TravelTex Launches New Website

TravelTex just launched a new website with improved graphics and new features. Visitors to the site will find improved navigation and search functions, as well as enhanced visual presentation.

TravelTex Travel Patch Logo

One new feature is a series of webisodes, including one titled “Elevating Vacations to An Art Form” which highlights the Houston Museum District. This district recently joined the Texas Commission on the Arts’ Cultural District program. There are also webisodes on the Hill Country, Gulf Coast and South Texas Plains regions.  Panhandle, Prairies & Lakes, and Piney Woods regions are in pre-production with more coming soon. These online videos do a great job showcasing Texas and its culture.

Inside the Rothko Chapel, Houston Museum District

Another improvement to the site is the incorporation of Google Maps into the Trip Planner feature. Looking ahead, TravelTex will offer both iPhone and Blackberry applications making it even easier to find all that is happening in Texas.

This is wonderful news for travelers to and within our state. It also provides an even better opportunity for Texas artists and arts organizations to promote themselves. Events submitted to the Texas Events Calendar are automatically included in the TravelTex online events calendar. That makes it simple for anyone interested in the arts to find events and include them in an itinerary using the Trip Planner.

Texas Music on TravelTex Website

Texas Leadership Institute Hosts Workshop on Hotel Occupancy Tax

Texas Leadership Institute will host a course titled “Administering the Local Hotel Occupancy Tax” in Bastrop, TX on Thursday, March 11^th. Featured speaker will be Scott Joslove, President/CEO of the Texas Hotel and Lodging Association. Other featured speakers include Sudie Burditt, Director of the Kerrville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Corrine Cleverly, Texas Department of Agriculture, and Gaye Greever McElwain, Texas Commission on the Arts.

Texas Leadership Institute Logo

The workshop will provide an in-depth look at the proper expenditure of Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funds by local communities. Many communities use HOT funding to support arts and historic preservation programming. While the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is not funded with HOT money, many grant recipients use the HOT funds from the local level as their matching dollars for their TCA grants. It is important for arts organizations and local governments to understand the legal aspects of this important funding source.

The session will provide actual case studies on ways communities have used HOT funding. Information will also be provided on other funding sources available to fund arts and historic preservation, especially in rural communities.

The day-long workshop takes place at the LCRA Riverside Conference Center in Bastrop, TX. For more information, visit the Texas Leadership Institute website and look for course CRS-1358 or call 800-776-5272 ext. 3252.

TCA Field Trip – Austin Museum of Art

by Gaye Greever McElwain, TCA Director of Marketing & Communications

American Letterpress: The Art of the Hatch Show Print

A few of us TCA staffers just returned from a short field trip over to the Austin Museum of Art, located a couple of blocks from TCA headquarters in downtown Austin. Dana Friis-Hansen was kind enough to take a few moments from his busy day to give us a quick tour of the lastest exhibition, American Letterpress: The Art of Hatch Show Print. It’s a wonderful exhibition of posters old and new. Hatch Show Print began making posters in 1879, and even the more recent posters have a real sense of nostalgia about them.

There are posters promoting everything from sporting events to movies, circuses to soft drinks. Many of the posters promote musical acts, especially country music. Images of Minnie Pearl, Eddie Arnold, Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash fill the space. It’s a great fit with the upcoming SXSW Music Festival. AMOA’s Collection Selection exhibition also has a music theme and includes some really intriguing work.

Austin Museum of Art Logo

The New Works area at AMOA features an interactive installation piece by Luck Savisky. Sit on the couch, put on your 3D glasses and allow your eyes to take it all in. Be sure to move to new vantage points around the room so you fully experience the work.

If you are traveling to Austin for spring break and/or SXSW (or if you happen to live in Austin), be sure to enjoy the city’s many arts and cultural offerings, including this exhibition at AMOA. There is something for everyone, including young kids, to enjoy.

Mid-America Arts Alliance Hosts “Job-Alike”

By Gaye Greever McElwain, TCA Director of Marketing & Communications

Mid-America Arts Alliance Logo

I just returned from a meeting in Kansas City hosted by the Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA). I participated in a “job alike” with folks from the Arkansas Arts Council, Kansas Arts Commission , Missouri Arts Council, Nebraska Arts Council and Oklahoma Arts Council, as well as M-AAA staff members. The purpose of a job-alike is to bring people together to share ideas, network and learn new strategies. This gathering brought together peers to talk about the challenges and opportunities we face in our work as communications professionals working in the arts.

It soon became clear that we are all “departments of one” meaning we have no communication staff members to share the workload, and we all wear many hats. It was also evident that each of the six participating state arts agencies is unique in the way they are structured. All six agencies are challenged by a small budget and a large workload, but creative thinking is allowing us to achieve our goals. It was great to get to see what is happening in other states and think about ways we can emulate best practices happening around the country.

The temperature was cold (4 degrees!), but the hospitality was warm. The M-AAA staff members saw to it that everyone was well-fed and comfortable. Each state arts agency was given the opportunity to make a presentation, but most of the time was spent enjoying an animated dialogue about our work as communication managers working for public arts agencies.

Charlie Parker Memorial in Kansas City

Kansas City, often called “the Heart of America,” is an interesting city with some really beautiful architecture. My only regret is that I did not have more time to enjoy the cultural offerings of this mid-western city. It is famous for barbecue and jazz music, but I really hoped to spend more time exploring the Crossroads Arts District, Kansas City Sculpture Garden and Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. I’ll need to do a better job of planning my trip next time!

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City

Our host, Mid-America Arts Alliance, was created to support and stimulate cultural activity in communities throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Based in the heartland, M-AAA creates and manages regional, multi-regional, national, and international programs including traveling exhibitions, performing arts touring, and professional and community development.

On the Road with TCA: Midland and Odessa

By Chuck Winkler, TCA  Program Administrator

Museum of the Southwest Logo

The cities of Midland and Odessa are more than oil wells and football on Friday nights; during a recent visit, I was impressed by the rich and exciting cultural scene there.  Funds from TCA grants help support everything from outdoor art in downtown Midland to classic plays presented in Odessa’s Globe of the Great Southwest, a replica of the original Globe Theatre, the home of William Shakespeare’s acting company in England.

Midland is home to the Museum of the Southwest, a collection of contemporary painting and sculptures and fine examples from the Taos School set in the historic 1936 Turner Mansion.  The grounds are also home to a Children’s Museum and Planetarium.  Since 1946, the Midland Community Theater has been a creative outlet for Midland’s citizens.  The theater uses TCA grants to present full-scale productions, cabaret, and an extensive list of educational programs.

Ellen Noel Art Museum

Twenty-one  miles to the South is Odessa, TX.  Odessa’s Ellen Noel Art Museum features changing exhibitions with a cross-cultural focus, and an excellent permanent collection. The Museum serves as a catalyst for art education in the region by collaborating with schools, colleges and universities and providing classes, artist’s workshops and family activities. Odessa is also home to the Globe of the Great Southwest, the Permian Playhouse.

Texas Crown Performance Hall Up and Running!

By Gaye Greever McElwain, Director of Marketing and Communications

Back in November I blogged about a three-day tourism assessment in Canadian, TX. I was part of a team of state-agency partners led by the Office of the Governor on a trip to that unique area of the Texas Panhandle. While touring the town’s many historic, cultural and natural offerings we got to check out the renovation of the Canadian Middle School Auditorium. The $6 million dollar project transformed the auditorium, housed in a historic school building, into a state-of-the-arts performing arts facility.

Texas Crown Performance Hall Logo

Well, I just received an email from John McGarr with the Canadian Arts Alliance letting me know the new Texas Crown Performance Hall is up and running. One look at the website shows how the Hall is booked with a variety of performances. There is also information on children’s education, volunteer opportunities and more. The website is still under construction, but soon you will be able to purchase tickets online.

The Texas Crown Performance Hall has a wonderful history. The first building constructed on the site was the Canadian Baptist Academy. Built in 1904, the Academy offered elementary, secondary and college classes. The Academy closed in 1913, three years after the construction of the first public high school in Canadian. The building sat empty until 1919 when it was reopened as an orphanage supported by the local churches. In 1924 the orphanage moved to Tipton, Oklahoma, where it continues today. Later, the building burned and the site was used as a park until 1939.

The present building was constructed in 1939 after fire destroyed the high school. It served as the high school until 1976 when a new high school was constructed. The building was remodeled and converted into the Canadian Middle School, a function it continues today.

Canadian River Bridge

The Canadian Independent School Board and the Canadian Arts Alliance are to be commended for working together to create this outstanding performance hall. The effort also required a tremendous amount of community support. The folks in Canadian are to be commended for working together to make their community such a wonderful place to live and to visit.

Canadian, Texas at Sunset

I really encourage folks to visit Canadian and take in a performance at the Texas Crown Performance Hall. There are plenty of other cultural and heritage experiences to enjoy in that area, so pack up the family and head to the Panhandle.

Love the Arts on Valentines Day

Enjoy a romantic Valentines Day by taking your date to a performing arts event. Here are just a few of the artistic offerings celebrating the holiday of love and affection:

Valentines Day Cupids

The Canton Chamber of Commerce & Tourism presents the Western Swing Valentine Party. This performance features Dave Alexander and His Big Texas Swing Band, Jody Nix & The Texas Cowboys, Quebe Sisters Band, Jake Hooker and more.

Ballet Austin presents the world-premiere of a new dance work by Stephen Mills. Truth & Beauty/The Bach Project uses music both composed and inspired by J.S. Bach and includes a variety of movement styles and interactive media.

You can Kiss & Make Up when the Mesquite Arts Center presents this comedy of mistaken identities, federal foolishness and desperate romance.

Theatre Victoria presents Side by Side by Sondheim, a dazzling array of Stephen Sondheim’s best-known songs.

Side by Side by Sondheim

The New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving brings us an afternoon of romantic music in a concert featuring P.I. Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, G. Puccini’s Act I Finale and H. Hanson’s Symphony No. 2, “Romantic.”

And speaking of ‘Romeo & Juliet,” the Dominic Walsh Dance Theater in Dallas and Texas Ballet Theatre in Fort Worth will both perform this classic ballet production that tells the tale of young star-crossed lovers.

Dominic Walsh Dance Theater's Romeo & Juliet

Texas-style Mardi Gras Celebrations

There will be plenty of celebrations in Texas to mark Mardi Gras. A quick search of the TravelTex website makes it easy to find Mardi Gras fun no matter where you are in the state. Here are some ideas on ways to celebrate:

Mardi Gras on Galveston Island

From Feb. 5 – 16, Galveston Island is overtaken by spectacular parades, elaborate masked balls and flamboyant costumes. Mardi Gras! Galveston is a series of festive events, bead throwing, exhibits, live music, and some of the best Gulf Coast cuisine in the world.

The weekend of Feb. 11 – 14, Port Arthur celebrates Mardi Gras Southeast Texas with headliner bands, parades, carnival rides, arts & crafts, food vendors and strolling street entertainment.

Mardi Gras in Port Arthur

On Feb. 13^th, the Montgomery County Performing Arts Society hosts their Annual Mardi Gras Ball. Enjoy a night of beads, masks, dancing, a live and silent auction, dinner and Mardi Gras merriment. In San Antonio on that same night, a procession of decorated river barges will transform the San Antonio River Walk into a floating Mardi Gras. Krewes of costumed revelers and live entertainment celebrate Mardi Gras San Antonio-style.

On Feb. 20^th, a train ride on the Hill Country Flyer in Austin turns deadly when a guest is murdered during the Mardi Gras Murder Mystery. Enjoy food, drinks and entertainment on board the train while interacting with the Capital City Mystery Players to solve the whodunit mystery.

There’s no need to leave the state when Texas offers so many fun Mardi Gras celebrations right here at home.

Check out the Speakers “Building Partnerships” in April

The Texas Cultural and Heritage Tourism Seminar, scheduled for April 28, 2010 in Corpus Christi, will feature several great speakers and a variety of pertinent topics for arts organizations seeking to increase audience attendance at performances and venues.

Texas Cultural and Heritage Tourism Council Logo

Elizabeth Regner, executive director of Lubbock Arts Alliance, will join Stephanie O’Banion, President, Belton Area Chamber of Commerce,  for a session titled, “Building Partnerships to Achieve a Shared Vision.” Elizabeth heads up the newly designated Cultural District in Lubbock, just one of her many accomplishments. Elizabeth has expanded activities to support artists and musicians with an eye toward making Lubbock an arts destination. Similarly, Stephanie has a great deal of experience dating back to her days in Abilene where she promoted that city’s many museums and cultural activities. Now the City of Belton is benefiting from Stephanie’s experience and creative approach to marketing.

Both Elizabeth and Stephanie understand the arts are an important part of what makes a city vibrant and animated, not to mention the economic boost from arts tourism. They will share their experience and insights on ways to build partnerships to achieve shared goals. Working in partnership with others makes it possible for even the smallest of nonprofit arts organizations to play a significant role in shaping community vision.

The Cultural and Heritage Tourism Seminar will feature several other valuable sessions and great speakers. Details are coming soon.

Shen Yun Performing Arts coming to Dallas

Thanks in part to a TCA grant, Shen Yun Performing Arts is scheduled to appear at the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas on February 5 – 6, 2010. This Chinese dance and music company has performed in over 100 cities around the world. This unique performance showcases diverse folkloric arts and draws inspiration from the legends, values and spirit of ancient Chinese culture. Shen Yun Performing Arts seeks to create original performances that not only entertain, but also educate, enrich and inspire.

You can get more information and purchase tickets on the Music Hall at Fair Park website. If you decide to travel to Dallas to take in a performance, the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau is a great resource for finding hotels and restaurants, as well as other arts and cultural offerings in the area.