Meeting Agenda: Duncanville Arts Commission Joint Meeting with the Duncanville City Council

D.L. Hopkins Jr. Senior Center, 206 James Collins Blvd., Duncanville, TX 75116

Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 6:00 PM

Source: City of Duncanville

Item 1. Call to Order.

Welcome and special thanks.

Item 2. Receive public comments.

Please participate. But exercise brevity by limiting your comments to two (2) minutes.

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Arts Commission Mission Statement

The Mission of the Arts Commission of the City of Duncanville shall advise City Council to consider:

  • To develop community arts program that will enhance tourism and hotel/motel use, through the arts;

  • To encourage an increase in quality arts programs available to the citizens of the City of Duncanville;

  • To stimulate an interest in the local arts of all cultures and minority groups especially ensuring access for seniors and disabled citizens;

  • To encourage exposure to the arts for school-age citizens;

  • To preserve and develop the arts and to maximize the quality of the arts and their contributions to our City's culture;

  • To recommend the equitable distribution of resources from the public and private sectors necessary to accomplish the mission; and

  • To produce and promote activities which accomplish this mission.

Source: City of Duncanville

Item 3. Present on a recommendation that City Council support the establishment a Cultural District.

Duncanville Arts Commission, March 26, 2024

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Proposed cultural district

Designate the first cultural district in Duncanville, through the Texas Commission for the Arts, with Armstrong Park at the heart, including adjacent walkable areas along Main Street, E. Center, and E. Wheatland Road.

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What is a cultural district?

“As authorized by H.B. 2208 of the 79th Legislature, the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) can designate cultural districts in cities across Texas. Cultural districts are special zones that harness the power of cultural resources to stimulate economic development and community vitality. These districts can become focal points for generating businesses, attracting tourists, stimulating cultural development and fostering civic pride.”

Source: Texas Commission on the Arts

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Goals of cultural districts

“…a thriving creative sector is a powerful economic development asset. Cultural district designation is one strategy that helps a community boost their economies while realizing other cultural and civic benefits. The outcomes of cultural districts extend beyond the arts and can benefit all members of a community.”

Source: Texas Commission on the Arts

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Attracting artists and cultural enterprises to the community.

“Artists, cultural institutions and creative enterprises all contribute to a community’s economic potential. Not only do they generate direct economic activity, but artists and creative entrepreneurs infuse communities with energy and innovation.”

Source: Texas Commission on the Arts

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Encouraging business and job development.

“Cultural districts can create a hub of economic activity that contributes to the community being an appealing place to live, visit and conduct business. A thriving cultural scene helps an area to prosper when consumers drawn to cultural attractions patronize other nearby businesses. This can result in the creation of new economic opportunities and jobs.”

Source: Texas Commission on the Arts

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Addressing specific needs of a community.

“Cultural districts are a highly adaptable economic development approach that allows a community to make use of unique conditions, assets and opportunities.”

Source: Texas Commission on the Arts

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Establishing tourism destinations.

“Cultural districts are marketable tourism assets that highlight the distinct identity of a community and encourage in-state, out-of-state, and international visitors.”

Source: Texas Commission on the Arts

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Preserving and reusing historic buildings.

“Some cultural districts are very involved in historic preservation. Adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of older buildings through preservation tax credits can result in structural and façade improvements. These rehabilitated buildings provide opportunities for affordable artist live/work space and new homes for cultural organizations.”

Source: Texas Commission on the Arts

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Enhancing property values.

“Successful districts combine improvements to public spaces (such as parks, waterfronts and pedestrian corridors) along with property development. The redevelopment of abandoned properties, historic sites, and recruiting businesses to occupy vacant spaces can contribute to reduced vacancy rates and enhanced property values.”

Source: Texas Commission on the Arts

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Fostering local cultural development.

“The establishment of a cultural district provides a focal point for celebrating and strengthening a community’s cultural identity. Cultural districts highlight existing cultural amenities and work to recruit and establish new artists, cultural industries and organizations.”

Source: Texas Commission on the Arts

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State of the Arts Report, 2023

“… the impact of public grant funding for Cultural Districts far surpassed the initial public investment, earning a 2-to-1 return on investment ...”

Source: Leslie Ward, Board Chair, Texas Cultural Trust; The Longterm Growth of Cultural Districts: Four Case Studies

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54 cultural districts in Texas

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3 cultural districts in Dallas County

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0 cultural districts south of Dallas

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“Cultural districts can be part of creative placemaking or placekeeping efforts. It’s important to remember that TCA cultural district designation is most likely to be awarded to a district that is already defined in terms of leadership, geographic boundaries, branding, and current assets.”

Source: Texas Commission on the Arts

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Cultural districts do not change current zoning and our application won’t require new City funding. It will, however, require we all come together.

Item 4. Present on a recommendation that City Council support the establishment of a Cultural District Foundation (501c3).

Duncanville Arts Commission, March 26, 2024

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A home for a community of patrons to embrace the Arts in Duncanville.

Stakeholder development and support, arts incubation, artist residency, fundraising, program management, events, capital development, and capacity building within the proposed cultural district.

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Gesamtkunstwerk

German word that ​​refers to a work of art that makes use of multiple forms of art, such as music, theater, and the visual arts, in a cohesive whole.

  • Arts Incubator

  • Event

  • Cultural District

  • Cultural District Foundation

  • City Commission/Department

  • Visitor Center

  • Private Foundation

  • Arts Funding Organization

  • Texas Commission for the Arts

  • Cultural District Businesses and Vendors

Item 5. Present on a recommendation that City Council support, through funding, Cultural District programming.

Duncanville Arts Commission, March 26, 2024

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A line item for the Arts.

Arts Commission recommends the consolidation of current arts-related spending, including events, programs, sponsorships, capital development, and capacity building into a single fund managed by City staff, under the purview of the Arts Commission. It is recommended this fund be distributed through grants biannually to artists, arts organizations, and businesses wanting to partner with them. These grants are to be used within the proposed cultural district and adjacent areas.

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Grants & Sponsorships

  • 365 days of free arts experiences in the proposed cultural district

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Capital Improvement Funding

  • Hopkins Center (Parks & Rec Joint Session)

  • Music Room

  • Outdoor exhibitions

  • Signage

  • Way finding from other parts of town and highways to cultural district

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Capacity Building

  • Leadership development

  • Endowment building

  • Fundraising training

  • Stakeholder development

  • City Hall administration

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Cultural District Tourism Campaign

  • Exhibitions

  • Performances

  • Arts Incubation

  • Artist Residency

  • Restaurants

  • Galleries

  • Events

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Recommendation for Funding Allocation

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Challenges having never had an Arts Commission

  • Arts funding is derived from multiple disparate sources tied to the knowledge bank of individual City staff members.

  • Decisions for funding to the arts is siloed outside the purview of the Arts Commission.

  • Fragmented, inequitable approach (dispersement vs. grant) makes it difficult to maximize resources, hinders strategic arts development, and lacks transparency.

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Art begets art. Money begets money.

This is what transparency means for arts funding and could look like in Duncanville

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Summary Recommendations: Comprehensive, Strategic, Transparent, Sustainable Funding for the Arts

  • Grants and Sponsorships for arts programming focused on amenities within Armstrong Park and City-owned buildings within the proposed Cultural District for 365 days of free arts experiences as defined by the National Endowment for the Arts.

  • Capital development and capacity building within Armstrong Park and other City-owned buildings within the proposed Cultural District.

  • Appoint a City employee as an Arts Development Manager to oversee administration and serve as point person for all arts-related activity.

  • Prioritize the Arts Commission’s recommendations for Grants & Sponsorships, as allocated by the City Council in a specialized arts development fund.

  • Explore the consolidated arts fund for overlapping needs with other boards, commissions, and City departments.

  • Explore City policies that restrict entry to the local Arts Sector and amend for equitable access.

  • Anticipate future conflicts between a robust Arts Sector and neighborhoods through the adoption of programs like a Nighttime Economy Culture and Policy and similar.

  • Develop a strategic plan (or utilize Destination Duncanville) for community-wide vision for the role of the arts in Duncanville.

Item 6. Engage in an open discussion to receive feedback and recommendations from the City Council regarding Items 3 through 5 of this agenda and other responsibilities as described in the Arts Commission's charter.

Item 7. Closing remarks from the Arts Commission Chair.

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Projects in motion

  • Quarterly Arts & Business Mixers

  • Juneteenth Art Exhibit, June 2024 & 2025

  • Mexican Independence Day Art Exhibit, Sept. 2024 & 2025

  • Community Mural Program, 2025

  • Arts Festival & Market, Spring 2025

  • Arts Preview Week, September 13 to 21st

  • October is National Arts & Humanities Month

  • Art Film & Discussion Series

  • Hands-On Arts experiences, e.g. classes, seminars, workshops, makerspace

  • Christmas Parade Event

  • Our unique role for the Arts in North Texas

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With appreciation, from the Chair

  • Our Arts-loving community

  • City Council

  • City staff

  • Arts Commissioners

  • Breaking down silos — products that bring the community together

Item 8. Adjournment.