Issues: Support for the Arts
There's More to be Done!
“Our public art, museums, galleries and
theater venues are part of our unique
identity and the legacy we leave for
generations to come.“ – Annise Parker
Great cities provide inviting public spaces where people of all ages can experience a variety of artistic and cultural offerings. Great cities also recognize the important contribution of the performing arts.
Imagine New York City without the lights shining brightly on Broadway, or the iconic bronze sculpture of the bulls running on Wall Street. Imagine Daley Plaza in Chicago without its big red sculpture by Picasso, Washington D. C. without the Smithsonian Museums or even our own Hermann Park without the monument of General Sam Houston sitting proudly on his horse.
In the late 1990s we were in danger of losing the Sam Houston monument and approximately 450 other artworks included in our Municipal Art Collection. There was no dedicated source of funding for maintenance of this multi-million dollar asset owned by Houston taxpayers. We were also refusing the donation of new works unless accompanied by maintenance funds. Pieces were being lost, literally and through neglect. It was an ineffective and inefficient program.
It was at this point, and at my urging, that Houston City Council established the Civic Art Program, allowing a percent of public dollars spent on new fire stations, libraries and other capital improvements to be set aside for both acquisition and conservation of public art. I worked closely with Mayor Lee Brown to move responsibility for the city’s art collection from the parks department to the mayor’s office. We then worked to prepare a comprehensive inventory and establish a long-term conservation plan to ensure proper maintenance. Mayor White has built upon this early work by placing responsibility for management and maintenance of the Civic Art Program with Houston Arts Alliance and its director Jonathan Glus.
Today, the efforts of the last decade are evident in the appearance of our municipal art collection, which has never looked better. In addition to regular maintenance and conservation of our existing artworks, we are, where appropriate, able to incorporate new pieces and unique design features into our public places.
Moving forward, there is more to be done.
The city’s current ordinances are too restrictive, often forcing the placement of “public art” in locations that aren’t accessible to the public. For example, the set-aside generated by construction of a new police or fire station must be spent on art for a police or fire facility even if there might be a more appropriate and publicly accessible site in a city park across the street. There must be more flexibility.
The city also provides funding to hundreds of nonprofit visual and performing arts organizations big and small. However, we must be realistic in our expectations. HOT taxes are declining in the current economy. Correspondingly, the total pot of money available for performing arts organizations will decline. I pledge to maintain the percentage of funding from the city’s Hotel/Motel Taxes to help these organizations. Because every area of the city budget is under pressure, there is no other source of funding to offset these anticipated declines.
Whether it’s a bronze sculpture in a park or a graceful performance of Sleeping Beauty at Wortham Theater, art provides a glimpse of who we are; it shows we take pride in our community. Our public art, museums, galleries and theater venues are part of our unique identity and the legacy we leave for generations to come. Despite the current challenges, there is a vibrant visual and performing arts community here! Let’s embrace and nurture it!
Annise Parker and the Arts:
• Annise championed the Percent for Arts fund, allocating 1.25% of spending on City of Houston capital projects to the arts, generating more than $14 million to date.
• Annise and Chris Bell fought together to increase HOT tax funding for the arts.
• Annise served as a 2-term board member of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and is currently serving her 2nd term on the board of the Holocaust Museum.
• Annise lobbied for moving arts oversight from the Parks Department to the Mayor’s office and now the city has three arts coordinators and a conservation fund.
• Annise worked to create the Houston Arts Alliance from three existing groups. Virtually all of its funding comes from public dollars.
• Annise recently pushed for better accountability and more transparency from the Houston Arts Alliance for the city dollars she fought to give them.
• Annise has helped underwrite the annual Houston Poetry Festival and participated as a poet: Annise annually supports Art on the Avenue that raises money for affordable housing.
