MEDIA CONTACT:

Chris Kiley, Texans for the Arts

(603) 661-3915 / chris@texansforthearts.com

ARTS ADVOCATES FINDING COLLECTIVE VOICE FOR NEXT TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Texans for the Arts Foundation hosting June 27 event designed to engage, educate and energize

AUSTIN, Texas (May 28, 2024) — The 89th Texas Legislative Session is scheduled for Jan. 14–June 2, 2025, and arts advocates will soon be putting their heads together once again to begin preparing their message to lawmakers. The annual Texas Arts Advocacy Summit and Awards, hosted by arts advocacy organization Texans for the Arts Foundation (TFAF), will be held June 27 in Waco, Texas, and is expected to draw creatives and supporters of the arts from across the Lone Star State.

Registration continues for the day-long event to be held at the Cambria Hotel Waco University Riverfront, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., with presentations and insight from industry leaders, including Americans for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Texas Cultural Trust, Texas Hotel & Lodging Association, and more, covering pressing issues for the arts and culture industries. Speakers will explore topics such as the economic impact of the arts on our state’s economy using cutting-edge data, advocacy strategy and policy goals, the value of purposeful partnerships, and the threats and opportunities new AI technology poses to the field. Designed to inspire, engage and educate attendees, TFAF’s goal is to foster a movement empowering advocates and strengthening communities and ensure the arts remain a cornerstone of Texas' cultural identity and economic prosperity.

“Understanding how public support for the arts is appropriated and distributed at local, state, and national levels is vital to its success, as is forging relationships during this interim period between legislative sessions,” said Chris Kiley, executive director of Texans for the Arts. “Now is the time for creatives and supporters of the arts to get to know their elected officials, engage and educate them, and strategize our collective message for the next legislative session. It is also a pivotal moment for our field to come together to discuss threats and opportunities 21st century technology is creating for us all and share important new data with our base to support their ongoing local advocacy efforts.”

“The arts sector enhances educational attainment, fosters health and wellness, amplifies civic engagement and preserves cultural heritage, but it’s also an economic driver for communities and the state, creating jobs, attracting tourists, and generating tax revenue,” said Fiona Bond, president of TFAF and CEO of Creative Waco, one of the event sponsors. “We must share this message with our decision makers at every level, especially during the interim period between legislative sessions.”

The day culminates in celebration with the Texas Arts Advocacy Awards at the Cambria from 6–8 p.m. honoring champions from the arts across the state by recognizing individuals, organizations, and communities providing the foundational support for arts advocacy in Texas.

Support for the Texans for the Arts Foundation’s 2024 Texas Arts Advocacy Summit is generously provided by The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation, The Meadows Foundation, Creative Waco, PNC Bank, Oraichain Labs, and The Cambria Hotel in Waco, Texas.

A limited number of specially priced accommodations are also available at the Cambria by calling the hotel directly at (254) 347-5511 and mentioning the Texas Arts Advocacy Summit, or by booking through the online portal linked on the event’s registration page.

For more information on the Texas Arts Advocacy Summit and Advocacy Awards Dinner, visit texansforthearts.com, follow us on Facebook & Instagram, or call email info@texansforthearts.com.

About Texans for the Arts and Texans for the Arts Foundation

Texans for the Arts and Texans for the Arts Foundation are committed to increasing public funding for the arts through the legislative process, engaging arts administrators, and building a broad constituency of citizen advocates. For more information about Texans for the Arts Foundation, please visit: https://www.texansforthearts.com/tfa-foundation

Texans for the Arts (TFA) is a highly effective, non-partisan, statewide nonprofit 501(c)(4) arts advocacy organization that organizes advocacy efforts in order to protect and increase public funding for the arts at the state, national and local levels and provides coordinated information about legislative activity related to arts issues. Texans for the Arts’ legislative agenda advocates for the development and implementation of public policy that supports a strong and vibrant arts and cultural industry. 

Texans For the Arts Foundation (TFAF) is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides professional development and advocacy education for both arts administrators and committed arts’ supporters to build a broad constituency of citizen advocates.

Together, Texans for the Arts Foundation and Texans for the Arts bring together voices of arts leaders, board members from arts organizations, and committed supporters from across the state to amplify the collective voice for increasing public funding for the arts. 

We envision a world where all Texans champion the arts as essential to our lives.

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