Houston Mayor Annise D. Parker Unveils the Launch of a New Cultural Plan for Houston

HOUSTON, Jan. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Houston Mayor Annise Parker last night announced a major new arts-related initiative for her final term in office — development of a new cultural plan for the city that will serve as a roadmap for the arts and solidify Houston's reputation as a global destination.

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The announcement was made at the 2014 Elected Officials Reception for the Arts, hosted by Houston Arts Alliance (HAA), at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, and sponsored by Yellow Cab. The audience of 200+ attendees, including City Council members, leadership of Houston's arts and culture organizations, and creatives of all types from across the region, applauded the launch of the cultural plan, the first for the city since 1993. Other speakers included City Controller Ronald Green, HAA Chairman of the Board Marc Melcher, HAA President + CEO Jonathon Glus, Houston Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Zepeda and Yellow Cab President and CEO Roman Martinez.   

"I view this plan as part of my administration's legacy," said Mayor Parker. "It will ensure the continued vitality and vibrancy of Houston's strong arts and culture community and help us prioritize funding and how we speak of arts and cultural assets for years to come. We are a vastly different city now than we were 20 years ago, and it's time to pro-actively re-chart our cultural course for the future and move Houston, once and for all, into the global cultural spotlight."

The process by which the plan will be developed will be crafted over the next few months.  The various components may range from emphasizing arts education in schools to expanding university arts training and greater community arts offerings in parks and neighborhoods.  Input will be sought from arts organizations across the community.

HAA's Jonathon Glus stated, "Comprehensive cultural planning is hard work, engaging voices from throughout the community, and challenging us all to consider who we are as a city and how we explore and celebrate our cultural experiences, record our creative history and advance our city through the arts and culture. The Mayor hit it on the head when she said a rigorous and thoughtful planning process can, truly, be game changing for a city. We look forward to delivering the country's most innovative cultural plan to Mayor Parker within her final term."

For more information on Houston Arts Alliance, visit www.houstonartsalliance.com.

CONTACT: Marie Jacinto
Director of Communications
713.581.6126
[email protected]

SOURCE Houston Arts Alliance