Naive cuts
State funding for the arts should be maintained.
Standing tall on white slippers, ballerina Sara Webb brought the Sugar Plum Fairy to life at the Nutcracker ballet last year. Her performance was so dazzling, she may have inspired a new generation, according to a review of opening night by Chronicle reporter Molly Glentzer.
The tiny jumps and flickering footwork that captivated more than 80,000 audience members weren’t just made possible by ticket-holders and generous donors. The artistry of all the dancers was on display in part due to state grant money — which state lawmakers have now put on the chopping block. In an effort to balance the budget, the Texas Legislature wants to slash cultural arts districts funding from $5 million to zero for the next biennium.
Again, another shortsighted legislative budget proposal that ultimately will harm our state. Buttressed by government grants, the arts not only add vibrancy to our state, they’re also a $5.5 billion industry in Texas, according to the 2017 State of the Arts Report released by the Texas Cultural Trust.
The state’s cultural district arts funding “was not intended to be a onetime designation,” said Jennifer Ransom Rice, executive director of the Trust.
Private philanthropy and ticket sales don’t cover the cost of many performances and cultural arts presentations. While only a sliver of the state’s budget, arts funding in past years didn’t just help the Houston Ballet revitalize the Nutcracker. The support also played a key role in paying for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s major retrospective of the career of Edgar Degas.
The MFAH — the only U.S. venue for the show — not only hosted more visitors to the exhibit than could fit in NRG Stadium at the Super Bowl, but also gave its visitors the priceless experience of seeing the arc of Degas’ life work.
A loss of state arts funding couldn’t come at a worse time. Texas currently has one of the lowest levels of per capita arts funding in the country, and President Donald J. Trump’s budget suggests that federal funding for the arts could disappear or be severely scaled back.
Combined cuts at the federal and state levels could limit the opportunities for those families with modest budgets and school districts who rely on established cultural institutions for artistic enrichment.
State Sen. Jane Nelson, who heads the Senate Finance Committee, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “I support the arts and understand how important it is to promote cultural tourism.”
So we know not all lawmakers are in agreement about the budget proposal. Who will be the Legislature’s arts champion?
Wild swings in funding aren’t good policy. Voters should let Nelson and other lawmakers know that the arts matter to Texas.