Legislative budget writers have been short-sighted on arts funding plans
A thriving creative sector is a powerful economic asset, and here in Fort Worth the arts are promoting development in ways that go far beyond just inspiration and delight.
The arts attract visitors from around the world and generate substantial spending — simultaneously fueling small businesses and creating jobs across the state.
All told, the arts “industry” generates $5.5 billion annually for Texas’ economy, according to a recently released report by the Texas Cultural Trust.
In turn, the arts contribute nearly $343.7 million in state sales tax revenue each year.
Recognizing the economic and cultural importance of the arts, the Texas Legislature in 2005 authorized the Texas Commission on the Arts to designate special “cultural and fine arts districts” in communities across Texas.
These are special zones that harness the power of existing cultural resources (e.g. museums, performance venues, arts festivals and more) to stimulate economic development and community revitalization.
These districts, which have been established in 30 cities so far, become focal points for generating businesses, attracting tourists, stimulating cultural development and fostering civic pride.
Because of the economic benefit that these districts generate, the Legislature in 2015 appropriated $5 million to the Texas Commission on the Arts to create a competitive grant program to support economic development within cultural and fine arts districts.
The grants support marketing, infrastructure investment and major events to attract additional visitors and revenue to the districts and their cultural institutions.
The program has been successful.
Consider the Cultural District here in Fort Worth, for example.
Founded in 2010, our district includes institutions like the Kimbell Art Museum and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, each of which received a $450,000 grant via the cultural and fine arts districts program, and both of which have generated considerable economic activity in our city and tax revenue for the state.
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth recently concluded its KAWS: Where the End Starts exhibition.
As of mid-January, the exhibition had attracted 84,000 visitors, 75 percent of whom came from outside Fort Worth.
By comparison, an average year for the Modern Art Museum sees about 200,000 visitors in total.
Roughly 1,000 visitors were from outside of the U.S., including Asia, Germany and Turkey.
Sales tax revenues from gift shop sales alone amounted to $84,564.33.
The Kimbell, for its part, hosted an exhibition of Claude Monet’s works that drew more than 100,000 people.
Museum leaders conducted a survey capturing zip codes and countries of origin of approximately 1,400 exhibition visitors, and they found that 35 percent had traveled to the Fort Worth Cultural District from over 50 miles away — from as near as Waco and as far as Australia.
The exhibition brought national attention to the Kimbell, with reviews of the show in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, which named the exhibition one of the top 10 exhibits in the world.
Ultimately, it has boosted the profiles of both Fort Worth and Texas as premiere arts destinations and paved the way for even more arts tourism in the future.
Unfortunately, funding for the cultural and fine arts districts program has been stripped out of proposals for the next state budget.
We understand that the Legislature must find places within the budget to trim.
But what we see, with concrete evidence to show, is that the arts are delivering measurable economic value for Texas.
Cutting this program is shortsighted because it has a tremendous multiplying effect and generates economic activity that benefits local communities and generates state tax revenue.
Lawmakers are to be commended for their years of forward-thinking investment in the arts.
We hope they will again carry on that legacy and restore funding to this valuable program, which benefits all of us in Fort Worth and across our great state.
Marvin E. Blum is the founder of The Blum Firm P.C. in Fort Worth and is a member of the board of the Texas Cultural Trust. Dale W. Brock is the president and owner of Visiting Angels, a licensed private-duty home care agency with offices in Fort Worth and Southlake, and is the vice-chair of the Texas Commission on the Arts.
This story was originally published March 7, 2017 at 2:33 PM with the headline "Legislative budget writers have been short-sighted on arts funding plans."