Longview arts groups get $128K in state grants

Longview’s Cultural District has been awarded more than $128,000 in state grant funding that will allow Arts!Longview and its partner organizations to provide more artistic enhancements and programming for the community.
Michael Cavazos, News-Journal File Photo
 

Longview News-Journal
From staff reports
Sept 23, 2022

Longview’s Cultural District has been awarded more than $128,000 in state grant funding that will allow Arts!Longview and its partner organizations to provide more artistic enhancements and programming for the community.

The Texas Commission on the Arts approved more than 900 grants — totaling $11.6 million — earlier this month. Cultural District project grants offered through the state commission are available only to communities with state-designated Cultural Districts. Arts!Longview received its state designation in 2019.

“We are so thankful to the Texas Commission on the Arts for the most recent grant funding that will allow us and our partner arts organizations to bring more artistic enhancements, innovative programming, and world-class facilities to our community,” said Arts!Longview Executive Director Christina Cavazos.

Since 2019, Arts!Longview and its partner arts agencies have been awarded $605,036 in Texas Commission on the Arts grants. Funding has helped provide for programming offered by arts organizations, improvements to facilities, and artistic enhancements that have included the installation of murals, sculptures, utility box wrappers and more.

“All TCA grants require a 1:1 match. That means — as of 2022-2023 — that more than $1.2 million in artistic improvements and programming will have been funded in Longview since 2019,” Cavazos said. “This is a major milestone. We are thankful to the individuals in our community who saw the benefits that a state-designated Cultural District could bring to Longview. ”

The Texas Commission on the Arts awarded Arts!Longview a $28,968 grant for enhancements to the Cultural District. Cavazos said this year’s grant will be used to start an art bench program and to make artistic enhancements to the Historic Train Depot, which is at Mobberly and Pacific avenues. Funding for the depot project is being matched locally by the Hubbard-Watlington Foundation.

Longview Museum of Fine Arts was awarded a $50,000 Cultural District grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts. Funding will go to renovations of the museum’s planned new home in the former Longview National Bank and Regions Bank building at the corner of Fredonia and Methvin streets in downtown. LMFA also received a $4,500 grant for operational support from the state commission.

ArtsView Children’s Theatre was awarded a $16,500 Cultural District grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts. ArtsView plans to use the funding for a new mural on its building, landscaping and accent lighting that will freshen up the building’s exterior. ArtsView also received a $3,500 grant for operational support from the state commission.

The Longview Symphony was awarded a $20,000 Cultural District grant from the state commission that will help underwrite costs associated with its “Star Wars Through the Years” concert, which is slated for April 29 at the Belcher Center. The symphony also received a $5,500 grant for operational support from the state commission.

The Texas Downtown Association also recently announced that Arts!Longview is a finalist in the annual President’s Awards in the category, “Best Downtown Partner.”

“It is an absolute honor to be a finalist as a Community Partner in the Texas Downtown Association President’s Awards,” Cavazos said. “Our passion is to spark a love of the arts, history and culture in our community. Through artistic improvements and programming, like ArtWalk, we’re proud to have played a role in brightening up downtown while also instilling pride among our community and encouraging tourism and business development.”

For more than 30 years, the President’s Awards program, sponsored by Texas Downtown, has recognized outstanding projects, places and people of downtowns across the state. This year, 129 entries were submitted in 12 different categories from communities across the state. Winners will be announced Nov. 2 at the President’s Awards Gala, held in conjunction with the 2022 Texas Downtown Conference scheduled for Nov. 1-4 in San Marcos.