Presenter: Debbie McNulty, Director, Mayor s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA)

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2 Presenter: Debbie McNulty, Director, Mayor s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) Mayor Sylvester Turner deeply values arts and culture and recognizes the positive impacts the sector has on people and society, as well as Houston s economy. The Mayor is the sector s best and highest profile advocate and it is through the Mayor s leadership MOCA is achieving much that is envisioned in the City s Arts & Cultural Plan. MOCA is principally a policy office working at the intersection between City departments, cultural contractors and the public to implement the Mayor s cultural priorities. The City has a number of ways it works through its offices and departments to support the cultural development of the community. These programs are managed internally and carried out through service contracts. MOCA provides guidance as a point of contact and subject matter expert internally and externally, and administers City cultural programs. The chart provides an overview of the main activities overseen by MOCA and illustrates our principal interactions with City departments, the public and cultural contractors, including contractors that receive Hotel

3 Occupancy Tax (HOT). The presentation is centered on just one aspect of the City s cultural strategy the grants and funding for arts and cultural services the City chooses to make using Hotel Occupancy Tax. There are currently four HOT contractors: HAA, Miller Theatre, Museum District, Theater District. HAA receives 39.5% of the funding and is the largest re grantor of City funds. (Additionally HAA is the City s preferred Civic Art contractor.) The Plan vision to foster an environment in which art and culture flourish for the sharing and benefit of all residents and visitors is embodied in our new logo. The logo represents the diversity of our community with the importance of the arts and cultural sector to the city and is a visual representation of our values of inclusion and equity.

4 The growth and economic impact of the cultural industry is undeniable. The arts and cultural sector makes Houston a more fun and interesting place to live and visit. Among all organizations, large and small, the nonprofit cultural sector is a billion dollar industry, providing over 25,000 jobs.* And of the more than 16 million attendance in a single year, 63 percent was FREE.** May 2014 Center for Houston s Future issues Arts & Cultural Heritage Community Indicator Report findings include: 532 cultural organizations dispersed across the region 40% did not exist before 2000 From expenditures from cultural organizations grew by 65% ($227M) 37.4% of the region s artists are ethnic minorities o Hotel Occupancy Taxes (HOT) has remained consistently steady with modest

5 growth compared to nonprofit expenditures in an overlapping seven year period. Over the last four years, HOT has been averaging $16 million a year. No significant growth in HOT is anticipated in the next few years. The State of Texas caps the amount of HOT individual cities and counties can dedicate to arts and culture. The City of Houston dedicates the maximum amount allowable under State statute and has done so for many years. The City of Houston is the only municipality among cities and counties in greater Houston that has made this deep commitment to arts and cultural services for the community. With the City expected to grow by more than one million people over the next 20 years, the Arts and Cultural Plan embraces change and reflects the evolving role of culture in community. As Houston and the cultural industry continue to grow, City s Arts & Cultural Plan calls for the equity of access and opportunity in City grants. * Americans for the Arts, Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 **DataArts,

6 The plan was developed by looking at local data, research and by listening to community residents artists, arts and cultural groups and other stakeholders and with a Community Advisory Group, Co chaired by Philamena Baird and Rick Lowe. With Mayor Turner s commitment, MOCA has been implementing the plan, which includes a recommendation for updates to the public. The Plan s 27 recommendations are being implemented in different ways and have different leaders. Some HAA is taking the lead on, such as the grants program. Some MOCA is leading such as opening City Hall for exhibits and displays generated by the community that celebrate Houston s diverse artists, cultures and communities. Or, another example is Houston First s $750,000 stabilization grant to the Houston Museum of African American Culture, which responds to two recommendations to related to capacity building and funding for culturally focused and ethnic organizations. Last year s Plan update mocayearinreview.pdf. Additional information, including a full copy of the Plan and other updates can be

7 Three plan recommendations are specific to HAA and its grants program: Recommendation 1 MOCA has taken several steps to implement this recommendation, including dedicated staff to work with HOT contractors and the annual business plans, budgets and board of directors for each contractor available in an easy to access format on the City s website. HAA is aligning grant programs. Recommendation 2 As the largest re grantor of City HOT funds, HAA is pivotal in accomplishing this recommendation. This rollout has been a shared project that has included a tremendous commitment and dedication by HAA s board and staff, under the leadership of board chair Philamena Baird. Philamena was also the cochair of the City s Arts & Cultural Plan which created a continuity necessary to strengthen the field and be responsive to the community. Ithis is the first review and significant changes to HAA s granting process in over a DECADE. The City and HAA are both committed to this being a journey that is not completed with this rollout but will continue to listen, learn and respond under the new leadership of HAA. Recommendation 3 A significant step toward common processes for application and reporting is the collection and use of data. While HAA has required applicants have current DataArts profiles for the last 3 years, two things changed this year. The City required all organizations receiving HOT funding have current DataArts profiles and HAA will begin fully utilizing DataArts to promote the field and reduce duplicative reporting from organizations. These are big and positive steps towards streamlining.

8 PRESENTERS: RICHARD GRABER/GRANTS STAFF HELLO AGAIN AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. BEFORE WE CONTINUE I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MEMBERS WHO HAVE HELPED US ALONG THE WAY: CHUCK STILL AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM PHILAMENA BAIRD, HAA BOD LOUISE UPSHAW MCCLENNEY HAA GRANTS COMMITTEE: MARGIE JOHNSON REESE DEBBIE MOFFETT GRANTS TEAM INTRODUCE THEM INDIVIDUALLY JOHN AND DEBBIE BOTH TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT I WANTED TO EXPAND ON THE PROCESS INVOLVED THAT LED US HERE TODAY. WE VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF COLLABORATING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO DEVELOP THE ARTS + CULTURAL PLAN IN 2015, WHICH BECAME A CRITICAL GUIDE FOR OUR CHANGES. IN ADDITION, WE DEVELOPED TWO, UNIQUE RESEARCH REPORTS: THE CAPACITY

9 BUILDING REPORT AND ADVANCE THE CULTURAL PLAN UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF DEBBIE MOFFETT AND MAARGIE JOHNSON REESE. WE VE SPENT THE LAST TWO YEARS LISTENING TO LOCAL ARTISTS, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS- THROUGH DOZENS OF FOCUS GROUPS, ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS AND OBJECTIVE RESEARCH. WHAT CAME OF THAT WAS SOME OF THE FOLLOWING FEEDBACK: PROVIDE MORE ACCESSIBILITY SIMPLER GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION PROCESSES CULTIVATE MORE TRANSFORMATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS BE MORE REFLECTIVE OF HOUSTON S DIVERSITY DEVELOP CLEAR INFORMATION ON AND OFFLINE PROVIDE A TRANSPARENT GRANT-MAKING PROCESS SHARE RESPONSIBILITY OF TOURISM MESSAGING

10 WE WANT TO COLLABORATIVELY FACILITATE ACCESS TO COMMUNITY DRIVEN OPPORTUNITIES WHILE STAYING RELEVANT IN A CHANGING ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPE. OUR NEW APPROACH INVOLVES A NEW FEEDBACK LOOP. CONSISTING OF THE THREE COMPONENTS YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN: LISTEN, RESEARCH & ASSESS - MEASURED BY: EVALUATIONS OUTREACH CONVENING THE FIELD FOCUS GROUPS PROGRESS REPORTS ON RESPONSES ANNUAL REPORT CARDS ELIMINATE ACTUAL AND PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO GRANT FUNDING - MEASURED BY: % CHANGE OF COMPLETED APPS

11 # APPS FROM PREVIOUSLY DENIED APPLICANTS # NEW APPLICANTS SUPPORT ART EXPERIENCES WITHIN HOUSTON S CULTURAL AND CREATIVE COMMUNITIES - MEASURED BY: # GRANT AWARDS INCREASE BY X% IS THERE DIVERSITY IN THE GEOGRAPHY FOR OUR SUPPORT? NEW DISCIPLINE FUNDED BREADTH & DEPTH OF INFO POSTED ON OUR EVENTS CALENDAR OUR FEEDBACK LOOP WILL HELP MEASURE THE EFFICACY OF OUR PROGRAMS.

12 SO HOW DID WE RESPOND? GOALS/RESPONDING TO WHAT WE HEARD IN ADDITION TO THOSE ON SLIDE: DESIGN WITH COLLABORATION AND INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY CELEBRATE THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF HOUSTON S CULTURAL AND CREATIVE COMMUNITIES SUPPORT ART INNOVATIONS MEASURE SUCCESS AND OUTCOMES IN A RELEVANT WAY

13 IN THE SPIRIT OF, AND RESPONDING TO, THE CITY S CULTURAL PLAN (AND RE-EMPHASIZED BY THE REPORTS BY OUR CONSULTANTS) HAA IS LOOKING TO INCREASE/ENHANCE FUNDING FOR SMALL, EMERGING, CULTURALLY FOCUSED AND DIVERSE ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS THE NEW GRANTS ARE A RESULT OF WHAT WE HEARD FROM YOU, THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT WE FEEL IS A MORE EFFECTIVE, ACCESSIBLE GRANT PROGRAM. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THE FOLLOWING GRANTS: SUPPORT FOR ARTIST & CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS, LET CREATIVITY HAPPEN!, AND AN ARTIST AMBASSADOR. ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY TO VISIT MY NEIGHBORHOOD, LET CREATIVITY HAPPEN!, FESTIVALS AND SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS I & II GRANTS. THIS NEW GRANTS PROGRAM WILL LOWER ELIGIBILITY BARRIERS TO

14 LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR LOCAL ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTIC INNOVATION THROUGH QUICK-TURNAROUND, ENCOURAGE RISK- TAKING, ATTRACT NEW APPLICANTS, EXTEND VARIETY OF DIVERSE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, AND DISTRIBUTE FUNDING BROADLY. APPLICANTS CAN ALSO EXPECT SHORT, CLEAR, AND CONSISTENT LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. NOW LET S GET RIGHT INTO IT!

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