[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
AND WELCOME TO THIS MEETING OF THE ARTS COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
TONIGHT'S MEETING IS A SPECIAL WORK SESSION WITH OUR CONSULTANT M OUR PARTNERS.
UM, WE DO NOT AT THIS TIME, HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, SO I'M GOING TO DIVE RIGHT IN.
UM, SO YOU GOT TO WORD SESSION AND DISCUSSION THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY, IF WE GET WRAPPED UP IN SOMETHING AND NEED TO SORT OF SET A WORKING GROUP ASIDE THAT WE CAN TAKE ACTION.
THANK YOU, EMORY FOR THAT SORT OF SPECIAL COMPENSATION FOR THIS PARTICULAR MEETING.
UM, BUT I WANT TO TRY TO COVER EVERYTHING TONIGHT AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO SPEAK UP.
SO I'M GOING TO APOLOGIZE NOW IN ADVANCE FOR IF I SAY, CAN YOU HOLD ON A SECOND BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM, SO JUST JUST KNOW THAT I'M NOT TRYING TO BE RUDE.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE VOICES IN THE ROOM ARE HEARD THIS EVENING.
UM, SO JUST SOME, SOME GUIDELINES FOR THE EVENING.
WE'RE GONNA, THIS CONVERSATION IS WITH CONSULTANTS, MJR PARTNERS, AND I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MARGIE.
AND JUST A SECOND, SHE WILL INTRODUCE FOR TEAM.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU, ARTS COMMISSION AND STAFF FOR CONTRIBUTING YOUR TIME AND TALENTS TO THE CONVERSATION THIS EVENING.
WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INTERIM REPORT AND THE ROLE OF THE ARTS COMMISSION AND MOVING EVERYTHING FORWARD.
AND, AND IN OUR NEW ENVIRONMENT, UM, MJR WILL BE FACILITATING MUCH OF THAT CONVERSATION SELENA AND I ARE VICE-CHAIR AND I WILL BE IN AND OUT OF THAT TO KEEP US ON TRACK.
UM, AND THEN THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF TIME FOR DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS AS WE GO THROUGH.
[1. CHAIR’S REPORT]
SO AT THIS POINT I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UM, MARGIE JOHNSON, REESE, WHO IS PRINCIPAL AND CHIEF ENGAGEMENT ENGAGEMENT OFFICER OF MJR PARTNERS.MARGIE, FIRST THING I NEED TO DO IS GET OFF MUTE.
UM, MICHELLE AND, UM, SELENA, MEGAN, JAIME, ALL THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN HELPING US GET READY FOR THIS CONVERSATION, UM, TONIGHT, AND TRYING TO SEND YOU A LITTLE BIT OF, SORT OF THE RULES OF THE GAME AHEAD OF TIME.
I WANT TO START BY INTRODUCING THE FOLKS ON MY TEAM.
SO YOU'LL KNOW WHO'S VOICES AND FACES.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, ASHLEY, RENEE WATKINS.
UM, I CAN'T SEE HER, BUT I'M JUST LOOKING AT ME.
UM, ASHLEY, UH, IS ON OUR TEAM.
ASHLEY IS A PROFESSIONAL AND TEACHING ARTISTS WHEN SHE WAS DOING THE INTERVIEWS WITH US IN AUSTIN A YEAR AND A HALF OR SO AGO.
SHE, UM, WAS A TEACHING ARTISTS AT LINCOLN CENTER.
UM, AND NOW IT'S MOVED OVER TO JUILLIARD AS A CURRICULUM SPECIALIST.
ASHLEY COMES TO US FROM THE WORLD OF OPERA.
SAM WILLIAMSON IS AN ARTS EDUCATOR ARTIST TRIED TO TRAIN THEM INTO AN ARTS ADMINISTRATOR, BUT HE INSISTS ON BEING A CREATIVE THIS TIME.
HE'S ON OUR TEAM AS A, ALSO A FACILITATOR CO-FACILITATOR AND HELPED US CONDUCT SOME OF THE LARGER GROUP COMMUNITY MEETINGS WHEN WE WERE IN AUSTIN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
SO THOSE ARE TWO, TWO OF THE, UH, FOUR OR FIVE FOLKS THAT HAVE, HAVE LANDED IN AUSTIN AND BEEN A PART OF THIS PROCESS.
ONGOING, JUST WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS, UM, THIS PLATFORM USING ZOOM AND WEBEX, UH, SOMETIMES IT MAKES US A LITTLE ANTSY.
WE DON'T FEEL LIKE WE CAN INTERRUPT OR GET OUR VOICES HEARD, BUT JUST WANT TO SAY JUST TWO OR THREE RULES, UH, FOR, FOR TONIGHT, WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL FULLY ENGAGE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THE CHAT SITUATION HERE, BUT I THINK MICHELLE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, RAISE YOUR HAND, ASK US A QUESTION AT ANY POINT, IF YOU FEEL LIKE WE'RE, WE'VE NOT GIVEN YOU A THOROUGH ANSWER, YOU KNOW, JUST MAKE SURE YOU ASK US THAT.
UM, AND ALSO JUST TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE PROCESSES IS A PUBLIC MEETING.
YOU GUYS DO THIS EVERY MONTH, SO I DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT, UM, THE PUBLIC TO YOU, BUT IT IS HELPFUL FOR US, UM, JUST TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO YOU IN REAL TIME.
SO WE DON'T WANT YOU TO GET FRUSTRATED IF WE WERE, IF WE'RE MOVING ON, AS MICHELLE SAYS, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO COVER, BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO IT, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE NEW ON THE COMMISSION, SINCE WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, JUST WANT TO SAY A WORD ABOUT WHAT OUR, UM, INTENT WAS IN THIS FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, HOW WE STARTED, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE WERE, WE HAD TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS MIDSTREAM, UM, BUT JUST WANT TO SAY WHAT, UH, UM, WHAT'S THIS PROCESS FUNDAMENTALLY THE ROLE OF THIS PROCESS WAS, UH, TO BROADEN THE VOICES, TO BROADEN INPUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT HOW THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WAS ENGAGING
[00:05:01]
IN CULTURAL ACTIVITY.BUT INTERIM REPORT, AS YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE, UM, STARTED TO IDENTIFY FROM THIS PROCESS, A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS, ONE OF THEM WAS TO TRY TO GIVE PROMINENCE TO VOICES THAT ARE OFTEN, UH, NOT ACKNOWLEDGED OR ACKNOWLEDGED TOO LITTLE.
SO SOME OF OUR OUTREACHING ACTIVITIES WANTING TO INCLUDE MORE THAN JUST CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, BUT ALSO RESIDENTS IN THEIR, IN THEIR, THIS IS A STOP SIGN.
I WAS GOING TO ASK A QUICK QUESTION BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR INTO THIS, THIS
[2a. Work session with consultant MJR Partners and the Arts Commission with discussion and possible action]
IS A GOOD TIME MARGIE TO GO AHEAD AND DO THE INTRODUCTIONS FOR THE ARTS COMMISSION, SORT OF AS A LEVEL SET AS WE START INTO THIS CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GOOD TO GIVE ME THE MICROPHONE BECAUSE I START ROLLING.I THOUGHT I'D PAUSE THERE FOR A SECOND.
AND I'LL KEEP IT WITH, LET'S DO THE INTROS ON, ON THE COMMISSION SIDE.
I WANTED, I WANTED MARGIE TO INTRODUCE HER TEAM SINCE THERE WERE FACES HERE THAT YOU GUYS DIDN'T RECOGNIZE.
AND THEN I WANT TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT, NOT A LOT OF TIME, BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FOR US TO INTRODUCE EACH OTHER AS SORT OF A LEVEL SET.
SO WE ALL LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHY WE'RE HERE AND ANY COMMUNITY WATCHING UNDERSTANDS A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHY WE'RE HERE.
UM, SO WE SENT OUT EARLIER TODAY AND THANK YOU I'M IN FOR COLLECTING AND DISTRIBUTING THAT INFORMATION, A, UH, JUST AN INTRODUCTION SHEET, AND WE'RE GOING TO INTRODUCE EACH OTHER AND WE'RE GOING TO GO DOWN THE LINE.
SO D ONE IS GOING TO DO D TWO AND WHO'S GOING TO DO D THREE, UM, FULLY BASED, GOING TO BE KIND ENOUGH TO INTRODUCE RICK, CAUSE BRETT'S NOT HERE.
UM, AND I'M GOING TO START WITH KIMBERLY KEATON, BUT WHO IS ALSO NOT HERE.
SO I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO PAUSE THERE AND SAY, CAN WE START? I MET WITH YOU AND I WILL PICK UP KIMBERLY WHEN SHE GETS HERE.
WELL, I W I WAS GOING TO LET KIMBERLY INTRODUCE YOU, BUT I CAN INTRODUCE YOU HOWEVER YOU WANT.
OKAY, I'M GOING TO LET ME GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
THIS IS JAIME SALVADOR, CASTEEL LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
HE IS THE COMMISSIONER FROM DISTRICT TWO.
HE'S BEEN ON THE ARTS COMMISSION FOR SIX YEARS AND HE CAME ON BECAUSE, UM, AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS SIX YEARS ON THE AIPP PANEL, UM, WHERE HE SERVED WITH MUCH HIGH REGARD, HE WAS CALLED TO SPEAK AS THE CHAIR OF LOPP AND DEFENSE OF THE AIP PROGRAM TO THE NEWLY ELECTED TEN ONE CITY COUNCIL.
AFTER THAT EXPERIENCE, HE DECIDED HE SHOULD CONTINUE HIS PUBLIC SERVICE FOR WHICH WE ARE ALL VERY GRATEFUL TO HELP ENSURE THE ARTS COMMUNITY IS HEARD REGARDING CITY ISSUES.
HE ASSUMED THAT MOST ARTISTS LIVED IN EAST AUSTIN, DICKS DISTRICTS ONE AND THREE, AND WOULD HAVE A RELATIVELY HIGH CHANCE OF GETTING NOMINATED FOR DISTRICT TWO.
AND, UM, AND HE'S OUR IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR AND AN ALL AROUND STAND UP GUY.
UH, I AM INTRODUCING COMMISSIONER ARTS, COMMISSIONER PHILIPPE OUTSELL FROM DISTRICT THREE.
UH, HE'S BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR, UH, I GUESS FIVE AND A HALF YEARS NOW.
AND COMMISSIONER GARZA WAS ASKED TO SERVE, UH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE DA, UH, HAVING HAD VARIOUS PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH CITY ARTS FUNDING ALWAYS FELT THAT IT HAS SHORT CHANGED OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND NOT VALUED THE CONTRIBUTION OF ARTISTS FROM THESE COMMUNITIES.
UM, SEEING THAT THERE'S A SYSTEMIC EXPECTATION REGARDING ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF AN EVENT, THE ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF TOURISTS WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THE HOT FUNDS, UH, OR IN OTHER WORDS, THE COMMUNITY ART EVENTS ARE JUDGED EQUALLY AND THUS NOT EQUITABLY.
AND I'M GOING TO BE INTRODUCING YOU NEVER TRIPS OVER OTTOMANS, BUT RICK WAS APPOINTED A LITTLE OVER A YEAR SINCE MAY, 2020 IS A COMMISSIONER COUNCIL MEMBER IS PAYING ATTENTION.
UH, BUT I'VE HEARD RICK SAY ONE OF THE REASONS HE WANTS GOING OR JOIN THE ARTS COMMISSION WAS TO MAKE SOME, A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGES IN SOME OF ITS PROPERTIES, BUT HE'S GOING TO SPEAK VERY LITTLE IN THIS THING.
SO, UH, MAYBE ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND SO YOU'RE GOING TO INTRODUCE ACA.
UM, SO ACA GRAY, UH, FROM DISTRICT SIX, SHE'S BEEN WITH US FOR TWO MONTHS.
UM, I THINK WHAT LURKING THE FIRST MONTH AND NOW, WELL, I GUESS LURKING THE SECOND TIME TOO.
UM, SO THE REASON SHE JOINED WAS TO HELP FIND AND DEFINE
[00:10:01]
AND REFLECT ARTISTIC ECOSYSTEM AND ITS IMPORTANCE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO HELP THE CITY DEVELOP AND SUPPORT A COLLABORATIVE ARTS INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN AN OVERALL WELL THOUGHT OUT VISION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN ITSELF TO WORK TOWARDS A HEALTHY, SUPPORTIVE COLLABORATIVE AND ECONOMICALLY AND FINANCIALLY SUSTAINED ART COMMUNITY HAND IN HAND WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE LED AN EDUCATED BY THE ARTS COMMUNITY ITSELF, AND I'VE ALREADY WORKED WITH HER ON THE, UH, ARTS NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.AND I, AGAIN, APOLOGIZE, TALL COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, THE MJR TEAM FOR NOT SEEING MY FACE.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT NEXT TIME.
UM, IT IS MY, UH, PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE TO, UM, RECOGNIZE HEIDI SMALL BUCK FROM DISTRICT SEVEN.
SHE'S BEEN WITH THE COMMISSION FOR THREE MONTHS.
SHE STATES BECAUSE ARTS AND CULTURE ARE ESSENTIAL TO EQUITABLE, JOYFUL, RESILIENT PLACES.
I WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION OF POLICIES, PROGRAMS, PRACTICES THAT SUPPORT OUR ARTISTS AND CULTURAL PRODUCERS ABILITY TO CREATE AND TO THRIVE HERE.
BEFORE YOU GET GOING, UM, CITY HALL, CAN WE, UM, UPDATE? YOU JUST DID KIMBERLY KEATON.
I AM INTRODUCING COMMISSIONER SELENA ZISMAN TALENA IS THAT RIGHT? THIS, THIS, THIS MAN, EVERYONE.
UM, SALINAS IS DISTRICT EIGHT.
SHE HAS BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS, BEGINNING IN APRIL, 2019, AND SHE SAYS HAVING WORKED BOOTS ON THE GROUND WITH CREATIVES, I SAW JOINING THE COMMISSION AS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THE CITY SUPPORTS THE ARTISTS COMMUNITY.
I WANT TO LEVERAGE THIS KNOWLEDGE TO BETTER CONNECT AUSTIN MAKERS AND ARTISTS WITH CITY SUPPORT AND FUNDING.
I WILL BE INTRODUCING LOUISE FLOTIS WHO REPRESENTS DISTRICT NINE.
SHE HAS BEEN ON THE COMMISSION SINCE 2012 AND SHE JOINED BECAUSE OF HER LOVE AND INTEREST AND PREVIOUS WORK IN THE ARTS AND PUBLIC POLICY AND WITH THE DESIRE TO PROMOTE AND STRENGTHEN THE ARTS AND CULTURES, ESPECIALLY THAT OF OUR MINORITY COMMUNITIES OR UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES.
I WAS RECRUITED TO REPLACE THE LONE HISPANIC WOMEN SERVING ON THE COMMISSION WHO WAS RETIRING AFTER MANY YEARS AND WANTED TO CONTINUE TO REPRESENT AND AMPLIFY THE VOICES OF MY COMMUNITY AND TO ENSURE THAT ALL VOICES IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S A QUOTE FROM MICHELLE.
I NEED TO FIND MY SPREADSHEET, BUT I'M INTRODUCING SOMEBODY I'VE KNOWN FOR A REALLY LONG TIME PREDATING THE ARTS COMMISSION, AND THAT IS, UH, AMY MOCK FROM DISTRICT 10.
UH, WE GO WAY BACK ON WOMEN'S ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS AND CAUSES, UH, AND SHE'S BEEN DOING A LOT OF GREAT WORK FOR THE CITY.
BUT SPECIFICALLY SHE'S BEEN ON THE COMMISSION.
WELL, FOR, I THINK IT'S OVER FIVE YEARS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE JUST COUNTING FROM TEN ONE ON, BUT UH, DEFINITELY BEEN ON A LONG TIME AND SHE JOINED TO WORK TOWARDS THE VISION AND MISSION OF THE COMMISSION AND TO PROMOTE THE, THE, THE, THIS VISION AND MISSION IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE ASIAN AND ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, UH, SHE WANTS TO IMPROVE AND ADVANCE, UM, THE ARTS COMMISSION IN THE AREAS OF INCLUSION AND EQUITY.
AND SHE'S DOING AN AWESOME JOB MUTED, AMY, AMY YOU'RE ON MUTE.
AM I, AM I OKAY NOW? CAN YOU GOT YA? OKAY.
WELL, I HAVE THE PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE OUR CHAIR.
SO SHE IS AT LOTS POSITION AND SHE JOINED, UM, THE COMMISSION, UH, SIX YEARS AGO AND SHE JOINED OUT OF
[00:15:01]
A DESIRE TO COMMIT HER TIME AND TALENT IN SUPPORT OF OUR VIBRANT CREATIVE COMMUNITY.SHE WANTED TO IMPROVE THE SUSTAIN, SUSTAIN THE ABILITY OF THE CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM AND TO HAVE HELP WEAVE ART, MUSIC, AND CULTURE EVEN MORE DEEPLY INTO THE FABRIC OF AUSTIN.
AND I HAVE THE GREAT HONOR TO INTRODUCE TO YOU, YOU TOO.
UM, COMMISSIONER KIMBERLEY KEATON, WHO IS OUR D ONE REPRESENTATIVE.
SHE HAS NOW BEEN WITH US FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, AND SHE JOINED BECAUSE SHE WAS ASKED INITIALLY, AND SHE WAS IN A POSITION OF HIS CALIBER IN ANOTHER STATE CAPITOL AND UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF REPRESENTING HER, THE PEOPLE AND THE ARTS AND CREATIVITY.
AND SHE WANTS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND LEADERSHIP AND AS A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE, THANKS KIMBERLY.
AND THAT ROUNDS OUT OUR INTRODUCTIONS.
UM, SO THE SURVEYS THAT WE COMPLETED, MANY OF US DID THIS FOR THE RETREAT OF FEW OF US, UM, EITHER UPDATED OR, OR SUBMITTED FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE WILL PROVIDE THOSE TO EVERYONE AFTER THE MEETING.
SO YOU HAVE THE FULL RANGE OF ANSWERS, BUT JUST WANT TO JUST SORT OF GIVE US A FRAMEWORK FOR WHY YOU WERE HERE AS WE WALK INTO A CONVERSATION THIS EVENING.
AND WITH THAT MARGIE, I'M TURNING THIS BACK OVER TO YOU.
UM, WE SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, MEGAN WELLS AND I'M TRYING TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER CITY STAFF, UM, HE SEES HIM YEAH.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, AGAIN, AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT INTO WE DON'T WHEN WE COME TO PRESENT TO YOU WHERE WE'RE BUSINESS AS USUAL.
SO IT'S GOOD TO KNOW YOU AND GOOD TO MEET THE NEW COMMISSIONERS AS WELL.
UM, SO JUST TO, UM, GET US GOING, SAM, UH, IS GOING TO HAVE A CONTROL OVER SOME VISUALS.
THAT'LL TRY TO HELP ME STAY ON TRACK.
UM, OBVIOUSLY I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DON'T OVERSTEP MY TIME.
UM, BUT JUST, JUST TO RECAP THAT WE WERE ENGAGED TO FUNDAMENTALLY BEGIN TO LOOK AT THE, UH, FUNDING PRACTICES AND PROCESSES OF THE DIVISION TO, TO, UH, ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AS BROADLY AS POSSIBLE AND HELPING TO REDESIGN WHERE NECESSARY TO EMPHASIZE THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WERE WORKING, UM, AND TO BRING ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE TO COMMUNITY VOICES.
UM, SO OUR STARTING POINT IN THIS PROCESS, YES, IT'S ME THIS TIME.
CAN WE TOUCH ON THE MEETING AGREEMENTS? WELL, I THOUGHT I HAD, BUT, UM, DID THEY RECEIVE THEM IN THE MAIL? I JUST, YES.
SO I'M JUST WANTING TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THOSE AGAIN, THEN, UM, TO EMPHASIZE I'M NOT GOING TO REREAD THEM FOR YOU, BUT TO EMPHASIZE OUR WILLINGNESS AND HOPE THAT YOU WILL FULLY ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS.
UM, AND TO CONSIDER THAT THIS IS A DIALOGUE, A RESPECTFUL PLACE FOR, UM, FOR SHARING OUR COMMENTS AND LET'S AGREE TO DISAGREE.
UM, BUT THERE ARE THOSE, THOSE AGREEMENTS WERE SENT TO YOU.
UM, JUST SO THAT IT CAN SORT OF, UM, REMIND US, UH, THAT WE WANT TO PUT OUR WORK OUT THERE SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN, CAN BENEFIT FROM IT FROM THERE.
UM, THE STARTING POINT FOR OUR WORK, UH, WITH THE CITY AS MOST OF, YOU KNOW, WAS TO FOCUS ON, UM, LOOKING AT THE CITY'S, UM, CULTURAL ARTS AWARDS THROUGH A RACIAL EQUITY LENS.
THIS IS THE DEFINITION YOU'VE SEEN IT BEFORE.
UM, WE HAD A GOOD STRONG CONVERSATION ALMOST DAY ONE WITH THE CITY'S EQUITY OFFICE TO GET US AS A, UH, AN EXTERNAL TEAM CENTERED ON WHAT THE CITY BELIEVES, UH, RACIAL EQUITY IS AND WHAT THAT JOURNEY LOOKS LIKE.
AND WHEN WE ACHIEVE THAT, UM, WE, WE BELIEVE THAT WE WILL ACHIEVE, UH, ELIMINATING ALL THE BARRIERS THAT PREDICT NEGATIVELY PREDICT SOMEONE'S QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CITY.
NOW, THIS IS A HUGE CONVERSATION.
IT'S A NATIONAL CONVERSATION IN MANY WAYS.
IT'S A GLOBAL CONVERSATION TOO, ABOUT ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT EQUITY IS, WHAT IT MEANS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PHASES OF THEIR LIVES.
PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES HAVE DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS OF EQUITY.
SO WE NEEDED TO HEAR ALL OF THOSE VOICES AND THEN TO ADD AND CENTRAL THIS ON RACIAL EQUITY, UM, HAS ALSO
[00:20:01]
BEEN A REALLY, UM, UH, IMPORTANT FILTER FOR THIS, FOR THESE CONVERSATIONS.UM, AS WE GOT INTO THIS, UM, PROCESS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, AS A TEAM UNDERSTOOD AND COULD TAKE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, YOUR VALUES AS A CITY, YOUR VALUES AS AN ARTS COMMISSION.
SO WE DID REVIEW, UM, A LOT OF THE WORKING GROUPS WORK THAT YOU GUYS PROVIDED FOR US THAT HAD PRECEDED OUR COMING TO TOWN.
UM, WE LOOKED AT THE MISSION, HOW THE CITY, UH, ENVISIONS ARTS AND CULTURE, AND JUST PULLED OUT A COUPLE OF BULLETS HERE IN THIS SLIDE, BUT A IT'S A ROBUST AND VERY INFORMATIVE DOCUMENT.
AND WE ALSO WANT TO CAPITALIZE ON WHAT WE WERE LEARNING ABOUT YOUR INTEREST AS A COMMISSION, THE FOUR PILLARS THAT YOU WERE INTERESTED IN, UH, LEADERSHIP, UM, ENSURING AN ENCOURAGING EQUITY, FOSTERING COLLABORATION.
WE'VE ALREADY HEARD THAT TONIGHT.
I MAKE NOTE FROM A BRAND NEW COMMISSIONER WHO WASN'T A PART OF THAT, BUT I THINK THAT JUST SAYS THAT YOU'RE ALL WORKING IN SYNC HERE AND THEN INSPIRING EVOLUTION, INSPIRING CHANGE AND INSPIRING INNOVATION ON INSPIRING GROWTH.
SO, SO WITH THAT BACKGROUND, UM, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO SHARE THAT POSITION WHEN WE TALKED TO GROUPS, SOMETIMES WE, UM, NEEDED TO REMIND, UM, SOME OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THE MISSION AND THE VISION, BUT IN ALL CASES, I THINK THAT IS A CENTERPIECE, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT WE WERE STARTING TO IMPLEMENT.
AGAIN, UM, A LOT OF THIS WILL BE REPEAT FROM, UM, THE INTERIM REPORT THAT YOU'VE SEEN AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE INTERIM REPORT IS REALLY A STARTING PLACE FOR US TO BROADEN THE SCOPE OF THE DISCUSSION, UM, SO THAT WE COULD CAST A WIDER NET, UH, AROUND THE IDEA OF WHAT CULTURAL EQUITY, WHAT RACIAL EQUITY MIGHT LOOK LIKE, WHAT EMERGED, UH, FROM, UH, THE VARIOUS PHASES THAT WE SET OUT TO, TO, UH, TO IMPLEMENT WHAT EMERGED IS THAT WE BELIEVE, UM, THAT AUSTINITES FEEL THAT THERE IS AN IMPERATIVE TO, TO STRENGTHEN THE ARTS IN AUSTIN, BUT ALSO TO BUILD UPON WHAT EXISTS RIGHT NOW.
SO DIDN'T GET US TO THAT IMPERATIVE.
WE STARTED LISTENING EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS AND WE LISTENED A LOT.
UM, AND WE HEARD COMMENTS LIKE, WE'RE FRUSTRATED.
WHY ARE YOU GUYS ASKING US THE SAME QUESTIONS? WE'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE.
WE'VE SHARED OUR INPUT BEFORE, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE AN OUTSIDE, UH, EAR SET OF YEARS TO LISTEN FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND SO THROUGH, UH, THROUGH THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS, THROUGH WORKSHOPS THAT WE HAVE CONDUCTED EVERYTHING FROM NORMALIZE AND EQUITY INTO THE CITY SYSTEMS, UM, TO, UH, VERY SPECIFIC CULTURAL EQUITY WORKSHOPS TALKING ABOUT, UM, RESHAPING, THE MISSION AND VISION FOR THE CITY'S ARTS AND CULTURAL RESOURCES.
YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE DATA THROUGHOUT THE REPORT, BUT SHOWS YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE WE TALKED TO.
UM, AND, AND I THINK IN A PROCESS LIKE THIS IN A CITY, AS LARGE AS AUSTIN, AS YOU CAN'T DO ENOUGH LISTENING, UM, WORKSHOPS, LISTENING SESSIONS, CERTAINLY WORKSHOPS WITH THE STAFF AND THE PROFESSIONAL ARTS ADMINISTRATORS THAT YOU GUYS WORK WITH.
UM, LISTENING IN ON ARTS COMMISSION MEETINGS AND PARTICIPATING IN THOSE SESSIONS, I'M TALKING TO VERY SPECIFIC STAKEHOLDER STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, SOME WHO WERE ARTS ADVOCATES IN SOME WHO WERE, UM, GOVERNMENT AND ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO JUST A FULL RANGE OF PEOPLE, ALL OF THOSE, UH, CONVERSATIONS, UM, PULLED OUT SOME REALLY IMPORTANT THEMES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GATHER.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE IN A SECOND.
UM, WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL THIS LISTENING? WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS DATA? TWO VIEWS FROM THE SESSIONS WITH INDIVIDUAL LEADERS OF YOUR LARGER CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS TO, UM, INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, UM, AS CULTURAL PLANNERS THERE, THERE'S NEVER TOO MANY TOO MUCH, UM, DATA, BUT WHAT WE HAVE DONE WITH ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, WE TRANSCRIBE ALL THE VIDEOS.
UM, THANK GOODNESS NOW FOR A REALLY HANDY TOOL THAT DOES TRANSCRIPTION FOR YOU, UM, AUTOMATICALLY, UM, WE TRANSCRIBED THE VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDINGS OF ALL THOSE SESSIONS AND, AND THE, THROUGH THE SURVEYS THAT WE CONDUCTED AS WELL.
WE BEGAN TO SORT OF CATEGORIZE BIG PICTURE THEMES THAT WE
[00:25:01]
KEPT HEARING CONSISTENTLY, AND THEN PUTTING THOSE THEMES IN SORT OF A TIME-BASED CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.SO WE COULD MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WAS SAID EARLY IN THE PROCESS, ALSO CONNECTED TO THEMES THAT WE HEARD LATER IN THE PROCESS, SO THAT WE DIDN'T LOSE TRACK AND JUST RESPONDED TO THE LAST THING SOMEBODY SAID TO US.
UM, AND THEN WE WERE MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE KEEPING TRACK OF WHOSE VOICES WERE BEING REPRESENTED.
SO OUR OWN SORT OF SYSTEM OF CODING, THE ROLES OF THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS, WHETHER THEY WERE ARTISTS, WHETHER THEY WERE, UM, BOARD MEMBERS OF ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER THEY WERE EXECUTIVE STAFFS OR DEAF, UM, OR VOLUNTEERS WITH ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WE WOULD HAVE A SENSE OF WHERE THESE IMPULSES AND IDEAS WERE COMING FROM, DID THE WRITTEN STATEMENTS THAT CAME INTO US.
WE ALSO DIGITIZED THOSE TO KEEP TRACK AGAIN, OF WHERE THE INFORMATION WAS COMING FROM AND ALL OF THAT HELPS US TO, UM, TO INTERPRET WHAT WE CALL SECONDARY DOCUMENTATION.
SO YOUR GRANT REVIEW GUIDELINES, UM, YOUR, YOUR, THE PROGRAM EMPHASIS OTHER STUDIES THAT THE CITY HAS DONE IN THE PAST, UM, ET CETERA.
AND THEN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE LOCAL DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE LOCAL POLICIES AND IN THIS CASE, BUT THE BIG PICTURE POLICY THAT WAS COMING AT US WAS, UM, THE CITY'S INTENTIONAL, UM, LOOK AT ALL OF ITS PROGRAMS, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, AND SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC, THROUGH A RACIAL EQUITY LENS.
THAT'S A LONG WAY OF SAYING TO YOU TO YOU THAT, UM, THERE WAS SIX OF US IN AUSTIN AT VARIOUS TIMES, UM, LISTENING AND LEARNING AND ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
I NEVER GOT THE FEELING THAT PEOPLE WERE SHY ABOUT SHARING THEIR THOUGHTS ABOUT QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT SOMETIMES IT APPEARS, IT APPEARS THAT WE'RE OUTSIDERS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE'RE ALL ARTS PRACTITIONERS AND WE HAVE SEEN IT IN THE CITIES THAT WE WORK SOME SIMILAR KINDS OF THINGS AND CONCERNS, BUT AT ALL TIMES WE CONSIDERED AUSTIN'S APPROACH, UM, TO BE UNIQUE.
AND SO OUR RESPONSES ARE AS WELL.
UM, WE ALSO CONDUCTED, UM, WITH, UH, THE CITY STAFF, SOMETHING THAT WE REFER TO AS A CULTURAL EQUITY AUDIT.
UM, AND THAT IS, UH, NOT WHAT YOU THINK IN TERMS OF A FINANCIAL REVIEW OF YOUR SYSTEMS, BUT IT IS A REVIEW IN CULTURAL AGENCIES AND LOCAL ARTS AGENCIES OF HOW THESE STAFF RESPONSE TO, UM, PRACTICE THEIR PRACTICES.
AND SO WE, WE SURVEY THE STAFF AND HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS, AND I'LL JUST QUICKLY TELL YOU WHAT A CULTURAL EQUITY AUDIT INCLUDES.
UM, JUST TO, JUST TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW, AND WE'VE CONDUCTED THIS IN SEVERAL CITIES LIKE SIZE TO AUSTIN.
WE LOOK AT, UM, THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE STAFF WORKS IN, WHETHER THEY ARE LOCKED TO THEIR DESKS, WHETHER THEY DO ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WE REALLY TRY TO TRACK THAT FROM A DATA PERSPECTIVE.
WE DO LOOK AT PROCESSES AND I TELL YOU A CLEAR EXAMPLE FROM THE ONNIT, UM, THAT HAS COME BACK TO BE A, UH, UM, A POINT OF WORKING JOY FOR ALL OF US.
AS A TEAM WAS ASKING THE STAFF TO ACTUALLY CREATE A BREATH OF THE STEPS, START TO FINISH FROM THE FIRST OFFICE HOURS CONVERSATION TO THE APPLICATION PROCESS, TO THE REVIEW PANEL REVIEW PROCESS, TO THE CONTRACTING PROCESS AND ALL THE STEPS IN BETWEEN ONCE THE ORGANIZATION OF THE RECIPIENT HAS RECEIVED AN AWARD.
SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING A CHECK IN THEIR MAILBOX, THE NUMBER OF STEPS WE JUST, JUST TO, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THE NUMBER OF STEPS INVOLVED IN THAT SOMETIMES WOULD LEAD TO THE, THE RECIPIENT, ACTUALLY NOT GETTING THE FUNDING IN THEIR HANDS UNTIL THEIR PROJECT HAD BEEN, HAD BEGUN, YOU KNOW, THREE TO SIX MONTHS IN AND IN ONE OR TWO RARE CASES.
UM, SOMETIMES THE NEXT YEAR'S APPLICATION WAS DUE AND THE RECIPIENT STILL HAD NOT RECEIVED THE PRIOR YEAR FUNDING.
THAT'S NOT A CRITICISM, IT'S JUST A REVIEW.
AND SO WHAT THAT REVIEW ALLOWED US TO DO WAS TO WORK IN REAL WITH THE STAFF, AS YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN TO LOOK AT, UH, WHAT WERE THE POLICIES THAT THEY WERE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT VERSUS A PRACTICE, AND SOMETIMES IN THE GRANT MAKING SYSTEM, UM, WE JUST KEEP ADDING PROCESSES AND ADDING PROCESSES TO ACCOMMODATE.
AND WHAT WE ENDED UP WITH IS JUST A HUGE LIST
[00:30:01]
OF BARRIERS.THAT'S AN EQUITY ISSUE, IT'S AN ACCESS ISSUE AS WELL.
AND SO WE WERE NOT JUST LOOKING AT, IS THIS A BARRIER FOR ORGANIZATIONS OF COLOR, BUT IS IT A BARRIER FOR OUR PARTNERS IN GENERAL, IF, FOR HOW CAN WE WORK TO, TO BETTER THE FIELD FOR EVERYONE? UM, ANOTHER COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT THE AUDIT WE TOOK A LOOK AT, UM, WAS HOW, UH, ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND NEW APPLICANTS WERE PREPARED FOR COMPETING AND FOR APPLYING FOR GRANTS.
SO IS A LANGUAGE THAT WE USE, UM, APPROACHABLE.
IS THERE A CONTEMPORARY APPROACH AND BY CONTEMPORARY, I MEAN, UM, HOW MUCH DO WE USE TECHNOLOGY IN BOTH THE GRANT MAKING PROCESS, AS WELL AS THE GRANT SEEKING PROCESS FOR THE APPLICANTS, UM, IS EQUITY A CORE BELIEF OF A STAFF? IS THERE A PUBLISHED STATEMENT IN THE OFFICE THAT THE STAFF REFERS TO WHEN THEY'RE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT RECRUITING PANELISTS, ET CETERA? UM, HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TO GROW THE CULTURAL SECTOR? SO A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS, EIGHT BIG PICTURE QUESTIONS THAT WE WORKED WITH THE STAFF TO, UM, CONDUCT THIS AUDIT.
AND SO IT'S NOT A PUBLIC PROCESS, BUT IT'S AN, UH, LOOKING INWARD KIND OF PROCESS.
UH, BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US AS WE THINK ABOUT GROWTH.
SO WE LOOKED AT, AS WE SAID, PROGRAM GUIDELINES, WE LOOKED AT YOUR FUNDING HISTORY.
UM, WE LOOKED AT, UH, THE BACKGROUND, UH, SOME BACKGROUND READING THAT WAS IN THE MEDIA.
YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PUBLIC SAYING ABOUT THIS PROCESS, ABOUT THE ARTS AND AUSTIN ABOUT ARTISTS OF COLOR, ET CETERA.
SO A LOT OF DATA AND A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE GATHERING, UH, THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN WE CAN CONTINUED WHILE WE WERE DOING, UM, THAT WORK.
UM, WE WERE CONTINUING TO HOLD, UM, ONLINE, BY THIS TIME WE WERE DOING ONLINE, UH, TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND PRESENTATIONS, AS WE TOOK THIS INPUT AND SORT OF CREATED IT DOWN TO SOME BIG PICTURE THEMES.
UM, THE FIRST TIME WE WENT BACK OUT TO THE PUBLIC IN DECEMBER, UM, 2020, UM, WE WENT BACK OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND SAID, HERE ARE THE TOP THREE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING.
UM, WE'VE BEEN HEARING AND, AND, AND THEN FORMULATING SOME BEGINNING TO FORMULATE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND THOSE.
AND ONE WAS TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE CULTURAL SECTOR IN THE CREATIVE SECTOR, BUT TO ALSO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE NURTURE AND ADVANCE UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES, UH, IN AUSTIN'S RACIALLY AND CULTURALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES BY THIS TIME COMMISSION MEMBERS WHO WERE ALSO BEING ASKED TO WORK WITH THE CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION, AM I SAYING THAT RIGHT? CULTURAL HERITAGE DIVISION AND THE MUSIC DIVISION.
AND SO THE GOOD NEWS THERE IS WE WERE GIVEN SOME GUIDANCE, UM, BY THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR TO TRY TO CREATE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ALL THE HOT FUNDED PROGRAMS TO FIND SOME COMMON GROUND THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER.
SO THIS IDEA OF INVESTING IN THE SECTOR ALSO INCLUDED INVESTING IN HERITAGE PRESERVATION, INVESTING IN MUSICIANS AS ENTREPRENEURS.
THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION FROM THE THEMES THAT WE WERE HEARING, UM, CAME TO, TO TALK ABOUT LOOKING AT BUILDING ON US, BUILDING AUSTIN'S EXISTING CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, VALUING THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE THAT HAVE BEEN SEEKING AND PRODUCING PROGRAMS IN AUSTIN FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, FOR LARGER INSTITUTIONS, TO SOME OF THE SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME BUILDING THAT FOUNDATION.
WE WANTED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THOSE AND BUILDING UPON THAT FINDING WAYS TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW ARTISTS, NEW ORGANIZATIONS, TO REACH NEW NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, WE STARTED, UM, TRYING TO LOOK AHEAD AT PERHAPS THE DAY WHEN THERE WOULD BE MORE APPLICANTS FOR FEWER DOLLARS, AND THEN THE TRAIN WRECK CAME CALLED THE PANDEMIC.
AND SO THE REALITY OF FEWER DOLLARS MORE APPLICATIONS BECAME THE, THE, THE, THE WALKING SUBJECT MATTER.
UM, SO BUILDING ON THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE DOESN'T MEAN THROWING OUT THE BABY WITH THE BATH WATER.
IT MEANS THAT BIG C WORD THAT YOU'VE HEARD AND TALKED ABOUT ALREADY, HOW DO WE FIND COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES? HOW DO WE FIND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY TO DO CAPACITY BUILDING? SO THE WORD CHANGING THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT OUR CAPACITIES
[00:35:01]
TO SERVICE A BROADER, DEEPER COMMUNITY, NOT JUST WITH MONEY, BUT ALSO TO HELP THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES THAT ORGANIZATIONS NEED TO CREATE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE WE WERE SEEING.SO, SO BUILDING, AND THEN THE FINAL LEG OF THAT STOOL WAS THINKING ABOUT OPERATIONALIZED OR POLICY BASED PLAN TO REDISTRIBUTE THE CITY'S FINANCIAL RESOURCES, THE WORD DISTRIBUTION REDISTRIBUTION, HOW DO WE SERVE AND REACH OUT TO THOSE UNDERREPRESENTED ARTISTS THAT HAVE EITHER APPLIED, UM, HAVE, ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE MEETINGS AND THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT WE WERE CONDUCTING.
UM, THEY'VE NEVER ACCESSED THE CITY'S FUNDING BEFORE, BUT THERE WAS, THEY WERE PROVIDING CREATIVE OUT THERE PROVIDING CREATIVE PROGRAMS IN THE CITY AND NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU KNOW, ET CETERA.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED CLEARLY THAT YOU WILL HEAR LATER IN, IN THE WEEKS TO COME, WE, WE HEARD ABOUT THE DISPLACEMENT PROCESS, HOW ARTISTS WERE BEING DISPLACED, UM, BECAUSE OF, UM, RISING RENT OR LACK OF SPACE.
UM, AND SO WE WERE EUROPE, THERE'S SORT OF THIS, THIS POOREST, UM, RING AROUND AUSTIN THAT ARTISTS WERE HAVING TO LEAVE THE CITY, UH, TO CONTINUE TO PRODUCE THEIR WORK.
SOME OF THAT, UM, HAS TO DO WITH POLICY AND SOME OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH PRACTICE.
AND SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, ISSUES OUTSIDE OF THE ART SECTOR, COMPLETELY IN THE SAME RECOMMENDATION.
WE WERE LOOKING AT TRYING TO GO BACK TO THE MANDATE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAD ASKED ALL OF ITS DEPARTMENTS TO DO.
AND SO IS THERE AN EXPLICIT DIRECTION FROM A CITY COUNCIL THAT THEY WANTED TO SEE OTHER THAN THIS IDEA ABOUT LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD? SO LOTS OF INPUT COMING IN, SIFTING IT DOWN TO THESE THREE TOP LEVEL, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS EARLY ON AND SHARING THOSE BACK WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SIX MONTHS AGO IN DECEMBER AND HEARING FEEDBACK FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS AT THAT POINT, AND IN THAT DISCUSSION, WE HEARD ABOUT THIS.
UM, WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT BUREAUCRACY.
WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT COMPLICATED GRANT PROCESSES.
WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS, ET CETERA.
AND SO AS THOSE CONVERSATIONS CAME BACK TO US, WE WERE ABLE TO EITHER INFUSE THOSE INTO RECOMMENDATIONS OR ACTUALLY WORK WITH A STAFF IN AN ONGOING WAY, THE OFFICE OF DESIGN DEVELOPMENT WITH THE CITY'S EQUITY OFFICE, WITH THE CITY'S OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD BEGIN TO SHAVE SOME OF THOSE BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEMS DOWN.
WE, WE MEANING OUR TEAM AND THE TEAM AT THE THREE TOP FUNDED DIVISIONS.
WE NEVER STOPPED LOOKING AT NEW WAYS TO THINK ABOUT THINGS.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT NUMBER IN THE INTERIM REPORT ABOUT HOW MANY STAFF HOURS WERE DEDICATED TO THIS WORK IS REALLY PROBABLY, UM, ONLY A PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME THAT THE STAFF SPENT RESEARCHING.
WE WOULD SEND THEM OFF TO GO LOOK AT THE POLICIES IN THIS CITY, OR REALLY TAKE AN ANALYTICAL VIEW AT WHETHER OR NOT WHAT YOU'RE REQUIRING IS NECESSARY.
IF WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO PROVIDE DATA, ARE WE USING THAT IN A WAY THAT WILL DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY GET FUTURE FUNDING? IF NOT, WHY ARE WE ASKING THEM FOR THAT? UM, THERE WERE WORK STAFF WORKING GROUPS THAT ARE STILL ONGOING.
UM, THERE WAS A SHIFT IN DIRECTION DOES, AS YOU COULD IMAGINE THIS PAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT BUDGET SIZE, BUT THE COMMITMENT WAS TO ALWAYS TRY TO EXPLORE ALL THE THEMES THAT WE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC AND DEFINE SOLUTIONS THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY, OR THAT WOULD BECOME PART OF THE LONGER TERM CHANGE IN THE WAY THE DIVISIONS WERE OPERATING.
SO THIS IDEA OF REFINING THE WORK AND LAUNCHING NEW PROGRAMS, UM, I HOPE YOU WILL SEE, AND WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THIS AS YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
THESE ARE NOT KNEE-JERK REACTIONS.
UM, THESE ARE CONCENTRATED AND FOCUSED WORK SESSIONS WITH LOTS OF, UM, INPUT AND RESEARCH THAT IS GOING TO NET YOU IN THE END, SOME NEW GRANT MAKING GUIDELINES AND PROGRAMS THAT BOTH RESPOND TO RACIAL EQUITY AND RESPOND TO THE PREVAILING PREVAILING CONCERNS ABOUT BUDGETS, BUDGET, SHORTFALLS IN THE CITY, UM, AND ABOUT REACHING NEW AUDIENCES.
[00:40:02]
SO I'M GOING TO STOP HERE, UM, FOR A SECOND AND HAND IT BACK TO MICHELLE.UM, LOVE TO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, FROM YOU AS COMMISSIONERS THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO PUT ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW.
UM, CAN WE STOP SHARING THE, UM, SLIDE SHIFT FOR JUST A MINUTE? SO I CAN SEE EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM AND SEE WHO HAS QUESTIONS THAT THEY WANT TO ADDRESS.
UM, MARGIE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THAT WAS SUCH A LOVELY, CLEAN EXPLANATION OF WHERE WE STARTED AND WHAT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN UP TO THIS POINT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S SUPER HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US AND I HOPE THAT HELPFUL FOR FOLKS WATCHING AT HOME.
UM, BUT I WANT TO SEE WHAT QUESTIONS WE HAVE AS A GROUP AT THIS POINT.
UM, NOW UNDERSTAND THAT JUST FOR FRAMING PURPOSES AND MEGAN INTERRUPT ME HERE AT ANY POINT, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS THIS STEP, RIGHT? WE, THIS IS STILL THE INTERIM PART OF THE PROCESS.
WE STILL HAVE FINE DETAILS AND GUIDELINES COMING AND MORE SPECIFIC DATA TO SHARE WITH EVERYBODY AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
AND I THINK MEGAN CAN GIVE US A TIMEFRAME ON THAT.
WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD ALL CONNECT THE DOTS.
THAT WAS THE BIG REQUEST THAT I HAD FOR MJR.
UM, SINCE WE HAD AN INTERIM REPORT AND WE HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO IT, AND A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT IT, I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO GO HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE 2019.
UM, AND THE FACT THAT NOW EDD HAS BROADENED MARGIE'S ENGAGEMENT, NOT JUST WITH CULTURAL ARTS, BUT ALSO WITH MUSIC AND WITH HERITAGE AND THE WE'RE ALIGNED ACROSS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WITH THE EQUITY GOAL IN MIND, THAT IS ALSO VERY HELPFUL.
IT'S ALSO A CHALLENGE AND TAKES EXTRA TIME AND ATTENTION AND WORK BECAUSE WE'RE MERGING THREE DIFFERENT KINDS OF CREATURES INTO THE SAME WORLD.
UM, WITH OUR OWN HISTORIES, OURS IS MORE LONG AS LONGER AND MORE COMPLICATED.
UM, I JUST HAD ON MY OWN QUOTE.
LOU, LET ME GO AHEAD AND ASK MY QUESTION FIRST.
SO WHEN YOU SAID, UM, CENTERING ON RACIAL EQUITY, I WANT TO PUT A LITTLE ASTERIX ON THAT TO SAY YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT NEEDS TO BE WHERE WE START, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE THIS IS JUST THE BELLY OF, OF WHATEVER THIS NEW CREATE CREATURE IS THAT THIS IS THE STARTING POINT THAT, THAT RACIAL EQUITY AND CULTURAL EQUITY, LIKE ALL OF IT NEEDS TO EXPAND TO SERVE, ULTIMATELY WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THIS AND HOWEVER MANY YEARS, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UM, AND TAKES EVERYBODY'S MARGINALIZED EXPERIENCES INTO ACCOUNT.
SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT LITTLE ASTERIX ON IT.
UM, COMMISSIONER FLORES, YOU HAD A QUESTION.
AND, UH, THANKS MICHELLE FOR SAYING THAT BECAUSE I, I, I AGREE THAT RACIAL EQUITY, I KNOW IT'S A TECHNICAL TERM, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, ETHNIC DIVERSITY AS WELL, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS AN HISPANIC, AS A MEXICAN-AMERICAN, UH, WE'RE CONSIDERED WHITE.
AND SO WE'RE THE HIDDEN, UH, MINORITY GROUP THAT SORT OF SOMETIMES GETS GLOSSED OVER OR BECOMES INVISIBLE, UH, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE TREATED AS, UH, A PEOPLE OF COLOR, BUT YET WE ARE OFFICIALLY A PART OF THE CONSIDERED PART OF THE WHITE RACE.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T SLIP BETWEEN THE CRACKS IN THE SENSE OF IT'S AN ETHNIC MINORITY.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT POINT, MICHELLE, AND THANK YOU FOR AMPLIFYING THAT, BUT MY QUESTION WAS YOUR, IT WAS A VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION ABOUT THE PROCESSES THAT WERE INVOLVED AND WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR AND HOW YOU DID THAT, BUT ARE WE GOING TO, ARE YOU ALSO GOING TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE ACTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE IN YOUR INTERIM REPORT SO THAT WE CAN, UH, OR HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? SO THEN WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ACTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED IN THIS, YOU KNOW, IN THE POWERPOINT AND THIS, AND THE REPORT THAT WE WERE HANDED.
THAT'S MY QUESTION ABOUT, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
THIS MEETING WAS MORE WAS, WAS, WAS TO GIVE YOU SORT OF AN OVERVIEW.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY IF THERE, IF THERE ARE OTHER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS MICHELLE, I'LL DEFER TO YOU TO, UM, OF THOSE, UM, RESPONSES WILL COME THROUGH, AS YOU CONTINUE TO SEE, UM, HOW THE PROGRAMS ARE DEVELOPING AND SHAPING, BUT I CERTAINLY WANT TO OPEN AGAIN FOR, TO THE CHAIR, THE CONVERSATION TO, TO RESPOND IN WHATEVER WAYS WE CAN BE HELPFUL.
IF, IF I MAY, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS WHAT I ALLUDED TO WITH THE WORK THAT CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION STAFF IS DOING RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS THE GUIDELINES BECAUSE THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS FOR ALL OF THIS AND THE KIND
[00:45:01]
OF THING THAT I'M HEARING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND IS A LOT OF FEAR AND CONCERN ABOUT WHAT'S INCLUDED AND WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED.UM, AND THAT, THAT FINE DETAIL GUIDELINE CONVERSATION I THINK, IS GOING TO BE OUR ANSWER TO A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO I, I'M NOT SURE THAT OUR TIME IS BEST MET OR THIS HAS GONE A LITTLE BIT LONG, BUT THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF IT FOR ME, WAS FROM PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE.
THE THINGS THAT I'M KEEPING IN QUESTIONS ABOUT ARE UNDERSTANDING HOW WE GOT FROM POINT A TO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK MARGIE, AGAIN, THANK YOU.
THIS WAS SO CLEAR AND IN THAT PROCESS, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND APPRECIATE THE EQUITY AUDIT CONVERSATION, MEGAN.
I JUST WANT TO JUMP IN AND PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY ON KIND OF WHERE WE ARE IN OUR STAFF PROCESS.
THAT'LL MAYBE HELP, YOU KNOW, INFORM THIS DISCUSSION.
UM, THERE'VE BEEN A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT HAVE REALLY IMPACTED OUR, OUR ROLLOUT OF THESE PROPOSED PROGRAMS AND GUIDELINES.
ONE WAS THE BUDGET AND THE BUDGET INFORMATION THAT WE GOT AS FORECAST, UH, WHICH WE SHARED WITH Y'ALL.
BUT THE SECOND WAS THE ACTUAL BUDGET THAT THE CITY MANAGER PRESENTED TO COUNCIL.
THOSE WERE STILL KIND OF IN FLUX NOW THAT THAT PROPOSED BUDGET IS OUT FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION.
IT HELPS TO GUIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF OUR SCALABILITY FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO LAUNCH.
UH, THE DECISION IS STILL IN COUNCIL'S HANDS.
SO I DON'T, IT'S NOT A DONE DEAL, UH, BUT WE CAN PROCEED, UH, WITH A LITTLE MORE KIND OF MEAT ON THE BONES OF WHERE WE'RE HEADING.
UM, IF ANY OF YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO CATCH THAT THE BA THE BIG KIND OF DIFFERENCE IN THE FORECAST AND WHAT THE CITY MANAGER PRESENTED WAS A PROPOSAL TO, UH, FOR A ONE-TIME, UH, SORT OF RELIEF GIFT FROM THE GENET, FROM THE, UH, CITIES, UH, REV REVENUE STABILIZATION FUND RESERVES.
UH, SO I'M GONNA HAVE YOU, YOU, YOU CAN PROBABLY SAY BETTER, BUT WE GOT A ONE-TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF INFUSION TO FILL THE GAP OF WHERE OUR HOT FUNDS WERE, UH, WHICH WE DIDN'T KNOW, WE, IF WE WOULD GET, AND WE IT'S STILL, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET, BUT THAT IMPACTS OUR ABILITY TO SCALE OUR PROGRAM LAUNCHES.
NOW, THAT BEING SAID, WE'VE CONTINUED TO WORK ON THESE PROGRAM GUIDELINES, AND WE ARE HOPING TO GET THEM OUT TO THE COMMUNITY IN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS.
UH, IF YOU HEARD THE MUSIC COMMISSION LAST WEEK, UH, ERICA SHARED KIND OF HIGH LEVEL OF WHERE THE MUSIC LIVE MUSIC EVENT GUIDELINES, UH, WERE KIND OF SHAPING UP FOR THEM.
UH, WE PLAN TO RELEASE OUR GUIDELINES IN MORE DEPTH AND MORE DETAIL, LIKE I SAID, AROUND AUGUST 9TH.
UH, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, BUT THE BIG ISSUES THAT WE'RE STILL GRAPPLING WITH ARE SUBSTANTIAL.
THERE ARE THINGS LIKE GEOGRAPHIC ELIGIBILITY, FUNDING, TIMELINE PANELS, AND EVALUATION, METHODOLOGIES, FISCAL SPONSORSHIPS MATCHING USE OF A THIRD PARTY, UM, PAYMENT METHODS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT REALLY ARE WE'RE THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, OURS.
AND WE'RE NOT QUITE, WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE TO BE ABLE TO, TO SHARE IT OUT, BUT HOPE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT SOON, UM, COMMISSIONER GARZA, AND THEN COMMISSIONER NOT.
OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT THERE.
UH, UH, I NOTICED YOU GET A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES THAT WERE PRESENT AT THE MEETINGS.
UH, HOWEVER I'VE BEEN ASKED BY OTHER FOLKS IS WHAT ARE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE PEOPLE WOULD TEND TO, YOU KNOW, RACIAL DEMOGRAPHICS AND ALSO HOW MANY OF THOSE FOLKS WOULD TEND TO OUR CONTRACTORS.
AND IF THEY WERE CONTRACTORS, HOW MANY OF THOSE CONTRACTORS HAVE MULTIPLE 10 DAYS OF FOR MEETINGS? THAT WAY WE CAN SORT OF JUDGE IS WHERE YOU'RE GETTING INFORMATION FROM, AND IS IT THE SAME INFORMATION, OR IS IT DIVERSE INFORMATION? YOU KNOW, THE THING I'VE NOTICED IS AT YOUR STATEMENT, AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, I BELIEVE YOU CALLED IT THE HISTORICAL AND THE STRUCTURAL DISPARITIES THAT EXIST IN OUR CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAM OR WHATNOT.
A LOT OF THOSE DISPARITIES GO BACK TO NOT ONLY TO THE SYSTEMIC HISTORICAL RACISM THAT OUR GOVERNMENT HAS HAD, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH SLAVERY, WHETHER IT BE, IT WOULD BE 1929, BRETT LANEY, AND BOTH WERE WRONG, AND THESE KIND OF RECOGNIZES THEM, BUT DOESN'T CALL THEM WRONG.
AND IT DOESN'T GIVE ANY SPECIFIC NUMBERS HOW TO CORRECT THOSE NUMBERS.
FOR EXAMPLE, BACK WHEN IN 1929, UH, PEOPLE LIVE IN CLARKSVILLE, WHICH IS NOW MILLION DOLLAR NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT BLACK PEOPLE WERE CHECKED OUT AT EAST SIDE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT OF WEALTH THAT WAS LOST A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE LOST.
AND, UH, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT WAS WRONG, BUT THERE'S NEVER BEEN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT IT.
UH, AND I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS TO CORRECT? THANK YOU.
WELL, DIZZY, MY TONGUE MICHELLE.
IT'S YOUR TURN AT ME? WELL, I'M JUST SO GLAD THAT LIKE, I'M JUST UP TO PHILIPPI BECAUSE I'M EXACTLY MY INTERESTS IS, UM,
[00:50:01]
WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, AND I W I THINK DATA HAS SHOWN THAT HISTORICAL FACTOR AND ALL THE FACTS THAT HAVE SHOWN THAT BECAUSE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC RACISM THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF MISSED OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, UH, ALL THE, THE DISADVANTAGE, YOU KNOW, OR THE, THE, UM, OPPRESSIVE, YOU KNOW, UH, THE OLD PRESS GROUPS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE MISSED A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO INVENT THEMSELVES AND, AND TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BIG PICTURE.SO I THINK IT IS TIME THAT WE NEED TO MAKE A MEN'S, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE A MEN'S FOR THOSE MISSED OPPORTUNITY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, GIVE, GIVE THE EXAMPLE OF CLASS FAIL, YOU KNOW, UH, IT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE BLACK COMMUNITY WHO ARE SERVING THE WHITE FOLKS, YOU KNOW, IN THAT AREA.
AND NOW IT'S PUSHED TO, YOU KNOW, USE AUSTIN AND ALL THOSE, UH, HOUSES THERE NOW, MILLION DOLLARS.
SO NOW WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, UM, TO, UH, THE MARKET, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'LL BE GENERATING MORE PROPERTY TAX FOR THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE OVER 40% RISE UP IN PROPERTY.
SO I AM VERY INTERESTED IN THE THIRD.
UM, I TELL THEM THAT WE WERE TALKING, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE OPERATION, HOW CAN WE THEN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GROWTH OF OUR CITY WITH THE RISE OF THE PROPERTY PRICES? HOW CAN WE THEN UTILIZE SOME OF THOSE TO MAKE AMENDS, TO MAKE A MATCH FOR ALL THOSE MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR THE OLD PRESS GROUPS? SO, UH, IT IS CERTAINLY A POLICY, YOU KNOW, UH, OPERATION, BUT I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IT'S A VERY REASONABLE ARGUMENT THAT WE, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
NOW WE HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE A MANCE BECAUSE OF THIS GROWTH.
SO I WANTED TO ASK OUR, UH, CONSULTANT, YOU KNOW, MS. MARGIE, THAT, UM, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, HAVE YOU SEEN OTHER CITY OUT OF STATE OTHER PLACES THAT I, YOU KNOW, LIKE SEATTLE WHEN THEY WERE BLOOMING, UH, NEW YORK WHEN THEY WERE BLOOMING HAVE DAY, UM, HOT COP, THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO, TO, TO MAKE A MESS, TO HAVE ACTUALLY POLICIES IN PLACE TO MAKE A MESS, YOU KNOW, UH, SO I, I'M JUST WONDERING AMY, I'M GOING TO HAVE, CAN I HAVE YOU MOVE FORWARD AND, AND, AND HAVE OUR OWN, UH, PROPOSAL HERE IN AUSTIN? CAN I INTERRUPT THIS TO SAY, UM, COMMISSIONER MACH? I THINK THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
I THINK IT'S A LITTLE SORT OF A SIDESTEP.
WE HAVE SOME WORKING GROUPS LOOKING AT OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, BUT I THINK THAT'S ITS OWN SEPARATE CONVERSATIONS WITH, I CAN PUT A PIN IN THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION ON BASICALLY REPARATIONS, I THINK IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, THAT IF WE WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, I THINK WE WANT TO LIKE SET UP A SEPARATE WORKING GROUPS TO, TO LOOK INTO THAT.
UM, I THINK I HAVE A QUESTION, BUT FIRST I WANTED LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION.
I THINK WHEN COMMISSIONER FLORES BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS? I WANTED TO BE CLEAR.
I WANT US TO BE CLEAR THAT, UH, MJR CONSULTANTS PROVIDED THREE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE IN, I'M FORGETTING ONE OF THEM NOW, BUT INVEST OPERATIONALIZE AND HELP ME OUT ON THE THIRD ONE.
UM, AND THE CONCEPT PROGRAMS THAT WERE PRESENTED ARE ACTUALLY COMING FROM STAFF.
SO I JUST WANTED THAT CLARIFICATION THAT, THAT M J R AS THE CONSULTANTS MADE THEIR THREE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEN THE CONCEPT PROGRAMS ARE NOT EVEN RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT JUST CONCEPT PROGRAMS FROM STAFF.
I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THAT CLARIFICATION, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION WALKING US THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
UM, I JUST, I, I GO BACK TO WHEN THIS, WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS AND WE'RE, I WAS HOPING THE CONVERSATION WOULD, WOULD LEAD TO, AND I, I FEEL LIKE IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT WE, AS A CREATIVE COMMUNITY NEED TO ADDRESS, AND IT'S THAT THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY TO THE UNIVERSITIES AND IN PARTICULAR, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AS BOTH AN EDUCATOR AND AN EMPLOYER, UM, AND KIND OF THERE AS LANDLORD ON SOME OF THAT, SOME PROPERTY CREATIVE PROPERTIES, UM,
[00:55:01]
AND THEN ALSO THE, THE LANDSCAPE OF PHILANTHROPY IN THE CITY AND WHY, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS AN ORGANIZATION BECAME THE DEFACTO SOURCE OF, UH, FUNDING FOR OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY.UM, SO I MEAN, I, YEAH, I WAS LIKE, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, THOSE CONVERSATIONS, IF, IF YOU KNOW, YOUR PROCESS IS KIND OF WRAPPING UP, BUT LIKE, THESE ARE TWO BIG THINGS THAT WE STILL NEED TO AS A COMMUNITY TALK ABOUT.
WELL, I THINK CERTAINLY THE EXPLORATION OF, UM, HOW YOU GOT TO BE AS A CITY, UH, THE LARGEST FUNDER OF THE ARTS IN THE CITY, UH, IS, IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE DID TALK A LOT ABOUT.
UM, AND IT, IT HAD TO DO, IT HAS TO DO, I THINK WITH, UM, THE CITY'S COMMITMENT, FIRST OF ALL, ONTO SUPPORTING THE ARTS OR THE YING AND YANG THERE, UM, IT HAD TO DO WITH THE, THE SORT OF RAPID GROWTH OF THE LARGER INSTITUTIONS AND THIS TO ONE OF THE EARLIER COMMENTS ON AMY'S COMMENT, KIND OF, UH, THE INADVERTENT MARGINALIZATION OF THESE ARE THE DICHOTOMY BETWEEN COMMUNITY ARTS, SMALL C AND FINE, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL F, BUT OVER TIME, THE DOORS OPENED GREATER FUNDING HAPPENED AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR WAS GIVEN A PASS.
IT JUST, HASN'T BEEN AN AGGRESSIVE PUSH TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
IN SOME CITIES, THERE ARE POLICIES THAT REQUIRE, UM, BUSINESSES OR THAT ORGANIZE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AND AS ADVOCATES, THE CULTURAL SECTOR CAN GET IN FRONT OF THOSE CIVIC LEADERS.
I WILL SAY IN SOME CITIES, I HAVE ACTUALLY WITNESSED THE MAYOR OF THE CITY CALLING THE TOP 10 CORPORATIONS TO CITY HALL AND SAYING, IN MY CITY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO BUSINESS HERE, YOU WILL SUPPORT THE ARTS.
SO IT TAKES, IT TAKES THAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP MAYBE, BUT IT, BUT TO YOUR POINT, IT HAS TO BE AN INTENTIONAL CONVERSATION THAT YOU HAVE AS A COMMISSIONER MEMBERS.
AND YOU HAVE WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS, ET CETERA, IT IS A POLITICAL, UM, PROCESS.
WE'LL SEE, UH, AS FAR AS THE UNIVERSITY'S CONCERNED ARE CONCERNED, WE DID LOOK AT THE UNIVERSITIES WHEN WE WERE THINKING ABOUT RESPONDING TO LEADERSHIP, WHO'S COMING OUT OF THE UNIVERSITIES THAT CAN LEAD SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, ET CETERA.
SO I DO THINK THAT THOSE TWO THINGS IN PARTICULAR, WE DIDN'T MAKE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ON THOSE, BUT THEY ARE ACKNOWLEDGED.
AND WE DID HEAR SOME OF THAT FROM THE PUBLIC, BUT MOST OF THE CONVERSATIONS WERE ABOUT, UM, CITY EXPANDING PUBLIC FUNDING.
IT'S A GREAT QUESTION THOUGH, COMMISSIONER CASTILLO AND, UM, AND A GOOD REMINDER OF WHAT IS IN FRONT OF US, YOU KNOW, UM, MARGIE ALLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS TOO, LIKE THE, THE BROADER SET OF SUPPORT THAT THE CITY CAN PROVIDE.
BUT ALSO OUR ROLE IS TO LOOK AT WHERE WE CAN FIND OTHER SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS IN THIS COMMUNITY, FROM THE CORPORATE SIDE, FROM PARTNERSHIPS AND ALLIANCES, THAT WE'VE JUST BEGUN TO SCRATCH THE SURFACE ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I SAID, WHEN WE, WHEN WE SORT OF WADE INTO THIS, AND WHEN I STEPPED INTO THIS POSITION, THAT THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR OUR CITY, BUT IT WAS ALSO REALLY EXCITING TIME BECAUSE WE GET TO, TO REMAKE EVERYTHING CAUSE IT BROKE ON ITS OWN, RIGHT? THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO, BUT UP AFTER A PANDEMIC, UM, THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO, BUT UP WHEN OUR HOT REVENUES WERE IN THE TANK, SO IT'S AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF REBUILD AND, AND REACH OUT.
THE UNIVERSITIES ARE IN THE SAME BOAT GUYS.
I WORKED FOR ONE, LIKE THIS IS A PERFECT TIME TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
SO BE THINKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE PRIORITY LIST AND AGAIN, GOT PINS AND STUFF AT THE END OF THIS NIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND GO, OKAY, WHO'S, WHO'S GOING TO REACH OUT AND WHO'S GOING TO START THIS PARTICULAR CONVERSATION BECAUSE WE HAVE LOTS OF FUN WORK TO DO.
YES, MA'AM THE QUESTION IS FROM MARGIE.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, YOUR PEANUTS.
SO MY QUESTION IS COMING FROM, UH, BEING A PROFESSIONAL IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'LL JUST SAY, UH, YESTERDAY I WENT TO, UH, UH, THE BOTANICAL GARDENS, ME AND MY DOG WERE THE ONLY BLACK PEOPLE IN THE BOTANICAL GARDENS YESTERDAY.
I BOUGHT A TICKET FOR 9:00 AM.
I DRIVE ON THE EAST SIDE PRETTY MUCH TWICE A WEEK NOW
[01:00:01]
TO CHECK ON MY PEOPLE, TO SEE HOW PEOPLE ARE DOING.MANY BUSINESSES HAVE CLOSED, OR PEOPLE ARE JUST NOT COMING OUT.
I WENT INTO THE LIBRARY TODAY.
I THINK IT WAS MAYBE 10 PEOPLE IN THERE.
THIS MAY NOT FIT INTO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT IN ASKING THIS QUESTION, MARGIE, OF HOW DO WE BRING BLACK PEOPLE AS ARTISTS BACK TO AUSTIN? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE BLACK PEOPLE ARE RIGHT NOW.
ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT THEY'RE IN PFLUGERVILLE, THEY'RE AROUND ROCK AND THEY'RE MOVING TO WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
AND AS FAR AS THEY CAN GO ALL THE WAY, I WOULD SAY TOO, WHICH IS HARD FALLS, PROBABLY.
SO HOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GIVING MONEY TO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS, BUT I DON'T HEAR THAT WHEN I'M, WHEN I'M THINKING ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE, I, WASN'T A PART OF THIS, THIS, UM, PROCESS HERE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
SO I DON'T, I DIDN'T SEE THE, THE DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS IN THE ROOM OR WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT WHAT I'M SEEING RIGHT NOW, HOW DO WE BRING BLACK ARTISTS BLACK, YOU KNOW, BACK TO AUSTIN TO BE A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.
AND I'M SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT MY DISTRICT AS IN DISTRICT ONE.
AND I THINK IT'S A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION.
AND I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A, UM, IT'S A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT WE KEEP BYPASSING AND ALL CONVERSATIONS AND COMMITTEES THAT I'M ON IN THE CITY.
WELL, IT IS A BIG PICTURE QUESTION AND A VERY IMPORTANT ONE WE DID HEAR FROM AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS SPECIFICALLY, UM, THAT THIS MIGRATION WAS, IS CONTINUING OUT OUT MIGRATION WAS CONTINUING TO HAPPEN, BUT I WILL SAY IN, IN AND HOPE THAT I'M NOT DIFFERING TOO FAR AWAY FOR YOU.
THAT THAT QUESTION IS CENTERED IN, IN SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE HEARING ABOUT IT AT A POLICY LEVEL QUESTION.
SO HOW DO WE RECAPTURE RE-ENGAGE ENGAGEMENT IS BIG AND HUGE IN THIS CONVERSATION.
SO I THINK YOU WILL HEAR AND HAVE A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN MORE AS, AS THE STAFF COMES BACK TO YOU IN A MONTH OR SO TALKING ABOUT SOME SPECIFIC PROGRAMMATIC TOOLS THAT MIGHT BE USED TO ADDRESS TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO WHILE I'M NOT NOW, YOU KNOW, GIVING YOU A PEEK UNDER THE COVERS, UM, I WILL SAY TO YOU THAT SO MANY OF THESE BIG PICTURE QUESTIONS ABOUT RELEVANCE, ABOUT LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD ABOUT, UH, BRINGING ARTISTS BACK.
YES, THE STAFF IS BRINGING BACK TO YOU SOME PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS, LIMITED BY FUNDING LIMITED BY THE CURRENT CLIMATE, MIND YOU, UM, BUT THEY'RE NOT TAKING THOSE THINGS LIGHTLY.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF YOU I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM, SO I'M GOING TO REACH OUT AND SAY, RICK, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT? UM, WELL, I'M INTRIGUED WITH, UM, KIMBERLY'S WHAT, WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
UM, MY FOCUS IS THAT ARTISTS ARE LEAVING AUSTIN.
UM, SO THE QUESTION CONCERN, UH, THAT BLACK ARTISTS ARE LEAVING, UM, HOW DID, UH, DO THEY FIT? I MEAN, I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT THOSE QUESTIONS ARE PROBABLY ISSUES FIT TOGETHER, BUT THERE MUST BE A DIFFERENCE TOO.
UM, SO WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ME, OR WHAT WOULD, UH, OR, AND, AND OPEN THAT TO ANYBODY FROM THOUGHTS, UM, HOW DID THOSE TWO THINGS FIT TOGETHER OR SEPARATE? I DON'T KNOW.
DOES THAT, DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE? I'M JUST REALLY INTRIGUED BY WHAT YOU SAID.
I WILL JUST ADD QUICKLY THAT THERE, THAT WE HAVE ALSO SEEN THAT NOT ONLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS, YOUNGER ARTISTS ARE LEAVING, UM, UM, ARTISTS, UH, THAT REPRESENT THE FULL DIASPORA OF, UH, OF THE AFRICAN CULTURE FROM THE CARIBBEAN AFRO CARIBBEAN ARTISTS OR COM CETERA, BUT ALSO LATINO ARTISTS AND HISTORIANS, UM, ARE LEAVING THE CITY AND FINDING WORK CREATIVE WORK IN, IN OTHER PLACES.
SO IT IS A, IT'S A HUGE CONVERSATION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT I THINK IT HAS UNEARTHED THAT DISCUSSION, UM, AS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY.
[01:05:06]
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.HEY, STEWS, IF YOU WERE ON HAND TO FIXING, UM, YOU KNOW, AND BEING, UM, IN THE ARTS FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN, WHAT, I'VE, WHAT I'VE REALLY SEEN IN, AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN MANY WAYS OVER THE YEARS IS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE MANY OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING, LIKE ARTISTS LEAVING ARE BLACK ARTISTS LEAVING.
I'VE HEARD FROM NUMEROUS MUSICIANS OVER YEARS OF LEAVING.
AUSTIN IS THE OVERALL VISION OF THE CITY ITSELF, THE CITY COUNCIL ITSELF, THE BIG PICTURE.
UM, AND IT FEELS IN MANY WAYS AS A COMMISSION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, DIVISION IS SO MANY, IT FEELS LIKE HANDS ARE TIED BECAUSE THE BIG VISION IS NOT SUPPORTING WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTS OF, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I DO HAVE A, UH, A MARGIE QUESTION, UM, IN CITIES OF, OF AUSTIN SIZE OR, OR, UM, WELL, JUST IN THE CITIES THAT YOU'VE, THAT YOU'VE DONE, YOUR RESEARCH, ARE THERE OTHER SITUATIONS WHERE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION OF A CITY IS THE OVERSEER OF ART SUPPORT? AND IF SO, WHERE? OKAY.
NOW YOU'RE TESTING MY MEMORY, BUT THE ANSWER IS YES.
I THINK AUSTIN WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TEST CASES FOR THAT.
UM, THANK YOU, MEGAN, SAN JOSE.
UM, ALSO, UM, DO YOU KNOW THAT A LOT OF WORK IS BEING DONE RIGHT NOW IN SAN DIEGO, LOOKING AT REALIGNING, UH, WHERE IT'S CULTURAL AFFAIRS DIVISION WILL GO, BUT, UM, OVER THE YEARS, AS YOU MAY WELL KNOW, THE ARTS HAVE COME AND GONE IN AND OUT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF DEPARTMENTS.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU GUYS WERE PARKS IN DALLAS, WE WERE IN PARKS TOO.
AND THAT KIND OF MIGRATED BACK.
I TELL YOU ANOTHER ONE THAT I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH IS SACRAMENTO IS UNDER THERE.
UM, UH, IT'S CONVENTIONS AND ECONOMIC.
AND, UM, THERE ARE PROS AND CONS, THE ARTS COMMUNITY IN SOME CASES REALLY LOVE IT.
IN OTHER CASES, THEY'RE LOOKING AT, THEY'RE SUGGESTING THAT BEING UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS JUST LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM LINE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN A SITUATION HERE IN AUSTIN WHERE YOU ALMOST HAVE TO BE THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS, UH, BECAUSE YOUR FUNDING COMES FROM SOME RESTRICTIONS, HOT TEXTS, UH, DOLLARS, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THE BEAUTY OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UMBRELLA IS THAT YOU'VE GOT LOTS OF SISTER DEPARTMENTS, UM, THAT YOU CAN CAN COLLABORATE WITH AND CREATE SOME SYNERGY WITH.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO THROW IN? YEAH.
UM, FIRST, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH MARGIE AND TEAM FOR WALKING US THROUGH THIS AS A NEW MEMBER THAT WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL IN, IN LEVEL SETTING AND GROUND SETTING AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THIS PROCESS CAME TO BE AND HOW IT UNFOLDED.
AND IT ACTUALLY ANSWERED QUITE A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD, UM, SENT TO STAFF AFTER READING THE INTERIM REPORT.
UM, AND I GUESS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS SLASH MAYBE A COMMENT OR RECOMMENDATION IS, UM, HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT PROCESS THAT YOU JUST WALKED US THROUGH AND KIND OF DOVETAILING ON WHOEVER ASKED THE QUESTION.
I THINK IT WAS COMMISSIONER GARCIA ABOUT WHO, WHO PARTICIPATED AND, AND I THINK THE LEGITIMACY AND THE WAY THIS IS RECEIVED, IT IS CLEAR HOW MUCH WORK TO ME, HOW MUCH WORK HAS GONE INTO THIS, BUT THE LEGITIMACY OF THE PROCESS DEPENDS ON THE BROADER COMMUNITY, UNDERSTANDING THAT ALSO, AND, AND NOT LEAVING ROOM FOR QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ANSWERED BY EVERYTHING THAT YOU JUST TOLD US ABOUT HOW THIS PROCESS, UM, WENT DOWN AND JUST MAYBE THAT'S COMING.
BUT I ECHO THAT THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE COMMUNITY FROM, FROM FRIENDS WHO ARE ARTISTS AND, AND THOSE WHO WORK OR RUN, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, IS ARE THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT LIKE, WHO PARTICIPATED? WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? PEOPLE ARE SCARED.
LIKE THE, SO THE INITIAL REACTION IS FEAR.
AND, AND THAT DOESN'T, I DON'T THINK WE CAN OVER COMMUNICATE AND BE TOO TRANSPARENT BECAUSE THE INITIAL REACTION IS GOING TO BE THAT HELPS CALM THE FEAR TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S POSSIBLE, BECAUSE
[01:10:01]
WE KNOW WE'RE UP AGAINST SOME REALLY CHALLENGING STUFF.UM, AND I JUST THANK YOU FOR WALKING US THROUGH THIS.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, I'M MAKING SURE I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.
UM, OTHER THAN JUST LIKE THINGS THAT I WROTE DOWN WAS LIKE US NOT MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T TAKE TRANSFORMATION, CHANGE POST DISASTER FOR GRANTED THAT WE DON'T LIKE EXPECT THAT THAT JUST HAPPENS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T AND HISTORY BEARS THAT OUT.
I MOVED HERE FROM NEW ORLEANS AND DID, UH, WORKED IN THE ARTS AND DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE POST KATRINA MOMENT.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF HOPE AND A LOT OF THAT HOPE FELL SHORT BECAUSE THE TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE WAS TAKEN FOR GRANTED, THE POSSIBILITY WAS TAKEN FOR GRANTED.
UM, AND THEN I WOULD JUST SAY THAT IDEOLOGICALLY, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE CITY BEING A VERY MAJOR FUNDER OF ARTS AND CULTURE.
I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE THE NORM IN THE UNITED STATES MORE BROADLY, BECAUSE I THINK WE SHOULD, HELL YES, WE SHOULD BE INVESTING PUBLIC DOLLARS IN SOMETHING AS CRITICAL AS ARTS AND CULTURE.
I THINK PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, IT PRESENTS A CHALLENGE LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THAT LIKE, I THINK MORE CITIES SHOULD BE INVESTING HEAVILY IN, IN ARTS AND CULTURE.
AND I'M PROUD THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS INVESTED SO MUCH.
LET ME JUST QUICKLY SAY THEN I'LL TURN IT BACK TO MICHELLE.
UH, IN TERMS OF WHO PARTICIPATED, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IT'S, IT'S SOMETIMES NOT WHO WAS AT THE TABLE, BUT WHO WASN'T.
UM, WE WERE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT PUBLIC MEETINGS, ONLINE MEETINGS WHEN WE HAD TO INVITING BROAD NUMBERS OF PEOPLE.
BUT EVEN BEFORE THAT, WE WERE INTENT ON SITTING DOWN AND TALKING WITH LEADERS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT REPRESENTED THAT SERVICED ARTISTS, FISCAL SPONSORS, INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS, ET CETERA, IN COMMUNITY LOCATIONS ON SATURDAY MORNINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS EARLY MORNINGS AND DURING THE WEEK.
SO AS MANY VOICES AS WE COULD HEAR FROM, WE REALLY TRIED HARD TO BROADEN THAT AND GET OUTSIDE OF CITY HALLS, SO TO SPEAK, UM, AND GO INTO NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS AND LOCATIONS THERE.
THE, THAT THERE'S, THERE IS A NEVER ENDING STRUGGLE AND BATTLE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME AND PARTICIPATE.
UM, UNTIL WE GET TO THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS, WHEN WE'RE STARTING TO PUT OUT SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER TOO LATE FOR US TO TALK TO SOMEONE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER TOO LATE TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE, BUT IT WAS OUR STYLE AS A TEAM AND OUR INTENT TO BROADEN THE CIRCLE.
UM, SO I'M LOOKING AT THE CLOCK, RIGHT? AND WE SPENT SOME EXTRA TIME ON THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO.
AND I, BUT I WANNA SORT OF BRING BACK TO COMMISSIONER CASTILLO'S POINT SOMETHING COMMISSIONER GARCIA SAID IN A QUESTION THAT COMMISSIONER FLORES ASKED EARLIER, THERE'S A SEPARATE PIECE OF THIS, WHICH IS THANK YOU.
MJR FOR YOUR INFORMATION ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS YOU PUT FORWARD.
THE NEXT PIECE THAT I THINK WE IN THE PUBLIC WE'RE GOING TO NEED HAS ACTUALLY A STAFF QUESTION, UM, WHICH IS HOW DO WE GET FROM THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE PUTTING FORWARD AS RECOMMENDATIONS? UM, THAT IS NOT A PIECE THAT NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED, I THINK, IN THIS SPACE RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO FIND A TIME TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION JUST SO THAT WE CAN TRACE THAT PROCESS FOR THE COMMUNITY AS CLEARLY AS WE'VE TRACED, GETTING UP TO THIS POINT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE THINK WE CAN DO AT A DIFFERENT TIME? IS THAT OKAY WITH EVERYBODY MR. FLORES? YES.
AND THANK YOU, HEIDI, FOR A COMMIT, UH, UH, YOUR EAR.
I THINK YOU ASKED THE QUESTION BETTER THAN I DID OR SAID IT BETTER THAN I DID, BUT I ALSO HADN'T HEARD WHEN MARGIE MADE HER PRESENTATION, UH, THE ACTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS, 1, 2, 3, AND I KNOW WE'RE FOCUSING A LOT, THE THREE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONE THAT DEALS WITH THE ACTUAL CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS. BUT I WANT IT TO HERE.
THIS IS RECOMMENDATION ONE, THIS IS RECOMMENDATION TWO.
THIS IS WHAT THESE ARE THE THREE.
AND THEN IN ANSWER TO WHAT YOU SAID, AND MAYBE IT IS A STAFF QUESTION, BUT I WANTED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT PUBLIC COMMENTS AND RESPONSE WAS ATTACHED TO EASE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THAT TRANSPARENCY THAT HEIDI WAS SPEAKING TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHAPED EACH OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, WAS IT AN OVERWHELMING, YOU KNOW, AND I, I READ THE REPORT, I'VE READ IT TWICE AND THREE TIMES BECAUSE YOU KNOW, MY BRAIN, I CAN'T PROCESS IT ALL, BUT, UM, I'M TRYING, AND I, AND I APPRECIATE IT, BUT I WANT TO KNOW HOW IT WAS DISTILLED TO SAY, OKAY, THE OVERWHELMING RESPONSE WAS ABOUT X AND THIS IS HOW WE DEVELOP ONE.
[01:15:01]
THE SECOND OVERWHELMING, YOU KNOW, THEN THAT'S HOW WE DISTILLED AND, AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSIONS FOR OUR RECOMMENDATION TOO.AND THEN SAYING WITH THREE, AND OF COURSE THREE HAS THE BIGGER LIFT BECAUSE THAT HAS ALL THE STUFF ABOUT OPERATIONALIZING AND CREAM, THE FUNDING PROGRAMS. AND THEN YES, HEIDI, THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WAY THOSE PROGRAMS WERE DEVELOPED AND MICHELLE AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS THAT THE DOTS ARE CONNECTED TO SAY RESPONSE EQUALS THESE CONCLUSIONS.
AND FOR ME, THAT'S REAL IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING IT AND MAKING SURE THAT THE JUSTIFICATIONS AND RATIONALE FOR EACH OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND EACH OF THE PROGRAMS WITHIN RECOMMENDATION THREE ARE JUSTIFIED AND DEFENSIBLE BECAUSE IT IS COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND I APPRECIATE THE MAKING THAT CONNECTION.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT AS EASY TO GO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO POINT FROM HERE TO HERE.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT ALL OF THE DATA DIALOGUE CONCERNS, COMMENTS HAVE BEEN WORKSHOPPED WITH THE STAFF, TAKING THAT OUT IN SOME CASES TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE REFINEMENT.
UM, AND NOW THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE THREE DIVISIONS, EVEN THAT'S ANOTHER LAYER OF HOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, ARE COMING TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING IS SIM SOMETHING AS, UM, NOT SIMPLE, BUT AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THAT WE HEARD MAYBE A LITTLE, THIS HELPS ME IS, WAS NOT THE PANEL PROCESS.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS, WE HEARD A GREAT DEAL ABOUT IT FROM LARGER ORGANIZATIONS, FROM INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, FROM ARTISTS OF COLOR.
SO PUTTING THAT IN ONE SYSTEMATIC BUCKET AND SAY, NOW, HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THAT? UM, AND SO MAKING A LIST OF HOW'S AND THE WHAT'S IN, IN OUR WORK SESSIONS, OUR WEEKLY WORK SESSIONS IS LEADING TO A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT RECRUITING, UH, PANELISTS FOR, TO SERVE TO SORT OF ALL THREE COMMISSION'S NEEDS.
SO THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE GOT GET FROM, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THIS ISSUE WAS PUT IT IN A, PUT IT ON A TABLE.
LET'S USE OUR, OUR THINKING AS ARTS ADMINISTRATORS, AS ARTISTS, AS FORMER PANELISTS, AS RESEARCHERS TO COME UP WITH, WHAT IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THAT? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE, AT THE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, HOW DO WE BUILD GREATER CONFIDENCE IN THE PANEL PROCESS FROM THE PUBLIC? SO A NUMBER OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT SAME PROCESS.
UM, AND SO IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SAY THAT THIS ONE IS FROM HERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU HEAR THE SAME CONCERN FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW AND A DIFFERENT VOICE, BUT IT HAS THE SAME BASELINE CHALLENGE.
SO I THINK THAT WE'RE, UM, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT AT NAUSEUM SOMETIMES AND TURNING THINGS UPSIDE DOWN.
AND THEN WHEN YOU HEAR FROM THE MUSIC DIVISION, DOES IT THIS WAY, THE HERITAGE TOURISM IS GOING TO NEED THIS KIND OF HELP.
I THINK THERE'S ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE THREE DIVISIONS IS GOING TO BE HELPFUL.
SO, UM, LOTS OF TALKING AND RESEARCH AND, AND WHAT IF, WHAT IF WE THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER SELENA, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE IN HERE? NOTHING THAT IS SO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN COMMUNICATED.
I THINK I'M REALLY IN LINE WITH A COMMISSIONER SMALL WALK ON THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T BE, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH TRANSPARENCY.
AND TO SEE THAT THAT WAS A PRIMARY WORD THAT SHOWS UP IN THAT WORD BUBBLE FROM THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT THE STEPS THAT WE'RE TAKING IN THIS MEETING IN THIS MOMENT TO CONNECT THE DOTS, TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION, TO BE ABLE TO RELAY WHAT EACH COMMISSIONER HAS BEEN HEARING FROM THEIR COMMUNITY, UM, DIRECTLY TO THE SOURCE, TO BE ABLE TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS AND ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING COMMUNICATED ACTIVELY.
I, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE RIGHT THERE AND DOING IT.
UM, AND SO, UM, I'M RIGHT IN LINE WITH EVERYBODY.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE, UH, THE TIME THAT WE'RE TAKING IN THIS PROCESS, COMMISSIONER WALLACH AND THEN COMMISSIONER GARZA.
IT'S JUST ON THE THEME OF, WE CAN'T BE TOO TRANSPARENT IS, AND I'M CERTAIN THAT SOME OF THIS IS MY IGNORANCE TOO, COMING BACK TO AUSTIN AND JUST NOT HAVING THE SAME BACKGROUND AS EVERYONE ELSE DOES, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
AND MAYBE THIS IS PART OF THE, WHEN THE GUIDELINES COME OUT IS BECAUSE THAT IS A NUTS AND BOLTS CONVERSATION, BUT WITH
[01:20:01]
RESPECT TO RACIAL EQUITY IN AUSTIN, IN THE ARTS, WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS THAT WE RECOGNIZED? WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS THAT WE CAN PUT TO THAT? BECAUSE CLEARLY WE LIVE IN A CITY, IN A STATE, IN A, IN A COUNTRY THAT DOES NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND, OR A LOT OF PEOPLE DENY THE NEED TO DO THIS WORK, THE NEED TO PRIORITIZE RACIAL EQUITY.THAT IS NOT, WE, WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THAT IS NOT AGREED UPON BY EVERYONE.
AND I KNOW I HAVE SEEN A NEW ORLEANS DOING SOME WORK AROUND CULTURAL EQUITY IS WHEN NUMBERS ARE PUT TO THESE THINGS THAT ARE VERY CLEAR, IT BECOMES HARDER AND HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO DENY THAT THE CHANGE IS BEING MADE OR NECESSARY.
I AM SURE THAT THIS DATA EXISTS SOMEWHERE AND I'M JUST UNAWARE OF IT.
AND I HAVEN'T SEEN IT OR SEEN IT, YOU KNOW, DEFINED WHAT THE CONTEXT, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY, UM, HELPFUL AND NECESSARY AS WE MOVE INTO, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS TO SAY LIKE, THIS IS WHY THESE CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE.
AND IT'S NOT JUST LIKE, UH, A MORE VAGUE IDEA ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY.
AND IT'S VERY CLEAR WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHY IT HAS TO HAPPEN NOW AND WHY WE CAN'T WAIT AND BE NEUTRAL ABOUT THIS ANY LONGER I CAN ASSURE YOU, UM, THAT, THAT DATA DOES EXIST.
MEGHAN ACTUALLY, UH, SENT US SOME REALLY WONDERFUL DATA SHEETS TO REMIND YOU, UM, AND PERHAPS WE CAN SEND THOSE OUT TO YOU.
THEY DIDN'T COME FROM US, BUT JUST LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF GRANTS, THE NUMBER OF DOLLARS FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A SET OF TANGIBLE DATA THAT WE CAN PUT ON THE TABLE AND THEN THERE'S THIS INTANGIBLE DATA.
AND EITHER ONE CAN BE IGNORED, EITHER ONE CAN BE USED AND FIND EXCUSES FOR.
SO, UM, THE FACT THAT, UM, THE LION'S SHARE OF FUNDING FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, UH, IN THIS CITY HAS TRADITIONALLY, UM, UM, EXCLUDED SOME COMMUNITY ARTISTS, SOME BASIC, SOME HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS, PARTICULARLY ARTISTS OF COLOR, LGBTQ ARTISTS, ET CETERA, UM, IS, IS BOTH A, A DATA FACT AND ALSO AN EMOTIONAL DRAIN KIND OF FACT, THE PROVING UP PROVING A PROVING UP, UH, CAN DRAIN, UH, THE ARTISTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY FROM HAVING TO GO THROUGH THAT.
UH, BUT THE DATA DOES EXIST ON BOTH SIDES.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE OUT MIGRATION OF ARTISTS, THAT'S DATA TO THAT, THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE GIVING UP AND NOT, YOU KNOW, ARTISTS ARE JUST, ARE JUST DECIDING, YOU KNOW, TO GET A JOB OR TO RELOCATE.
SO I DO THINK YOU'VE GOT SOME DATA THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE YOU GET, THAT WOULD BE POINTS, UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT, BUT I ALSO THINK YOU CAN JUST TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT, UM, THE EROSION OF CREATIVE PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY PEOPLE OF COLOR AND USE IT AS A DATA POINT AS WELL.
YEAH, I THINK ONE MORE LITTLE THING, JUST A SMALL LITTLE TIDBIT TO ADD ON THERE.
UM, I, I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHO HE GOT THIS FROM.
UM, BUT EVEN BACK TO THE CITY'S EQUITY STATEMENT THAT WE STARTED WITH THAT TALKED ABOUT RACE BEING, UM, EFFECTIVELY SAYING THAT STATISTICALLY A DETERMINANT AND OUTCOME, SO THAT POINTS TO REPORT THAT THEY'RE REFERENCING AND THE CREATION OF THAT.
SO I THINK, AND THOSE HAVE BEEN PEASANTS, MAYBE THE SAME NUMBERS WE'RE SPEAKING TO PREVIOUSLY, BUT, UM, YEAH, THAT SPEAKS TO THE ACADEMY ORIGINAL DATA THAT WAS COMING OUT IN THAT RACE WAS SEEN AS A DETERMINANT IN THE OUTCOMES OF THESE FOLKS IN THE AREA.
SO THERE'S DEFINITELY PORTS CONNECTED TO THAT, BUT TO MARGIE SAID THAT DATA IS ALWAYS EVOLVING AND THERE'S OTHER PIECES THAT HAVE STRENGTHENED THAT CASE AS WELL.
OVER YOUR HEART RAMP, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OUR EQUITY OFFICE HAS ALL KINDS OF DATA AND RACE AND DETERMINANT OF OUTCOMES WITH IT WHEN IT'S, UM, SOCIAL JUSTICE.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE THE DATA TO SUPPORT.
UM, AND REAL QUICK, BEFORE WE MOVE UP THIS, UM, AS A QUICK REFERENCE REFERENCE, WE'VE STARTED TO DO THIS WORK WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN PUTTING OFF.
WE STARTED EVEN AS EARLY AS LAST YEAR'S FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE EQUITABLE ECONOMIC RESILIENCY FRAMEWORK IN OUR FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THAT PRESENTATION IS ON OUR WEBSITE.
HOW DO YOU, I CAN SEND YOU THE DIRECT LINK.
I CAN SEND EVERYBODY THE DIRECT LINK, JUST AS A REMINDER OF KIND OF WHERE THAT DATA SHOWED UP.
UM, THERE'S SOME PIE CHARTS, THERE'S SOME, UH, REALLY GOOD KIND OF HISTORICAL TRENDING INFORMATION IN THERE, WHICH MIGHT BE A GOOD STARTING POINT FOR ANYBODY WHO KIND OF WANTS TO SEE WHERE WE WERE, WHERE WE'RE, WHERE WE ARE NOW, WHERE WE'RE GOING.
[01:25:01]
GREAT, UH, LOOKS LIKE COMMISSIONER GARZA HAS QUESTIONS AS WELL.I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT'S A GOOD REMINDER.
LIKE IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS, LIKE STAFF HAS STUFF LIKE THERE'S NONE.
THERE'S NO NEED TO WAIT FOR A MEETING.
JUST ASK STAFF FOR WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT.
ANYWAY, I JUST WANT TO REFLECT A LITTLE BIT ON SOMETHING YOU REALLY SAID ABOUT GOING TO THE WILDFLOWER CENTER BEING THE ONLY BLACK PERSON THERE COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, UH, ASKED ME TO GO TO A MEDIA
I SHOWED UP AND, UH, HERE I AM AT THE PARTICULAR CULTURAL CENTER AND I'M THE ONLY MEXICAN AMERICAN THERE.
UH, I TALKED TO MY COUNSELOR ABOUT IT.
HE SAID THAT BASICALLY SOMETHING THAT MARJORIE SAID, AND, UH, THERE'S A LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE PROCESS, OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S NOT ONLY THAT'S IN OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY, THAT'S IN OUR BLACK COMMUNITY.
THAT'S IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN OFTEN IGNORED.
UH, ONE THING I KNEW WAS ASKING ABOUT HOW DO WE GET MORE FUNDING FOR MORE ORGANIZATIONS? UH, UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF OUR, UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR COMMUNITIES DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO PROVIDE OR DON'T HAVE THEM IN EACH, IF TWO YARDS ARE GOING TO THEN JUST, I KNOW FOR A FACT, IN 2009, WHEN MY SON WAS A SENIOR AT EASTSIDE MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS 97%, A MINORITY, MAYBE 9% OF THE PEOPLES ARE ON FREE LUNCH PROGRAM.
WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE ABOUT MAYBE $17,000.
WHEREAS THE SCHOOL THAT I WORKED AT AUSTIN HIGH, UH, AND THAT WAS WITH ALL THE ATHLETIC PROGRAMS, THEY WERE HAVE BEEN RAISED OVER $250,000.
A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ABILITY TO GIVE MONEY, THE ABILITY TO HAVE SUPPORT, TO GET THE MONEY.
ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW SAN DIEGO DID IS THEY CHOSE THREE OF THEIR DISTRICTS FOR THE HIGHEST MINORITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GOT EXTRA FUNDING, SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS MOST OF THE INEQUITIES.
I BELIEVE IT WAS IN BOSTON WHERE THEY DID THAT, UH, NONPROFITS, THE NONPROFITS, AND THE WAY THEY PROMOTE IT, THERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY REALLY PROMOTE THAT AS A FUNDING SOURCE FOR ALL THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, NOT JUST LIKE YOU ALL LABORS IN ADDITION TO WHAT IS TYPICALLY THE FUN.
AND THE REASON THEY DID THAT IS BECAUSE TWO YEARS BACK, THEY HAD AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN AND THE HOT FUNDING SYSTEM THEY HAD WAS A FAILURE FOR THEIR ARTS COMMUNITY.
UH, AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY CAME UP WITH A NONPROFIT SYSTEM.
THEY ALSO CAME UP AND I HOPE THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOES THAT SOMETIME BECAUSE THEY DETERMINED THERE WAS A BASELINE THAT HURTS COMMUNITIES NEEDED FOR FUNDING.
AND SO THEY INCLUDED THAT AS A BUDGET ITEM, THAT DOESN'T CHANGE.
SO THAT BASE FUNDING IS A BUDGET ITEM, PLUS THE HOC FUNDS AND THEN THE JOINT, UH, FOUNDATION WHERE ALL THE CITY CONTRIBUTES INDIVIDUAL OR ARCHER, THEY CAN STILL GET MONEY, BUT THE BIG ONE THAT'S PROMOTED CITYWIDE AND YOU GET A LOT OF PROMOTIONS.
SO ALL THE BIG CORPORATIONS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE WHATEVER THE PEOPLE ON THE SIDE OF THERE, HERE IN AUSTIN, THEY GET CITY WIDE RECOGNITION FOR SUPPORTING THE NEW YORK, NOT JUST FROM, YOU KNOW, THE BALLET OR THE OPERA, OR, YOU KNOW, A SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION, BUT FOR THE WHOLE CITY.
SO JUST THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, SO COMMISSIONER GRAY AND THEN, UM, GUYS, WE'RE PAST OUR TIME ON THIS.
SO I WANT TO GET ACS COMMENT IN A QUESTION, AND THEN I WANT IT TO DO A SHORT, LIKE FOUR MINUTE BREAK, OR THEY DO IT LIKE STRETCH AND RUN TO THE RESTROOM IF YOU NEED TO OR WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO, AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A NICE LITTLE TIPPING POINT TO GET INTO THE NEXT PART OF THE CONVERSATION, WHICH IS HOW DO WE ENGAGE AND MOVING THINGS FORWARD AND HELPING TO REBUILD IN A NEW AND CREATIVE AND TRANSFORMATIONAL WAY.
SO COMMISSIONER BRAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER GARZA AND, UM, I BELIEVE AGAIN, THAT THE OVERALL CITY VISION AND EVEN A LINE ITEM BUDGET FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE IN AUSTIN IS I BELIEVE VITAL.
I THINK THERE ARE MANY ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CITY WANTS FROM ITS ARTISTS OR WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN REPRESENTS AND ITS ARTISTS.
AND I THINK UNTIL REALLY, AND TRULY THAT, THAT, UM, HAPPENS, UH, IN THE BIG PICTURE.
AND, UH, AS LONG AS IT STAYS IN A FLUCTUATING HOTBED SITUATION BASED ON TOURISTS, I THINK WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SITUATION.
I THINK OUR FOUR PILLARS ARE SOMETHING THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO HAVE CLEARLY
[01:30:01]
AND KNOW CLEARLY AS WELL AS HOW WE CAN GET THERE.AND I THINK THAT THE MORE THAT WE CAN HAVE OUR ARTISTS ENGAGED IN THIS AND THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE WILL BRING US TO THAT PLACE EVEN TO THE POINT.
AND I'D LOVE IT A LATER TIME WITH MARGIN TO DISCUSS THIS.
IF OUR PEER PANELISTS ARE TRULY OUR PEERS, THE ONES THAT LEAD AND ARE ENGAGED IN OUR AUSTIN COMMUNITY WITH THE SAME GOALS, WHAT DO WE WANT OUR CITY TO BE? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
FOUR MINUTES, FOUR MINUTE BREAK.
AND MY WORLD, WE SAY, THANK YOU FOR RIGHT MARGIE.
WE HAD ABOUT 15 SECONDS TO COME BACK IN AND WE ARE BACK.
I KNOW, BEAUTIFUL POWERPOINT THAT WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF.
AND I THINK WE'RE ON NOW TO SORT OF, WE'RE GOING TO SLIDE INTO OUR ROLE IN THIS CONVERSATION, BUT MARSHA, YOU'VE GOT SOME STEPS TO LEAD US THROUGH IN THAT REGARD.
AND WE WERE JUST TAKING OUR FOUR MINUTES TO, TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE KEEP THE EMPHASIS, BUT
[01:35:01]
SHADE DOWN.SO SAM LET'S, UH, LET'S PICK BACK UP, UH, AND I WILL TALK KIND OF FAST, UM, AS MICHELLE IS SAYING, UM, ALL OF OUR EMPHASIS COLLECTING DATA, TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE, INCLUDING EVERYBODY, IS LEADING TOWARD CREATING A STRONGER AND STRENGTHENING THE EXISTING CULTURAL SYSTEM IN AUSTIN.
WE ALSO, WE ACTUALLY HAD A REALLY WONDERFUL NEIGHBORHOOD BASED CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT A CULTURAL SYSTEM IS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY-BASED ARTISTS AND RESIDENTS COULD SEE THEMSELVES IN THIS PROCESS.
BUT THIS IS LIKE JUST FROM MY HEAD AS A, AS AN ARTS ADMINISTRATOR, WHAT THESE WHEELS LOOK LIKE.
THEY'RE IN CONTINUOUS MOTION, UH, POLICY, HIGHER LEVEL POLICY, SOME OF WHICH YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE TONIGHT, BUT LOOKING AT OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING AS A POLICY STATEMENT, BUT THEY'RE THE POLICYMAKERS, THE CITY COUNCIL, ET CETERA.
AND, UM, THEY PASS ALONG THOSE, UH, POLICY STATEMENTS TO WHAT WE CALL THE OPERATING CHIEFS MANAGERS, DEPARTMENT HEADS, UM, ET CETERA.
UM, AND ALL THE WHILE WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE USE THE TERM VOICES BECAUSE THAT'S A BROAD BUCKET ADVISORY BOARDS, COMMISSIONERS, ARTISTS, RENT SEEKERS, CONTRACTORS, ET CETERA.
AND THEN THE PROGRAM STAFF, THE PROFESSIONAL ARTS ADMINISTRATORS THAT YOU GUYS WORK WITH, HAVE THE DUBIOUS RESPONSIBILITY OF LISTENING AND THEN TRYING TO DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION STEPS.
SO ALL OF THESE PIECES AND TONIGHT, UM, BUT FOR THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THE ARTS COMMISSION, ITS ROLE, AS ONE OF THOSE VOICES AND ADVOCATE VOICE YOU GUYS REALLY SHOWED, UM, YOUR STRENGTH RECENTLY, UM, IN APPEALING TO THE COUNCIL WINNING, UM, A BATTLE IN THAT PROCESS OF TAKING FORWARD TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE NEEDS OF THE CONSTITUENTS THAT YOU REPRESENT.
SO IF, IF, IF THE COMMISSION THEN IS A REALLY BIG PART OF THIS SYSTEM, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SIDE, SLAM SAM.
WE WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT HERE NOW ABOUT WHERE YOU GUYS SIT.
UM, I SEE THE COMMISSION SITTING IN THAT INTERSECTION BETWEEN, BETWEEN THE POLICYMAKER AND THE IMPLEMENTATION TEAMS. SO YOU GUYS ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT.
YOU'RE THE VOICE THAT HAS TO HEAR AND PREPARE BOTH THE PUBLIC.
SOMEBODY TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU GO BACK TO YOUR, UH, TWO QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE RAISING ABOUT THIS PROCESS, UH, WITH A SENSE OF TRANSPARENCY.
I'LL GIVE YOU A TWO SECOND IMAGE VERSION OF WHY IMAGE IS IMPORTANT TO ME, THAT SPACE BETWEEN THE WATER AND THE LAND THAT VERY ORGANIC RICH SPACE KEEPS CHANGING AS, AS THE TIDE EBBS AND FLOWS AND BUTTS UP AGAINST ALL THE RICH MINERALS IN THE, ON THE SHORE.
YOU GUYS ARE IN THAT MIDDLE SPACE.
UM, YOU'RE NOT STAFF, YOU'RE NOT THE POLICYMAKER COUNCIL, BUT YOU'RE THE TEAM THAT WORKS TOGETHER TO REPRESENT THE CONSTITUENCY IN THIS CASE, THE ARTS, UM, CULTURAL INHERITED SECTOR.
UM, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT, SO, SO WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO NOW THAT YOU'VE, YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE BIG PICTURE THEMES THAT YOU'VE HEARD.
YOU'VE ALL ALREADY BEGUN THINKING ABOUT SOME POLICY DIRECTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO SHEPHERD FORWARD.
UM, AND YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THEIR CREATIVITY, THOSE FOUR PILLARS THAT YOU AS A COMMISSION HAVE DESIGNED.
SO WHAT'S NEXT TIME IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO INVEST.
AND WE HEARD FROM MANY OF THE ARTISTS OF COLOR IN PARTICULAR, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME.
WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE OUR TURN? BUT AT THE SAME TIME FROM SOME OF THE LARGER ORGANIZATIONS WE HEARD, WE'VE BEEN INVESTING TIME, WE THINK WE SHOULD BE, UM, KIND OF THE ANCHORS IN THE CULTURAL SECTOR AND CONTINUING TO GET FUNDING.
SO WHAT DO WE DO NEXT? HOW DO WE MOVE FROM HERE AS A COMMISSION, UM, IN CARRYING THE MESSAGES OF THIS PLAN FORWARD, UM, IN BEING THE LISTENER AND BEGINNING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE, UM, CAPITALIZE ON OUR THAT SPACE.
UM, SO THE WHAT NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME TENSIONS AHEAD, A LOT OF ANXIETY, AS WE'VE ALREADY SAID, I'M GOING TO ASK ASHLEY TO JUST HELP US THINK ABOUT ENERGY.
HOW DO YOU AS A COMMISSION, SAVE SOME ENERGY FOR THE END.
WE HEAR PEOPLE SAY THAT THIS WORK IS NOT A SPRINT, IT'S A MARATHON,
[01:40:01]
BUT IT'S REALLY A RELAY, ISN'T IT IT'S HANDING OFF IS DECIDING WHO'S THE BEST ANCHOR.UM, WHO'S THE FASTEST, WHO'S THE NEXT PERSON IN LINE TO CARRY US FORWARD.
I SEE A MICHELLE, AS I SAY, BEFORE YOU JUMP IN COMMISSIONER FLORES, DID YOU HAVE A QUICK QUESTION? OH, SORRY.
I DO HAVE A COMMENT ABOUT YOUR COGS AND YOUR WHEELS AND THEN THE POLICY PORTION.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE JUST THE SPACE IN BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
I THINK THE COMMISSIONS AND THE BOARDS ARE CREATED TO HELP MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCILS AND THEY CAN MAKE THEIR DECISIONS.
SO WE ARE IN THE CHAIN OF MAKING IN THE SENSE THAT WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY EITHER ACCEPT THEM, AMPLIFY, DO WHATEVER.
SO WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE PART THAT POLICY COG, AND WE'RE ALSO PART OF THE COMMUNITY VOICES COG.
WE ARE THE LISTENERS AND THE INTERPRETERS, BUT WE ARE ALSO CHARGED WITH GIVING COUNSEL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEM TO ABSOLUTELY WE ARE DELEGATED TO, AND SO WE CAN FEED UP TO THEM AS A WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT THEM.
WE TOTALLY ACCEPT THAT CLARIFICATION.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK YOU ALL TO JUST INDULGE ME FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS.
UM, I'M A TEACHING ARTIST AND I LOVE, UH, TO, UM, PUT THINGS INTO SOME FORM OF PHYSICALITY.
SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE TO, UM, JUST, UH, BE AWARE OF YOUR HANDS FOR A MOMENT.
UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE 10 SECONDS, 10 LITTLE SECONDS.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO CLASS BOTH HANDS TOGETHER FOR 10 SECONDS AND JUST BE AWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF YOUR HANDS CLASS TOGETHER IN TEN NINE, EIGHT SEVEN SIX FIVE FOUR THREE TWO ONE.
SO THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT'S REALLY SHIFTING ABOUT ENERGY.
SO I WANT TO NOW TAKE THAT SAME 10 SECONDS.
UM, AND WHEN I START TO COUNT DOWN, I'D LIKE FOR YOU, I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO NOW GENERATE SOME ENERGY BETWEEN THOSE HANDS.
SO WITH THE SAME 10 SECONDS, LET'S START TO GENERATE SOME ENERGY AND TEN NINE EIGHT SEVEN SIX FIVE FOUR THREE TWO ONE.
SO IF YOU'RE LIKE ME YOU'LL KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME FEET OR WE COULD EVEN CALL IT THERMAL ENERGY I'M BY NO MEANS A THERMAL DYNAMICS EXPERT.
I JUST THINK THAT, UM, MANY FORMS OF SCIENCE, AS WELL AS ARTISTIC THINKING CAN INFORM US.
UM, SO YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THAT HEAT OR THAT THERMAL ENERGY IS NOW PRESENT AFTER, UM, ADDING THIS ELEMENT OF, OR ADDING THIS FORCE RATHER IS THE CORRECT TERM, ADDING THIS FORCE OF FRICTION.
SO IN THIS KNOLOGY, THE SIGNIFICANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY TAUGHT.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT TIME.
UM, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR ANALOGY, THE SIGNIFICANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY TIME, BUT IN THAT HEAT ENERGY, UM, THAT WAS GENERATED OR HARNESSED, UM, DURING THIS TIME OF FRICTION, THIS KINETIC OR WORK ENERGY TRANSFORMING INTO THIS HEAT ENERGY.
SO AS MOVE AND CONTINUE INTO THIS PART OF THE CONVERSATION, I WANT US TO CONSIDER, UM, THE ENERGY THAT IS SPENT, UM, AND GENERATED DURING THIS FRICTION, THIS AREA OF FRICTION THAT WE, UM, AND SORT OF, UH, FIND OURSELVES IN.
SO BEFORE WE LAUNCH, UH, REALLY INTO THIS CONVERSATION, UM, AND REALLY HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS AROUND THIS, UM, SAM IS GOING TO INTRODUCE ONE MORE ADDITIONAL CONCEPT OF ENTROPY, UM, INTO THIS, UH, CONVERSATION, VERY SCIENTIFIC, UH, FOR A MOMENT.
SO WE WERE GOING TO DO A SHORT LITTLE VIDEO CLIP HERE, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE CLIFF NOTES, BURT, QUICK VERSION.
BUT ULTIMATELY WE WANT TO DO IS TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ENTROPY.
SO, UM, AS, AS YOU REFERENCED BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SCIENTISTS, BUT SOMETIMES WE LEAN TO THE, YOU KNOW, LOOK INTO THE ALTERNATE WORLDS TO BE ABLE TO GIVE US IDEAS OF GOOD THINGS.
WE COULD TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE BASED ON RULES, BUT WE SEE HOW THEY INTERACT
[01:45:01]
WITH PEOPLE, WORK WITH THEM.SO ACTUALLY MENTIONED THERMAL DYNAMICS, WE'RE TALKING FRICTION AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOMETHING AT REST AND SOMETHING IN ACTION AND HOW FRICTION CAN BUILD, AND YOU CAN FEEL THE HEAT.
AND EVEN AFTER THE FACT, YOU COULD STILL FEEL IT ON YOUR HANDS.
SO JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE IDEA OF AS WE START TO PUT FORTH ENERGY AS YOU ALL'S COMMISSIONERS.
AND WE ALL START TO THINK ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS AS THIS EVOLVES TOWARDS ROLLING OUR SLEEVES UP, UM, REALLY STARTING TO, TO PUT THIS WORK TO WORK.
UM, WE ALSO NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT TO MARGIE'S POINT HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ENERGY TO CARRY THIS THING THROUGH.
IF IT'S A RELAY, HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT THE RIGHT PERSON IS THERE TO HAND IT OFF TO ALL THOSE PIECES.
SO PART OF WHAT WE ALSO NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT IS THE INTERPRETABLE THING.
SO AS SOON AS WE START MOVING, THERE'S JUST GOING TO BE A NATURAL NATURALLY ORDER TENDS TO TURN INTO CHAOS, RIGHT? THE SAME REASON THAT MY FOUR YEAR OLD DAUGHTER'S CLEANING HER ROOM, UM, BY PLAYING IN THE ROOM, IT GETS DIRTY.
AGAIN, ACTION BRINGS CHAOS THE SAME WAY YOU CAN'T AND SCRAP UNSCRAMBLE AN EGG, UM, THE SAME WAY THAT BEST LAID PLANS.
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT NEVER QUITE GOES EXACTLY AS IT, AS IT'S PLANNING TO.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE MAKING SOME PLANS.
WE'RE THINKING THROUGH STARTING TO STRATEGIZE ABOUT WHAT THIS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN ACTION.
SO WHAT ENTROPY SHOWS US TELLS US IS THAT IT WILL NOT GO AS PLANNED.
CHAOS WILL FIND US DISORDER IS NATURAL.
CAUSE WE CAN START PLANNING TOWARDS THAT.
WE CAN START THINKING ABOUT HOW TO PUT OURSELVES IN THE BEST POSITION TO SUCCEED.
SO RECOGNIZING THAT, UM, A PLACE THAT HAS GAINED GOING BACK TO THE IDEA OF TRANSPARENCY, IF THINGS ARE NOT CLEAR, ENTROPY IS INCREASED.
THERE'S MORE CHAOS WHEN THERE IS NOT CLARITY.
SO IF WE CAN INCREASE OUR TRANSPARENCY, WE CAN LOWER THE CHAOS, LOWER THE ENTROPY.
IT LOWERS THE CHANCES THAT THIS THING GOES, ARRAY ARRIVED, SORRY, SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE.
AND SO ULTIMATELY THAT'S JUST WHAT THIS LITTLE PIECE WAS.
IT'S A FUN LITTLE TED TALK IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT LATER, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T AS GOOD TO I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT CHAOS ORDER.
THINGS LIKE THAT OFTEN RUIN A LOT OF BEST LAID PLANS BECAUSE THE ASSUMPTION WAS THAT THE PLAN WAS GOING TO GO OFF WITHOUT A HITCH.
SO AS WE START THINKING THROUGH, WE WERE TALKING BEFORE ABOUT WHAT IS FRICTION? WHAT ARE SOME HURDLES WE'RE GOING TO SEE ALONG THE WAY, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE INITIAL RESPONSES TO THESE STILL JUST THE IDEATION PHASE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE, THIS IS HOW CHAOS STARTS.
STUDENTS GET INTO THIS THING AND START TO PULL LITTLE PIECES APART.
IF WE CAN GO THROUGH TRENDS, THINK THROUGH HOW TO BE TRANSPARENT, THINK THROUGH HOW TO MAKE SURE OUR PLAN IS COMMUNICATED.
THAT IF THERE'S ONE PERSON THAT SOMETIMES SOMEBODY'S GOING TO NEED TO HAND OFF THAT BATON BECAUSE THEY THEMSELVES ARE GETTING A LITTLE CHAOTIC.
THEY NEED TO GO BACK, GET A DRINK OF WATER AND DECLUTTER THEIR MIND A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE START TO SEE A LOT OF THESE PIECES COME APART, A CHAMPION THAT WANTS TO CARRY IT ACROSS, BUT THEY'RE SO TIRED.
THEY SHOULD'VE HANDED IT OFF A WHILE AGO.
TELL, FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN LIMIT, UM, ALL THESE HURDLES THAT ARE GOING TO COME OUR WAY, BUT PLAN FOR THEM AND RECOGNIZE THAT OUR PLANS NEED TO BE PREPARED TO TAKE THIS THING ON, IN THE, IN THE SPIRIT OF ITERATION THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ADAPT AND ADJUST AS CHALLENGING PROBLEMS, THINGS COME OUR WAY, UM, AND RECOGNIZE THAT JUST NATURALLY THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO COME WAS MY COUPLE MINUTE VERSION OF THIS.
WE'RE TRYING TO, WE'RE TRYING TO SQUEEZE THIS LAST SIX MINUTES OUT AND SAVE A HALF OF THAT TIME FOR YOU.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE'VE CREATED A POLL FOR YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO SKIP THAT NOW IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, BUT WE DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT WHAT FRICTION DO YOU ANTICIPATE AS A COMMISSION COMING OUT OF THIS, THESE, UH, NEW DIRECTIONS THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT.
AND THEN HOW DO YOU HARNESS THE ENERGY OF THAT FRICTION? HOW DO WE HELP THAT THE CREATIVES IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE ART, THE AUDIENCES AND THE SUPPORTERS SEE THAT THIS SHIFT IS NATURAL AND IT'S GOING TO CAUSE SOMEONE TO BE OVERLY CAUTIOUS AND PROTECTIVE OF SAMENESS.
AND IT'S GOING TO CAUSE SOME OF US TO GIVE UP AND SAY, LET'S JUST LET, LET'S JUST LET THE FRICTION HAPPEN.
WE'RE GOING TO STAY STUCK IN THE, IN THE WAYS THAT WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW.
I DO WANT SAM TO SHOW YOU THOUGH, AS WE CLOSE, WE COULD DO A FULL WORKSHOP WITH YOU ON JUST THE TWO PIECES THAT WE'RE SKIPPING, BUT WE JUST WANTED YOU TO ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT FRICTION IS A NATURAL PART OF THIS PROCESS AND THAT ARTISTS OF ALL COLORS, BACKGROUNDS, SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, FAITHS, AND CULTURES ARE CREATIVE RESPONDERS AND ARTISTS ARE GOING TO KEEP MAKING THINGS.
THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE GUIDELINES ARE CHANGING AND THE FUNDING IS LESS, BUT WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU A REALLY BRILLIANT PROJECT
[01:50:01]
THAT WE RAN ACROSS THAT THIS COMMISSION, THIS CITY, UM, THIS, UM, OFFICE ARE SUPPORTED.SO SAM, ARE WE READY TO CUE THAT UP NOW? AND WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE.
TURN IT BACK TO MICHELLE AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE OF US OR WE'LL COME BACK ANOTHER TIME.
LOOKS LIKE WE'RE HAVING SOME TROUBLE FILTERING OR SOMETHING.
SAM, DO YOU HAVE THIS ON YOUR DESKTOP TOO? OR ARE YOU SHARING IT FROM YOUR DESKTOP FOR THE CITY HALL HABIT? NO.
IS IT NOT PLAYING ON Y'ALL'S END? IT'S REALLY SLOW.
SO WE'RE GOING TO PULL IT EXTENDED TO YOU TONIGHT SO YOU CAN WATCH IT AT HOME, BUT IT'S JUST A REALLY GREAT VISUAL OF SOME OF THE BRILLIANT YOUNG ARTISTS THAT YOU HAVE AND THAT YOU ARE SUPPORTING THEM.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE WILL CLOSE AND SAY, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD WORK WITH YOU.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND WE PULLED OUT A LOT OF IDEAS FROM THE STAFF CONVERSATIONS AND FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, AND THANK YOU TO SO NOVIA AND MEGAN FOR CONTINUING TO GUIDE US THROUGH THIS PROCESS, BUT WHERE WE ARE NOW IS THE BEGINNING AND THE POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE.
THE POTENTIAL FOR MAKING NEW THINGS HAPPEN FOR AUSTIN IS IN YOUR LAP AS POLICYMAKERS, AS LOU SAID, BUT ALSO IN THE MIDDLE, UM, SERVICING BOTH THE POLICYMAKER AND THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF THAT DOES THE IMPLEMENTATION.
MICHELLE, I'M TURNING IT BACK TO YOU.
WELL, I'M GOING TO OPEN THIS UP TO IF, UM, WE CAN, SAM, YOU CAN STOP SHARING SO I CAN SEE EVERYBODY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THIS UP TO COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS ON THIS SECOND SET OF THE SLIDE DECK.
THIS IS WHERE WE STARTED HAVING A CONVERSATION GUYS ABOUT WHAT OUR ROLE IS IN THIS PROCESS, UM, AND, AND WHERE WE PLUG IN AND WHAT'S COMING AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO FIRST IS FROM MARGIE ON THIS, ANYBODY OR FOR STAFF ON THIS, TO THIS POINT AC I CAN'T SEE YOU.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? UM, I'M SORRY.
UM, MARTY, I THINK WHEN THAT FELL IN THIS ENTIRE PRESENTATION, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
I WISH I WAS A PART OF THAT PROCESS AND IN THAT ROOM WITH THOSE ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO BE A PART OF THAT ENERGY, UM, AND I GUESS THE ENERGY THAT I FEEL AND WHERE I'M AT AS A CITIZEN, AS A COMMISSIONER, AS, UM, A PROFESSIONAL IS WHAT I, I THINK SOMEONE, I DON'T REMEMBER THE PERSON THAT SAID THIS.
SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE BIGGER PICTURE IN REGARDS TO AUSTIN.
AND I HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH EVERYONE.
THIS IS NOT A DIVERSE STATE CAPITOL.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THAT HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN ANY OF THE PRESENTATIONS THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE AS THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY ARCHIVIST AND AS A LIBRARIAN.
UM, AND I THINK THAT I DON'T HEAR THAT OFTEN WITH THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY, REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE ARTS, BECAUSE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ART AND WHEN YOU SEE ARTS, EVERYONE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT PALETTE OF COLORS AND THAT'S NOT HAPPENING IN AUSTIN.
THAT IS WONDERFUL, BUT THERE'S A BIGGER STORY AND PICTURE HERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE, AS A COMMISSION CAN FACE THAT IN THE FUTURE 20 22, 20 23, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO FACE.
SO, MARGIE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT IT'S A QUESTION THAT I ASKED EARLIER AND IT'S, IT'S STILL HERE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN ANSWER THAT IN ONE SESSION IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON.
AND IT'S A MAJOR FACTOR IN DISTRICT ONE AND ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS, ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS, I JUST TOLD YOU, I WENT TO THE BOTANICAL GARDENS YESTERDAY AND FOR TWO HOURS, THE ONLY PERSON THAT I SAW BLACK WAS MYSELF AND MY DOG.
WHO'S AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD AND BLUE HEELER.
SO THAT'S A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, COMEDY FOR YOU.
I CANNOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT THAT IS A QUESTION.
THAT'S THE POINT OF FRICTION FOR THIS COMMISSION TO DISCUSS FURTHER AND TO TAKE UP.
[01:55:01]
IT VERY CLEARLY, UM, FROM MANY OF THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TABLE.I TOO WENT TO THE ARBORETUM A FEW DAYS AGO, AND THERE WAS SO MANY AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES THERE WHO WOULD HAVE MADE YOU VERY HAPPY.
SO IT'S ABOUT INTENTIONALITY IS THE WAY YOU, YOU ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH INTENTIONALITY.
WHAT'S THE PLAN? HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD? BUT FIRST, DO WE ALL AGREE? AND AS A COMMISSION, YOU WILL WANT TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT, DO WE AGREE THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE TOP TWO OR THREE QUESTIONS THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS GOING FORWARD?
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SENT OUT AHEAD OF TIME, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO SORT OF SET THE FRAME FOR HERE'S WHAT WE'VE SAID, WE VALUE, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE THE FOUR PILLARS, CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP, AND SURE.
MAYBE THAT'S THE TOP ONE GUYS.
MAYBE WE REORDER OUR FOUR PILLARS, FOSTER COLLABORATION INSPIRE EVOLUTION.
UM, THE FUNDING WORKING GROUP, UM, WHO SAID, WE WANT OUR FUNDING TO BE CONSISTENT WITH CAD FUNDING, PROGRAM GUIDELINES, UM, CONSISTENT WITH RESPECT TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE PEER PANEL PROCESS AND SCORE CURRENT MEDICAL, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE AND ITS FUTURE AND INCARNATION, OR IF IT EVEN EXISTS IN THIS FEATURE AND COORDINATION, CONSISTENCY WITH MATRIX PARAMETERS USED IN THE PAST.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO REVISIT, UM, THAT THE FUNDING PROCESS BE SOUND AND DEFENSIBLE? ABSOLUTELY.
AND TRANSPARENT, ABSOLUTELY TRANSPARENCY.
I ADDED BY THE WAY, AND THEN THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MISSION AND GOALS, WHICH SAYS, AND I'M READING THIS NOW, JUST AS A REMINDER, IN CASE YOU DIDN'T GET TO READ IT, BUT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FRAMING THIS CONVERSATION THAT THE CITY ENVISIONS A CULTURALLY VIBRANT CITY WHERE ARTS CULTURE AND CREATIVITY ARE AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF A VIBRANT, DIVERSE COMMUNITY AND AN EQUITABLE THRIVING ECONOMY.
AND WE SAY THE CITY ENVISIONS A CULTURALLY VIBRANT CITY WHERE ARTISTS AND CULTURE, CREATIVE ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS ALL DISCIPLINES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL WORK AND PROVIDE A ROBUST SELECTION OF ACTIVITIES TO A WIDE AUDIENCE, INCLUDING RESIDENTS, VISITORS, AND TOURISTS, AND A CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH CULTIVATES AND ATTACK ATTACKS A DIVERSE WORKFORCE OF BUSINESSES THAT VALUE THE ARTS CULTURE AND CREATIVITY.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE IN WRITING.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SAID WE WANT.
AND WE WERE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
AND THEN THE GOALS FOR ALLOCATION OF FUNDS, HISTORICALLY SUPPORT ARTS CULTURE AND CREATIVITY AS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT.
THERE'S THAT WORD AGAIN, OF A VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
ALSO THAT WORD AGAIN, AND AN EQUITABLE THRIVING ECONOMY PRESERVE THE UNIQUE CHARACTER AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF AUSTIN.
ALL OF IT, RIGHT? NOT JUST THE WHITE PARTS, UM, EQUITABLY SUPPORT ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS OF ALL DISCIPLINES AS THEY ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL WORK.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE WRITTEN DOWN.
NOW, THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE, IS THIS WHERE WE ARE? IS THIS THE VISION? IS THERE A BROADER CONVERSATION TO BE HAD ABOUT THAT? UM, IS THERE SOMETHING IN HERE THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT? I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT FRAMEWORK.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE IN WRITING.
AND GO AHEAD, COUNSELOR WORDS.
I HIT SEVEN 30 AND I'M DONE, UM, COMMISSIONER CHRISTIE.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO PROMOTE ME AGAIN.
UM, SO AT FIRST BLUSH, I FEEL LIKE THESE 1, 2, 3, THESE FOUR DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO US AHEAD OF TIME.
IT'S A LOT, IT'S A LOT OF WORDS.
AND I FEEL THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO IDENTIFY THE PRIORITIES AND MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE ALIGNED MUCH LIKE THE COUNCIL'S BUDGET PROCESS, WHERE THE MAYOR IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW, THE FOUR PRIORITIES AND OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE MUSIC COMMISSION WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE PRIORITIES WITH THEIR FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS.
I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SIMILAR THINGS WITH THESE DOCUMENTS, UM, WHERE, UM, I FULLY ADMIT THIS, THIS IS MY BED, BUT I, IF YOU HAD ASKED ME YESTERDAY, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECITE YOU THE MISSION OR GOALS OF CAD, THE FOUR PILLARS.
THOSE HAVE BEEN RUNNING AROUND IN MY HEAD FOR THE PAST.
HOWEVER MANY YEARS WE'VE HAD THESE IN PLACE OR HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THEM.
BUT, AND I WAS AWARE OF THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF OUR FUNDING WORKING GROUP, BUT THE CAD CAD STAFF ARE NOT CAN STOP THE CAD MISSION AND GOALS CAN NOT, CAN NOT TELL YOU.
[02:00:02]
OKAY.AND THAT I THINK IS TELLING RIGHT.
IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE AT THE DROP OF A HAT, THAT MEANS THE COMMUNITY CAN POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE AT THE DROP OF THE HAT.
UM, AND I THINK ACL WAS THAT YOU WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT DANCE WE'RE DOING.
WE DON'T, IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT DANCE WE'RE DOING, WE CAN'T GET THE STEPS.
UM, AND COMMISSIONER GREY, ARE YOU ABLE TO UNMUTE? I THINK SHE'S GOT SOME CONNECTION ISSUES.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? AND CAN YOU UNMUTE, UM, LET ME JUST HAVE THE TEXTUAL, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO YOU THOUGH.
OTHER THOUGHTS, COMMENTS, WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR ACL TO RECONNECT, RICK, WHERE ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? ARE YOU WAITING ON ME? OH, THERE YOU ARE.
YEAH, THE VIDEO AND EVERYTHING IS KIND OF GOING IN AND OKAY.
DID WE LOSE YOU AGAIN? ACL? WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? THERE YOU ARE.
THE OVERALL PICTURE, WHAT DOES AUSTIN WANT AND HOW CAN THAT INFORMATION OF WHICH MARGIE AND HER TEAM HAVE, HAVE BROUGHT SO MUCH INFORMATION TO, ARE WE, IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE SUPPORTING, HOW CAN WE SUPPORT IT? IT'S NOT JUST POLICY.
IT'S A REFLECTION OF WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON.
AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT UNTIL WE KNOW THAT UNTIL ARTISTS FEEL WELL AND STILL FEELS WELCOME INTO THE SITUATION, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY ARGUMENT OR FRICTION IN THE SENSE THAT WE NEED EQUITY, BUT UNTIL WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, HOW CAN WE SUPPORT WHAT IS NEEDED? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I JUST WANT TO THANK KIMBERLY FOR A STATEMENT ABOUT HOW OUR ART PROCESSOR IN AUSTIN IS.
THERE'S A WHITEBOARD PROCESS AND I DO BELIEVE SHE'S ACTUALLY RIGHT.
UH, AND THERE'S AT LEAST FOUR EXAMPLES THAT I CAN THINK OF.
UH, HE WILL HAWK A SCULPTURE DOWNTOWN, UH, FOR PUBLIC SQUARE, THE, UH,
AND THEN THE, UH, ONE, UH, PARKER, UH, THESE ARE ALL APPROVED THROUGH ART IN PUBLIC PLACES.
AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE ART, PUBLIC PACES AND THE ABILITY TO KNOW THE ENGINEERING, TO KNOW THE ARCHITECTURE AND THE KNEES ARE REQUIRED FOR PUBLIC ART HERE IN AUSTIN.
THANK YOU, ART PUBLIC PLACES FOR THAT, THAT WORK.
HOWEVER, THE SCULPTURE AND WE'LL HOP GOING, AND THE WARNER PARKER'S SCULPTURE, THOSE ARE FINE, BUT THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY ZERO REFLECTION ON THE NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURES OR THE INDIGENOUS CULTURES HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND IN CENTRAL TEXAS ALTOGETHER.
UH, YOU KNOW, DOES IT REFLECT THOSE PEOPLE AT ALL? UH, MY CULTURE IS NOT OPINION.
UH, CULTURAL REPRESENTS A LOT MORE THAN THAT.
AND A LOT OF THE ARTISTS I'VE MET COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT I KNOW OF TELLS INSULTED BY THAT AND THE STATEMENTS THEY MADE.
WELL, WHAT'S THE POINT OF MAKING A STATEMENT OR TRYING TO MAKE A STATEMENT WHEN THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO JUST PICK THE WHITE ARTIST AND LET THEM INTERPRET WHAT OUR CULTURE IS.
AND SO WE NEED TO BE MORE COGNITIVE AND MORE SENSITIVE ABOUT THE TRADITIONS AND THE HISTORIES OF OUR CULTURES AND EVERYTHING THAT WE SELECT.
AND OUR FUNDING IS SELECTED OURS RD.
OUR ARTISTS ARE SELECTED AND ESPECIALLY IN THE PUBLIC ARTWORKS THAT REPRESENT OUR CITY'S PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT CULTURE REALLY IS HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND SO THAT'S JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, AND I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU AND MICHELLE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AS AN ARTS COMMISSION, IS IT, YOU KNOW, OUR
[02:05:01]
ONLY DUTY TO LOOK AT POLICIES AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, OR ARE WE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY? UM, AND I THINK THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LADY'S NAME, WHO JUST, SHE, HER, UM, CALL WAS GOING IN AND OUT, BUT I HEAR HER SPEAKING TO WHAT I'M THINKING, UM, AS IT PERTAINS TO THE BIGGER PICTURE OF AUSTIN AND THE ARTS, BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT AUSTIN BEING AN ENTITY THAT FUNDS PRETTY MUCH ALL THE ARTS, THAT MEANS THEY CONTROL THE NARRATIVE AS WELL.SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY FIGHT EVERY DAY AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, ARCHIVIST AND LIBRARIAN IS TO, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY NECESSARILY GO AGAINST IT, BUT I HAVE TO GO AGAINST IT BECAUSE THAT'S THE TRUTH.
SO WHAT ARE WE TO DO AS COMMISSIONERS WITH THAT TRUTH? ARE WE TO SPEAK TO THAT TRUTH AS COMMISSIONERS? ARE WE JUST SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TO LOOK AT POLICY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, OR THE ARTS? I DON'T THINK THEY'RE SEPARATE.
THAT'S MY FIRST ANSWER, BUT A, UH, FOR CASTILLO, UH, YEAH, I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THIS.
SO COMMISSIONER KEEGAN, NOT IF WE REFER BACK TO, TO WHAT'S WRITTEN IN, IN CITY CODE ABOUT WHAT THE ARTS COMMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO DO, IT'S THREE THINGS, UH, ADVISE COUNCIL ON CULTURAL FUNDING, ADVISE COUNCIL ON THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM AND ADVISE COUNCIL ON ANYTHING ARTS-RELATED HAPPENING IN THE CITY.
AND I FEEL LIKE, UH, IN RECENT HISTORY, THE ARTS COMMISSION, A FOCUS HAS BEEN ON THE FUNDING AND AIPP, UH, AND I THINK IN THE LAST, LIKE TWO YEARS, IT'S REALLY BEEN ABOUT ANYTHING ARTS RELATED.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT IN THAT'S WHERE, WHERE WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE LARGER CONVERSATIONS AND, AND LOOK AT NEW SOLUTIONS AND, AND BRING THESE, THESE, UM, IGNORED VOICES THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, LEAVING OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION FOR SO LONG.
LIKE THAT THAT'S WHERE I THINK OUR POWER IS RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S WHERE THE, THE EXCITEMENT IS, IS LIKE, YES, TO EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID YES TO EVERYTHING.
COMMISSIONER GARZA SAID, LIKE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
WE, AND WE JUST NEED TO SHIFT, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST THE FUNDING.
IT'S NOT JUST, AIPP, IT'S NOT JUST POLICY.
WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING, ARTS AND CULTURE RELATED.
AND WE NEED TO LET COUNCIL THAT WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO US.
AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN TONIGHT, LIKE I'VE SAID THIS IN MULTIPLE MEETINGS WHERE WE CAN'T, IT CAN'T JUST BE, UM, THE ARTS GOING AFTER THESE, THESE, UM, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH AND ASKING CORPORATIONS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE INVESTMENT OF THE CITY.
IT HAS TO BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH MUSIC, WITH, UH, HERITAGE, WITH OUR CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE WITH, WITH OUR UNIVERSITY.
LIKE IT HAS TO BE LIKE PEOPLE ARE MOVING HERE BECAUSE OF THE CULTURE OF AUSTIN.
WELL, IF WE'RE THE CULTURE, WE NEED TO BE DRIVING THAT CONVERSATION.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A GROUP THING.
BUT TO YOUR, TO YOUR COMMENT, WE CAN GO BACK TO WHAT'S WRITTEN IN CITY CODE AND JUST PUT THE EMPHASIS ON EVERYTHING ARTS RELATED 100%, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE WORKING GROUPS THAT WE HAVE GOING RIGHT NOW, IT'S ABOUT MOVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS FORWARD.
UM, THE COMMISSION WITH CASTILLO IS SHARING THE GROUP RIGHT NOW WITH QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS AND MUSIC.
AND, AND SO TRYING TO EXPAND THAT CONVERSATION.
SO WE'RE ALL WORKING COLLECTIVELY TO ELEVATE THE, THE STATURE AND THE ENGAGEMENT IN ARTS MUSIC AND CULTURAL CROSS, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AS A CITY.
UM, WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO END UP HAVING A STUB AND WHATEVER THE NEW LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE LOOKS LIKE OVER TIME, UM, THAT ARTS WILL BE ARTS MUSIC AND CULTURAL WILL BE PART OF THAT AS A CORE.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF THIS BODY AND OUR ABILITY TO ELEVATE CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE HAPPENING IN OTHER PLACES IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT IS A CORE OF WHAT WE DO.
HERE'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
GUYS, THE CHALLENGE FOR US IS IT'S A VERY, VERY CHALLENGING TIME RIGHT NOW, EVERYBODY'S SCARED.
AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS ON FIRE.
IT'S EASY TO GET DISTRACTED FOR THIS IMMEDIATE FIRE.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE CANNOT LOSE TRACK OF THE BIGGER VISION AND THE BIGGER GOAL, UM, TO COMMISSIONER, REGARDLESS THE POINT ABOUT THE AIPP, UM, PROJECTS THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, THE NEEDLE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY IN AD QP IN TERMS OF REPRESENTATION ACROSS ALL, ALL AREAS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S SUPER EXCITING.
THINK ABOUT JUST THE WORK WITH, UM, AUSTIN FC, WHICH AD PT WAS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN
[02:10:01]
AND HOW INCREDIBLY DIVERSE THOSE ARTISTS ARE AND THE KIND OF EXPOSURE THEY'RE GETTING AND FUNDING THEY'RE GETTING THROUGH THAT PARTNERSHIP.THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT AND ELEVATING ALL THE TIME AND BUILDING ON JUST FOR STARTERS, COMMISSIONER FLORES.
I WAS JUST GONNA THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I SHELL THAT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT, UH, WHAT THE LIPA SAID, AND I THINK, AND, AND TO KIMBERLY'S POINT ABOUT WHERE, WHAT BESIDES POLICY, BUT I THINK THROUGH POLICY OR THROUGH, UH, REVIEWING MAYBE THE AIPP PERSPECTIVE, JUST LOOKING BEFORE AND NOT SAYING WE'RE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT MAKING SURE THAT THE PROCESS OF THE MAKING OF THE RECOMMENDATION IS, IS, IS, UH, IS RESPECTING THE CULTURES AND NOT HAVING, YOU KNOW, DOING THE CULTURAL APPROPRIATION AND MAKING SURE THAT SOMEHOW SOME WAY THAT AHEAD OF THE GAME, UH, IT'S, IT'S PAY MORE ATTENTION TO, AND MICHELLE'S RIGHT.
THE NOODLE HAS THE PEOPLE, THE NEEDLE HAS SHIFTED IT'S IN THE MIDDLE.
IT REALLY HAS, BECAUSE I WAS PART OF THAT PROCESS WITH THAT.
WELL, HOW COME BIRD? AND I VOTED AGAINST IT, AND THAT WAS MY PREROGATIVE BECAUSE OF WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT HAD, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS TO, IN MY OPINION, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, WASN'T CORRECT.
AND SO, UM, WE DO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AND WE, AND IT, IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RESPECTING THE UNIQUE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF AUSTIN.
WE'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL THAT IT IS IN FACT, THE HISTORY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF AUSTIN SPOKEN BY THE, THE FOLKS.
AND THAT COMES THROUGH REPRESENTATION THAT COMES WITH MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER GUIDELINES ARE USED IN SELECTING ARTWORK ARE LOOKED AT BEFOREHAND SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE EQUITABLE AND THAT THEY WILL BE CULTURALLY WAY APPROPRIATE.
THAT'S YOUR MOM? UM, I'M JUST SITTING HERE TRYING TO THINK.
AND I WAS REMINDED BY, UM, COMMISSIONER STEELE THAT THE THREE THINGS THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO ADVISE OUR, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS OF FUNDING, THEY API.
AND THE THIRD ONE, I THINK THIS IS THE TIME THAT WE PUT THE THIRD ONE AS PRIORITY, BECAUSE IF WE LOOK AT THE CHARACTER OF EACH CITY, SO WE WANTED TO LOOK AT THE CHARACTER OF AUSTIN.
IF I WERE JUST MOVE INTO AUSTIN, WHAT DO I SEE IN THE API PROJECT, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE CITY? AND WHAT DO I SEE, UH, IF I WANT TO ATTEND SOME PERFORMANCE AT THE LONG CENTER, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU GUYS, I WANTED TO GO AND SEE BALLET, WHO, WHO ARE THE PERFORMANCE? YOU KNOW, IF I WANTED TO HAVE A MUSIC, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH THE SYMPHONY, WHAT KIND OF MUSIC, YOU KNOW, UM, IS REPRESENTED THERE? YOU KNOW, SO THOSE, THAT, THAT IS A MESSAGE OF EITHER VISUAL AUDIO, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, SENSES, YOU KNOW, SO IF I WAS A STRANGER COMING INTO AUSTIN TO, I SEE DIVERSITY, DO I SEE INCLUSION? YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THIS IS SORT OF LIKE A TICKING, A INFANTRY, YOU KNOW, UH, ABOUT WHO WE ARE, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW, HOW CULTURAL ARTS AND HOW CREATIVE ARTS, ARTS, YOU KNOW, HOW ALL THOSE CREATIVE PRODUCTS ARE REPRESENTED HERE.
YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY NOW THAT WE ARE HYPERSENSITIVE RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, HYPERVIGILANCE RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, ABOUT INEQUITY, ABOUT RACISM, ABOUT OPPRESSION.
SO NOW WE'RE INTO ALL OF THESE ARE INTO OUR CONSCIOUSNESS.
SO MAYBE THIS IS TIME TO REALLY TAKE INFANTRY AND LOOK AT YOU KNOW WHAT I'M NOT REPRESENTED OR WHAT ARE OVERLY REPRESENTED WHEN IT DOESN'T, UM, MEASURED TO THE
[02:15:01]
COMPOSITION OF THE PEOPLE HERE.UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, SO MAYBE, MAYBE IT'S NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
I THINK WHEN WE ARE TAKING INVENTORY ABOUT, UM, WHAT ARE REPRESENTED, WHAT ARE THE PRODUCTS ARE PRESENTED, THEN WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATION ABOUT FUNDING.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATION, UH, ABOUT THE AAPI, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PROPOSALS, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK MAYBE THIS IS THE TIME TO LOOK AT THE THIRD, UM, DUTY OF US, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, PUT IN SOME CHANGES AS TWO MINUTES, PUT IN SOME, UM, I DIDN'T KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, IMPROVEMENT, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUNDING, IN THE AAPI PROPOSAL, BUT WE HAVE TO DO THE THIRD ONE SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN TAKE MEASURE ON THE FIRST AND THE SECOND OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
I WOULD OFFER THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE ON THE TABLE NOW BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF MJR AND, AND THAT, AND THAT WHOLE PROCESS IS THE BEGINNINGS OF THAT.
NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT COMMISSIONER CASTILLO SAID, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN SHIFTING TO THAT MINDSET OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT AS WE'VE BEEN SHIFTING TO, THROUGH THAT MINDSET, A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ARE ALSO DOING THAT WORK, UM, AND, AND UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONE IS IN THEIR OWN PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO EQUITY AND DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND UNDERSTANDING AND AWARENESS.
UM, AND THE ARTS IS A PARTICULARLY PRIVILEGED FIELD.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME DEEP, DEEP WORK TO DO.
UM, AND WE NEED TO LEAD IN THAT SPACE.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING.
AND BY LEADING IN THAT SPACE, THEN WE MAKE IT MORE POSSIBLE FOR, FOR, TO ADVANCE THAT PROCESS.
I THINK, I THINK OUR GOAL HAS TO BE, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS? IF WE WANT TO BE THE MOST LIVABLE CITY IN THE COUNTRY, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS THE MOST CREATIVE, ARTISTIC, VIBRANT CITY IN THE COUNTRY? THERE'S THAT WORD AGAIN? COMMISSIONER SMALL BOX.
I WANT YOU TO SET THE RISK OF BEING OUT OF LINE, UM, SAY TO YOU THAT THE, THE, THE ENERGY THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU'RE USING NOW TO TALK ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY IS REALLY POSITIVE AND HIGH ENERGY.
I WOULD SAY TO YOU AS COMMISSIONERS.
UM, YOU GUYS NEED TO KEEP THE MAIN THING.
THE MAIN THING, IF THE MAIN THING IS RACIAL EQUITY IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO SUPPORT CREATIVITY, THAT IS THE MAIN THING, UM, YOUR, YOUR STAFF IS GONNA, IS GOING TO COME TO YOU WITH, WITH SOME VERY INNOVATIVE AND INTERESTING WAYS TO IMPLEMENT THAT DIRECTION.
THE CITY COUNCIL IS ALREADY SET.
WHAT IT THINKS IS AN ASPIRATIONAL GOAL.
UM, YOUR JOB IS, AND MICHELLE AND INDEED, WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS OUR NORTH STAR AS A COMMISSION? AND YES, YOU CAN, UM, ADVISE ON GRANT PANELS AND, YOU KNOW, THE TACTICAL THINGS, BUT YOUR TEAM AS YOU ARE THE TEAM OF VISION MAKERS, THIS, THE TEAM THAT SET THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION, THAT'S THE ROLE OF THE COMMISSION.
SO I DON'T WANT TO EVER SAY TO YOU, DON'T GET INVOLVED IN THIS OR IGNORE THAT.
WHAT I DO WANT TO SAY TO YOU IS YOU GUYS ARE A POWERFUL VOICE AND IT WILL TAKE COURAGE AS A GROUP.
IT WILL TAKE COURAGE TO SAY, AS FOR US, FOR THIS CITY, AS OUR COMMISSION, OUR NORTH STAR IS, IS ENFORCING OUR OWN PASSION FOR EQUITY, ENFORCING THAT AND TALKING ABOUT IT ON EVERY STOOP AND PILLAR AND CITY COUNCIL PODIUM, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU CAN, AND THE RELAY IMAGE, LET MEGAN LEE, THIS LET THE COUNCIL MEMBERS LEAD THAT LED THE TASK FORCE.
YOU DON'T HAND IT OFF HAND THAT BATON OFF SO THAT YOU GET THE FULL USE OF EVERYONE'S ENERGY
[02:20:01]
BECAUSE THE TENSIONS ARE NOT GOING TO STOP.AND THE DISTRACTIONS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE ME, MINE, MY OWN.
AND WHAT I HEAR, YOU'RE SAYING, WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING NOW IS IT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, UM, EMBRACING THE IDEA OF INCLUSION AND IT WILL TAKE COURAGE FOR YOU TO STICK TO THAT AND TO MAKE THAT YOUR NORTH STAR.
UM, SO I JUST COULDN'T HELP, BUT TAKE THAT ONE WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOU GUYS.
I REALLY HAVE APPRECIATED THE CHANCE TO LISTEN TO YOU AND WORK WITH YOU GUYS OVER TIME.
UM, AND I HAVE THIS, THESE YOUNG PEOPLE IN MY EAR, THE ASHLEY'S AND THE SAM'S AS LYNN JAMES, THAT KEEP REMINDING ME ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE ON AND ON WHAT I SAY TO THEM IS THIS COMMISSION'S WORK IS, IS, UM, IT'S A STATE FOCUS ON INCLUSION AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE THE WATCHDOG FOR THAT.
THANKS, MARGIE, COMMISSURE, SMALL DOG.
WELL, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO FOLLOW UP.
UM, I THINK WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS ABOUT THAT THIRD NUMBER THREE, AND LIKE RELATED TO THIS IDEA OF OUR NORTH STAR IS LIKE HOW WE, AND I KNOW, I KNOW THAT THIS GROUP HAS BEEN DOING THAT, BUT HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO SAY THAT WAGES ARTS ISSUE AND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS AN ARTS ISSUE.
LIKE I READ THESE, YOU KNOW, STUDIES THAT JUST CAME OUT.
I SAW IT ON CNN, BUT I'M SURE IT'S BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE ABOUT MINIMUM WAGE OR NEEDING TO WORK 145 HOURS A WEEK TO AFFORD A TWO BEDROOM HOUSE IN AUSTIN AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AUSTIN.
AND LIKE, WHEN I READ THAT BECAUSE OF MY LENS, I THINK THAT'S AN ARTS ISSUE.
THAT'S CATEGORICALLY AN EQUITY ISSUE, AND IT IS AN ARTS ISSUE.
AND HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO KEEP, I THINK THAT'S PART OF NUMBER THREE, LIKE KEEPING THAT, DEFINING WHAT OUR NORTH STAR IS AS YOU PUT IT MARGIE, WHICH WAS SO PERFECT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY THINKING SELENA, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING, BUT THE ONLY THING I'D ADD, UM, TO ALL THE AMAZING THINGS HAVE BEEN SHARED AND SAID, UM, IS THAT OUR ROLE IS ALSO TO BE THIS RESOURCE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING NOW AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SHOWING UP TO MEETINGS, OR THAT HAVE NEVER SHOWED UP TO MEETINGS, THAT IF YOU READ SOMETHING OR THERE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S UNCLEAR, OR YOU NEED FOR THE CLARIFICATION THAT WE'RE ALWAYS HERE, THAT STAFF IS ALWAYS HERE.
CAD HAS STANDING OFFICE HOURS.
UM, WE TRY AND MAKE OUR CONTACT INFORMATION AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
UM, WE'RE AS INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS, UM, WORKING TOWARDS CREATING A REGULAR PUBLIC FACING OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS.
UM, BUT THAT, BUT ULTIMATELY THAT WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE HERE TO LISTEN AND WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND SO IF ANYTHING, TO, TO AVOID AND CIRCUMVENT THE PANIC AND THE FEAR AND, AND JUMP RIGHT TO THOSE ASSUMPTIONS, THAT THINGS ARE GOING TERRIBLY WRONG.
UM, THAT TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION AND, AND TO COME TO US, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING PULLED IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, THAT OUR PARAMETERS ARE NOT ONLINE.
UM, BUT THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE COURAGEOUS, UH, ACT OF SPEAKING UP AND SAYING, HEY, THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
OR, HEY, WHY IS IT THIS WAY? THAT, THAT ONLY HELPS US DO OUR JOBS BETTER? AND THAT, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE IS TO BE THIS CONDUIT AND TO BE THIS CATALYST FOR CHANGE AND THIS MEDIUM GROUND, LIKE WHAT LINDA WAS SAYING, IT'S LIKE, YES, WE'RE ON THE POLICY END, BUT WE'RE ALSO ON THE LISTENING AND READ THROUGH THIS WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY THE BEST WAY THAT WE KNOW HOW, AND THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HONE AND SHARPEN THOSE SKILLS IS TO HAVE THIS CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE OUT THERE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO US, UM, OR TO REACH OUT TO STAFF BECAUSE THAT ONLY IMPROVES THE OUTCOME FOR EVERYONE.
AND, AND I STUDY, ESPECIALLY IF SOMETHING LIKE, IF YOU ARE THE PUBLIC WATCHING THIS AND YOU HAVE HEARD SOMETHING AND IT SCARES THE HECK OUT OF YOU, OR YOU THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS, OR YOU LIKE, IF IT'S A PUSH BUTTON ISSUE, IF IT'S A CLICKBAIT, MAYBE FIND OUT IF IT'S CLICKBAIT REACH OUT TO US, BECAUSE SO FAR EVERYTHING THAT'S COME MY WAY IN THAT REGARD HAS BEEN CLICKBAIT.
SHALL WE SENT THE FULL DECK WITH THE VIDEOS EMBEDDED, UH, TO ANN MARIE EARLIER,
[02:25:01]
UH, AND JUST WE'LL ASK, UM, SAM TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS THE LAST ONE, BUT BEFORE YOU GO TO BED TONIGHT, SAM CHECK THAT AND SEND IT TO ANN MARIE.WE'D LIKE TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO ALL OF YOU AND, AND MAKING OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO MAKE IT IN THE TEAM FOR ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, SELENA, I GUESS SPEAKING, JUST MAKING SURE THAT, THAT LINK TO THE SURVEY THAT YOU GUYS QUICKLY SHOWED ON THE SLIDE, WE HAD TO KIND OF PASS OVER IT, BUT IT WAS A QR CODE.
I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SNAP IT, BUT IF THAT CAN BE KIND OF PULLED OUT AND WE CAN SHARE THAT, UM, SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN AND THE URL TOO, IF YOU COULD, FOR THAT.
THEY'RE BOTH, THEY'LL BOTH BE ON THE SLIDE OF THE PRESENTATION, BUT I'LL SEND THEM AS WELL.
SO WE'RE DOWN TO, UM, OFFICIALLY 15 MINUTES, BUT WE WON'T GET KICKED OUT OF THE ROOM UNTIL EIGHT 30, BUT I WANT TO HONOR YOUR TIME.
AND THERE'S A LOT TO PROCESS HERE.
UM, WE HAVE SOME THINGS IN THE PARKING LOT, RIGHT? SO SOME THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO LOOK AT, UM, THERE ARE SOME WORKING GROUPS RIGHT NOW, OUT THERE DOING SOME OF THIS WORK.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO CIRCLE BACK WITH, AND I THINK THAT OUR EQUITY GROUP IS GOING TO MEET TOMORROW BRIEFLY, AT LEAST TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT HELP ENGAGE THE PUBLIC WITH THE EQUITY CONVERSATION, RIGHT.
AGAIN, BECAUSE EVERYONE'S IN THEIR OWN PLACE, BUT HOW DO WE MAKE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO EACH OTHER, RIGHT.
IN DOING THIS WORK? UM, SO THAT'S ON OUR, THAT'S ON OUR TARGET LIST EXISTING CURRENTLY.
UM, BUT ALSO WE TALKED ABOUT WHERE'S MY LIST, UM, UH, THE LANDSCAPE OF PHILANTHROPY, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE CONNECTION POINTS WITH THE UNIVERSITY AND WITH THE CORPORATE STRUCTURE OF THE COMMUNITY AND LIKE, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? THAT'S A PIECE OF IT.
WHAT DO WE WANT, WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO? WHAT'S WHAT'S IF THIS IS OUR, WHAT IS OUR NORTH STAR? ARE WE CLEAR ON WHAT THAT IS? DO WE NEED TO CRAFT THAT IN A PARTICULAR WAY? NO.
BUT WHERE ARE YOU AT? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF GUYS, MR. CASTILLO? I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE JUST LOOK AT OUR FOUR PILLARS AND TAKE INSURE AND ENCOURAGE EQUITY AND MAKE THAT OUR FIRST PILLAR AND MAKE THAT OUR NORTH STAR AND START THE CONVERSATION THERE.
I LOVE THE ELEGANCE OF THAT THANKING MR. MOM.
I, I, I, I REALLY THINK THAT, UM, PUBLIC POLICY IS IMPORTANT.
UH, I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP AND I'LL BE IN IT, UM, TO REALLY GO TO THE COUNCIL AND, AND WORK ON PUBLIC POLICY.
HOW CAN REALLY HAVE, UH, SOME LONG-TERM TAX IMPLICATION, UM, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE AMENDS FOR ALL THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE I THINK IT NEEDS TO HAVE A APIC TO REALLY HAVE AN APIC CHANGE.
UH, I, I PICKED SHIFT, YOU KNOW, TO SHOWED OUR COMMITMENT AS A CITY, YOU KNOW, TO RIGHT A WRONG AND TO REALLY, UM, MAKE A COMMITMENT TO EQUITY INCLUSION.
I THINK WITH DOW THIS REALLY EPIC SHIFT IN A PUBLIC POLICY, UM, YOU KNOW, MATT MAGNITUDE TO ME IS JUST FLUFF.
IT IS NOT GOING TO, UH, MAKE SIGNIFICANT ON LONG TERM, UH, SHIFT.
SO I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO, UM, MAKE SURE, UH, THE, AS COMMISSIONERS, A STRONG DESIRE, YOU KNOW, UM, TO MAKE THIS EPIC SHIFT AND WE NEED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE STAFF, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SIT
[02:30:01]
IN, YOU KNOW, UM, ON TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AND TO SEE HOW TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.MAYBE I'M GETTING OLD, MAYBE I'M GETTING IMPATIENT, BUT I THINK, UM, IT NEEDS TO HAVE AN EPIC SHIFT.
MR. FLORES, I LOVE GETTING INTO THE WEEDS AND THEN MAKING THINGS MORE DIFFICULT.
HOWEVER, I AGREE WITH THE SHIFTING OF THE PRIORITIES TO, UH, ENSURING, UM, EQUITY AS THE, UH, THE PILLAR.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY KIND OF LIKE HOW, UH, MARGIE HAD MENTIONED THE USED IT, UH, HADN'T NEEDED AN INTRODUCTORY, UH, THING.
AND I THINK SHE SAID IT BECAUSE THE CO THESE ARE THE ARTS COMMISSION, FOUR PILLARS OF FOCUS IS I THINK SHE SAID IT IN YOUR, IN YOUR POWERPOINT, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S MISSING A WORD.
IT'S NOT THE RESPONSIVENESS OF WORKING GROUP ANYMORE.
SO THAT HAS TO BE TWEAKED, YOU KNOW, ME, I'M ALWAYS TWEAKING AND, UH, YOU GIVE A LAWYER AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDIT SOMETHING AND THEY WILL.
SO, UH, AT THE RISK OF DOING THAT, I DON'T THINK IT'S STRONG ENOUGH BECAUSE IT SAYS ENSURES AND ENCOURAGES.
AND I WOULD RATHER SAY IT PROMOTES OR DEMANDS.
AND THEN I ALSO TO REFLECT THE GROWING DIVERSE POPULATION OF AUSTIN, I WOULD RATHER SAY, AND THAT PRESERVES THE CULTURAL HERITAGE, UH, OR THE HISTORICAL HEALTH, CULTURAL HERITAGE OF AUSTIN, BECAUSE WE'RE LOSING GOD WHAT WAS, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HONORING IT, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, GOING WITH THE FLOW AS IT WERE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE THE CATS, YOU KNOW, GOALS AND MISSIONS AND THINGS, ONE OF IT WAS, AND THAT, AND THAT'S WHERE IT STATED IS TO PRESERVE THE UNIQUE CHARACTER AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF BOSTON.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO HONOR AND PRESERVE THAT WHAT BUILT THE CITY AS WELL AS RECOGNIZED AND, UM, AND, AND REFLECTS THE GROWING DIVERSITY OF THE CITY.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHEN OR HOW THAT COULD HAPPEN, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO STRENGTHEN THAT LET, TO BE, TO BE STRONGER, STRENGTHENED, TO BE STRONGER THAN FIX IT, TO BE STRONGER, LET MAY MAKE IT BETTER.
AND I THINK, I THINK WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AT OUR WEDNESDAY MEETING TO, TO UPDATE THE GOALS OF THE YEAR.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO EDIT THAT, UM, UNLESS I'M WRONG AND MAYBE WE NEED TO DO IT TONIGHT, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING AT SOME POINT.
I MEAN, IT'S IN YOUR BACKUP FOR, FOR WEDNESDAY.
SO TAKE A LOOK AT IT, EVERYBODY, AND LET'S, LET'S CLEAN THAT UP.
LIKE I THINK, I THINK THE GOALS, CONVERSATION, AND, AND THAT LANGUAGE, THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR BIG CONVERSATION ON WEDNESDAY.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PULL OUT OF THIS.
AND I THINK IT'S OKAY IF THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
AND YEAH, I HEAR YOU ON THE WORKING GROUP.
I THINK, UM, I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE STRETCHED ON WORKING GROUP RIGHT NOW AND MY, MY IMPULSE AND ANYBODY FEEL FREE TO SAY, I THINK YOU'RE WRONG, MICHELLE.
BUT, UM, MY IMPULSE IS TO SAY THAT WITH THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW, WE ARE STARTING TO DO THAT WORK AND WE'RE STARTING TO DO THAT WORK IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE BUILDING THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AND MUSIC AND CULTURAL HERITAGE.
AND WE'RE BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS.
LIKE FOR ME, THE WAY THAT THAT MOVEMENT WORKS IS IT HAS TO START FOUNDATIONALLY AND GO UP, RIGHT.
IT'S A VOLCANO, BUT IT'S GOT TO BUILD, AND THEN IT WILL BECOME SOMETHING BIGGER AND BROADER.
BUT I FEEL LIKE IF WE START HERE, WE'RE GOING TO LOSE THE ENERGY THAT WE'VE GOT RIGHT NOW IN THESE SPACES THAT ARE THE FOUNDATION FOR IT.
I COULD BE WRONG, BUT THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY GUT.
AND HAPPY TO HEAR FEEDBACK ON THAT.
I'M JUST WANTING TO ADD, UM, I THINK THIS QUOTE IS VERY PREVALENT THAT MARTIN PUT UP AND I LIKE TO ASK THAT WE TAKE A PLANE, IF WE ALL CAN TO JUST LOOK AT IT BEFORE OUR MEETINGS GOING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE, WELCOME TO THE PRESENT MOMENT AS YOU HAVE INVITED IT.
AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN THE MOST INFORMATIVE MEETING THAT I'VE BEEN IN AS AN ARTS COMMISSIONER AND REALLY LISTENING TO, UM, EVERYONE AND WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW IN THIS PRESENT MOMENT.
AND I JUST, UM, I DON'T KNOW, THIS IS REALLY A REALLY, REALLY GOOD MEETING AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT BEING THAT I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE A YEAR AND SIX MONTHS, BECAUSE I COULDN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I HAD TO THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT.
UM, BUT, AND STILL LEARNING, YOU KNOW, HOW THINGS ARE GOING.
UM, I JUST THINK THAT IS VERY, VERY RELEVANT.
[02:35:01]
WELCOME THE PRESENT MOMENT AS IF YOU HAVE INVITED IT.AND I THINK WE HAVE INVITED A LOT TONIGHT, UH, COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE HAD HIS HAND UP.
AND THEN I'M NOT SURE IS THIS OKAY? OKAY.
UH, I HAVE, UH, I DON'T KNOW, A BUNCH OF PIECES TO WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
MAYBE I JUST NEED TO THINK ON IT, WORK ON IT, BUT I'LL, I'LL TRY TO PUT IT OUT THERE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIT THAT, UM, PRIORITY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF RACIAL EQUITY OR OF EQUITY, UH, WITH WHAT, FOR ME IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ME, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THIS BIG PICTURE IS THAT WE'RE LOSING THE CREATIVE CULTURE OF AUSTIN, ALL THE, ALL THE ARTISTS.
UM, I, I SEE THINGS THROUGH LOTS OF DIFFERENT LENSES.
I'M, I'M AN ARTIST, I'M A SCIENTIST, I'M A TEACHER, BUT REALLY MAINLY I'M A GARDENER AND I'M REALLY, UH, I REALLY CARE FOR THE WHOLE GARDEN.
IF THE, YOU KNOW, THE TOMATOES ARE OVERGROWN, I'M RUNNING OVER THERE WAITING, UM, AM ALWAYS WALKING AROUND AND CHECKING OUT MY GARDEN.
IF, I MEAN, I HAVE A PICTURE OF A TEENY TINY PIECE OF MY GREENHOUSE BEHIND ME.
UM, AND IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ON THE GARDENER, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME OVER AND LOOK.
UM, I REALLY DON'T, I HATE SAYINGS THAT ARE OVERUSED.
AND SO THIS PROBABLY IS BECOMING AN OVERUSED SAYING, BUT, UM, IN THIS CONVERSATION I WAS THINKING IS, UM, ALIGN THAT NO, ONE'S FREE IF, UH, IF ONE'S NOT FREE.
UM, FOR ME THE, UH, SO IN, IN THE BIG PICTURE OF THE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOSING, I FEEL LIKE WHAT'S VITAL THE, TO BOSTON AND THE CREATIVE CULTURE, UH, MOVING AWAY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S SO MANY PIECES TO IT, SO I GUESS, UM, I FEEL LIKE, UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW MY VISION FITS WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, UM, OF TRYING TO PUT THAT AS NUMBER ONE.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE CAN, I MEAN, THAT'S A PRETTY BIG, UH, PRETTY BIG DISCUSSION, SO I'LL STOP THERE.
UM, THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT, UH, FOR YOU COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE, UH, AND, AND PLEASE ACCEPT THESE AS, AS, AS FRIENDLY CHALLENGES.
UM, SO ONE IN YOUR ROLE AS COMMISSIONER AND IN OUR ROLE, OUR ROLES AS COMMISSIONERS, WE BRING, WE BRING TO THE TABLE, OUR EXPERTISE.
SO YES, YOU HAVE YOUR PERSONAL PRIORITY, BUT THEN YOU WERE ALSO APPOINTED OR NOMINATED BY YOUR COUNCIL NUMBER.
SO YOU NEED TO BRING, BRING TO THE TABLE, THE CONSIDERATION OF YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT AND OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE THE LARGER ARTS COMMUNITY, YOU, YOU SHOULD BE A V WE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ALL OF THEM.
SO THAT'S THE ONE THING I WANTED TO CHALLENGE YOU ON.
THE SECOND THING I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU ON IS IF YOUR PRIORITY IS ARTIST LEAVING THE CITY, AND THEN WE'D LOOK SIDE WITH, WITH THE CITY'S DEFINITION OF EQUITY, WHERE, UM, RACE IS THE DETERMINANT OF, OF OUTCOMES.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE ARTISTS THAT ARE LEAVING AUSTIN, WHO WERE THE ONES THAT ARE MOST EFFECTED, IT WOULD BE BLACK ARTISTS.
AND SO WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS IN A HOLISTIC WAY, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE ARE ABLE TO, TO, UH, CREATE AN, UH, UH, A LIVABLE CITY FOR BLACK ARTISTS, HOW WOULD THAT NOT BENEFIT EVERYONE ELSE? RIGHT.
WE, WE NEED TO FIND THOSE THINGS THAT ARE AFFECTING THOSE THAT ARE IN NEED THE MOST, AND THE BENEFITS WILL, WILL, WILL RIPPLE OUT TO EVERYONE ELSE.
I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, RIGHT? EVERYONE THINKS IT'S ABOUT RACE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY WOMEN THAT BENEFIT THE MOST FROM, FROM AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
[02:40:01]
CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE.I'M WILLING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU AFTER THIS MEETING.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE THE TWO CHALLENGES I HAD FOR YOU.
IF YOU THOUGHT I WAS SAYING THAT THAT WASN'T IMPORTANT OR VITAL TO THE THING, THEN I WOULD SAY, YOU, YOU MISSED WHAT I WAS SAYING.
UH, IT'S A NECESSARY INGREDIENT, THE EQUITY LENS.
UM, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT, UH, AND I WASN'T SAYING YOU WERE, I WAS JUST LIKE TRYING TO PUT IT IN VIEW.
I WAS ALSO THINKING ABOUT WHAT, UH, MARGIE SAID AND WHAT YOU ALL SAID EARLIER ABOUT FRICTION.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, OKAY, THIS IS HERE'S SOME FRICTION, CAUSE I, CAUSE I'M FEELING IT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE FRICTION ON NECESSARILY.
UH, BUT I REALLY WANT TO SEE, UH, THE BEST THING DONE.
UM, I'LL, I'LL TUCK IN REAL QUICK AND THEN COMMISSIONER SYSMON I KNOW YOU'RE NEXT ON THE LINE, BUT I WOULD HARKEN BACK TO WHAT COMMISSIONER SMACK SAID EARLIER, WHICH IS HOUSING IS AN EQUITY ISSUE, BUT IT'S ALSO AN ISSUE FOR ALL ARTISTS IN THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AFFORDABILITY, AND OUR ABILITY TO LIVE HERE AND STAY HERE.
THE ABILITY TO HAVE A FUNCTIONING VENUE THAT YOU CAN AFFORD TO RENT.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAVE THE RENT JACKED UP 300%, THREE MONTHS IN ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE PART OF THIS WORK.
SO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW LIKE OUR, OUR LENS, OUR, OUR SMALL LENS CAP, A SMALL L IS ON THE CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS, BUT OUR LARGER LENS LENSES ON THE COMMUNITY OVERALL.
AND SO BY SAYING WE'RE PRIORITIZING EQUITY DOESN'T MEAN, AND THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO UNDERSTAND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOESN'T MATTER.
THAT IS THE LAST THING IN THE WORLD THAT WE'RE SAYING.
UM, AND ALSO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING WITH HOT DOLLARS, REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE WORKING GROUPS RIGHT NOW LOOKING TO FIND OTHER, OTHER AVENUES FOR FUNDING, LOOKING AT FINDING OTHER WAYS, OTHER SORTS OF BRILLIANT, COOL STRATEGIES FOR HOW WE GET RESOURCES IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM.
THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT TO MITIGATE OR REMOVE EVERYBODY'S REQUIREMENTS.
IT'S JUST THAT WE'VE BEEN REALLY BAD AT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
AND WE HAVE TO FIX THAT AND THAT'S GODLY BECAUSE UNTIL WE DO, LIKE, THIS IS A MORAL AND CIVIC IMPERATIVE.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MISSION ASSESSMENT? I THINK I HAVE A POINT TO MAKE, IF YOU'VE GOT TIME, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, THIS MAY BE VERY BROAD AND VERY BOLD, BUT OUR FUNDING RIGHT NOW COMES FROM TOURIST MONEY.
IN MY OPINION, UNTIL THE CITY BELIEVES THE INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS IN AUSTIN AND THE ARTS CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM IS WORTH INVESTMENT.
WE WILL NOT FIND THE INTEGRITY AND THE VALUE OF WHO WE ARE.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WHAT, WHAT ARE THE MECHANISMS AND WHAT ARE WAYS DO YOU HAVE THE CITY ENGAGE? YES, I, I TRULY, I DO BELIEVE THAT, BUT I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH CONVERSATION ABOUT OTHER MONIES AND I, I STILL FEEL SO STRONGLY THAT THE ARTS AND CULTURE OF AUSTIN NEEDS TO BE A BUDGET LINE ITEM FOR THE CITY.
UNDERSTOOD COMMISSIONER'S THIS MAN.
I FEEL LIKE THE THINGS THAT I WAS GOING TO ADDRESS AND WE'RE KIND OF MOVED AWAY FROM.
UM, BUT SOMETHING I DID WANT TO ADDRESS FOR THE SUBJECT THAT AMY WAS BRINGING UP IS THAT I DO STRONGLY ALIGN WITH WHAT SHE'S SAYING AND WE'RE GETTING WITH COMMISSIONER AND WAS TOUCHING ON, BUT I FEEL MORE STRONGLY THAT A UNIFICATION OF ALL OF OUR MOVING PARTS TO THEN COME TO COUNCIL AND TO COME TO THE POWERS THAT BE, IS GOING TO MAKE OUR CASE FOR US.
AND THAT SORT OF THIS NET INTER BICKERING THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING THAT'S I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT THAT, BUT I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S A VERY DISJOINTED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PARK, ALL OF OUR ARTS OR MUSIC AND OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE AT THIS POINT, THAT UNTIL WE RECTIFY AND ARE COMPLETELY ON THE SAME PAGE, WHICH I FEEL LIKE WE'RE TAKING STEPS TO DO ACTIVELY.
[02:45:03]
SIR, ARE YOU STILL THERE? NO TECHNOLOGY.IT'S NOT JUST AS SELENA AND TESTING TESTING.
UM, WE ARE DOWN TO THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF THIS CONVERSATION.
SO UNTIL WE GET SELENA BACK AND SHE CAN FINISH HER THOUGHT, LET ME, LET ME OFFER THIS.
UM, THERE ARE I'M, I WILL SAY, IN THE COMMUNICATIONS ISSUE, RIGHT.
AND, AND IN THE MOVING FORWARD, UM, LET ME JUST SAY MY ANGELO, RIGHT? THERE'S WHEN YOU KNOW, BETTER DO BETTER.
I THINK WE KNOW BETTER, ONLY WANT TO DO BETTER.
AND SO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THERE'S A LOT W PART OF WHAT WE'RE WRESTLING WITH IS THERE'S A LOT OF PAIN.
THERE'S A LOT OF TRAUMA ASSOCIATED WITH MUCH OF THE HISTORY OF THIS COMMUNITY ARTS, THE WHOLE, THEY, ALL OF IT, RIGHT.
WE ARE THE MOST SEGREGATED CITY IN THE COUNTRY WE HAVE MADE HER WORK TO DO.
I WILL ASK WHILE RECOGNIZING THE TRAUMA AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THAT WE START WHERE WE ARE, WE KNOW BETTER.
RIGHT? SO ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT, WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM AND HOLDING THAT AND MOVING FORWARD OUT OF IT TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, I THINK IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE, UM, LETTING GO OF THE IDEAS OF WHAT WE HAD BEFORE, BECAUSE WE CAN'T GO BACK TO THAT.
WHAT WE DID BEFORE WAS AN EQUITABLE, WHAT WE DID BEFORE WITH SUSTAINABLE, WHAT WE DID BEFORE, BY THE WAY, EVERYBODY WAS MAD AT US ABOUT, SO THERE'S THAT, UM, BUT ALSO BEING OPEN TO SYSTEMATIC AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE, BEING OPEN TO LETTING GO OF ASSUMPTIONS, BEING OPEN, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DISCOVER AND GROW TOGETHER, I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO IF YOU'RE WILLING TO GO ON THAT JOURNEY AND WE THINK THAT'S THE ONE WE WANT TO GO ON, LET'S DO THIS, UM, TAKEAWAYS FOR TONIGHT.
SO THE GOALS, CONVERSATION, I THINK, IS GOING TO BE SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT.
PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME, BUT I KNOW THE AGENDA IS SUPER LONG FOR WEDNESDAY.
WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN GET THROUGH ON CONSENT.
UM, THERE ARE SOME WORKING GROUPS THAT HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING IN THAT SINCE THE LAST MEETING AND THAT'S OKAY.
UM, SO WE'LL MOVE THROUGH THOSE REPORTS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, BUT I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON THE GOALS CONVERSATION.
ANYTHING ELSE IN THESE LAST FEW MINUTES IN THE GROUP WE GET SELENA BACK OR DID WE LOSE HER? WE LOST HER ACA YOU GOOD.
I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE DOING HEAVY WORK, THAT YOU ALL ARE ARTS LEADERS AND IT'S OUR, IT'S OUR TIME TO LEAD.
SO I'LL ALSO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE TIME I STEPPED ONTO THIS COMMISSION, UM, TO NOW I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GRATEFUL FOR THE CREATIVE PROBLEM, SOLVING THE HEARTS, THE MINDS, THE PASSION, THE DRIVE, THE COMMITMENT TO THIS COMMUNITY FROM THIS BODY, UM, AND FROM STAFF.
AND SO IT IS AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE IN THE ROOM WITH YOU.
IT IS AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE DOING THIS WORK.
THANK YOU TO MJR FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
UM, WE NEED TO CONNECT THE DOTS FOR SOME FOLKS.
WE NEED TO GET SOME GAS, FRICTION LET'S DO IT.
UM, BUT ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY, I THINK, I THINK IT BEARS REPEATING THE QUESTION THAT COMMISSIONER VAN DYKE ASKED.
IT IS A TARGETED AND PRIORITY PROCESS, BUT THIS IS AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SO WE HAVE A NORTH STAR, WHICH SAYS SUCCESSFUL HOLISTIC, COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY WITH A FOCUS ON COMMUNITY.
MARTIN W COMMISSIONER FLORES AND THEN MARSHA WAS GOING TO SEE IF YOU HAD ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO THROW IN OR OUT.
WE WANT IT TO SAY THAT I, YOU KNOW, WE ARE PUSHING FORWARD AND YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE KNOW BETTER, AND WE'RE TRYING, WE NEED TO DO BETTER.
AND WE'VE TRIED THAT ALONG, ALONG THE WAY, UH, PREVIOUS PERMISSIONS HAVE STARTED TO TRY TO MOVE THE BOULDER UP THE ROCK.
AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WORKS WITH THE TOOLS THEY HAVE.
[02:50:01]
I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY TO NOW, YOU KNOW, OR MICHAEL'S WORK TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, MOVE FORWARD AND PUSH FORWARD FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO THAT MAYBE NOW HAVE, HAVE GOTTEN THE NECESSARY MOMENTUM AND ENERGY THAT WE CAN ALL HARNESS AND PUSH FORWARD.AND I DON'T KNOW, IT'S SHOCKING, BUT THAT'S ALL HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SOMEBODY IS TALKING AND NOT MUTED.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, SMALL BOX.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YEAH, IT'S JUST, THANKS.
I THINK IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU CAN'T BE TOO TRANSPARENT, YOU CAN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, EXPRESS GRATITUDE TOO MUCH.
AND I THINK THAT THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE BY MARGIE AND YOUR TEAM AND THE STAFF, AND OBVIOUSLY ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS FOR A NEWBIE LIKE THIS GAVE ME SO MUCH INFORMATION AND WAS JUST A REALLY, IT WAS A WONDERFUL MEETING.
AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK AND DEPTH OF WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE, I THINK WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE HAD, HAVE HAD Y'ALL.
WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FROM THE, THE, OUR FIRST COMMISSION MEETING TO WHERE WE ARE NOW, WE'VE GROWN A LOT, LEARNED A LOT ABOUT EACH OTHER, ACKNOWLEDGED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE CREATIVE COMMUNITIES IN AUSTIN AND THE CULTURAL COMMUNITIES IN AUSTIN.
THIS IS A STARTING PLACE FOR YOU GUYS.
YOU CAN BE THE TRENDSETTER THAT AUSTIN IS KNOWN FOR BEING, UH, WE, WE KEEP LOOKING AT SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION, TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR WEBSITE SOMETIME THEY PUSHED THIS THING OVER THE EDGE AND TAKE A NOTE PRISONERS IN THE PROCESS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, SOMEBODY REFERENCED NEW YORK, UH, POLICY LEVEL, UH, UM, HANDED DOWN FROM THE MAYOR DID NOT WORK.
SO, UH, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S SOME BALANCING THAT CAN BE ON, UH, ON A LOT OF THIS, BUT, UH, WE'RE HERE WITH YOU UNTIL, TILL YOU KICK US OUT.
MEGAN, ANYTHING FROM YOU TO CLOSE US OUT? UM, NO, I'M JUST GRATEFUL TO BE ON THIS JOURNEY WITH Y'ALL.
UH, I REALLY VALUE THE PERSPECTIVE AND THE INPUT AND ALL THE, UM, THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, YOU KNOW, PASSION, TIME AND INVESTMENT THAT THIS BODY GIVES US.
WE FEEL SO EXTREMELY FORTUNATE TO HAVE Y'ALL AS, AS COMMISSIONED PARTNERS.
I, IT, ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE DIVISION AND REALLY THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT, SINCE YOU, YOU GET ACCESS TO A LOT OF US ALL THE TIME.
UH, BUT THANK YOU, UH, BEAR WITH US.
WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, UH, FOR SO LONG WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE READY TO GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH YOU.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE SOON.
AND EVEN WHEN WE GET THERE, WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'RE MISSING.
UM, SO WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT DONE YET, BUT WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO THE NEXT STAGE, WHICH IS GOING TO GET, UH, ANOTHER CHANCE FOR US TO HAVE SOME MORE, UH, DIALOGUE WITH Y'ALL AND WITH THE COMMUNITY.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? AH, MOSQUITO, JONATHAN FLORES.
SECOND DID MY MOCK HEARING NO OBJECTIONS.