The State of Texas authorizes the creation of the Hotel Occupancy Tax, which will become a crucial tool for promoting local arts and culture across the state.
The City of Houston establishes the Municipal Arts Council to advise the mayor and City Council on arts and cultural matters.
Under Mayor Louie Welch, the City of Houston establishes the Hotel Occupancy Tax, which will become a crucial tool for promoting local arts and culture.
Under Mayor Fred Hofheinz, the City of Houston amends its Code of Ordinances to allow Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue to support civic theaters and museums.
The Cultural Arts Council of Houston, or CACH, is incorporated to encourage support for the arts, culture, and humanities throughout the Houston region.
The City helps develop CACH as the organization responsible for stewarding Hotel Occupancy Tax funds for Houston’s arts and cultural community.
CACH hires John Blaine as its first executive director and launches a formal grantmaking process for small organizations and individual artists.
CACH reforms its grantmaking process to include expert panel reviews based on artistic merit, community outreach, and sound administration.
The Houston Police Officers’ Memorial, the city’s first local memorial honoring fallen police officers, is formally accessioned into the City of Houston’s Civic Art Collection.
The City of Houston establishes the Municipal Art Conservation Office to conserve, catalog, maintain, and promote its Civic Art Collection.
The City of Houston establishes the Civic Art Committee, a volunteer organization supported by CACH staff that assists in developing the city’s annual civic art program.
Under Mayor Lee P. Brown, the City of Houston establishes the Civic Art Ordinance, setting aside 1.75% of the budgets for many public improvement projects to acquire or incorporate works of art.
Under Mayor Bill White, the City of Houston consolidates CACH, the Municipal Arts Council, the Municipal Art Conservation Office, and the Civic Art Committee to create Houston Arts Alliance.
The Houston Arts Alliance Board hires Jonathan Glus as the organization’s first CEO.
HAA and the University of Houston, in partnership with the Greater Houston Partnership, publish The Creative Economy of Houston, the first comprehensive examination of Houston’s arts and cultural community and its economic impact.
The City of Houston publishes a Cultural Arts Plan for Houston, laying out a vision to foster a community where arts and culture flourish for the benefit of Houstonians and visitors. The Plan informs HAA in taking a more innovative approach to grantmaking and care of the City’s Civic Art Collection.
The Houston Arts Alliance Board hires John Abodeely as the organization’s next CEO.
Just over a year after Hurricane Harvey, HAA launches the Ready and Resilient initiative to strengthen Houston’s arts and cultural community before the next major disaster.
In partnership with a dozen area arts organizations, HAA spearheads an emergency fund supporting artists facing severe economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the arson attack at Winter Street Studios, HAA reactivates the emergency fund to support artists who suffered losses in the fire.
The City of Houston and HAA introduce the Creative Impact Boost Formula within HAA’s grant programs, providing additional funding to artists and organizations from historically underrepresented communities.
