Kirk Sides/Staff photographer
Houston Chronicle
Pooja Bhakta, Staff Writer
The plan aims to bring the city's diverse arts and culture to the forefront to enhance the quality of life for residents, businesses and visitors, a news release details. The goal "is to create a common vision for the role that arts and culture should play in Pearland," according to a city summary of the project.
The Pearland Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is funding the project, will host two community meetings on Oct. 24 and 25.
The Oct. 24 meeting will give residents an opportunity to meet the team working to create the plan and get more information from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the West Pearland Library, 11801 Shadow Creek Parkway.
A community discussion is set for Oct. 25 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Theatre at Horizon Montessori-Pearland Campus, 2319 North Grand Boulevard.
“The arts contribute to economic growth, support local businesses, and attract visitors to our city,” said Tracy Rohrbacher, executive director of the Pearland Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Community perspective is instrumental in the planning process; input from a variety of audiences, including residents, will guide the future of arts and culture here in Pearland.”
What is the cultural arts master plan?
Pearland City Council unanimously approved a $89,840 contract in March with Cultural Planning Group — a national firm that specializes in developing cultural arts plans for cities and counties — to develop a plan to explore cultural tourism opportunities and map out arts initiatives in the city.
Mayor Kevin Cole joined representatives from the Pearland Convention and Visitors Bureau in 2021 on a listening tour that included 26 meetings with local visual and performing arts and community groups as a means to continue the late Mayor Tom Reid's legacy, he told the Chronicle in March.
The project began in August with tours of Pearland's cultural destinations by the bureau and the Cultural Planning Group. A meeting with the Cultural Arts Master Plan steering committee took place to set objectives and develop strategies for the plan, according to a news release. The committee consists of various community members representing several art communities across the city.
Several stakeholder discussions will take place between Oct. 24-26 covering a variety of topics with local school districts, the culinary community, leaders of youth organizations and faith-based and cultural organizations.