON CHALLENGES HERE IN HOUSTON.
UM, EXPOSURE TO ART HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE, TO REDUCE HEART RATE, TO REDUCE INFLAMMATION, WHICH IS A PRECURSOR TO MOST DISEASE AND EVEN, UM, ENHANCE OUR COGNITIVE FUNCTION.
SO YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT SPOT, WHETHER IT'S LIVE MUSIC, MURALS, DANCE, ANY CREATIVE OUTLETS, THEY ALL HELP IMPROVE OUR EMOTIONAL WELLBEING, INTRODUCE THE ISOLATION FELT SO OFTEN IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS.
LAST YEAR I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF LEADING A SERIES OF WALKING EXPERIENCES.
I CALL 7 1 3 WALKS, SEVEN FOR THE SEVEN CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICTS, ONE GREAT CITY AND THREE MILE WALKS.
UM, THIS INITIAL SERIES WAS FUNDED IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH A MAYORAL DIRECTIVE GRANT AND THROUGH HOUSTON ARTS, UH, ALLIANCE, UH, THESE EVENTS CELEBRATED THE ART CULTURE, ARCHITECTURE, NATURE, AND LOCAL BUSINESSES IN EACH AREA.
AND WITH ABOUT, UH, 50 PARTICIPANTS ON EACH WALK, UM, WE EXPLORED THESE VIBRANT COMMUNITIES ON FOOT, ENGAGING WITH PUBLIC ART AND LOCAL CULTURE.
IT WAS A POWERFUL REMINDER OF HOW ART NOT ONLY ENRICHES OUR LIVES, BUT ALSO ENCOURAGES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL CONNECTION.
TWO PILLARS OF COMMUNITY HEALTH CULTURAL ACTIVITIES ALSO FOSTER THESE IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS WHEN PEOPLE GATHER TO APPRECIATE ART OR TO ATTEND CULTURAL EVENTS.
SORRY, CAN I KEEP GOING? OKAY, YOU CAN CONTINUE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS THREE MINUTES.
THEY, UM, STRENGTHEN THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR DIVERSE LIVED EXPERIENCES.
A CONNECTED TO COMMUNITY IS NOT ONLY A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY, BUT A SAFER COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING, UNDERSTANDING AND CIVIC PRIDE.
UM, PUBLIC ART ALSO PLAYS A ROLE IN PROMOTING WALKABILITY, WHICH IS A MAJOR PROP THING FOR ME.
AND WHEN OUR STREETS ARE ALIVE WITH MURALS AND ART AND SCULPTURE, PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET OUTSIDE AND WALK TO EXPLORE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND MAKE WALKING AND TAKING THE BUS TO WORK SCHOOL AND SHOPPING SAFER AND MORE ENJOYABLE.
[01:20:01]
I FULLY SUPPORT THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN ARTS AND CULTURE, AND I URGE THIS COMMITTEE TO KEEP PRIORITIZING AND EXPANDING THIS COMMITMENT, NOT JUST FOR THE BEAUTY THAT ART BRINGS AND CULTURE REMINDS US OF, BUT FOR THE INCREDIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS THAT THEY PROVIDE FOR US ALL.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO WHO WANTS TO ASK A QUESTION.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UM, YES, PUBLIC HEALTH IS MY BACKGROUND.
AND, UH, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT YOUR PROGRAM.
I MEAN, WHAT A FANTASTIC IDEA.
WHAT A WAY TO GET OUT AND EXPLORE THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND BE ACTIVE AND, AND GET SOME STEPS IN.
WE KNOW ABOUT ALL THE GREAT BENEFITS OF WALKING.
UM, YOU KNOW, LAST MONTH WE HEARD ABOUT HOW ART WAS BEING USED IN A SUCCESSFUL WAY TO HELP FOLKS WHO WERE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND NOW YOU'RE BRINGING IN A PROGRAM WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING AT ART AND GETTING FOLKS ACTIVE.
UM, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE LEARNING HERE THROUGHOUT THE COMMITTEE, BUT THIS STUFF IS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
IT'S, YES, IT'S, UM, AND SO WE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE PROMOTING THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH BENEFIT THAT'S HAPPENING AND IT'S BEING FACILITATED THROUGH ART, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
AND IT'S NOT SORT OF THE FIRST WAY YOU, YOU THINK WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ART, THAT THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT IT IMPACTING HOMELESSNESS.
YOU DON'T NECESSARILY THINK ABOUT IT IMPACTING HEALTH.
BUT THERE'S DIRECT CONNECTIONS THERE.
UH, AND SO, UH, I WANT TO CONNECT TO GET, UM, GET PLUGGED INTO ONE OF YOUR WALKS.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN MY DISTRICT.
SO, UH, WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF THAT.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THE NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ALICIA LAWYER.
AND I'M THE FOUNDER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND OBOIST FOR ROCO.
UH, AMY GIBBS, MANAGING DIRECTOR WITH ROCO.
UM, WE WILL ACTUALLY BE SEEING YOU BACK HERE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, SEPTEMBER 24TH FOR PROCLAMATION HONORING OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY.
WE ARE A CHAMBER ORCHESTRA FOUNDED HERE IN HOUSTON BY ALICIA.
WE FLEX FROM A FULL 40 PIECE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA INTO CHAMBER ENSEMBLES OF VARIETY SIZES.
HALF OUR MUSICIANS LIVE HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA, HALF LIVE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND A FEW INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS THAT TRAVEL IN TO PERFORM WITH US.
UM, WE ARE A NOMADIC ORGANIZATION BY NATURE.
OVER OUR 20 YEARS, WE HAVE PERFORMED IN OVER 70 DIFFERENT VENUES ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, WE'VE PERFORMED IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE SEVEN CULTURAL DISTRICTS AT SOME POINT.
WE ARE ONE OF THE VERY FORTUNATE, UH, GRANTEES AND PROGRAM PARTNERS OF MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER.
UM, WE'LL BE OPENING OUR SEASON THERE ON THE 27TH, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE HELP AND SUPPORT WE GET THROUGH THE MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER THROUGH HOT FUNDING.
UM, AND WE'LL ALSO BE AT THE DELUXE THEATER IN FIFTH WARD THIS SEASON.
WE ARE A CLASSICAL MUSIC ORGANIZATION.
WE PERFORM MUSIC THAT SPANS THE ENTIRE HISTORY IN EVERY ERA OF CLASSICAL MUSIC, BUT A SPECIFIC EMPHASIS ON THE CLASSICAL MUSIC OF TODAY.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO SAY THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE BOX BEETHOVEN'S AND BONDS OF OUR TIME.
AS THE END OF THIS SEASON, WE WILL HAVE PREMIERED AND COMMISSIONED OVER 150 NEW WORKS.
UH, WE ARE IN THE TOP THREE MOST PROLIFIC COMMISSIONING ENSEMBLES IN THE US.
I ALWAYS SAY YOU CAN'T ZOOM WITH BEETHOVEN.
SO FUNCTIONING WITH LIVING ARTISTS IS REALLY EXCITING.
UM, SINCE 2005, WE'VE RECORDED EVERY PIECE WE'VE EVER PLAYED.
SO WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF MUSICAL TRACKS AVAILABLE FOR FREE.
DURING COVID, WE APPROACHED BUFFALO BAYOU AS OUR FIRST ITERATION OF ROCO ON THE GO AND PUT QR CODES ALONG THEIR PARKS AND TRAILS TO OUR MUSIC.
WE ARE NOW IN 39 DIFFERENT PLACES IN HOUSTON, AND WE ARE IN 25 PARKS IN PRECINCT TWO.
WE JUST ALSO OPENED IN ONCOLOGY PLACES.
SO HOSPITALS, PARK SCHOOLS REALLY JUST GIVING OUR MUSIC AWAY AND IT'S LIKE WE'RE A GOOD VIRUS.
AND I MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW,
AND, UM, BY, LIKE I SAID, BUFFALO BAYOU PARK, UM, LAURA WITH URBAN PATHS DID ONE OF HER WALKS TO COME TO ONE OF OUR CONCERTS AND WALKED ALONG TRAILS AND SCANNING OUR CODES.
AND IT'S JUST BEEN SO EXCITING TO USE MUSIC AS THE TRUE CONNECTION.
AND THE ONE THING THAT REALLY CAN CONNECT US ALL, WE HAVE BEEN LIVE STREAMING TO THE WORLD FOR FREE SINCE 2013, WAY AHEAD OF THE PANDEMIC.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO STOP PROGRAMMING.
IN FACT, WE HAVE HAD, WITH ALL OF OUR MUSIC AND OUR VIDEOS, 1.1 MILLION STREAMS OF AUDIO VIDEO ACROSS THE WORLD ON ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS, INCLUDING ANTARCTICA.
[01:25:01]
NATIONALLY NUMBER TWO IN THE NATION PROGRAMMING COMPOSERS OF COLOR AND NUMBER TWO IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, OR PROGRAMMING WOMEN COMPOSERS.IT WAS NOT A DISTINCTION WE WERE TRYING TO GET, IT'S JUST PART OF BEING IN THIS DIVERSE, MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE NATION AND BEING IN RELATIONSHIP WITH DIVERSE VOICES.
THAT'S WHAT'S SO EXCITING FOR WHAT WE DO ACCESS FROM THE BEGINNING.
AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH A PAY WHAT YOU WISH MODEL.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR TALK TICKETS, BUT YOU MIGHT GET A COFFEE VISIT FROM ME LATER.
UM, BUT WE ARE FUNDED BY 95% DONATED DOLLARS, AND THAT IS REALLY EXCITING WITH A 2.3 MILLION BUDGET.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IN CLOSING FOR US, THAT ROCO COULD ONLY EXIST IN HOUSTON.
AS WE ALL KNOW, HOUSTON IS A GLOBAL CITY AND THAT HAS BEEN A MAJOR CATALYST IN US ACHIEVING A GLOBAL REACH WITH OUR MUSIC.
THE CITY IS TEAMING WITH INNOVATION THAT IS JUST TIED INTO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
AND THE DIVERSE CULTURE IS JUST, UM, A, A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON US.
AND WE BELIEVE SOMETHING WE HAVE BEEN, UH, INFLUENCED.
WE RECEIVE FUNDING, AS I SAID, THROUGH MILLER, ALSO THROUGH HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, THROUGH THE TAX FUNDING.
UH, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THIS COMMITTEE FORMING AND DOING THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AS WELL AS THE WORK THAT MOCA IS DOING TO AMPLIFY THE ARTS IN HOUSTON.
AND I DID JUST WANNA MAKE ONE QUICK NOTE SINCE WE HAVE A LITTLE TIME ABOUT MILLER.
UM, THAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FIND TO BE INCREDIBLY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL ABOUT MILLER IS THAT THEY NOT ONLY ARE FREE TO THE CITY, BUT THAT GRANT FUNDING THAT THEY PROVIDE TO THE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE US TO ALLOW US PERFORM.
AS FAR AS I KNOW, I BELIEVE WE ARE THE, THAT IS THE ONLY CITY FUNDED FACILITY THAT PROVIDES BOTH FUNDING FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS PRESENTING THERE AS WELL AS FREE.
AND THAT'S AN INCREDIBLY UNIQUE THING THAT WE HAVE HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY SPECIAL THAT HELPS US ACHIEVE OUR GOALS OF ACCESS AND IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S A HIGHLIGHT FOR OUR CITY.
SO SEASON 20 OPENS AND WE'LL BE BACK THE 24TH OF SEPTEMBER TO DO OUR PROCLAMATION.
AND FOR THE RECORD, COULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME? WE NORMALLY ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON THERE AT A TIME.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE.
UH, THE LAST SPEAKER IS MOLLY REAGAN SALAZAR.
I HAVE, UH, UM, MY NAME IS MOLLY REAGAN SALAZAR.
I AM THE TREASURER, UH, AND OFFICER OF THE PONTY CIVIC CLUB, HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND ALSO FRIENDS OF FONDE, WHICH WE ESTABLISHED AS A, UH, NON-PROFIT TO HELP US WITH, UH, RAISING FUNDS TO IMPROVE OUR PARKS.
OUR PARK, OUR PARK THAT WAS DONATED TO US IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO LAST MONTH'S, UH, COMMENT, UH, SESSION WHERE OUR PRESIDENT, UH, MS. YANA, UH, YANA KA BLESSED, UH, MADE AN APPEARANCE AND STARTED TO RELATE SOME OF OUR JOURNEY IN THE, IN THIS ISSUE THAT WE HAVE.
I HATE TO BE DEBBIE DOWNER ON IT 'CAUSE EVERYTHING SOUNDS SO GREAT.
THE LA THE PRESENTATIONS HERE WERE JUST WONDERFUL AND I'M SO EXCITED THAT THE, THE COMMUNITY IS GETTING INVOLVED.
THIS IS THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THAT ISSUE WHERE COMMUNITY HAD BEEN TOTALLY LEFT OUT OF ANY, UH, DECISION MAKING FOR THE INSTALLATION OF, OF THE SMOKES SEX PROJECT AND SUBSEQUENT MAINTENANCE CONTRACT.
UM, AS I STATED BEFORE, THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO WHAT OUR, OUR PRESIDENT COMMENTED LAST MONTH.
THIS IS A STRUCTURE THAT IS PROPOSED TO BE INSTALLED AT THE ENTRANCE OF OUR F CIVIC PARK, WHICH IS IN EAST END, IN ON THE EAST END, UM, OFF OF 45 SOUTH AT LIBSON AND TELEPHONE ROAD.
WE ARE A 300 HOME, UH, FAMILY COMMUNITY AND A PARK ABOUT 12 ACRE PARK.
AND IT WILL BE INSTALLED AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE PARK ON A TWO-LANE ROAD ACROSS THE STREET ON, ON THE CITY RIGHT AWAY.
AND IT WILL, UH, IT WILL BE, UH, 70 FEET TALL.
UH, IF YOU THINK ABOUT ANY STRUCTURE YOU CAN IMAGINE, UH, SAM HOUSTON STATUE THAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING UP 45 TO GO TO DALLAS, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT THAT SIZE.
SO IT'S A VERY LARGE STRUCTURE AND, UH, IT IS A SAXOPHONE WE'RE KEEPING WITH THE ARTS AND, AND MUSIC.
IT IS A, IT IS A SAXOPHONE THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UM, OBJECTED TO SIMPLY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN INFORMED AND WEREN'T INCLUDED IN THE, UH, IN THE, IN THE, AND ANY OF THE DECISION MAKING FOR WHERE THE SAXOPHONE WOULD GO AND WHY THE
[01:30:01]
SAXOPHONE WAS GOING WHERE IT WAS, UH, GOING.SO TODAY MY GOAL IS TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO ANCHOR OUR COMPLAINTS AND PROVIDE PHYSICAL, UH, DOCUMENTS TO SHOW YOU OUR DUE DILIGENCE IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF TRYING TO GET INFORMATION FROM THE ORANGE SHOW FOUNDATION AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND, UH, VARIOUS PART OF PEOPLE THAT WERE WERE INVOLVED AND, AND, AND TRYING TO GET THAT INFORMATION BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY TO LET THEM KNOW HOW THIS, UH, PROPOSED INSTALLATION WOULD, UH, AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY.
SO IN BRIEF, UM, I I, THE, THE, UH, I'VE PUT IN SECTIONS ONE, WHICH SHOWS US OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND TRYING TO CONTACT THE CITY, UH, AND FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND ALSO CONTACT THE BOARD MEMBERS OF THE ORANGE SHOW FOUNDATION, WHICH WE, WE HAD NOT GOTTEN ANY REALLY COMMENTS FROM THEM AT ALL DURING ALL OF OUR, OUR ATTEMPTS.
WE HAVE, UM, OF COURSE THE, A COPY OF THE PRESS RELEASE, UM, THAT WOULD SHOW YOU THAT WE HAD TO ACTUALLY RESEARCH TO FIND OUT THAT INFORMATION.
THERE'S LETTERS, UM, REGARDING THAT AS WELL.
UH, THERE'S ALSO A COPY OF THE, UM, I, I BELIEVE I DON'T HAVE A COPY, BUT SECTION THREE IS THE CITY ORDINANCES OR IS THAT THE, IS THAT THE CITY ORDINANCES OR NO, THAT'S THE CONTRACT.
SECTION THREE IS THE, OR IS THE FINAL CONTRACT THAT WAS, UH, SIGNED ON DECEMBER THE 29TH.
2023, WHICH WE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF, NO INFORMATION ON.
SO, AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE OPPOSING AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
WE FEEL THAT THE CONTRACT, UH, IS NOT, UH, NOT A VALID CONTRACT.
WE WANNA, WE HAVE, WE HAVE PETITIONED TO HAVE IT VOIDED.
WE'VE WRITTEN TO THE LE A LETTER TO THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.
THAT LETTER HAS BEEN RECEIVED.
WE HAVE GOTTEN COMMENTS BACK FROM THEM, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO READ OUR, UH, SECTION FIVE THAT IN A NUTSHELL TELLS YOU WHERE EVERYTHING BECAME UNRAVELED AND WHERE THINGS WENT WRONG AND THAT THEY WERE NOT FOLLOWING, THEY WERE NOT ADHERING TO THE CITY ORDINANCE AND THE, THE, UH, THE MOCA PO POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OF 2021.
THEY OVERSTEPPED THOSE, THOSE, THOSE, THOSE THINGS THAT WOULD'VE HELPED THEM COMMUNICATE TO THE COMMUNITY WHAT IT IS THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
NOW WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE THE CONTRACT'S BEEN SIGNED.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, VARIOUS ISSUES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE FIGHTING.
BUT WHAT A SAD TRIBUTE TO HAVE IT COME TO THIS WHERE WE ARE OPPOSING, WE'RE, WE'RE OPPOSING THE CITY WHEN WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT WE WANNA WORK WITH THE CITY AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE, WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO ARTWORK.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ARTWORK, BUT THE SIZE AND THE LOCATION OF WHERE IT WOULD BE PUT IS NOT PRACTICAL.
AND IT, AND, AND AT THIS POINT, WE, I DO THANK COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ BECAUSE HE DID, UH, PROMISE US THAT HE WOULD WORK WITH US AND, AND, AND THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THIS IS KINDA AFTER THE HOUSES LEFT, YOU KNOW, THE HORSES LEFT THE BARN.
YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S REALLY SAD AND WE, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, UH, MODIFY THIS IN SOME WAY WHERE EVERYBODY IS, UH, BENEFITING FROM IT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, THIS CONTRACT ONLY BENEFITS ONE PARTY AND THAT'S THE ORANGE SHOW FOUNDATION.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT.
WE HAVE REACHED OUT IN OVER 31 MONTHS AND, AND A LOT OF IT IS JUST NO COMMUNICATION.
SO IT IS THAT THIS IS WHERE WE ARE.
I WANTED SOMETHING PHYSICAL FOR YOU TO HAVE.
WE WILL BE BACK
UH, AND I CAN ANSWER AS MUCH AS, UH, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, BUT DO LOOK AT THE MATERIALS, I THINK THEY'RE VALUABLE TO, TO STATING OUR CASE.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I DID GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL TIME 'CAUSE I REALLY FELT BADLY THAT I DIDN'T TIME EVERYBODY ELSE, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I GAVE YOU YOUR TIME TO, TO SPEAK.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS.
UM, BUT I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PRESENTERS, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION TODAY.
THE NEXT ARTS AND CULTURAL MEETING WILL BE ON OCTOBER THE NINTH HERE IN THE ANN RUSSELL CHAMBERS AT 2:00 PM AND IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
[01:35:02]
THANK YOU.AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND DEDICATION TO SUPPORTING THE ARTS AND CULTURE IN HOUSTON AND HAVE A GREAT, AND HOPEFULLY DRY AFTERNOON.
I DON'T KNOW HOW DRY BUT SAFE.