How Lubbock artists pushed back after the city cut funding for its popular art walk

“How Lubbock artists pushed back after city ends funding for popular art walk” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a non-profit, non-partisan media organization that informs Texans — and engage with them – about public policy, politics, government and state-level issues.

LUBBOCK — Once a month for the past two decades, Lubbock’s First Friday Art Trail has transformed the few downtown blocks it spans into a lively scene filled with people enjoying live music, food from local businesses and admire art.

It has become a cornerstone for the city’s creative community and a mecca for art lovers and tourists alike.

And before the free event became the latest political flashpoint in a statewide debate over LGBTQ+ expression, it was one of the few opportunities artists had to showcase their work to the public and experience diversity in Lubbock, a conservative city of 240,000 in South Texas. Plains, said Dametria Williams, a local artist.

Williams’ collection of work consists largely of bold and colorful semi-realistic portraits with careful attention to detail regarding hair, lighting and texture. Her paintings often depict the beauty and uniqueness of black people because they are not represented as much, she said.

“It’s tough in Lubbock, it’s a struggle to try to make a sale,” Williams said. “That’s why the art trail is so big.”

So when a local reporter shared on social media that the City Council last month took $25,600 from the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, the nonprofit organization that organizes the art walk, it sent shockwaves through the city. The news was posted all over social media, acting as a wake-up call.

The majority of the board — made up of a few newly elected members — was motivated by what others called misinformation. First-time council member David Glasheen accused the arts center of using the money to promote drag shows and other LGBTQ+ programs as family-friendly. Mayor Mark McBrayer agreed with Glasheen’s sentiments, saying they can’t spend taxpayer money on “sexualized performances.”

The arts center was not responsible for the drag show and it did not take place on its property, nonprofit officials said.

Since the council’s surprise decision, the artistic community has mobilized. Leaders wrote letters informing the public and the council and held fundraising events to make up for the loss ahead of the 20th anniversary celebrations in September. Earlier this week, dozens of residents packed council chambers and pleaded — for hours — with the seven-member governing board to reverse its decision.

He didn’t.

Art, diversity on display in Lubbock

The City Council’s July decision is an example of ongoing efforts by Texas elected officials to limit the role of LGBTQ+ people in their communities. Local and state conservative leaders have tried to ban certain books, shut down public drag shows, and limit access to public restrooms.

Ten days after the first vote, thousands of supporters endured sweltering heat at the art walk. People wrote why they liked the chalk art trail on brick walls and the art studios were full. Many attendees wore shirts that read “Support LHUCA and the First Friday Art Trail” while laughing with friends or listening to live music.

“It felt like one of our biggest crowds, especially with the warm weather,” said Lindsey Maestri, executive director of the art center.

Since its creation 20 years ago, the art trail has rarely — if ever — been a source of tension or disagreement in Lubbock.

Jane Underwood Henry, daughter of the art center’s founder and namesake, Louise Hopkins Underwood, said her mother envisioned a place to bring people from every corner of the city together to see art in all its forms.

“When I go to First Fridays, I see hundreds of people from all over town,” Henry said. “All ages, kids and dogs, not that many of them I know.”

The art route made this a reality. It’s one of the few free events in the city, highlights local and regional artists, and adds culture to Lubbock, which is known primarily for the city’s music scene and Texas Tech University.

“The art piece shows the real crisis that Lubbock really is,” said Simone See, a Lubbock resident. “Even if people don’t think it is.”

See is the owner of Taste Buds Food Co., a food truck that frequents the art trail. While the funding doesn’t directly affect vendors, See said it’s the biggest event for small businesses each month. According to representatives of the Charles Adams Studio Project, another venue adjacent to the art center, there are 24 food trucks each month. There are also over 30 vendors displaying arts and crafts.

Three hours of public comments

The council’s first vote to defund the arts center came as a surprise. The city’s creative community wouldn’t let that happen again.

In fact, Tuesday’s council meeting only served to heighten tensions between residents and council members who voted to withdraw the funds, which come from the Hotel Occupancy Tax.

Council member Christy Martinez-Garcia, whose district includes the downtown area where the art walk is taking place, placed a potential compromise on this week’s agenda.

The proposal restored funding under certain conditions. These include the non-use of the grant fund for various artistic programs, whether it is for or against a political party, position or candidate, or the promotion of events with an exclusive audience that do not allow the participation of the general public, i.e. youth-oriented programming or 21 years old and the older audience. Another term prohibited the promotion of activities depicting “sex acts” or activities of a sexual nature that could be interpreted as sexual behavior.

At the council meeting, the room was almost as crowded as the art trail itself – every seat was taken, while some chose to stand or sit on the floor. Charles Adams, founder of CASP, recalled how in the past the city was happy to invest in an “unsellable” area. Since then, it has become a popular attraction and economic engine.

“We have more people on a First Friday than anything other than football and the county fair,” Adams told the council.

The council held three hours of public comment, most of which were people expressing their displeasure with the vote and their love for Lubbock’s arts scene. Tempers flared everywhere – one speaker wanted the ghost of Louise Hopkins Underwood to haunt disapproving members until they made the “right decision”. The council chambers erupted and Mayor McBrayer reminded everyone that cheering and clapping is not allowed. Since then, the audience has been snapping their fingers to show their approval.

Another resident, Andy Seger, described a double standard for city-sponsored venues — the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center regularly has a knife and gun show on the property. Seger said he saw memorabilia from hate groups on display, as well as books related to domestic terrorism. The Civic Center, he argued, functions in the same way as the art center, providing a space for vendors.

“If we’re going to talk about regulating the content of individual exhibitors for a planned event with city dollars, we’re going to have to ban the civic center as well,” Seger said, wishing the council well.

“You all won a pie-eating contest where the prize is more than pie.”

More than 60 people spoke at the meeting, with less than a handful expressing support for the council’s initial decision to end funding for the arts center, saying there needs to be accountability for taxpayer dollars.

Board member Martinez-Garcia said the art center was held to a different set of standards. And while she proposed the compromise, she later said she wanted the money back unconditionally, citing misinformation that led to the vote. Martinez-Garcia was one of two votes against cutting the money on the July ballot.

“We made a mistake and we have to correct it,” Martinez-Garcia said. “How we’re going to fix this is by giving these people the money. If we can’t do that, it sends the wrong message.”

Glasheen stood by his position at the last meeting, saying giving the grant money without restrictions is worse than the first time it was proposed to the council.

“It’s more than just an LGBT issue,” Glasheen said. “It’s a broader question of what are the common-sense restrictions on what kind of expression should be promoted or supported by tax dollars.”

McBrayer agreed, saying it’s still their responsibility to oversee the tax money and it’s not a censorship issue. Without the money, McBrayer said the art center could do what they wanted.

“Artists are free to express themselves however they want,” McBrayer said. “They have no right to expect taxpayer money to do that.”

McBrayer emphasized that the council is not “anti-art.” He referenced the late musician Buddy Holly — a beloved icon in Lubbock, where he was born and raised — who many audience members brought up in their comments to the council. McBrayer said he’s sure Holly didn’t get all the support he wanted, but “it didn’t stop him from being one of the greatest artists ever.”

McBrayer offered a compromise – offer $5,000 for security at the art trail. Glasheen was also against this. The resolution ultimately passed 4-3.

In a statement, the arts center said they were disappointed that funding had not been fully restored, but grateful that security would be funded.

Maestri, the art center’s executive director, told the Tribune before the meeting that the art trail has grown so much that he hasn’t stopped to reflect on how much the event brings to the community.

“Sometimes it’s hard to do, until there are times when you feel like something could be taken away or in danger,” Maestri said.

Disclosure: Texas Tech University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial backers play no role in Tribune journalism. Find a full list of them here.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/15/lubbock-art-trail-drag-show-council-vote/.

The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, member-supported newsroom that informs and engages Texans in state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.