[Arts & Culture Committee on May 22, 2025.]
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THIS MEETING OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE TO ORDER THE TIME IS 2:03 PM WE ARE GATHERED HERE IN THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBER, 9 0 1 BAG V STREET, SECOND FLOOR, HOUSTON, TEXAS.
THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND IT'S BEING BROADCAST ON HTV, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S MUNICIPAL CHANNEL.
MATERIALS FOR TODAY'S MEETING ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV/COUNCIL/COMMITTEES.
I WILL NOW CALL THE ROLE TO CONFIRM ATTENDANCE OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND PLEASE RESPOND WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.
WE HAVE MY, OUR VICE CHAIR MARIO CASTILLO.
WE'RE GONNA YOU'RE, YOU'RE HERE FOR SALLY, RIGHT? OKAY.
WE HAVE, UM, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN.
WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PECK.
WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
AND THEN I HAVE MY STAFF TO MY LEFT AND TO MY RIGHT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY WELCOMING EVERYONE TO TODAY'S MEETING OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND DEDICATION TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT IS NOW MY PLEASURE TO RECOGNIZE OUR VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO.
I WILL KEEP MY OPENING REMARKS BRIEF AS WE'VE GOT A FEW THINGS ON THE AGENDA AND, UH, JUST LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE PRESENTATIONS AND APPRECIATE ALL THE ATTENDANCE AND THE ENGAGEMENT AROUND THE COMMITTEE.
AND I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MYSELF.
I'M COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ, THE CHAIR OF THIS, UH, COMMITTEE.
NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON WITH OUR AGENDA AND WE WILL NOW HEAR AN UPDATE FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND WE HAVE STEVEN DAVID PRESENT, SO PLEASE PROCEED.
I APPRECIATE IT WITH, UM, MADAM CHAIR.
WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I'D LIKE TO ASK TAYLOR TO COME UP AND HAA CAN BOTH GIVE AN, AN, UH, AN UPDATE WITH ME AS WELL.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A, UH, SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, UM, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN BE AS EXPEDITIOUS AS POSSIBLE.
'CAUSE I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME FOLKS WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK PUBLICLY AND AS, AS PRETTY AS MY FACE IS, I THINK WE'D RATHER SEE IT IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND THEN ONE TIME SPEAKING ABOUT THE ARTS IN FRONT OF THE, UH, BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND THE MAYOR'S REPORT.
UM, AS ALWAYS, I'M VERY EXCITED TO COME AND SPEAK TO Y'ALL ABOUT THE REALLY COOL THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON ABOUT THE REALLY COOL THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DO WAS GIVE YOU AN UPDATE.
SO LAST TIME I WAS HERE, UH, TAYLOR AND I PRESENTED, UM, AN UPDATE AS TO WHERE WE'VE BEEN, UH, WHERE WE'RE GOING, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH, TIMELINES, ANSWERED SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, WHAT THE FUTURE OF THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICE IS GOING TO BE, WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA HAVE PARTICULAR POSITIONS IN THERE AGAIN.
UM, AND SO WHAT I'D LIKE THIS TO BE IS AN UPDATE AS TO WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME, UM, AND BE ABLE TO, UH, GIVE YOU INFORMATION THAT IS GOOD AND ACCURATE AND, AND TIMELY, UH, BASED ON THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVED.
UH, SO WHAT I'LL START OFF WITH IS TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE HAVE DONE WITH REGARD TO POSITION.
SO ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS THAT WAS ASKED WAS, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? HOW ARE WE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE FOLKS WITHIN THE CULTURAL ARTS? I'LL SAY THAT I HAVE BEEN, UM, VERY INADEQUATELY, UH, CHARGING A PATH FORWARD, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PAY BILLS, MAKE SURE THAT MONEY GETS TO ARTISTS AND GALLERISTS.
UM, BUT IN THE INTERIM, WE ALSO ARE VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE ABOUT THAT.
A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, WE POSTED A JOB FOR AN ARTS ADMINISTRATOR POSITION, UM, FOR ALL OF US CITY OF HOUSTON FOLKS.
UM, EXPECTATION FOR THAT POSITION IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FIRST AND FOREMOST BE A SOUND CONTRACT MANAGER.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE BOTH FOR CONTRACTS THAT ARE, UH, RELATED TO CIVIC ARTS AND GRANTS.
UM, SO THINK WITH, UH, HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, BUT ALSO WITH OTHER CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UP ART AND THERE ARE MANY MURALS
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PROJECTS.UM, SO THAT IS GOING TO BE A CONTRACT MANAGEMENT POSITION AT ITS CORE.
ALSO GOING TO BE A POINT PERSON FOR THE ARTS COMMUNITY, SO THEY KNOW WHERE TO CALL.
I HAVE BEEN, UH, VERY GRATEFUL, UM, THAT PEOPLE HAVE, UH, BEEN ABLE TO REACH OUT.
UM, I'VE ALSO BEEN GRATEFUL FOR THEIR PATIENTS AND THE, UH, THE SLOWNESS WITH WHICH I REACH BACK OUT TO THEM AND GRATEFUL FOR A LOT OF THE, UH, THE LEEWAY THAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN AS I'VE BEEN LEARNING, UH, ABOUT WHAT THIS ROLE IS ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR.
UM, WE ARE ALSO GOING TO, UH, EXPECT THAT PERSON TO, IN EFFECT, MAKE SURE THE TRAINS RUN ON TIME.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAME ACROSS, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WAS THAT THERE WERE A BUNCH OF OUTSTANDING BILLS.
THERE WERE, UM, THE, THE LOVE LANGUAGE, UH, WITH THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE OR LOAS, AND THAT'S BASICALLY HOW WE GET PROJECTS OUT THE DOOR.
THERE WERE A BUNCH OF OUTSTANDING LOAS THAT HAD SPENT MONTHS AND MONTHS SITTING AND NOT, NOT GETTING APPROVED, NOT MOVING FORWARD.
AND THAT'S ARTWORK THAT GOES, UH, THAT'S PROJECTS THAT GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO PROJECTS THAT GO INTO OUR DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AND TO GIVE AN EQUIVALENCY, AND I, I KNOW I SAID THIS LAST TIME, BUT IN THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME, UH, AIRPORTS, UH, OPERATES A LITTLE INDEPENDENTLY, AND ALTON IS HERE, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT HIM IN JUST A SECOND.
AIRPORTS OPERATES INDEPENDENTLY FROM THE REST OF THE CITY.
UH, AND THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AIRPORTS WAS ABLE TO PROVE 17 APPROVE 17 LOAS.
THE CITY OF THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENTS RECEIVED ZERO.
UH, SO WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS BEGAN MOVING FORWARD AND SORT OF GETTING UNSTUCK AS TO WHERE THEY WERE.
ADDITIONALLY, THE EXPECTATION FOR THAT ARTS ADMINISTRATOR ROLE IS GOING TO BE A PARTNER TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY, UH, THE OUTSIDE COMMUNITY FOR DATA DATA ANALYSIS.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON SITS ON, I, I AM A STATISTICIAN BY, UH, EDUCATION AND BY TRAINING, AND I LOVE DATA, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOESN'T ALWAYS SHARE OUR DATA IN A GREAT WAY, AND WE SIT ON AN OCEAN OF IT.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM MANY CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING WITH, UH, ADVOCATES IN THE COMMUNITY IS THAT, UH, WE NEED TO BEGIN THINKING MORE STRATEGICALLY.
I THINK THAT, UH, HOUSTON NEEDS TO, HAS THE CAPACITY TO BE, UM, EXCEPTIONALLY FORWARD THINKING WITH REGARD TO THE ARTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
CAPITAL C GOVERNMENT, CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, COULD STEP INTO THAT ROLE IN A GREAT WAY.
WE NEED DATA TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD PARTNERS OUT THERE THAT DO WONDERFUL ANALYSIS FOR US.
UM, SO WE WANNA BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ARTS ADMINISTRATOR PERSON, UM, THAT ROLE CAN BE A GOOD DATA PARTNER, DATA SHARING PARTNER AND ANALYSIS PARTNER AS WELL.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE HAPPY TO, UH, ANNOUNCE THAT ALTON DELANEY IS GOING TO BE THE CURATOR FOR THE CITY, NOT JUST FOR THE AIRPORT SYSTEM.
UM, HE IS GOING TO BE, UH, SPLITTING HIS TIME BETWEEN AIRPORTS AND HELPING ME.
AND THE, UH, INCOMING ARTS ADMINISTRATOR POSITION, UH, WHOEVER THAT PERSON IS, UM, IS GONNA HELP TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING STAYS ON TRACK.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH HIM, I FULLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO IT.
HE HAS A DUAL MASTER'S IN BOTH ART AND ART HISTORY.
UM, AND HE'S AN EXCEPTIONALLY, UH, COMPETENT PERSON LOOK NO FURTHER THAN, UH, ONE OF THE BEST MUSEUMS WE HAVE IN HOUSTON, WHICH ARE OUR AIRPORTS.
UM, THE, UH, THE ONLY THING IS THERE'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER FEE TO GET IN.
THE THING THAT'S, UH, GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT THAT ALTON HELPS FILL IS THE GAP OF KNOWLEDGE, UM, AND THE GAP OF EXPERTISE.
HE IS GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT NEW ARTS ADMINISTRATOR IS GONNA HAVE, UH, AN ON-RAMP, A AS SHORT ON-RAMP AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND THEN HE'S GONNA BE, UH, A SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER VERSION OF ME, UH, WHEN MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING STAYS ON TRACK.
UH, AND WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED.
AND ADDITIONALLY, I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO ALTON.
UH, THANK YOU, ALTON, FOR BEING ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT I DON'T TRIP AND FALL.
UH, THAT'S BEEN A VERY, I'VE BEEN VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THAT, UM, THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, AS A REMINDER, ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I SAID THIS AT THE MAYOR'S, UH, I SAID THIS AT THE MAYOR'S, UH, BUDGET PRESS CONFERENCE OR EXCUSE PRESS CONFERENCE BUDGET HEARING, UH, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE ARTS, UM, I, I TEND TO THINK, AND I, I'LL SAY THAT THIS COMES FROM MY CONSULTING DAYS, UH, WE TEND, I TEND TO THINK IN CRAWLING, WALKING AND RUNNING.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I FRAMED, AND I'LL SAY THIS AGAIN, IS THAT I THINK, UH, AGAIN, CITY OF HOUSTON, BOTH THE ART COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE CITY OF HOUSTON ARTS PROGRAM, DESERVES TO HAVE AN OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS THAT IS RUNNING.
IT RUNS AND IT HAS GOOD EXPERTISE INSIDE OF IT AND HAS STRONG LEADERSHIP INSIDE OF IT.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO DO THOSE THINGS.
AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON STRATEGY AND WHAT THE FUTURE, WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HOUSTON TO BE.
THIS OFFICE IS NOT READY FOR RUNNING YET.
IT NEEDS TO CRAWL AND NEEDS TO WALK WELL, AND WE NEED THE NEXT FEW MONTHS TO, THERE ARE CRITICAL NEXT FEW MONTHS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ESTABLISH A GOOD FOUNDATION FROM AN OPERATIONS AND A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE IS THAT WE HAVE FINALLY BEGUN MOVING THROUGH THE PIPE AGAIN, THE MINI MURALS.
UH, THEY HAD TO PAUSE FOR A BIT THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIRS AT ALL.
IT WAS DEFINITELY A CITY OF HOUSTON PROCESS.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, IDENTIFY WHO THE PLAYERS WERE, UH, THAT WERE THE APPROVERS ON, ON THE CITY SIDE.
UM, WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
AND I'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH ELIA AND NOAH, AND, UH, VERY EXCITED TO SAY WE'RE FINALLY MOVING THIS FORWARD.
I APPROVED A TRANCHE, I BELIEVE OF SEVEN OF THEM YESTERDAY.
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SEE THOSE POP BACK UP AND THAT LIST GO DOWN, THAT SORT OF PENDING LIST GO DOWN.ADDITIONALLY EXCITED, UH, BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM ALL OF Y'ALL, AS WELL AS FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BEGIN, UH, CONTRACT RENEGOTIATION FOR THE UP ART PROGRAM, UH, FOR THE MINI MURAL PROGRAM, WHICH EXPIRES, UH, I BELIEVE END OF JULY.
UH, AGAIN, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE BEEN AFFORDED BY BOTH, UH, COUNCIL AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
UM, I'VE SPENT, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE ME 30, 60, 90 MINUTE INCREMENTS OF THEIR DAY.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, I'M, I'M GOOD AT CERTAIN THINGS.
I AM A DUMMY WHEN IT COMES TO ART, AND IT'S BEEN VERY, I'VE BEEN VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE, UH, THE ABILITY TO SPEAK TO ME LIKE A CHILD IN THE FUTURE.
MY PREFERENCE IS COLORING AND POP-UP BOOKS WHEN YOU'RE EXPLAINING STUFF TO ME.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, I AM EXCEPTIONALLY GRATEFUL.
AND SO IS THE MAYOR FOR THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT, YES, THEY'RE A CONTRACTOR, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY'RE AN ADVISOR.
THEY TELL US, UH, THEY HELP WALK US THROUGH THE PROCESS.
WE TRUST THEM WITH PICKING GOOD ARTISTS AND GOOD ART.
WE TRUST THEM WITH A PROCESS THAT THEY ESTABLISH TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE SELECTION PROCESS IS FAIR AND EQUITABLE.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF RUMORS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING AROUND THAT THEY WERE DOING MORE THAN WHAT THEIR CONTRACT STIPULATED.
UH, I HAD AN ATTORNEY WITH ME THE ENTIRE TIME IN WHICH WE WERE WORKING THE THING THAT, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER ASKED FOR THEM TO DO.
WHEN TAYLOR CAME ON BOARD, UH, HER AND THE BOARD CHAIR OF THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH THE MAYOR AND TALK TO HIM ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE IS.
AND HE EXPRESSED HIS, HIS DEVOTION TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
HIS IM THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, AND THIS IS THE THING THAT HE'S SAID TO ME OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IS, DO NOT LET THE MONEY STOP FLOWING TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU CAN DO.
AND THAT'S BEEN THE THING THAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON.
IT'S THE REASON WHY THE, UH, THE MINI MURALS PROJECT WAS IMPORTANT.
IT'S THE REASON WHY MY FOCUS HAS BEEN PAYING UNPAID INVOICES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY OUTSTANDING OR THINGS IN ARREARS FOR THESE GALLERISTS AND THESE ARTISTS WHO NEED TO GET PAID.
AND WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY, WHICH IS A PART OF THEIR CONTRACT.
AND SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, AND SORT OF QUASH ANY SORT OF MURMURING OR WHISPER CAMPAIGNS IS THAT, UH, THEY HAVE NOT GONE OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF THEIR CONTRACT THAT IN FACT WOULD BE ILLEGAL.
UH, THE THING, THE LAST THING THAT I WANT TO SAY, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT THING, IS WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS OFFICE IS GONNA BE.
THE ARTS ADMINISTRATOR POSITION IS A CRITICAL FIRST STEP, BUT IT'S NOT THE LAST STEP OF THIS OFFICE.
AND SO THE, THE IMPORTANT THING THAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS THAT IN ANY INSTANCE IN WHICH PEOPLE BEGIN, IF, UNLESS YOU ARE HEARING IT FROM THE MAYOR OR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT, IT IS ENTIRELY SPECULATION.
UH, WITH REGARDS TO THIS OFFICE, UM, WE ARE WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OFFICE IS RESPECTFUL TO THE COMMUNITY THAT IS VIBRANT AND GROWING IN HOUSTON.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
THAT'S GONNA BE THE FIRST PERSON TO SAY THAT WE DON'T THINK THAT THIS OFFICE IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, BUT WE'RE GETTING THERE AND WE'RE GROWING, AND WE'RE GROWING AS FAST AND AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO, HAVING SAID THAT, THAT'S MY UPDATE.
I'M GONNA KICK IT OVER TO, UH, I'M GONNA KICK IT OVER TO TAYLOR, AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE FOR ME.
MEMBERS OF, UM, HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS TAYLOR JACKSON.
I AM THE CEO OF HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CHANCE, UM, TO SPEAK WITH YOU ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIZATION TODAY.
UM, FIRSTLY, YOU KNOW, PIGGYBACKING OFF OF STEVEN, I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO OUR MISSION, UM, OF COLLABORATING WITH THE CITY TO IMPLEMENT ITS VISION FOR GRANTS MAKING AND, AND CIVIC ART ENGAGEMENTS.
UM, AS A TRUSTED AND COLLABORATIVE PARTNER, OUR GOAL IS TO BRING STRATEGIC INSIGHT AND DEEP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN OUR CITY.
UM, I WANT TO THANK, UM, MAYOR WHITMEYER AGAIN AND STEVEN FOR THEIR ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT OF THE ARTS.
UM, DURING OUR MEETING A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, UM, WHERE THE MAYOR WARMLY WELCOMED ME AS THE NEW CEO AND WE DISCUSSED HAA UPDATES, UM, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN HOUSTON'S ARTS LANDSCAPE, UM, WE GREATLY VALUE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS A TRUSTED ADVISOR, UH, AND A RESOURCE TO HIS ADMINISTRATION, UM, AND A STRONG PARTNER TO THE CITY'S DIVERSE ARTS COMMUNITY.
UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WALK WORKING CLOSELY WITH ALTON DELANEY AND HIS NEW CAPACITY, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BUILD ON THE EXISTING RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE, UM, ESPECIALLY THROUGH OUR ONGOING AND SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP ON AIRPORT, UM, AND PUBLIC ART PROJECTS.
HAA REMAINS COMMITTED TO UPLIFTING COMMUNITY VOICES BY ACTIVELY LISTENING, ENGAGING IN RESOURCING ARTISTS, CREATIVES, ARTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS WITH FUNDED, WITH CITY FUNDED GRANTS.
UM, AS WE BELIEVE THESE INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES MAKE UP THE FABRIC OF OUR BUS LANE ARTS AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPE, UM, IN FRONT OF YOU, I THINK YOU ALL HAVE RECEIVED AT THIS POINT, UM, A WHAT, WHAT WE REFER TO THESE AS COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE SHEET.
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ONE PAGERS ENCAPSULATE ANNUAL GRANT MAKING ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE IN YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT, UM, AND THE CITY AT LARGE.SO YOU'LL FIND INFORMATION SUCH AS A BREAKDOWN OF HOW MANY APPLICANTS VERSUS HOW MANY GRANTEES IN YOUR DISTRICT, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF, UM, CITY FUNDED GRANTS IN YOUR DISTRICT, A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THE ARTISTS AND CREATIVE AND ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVING THOSE GRANTS IN YOUR DISTRICTS.
UM, WE ALSO USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPLIFT THE AMAZING CREATIVE WORK GOING ON, UM, AMONGST YOUR CONSTITUENCY, AND TO SHOW THE IMPACT AND IMPORTANCE OF HOT RESOURCES ALLOCATED TO THE ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HAA TO LEARN WHERE WE COULD DO MORE OUTREACH.
AND SO TARGETING PARTICULAR COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND COMMUNITIES, UM, WHERE WE SEE THAT THERE COULD BE GREATER ENGAGEMENT IN OUTREACH EFFORTS, WE SOLICIT ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, TO CO-HOST A GRANTS WORKSHOP WITH OUR GRANTS TEAM TO HELP ENSURE THAT WE ARE EFFECTIVELY SHOWING UP IN THE COMMUNITY TO SPREAD INFORMATION ABOUT THESE CITY FUNDED GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
SINCE I'M ON THE TOPIC OF GRANTS, I DO WANNA ANNOUNCE THAT ROUND TWO LET CREATIVITY HAPPEN IN CITIES INITIATIVE GRANT PROGRAMS, UM, FUNDED THROUGH THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS ON MAY 26TH, UM, AT 9:00 AM THESE GRANT PROGRAMS ARE OPEN TO INDIVIDUALS, UM, AND ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AS WELL AS FISCALLY, FISCALLY SPONSORED PROJECTS.
WE WILL BE HOSTING ANOTHER INSTAGRAM LIVE Q AND A WEDNESDAY, MAY 28TH FROM FOUR TO 5:00 PM WHERE APPLICANTS CAN LEARN MORE INFORMATION, UM, AND ASK QUESTIONS RELATED TO OUR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, THE APPLICATION AND THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
COULD, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
SO, ROUND TWO OF LET CREATIVITY HAPPEN IN CITI'S INITIATIVE WILL LAUNCH MAY 26TH AT 9:00 AM AND THE INSTAGRAM LIVE Q AND A WILL BE HOSTED MAY 28TH, UM, FROM 4:00 PM TO 5:00 PM I WANT TO REEMPHASIZE THE, THAT ONE OF OUR OVERARCHING GOALS FOR HAA IS TO ENSURE THAT THE ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES ARE HEARD AND VALUED THROUGH ONGOING FEEDBACK LOOPS, INCLUDING HAA HOSTED EVENTS AND COMMUNITY TOUCHPOINT.
RECENTLY, WE CO-HOSTED AN ARTS COMMUNITY TOWN HALL MEETING WITH MECCA HOUSTON.
THIS WAS ON MAY 10TH AT LENTO BILINGUAL, UM, WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON DISASTER RESILIENCE.
THE MEETING WAS CENTERED AROUND, UM, HOW THE COMMUNITY CAN PROTECT THEIR ASSETS, SAFEGUARD THEIR SPACES, SUSTAIN THEIR PRACTICES, AND STRENGTHEN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND THIS MEETING WAS ACTUALLY CO-LED, UM, BY CITY OF HOUSTON, OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UM, MELANIE TIZ.
AS I CLOSE, I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UPLIFT SOME EXCITING WORK GOING ON IN THE CIVIC ART DIVISION.
UM, OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE DIVISION ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORTS FACILITATED THE ACQUISITION OF 27 PORTABLE ARTWORKS, UM, FOR INCLUSION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON CIVIC ART COLLECTION, FEATURING BOTH TWO AND THREE DIMENSIONAL PIECES.
THIS VERY VIBRANT SELECTION CELEBRATES THE REMARKABLE TALENTS OF 27 TEXAS BASED ARTISTS WHO ARE REPRESENTED, UM, THROUGH THROUGHOUT HOUSTON AREA GALLERIES.
THE WORKS ARE NOW ON VIEW THROUGHOUT, UM, GEORGE BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL AND HOBBY AIRPORTS.
UM, THE CIVIC ART DIVISION OVERSAW THE ARTWORK SELECTION PROCESS AND COORDINATED THE INSTALLATION OF THESE PIECES ACROSS BOTH AIRPORTS, FROM SCULPTURE TO COLLAGE TO MIXED MEDIA AND TEXTILES.
THE COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS A DYNAMIC RANGE OF MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES, UM, REFLECTING THE RICH CULTURAL TAPESTRY THAT DEFINES OUR CITY AND STATE.
WE'RE THRILLED TO WORK WITH HOUSTON AIRPORTS, NOT ONLY, UM, TO STRENGTHEN THEIR WORLD CLASS PUBLIC ART PROGRAM, BUT ALSO TO OFFER TRAVELS A GLIMPSE INTO THE IMMENSE CREATIVE, UM, CREATIVITY, EXCUSE ME, THAT FILLS OUR CITY WITH SIGNIFICANT PRIDE.
I WANNA SHOUT OUT THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE ONCE AGAIN BEEN AWARDED THE WORLD'S BEST ART AND AIRPORT DESIGNATION FROM THE INDEPENDENT AUDITING FIRM SKY TRACKS.
THIS MARKS THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR THAT HAS HAS ACHIEVED THIS GREAT DISTINCTION HOLDING THE TITLE SINCE THE CREATION OF THE AWARD IN 2023 AND BEATING OUT PRESTIGIOUS AIRPORTS AROUND THE GLOBE.
UM, THIS WIN IS A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR HOUSTON AIRPORTS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND ALL OF THE ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THIS OUTSTANDING PROGRAM.
IT'S ALSO ANOTHER GREAT TESTAMENT TO THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HAS AND HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE TO SHOUT OUT ALTON DELANEY ONCE AGAIN, AND GRACE ZUNIGA, THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIC ART AT HAA AND THE ENTIRE, UM, CIVIC ART DIVISION.
IN CLOSING, I WILL JUST SAY THAT HAH TRULY LOOKS FORWARD TO COLLABORATING ON INITIATIVES
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THAT CONTINUE TO REFLECT HOUSTON'S RICH CULTURAL DIVERSITY.UM, WE ARE HERE AND WE ARE READY TO SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATION, CITY COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY'S VISION FOR ARTS AND CULTURE ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, TAYLOR AND STEVEN, I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, THAT WE WERE JOINED AT THE VERY BEGINNING, ACTUALLY, UH, WITH STAFF FROM, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM.
UM, AND I RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR A QUESTION.
UH, THANK YOU STEVEN AND TAYLOR BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION FROM THE LAST TIME WE HAD THIS MEETING IN APRIL.
STEVEN, CLEARLY YOU'VE BEEN BUSY, UM, WITH ALL THE UPDATES THAT YOU'VE HAD TO SHARE.
YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE POSITION FOCUSED ON DATA ANALYSIS AS WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS, UM, THAT'S PRESENTED ITSELF AS A GAP AND, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO ARTICULATE, UM, FINER POINTS AND IMPACTS OF CIVIC ART AND, AND OUR CULTURAL, UH, DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY AND THE REGION THAT'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS IT HEAD ON.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC.
UM, ABSOLUTELY WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALTON FOR, UH, HIS PROMOTION.
I MEAN, THE AIRPORTS ARE JUST, THEY'RE FANTASTIC.
UM, THEY ARE LIKE MUSEUMS, YOU KNOW.
UM, AND I HAPPENED TO BE ON A TOUR WHERE ALTON WAS TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE SELECTIONS, AND YOU CAN TELL THE THOUGHT, THE CREATIVITY, THE FOCUS ON HIGHLIGHTING LOCAL ARTISTS, THE DIVERSITY WITH THE WORKS, UM, IT ALL MAKES A DIFFERENCE AND IT MAKES PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES THERE MEMORABLE.
SO, UH, VERY EXCITED TO, TO SEE WHERE THAT GOES, UH, CITYWIDE.
UM, DO YOU, ONE QUESTION I DO HAVE, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES TO SHARE WITH RESPECT TO ACTIVITY FROM, UM, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AROUND OUR CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND OUR CULTURAL SECTOR BEYOND THE, THE FINE ARTS SECTOR? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS, UM, WITH, UH, REPRESENTATIVES.
SO THE, THE VERY POINT SPECIFIC INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE IS, THERE'S A BLOOMBERG GRANT THAT WAS VERY TIMELY THAT WE HAD TO DRIVE THROUGH, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T MISS ANY OF THEIR MILESTONES.
UM, THE GOOD THING WAS THAT, UH, IT WAS LESS, IT WAS MORE ABOUT INFORMATION COMING TO US AND US SAYING, GREAT, THANK YOU.
AND GIVING APPROVAL AS OPPOSED TO ME HAVING TO DO IT A THING, UH, WHICH WAS GREAT FOR THE TIME.
UH, BUT WE DO, WE DO MEET WITH ALL OF OUR CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
UH, I'VE HAD BRIEF MEETINGS WITH THEM SINCE I HAVE NOT HAD ENOUGH MEETINGS WITH THEM.
THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE EXPECTATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE FOR THIS ARTS ADMINISTRATOR POSITION, IS AGAIN, BEING THAT POINT PERSON AND THAT LIAISON TO THE, THE VARIOUS, THE MYRIAD, UH, ADVOCACY GROUPS AND GROUPS THAT ARE DOING WORK BEYOND ADVOCACY, UM, TO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO BRING THAT INFORMATION IN AND THEN ALLOW US TO DO DECISION TO, TO MAKE THE DECISIONS AND DO THE ACTIONS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RESPECT THE WORK THEY'RE DOING.
I MEAN, YOU'VE, YOU'VE CLEARLY MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON THE, THE FINE ARTS SIDE, AND THAT'S, AND YOU'VE DONE IT ALL WHILE BUDGET SEASON'S BEEN GOING ON
I'VE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE LOVINGLY THAT I'VE BEEN IN BUDGET HELL
AND I DO THINK THAT YOUR UPDATES HERE ARE VERY IMPORTANT WITH JUST GETTING THE FACTS OUT, BECAUSE IT'S A BIG COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, RUMORS THAT, THAT GO AROUND AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU, GET UPDATES FROM YOU, FROM THE ADMINISTRATION DIRECTLY, IT DOES MITIGATE SOME OF THE, THE, YOU KNOW, INNUENDO THAT'S OUT THERE, SOME OF THE RUMORS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT WE CAN NOW, YOU KNOW, PUTS A REST.
SO, UH, THE UPDATES ARE APPRECIATED.
AND THE THING THAT I'LL SAY, UH, IS THAT I DON'T BLAME ANYONE FOR SPECULATING, RIGHT? IN A LACK OF INFORMATION IN A LACK OR AN ABSENCE OF INFORMATION, RIGHT? YOU'VE GOTTA SORT OF FIGURE OUT, AND I'LL SAY THAT A LOT OF FOLKS, THE THE ONES THAT COME SORT OF FRONT OF MIND ARE THE, UH, THE GALLERISTS THAT I SPOKE TO WHO HAD AN ART PIECE, UH, THAT WAS SITTING INSIDE OF HER WAREHOUSE, AND SHE WAS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ARTIST GOT PAID AND SHE WAS TRYING TO FREE UP SPACE SO SHE COULD STORE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WASN'T BEING TAKEN CARE OF.
I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, A COUPLE OF ARTISTS WHO HAD OUTSTANDING INVOICES.
I MEAN, GOING BACK MONTHS AND MONTHS, THERE WAS, UH, ONE, ONE ARTIST WHO HAD A $200 BILL THAT HADN'T BEEN PAID, UH, COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY.
UM, THERE WAS, UH, AGAIN, AND I'LL, I'LL REFERENCE THIS RIGHT THERE WAS DOWN IN THE, IN THE BASEMENT WHERE WE HAD, UH, A PRETTY COOL, UH, CULTURAL DISPLAY, UH, DOWN IN THERE.
UM, THE ART, THE, THE PERSON WHO PUT IT UP SAID THAT SHE WAS GONNA GET A STIPEND,
[00:25:01]
UH, FOR PUTTING UP AND TAKING IT DOWN, COULDN'T FIND INFORMATION ABOUT THE STIPEND ANYWHERE.UM, IT WAS APPARENTLY DONE, WORD OF MOUTH WITHOUT A CONTRACT.
I MEAN, THERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE HAD TO LEARN THAT WE HAD TO DO, AND THAT WE HAD TO FIX.
UM, AND THE, THE IMPORTANT THING, UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT I DON'T BLAME ANYBODY, UH, OUTSIDE OF THIS OFFICE, OUTSIDE OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR FEELING THIS THE WAY THAT THEY FELT.
RIGHT? AGAIN, THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FROM THE MAYOR'S PERSPECTIVE FOR THE SHORT TERM, WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE GOT PAID FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DID.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE DOING THAT ON TIME.
IF ANY OF Y'ALL ARE WATCHING AND YOU'RE UNPAID, PLEASE LEMME KNOW.
UH, BUT THE, THE THING THAT WE ARE NOW MOVING FORWARD ON IS WHAT IS NEXT MM-HMM
AND HOW DO WE BEST REPRESENT WHAT IS, I BELIEVE ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT HOUSTON, WHICH IS OUR ART, ARTS AND CULTURE.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S, I'M EXCITED ABOUT CONTINUING TO GIVE UPDATES.
UM, I DO THINK THAT, UH, THE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS IS I, WE ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR INFORMATION.
I, I AM, UH, MAYBE TO THE POINT OF, UH, GETTING MYSELF IN TROUBLE.
I AM AN OPEN BOOK AND HONEST, UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I, LAST TIME THAT I WAS HERE, UH, THIS WAS POINTED OUT TO ME, UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALL, UH, WE ALL SERVE AT THE, I I SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF THE MAYOR.
UH, HAD A MEETING THAT I HAD TO GET TO WITH THE MAYOR, SO I HAD TO BOUNCE AFTER I PRESENTED.
I'M GONNA BE HANGING OUT TILL THE END OF THIS, SO I'M HAPPY TO CHAT WITH ANYBODY ABOUT ANY THOUGHTS THAT I HAVE MOVING FORWARD.
BUT THIS IS, THIS IS AN EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT THING.
I APPRECIATE YOU RECOGNIZING THAT, UH, THE BUDGET IS BUSY AND IMPORTANT.
YOU, YOU WERE AT A TON OF THE BUDGET HEARINGS.
WE TRIED TO JOIN AS MANY, BUT THIS IS ALSO EQUALLY IMPORTANT.
AND, AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE PERFORMING ARTS SECTOR AS WELL.
WILL THAT ALSO BE A PART OF THE, THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD TO HAVE MEETINGS ENGAGEMENT, OR, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN ABSOLUTELY DOING ABSOLUTELY.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, I'M GOING TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF A SHOUT OUT TO CRAIG.
CRAIG AND I HAD A FIST BUMP MOMENT, UH, DURING THE MAYOR'S DAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW THAT, BUT THE, UH, NO, I, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS WORTH SAYING, AND I, I FORGET THAT I HADN'T SAID, I DON'T SAY THIS OUT LOUD TOO OFTEN.
UH, I, I WENT TO PVA FOR TWO YEARS.
UM, I WENT TO THE MOORE SCHOOL OF MUSIC, UH, WITH DOUBLE BA, UH, DOUBLE BASS.
I WAS A MUSIC EDUCATION AND PERFORMANCE, UH, MAJOR WITH DOUBLE BASS, CELLO, AND CLASSICAL GUITAR.
UM, MUSIC IS MY LOVE LANGUAGE.
UM, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING FOR ME, RIGHT? UM, BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT, AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO THINK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY NO LONG IS HERE WITH THE, UH, HOUSTON ENDOWMENT.
IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THAT ARE EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT, IS THEY CAN HELP PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND STRATEGY.
I THINK IT'S DISRESPECTFUL TO THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IF WE CAN'T DO THE CRAWLING AND WALKING SIDE STUFF.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S BEEN THE FOCUS.
WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM STAFF, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
I HAVE NO QUESTIONS AT THIS MOMENT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, WE'RE GONNA NOW MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, AND OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INTRODUCTION TO HUGH ARTS.
AND THAT WOULD BE CLARK, EXCUSE ME, CRAIG.
AND I GUESS YOU INTRODUCED THE OTHER PERSON.
UM, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE AT ONE OF THOSE SPECIAL MOMENTS IN THE, THE CITY OF ARTS IN, IN HOUSTON, WHERE WE'VE GOT SO MANY PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER BEHIND THAT, BEHIND LIKE AN EXCITED, UH, PLATFORM, WHICH WE'RE HERE TO SHARE TODAY.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
WE'RE BOTH ARTISTS AND ADMINISTRATORS.
UM, I HAVE THE HONOR OF, OF SERVING AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE THEATER DISTRICT.
AND, UH, HARRISON GUY HERE IS, IS GONNA ALSO PRESENT HERE WITH ME.
I'LL LET HIM INTRODUCE HIMSELF.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ARTS AND CULTURE FOR THE FIFTH WARD CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
I'M A DANCE INSTRUCTOR AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, AT THE KINDER HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE PERFORMING IN VISUAL ARTS.
AND I ALSO MANAGE THE, THE DELUXE THEATER.
I'M A CHOREOGRAPHER, UM, AND I'M THE FOUNDER OF URBAN SOUL'S DANCE COMPANY.
UM, WHAT I LIKE ABOUT MY COLLEAGUE HERE AND I, IS THAT WE REPRESENT BOTH LARGE ORGANIZATIONS, SMALL ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
UM, AND I ALSO WANNA GIVE A THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE SEVEN CULTURAL DISTRICTS THAT HAVE WORKED ON, UH, THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS.
SO IF IN ANY, ANY CULTURAL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES, RAISE YOUR HAND.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING US TO AND STEWARDING US IN LEADERSHIP OF THIS PROJECT.
AND, UM, A OKAY, UH, YOU CAN ADVANCE TWO SLIDES.
SO THE LAST TIME, UM, MY COLLEAGUES PRESENTED HERE, UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE WORK OF THE, UH, HOUSTON CULTURE DISTRICTS AT THE SEPTEMBER, 2024 ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMITTEE MEETING, AND
[00:30:01]
TODAY WE ARE HERE TO SHARE AN EXCITING UPDATE ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SINCE THAT LAST MEETING IN SUPPORT OF OUR CHAMPION OBJECTIVE.SINCE WE LAST MET, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE MEETINGS AND EVENTS WE'VE HOSTED TO ALIGN THE COMMUNITY AND AGREE UP UPON A PLATFORM TO CHAMPION THE ARTS IN THE GREATER HOUSTON REGION.
UM, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL EFFORTS TO REACH MORE ARTISTS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK, UH, AS YOU, AS WE TALK ABOUT HUGH ARTS, I THINK WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS FILLED WITH LOTS OF STAKEHOLDERS.
AND SO IT'S MANY VOICES THAT ARE AT THE TABLE IN THESE DISCUSSIONS.
NOW, UH, THERE WAS THIS TASK FORCE SELECTED THROUGH AN OPEN CALL TO THE COMMUNITY THAT REPRESENTS A VARIETY OF SIZES OF ORGANIZATIONS, ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES, AND GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS AROUND THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA.
AND I KNOW, UH, HARRISON ASKED FOR, WHO WAS ON THE TASK FORCE A SECOND AGO, BUT I WOULD LOVE ANYONE WHO FELT LIKE THAT THEY HAD A VOICE OR SAY IN THIS PLAN TO PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND OR STAND UP.
AND THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE WHO AREN'T HERE TODAY BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE AT WORK OR UNABLE TO BE HERE.
I FEEL LIKE THIS PLATFORM REALLY SPEAKS TO A VERY LARGE, UH, CROSS SECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THE FOLKS HERE IN THE ROOM, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MEETINGS WITH AND CONVERSATIONS WITH TAYLOR AND HAA, UH, WITH THE CITY, WITH HOUSTON FIRST, UH, WITH, UH, ALL THE CULTURAL DISTRICT FOLKS, PHILANTHROPY, INCLUDING LONG, WHO'S HERE TODAY, AND OF COURSE, MANY INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
ALRIGHT, SO, WHAT IS HU ARTS IN ACTION CHAMPIONING? WE HAVE FOUR AREAS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED, UH, TO CHAMPION AND CELEBRATE HOUSTON'S ART SECTOR.
UM, THESE ARE BUILDING BLOCKS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE THE SECTOR STRONG AND SUPPORT THE CITY'S GOALS AROUND MAKING HOUSTON A SAFE, VIBRANT CITY FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.
AND THOSE FOUR AREAS ARE PUBLIC FUNDING.
UH, WE WANNA PROTECT AND GROW PUBLIC FUNDING FOR ARTS AND CULTURE.
I THINK THE GROW IS THE ONE THAT EXCITES ME THE MOST.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT NEW AREAS OF FUNDING, WE ARE LOOKING AT E ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE'RE BUILDING PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY FOR ARTISTS AND CREATORS.
UH, THE THIRD ONE IS VIBRANT SPACES.
WE WANT TO CREATE AND PRESERVE THE VIBRANT CULTURAL SPACES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS EFFECTIVE STORYTELLING.
AND THAT, UH, IS REPRESENTED IN THE COMMUNICATIONS AND THE RICH COMMUNICATING THE RICHNESS OF HOUSTON'S CULTURE.
ALRIGHT, YOU CAN ADVANCE THE SLIDE GOING A LITTLE DEEPER ONTO OUR FIRST AREA, WHICH IS PUBLIC FUNDING.
THE, YOU KNOW, WE RECOGNIZE AND ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE CURRENT SUPPORT FROM HOT FUNDS.
UH, WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR DIVERSE FUNDING STRUCTURES AND SEEK OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE OF, AND IN ADDITION TO THE SUPPORT RIGHT NOW FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON BY DESIGN, NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS BENEFIT WHEN THEY'RE SUPPORTED BY DIVERSE FUNDING SOURCES, BE IT PUBLIC SOURCES AT THE CITY AND COUNTY LEVELS THROUGH PHILANTHROPY, UH, THROUGH CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP, INDIVIDUALS COMMITTED TO THE ARTS AND EARNED INCOME FROM TICKET SALES.
WHEN THERE'S A DIVERSE PORTFOLIO, INCLUDING ALL OF THESE THINGS, THEN WE BELIEVE THE ARTS WILL THRIVE IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE SOME PEER CITIES THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT TO GET SOME INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION, AND ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE LOOKED AT IS BRO BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA.
UM, AND SO TO SUM IT ALL UP, BROWARD COUNTY HAS A, A REALLY, REALLY STRONG COUNTY SYSTEM FOR FUNDING THE ARTS.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS OUR LEARNING, IS THAT COUNTIES CAN PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN HELPING TO FUND THAT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXPLORING.
YEAH, AND I THINK WITH THE WARD COUNTY EXAMPLE TOO, THEY'VE FUNDED IT NOT ONLY THROUGH SOME LIKE HOTEL THINGS, BUT ALSO FROM THEIR GENERAL FUNDS.
IT'S AS THEY SEE IT AS A CRITICAL PART OF THEIR COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, THE SECOND AREA FOR THE PLATFORM IS VIBRANT SPACES.
UH, THIS CERTAINLY INCLUDES CIVIC ART, BUT IT GOES FURTHER.
THIS IS ABOUT ACTIVATING SPACES THROUGH ART, WHETHER IT'S A SCULPTURE OR BUSKING MUSICIANS OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
THIS IS, UM, THIS USE OF ART KIND OF COULD BE MANY THINGS.
IT COULD BE WAY FINDING SHADE STRUCTURES, INGRESS AND EGRESS ACTIVATION OF GROUND LEVEL STOREFRONTS AND BEYOND.
YOU KNOW, WE AIM TO COLLABORATE WITH A LOT OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL PLANNING ENTITIES TO EXPLORE STRATEGIES TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS AND EMBED CULTURAL SPACES IN NEW CONSTRUCTION AND PRESERVE EXISTING CREATIVE SPACES BY LEVERAGING DEED RESTRICTIONS AND DISTRICT BASED PROTECTIONS.
THIS WORK IS OFTEN ALIGNED WITH TOURS AND, UH, GROUPS LIKE THE WONDERFUL DOWNTOWN HOUSTON PLUS THE EAST END MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THE FIFTH WARD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
UM, AS ARTISTS, WE'RE HERE TO BE ACTIVE PARTNERS WITH THIS WORK IN THE CITY.
COULD WE GET THAT? COULD WE GET THAT BEACH HERE? GOD, SAY THAT AGAIN.
CAN WE GET THAT BEACH? I SAID, CAN WE GET THAT BEACH HERE? OH,
[00:35:01]
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.AND THEN MAYBE ONE MORE SLIDE.
SO MUCH OF THE ARTS, THIS IS FROM A TOWN HALL ATTENDEE.
SO MUCH OF THE ARTS IS BEING ABLE TO GATHER AND SHARE SPACE.
IF MORE FOLKS COULD STUMBLE UPON ARTS HAPPENINGS THAT ARE WALKING DISTANCE OR NEARBY THEM, IT WOULD DO WONDERFUL THINGS FOR OUR CULTURAL FABRIC.
ALL RIGHT, UM, AUSTIN, NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I KNOW IT GETS REALLY TRICKY WHEN TALKING ABOUT OTHER TEXAS CITIES IN COMPARISON.
UM, BUT AUSTIN, TEXAS HAS IMPLEMENTED SEVERAL INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS TO PRESERVE AND ENHANCE CULTURAL SPACES IN THE FACE OF RISING PROPERTY VALUES AND DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES.
THE AUSTIN CULTURAL TRUST MANAGES THE DISBURSEMENT OF TWO SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC FUNDING SOURCES TO PRESERVE HISTORIC AND ICONIC CULTURAL BUILDINGS, AND CREATES NEW SPACES FOR CREATIVE AND CULTURAL USES.
THE 12 MILLION, UM, AND 4.9 MILLION ICONIC VENUE FUNDS.
UM, SEPARATELY, THE CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PROVIDES DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO CREATIVE VENUES.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE LEARNINGS HERE IS THAT THE PUBLIC SECTOR CAN PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN FACILITATING THE PRESERVATION AND CREATION OF CULTURAL SPACES.
AND IT HAPPENED RIGHT HERE IN TEXAS.
ALRIGHT, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
OR, UH, CAN WE SKIP DENVER? ACTUALLY, CAN WE GO OVER DENVER? YEAH.
SO IN THINKING ABOUT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, THIS WAS ONE OF THE OTHER BUCKETS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, IS BUILDING A PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY FOR ARTISTS AND CREATIVES.
UM, WE WANNA LEAN INTO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A GOAL OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND, UM, THE CREATIVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS PART OF A BROADER AIM.
AND I THINK THIS HIGHLIGHTS, UM, THE, THE POTENTIAL AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT ART CAN BE USED TO PROBLEM SOLVE, UM, BUT ALSO TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
AND SO, THINKING OUTSIDE OF JUST ENTERTAINMENT INSPIRATION AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT ARE AT THE FOREFRONT THAT WE USUALLY THINK ABOUT ART AND CULTURE, WE WANNA START TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN ALSO EMBED ART INTO SOME OF THE PROGRAMS AND GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ADMINISTRATION, LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
LOOKING AT MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, UM, THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A NOTABLE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR ARTISTS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRI UH, PRIVATE ENTITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTIST PROVIDES ARTISTS WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, HEALTHCARE RESOURCES, INCUBATOR PROGRAMS, UH, AND THINGS LIKE THAT DESIGNED TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE CAREERS.
AND A LIST OF LIVE WORKSPACES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, NOT, UH, DISSIMILAR FROM FRESH ARTS.
THEIR WORK HAS TAUGHT US THAT WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT ART ARTISTS AND ADDRESS BARRIERS THAT THEY HAVE THROUGH PUBLIC, OR SORRY, POLICY SUPPORT, AFFORDABLE SPACE INITIATIVES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES THAT CONNECT ARTISTS TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
THE NEXT AREA IS AROUND EFFECTIVE STORYTELLING.
SO WE KNOW, AND THE COMMUNITY HAS REPEATED IN, UM, OUR COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE AN AMAZINGLY DIVERSE AND EXCEPTIONAL ARTS AND CULTURAL OFFERINGS.
BUT THE MESSAGE IS NOT BEING DELIVERED EFFECTIVELY.
ONE COMMENT WAS, WE NEED A BETTER MEGAPHONE TO CELEBRATE THE COLLECTIVE IMPACT.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF LAUNCHING THE CELEBRATE PORTION OF OUR WORK THAT FOCUSES ON THE STORYTELLING PIECE.
UM, WE HAVE MET WITH HOUSTON FIRST AND WILL CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR WORK AROUND VISIT HOUSTON TO DRIVE ARTS AND TOURISM AND CREATE A BRAND AROUND OUR LOCAL AND CREATIVE SECTOR.
I'LL PROBABLY SAY THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER MET SOMEONE WHO'S RECENTLY FOUND THEIR WORTH AND WANTS TO SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THIS PROJECT IS WE'VE ALL KNOWN THAT HOW, HOW BIG AND, AND ROBUST AND AMAZING THE ARTS AND CULTURE IS, BUT BRINGING EVERYBODY TOGETHER TO WORK ON THIS AND SYNCHRONIZE OUR EFFORTS HAS REALLY, UM, AFFIRMED WHAT WE KNOW TO BE THE WORTH OF ARTS AND CULTURE.
AND WE ARE EXCITED TO START TELLING THAT STORY.
UM, THIS SLIDE COMPARISON, UH, GARNERED A FEW SNICKERS IN OUR LAUNCH OF THE PLATFORM LAST WEEK.
AND, UH, I'M GRATEFUL TO SHARE THAT THE CONSULTANT, UH, THAT WAS LEADING THAT EFFORT ENCOURAGED US TO CHANNEL OUR FEELINGS AND LET THAT DRIVE US FORWARD.
YOU HAD, WHAT WAS IT THAT YOU GUYS SAID AT THE CONFERENCE? NEM? OH, YEAH.
THEY, WE, THE, MANY OF THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS WERE JUST AT A, A CONFERENCE OF CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND THEY LOVINGLY REFERRED TO THEM AS THE NEMESIS OF THE NORTH.
UM, BUT THEY, THEY DO A LOT OF AMAZING THINGS AND THEY'RE, THEY SERVE AS A GREAT ROLE MODEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT STOOD OUT IS A COORDINATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN THAT HAS EVOLVED INTO DALLAS ARTS MONTH, WHICH IS A MONTH LONG CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS IN, IN DALLAS, IN THE MONTH OF APRIL.
THEY ALSO HAVE A BIANNUAL, UH, TECHNOLOGY AND ART FESTIVAL CALLED THE AURORA FESTIVAL.
UM, THESE THINGS COULD SERVE AS MODELS FOR SIMILAR KINDS OF ACTIVITIES HERE, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, HOUSTON FIRST AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE POST.
AND SO, JUST AS A REMINDER, THE FOUR AREAS THAT WE ARE GONNA WORK ON ARE PUBLIC FUNDING, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, VIBRANT
[00:40:01]
SPACES, AND EFFECTIVE STORYTELLING.AND CRAIG IS GONNA TELL US ABOUT SOME ADDITIONAL AREAS OF NEED THAT WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO WORK ON.
AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE WE'VE THESE AREAS OF NEEDS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT AREN'T PART OF THIS PLATFORM, OR ARTS, EDUCATION, HOUSING, AFFORDABILITY, WHICH AFFECTS A LOT OF ARTISTS AND RESOURCE SHARING.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE THINK ARE ALL VERY IMPORTANT AND ARE PART OF THIS WORK, BUT THIS PLATFORM ITSELF WON'T COVER THEM.
WE'LL USE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ARTS CONNECT, HOUSTON, HOUSTON, HOUSING AUTHORITY, FRESH ARTS, DANCE, UH, DANCE SOURCE, HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, AND THINGS.
UH, WE'LL REALLY RELY ON THEM AND TRY TO PARTNER WITH THEM FOR HELP IN THOSE AREAS.
THIS NEXT SLIDE HAS A QUOTE, UH, FROM A TOWN HALL ATTENDEE.
UM, ARTS IS AN INVESTMENT THAT PAYS OFF NOT JUST IN IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE FOR HOUSTONIANS, BUT ECONOMICALLY AS WELL.
WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF BUSINESS TOO.
AND I THINK, UH, ON MONDAY WHEN, WHEN I WAS HERE, I MENTIONED THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS FACTOID, AND I MADE IT GET THE NUMBERS WRONG NOW, BUT I THINK SINCE 2010, WE'VE INCREASED THE TAX REVENUE FROM THE ARTS SECTOR IN HOUSTON BY SOMETHING LIKE 64%.
UM, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON THAT PERCENTAGE, BUT IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING VERY CLOSE TO THAT.
UM, TOGETHER, THERE'S A LOT OF POSSIBILITY IN DOING THIS WORK, AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR PARTNERING WITH THE CITY.
THE CITY IS, I THINK, A REALLY IMPORTANT VOICE IN THIS.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE ARTISTS AND THE ORGS, BUT THE CITY'S A REALLY GREAT PARTNER AND PLAYER IN THIS.
HUGE THANKS TO STEVEN AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE BEEN CONTRIBUTING TO TAYLOR AND HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.
THESE THINGS ARE ALL CRITICAL FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS EFFORT.
AND SO WE HAVE A FIVE YEAR PLAN THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
UM, AND STEVEN REFERENCED EARLIER THAT, UM, THE, THIS IDEA OF CRAWLING, WALKING, AND RUNNING, UM, I'M GLAD THAT HE SAID THAT BECAUSE I WANNA TELL YOU, WHEN YOU GET READY TO WALK, BOY DO WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION FOR YOU,
SO IN OUR CRAWLING PHASE OF THIS PROJECT, UM, FROM MAY, FROM NOW UNTIL APRIL OF 2026, WE WANNA PROTECT WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
UM, SO REPRESENTATION WITHIN THE HOUSTON MAYOR'S OFFICE IS SOMETHING WE WANNA PROTECT.
THE FOCUS ON THE FUNCTION AND ELIGIBILITY OF CURRENT HARRIS COUNTY FUNDING STREAMS. UM, SECURE LOCAL FUNDING WITHIN HOUSTON.
HOT FUNDING RENEWAL FOR 20 FOR THE 2027 CONTRACT, UM, FALLS UNDER THE AREA OF PROTECTING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
WE ALSO WANNA DO SOME LAYING OF SOME GROUNDWORK.
SO WE WANNA HOLD MORE COMMUNITY, UM, CONVERSATIONS TO IDENTIFY THE OPPORTUNITY, WINDOWS AND VIBRANT SPACES AREA, INCLUDING GROUND LEVEL ACTIVATIONS AND LIVE WORK SPACES.
WE WANNA LEVERAGE WORKFORCE RESOURCES AND TRAINING AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CREATIVE ECONOMY.
AND WE WANNA DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION ON THE EVOLVING POLICY AND REGULATIONS AND EXISTING GRANT, UM, COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THE LAST, UH, AREA WE WANNA WORK ON IS CHANGING THE NARRATIVE.
SO WE WANNA LAUNCH AND SELECT A COMMUNICATION AND BRANDING FIRM TO LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN TO IMPACT THE PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS AROUND ART AND CULTURE.
AND WE WANNA CAPTURE AND DISTRIBUTE SHORT VIDEOS TO REINFORCE ADVOCACY MESSAGE.
UM, BECAUSE WE DO BELIEVE THE MOST OF THE POWER OF ALL OF THIS IS RELYING WITHIN PEOPLE.
BY 2030, WE ENVISION HOUSTON WHERE ARTS AND CULTURE HAVE A DIVERSE, PERMANENT DEDICATED FUNDING STREAM, THAT WE CAN WEATHER ECONOMIC SHIFTS.
WE WANNA SEE A HOUSTON WHERE EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ACCESSIBLE, VIBRANT CULTURAL SPACES THAT REFLECT ITS COMMUNITY IDENTITY.
WE WANT TO SEE HOUSTON WHERE, UH, HOUSTON, WHERE ARTISTS AND CREATIVES CAN BUILD SUSTAINABLE CAREERS IN OUR CITY AND NOT FEEL LIKE THEY NEED TO LIVE, LEAVE FOR OTHER METROPOLITAN AREAS.
UH, WE BELIEVE THAT BY 2030, HOUSTON'S, UH, CULTURAL RICHNESS WILL BE WIDELY RECOGNIZED DRIVING TOURISM AND TALENT AT TRACTION ACROSS OTHER INDUSTRIES.
AND BY THAT TIME, WE BELIEVE THAT, OR WE SEE HOUSTON AS HAVING AN ARTS AND CULTURAL SEAT WITH, SORRY, ARTS AND CULTURE WITH A SEAT TO THE TABLE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT OUR CITY'S FUTURE AS WE HAVE TODAY FOR THIS VISION TO HAPPEN.
WE NEED THE SUPPORT OF CITY LEADERS, INCLUDING EVERYONE HERE AND THIS COMMITTEE ON THE CITY COUNCIL MORE BROADLY, AND THOSE IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, INCLUDING THE MAYOR.
UH, WE ARE, WE SEE YOU ALL AS PART OF THIS PROCESS AND BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
UM, SO WE WANNA HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE PLATFORM.
UM, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH INDIVIDUAL OFFICES AND GET YOUR IDEAS ON WHERE THE ARTS CAN IMPACT YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND, UH, WE'RE JUST INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO RUNNING AHEAD WITH THIS WORK.
UH, I THINK THAT'S IT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
ONE FINAL JUST NOTE, MARCY DALLAS HAS BEEN, UH, IN CHARGE OR OVERSEEING THIS WORK, THIS COMMUNITY EFFORT, AND WITHOUT HER, I DON'T THINK WE, THIS, THIS COMMUNAL VOICE WOULD BE THERE.
SO I WANT TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK HER AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM, UH, VICE CHAIR CASTILLO.
UM, I'M GONNA SPEND SOME MORE TIME DIGGING
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THROUGH THE, THE PRESENTATION.I'M, I'M NOT GONNA ASK QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT, BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL HAVE, HAVE DONE SO FAR WITH REGARDS TO THIS EFFORT.
YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF ENGAGEMENT THAT YOU'VE DONE, THE WAY THAT YOU'VE FRAMED EVERYTHING, UH, AROUND THE FOUR, YOU KNOW, KEY POINTS, EXAMPLES THAT YOU'RE FINDING IN OTHER CITIES, UM, EVEN IF ONE OF 'EM IS DALLAS.
BUT YOU'RE APPROACHING THIS IN A, IN A REALLY THOUGHTFUL WAY, AND I THINK IT WILL BUILD A STRONG ROADMAP THAT WILL ALLOW THINGS TO BE ACHIEVED.
AND, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO WORKING WITH Y'ALL ON IT.
YOU CAN COUNT ME AS A SUPPORTER, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE THUS FAR WITH THIS.
AND THERE IS MORE INFORMATION AT HUGH ARTS HOU ARTS.ORG.
AS YOU'RE DOING YOUR RESEARCH, I WOULD LOVE, UM, TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, UM, AFTER YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE GOTTEN CAUGHT UP WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION, I WOULD LOVE TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT WITH YOU IN YOUR OFFICE, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM STAFF, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REPORT AND, UM, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE AND EVERYONE HERE, UH, SUPPORTING THE ARTS.
UH, MAYOR PRO TEM KA TATUM IS A PROPONENT OF ARTS.
UM, SHE ADVOCATES FOR ARTS THROUGHOUT DISTRICT K.
UM, AND JUST RECENTLY, UM, WE WERE ON, UH, UH, RECOGNIZED ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
UM, IN MID APRIL, UH, THE TODAY SHOW FEATURED SOME ARTISTS AND ARTWORK THROUGHOUT DISTRICT K ON THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROL CABINETS, WHICH IS A GREAT, YOU KNOW, WAY TO ENHANCE AND BEAUTIFY THE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT.
UM, SO IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT THE ARTWORK CONTINUE AND KNOW THAT, UM, WE CERTAINLY SUPPORT THAT IN WANT TO ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, OUR LOCAL ARTISTS AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO ENHANCE AND BEAUTIFY OUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, I'M GONNA HAVE TO TRANSITION.
I HAVE TO GO AND TO A PRESS CONFERENCE.
AND SO VICE CHAIR, UH, CASTILLO IS GONNA COME.
WE ARE AT THE POINT NOW OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
I THANK ALL OF OUR PRESENTERS AND I'M GONNA PHASE ON OUT FADE TO BLACK.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE TERM, RIGHT? ANYWAY, BUT THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH EVERYONE FOR COMING.
AND, UH, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS GARRETT, UH, ZUNI.
I HOPE I'M PRONOUNCING THAT CORRECTLY.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR TAKING THE LEAD OF THIS COMMITTEE MEETING.
UH, SAD TO SEE THAT OUR, OUR CHAIRWOMAN HAD TO, HAD TO DEPART, BUT, UH, STILL WANT TO THANK HER AND ABS ABSENT FOR HER, UH, LEADERSHIP ON THE COMMITTEE.
UH, ABSOLUTELY WANT TO THANK ALL YOU STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE TODAY, UH, REPRESENTING ON THE COMMITTEE.
THIS IS INCREDIBLY, UH, IMPORTANT WORK.
UH, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO MAYOR PROTI, MARTHA CASTEX, TATUM, FOR BEING HERE AND, AND REPRESENTING.
I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE UNDER THE LIGHTS, UNDER THE PASSAGEWAYS IN YOUR DISTRICT.
UH, AND ABSOLUTELY WANT TO THANK THE, UH, THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'M TELLING YOU, UH, COREY HAS JUST BEEN INVALUABLE AND A SUPER ACCESSIBLE RESOURCE, ACTUALLY, COUNCIL MEMBER, I CONTACTED YOUR OFFICE AND I ALSO GOT GREAT RESPONSES, VERY RESPONSIVE, UH, TEAM THAT YOU HAVE THERE.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU FOR THAT.
UM, MAN, I'M JUST, I'M, I'M A LATE, I'M EXCITED, UH, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, UH, TO BE HERE TODAY.
UM, I, I WANTED TO ATTEND THIS MEETING, UM, BECAUSE I MEAN, REALLY, I JUST WANT TO, LET'S JUST LOOK OUT IN THE AUDIENCE FOR A SECOND.
YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE MORE PEOPLE HERE THAN I'VE SEEN IN SOME COUNCIL MEETINGS SOMETIMES.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST BY HAPPENSTANCE.
I THINK THERE'S REALLY SOMETHING GOING ON IN THIS CITY, UH, IN HOUSTON,
[00:50:01]
AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A, SOME CULTURAL AND CREATIVE, UH, GROUPS THAT ARE REALLY GAINING A VOICE AND COMING INTO THEIR OWN.AND WE'RE SEEING IT HERE TODAY.
I TELL YOU, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE SEEN THE HUGE ARTS, UH, PRESENTATION.
'CAUSE GOSH, I, I, AND I COULD GIVE YOU GUYS A HAND CLAP AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT WAS JUST PHENOMENAL, THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN, AND I THINK IT REALLY FITS SOME OF THE SPIRIT, UH, THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW.
SO I DON'T WANNA BE TOO LONG-WINDED.
UM, BUT, UM, YEAH, I, I, MY, MY, MY MAIN MAIN POINT THAT I WANTED TO COME TODAY ABOUT WAS REALLY TO REFLECT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ALREADY HAVE BEEN SAID.
UM, AND THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, ARTS AND CULTURE.
WE JUST KNOW HOW POWERFUL IT IS.
UM, AND THERE WAS A TIME PERIOD I THINK WHEN MAYBE THE ARTS AND CULTURAL SCENE WAS ISOLATED TO MAYBE A GROUP OF PEOPLE, THE, THE, THE TOP OF THE LINE WHO COULD AFFORD TO BE IN THESE SPACES, OR THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A BIT MAYBE, UM, UH, UH, FRACTURED IN A WAY.
BUT AS WE'VE DEVELOPED, MAN, I TELL YOU, WE'VE GOT INSTAGRAM NOW.
WE'VE GOT, UH, ALL THESE DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY OUTLETS AND MAN, THE PICTURES THAT YOU CAN SEE FROM A, A GROUP OF GUYS OR PEOPLE IN NEW YORK CITY, UH, OR PEOPLE IN, UM, IN, IN LOS ANGELES, AND THE ART THEY'RE SHARING AND THE CULTURE THEY'RE CREATING THAT IS RESONATING HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING A CHANCE TO SHOW OFF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE CREATED.
SO I, I, I WAS, I WAS A, UM, STAFF MEMBER OF CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE PREVIOUSLY, UH, MY DEAR CONGRESSWOMAN GUY RESTER HER SOUL AND SHE REST IN PEACE AND, UH, REALLY HAVE A STRONG FEELING FOR HER.
UH, BUT, BUT I SPENT TWO YEARS UP IN DC AND I JUST CAME BACK DOWN IN JANUARY TO HOUSTON.
AND SO I HIT THE GROUND IN, IN HOUSTON, AND I'M JUST SEEING ALL THESE PEOPLE, DJS, YOU KNOW, POSTING THINGS, HEY, WE'RE HAVING A DJ SORT OF MIXER AT SOME PLACE.
THIS PLACE CALLED BALD KITTIES POPPED UP, AND IT'S THIS REALLY INTERESTING ECLECTIC CULTURAL SCENE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU OUT, COUNCIL MEMBER TO COME CHECK OUT SOME OF THESE THINGS.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING, I I WOULD CALL IT ALMOST TO SOME EXTENT AN UNDERGROUND, UH, COMMUNITY OF EMERGING ARTISTS.
AND A LOT OF THE PEOPLE I THINK, THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM AND HAVE GOTTEN CONVENED BY THE HUGH ARTS COUNCIL AND THE CULTURAL COMMITTEES ARE A PART OF THAT SCENE.
AND I JUST LOVE THAT, UM, THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, UH, THAT THAT IS COMING ABOUT NOW BECAUSE OF, UH, HUGH ARTS AND THESE COMMITTEES.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO COME AND SAY ALSO THIS COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF, OF THE MAYOR, MAYOR WHITMEYER.
JUST, UH, WRAP UP YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS.
IS THIS, REAL QUICKLY, WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF MAYOR WHITMEYER, BECAUSE I THINK THIS COMMITTEE IS FAIRLY NEW, BUT IT MEETS THE ENERGY OF THE MOMENT THAT WE'RE IN.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S REALLY A CRITICAL MASS, I WOULD SAY, OF CREATIVE ENERGY.
AND I, I THINK WE'RE SEEING EVEN IN POLITICS, THE POWER OF A TWITTER OR AN INS, YOU KNOW, YOU POST THESE THINGS ONLINE AND, AND IT'S COMMUNICATING THESE MESSAGES AND THEY'RE JUST CATCHING FIRE.
THERE'S AN AMAZING ART FESTIVAL COMING INTO TOWN CALLED THE UNTITLED ART FESTIVAL.
AND I WANTED TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL TODAY AND JUST SAY, HEY, WE'VE GOT THIS AMAZING COMMITTEE ADVOCATING FOR THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
WOULD THE COMMITTEE MIND SENDING A LETTER OR, OR WORKING WITH HOUSTON FIRST OR DOING SOMETHING TO SORT OF ADVOCATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY OR THIS COMMUNITY, AND TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF EMERGING ARTISTS HERE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE AT THE TOP GALLERY IN HOUSTON, OR THE TOP GALLERY IN THE WORLD, BUT THIS AMAZING GLOBAL, UH, ART FESTIVAL.
ONE OF A KIND, IT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
THERE'S A BIG FESTIVAL IN MIAMI CALLED ART BASEL.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE GO THAT IT'S THIS HUGE THING.
AND UNTITLED IS ONE OF THE ART FAIRS THAT GOES THERE.
WELL, THAT RANDOMLY IS COMING TO HOUSTON, AND MAYBE NOT SO RANDOMLY, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I THINK IT SPEAKS A LOT ABOUT THE CITY.
THERE'S A, A, A REPORTER WHO WROTE ABOUT IT IN THE CHRONICLE NAMED AMBER ELLIOT.
SHE HAD READ, WROTE A GREAT ARTICLE.
I'VE GOT THE ARTICLE ON MY PHONE, I WON'T PULL IT UP NOW, BUT JUST WANTED TO SEE IF YOU ALL WOULD BE WILLING TO POTENTIALLY WRITE A LETTER TO EITHER HOUSTON FIRST OR THE FESTIVAL AND SAY, LET'S, LET'S HAVE A HOUSTON SHOWCASE SPACE, SOME SPACE FOR A HOUSTON SHOWCASE, WHERE WE CAN SHOW SOME OF THE, UH, EMERGING TALENT THAT MAY NOT HAVE THE RECOGNITION OF THESE TOP GALLERIES IN THE WORLD, BUT THAT ARE JUST AS POWERFUL.
REMEMBER CHARLES DRAW BROUSSARD INCREDIBLE ARTISTS.
UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY REQUEST.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND FOR, UH, COMING TO, TO ADVOCATE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A NEW COMMITTEE.
UH, THE MAYOR DID CREATE IT, AND WE HAVE GREAT TURNOUT.
UH, YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE ARE SOME COUNCIL MEETINGS THAT DON'T EVEN GET THIS, THIS TYPE OF
[00:55:01]
TURNOUT AND, UH, IT IS A PRIORITY FOR HIM.HIS DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF IS RIGHT, RIGHT OVER HERE.
KNOW HE GETS TO, TO HEAR WHAT Y'ALL HAVE TO SAY AND SEE IT AS WELL.
UM, WE WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU ON, ON THE REQUEST.
WE WILL JUST WANT TO TALK THROUGH THAT, LEARN A LITTLE MORE ABOUT IT, AND, UH, WE'LL ALSO LOOP IN, UH, CHAIRWOMAN SHABAZZ AS WELL.
OKAY, THE NEXT SPEAKER, YE TORRES.
UM, MY NAME IS YET AND I'M A DISTRICT I RESIDENT AND THIRD GENERATION NATIVE AND RESIDENT OF HOUSTON'S EAST END SECOND WARD, OR AS I LOVINGLY CALL IT, SIG NO BARRIO.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE EAST END CULTURAL ARTS TASK FORCE.
I'M AN INTERDISCIPLINARY PERFORMANCE ARTIST, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC PROGRAMS IN CAM LAB MANAGER AT CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM, HOUSTON.
I'M HERE TODAY TO SHARE THE IMPACT THAT THE CULTURAL ART, THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICE HAS HAD ON MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SIX YEARS AGO, THE OFFICE MADE A STRATEGIC DECISION TO SUPPORT THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS THAT HAD NOT TRADITIONALLY RECEIVED CITY SUPPORT.
FOLLOWING THE LEADERSHIP FROM THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICE, THE EASTERN HOUSTON CULTURAL DISTRICT EMBARKED ON A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
I'M HERE TO SHARE SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF OUTCOMES FROM THAT STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICE.
FIRST, THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS HAS POSITIONED US TO SEEK ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS TO BRING OUR COMMUNITY'S VISION TO LIFE.
SECOND, WE BEGAN A PUBLIC ART INITIATIVE CALLED GAIA RE, WHICH IS CREATING A VIBRANT PUBLIC OUTDOOR CORRIDOR OF ART ALONG NAVIGATION BOULEVARD, WHICH WILL CONNECT AND DOES CONNECT OUR NAVIGATION ESPLANADE WITH THE TURKEY BEND AREA.
THIS DRAWS LOCALS AND VISITORS FURTHER INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, ENRICHING THEIR EXPERIENCE OF SIG RIO'S ROBUST LEGACY CULTURE.
THIRD, THROUGH KAI DE COESS, WE'VE CONDUCTED OPEN CALLS TO SUPPORT OUR HIRE OF MANY LOCAL ARTISTS.
TWO RECENT MURAL PROJECTS WE'VE SUPPORTED HAVE BEEN MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS WITH LOCAL ARTISTS AND EAST END HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
THE MOST RECENT ONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM, HOUSTON.
THESE PROJECTS HAVE REVEALED A DESIRE FOR A FORMALIZED MENTORSHIP PROGRAM THAT CAN SHOW OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OPTIONS FOR CREATIVE CAREERS.
AND WE'RE PLANNING TO FORMALIZE A CREATIVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN THE EAST END THIS YEAR.
IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING THE CULTURAL SECTOR THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS IN THE EAST END, WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND CITY GOALS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE KNOW THAT GRAFFITI ABATEMENT AND PUBLIC ART PROGRAMS PLAY A MULTIFACETED ROLE IN PROMOTING PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE'VE HAD A GRAFFITI ABATEMENT PROGRAM IN THE EAST END FOR 25 YEARS TO ADDRESS THE VISUAL BLIGHT OF VANDALISM, GRAFFITI, AND DEFER FURTHER VANDALISM AND CRIME.
WE'VE PAIRED WITH PUBLIC ART INITIATIVES BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS FOSTERS A SENSE OF COMMUNITY PRIDE AND SAFETY THROUGH CREATIVE, BEAUTIFUL THROUGH CREATIVITY AND BEAUTIFICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
OUR GOAL IN THE EAST END TO SUPPORT IS TO SUPPORT A STRONG AND VIBRANT COMMUNITY FOR BOTH OUR RESIDENTS AND FOR VISITORS.
WE STRONGLY RECOGNIZE THE ROLE OF THE ARTS AS A CATALYST FOR CREATING THE STRONG VIBRANCY AND HAVE SUPPORTED CREATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE EAST END FOR MANY YEARS, WE ARE NOT ASKING THAT THE CITY DO ALL THE WORK.
WE'RE ASKING FOR A STRATEGIC LEADER AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND IT'S A LEADER WHO RECOGNIZES, SUPPORTS AND CHAMPION OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIPS THAT MEET BOTH THE GOALS OF THE CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY IN THE EAST END AND BEYOND.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HEAR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT, UH, THAT IMPACT IS FELT IN THE EAST END AND, AND YOUR EXAMPLES THAT YOU'RE SHARING.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR REMARKS.
OKAY, OUR NEXT SPEAKER, ELIA EZ.
GOOD AFTERNOON, VICE CHAIRMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTATIVES, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE AND REINTRODUCE MYSELF TO SOME OF YOU.
I'M THE, UM, ALONG WITH MY HUSBAND, THE FOUNDER, CO-FOUNDERS OF UP ART STUDIO.
WE'RE A PUBLIC ART AND CREATIVE PLACEMAKING FIRM WHOSE MISSION IS CIVIC PRIDE PACIFIC ART.
THIS YEAR MARKS THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE MINI MURALS PROGRAM.
AS YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INITIATIVE THAT'S TRANS TRANSFORMED MORE THAN 400 TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROL CABINETS INTO VIBRANT WORKS OF ART, UH, REACHING EVERY CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
UH, THE PROGRAM HAS SINCE, SINCE EXPANDED REGIONALLY AND GARNERED NATIONAL ATTENTION.
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HEARD EARLIER, EVEN BEING FEATURED ON THE TODAY SHOW.JUST LAST MONTH, WE BEGAN, WHAT BEGAN AS A SMALL IDEA IS NOW A POWERFUL TOOL FOR STORYTELLING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
AND BEYOND BEAUTIFICATION, MANY MURALS SUPPORTS PUBLIC SAFETY BY DETERRING GRAFFITI, ENCOURAGING FOOT TRAFFIC, AND MAKING INFRASTRUCTURE MORE WELCOMING.
IN RECOGNITION OF THIS IMPACT, JULY 16 WAS OFFICIALLY PROCLAIMED MINI MURALS DAY BY FORMER MAYOR ANISE PARKER, AND WE HOPE TO CELEBRATE THAT WITH YOU.
ADDITIONALLY, TWO YEARS AGO, WE PARTNERED WITH BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES ON AN ASPHALT ART INITIATIVE IN GULFTON, A CREATIVE CROSSWALK PROJECT, WHICH DEMONSTRATED HOW ROADWAY ART CAN IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND REDUCE CRASHES OUTCOMES THAT ALIGN DIRECTLY WITH THE CITY'S GOALS.
THIS YEAR ALSO MARKS ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR US.
UH, THE YEAR, THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF OUR BIG WALL'S, BIG DREAMS MURAL FESTIVAL FIRST LAUNCHED IN MIAMI DURING ART BASEL.
WE BROUGHT IT HERE TO HOUSTON DURING THE PANDEMIC TO INSPIRE HOPE AND RESILIENCE, AND THIS IS NOW OUR FOURTH YEAR PRODUCING THE FESTIVAL HERE, WORKING WITH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS TO BRING LARGE SCALE MURALS TO WALLS ACROSS THE CITY.
THIS FALL, IN ADDITION TO CREATING ART UP, ART STUDIO HAS HELPED THE CITY THROUGH MOCA, UM, TO BUILD SYSTEMS FOR PAINTING, UH, ON PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, FROM PERMITTING TO INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION, MAKING PUBLIC ART MORE ACCESSIBLE AND EFFICIENT.
WE ALSO SERVE AS PUBLIC ART CONSULTANTS TO SEVERAL OF HOUSTON'S MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, JERSEYS AND MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS TEXAS.
WE'VE PARTNERED WITH MOCA FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE THIS WORK WITH THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND EXPANDED THROUGH THE RENEWAL OF OUR CITY CONTRACT IN THE COMING MONTHS.
UH, THANK YOU STEVEN FOR, UM, HIRING A POINT OF CONTACT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FORWARD TO A STRATEGIC PERSON, UM, BEHIND THE, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND FOR RECOGNIZING THE VALUE THAT CIVIC ART BRINGS TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE DO HAVE A QUESTION FROM STAFF FOR MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM.
UM, ELLIOT, IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE YOU HERE, UM, IN REPRESENTING UP ART STUDIO.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL HAVE DONE TREMENDOUS WORK, UM, IN DISTRICT A AS WELL AS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED, YOU KNOW, I'LL RESTATE THIS AGAIN, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT, UM, ARE PROVIDED FOR LOCAL ARTISTS AND ALSO, UM, ARTISTS FROM OTHER, UM, AREAS AND COUNTRIES AND CITIES TO, UM, EXEMPLIFY THEIR ART IN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH UP ART STUDIOS.
UM, BUT JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU ALSO WORK WITH OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, UM, AND DISTRICT A AND ALSO OUR, UM, TSIS THROUGHOUT.
UM, BUT WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
THANK YOU, DEI, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AND, UH, VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND UP ARE WILL CONTINUE FORWARD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DEBORAH MCNULTY.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL OFFICES.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M JUST GONNA READ THESE REMARKS IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
UM, MY NAME IS DEBORAH MCNULTY.
I SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS FROM 2015 THROUGH 2021.
UH, BEFORE THAT I WORKED CLOSELY WITH, UH, MINETTE BASIL AS SHE, UH, HEROICALLY LED THE CREATION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S FIRST ARTS AND CULTURAL PLAN.
I THEN SPENT FIVE YEARS WORKING WITH PARTNERS, STAKEHOLDERS, CITY DEPARTMENTS, AND CITY COUNCIL TO HELP IMPLEMENT THAT PLAN.
I'M HERE TODAY AT THE REQUEST OF LEADERS FROM HOUSTON'S ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMUNITY WHO ARE CONFUSED, MYSTIFIED, AND QUITE FRANKLY, DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ABRUPT REMOVAL OF CULTURAL LEADERSHIP AND EXPERTISE FROM CITY GOVERNMENT.
UM, LET ME JUST GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLES OF WHAT THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS ACTUALLY DOES, UM, AND WHAT IT IS AT RISK NOW, BY ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT, UM, I HAVE BEEN HEARING FROM PEOPLE, AND IT'S WHERE DO COMMUNITY GROUPS TURN, UM, IF THEY ARE WANTING ACTIVITIES BROUGHT TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, WHERE DO THE CONSULATES GO TO DEVELOP EXHIBITIONS AND PERFORMANCES THAT SHOWCASE OUR CITY'S ARTISTS AND CULTURE BEARERS, WHO NOW IS THE POINT OF CONTACT AND PARTNER WITH MATCH, WHICH SUPPORTS MORE THAN 200 ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND 4,500 PERFORMERS EACH YEAR, WHO FACILITATES CULTURAL PROJECTS WITH METRO HARRIS COUNTY, OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES
[01:05:01]
AND THE CITY'S CULTURAL AND HERITAGE DISTRICTS WHO NOW CONNECTS THE CITY WITH NATIONAL AND LOCAL PARTNERS LIKE THE SMITHSONIAN OR THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON FOR A CITYWIDE INITIATIVE LIKE THE SPRING OF LATINO ART? WHAT HAPPENS TO MAKE MUSIC DAY IN HOUSTON STATE DESIGNATION AS A MUSIC FRIENDLY CITY WITHOUT DEDICATED STAFF WHO CULTIVATES LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS AND NEW INVESTMENTS, WHO WILL REPRESENT HOUSTON IN NATIONAL CONVERSATIONS, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH FEDERAL CULTURAL AGENCIES AND DISARRAY AND NEW FUNDING STREAMS BEING SHAPED RIGHT NOW? WHO GETS ON A PLANE AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY TO MEET WITH FUNDERS AND TELL HOUSTON'S STORY? WHO WILL SECURE $5 MILLION IN EMERGENCY CARES RELIEF FUNDING NEXT TIME ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS LOSE THEIR INCOME OVERNIGHT? LIKE DURING COVID, WHERE WILL PEOPLE TURN WHEN THEY'RE TOLD, I'M SORRY, THAT'S NOT COVERED UNDER OUR CONTRACT.AND WHO WILL REALIZE THE UNFINISHED WORK IN THE CULTURAL PLAN? AND JUST THE LAST FEW WEEKS, THERE HAVE BEEN MAJOR LOCAL CONVENINGS ON URGENT CULTURAL ISSUES.
NO ONE FROM THE CITY ATTENDED.
SO WHO IS KEEPING LEADERSHIP? I HAD TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO WHO WILL KEEP, WHO'S KEEPING LEADERSHIP INFORMED ABOUT RISKS, NEEDS, AND OPPORTUNITIES? MEANWHILE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN
THEIR CITY MANAGER SAID WE NEEDED TO REALIGN OUR RESOURCES TO BETTER SUPPORT OUR CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM.
AUSTIN IS DOING NOW WHAT THE CULTURAL PLAN DID A DECADE AGO.
WHAT MESSAGE IS HOUSTON SE SENDING BY DOWNGRADING ITS OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS? MANY CITY PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS ARE ASKING HOW AFTER ALL THE TIME AND ENERGY ARTISTS, NONPROFIT LEADERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS GAVE TO BUILDING A SHARED VISION, HOW COULD THAT VISION BE SET ASIDE WITHOUT PUBLIC INPUT, WITHOUT A STATED RATIONALE? AND WHAT, WITHOUT REGARD FOR LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES? HOUSTON'S FIRST CULTURAL PLAN DEVELOPED UNDER MAYOR PARKER AND ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL, WAS BUILT THROUGH MONTHS OF COMMUNITY INPUT, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, AND DATA ANALYSIS.
IT LAID OUT A BOLD VISION FOR OUR CITY.
IT WAS PUBLIC, IT WAS TRANSPARENT, AND IT WAS CREATED FOR, BY AND WITH THE COMMUNITY.
IT LED TO THE CREATION OF AN OFFICE THAT BECAME A VITAL MECHANISM TO ENSURE THE CITY'S INVESTMENTS AND CULTURE ARE FAIR, RESPONSIVE, AND EFFECTIVE.
SEE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS FUNCTIONS LIKE AN ELECTRIC GRID FOR THE ARTS.
IT PLAYING A CENTRAL ROLE LIKE A SUBSTATION, IT TRANSFORMS INVESTMENTS INTO LOCAL POWER THAT FUELS CREATIVITY, LEARNING AND OPPORTUNITY.
WHEN IT'S WORKING, YOU BARELY NOTICE IT, BUT REMOVE IT AND WHOLE AREAS GO DARK, LEAVING COMMUNITIES ISOLATED AND DISCONNECTED.
LET'S ALSO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT ABOUT ADMINISTERING GRANTS OR MANAGING SERVICE CONTRACTS.
ANY NUMBER OF ENTITIES CAN DO THAT.
WHAT MAKES THE CITY'S INVESTMENTS MATTER IS THE VISION, THE WHY BEHIND THE FUNDING AND THE ABILITY TO CONNECT DOLLARS TO OUTCOMES EFFICIENTLY.
MOVING MONEY IS NOT AN OUTCOME, BUT ACHIEVING A 30% INCREASE IN FIRST TIME GRANTEES IS, AND WE DID THAT BECAUSE THE CULTURAL PLAN DEMANDED A MORE EQUITABLE PROCESS, AND THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICE DELIVERED THE OFFICE AND THE PEOPLE IN IT SERVE AS INVISIBLE SCAFFOLDING THAT HOLD PARTNERSHIPS TOGETHER, BUILD TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS, AND ENABLE CROSS DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION.
THAT'S HOW NATIONAL PROGRAMS CAME TO HOUSTON.
THAT'S HOW WE RESOLVED MANY PERMITTING ISSUES.
THAT'S HOW WE EXPANDED THE CITY'S CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND SECURED OUTSIDE FUNDING.
THAT'S HOW HOUSTON HOSTED MAJOR CONFERENCES AND EARNED NATIONAL RECOGNITION LIKE THE HONORS BOTH MAYOR PARKER AND MAYOR TURNER RECEIVED FROM AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS AND THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS.
SO THE COMMUNITY IS ASKING, HOW ARE THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDS SET ASIDE FOR THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND FOR BROADER COMMUNITY NEEDS OUTSIDE OF CONTRACTED SERVICES BEING USED? NOW, IT'S EASY TO SAY OUTCOMES MATTER, BUT WITHOUT A CLEAR VISION OR AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTENTIONAL STEPS NEEDED TO REACH IT, YOU MISS WHAT ACTUALLY DRIVES PROGRESS.
AND A CITY AS LARGE AND COMPLEX
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AS HOUSTON, MEANINGFUL OUTCOMES REQUIRES SUSTAINED STRATEGIC WORK BY PEOPLE WITH DEEP EXPERTISE AND TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS.IF THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IS PERMANENTLY DIMINISHED, THE RESULT WON'T BE GREATER EFFICIENCY, IT WILL BE GREATER VULNERABILITY, AND IT WILL UNDO HARD ONE PROGRESS MADE BY THIS COMMUNITY.
THERE WILL BE NO ONE INSIDE THE CITY TO ADVOCATE IN TIMES OF CRISIS, NO ONE TO REPRESENT HOUSTON WHEN FEDERAL STRATEGIES ARE BEING DEVELOPED.
NO ONE TO SHARE THE STORIES OF OUR IMMENSE LOCAL TALENT ON THE NATIONAL STAGE.
AND WHILE AUSTIN, DALLAS, AND SAN ANTONIO HAVE CULTURAL LEADERS BRINGING RESOURCES HOME, HOUSTON WILL BE MISSING FROM THE TABLE.
SO AGAIN, THE CULTURAL COMMUNITY, THE VERY PEOPLE YOU SERVE, WHO'VE GIVEN SO MUCH, WHO'VE SPENT DECADES ENRICHING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND SUPPORTING OUR RESIDENTS WHO REMAIN ONE OF HOUSTON'S GREATEST ASSETS, THEY'RE ASKING WHAT IS THE PLAN AND WHAT IS THE VISION? I SINCERELY HOPE IT'S FAR MORE AMBITIOUS THAN A CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, OUR FAMILIES, OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR CULTURAL WORKERS, OUR CREATIVE BUSINESSES, AND OUR CITY DESERVE FAR MORE THAN THAT.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE HERE AT THE CITY FOR THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
UM, WE WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH YOU ON ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, WE HAVE 'EM, AND IF THERE ARE OTHERS, UM, PLEASE SEND THEM OVER TO, TO MY OFFICE.
WE WILL WORK WITH THE CHAIR, WE'LL WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, UM, BUT WE WILL GET YOU, GET YOU ANSWERS.
UM, I THINK THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS AROUND THE HORSESHOE THAT WANT TO SEE, UH, A LOT OF WHAT YOU DESCRIBED COME TO FRUITION, AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE WORK TO DO, NO DOUBT.
BUT, UH, PART OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING AS A CITY WITH OUR EFFICIENCY STUDY, WITH OUR, UH, ORGANIZATIONS, DOES COME WITH CHANGES.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THOSE THINGS ARE NOT BEING TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE FLESH THOSE QUESTIONS OUT AND, AND GET ANSWERS TO YOU AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT, UH, SERVING THIS, UH, COMMUNITY IS THE GREATEST HONOR OF MY CAREER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CYNTHIA ALVARADO.
I'M THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE MIDTOWN CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AND, UH, REPRESENTATIVES.
UH, I THINK WE DON'T FOLLOW CHILDREN AND DEBBIE, BUT, UM, VERY WELL SAID.
I WANNA PERSONALLY THANK, UH, STEVEN DAVID FOR ALL HIS ASSISTANCE.
WE CAME AND REPORTED TO THIS COMMITTEE, UH, I BELIEVE IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR.
UM, MIDTOWN WAS TAPPED TO APPLY ON BEHALF OF THE CITY FOR A $1 MILLION PUBLIC ART CHALLENGE GRANT THROUGH BLOOMBERG FOUNDA, BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES.
UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE A STRONG MAYOR'S CULTURAL ARTS OFFICE, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION WITH THE, UH, CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICE TEAM, STAFF, MARCY, DALLAS, MYSELF, THEM, UH, METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY.
TA LOT OF PEOPLE WORKED ON THIS OPPORTUNITY WAS A TEAM EFFORT.
UH, AND WE WERE ABLE TO BRING HOME BACK TO HOUSTON, A MILLION DOLLAR OPPORTUNITY, A MILLION DOLLARS OF FUNDS TO CREATE EIGHT PUBLIC ART PROJECTS, UM, FROM A CITY THAT BELIEFS IN WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT WHAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE CAME FROM NEW YORK.
I THINK IF WE DON'T HAVE AN OFFICE THAT IS STRONG, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A HARD TIME COMPETING.
AND MAKE NO MISTAKE, WE ARE IN A COMPETITION WITH DALLAS, AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO, BUT OTHER CITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONALLY.
WE NEED TO KEEP OURSELVES STRONG.
WE NEED TO KEEP OURSELVES NIMBLE, UM, AVAILABLE,
[01:15:01]
THOUGHTFUL AND ENERGETIC ABOUT HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO COMPETE WITH ALL OF THESE OTHER CITIES THAT ARE GOING AFTER THE SAME DOLLARS THAT WE HA THAT WE WANNA GET AS WELL.UM, I JUST ASK THAT, UM, THAT'S THE WAY THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS DIRECTLY IMPACTED THE WORK THAT I DO, THE WORK THAT WE SEE IN MIDTOWN AND ALSO WHAT WE CAN HAVE HAPPEN HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, ALL OF OUR ARTISTS WERE ANNOUNCED ON TUESDAY.
THANK YOU, STEVE AND DAVID, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DID TO HELP MAKE ALL OF THAT HAPPEN.
UM, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT.
UM, THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY IN LINE WITH WHAT THE CITY IS ALREADY THINKING OF WAYS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF DATA FROM THAT, HOW THAT HAS IMPACTED PEOPLE'S PERCEPTIONS.
HOW WE HAVE WORKED TO, UH, GET UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS OFF THE STREET THROUGH YOU, THROUGH THE USE OF PUBLIC ART AND, AND WORK STRATEGIES AND, AND WORK TRAINING.
SO IT'S A LOT MORE THAN JUST THE ART THAT YOU SEE ON THE WALLS AND, AND THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE EXPOSED TO.
BUT I'D SAY THAT PUBLIC ART AND ART, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT, ABOUT ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS, IT'S IT'S ART IN TECHNOLOGY, IT'S ART IN MEDICINE, IT'S ART IN SPORTS, IT'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO BE BETTER AT AS CITIZENS THAT IT CAN IMPACT IN A REALLY POSITIVE WAY.
BUT AGAIN, I GO BACK TO WE NEED STRONG LEADERSHIP.
WE NEED, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE AND AVAILABLE AND FLEXIBLE AND ABLE TO WORK WITH US AND WALK WITH US ON THIS JOURNEY TO BRING MONEY BACK TO THE CITY.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME FOR THIS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
YOU, YOU, Y'ALL PRESENTED LAST YEAR YES.
THAT WAS THAT THE HUMANE PROJECT? THAT'S HUMAN SHELTER, YES.
UM, I TALK ABOUT THAT PRESENTATION ALL THE TIME BECAUSE IT WAS VERY MEMORABLE AND I HADN'T SEEN AN EXAMPLE OF HOW ART WAS USED IN THAT WAY BEFORE.
UM, WE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE DOING MORE OF THAT.
AND I WANNA AGAIN, CONGRATULATE Y'ALL FOR, FOR SHEPHERDING THAT PROJECT THROUGH, UM, AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND YOUR COMMENTS HERE TODAY ABOUT HOW THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS HAS, HAS IMPACTED YOUR WORK.
UM, ALSO, IF I COULD MAKE ONE OTHER POINT, UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING SOME EVENTS AROUND ALL OF THAT, UM, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS BECAUSE THE ART'S GONNA BE GOING UP ON THE WALL.
EVERYONE'S INVITED, WE'LL LET YOU KNOW.
UH, EVERYONE HERE IN THE ROOM, WE HOPE TO SEE EVERYBODY OUT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, ANGELA CARRANZA.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I DON'T ENJOY PUBLIC SPEAKING, SO I'M JUST GONNA TRY TO GET THROUGH THE NEXT TWO MINUTES.
UH, MY NAME IS ANGELA CARRANZA AND I WORK IN DISTRICT H.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FRESH ARTS, A NONPROFIT THAT SUPPORTS THE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH OF ARTISTS AND MANAGES ARTS DISTRICT HOUSTON, ONE OF THE SEVEN STATE DESIGNATED CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
AND I'M HERE TODAY TO REITERATE THE CRITICAL NEED FOR A STRATEGIC ARTS ADVOCATE AT THE CITY LEVEL, SOMEONE WHO CAN ALIGN THE GOALS OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY WITH THOSE OF THE CITY, AND SERVE AS A COMMUNITY BUILDER, RESPONDING TO THE GAPS BEYOND CIVIC ART AND CONTRACTS.
IN 2016, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DEBBIE MCNULTY, CONNECTED FRESH ARTS WITH MIDAMERICA ARTS ALLIANCE.
HE WAS LOOKING FOR A PROGRAM IN HOUSTON, A PROGRAM PARTNER IN HOUSTON, UM, TO EXPAND THEIR REGIONAL ARTIST INC.
THAT INTRODUCTION LED TO THE LAUNCH OF ARTIST INC.
HOUSTON, AN EIGHT WEEK PROGRAM THAT EQUIPS ARTISTS OF ALL DISCIPLINES WITH PRACTICAL TOOLS TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE CAREERS BEYOND SKILL BUILDING, THE PROGRAM FOSTERS A MORE CONNECTED AND RESILIENT CREATIVE COMMUNITY.
FRESH ARTS HAS HOSTED THE PROGRAM ANNUALLY SINCE 2017, AND APPLICATIONS FOR OUR EIGHTH COHORT ARE CURRENTLY OPEN THROUGH JOINT, UH, JUNE 23RD.
TO DATE, 165 LOCAL ARTISTS HAVE COMPLETED THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING NOW ACCLAIMED CREATIVES LIKE MATTHEW JEAN BAPTIST SCULPTURES AND PAINTINGS ARE EXHIBITED INTERNATIONALLY.
DAVID MALDONADO, WHOSE MURAL HAVE TRANSFORMED NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS HOUSTON, AND IN MANY OF THE DISTRICTS, UM, IN HOUSTON, UH, AND JANICE BOND, A MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTIST AND FOUNDER OF ARTIST BOND GALLERY, WHO HAS CREATED SPACE TO UPLIFT AND SHOWCASE COUNTLESS OTHER ARTISTS.
AMONG MANY, THE PROGRAM TRACKS LONG-TERM IMPACT THROUGH ONGOING ALUMNI SURVEYS.
IN OUR MOST RECENT COMPREHENSIVE REPORT, 86% OF ALUMNI SAID THE PROGRAM STRENGTHENED THEIR CAREERS AND DEEPENED THEIR CONNECTIONS WITHIN
[01:20:01]
THE COMMUNITY.MANY DESCRIBED THE PROGRAM AS LIFE-CHANGING FOR FRESH ARTS.
THIS PROGRAM PROGRAM RESHAPED HOW WE SHOW UP FOR ARTISTS AND HOW WE THINK ABOUT SUPPORTING THEIR LONG-TERM SUCCESS.
IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW LEADERSHIP IN A CITY CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT HAS CREATED, HELPED CREATE MEANINGFUL LASTING IMPACT AS CITY POSITIONS ARE FILLED.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THE NEED FOR A STRONG C CITY LEVEL ARTS LEADER WHO CAN CONTINUE CHAMPIONING EFFORTS LIKE THIS.
SOMEONE WHO CAN BE A CONNECTOR FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS LIKE FRESH ARTS, SOMEONE WHO RECOGNIZES THAT THE ARTS AND OUR ARTISTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO HOUSTON'S ECONOMY, CIVIC IDENTITY, AND FUTURE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ROBERT JACKSON.
UH, MOST PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM KNOW ME AS RU ROBB, R-U-E-R-O-B.
WHAT'S UP Y'ALL? UM, MY GOVERNMENT IS ROBERT JACKSON, SO HOPEFULLY, UM, YOU CAN CUT ME A CHECK.
UH, I COME HERE, I'M WEARING SPECIFIC HATS.
I'M AN ACTOR RECORDING ARTIST.
UM, BUT I'M ALSO A FIFTH GENERATION THIRD WARD RESIDENT.
I KNOW MY COUNCIL MEMBER WENT OUT TO THE JUNETEENTH PRESS CONFERENCE DOWNSTAIRS IN THE LEGACY ROOM, ACKNOWLEDGING THE BIG ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
UM, AND JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I CAME HERE TO AMPLIFY AND MY EXCITEMENT AROUND THE HUE ARTS PLATFORM.
UM, IN MY FORMER ROLE, I SERVED AS ONE OF, UH, THE DISTRICT MANAGERS OF THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN THIRD WARD, UH, WITH PROJECT ROWHOUSES.
UM, AND I WANNA SAY THAT WHAT'S EXCITING ABOUT THIS NEW PLATFORM SPECIFICALLY, UH, IS THE FACT THAT IT ALLOWS TO GO INTO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT AREN'T IN THESE CULTURAL BOUNDARIES OR HERITAGE DISTRICTS.
THE REALITY THAT WE KNOW IS THAT YES, THIS IS STATE DESIGNATIONS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THE ELIGIBILITY FOR STATE HO HO OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDING TO GO TOWARDS CULTURAL DISTRICTS, BUT THE Q ARTS PLATFORM EXPANDS THAT REACH GOES IN.
I'M FROM THE BOTTOMS OF THIRD WARD, RIGHT? ONE OF THE POOREST, UH, AREAS OF HOUSTON, RIGHT? BUT AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN ABLE TO, UM, GROW AND BLOSSOM IN, IN, IN THAT MUD, I CAN SAY THAT ARTS IS WHAT CHANGED MY LIFE.
AND I KNOW THAT BEFORE THE THIRD WARD CULTURAL DISTRICT EXISTED, I WAS ABLE TO HAVE ART TRANSFORM MY LIFE.
SO MY HOPE IS THAT THIS PLATFORM, THE HU ARTS PLATFORM, HU ARTS.ORG, I'M A TASK FORCE MEMBER.
IF YOU CAN'T SEE MY PEN, IT'S RIGHT HERE.
UM, I'M A PROUD TASK FORCE MEMBER, BUT I WANT TO JUST SAY IT'S EXCITING BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO EXPAND ACROSS THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS, BUT ACROSS THIS REGION, HU ARTS HAS THAT DEPTH AND BREADTH TO BE REGIONWIDE TO THINK ABOUT COUNTIES THAT SURROUND HOUSTON, AND AS FOLKS CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE HOUSTON AS A DESTINATION.
I KNOW I'M IN DESTINATION D, DISTRICT D DESTINATION.
UM, I RECOGNIZE THAT EVERYONE IS WANTING TO MOVE AND RELOCATE HERE.
IT'S THE HIGHEST GROSSING RELOCATION LOCATION IS HOUSTON.
EVERYONE WANTS TO MOVE TO HOUSTON, WHY WOULDN'T THEY? UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE ARTS ARE CELEBRATED AND HIGHLIGHTED.
SO, UM, I'M EXCITED FOR THE HUW ARTS PLATFORM.
I'M EXCITED FOR WHAT'S THE COME OF THAT.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY DEDICATED TO THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA REITERATE, TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEBSITE, READ EVERY WORD.
WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THAT, AND BIG SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE WHO'S MADE THAT COME AND MAKE IT POSSIBLE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR ADVOCACY.
MARCY DALLAS IS OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
FIRST, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM'S TIME.
I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY WHO'S HERE IS BUSY.
ALL OF US ARE BUSY, AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE BUSY, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU'VE SPENT WITH OUR, UM, WITH OUR SECTOR TODAY.
UM, AND I CAME HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS ENTHUSIASM FOR THE HU ARTS PLATFORM THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UM, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, WHICH REALLY I THINK HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFORM THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT ARTS AND CULTURE, BOTH FOR THE CITY, BUT ALSO THAT THAT PLATFORM WAS REALLY PURPOSEFULLY CREATED AS A GREATER HOUSTON PLATFORM.
SO IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT IT'S ABOUT HOW THE CITY AND THE COUNTY CAN WORK TOGETHER AND HOW WE CAN LOOK AT
[01:25:01]
THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S PIECE WITHIN THE SORT OF LARGER REGIONAL WHOLE.UM, LAST NIGHT I CAME BACK FROM A GLOBAL CULTURAL DISTRICTS NETWORK CONVENING THAT WAS IN LOS ANGELES, WHERE I WAS JOINED BY MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO WERE HERE IN THE ROOM AT THE EVENT.
WE MET WITH LEADERS FROM CITIES AROUND THE WORLD WHO ARE WORKING TO MAKE THEIR COMMUNITIES SAFER, MORE ECONOMICALLY THRIVING AND CULTURALLY RICH.
WE ARE PART OF A GLOBAL CONVERSATION.
AND THE TAKEAWAY FROM THAT CONVERSATION IS THAT GREAT CITIES INVEST IN THE ARTS.
SUPPORTING THE ARTS STRENGTHENS HOUSTON'S FUTURE, NOT JUST THROUGH ECONOMIC GROWTH, BUT BY IMPROVING PUBLIC HEALTH, BUILDING SAFER COMMUNITIES, AND FOSTERING CIVIC PRIDE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH STEVEN AND WITH ALL OF YOU AS WE GET THIS CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICE RUNNING.
WE ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RUNNING PART, UM,
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY COMMON INTERSECTIONS AND THERE ARE MANY COMMON GOALS BETWEEN OUR SECTOR AND BETWEEN THE CITY SECTOR.
AND SO, AND WE SAW SO MANY EXAMPLES OF THAT AT THE GLOBAL CULTURAL CONVENING THIS WEEK.
UM, WE HAVE SOME REALLY AMAZING ARTS LEADERS IN THIS TOWN.
WE HAVE SOME REALLY AMAZING CULTURAL ASSETS IN THIS TOWN.
YOU ALL HAVE REALLY WILLING PARTNERS, AND WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO A CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AMY GIBBS.
I AM AMY GIBBS, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF RIVER OAKS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA HERE IN TOWN, AND I AM ALSO A MEMBER OF THE HUE ARTS IN ACTION TASK FORCE.
UM, I'VE LIVED IN TEXAS MOST OF MY LIFE, SPENT MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL IN THE DFW AREA, WENT TO SAN ANTONIO FOR COLLEGE, BEEN STUDIED THEATER, LIVED IN THE ARTS MY WHOLE LIFE.
I MOVED OUT TO THE EAST COAST FOR GRAD SCHOOL, LIVED OUT THERE FOR FIVE YEARS, STARTED MY CAREER AS AN ARTS ADMINISTRATOR THERE.
AND WHEN I MOVED OUT THERE, I SAID, NEVER MOVING BACK TO TEXAS.
I'M DEFINITELY NEVER MOVING TO HOUSTON
BUT THEN I GOT THE DREAM OPPORTUNITY FOR ME AT THE TIME FOR A POSITION AT HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, LEADING THE CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMS. AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF DOING THAT FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE MOVING TO MY CURRENT POSITION.
AND THE REASON I WAS SO WEARY ABOUT LIVING IN HOUSTON AND MOVING TO HOUSTON, AND IT FELT LIKE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE RISK FOR ME TO COME HERE, TO CONTINUE MY CAREER AS AN ARTS ADMINISTRATOR IS BECAUSE WE DO AN INCREDIBLY BAD JOB AT, UM, PROMOTING THE ARTS HERE IN HOUSTON.
SPENT MOST OF MY LIFE IN TEXAS, AND I HAD NO IDEA HOW INCREDIBLE THIS COMMUNITY IS.
ONCE I GOT HERE AND REALLY UNDERSTOOD THIS COMMUNITY, I WAS SO PLEASANTLY SURPRISED.
I HAVE NOW LIVED IN HOUSTON 10 YEARS.
I'VE MADE MY HOME HERE IN COUNCIL, UH, DISTRICT D, UM, AND I AM HERE.
AND I'VE STAYED HERE BECAUSE OF THE ARTS.
UH, I ALSO WAS VERY SURPRISED ONCE I WAS HERE AND LEARNED WHAT I HAD ABOUT THE ARTS, THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ANY CITYWIDE ADVOCACY EFFORT OR ORGANIZATION.
EVERY OTHER MAJOR CITY THAT I KNEW OF HAD ONE.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I FELT HAS BEEN MISSING IN HOUSTON FOR SO LONG, AND I AM SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF HUE ARTS TO ESTABLISH FOR THE FIRST TIME A CITYWIDE COALITION IN BUILDING THIS PLATFORM FOR ADVOCACY GOING FORWARD.
UM, I CANNOT, I, THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS WORKING WITH THIS COMMITTEE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER IN A, IN A TARGETED WAY LIKE THIS THAT WASN'T FRANKLY RESPONDING TO A CRISIS.
SO THAT WAS A NICE, NICE ANIS.
UM, BUT I'M NOT JUST HERE TO TELL THIS STORY.
YOU KNOW, THE HUE ARTS INITIATIVE CAME OUT FROM A STUDY THAT UNDERPINNED EXACTLY WHAT I SAID, THAT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF CHAMPIONING THE ARTS HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND THE VACANCIES IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS TAKES AWAY SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAMPIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN HOUSTON.
I WAS VERY GRATEFUL TO HEAR STEVEN'S UPDATES, AND FRANKLY, I HAD A DIFFERENT STEEP SPEECH PREPARED THAT I HAVE MADE SOME UPDATES ON, UH, THIS AFTERNOON, UH, REGARDING THESE
[01:30:01]
NEW POSITIONS.AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALTON ON THE PROMOTION.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO UNDERPIN THE, THE IMPORTANCE, UM, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED AND DESERVE MOCHA AND HAVE SOMEONE HERE IN CITY HALL FULL-TIME BEING THAT CHAMPION FOR THE ARTS, BOTH INSIDE THIS BUILDING AND OUTSIDE OF THIS BUILDING.
AS DEBBIE HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN BEFORE.
WITH ALL THAT IS GOING ON AND THE CHALLENGES AGAINST THE CULTURAL COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON, UM, I AM SO OPTIMISTIC TO SEE WHAT THIS NEW VISION OF MOCA CAN BE AND HOW THE HUE ARTS COALITION CAN COME TOGETHER AND HELP DEVELOP THAT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE.
BUT WE NEED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
STEVEN, I REALLY RESPECT WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT NEEDING TO LEARN HOW TO CRAWL AND THEN WALK BEFORE WE CAN RUN, BUT TAKES KIDS ON AVERAGE 18 MONTHS TO LEARN HOW TO WALK, MUCH LESS RUN, AND WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT.
SO I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE IT'S MOVING FORWARD AND THERE IS A POSITIVE DIRECTION, BUT I WANNA DO WHAT WE EVER, EVER WE CAN TO DO TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AS QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS WE CAN.
AND, UH, IF THERE'S EVER A ROLE THAT THIS COMMITTEE CAN PLAY IN PROMOTING OR HIGHLIGHTING, UM, THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT.
OR IF YOU HAVE SOME IDEAS ON A ROLE THIS COMMITTEE CAN PLAY, DEFINITELY LET US KNOW.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBER AND STAFF MEMBERS.
IT'S MY HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY.
I, UH, AM ANNETTE BASIL, AND I WAS APPOINTED BY MAYOR WHITE IN LATE 2008 AND SERVED AS DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS UNTIL THE END OF MAYOR PARKER'S ADMINISTRATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR ESTABLISHING THIS COMMITTEE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS BEFORE, SO IT'S REALLY KEY THAT AT IT'S A WAY AND A PLATFORM TO EDUCATE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC IN A, IN A FORUM THAT'S TRANSPARENT AND TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS LIKE THE ONES WE'RE HAVING TODAY.
UH, I CANNOT FOLLOW DEBBIE MCNULTY'S AMAZING REMARKS, BUT I'LL TRY TO GIVE YOU ALL A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE ON MY ROLE.
UH, WHEN I STARTED THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE WAS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD, SO IT WAS JUST GETTING, UH, BARELY CRAWLING STEVEN
AND THE WHOLE IDEA OF CREATING THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS WAS BILL WHITE'S GENIUS THOUGHT, AND HE WANTED HIS SPINE TO ELEVATE THE ARTS IN HOUSTON, AND HOW CAN WE DO THAT BETTER? SO HE CONSOLIDATED TWO COMMITTEES INTO, UM, THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE, AND THEN PUT JILL JUTT AS THE FIRST DIRECTOR OF THIS THIS OFFICE.
MY TENURE WAS ALL ABOUT CREATING POSITIVE OUTCOMES, AND A LOT OF WHAT I DID WAS BEHIND THE SCENES.
BEING AT CITY HALL WAS KEY TO LAUNCHING ALL THIS EFFORT THAT IS NOW COMING TO FRUITION SO MANY YEARS LATER.
CITY HALL IS OFTEN, AS YOU KNOW, THE FIRST TOP PEOPLE CONTACT WHEN THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING, INCLUDING THE ARTS.
SO IT WAS A JOB OF NAVIGATION AND COLLABORATION, COORDINATION, AND INITIATION OF WAYS AND PROGRAMS TO ADVANCE AND RESPOND TO THE CITY'S CULTURAL COMMUNITIES.
JUST A FEW, VERY FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF THINGS WE WORKED ON WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE.
THE CIVIC ART FUNDING HAD ONLY BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 1999, SO IT WAS ABOUT NINE YEARS OLD AT THE TIME.
THERE SEEMED TO BE SORT OF A, A MURKY, UM, BACKGROUND.
YOU TALK ABOUT DA DATA, STEVEN, ON THE AMOUNTS THAT WERE ALLOCATED TO EACH DEPARTMENT'S BUCKET FOR CIVIC ART.
WE SPENT OVER 18 MONTHS WORKING WITH THE, UM, FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO RECONCILE THESE LOOK, GOING BACK THROUGH RCAS AND ORDINANCES TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONIES WERE IN THE PROPER PLACE.
WE ALSO HELPED TO INITIATE AND CREATE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO INSTALL, UH, INSTALL PUBLIC ARTWORKS ON BOULEVARDS AND IN PARKS.
THERE REALLY WASN'T ANY WAY TO DO THAT.
YOU CAN DRIVE DOWN HEIGHTS BOULEVARD AND SEE ALL THE WONDERFUL ARTWORKS THERE.
THAT WAS A TOTAL PIONEER PROJECT.
WE ALSO DID OVER BY ART LEAGUE, THE FUNNEL TUNNEL, IF ANYBODY REMEMBERS THAT.
THESE WERE ALL VERY, UM, STRATEGICALLY PLACED ARTWORKS THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS TOMORROW HAD TO BLESS EVERYONE ON.
WE ALSO ASSISTED IN THE DESIGNATION OF THREE OF THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS, INCLUDING EAST END AND MIDTOWN.
THIS REQUIRED THE MAYOR'S, UH, PARTICIPATION AND SIGN OFF, UH, INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS INITIATIVES.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THE MANY MURALS, UH, OR FOLKS ARE HERE.
THAT WAS A WONDERFUL PROGRAM THAT WAS
[01:35:01]
INITIATED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR OFFICE.AND I HAVE TO SAY, IT'S ONE OF THE MOST GRATIFYING THINGS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE DID.
WE ASSISTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REVISED HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE.
DON'T FORGET OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE HAVE 22 CITY DESIGNATED HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS THAT REPRESENT THE CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS AND EVOLUTION OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE HELP SAVE THREE BUILDINGS FROM DEMOLITION BY THE CITY, I EMPHASIZED BY THE CITY THROUGH EMINENT DOMAIN IN FRIEDMANS TOWN.
IF I HADN'T BEEN AT CITY HALL AND SEEN THAT ON THE AGENDA, THIS I DON'T THINK WOULD'VE EVER HAPPENED.
THOSE ARE NOW THE HEADQUARTERS FOR THE FREEMANS TOWN CONSERVANCY.
WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE CONSULAR CORPS.
OUR CONSULAR CORPS IS TOTALLY AMAZING.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE UNITED STATES OVER 90 AND 19 SIX THROUGH CITIES THAT HAVE WRITTEN AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE FORGED IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS, INCLUDING REPRESENTING, UH, THE ISMAIL COMMUNITY WITH THE AGA HIS HIGHNESS, THE AGA CON.
THAT DIALOGUE STARTED DURING MY TENURE, AND IT WENT ON FOR, ON, ON AND ON AND ON.
BUT WE WERE THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR EVERY DELIVERY FROM MESSAGES FROM HIS HIGHNESS TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND NOW THE ISMAILI CENTER IS FINALLY BEING BUILT AND IS A REALITY ON ALLEN PARKWAY AND MANTRAS.
CONSULS LIKE FRANCE, WHICH IS THE US UNITED STATES THIRD LARGEST TRADE PARTNER.
THE RUSSIAN CONS GENERAL DONATE DONATED THROUGH, UH, STATUE OF RON'S STATUE OF YURI GERE IN THE FIRST MAN IN SPACE.
UH, WE HAD TO FIND A PLACE FOR THAT.
IT'S NOW AT THE FIRST HA, UH, HEADQUARTERS OF NASA, WHICH IS THE GREG BUILDING WHERE NASA FIRST STARTED.
BUT WE HAVE A COMPANION STATUE NEXT TO IT AT DEDICATED TO JOHN GLENN.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA BE OUT SHOWN, RIGHT? THE CHINESE COUNCIL WHO GAVE, GAVE A STATUE OF CONFUCIUS.
I THINK I'M ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT EVER GOT ENTRY INTO THE CHINESE CONS BUILDING, WHICH IS BUILT LIKE FORT KNOX.
OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAD TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE CHINESE LEGAL, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, BUT WE GOT IT DONE.
ALSO, THE GERMAN, A GERMAN ORGANIZATION WHO WANTED TO CELEBRATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL, SECRETARY OF STATE JAMES BAKER, WAS, UH, ONE OF THE KEY, UH, NEGOTIATORS FOR THAT.
SO WE ORGANIZED A PRESS CONFERENCE HERE AT CITY HALL WITH THE HELP OF THE PRESS OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, AND THE LIPES OF SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WAS INVITED HERE TO GIVE A SPECIAL CONCERT.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, UH, WERE THE CREATION OVER THE 18 MONTHS OF TIME THAT DEBBIE MCNULTY HELPED ME LEAD THE CHARGE ON OF THIS AMAZING ARTS AND CULTURAL PLAN THAT IS STILL BEING UTILIZED TODAY.
AND THIS WAS CO-CHAIRED BY RICK LOWE, FOUNDER OF PROJECT ROW HOUSES AND MINA BEAR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER AND ARTS PATRON.
THE OUTCOME OF THIS MASSIVE COMMUNITY DRIVEN PLAN HAS BEEN PROFOUND AND RESULTED IN PRIOR PRIORITIES BASED ON THREE TENETS, PROMOTION, ENHANCEMENT, AND ADVANCEMENT.
AS A RESULT, HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE HAS BECOME EVEN MORE COMMUNITY DRIVEN IN ITS PROGRAM'S, OUTREACH AND GRANT MAKING.
I'M TRULY PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS ALONG WITH DEBBIE, UH, IN MAKING ALL THIS HAPPEN AND LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY MIRACULOUS WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY, BUT THIS CANNOT BE ACHIEVED WITH ANYMORE, CANNOT BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT REPRESENTATION AT THE CITY GOVERNMENT LEVEL.
SO I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THE ADVANCEMENT, THANK YOU, STEVEN AND OTHERS ARE KEEPING THIS OFFICE GOING, AND HOPE THAT IT WILL, UM, CONTINUE THE ROLE THAT THE CITY GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE AND WHAT THE CITY DESERVES.
THANK YOU AS WELL, MANNETTE FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND ALSO FOR YOUR SERVICE, UH, TO THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, BOTH YOU AND DEBBIE BRING VERY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES HAVING BEEN IN THE POSITIONS YOU WERE IN, AND SO IT'S GLAD THAT, THAT Y'ALL ARE HERE TO, TO ADVOCATE AND TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOUR COMMENTS.
NEXT UP, WE HAVE MARK AUSTIN, KIMBERLY.
CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS ARE GONNA MAKE ME FOLLOW THOSE TWO
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
I'M THE OUTGOING VICE CHAIR OF HOUSTON'S MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD, THE OWNER OF CONVOY GROUP, AN ARTIST MANAGEMENT AND PROMOTIONS COMPANY BASED HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND THE CO-FOUNDER OF THE HOUSTON MUSIC FOUNDATION, A CRISIS RELIEF FUND CREATED TO SUPPORT MUSICIANS AND MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKERS IN TIMES OF NEED.
I ALSO SERVE AS A SENIOR TALENT BUYER FOR THE HEIGHTS THEATER ON 19TH STREET, AND I CO-PRODUCED BUN BEE'S ANNUAL RODEO CONCERT AT THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO.
UM, TO, TO SUMMARIZE, I REPRESENT A LOT OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN THIS CITY.
I MIGHT ALSO ADD, I'M ALSO THE PROUD PARENT OF A 2029, SOON TO BE 2029 H-S-P-V-A GRADUATE WHO JUST GOT ACCEPTED.
[01:40:01]
MUCH OF ALL THOSE THINGS.UH, I AM A, UH, PROUD RESIDENT OF DISTRICT K REPRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, AND MAYOR PRO TEMP CASTEX TATUM, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, LIGHTS UNDER SIX 10 AT STELLA LINK.
UH, HOUSTON'S DIVERSITY IS ONE OF ITS DIVINE TRAITS, AS YOU CAN HEAR IT IN OUR MUSIC.
FROM ZY DAKOTA TO HIP HOP, TEJANO TO JAZZ, OUR SOUND TELLS THE STORY OF WHO WE ARE.
THE MUSIC OFFICE WITHIN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS WAS CREATED TO HELP AMPLIFY AND SUSTAIN THAT STORY AND TO ENSURE IT THAT ITS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT, THAT IT HAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPORT IT NEEDS TO THRIVE.
IN 2022, HOUSTON RECEIVED OFFICIAL DESIGNATION AS A MUSIC FRIENDLY COMMUNITY BY THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE, WHICH IS, UH, UH, WHICH IS IN THE MAYOR'S CABINET, OR I'M SORRY, THE GOVERNOR'S CABINET.
THAT DESIGNATION WASN'T JUST SYMBOLIC, IT CAME WITH RESPONSIBILITIES.
WE WERE REQUIRED TO APPOINT A DEDICATED MUSIC OFFICER, UH, OFFICER.
I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT GRACIE, MS. GRACIE CHAVEZ IS IN THE ROOM, UM, UH, BUILD A PUBLIC FACING MUSIC DIRECTORY AND FORM A MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD TO GUIDE POLICY AND CONNECT OUR LOCAL MUSIC INDUSTRY TO THE RESOURCES IT NEEDS.
THAT FRAMEWORK WAS WORKING AND IT WAS WORKING WELL ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE.
TO MAINTAIN MUSIC FRIENDLY, UH, TEXAS STATUS, EACH CITY MUST DESIGNATE A CENTRAL LIAISON TO OVERSEE REPORTING, COORDINATE THE CITY'S ADVISORY BOARD, AND ENGAGE IN REGIONAL MUSIC FRIENDLY, REGIONAL MUSIC FRIENDLY TEXAS EFFORTS.
WITHOUT THAT ROLE IN PLACE, A CITY IS AT RISK OF LOSING ITS CERTIFICATION.
RIGHT NOW, HOUSTON IS THE ONLY MAJOR CITY IN TEXAS THAT HAS BECOME INACTIVE, INACTIVE IN THE MUSIC FRIENDLY PROGRAM.
OUT OF 83 PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES, HOUSTON COULD BECOME THE FIRST TO DECERTIFY IN THE PROGRAM'S HISTORY.
ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS MUSIC INDUSTRY DIRECTORY, HOUSTON IS HOME TO 707 MUSIC RELATED BUSINESSES, 3,737 PERMANENT AND 3,504 CONTRACT MUSIC WORKERS, 683 LISTED BANDS AND ENSEMBLES REPRESENTING OVER 2,500 MUSICIANS.
AND AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS A VERY AT RISK, UH, INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY IN THIS CITY.
IF WE LOSE THE CERTIFICATION, WE LOSE OUR CONNECTION TO THE GOVERNOR'S TEXAS MUSIC OFFICE, AS WELL AS NO ONE REPRESENTING THE INDUSTRY AT CITY HALL.
SINCE BEING NAMED A MUSIC FRIENDLY CITY, THE MU THE MUSIC OFFICE HAS HELPED LAUNCH INITIATIVES LIKE MAKE MUSIC DAY.
HOUSTON HOSTED ART LISTENING SESSIONS WITH CITY LEADERSHIP AND BUILT PROGRAMMING AROUND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GRANTS, EDUCATION AND PRESERVATION.
TO QUOTE THE DIRECTOR OF THE TMO CHIP ADAMS TOO MUCH AMAZING WORK IS BEING DONE IN HOUSTON.
THE MUSIC OFFICE DOESN'T JUST SUPPORT CULTURE, IT SUPPORTS COMMERCE.
MUSIC IS A REAL ECONOMIC DRIVER IN HOUSTON.
JUST ONE EXAMPLE, THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO BRINGS IN OVER $326 MILLION EACH YEAR.
AND MUSIC IS THE CENTRAL DRAW.
WITHOUT SOMEONE IN PLACE AT THE CITY TO LEAD THIS WORK, WE LOSE MOMENTUM, WE LOSE CREDIBILITY, AND WE RISK FAILING, FALLING BEHIND.
AS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IS BEING REORGANIZED.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE HAD A STAFF PERSON IN THE DEPARTMENT FOCUSED ON THIS WORK.
THAT POSITION APPEARS TO BE ELIMINATED.
WE ARE ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER INCLUDING A VISIONARY AND STRATEGIC LEADER TO GUIDE THE MUSIC OFFICE'S NEXT GREAT PHASE OF GROWTH.
SOMEONE WHO CAN HELP ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH STATE EXPECTATIONS, CONTINUE BUILDING ON WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN CREATED, AND REPRESENT HOUSTON'S MUSIC SECTOR AT ITS HIGHEST LEVELS.
JUST LAST MONTH, KRUNG BEN, BORN AND RAISED IN HOUSTON, SOLD 10,000 TICKETS AT THE WOODLANDS PAVILION A MONTH AFTER BEING NOMINATED FOR THE BEST NEW ARTIST GRAMMY.
WE ALSO HAVE TOBY NWE, BORN AND RAISED IN THE SWAT SELLING TICKETS, SELLING VENUES OUT WORLDWIDE, REPRESENTING THIS HOUSTON IN REPRESENTING THE CITY IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
AND BUNBEE HAS SOLD OVER 300,000 TICKETS AT THE RODEO IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
WE DO HAVE, UH, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU.
I, I HAVE, CAN I HAVE 10 MORE SECONDS TO FINISH THIS LAST PARAGRAPH? OKAY, SURE.
UM, THIS IS, I, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
WE HAVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED, AND THAT'S JUST THREE THAT I NAMED.
THERE'S THOUSANDS, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S A MUSIC CITY WITHOUT A VOICE OR A REPRESENTATIVE AT THE TABLE.
AFTER EVERYTHING WE ACCOMPLISHED AT SUPER BOWL 20 17 88 TEXAS BANDS OVER EIGHT DAYS, AND A QUOTE FROM THE NFL THAT NO CITY WILL EVER BE ABLE TO REPLICATE WHAT WE DID, A DIRECT QUOTE FROM THE NFL AND WITH THE WORLD CUP ON THE HORIZON, IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER THAT OUR MUSIC AND ARTS COMMUNITY HAS THE SUPPORT AND STRUCTURE IT NEEDS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF HOUSTON'S MUSIC ECOSYSTEM.
WE'RE PROUD TO BE A PART OF IT, AND WE'RE COUNTING ON YOUR LEADERSHIP TO HELP PROTECT AND GROW.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
[01:45:01]
THANK YOU CHAIR.UM, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR THE CITY.
UM, SHE SPECIFICALLY WANTED ME TO THANK YOU FOR CREATING A VIBRANT CULTURAL MUSIC SCENE THAT NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON BENEFITS FROM, BUT REALLY THE WHOLE WORLD.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU.
OFFER, OFFER MY THANKS BACK TO, TO COUNCILWOMAN CAYMAN.
SHE'S VERY ACTIVE IN OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.
SHE'S VERY VOCAL, SHE'S LED THINGS FROM VACCINE DRIVES JUST FOR MUSICIANS IN NEED THAT WERE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY THAT WERE LEFT OUT IN TERMS OF FUNDING FOR ARTS AND CULTURE IS CONCERNING THE CITY.
AND SHE'S BEEN ONE TO BE VERY VOCAL AND STEP UP IN PLACE OF THOSE THINGS.
SO PLEASE OFFER MY, MY APPRECIATION AND THANKS TO HER AS WELL.
YES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR ADVOCACY.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING I'M GONNA FOLLOW UP ON, UH, IN TERMS OF OUR MUSIC OFFICE, MY LINE IS ALWAYS OPEN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, THIS IS HANDWRITTEN, SO I'M, I'M GONNA DO MY BEST HERE.
ALRIGHT, SO GOOD MORNING ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMITTEE.
UM, I'M DANNY ASBERRY EL FROM SOLO INTERNATIONAL, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS THE FIRST ORGANIZATION IN HOUSTON TO HAVE MEMBERSHIPS FOR ARTISTS THAT INCLUDE HEALTH CARE.
AND WE'RE THE FIRST TO CREATE AUGMENTED REALITY ART THAT TRANSLATES TO DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AS WELL.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE ABOUT 2015.
WE'RE THE FIRST TO DO IT IN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS.
ALRIGHT, SO I'M HERE TO DISCUSS A SERIOUS CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN DECEMBER, UH, FROM DECEMBER 4TH, 2024.
I DIDN'T MENTION THIS EARLIER, I DIDN'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAD ANYTHING FOR ME, BUT I'LL REITERATE IT AGAIN TODAY.
UH, SO THERE WAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, UM, IN DECEMBER 4TH, 2024 FOR THE TAX REINVESTMENT ZONE, ONE BIDDING THAT NEEDED IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION.
I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE AND FRESH ARTS, BOTH CITY SANCTIONED ENTITIES THAT GRANTS THROUGH YOUR MA THROUGH THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, ARE COMPETING AGAINST INDEPENDENT NONPROFITS LIKE MINE FORTS ONE CONTRACTS ORT CONTRACTS, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN MY CASE, TURS ONE.
THIS CREATES AN UNFAIR AND UNFAIR PLAYING FIELD BECAUSE FIRST WE HAVE, WE HAVE ALL APPLIED FOR GRANTS FROM THIS, FROM THE SAME CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT FUND AND OVERSEE HAA AND FRESH ARTS.
THE CITY IS ESSENTIALLY COMPETING AGAINST ITSELF THROUGH ITS PREFERRED ENTITIES.
SECOND, AS CITY SANCTIONED ORGANIZATIONS, HAA AND FRESH ARTS HAVE INSIDER ACCESS TO CITY PRIORITIES, STAFF AND DECISION MAKING PROCESSES THAT INDEPENDENT NONPROFITS DO NOT HAVE.
AND THIRD, THIS VIOLATES BASIC PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY.
SO HOW CAN THERE BE FAIR COMPETITION WHEN CITY SANCTION ENTITIES WITH ONGOING CONTRACTS BET AGAINST INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATIONS SEEKING THE SAME CITY SUPPORT? SO WHAT I'M REQUESTING IS MAYBE A IMMEDIATE LEGAL REVIEW BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE UNDER CHAPTER 15, UH, OF THE CITY CODE AND THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 1 71.
UM, PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF OUR RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN BIDDERS AND CITY FUNDING SOURCES AND CLEAR PROCUREMENT RULES THAT PREVENT CITY SANCTIONED ENTITIES FROM COMPETING AGAINST INDEPENDENT GRANT APPLICANTS.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT SOUR GRAPES, BUT IT'S ABOUT ENSURING ALL NONPROFITS HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO CIVIL OPPORTUNITIES.
INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD, SHOULDN'T BE DISADVANTAGED BY COMPETING AGAINST THE CITY'S OWN PREFERRED ENTITIES.
AND I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE COUNCIL, UH, DIRECT STAFF TO INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
THE REASON WHY I'M SAYING THAT IS BECAUSE OFTENTIMES IN MY CAREER, IT, UH, I'LL PROBABLY BE TOO.
WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU MIND JUST WRAPPING UP? I'LL WRAP IT UP.
OFTENTIMES IN MY CAREER, I HAVE COME INTO THESE SITUATIONS WHERE I'M AGAINST THESE BIG BOHEMIANS AND THERE'S A COMMON PATTERN OF PRACTICE THAT GOES ON.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M FAMILIAR WITH THIS IS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVEN YEARS.
I WAS IN THE NAVY FOR SEVEN YEARS, SO I KNOW PROCESS AND I KNOW THE WAY THINGS WORK, RIGHT? AND SO OFTEN I DON'T SAY ANYTHING, I JUST KEEP GOING.
BUT AS RECENT AS DECEMBER OF 2024, I WENT THROUGH THIS AGAIN.
SO THIS IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY TO PUT A STOP TO IT.
WELL, THANKS FOR COMING DOWN HERE TO,
[01:50:01]
TO VISIT WITH US.UM, THERE'S A FEW QUESTIONS THAT, THAT I HAVE SPECIFICALLY, BUT ULTIMATELY WE'RE GONNA NEED TO, TO GET A MEETING SET.
BETWEEN LEGAL YOURSELF, UH, MY CHIEF OF STAFF WILL COME OUT AND GIVE YOU HIS CARD SO THAT WE CAN WORK TO FACILITATE THAT.
ELIZABETH BAILEY, REYES RAMIREZ IS THE LAST ONE.
CAN THIS BE LIFTED A LITTLE? YEP.
YOU'RE ALL, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALL SET.
UH, SO I'M JUST GONNA MAKE IT QUICK.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THIS QUICK AND LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT I'M THE, UH, 2025 TO 2027 HOUSTON POET LAUREATE.
UM, AND I JUST REALLY WANTED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO Y'ALL.
UH, NOT REALLY USED TO SPEAKING IN, IN THIS PART.
I'M USUALLY IN THE, IN THE BLEACHERS, SO TO SPEAK.
BUT, UH, I JUST REALLY WANNA MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, THE PROJECT THAT I'M WORKING ON.
EVERY HOUSTON POET LAUREATE, I'M THE SEVENTH ONE ACTUALLY.
UH, EACH ONE HAS HAD TO DO A DIFFERENT PROJECT.
AND SO I'M WORKING ON MINE UP UNTIL 2027 TO PULL THAT, PULL THAT OFF.
I, BUT, UH, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO COME BACK ANOTHER TIME TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT PROJECT IS, BUT I JUST REALLY WANTED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE.
IF Y'ALL EVER HAVE ANY EVENTS AND Y'ALL WANT SOME, WANNA OPEN THE EVENT WITH THE POEM OR WHAT HAVE YOU, UH, REALLY JUST WANNA MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO, UH, YOUR COUNCIL, UH, DISTRICTS.
AND, UH, YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING TO ALL OF YOU IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND, UH, SPREAD THE LOVE OF POETRY.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, PART OF WHY I WANTED TO BECOME HOUSTON POET LAUREATE IS BECAUSE I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT HOUSTON, UM, IS IN CONVERSATION WITH THE WORLD IN TERMS OF ITS LITERARY PROWESS.
UH, IT HAS, UH, MEMBERS OF SO MANY DIFFERENT DIASPORAS SPEAKING SO MANY DIFFERENT LANGUAGES THAT, UH, HONESTLY, WE'VE ONLY SCRAPED THE SURFACE OF WHAT HOUSTON IS CAPABLE OF IN TERMS OF ITS LITERARY, UH, OUTPUT.
UM, AND YEAH, I THINK, UM, WELL, I KNOW I'M ON IT.
I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT THIS CITY IN THAT WAY AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING FURTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH Y'ALL.
UH, THANK, THANK YOU ON, ON SERVING AS OUR POET LAUREATE.
YOU DO REPRESENT THE CITY, UH, AND YOU PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, UH, A GREAT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE AN AMBASSADOR.
UM, AND SO WE WILL ABSOLUTELY HAVE YOU BACK TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, AT A LATER POINT TO TO HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COLLEAGUES HERE ON COUNCIL, UH, GET TO KNOW YOU AND, UM, HAVE YOU OUT IN THEIR DISTRICTS.
THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE? JUST GO AHEAD AND COME UP AND STATE YOUR NAME.
JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
I AM, I AM A VOLUNTEER, I FOR CITY AND, UH, SINCE BILL WHITE WAS THE MAYOR.
AND, UM, I WORK WITH, UM, FELLOW ARTIST FOR THE, UM, SOMETHING CALLED CITIZENSHIP, UM, MONTH CELEBRATE OUR C DIVERSITY.
I KNOW IT'S NOT A POPULAR NAME NOW, BUT WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
AND I WANT TO KNOW, I WANT TO, UH, MAKE THE PLEA TO THE GOVERNMENT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THOSE EVENT LOOKS NOT VERY SOPHISTICATED, BUT IT'S ALL RUN BY VOLUNTEER.
AND, UM, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS IN THE SOCIETY, PEOPLE ARE SO DIVIDED AND THAT EVENT THROUGH MANNETTE AND, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, DEBORAH, THEY GIVE PEOPLE SENSE OF BELONGINGS.
THE WI THE WITNESS IS, FOR EXAMPLE, I CAME FROM THE TAIWANESE AM AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
WE, WE PARTICIPATE IN THAT EVENT AND THEY CITY GIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO CONTRIBUTE.
LITTLE THING, BIG THING, YOU KNOW, AND YOU OPEN THE DOOR AND YOU CONTRIBUTE.
YOU, THEN YOU HAVE THE SENSE OF BELONGING.
SO WHEN HARVEY HIT OUR COMMUNITY, IS THE FIRST ONE, JUMP
[01:55:01]
UP TO, UH, RESPONSE TO THE CALL.AND WE, THE, THE THE FROM EVEN THE FELLOW TAIWANESE FROM CANADA DONATE.
AND, UM, I WANT TO PLEASE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF SPIRIT.
AND I WISH THE CITY USED THE, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE OFFICER THAT HAVE THE, THE, THE SPIRIT LIKE MANETTE, WHEN WE WORK, A WHOLE BUNCH OF ARTISTS AND ARTIST CAR BROKE OUT, UH, ON THE STREET.
SHE WROTE UP THE STREET AND, AND HELPED PEOPLE FIX THE CAR.
AND, UM, SO THAT, THAT IS THE KIND OF, UM, THE SPIRIT FOR, AND, AND ALSO YOU NEED KNOWLEDGE.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, EVERY, THERE'S NO FLIGHT TO CHINA FROM HOUSTON, BUT EVERY NIGHT THERE IS PACKED EVA AIRLINE FLY FROM HOUSTON TO, UM, TAIPEI, TAIWAN EVERY DAY, AND A LOT OF VIETNAMESE.
AND THEY EVEN EXPAND ANOTHER LINE TO DALLAS.
SO, UM, BUT OUR CITIES CAN, CAN, CAN CITY IF THE CITY WANTS TO GIVE THE TAIWANESE AMERICAN HONOR OF TO SEE A PIECE OF ART IN THE TRAVELERS FROM TAIWAN.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, I I I VOLUNTEER TO FUNDRAISE FOR ASIAN SOCIETY BEFORE THEY BUY THE LAND.
I WILL VOLUNTEER FOR CITY AND I WILL CALL FOR OUR SISTER FROM CANADA AND 50 STATES FOR, FOR CITY TO OPEN THE DOOR TO HONOR OUR, UM, SENSE OF BELONGINGS, GIVE A SENSE OF BELONGINGS.
YOU GIVE WHAT WE WANT, WE'LL GIVE BACK.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND FOR YOUR COMMENTS, JUST, UH, STATE YOUR NAME AND THEN YOU CAN BEGIN YOUR REMARKS.
I AM THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, UH, AT THE MUSEUM OF FINANCE ARTS.
UH, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF, UM, THE MUSEUM DISTRICT.
AND, UH, I WANNA START BY THANKING YOU AND FOR YOUR PATIENCE TODAY.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY, UH, SO I'M GOING TO TRY AND KEEP IT SHORT.
UM, I WANT TO START BY SAYING THAT THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, WHICH IS WHAT'S ALLOCATED TO SOME OF THE LARGE AND ON MOST OF THE ARTS INSTITUTIONS HERE, AS YOU'VE HEARD, IT'S CRUCIAL AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF, UM, I WOULD SAY STABILITY, UH, FOR MOST ORGANIZATIONS.
AND WE HOPE THAT THEY ARE MAINTAINED, UM, AT CURRENT LEVELS.
UM, WE, WE TALK ABOUT THE ARTS OFTEN, AND I THINK YOU GUYS KNOW THIS, BUT THE ARTS ARE NOT A LUXURY.
UH, WE SEE THEM AS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER, A COMMUNITY NECESSITY, A POWERFUL TOOL FOR EDUCATION, PUBLIC SAFETY AND CIVIC PRIDE.
AND I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT HOUSTON IS VERY FORTUNATE, UM, IN ITS RICHES WITH THE BALLET, UH, THE OPERA, AND ITS VARIOUS MUSEUMS WHICH ARE UNMATCHED IN THE MUSEUM.
HIS, UH, DISTRICT ALONE, WE HAVE 21 INSTITUTIONS IN A FOUR SQUARE MILE AREA.
IT MAKES US ONE OF THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, I DON'T THINK MOST PEOPLE KNOW THIS, BUT MORE GUESTS ACTUALLY VISITED THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE MUSEUM DISTRICT WHEN COMPARED TO FANS THAT GO TO THE ASTROS, THE TEXANS, THE ROCKETS, AND EVEN THE RODEO ALL COMBINED.
MORE GUESTS VISIT THE VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS AT THE MUSEUM DISTRICT THAN ALL THE FANS THAT GO TO ALL THOSE INSTITUTIONS COMBINED.
UM, JUST AT THE MUSEUM OF FINANCE ALONE, WE HAVE OVER A MILLION GUESTS THAT VISIT US, 60% FREE, 60% FREE.
AND EACH OF THOSE GUESTS, IF THEY ARE NOT LOCAL, THEY'RE SPENDING ABOUT $60.
IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON MUSEUM DISTRICT INSTITUTIONS GENERATE MORE THAN $600 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT.
WE CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN $14 MILLION IN CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT REVENUE.
I THINK THESE ARE FACTS MOST OF YOU HAVE HEARD, BUT WHAT I WANNA EMPHASIZE IS THAT THE MUSEUM DISTRICT IS NOT AN INDEPENDENT ECOSYSTEM.
WE FEED INTO AND BENEFIT FROM A HEALTHY, VIBRANT ARTS COMMUNITY.
WE BENEFIT FROM THE CITY'S SUPPORT OF THE ARTS, IT MAKES US AND MAKES US PROVIDE AN OUTSIZED IMPACT ON HOUSTON'S ECONOMIC HEALTH.
SO TODAY WE ARE JOINING THE OLDER CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL, WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE BUDGET FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE GROWING OR AT LEAST MAINTAINING THE HOT TAX LEVELS, UM, THAT ARE LOCATED TO THE VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS.
WE ALSO ASK LIKE MANY OTHERS, THAT THERE, THERE'S A STRONG, CONSISTENT VOICE WITHIN CITY COUNT, WITHIN THE CITY GOVERNMENT EMPOWERED
[02:00:01]
TO CONTRIBUTE TO DECISION MAKING PROCESS AND ABLE TO CONNECT THE ARTS COMMUNITY WITH THE CITY AND THE STAFF.AND AGAIN, I KNOW IT'S LATE, BUT I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
YOU, YOU RAISED SOME VERY GOOD POINTS.
AND, UM, WE HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER HERE.
I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE TODAY AND I FEEL LIKE PERFECTLY SUITED TO FOLLOW MR. ANYA.
I AM A THIRD TIME RESIDENT OF HOUSTON.
IN FACT, MY FAMILY IS IN KINGWOOD.
WE ARE NEIGHBORS WITH TWILA CARTER.
UM, SO I GET TO SEE HER AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIALS.
UM, BUT I'M COMING TO YOU TODAY AS AN ECOSYSTEM PARTNER FOR MANY OF OUR ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS.
I WORK FOR A SOFTWARE COMPANY.
WE'RE A NONPROFIT SOFTWARE COMPANY THAT SERVES ONLY ARTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS.
I HAVE THE HONOR AND BENEFIT OF GETTING TO WORK WITH THE MUSEUM, WITH ALL OF OUR, UM, PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, BUT WE ACTUALLY GET TO SERVE MANY ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE, INCLUDING 35 ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS TEXAS THAT COLLECTIVELY GENERATE OVER $650 MILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUE.
I'M A TEXAN THROUGH AND THROUGH.
I TOOK CLASSES AT LONE STAR, UH, IN KINGWOOD.
I WENT TO TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY.
BUT I KEEP COMING BACK TO HOUSTON BECAUSE THIS IS MY ARTISTIC HOME.
I'VE WORKED AT THE BALLET, AT THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY, AT THE ALLEY THEATER.
UM, I WAS VERY EXCITED TO BE INVITED BY, UH, CRAIG IN THE, IN THE GROUP GOING TO TEXAS FOR THE ARTS ADVOCACY DAY AT AUSTIN THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT IN MY CURRENT ROLE, I GET TO SEE HOW THE ARTS DRIVES THE ECONOMY HERE.
RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST ARTISTS OR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, BUT MANY INDUSTRIES THAT ARE IMPACTED, INCLUDING TECHNICAL PROFESSIONALS LIKE MYSELF.
SO ACROSS TEXAS, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WORKING IN CREATIVE CAREERS OR IN CAREERS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THE ARTS.
AND THAT INDUSTRY KEEPS GROWING.
UM, I KNOW I TALK A LOT ABOUT THE STATE LEVEL TOOLS AND IMPACT, BUT I WANT HOUSTON TO BE A LEADER IN THAT BECAUSE THIS IS MY HOME AND THIS IS THE PLACE THAT I LOVE.
SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE? NOPE.
THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 4:05 PM AND THE JUNE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 2:00 PM AT THE 11TH? YES, ON JUNE 11TH.