Houston Arts Alliance
Visual Timeline

Chapter 1: The Foundation, 1959–1987
1959
Introduced
State of Texas Established Hotel Occupancy Tax
Texas State Capitol

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.

1965
Expanded
Municipal Arts Council Established

The City of Houston establishes the Municipal Arts Council to advise the mayor and City Council on arts and cultural matters.

April 1969
Expanded
City Establishes Hotel Occupancy Tax
Rice hotel

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.

September 1977
Sub Label
HOT Funding Expands to Theaters and Museums
Rothko Chapel

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.

October 1977
Incorporated
The Cultural Arts Council of Houston

The Cultural Arts Council of Houston, or CACH, is incorporated to encourage support for the arts, culture, and humanities throughout the Houston region.

1978
Expands
CACH Expands
John Blaine

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. 

1987
Reform
CACH Reforms Grantmaking

CACH reforms its grantmaking process to include expert panel reviews based on artistic merit, community outreach, and sound administration.

November 1992
Expands
Houston Police Officers' Memorial

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.

1996
Established
Municipal Art Conservation Office

The City of Houston establishes the Municipal Art Conservation Office to conserve, catalog, maintain, and promote its Civic Art Collection.

1999
Established
Civic Art Committee

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.

1999
Established
Civic Art Ordinance

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.

2006
Established
Houston Arts Alliance

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.

May 2007
CEO
HAA Names Jonathan Glus as First CEO

The Houston Arts Alliance Board hires Jonathan Glus as the organization’s first CEO.

2012
Landmark Study
HAA Publishes Landmark Creative Economy Study

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.

October 2015
Sub Label
Houston Adopts Cultural Arts Plan

The City of Houston publishes 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. 

September 2017
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HAA Names John Abodeely as Second CEO

The Houston Arts Alliance Board hires John Abodeely as the organization’s next CEO.Add Description Here

October 2018
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HAA Launches Ready and Resilient

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.

Spring 2020
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HAA Spearheads Emergency Fund for Artists

In partnership with a dozen area arts organizations, HAA spearheads an emergency fund supporting artists facing severe economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

December 2022
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HAA Reactivates Emergency Fund After Winter Street Fire

Following the arson attack at Winter Street Studios, HAA reactivates the emergency fund to support artists who suffered losses in the fire.

January 2025
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HAA Partners on Presidents' Artists for Understanding Event

HAA partners with the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities to organize Artists for Understanding in Houston. 

The initiative brings together diverse arts and cultural leaders to counter hate. 

February 2025
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Taylor Jackson Named HAA’s First Woman and Person of Color CEO

The Houston Arts Alliance Board hires Taylor Jackson as CEO. A former HAA director of grants, she is the first woman and person of color to lead the organization.

October 2025
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HAA Organizes First Greater Houston Arts Forum

Partnering together with the Hobby Center for the Performing ArtsHouArts, and the Houston Endowment, HAA organizes the first annual Greater Houston Arts Forum, bringing together and empowering artists, arts professionals, and allies across the region. 

June 2026
Sub Label
City Council Unanimously Approves HAA’s New HOT Contract

Houston City Council unanimously approves HAA’s new Hotel Occupancy Tax contract, a five-year agreement with two one-year renewal options that provides greater stability for HAA and Houston’s arts community.

July 2026
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HAA Expands Disaster Services into Resilience & Recovery

Houston Arts Alliance expands its Disaster Services Division into the Resilience & Recovery Division, broadening year-round support for Houston's creative community through advocacy, career and economic mobility, and disaster services. 

Present
Sub Label
HAA Marks 20 Years of Supporting Houston’s Creative Community
HAA Marks 20 Years of Supporting Houston’s Creative Community

The Houston Arts Alliance celebrates its 20th anniversary, and a history that stretches over 50 years, by maintaining our commitment to the people that make Houston’s arts and culture community amazing.