OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Arts and Culture Committee Meeting - April 8, 2026

Committees and Commissions — Wednesday, April 8, 2026
BodyHouston, Texas
SessionCommittees and Commissions
DateWednesday, April 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:22:20

Transcript — Verbatim
0:13

Good afternoon.

0:14

I don't have a gavel, so I'll just do the best that I can.

0:18

Uh I am Councilmember Carolyn Evans Shabaz, the chair of the Arts and Culture Committee, and good afternoon.

0:26

And it's now 2 05 p.m.

0:29

And I hereby call the meeting to order.

0:32

We are meeting in the City Hall Council Chamber, 901 Bagby Street, second floor, Houston, Texas.

0:38

This meeting is open to the public and is being broadcast live on HTV, the City of Houston's municipal channel.

0:46

Presentation materials are available on the city's website.

0:50

I would like to recognize my colleagues who serve on the committee.

0:54

And I'd first like to recognize Vice Chair, Councilmember Mario Castillo.

0:59

And then I have also Councilmember Julia Ramirez.

1:05

And then I have Councilmember Sally Alcorn.

1:08

Oh, and then we have Vice Mayor Pro Tim Amy Peck here.

1:12

Wow.

1:13

Thank you so much.

1:16

Thank you.

1:17

So and I also want to acknowledge that we have representation from Mayor Pro Tem uh Castex Tatum from Councilmember Alejandra Salinas, our star child today.

1:31

And you are here.

1:34

Councilmore Marquis.

1:35

Well, Councilmember Martinez.

1:37

Okay.

1:38

Down here from Councilmember Thomas.

1:41

And then Councilmember Mary Nan Huffman.

1:45

Thank you so much for joining us today.

1:48

And this time we will move to opening remarks.

1:51

And I will offer brief remarks and then recognize and in well, actually, I've already remarked.

1:57

I'm gonna send it to my cat my Vice Chair Castillo, if if you would like to make some comments.

2:04

Thank you, Madam Chair.

2:06

Um I just I'm excited we're meeting again so soon.

2:09

I feel like we just had a meeting not too long ago, but I understand what the schedule uh why we're here, and we have a packed agenda.

2:16

There's a number of great presentations and updates that I look forward to hearing.

2:20

So uh without further ado, I'll end my remarks so we can get to the the business of the meeting.

2:26

Well, thank you.

2:27

And before we move to the uh first item, I want to take a moment to recognize an important leader in Houston's cultural community landscape, and I'd like to ask Corey Wilson, who now serves as president and CEO of the Emancipation Park Conservancy.

2:44

He stepped into his role at a pivotal time for one of our city's most historic and culturally significant spaces.

2:51

Uh with more than a decade of leadership experience in parks and recreation, including overseeing large-scale operations, budgets, and nationally recognized systems.

3:01

He brings both operational excellence and strategic vision to this position.

3:06

Under his leadership in Baton Rouge.

3:09

Yeah, I got that.

3:10

His system was recognized as one of the best in the country, and now that same level of excellence is being brought here to Houston.

3:19

What makes this especially meaningful is his understanding of the deeper purpose of Emancipation Park, not just as a park, but as a historic and cultural anchor for the third ward and for our city as a whole.

3:32

And as we look ahead to the Juneteenth, you know we're gonna be there shaking the tail feather on uh Juneteenth, 2026, and the continued enhancements of Emancipation Park, which is so exciting, and including expanded programming and a strengthened cultural presence.

3:49

His leadership will play a critical role in ensuring that this space continues to educate, empower, and inspire.

3:57

And we are so very proud to have you in Houston, and we look forward to the impact of your work.

4:02

If you wanted to say a few words, you certainly can.

4:05

I've said enough about you, so we can hear from you.

4:07

Thank you.

4:09

Well, thank you, Madam Chair.

4:10

I appreciate uh warm welcome as well as I want to recognize the other committee members as well.

4:17

Thank you for your time and service.

4:19

And so we're excited about everything that's happening at Emancipation Park.

4:23

We have some great um renovation and new construction that's happening at the park as we speak, right in time for Juneteenth.

4:31

And just wanted to share uh we're excited to have our our honorable mayor John Whitmine as the uh honorary chair of the Juneteenth concert this year.

4:43

And so, in addition to that, we have a lot of exciting things happening at the park on June 6th.

4:48

We'll have a Freedom Walk.

4:50

Um, and we'll share more information about that at that the next committee meeting.

4:54

But really excited to be here and looking forward to working with everyone.

5:00

We have a jewel uh at Emancipation Park, one of the many jewels here in the city of Houston.

5:05

So looking forward to working with everyone, and uh I'll have a more informative presentation next month.

5:12

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Arts And Culture█████████████████████████████████████████████90%
Community Engagement███5%
Economic Development██3%
Procedural█2%
Summary of Proceedings

Arts and Culture Committee Meeting

On April 8, 2026, the Houston City Council Arts and Culture Committee met from 2:05 PM to 3:27 PM in the City Hall Council Chamber. Chair Carolyn Evans Shabaz presided, with Vice Chair Mario Castillo and Councilmembers Julia Ramirez, Sally Alcorn, Amy Peck, and others in attendance. The committee received presentations on the Mini Mural Program, Juneteenth Houston collaborative, and Cultural Districts branding initiative, heard public comments, and discussed arts funding, equity, and tourism.

Mini Mural Program Presentation and Feedback

  • Presenter: Noah Keelas, co-founder of Up Art Studio, presented the Mini Murals program, which has painted 475+ traffic signal cabinets across 55 neighborhoods, reaching all 11 council districts since 2015. 41% of cabinets are city-funded; the rest by non-city sponsors. Average cost per mural is $3,450–$3,950. 116 artists have participated.
  • Councilmember Sally Alcorn asked about the program's origin and costs. She expressed appreciation for the beautification of utilitarian infrastructure.
  • Councilmember Mario Castillo noted the murals are not part of the city's civic art catalog and are considered temporary artworks.
  • Representative for Councilmember Tiffany D. Thomas (District F) reported significant delays and communication issues with a cabinet project in Piney Point, a historic freedman's town. The project was budgeted in FY2024 but remained incomplete in FY2026, with timeline, editorial changes, and community engagement described as unsatisfactory. The speaker stressed the need for quality, accountability, and respect for historically overlooked communities.
  • Noah Keelas apologized, attributing delays to multiple rounds of community and council office feedback, and committed to resolving the issues. The committee Chair thanked both sides for the dialogue.

Mayor's Office of Arts Updates

  • Director Michelle Lia reported on upcoming events: Rothko Chapel Neighborhood Community Day (April 18), Art Car Parade (April 11–12), and summer Juneteenth festivities. She noted that the Civic Art Collection website and map are now live, listing city-owned art with locations. A complete appraisal report of the collection is available.
  • Councilmember Huffman's representative requested the list of city-owned art and valuation; Director Lia confirmed the appraisal is completed.
  • Councilmember Alcorn asked about Untitled Art fair (returning in September 2026) and broader arts branding. Director Lia highlighted a ballet convention coming to Houston (estimated $20M economic impact, 8,000 attendees over nine days), and ongoing efforts to integrate arts into FIFA World Cup 2026 fan experiences.

Juneteenth Houston Collaborative Presentation

  • Jason Oliver, Third Ward Cultural District, presented the Juneteenth Houston citywide collaborative, coordinating events across seven historic neighborhoods. The kickoff festival is June 6 at Emancipation Park (19 days of Juneteenth), with a Black Houston bus tour on June 13. Over 275 events were added to the calendar annually, drawing tens of thousands of visitors. He noted the economic impact of arts investment and invited collaboration with District F on Piney Point history. Upcoming: the 19 days of Juneteenth begin June 1, and Juneteenth on Almeda corridor activation on June 19 (coinciding with FIFA World Cup match Haiti vs. Brazil).
  • Councilmember Alcorn praised the bus tour and committed to sharing information.
  • District F representative thanked Oliver for recognizing Piney Point and expressed interest in partnership.

Cultural Districts Collective Updates

  • Marcy Dallas and Claudia De Vasco (representing the seven state-designated cultural districts) updated on collective work. Since 2022, the districts have focused on cultural vibrancy, community cohesion, and economic development. They launched HueArts, a platform to champion arts and culture, with working groups on effective storytelling, public funding, economic opportunity, and vibrant spaces.
  • Ren Mitchell of Black Sheep Agency announced a new branding initiative for Houston’s arts sector, funded by the cultural districts. The agency is conducting stakeholder interviews and plans a public rollout in October 2026 during National Arts and Humanities Month. Save the date: October 12, 2026, for the Greater Houston Arts Forum at the Hobby Center, partnering with Texans for the Arts.
  • Claudia De Vasco noted that cultural districts have generated $30M in state grants over eight years, with $15M coming to Houston. A FIFA arts promotion initiative led by the Theater District will launch soon.
  • Councilmember Alcorn expressed support for a unified arts brand and asked about focusing on diversity as Houston's signature. Dallas agreed that diversity is a key strength.
  • Councilmember Castillo inquired about creating new cultural districts. Dallas explained the state application process and mentioned potential city or county-level designations.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Anastasia Carages (District H, artist, Zinefest Houston) announced the Uncle Bob's Photo Zine Market at Silver Street Studios, partnering with PhotoFest Biennial.
  • Jake Margolin (Executive Director, Rendezvous Center for Art) spoke on the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Community Summit's agenda, calling for a dedicated LGBTQ+ arts center, safe sober spaces, and requirements for cultural districts to fund LGBTQ+ advocacy and implement gender-neutral bathrooms.
  • Christina Brungart (Alley Theater) thanked the city for support, noted a new NEA grant, and announced that Alley is hosting the League of Resident Theaters conference in late April, focusing on arts education.
  • Deloitte Parker (Co-founder and Executive Director, Shape Center) praised the city's inclusivity and support after a fire at his facility, citing the seven principles of Kwanzaa and thanking the council.

Key Outcomes

  • The committee acknowledged feedback on the Mini Mural program and committed to improved coordination with District F.
  • Director Lia agreed to share the Civic Art Collection list and appraisal report with council offices.
  • The Cultural Districts' brand initiative and October 12 forum were endorsed; council offices were invited to participate in stakeholder interviews.
  • Several upcoming events were highlighted for council promotion: Rothko Chapel day (April 18), Art Car Parade (April 11–12), Juneteenth festival (June 6), and Miller Outdoor Theatre season opening (June 19).
  • No formal votes were taken; the meeting served as an informational session with presentations and public comment.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon. I don't have a gavel, so I'll just do the best that I can. Uh I am Councilmember Carolyn Evans Shabaz, the chair of the Arts and Culture Committee, and good afternoon. And it's now 2 05 p.m. And I hereby call the meeting to order. We are meeting in the City Hall Council Chamber, 901 Bagby Street, second floor, Houston, Texas. This meeting is open to the public and is being broadcast live on HTV, the City of Houston's municipal channel. Presentation materials are available on the city's website. I would like to recognize my colleagues who serve on the committee. And I'd first like to recognize Vice Chair, Councilmember Mario Castillo. And then I have also Councilmember Julia Ramirez. And then I have Councilmember Sally Alcorn. Oh, and then we have Vice Mayor Pro Tim Amy Peck here. Wow. Thank you so much. Thank you. So and I also want to acknowledge that we have representation from Mayor Pro Tem uh Castex Tatum from Councilmember Alejandra Salinas, our star child today. And you are here. Councilmore Marquis. Well, Councilmember Martinez. Okay. Down here from Councilmember Thomas. And then Councilmember Mary Nan Huffman. Thank you so much for joining us today. And this time we will move to opening remarks. And I will offer brief remarks and then recognize and in well, actually, I've already remarked. I'm gonna send it to my cat my Vice Chair Castillo, if if you would like to make some comments. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um I just I'm excited we're meeting again so soon. I feel like we just had a meeting not too long ago, but I understand what the schedule uh why we're here, and we have a packed agenda. There's a number of great presentations and updates that I look forward to hearing. So uh without further ado, I'll end my remarks so we can get to the the business of the meeting. Well, thank you. And before we move to the uh first item, I want to take a moment to recognize an important leader in Houston's cultural community landscape, and I'd like to ask Corey Wilson, who now serves as president and CEO of the Emancipation Park Conservancy. He stepped into his role at a pivotal time for one of our city's most historic and culturally significant spaces. Uh with more than a decade of leadership experience in parks and recreation, including overseeing large-scale operations, budgets, and nationally recognized systems. He brings both operational excellence and strategic vision to this position. Under his leadership in Baton Rouge. Yeah, I got that. His system was recognized as one of the best in the country, and now that same level of excellence is being brought here to Houston. What makes this especially meaningful is his understanding of the deeper purpose of Emancipation Park, not just as a park, but as a historic and cultural anchor for the third ward and for our city as a whole. And as we look ahead to the Juneteenth, you know we're gonna be there shaking the tail feather on uh Juneteenth, 2026, and the continued enhancements of Emancipation Park, which is so exciting, and including expanded programming and a strengthened cultural presence. His leadership will play a critical role in ensuring that this space continues to educate, empower, and inspire. And we are so very proud to have you in Houston, and we look forward to the impact of your work. If you wanted to say a few words, you certainly can. I've said enough about you, so we can hear from you. Thank you. Well, thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate uh warm welcome as well as I want to recognize the other committee members as well. Thank you for your time and service.

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