Houston mayor on cultural tourism grants: 'Art is wonderful'

Nine individuals and nonprofit organizations in Houston are set to divvy up $87,500 in grants after the funds were awarded based on the way the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) sees their work in furthering cultural tourism and resilience in the city.

In a news release from the office of Mayor Sylvester Turner, city officials said that the funds are part of the “City’s Initiative” competitive grant program, which is overseen by the Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) and funded by a portion of the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax.   

"The selected awardees represent and work with subjects that are near and dear to many Houstonians, from historical roots, and migration, to a topic as multilayered as identity,” Turner said. “Art is wonderful in that it has the power to make complex subjects resonate with everyone.”

The program takes place four times per year, offering grants in three categories: neighborhood cultural destinations, conference tourism and resilience awareness.

Under the neighborhood cultural destinations category, one recipient is the Contemporary Art Museum Houston (CAMH), which will be displaying a special exhibit on Diane Severin Nguyen’s first public art commission. These are billboards placed in certain areas to resonate with the Vietnamese community in Houston.

In addition there will be a panel discussing Transnational Asian identity with local Asian American artists. 

Another recipient is Art League Houston (ALH), which will be introducing PLATFORM, "a new opportunity for emerging, midcareer, under-recognized, as well as established artists to exhibit new works of temporary public art on a billboard-like platform on the exterior of the ALH building."

With the first featured artists beginning in September, other recipients including the Archaeological Institute of America Houston Society, Henry Darragh: Music of South Park, Houston Brass Quintet Inc., Sarah Sudhoff: "The Body as Material Witness", the Houston Climate Justice Museum, Quoc Huynh and Groupe Acorde.

The Office of Cultural Affairs is responsible for shaping the city’s cultural investments and policies, with the overall goal of attracting more tourism and furthering the mission and values of the city.