Save Arts Funding in El Paso

How we treat our environment and relate to our ecosystem are just two facets of what makes life for us and our grandchildren’s grandchildren sustainable. But sustainability also has to do with cultural issues and what it is to be truly human.

Our ancestors who lived more than 40,000 years ago were not much different anatomically from us today. However for over a million years before a marvelous event of 40,000 years ago man-made artifacts consisted of nothing more than crude tools and weapons fashioned mainly from rocks. Then something happened. Archaeologists call it the Great Leap Forward for it was a quantum leap in culture that would affect humanity and human society henceforth. Suddenly, there were paintings, carvings, figurines, ornaments and murals such as those at the Lascaux Caves.  Human culture, the brilliant blooms of the human spirit, was born not from engineering or mathematics or scientific achievements – but from art. Indeed, art not only preceded all other human discoveries, it foreshadowed, foresaw and nurtured them.

Whenever a government cuts funding for the arts, it is a fatal mistake. There is plenty of research to suggest that children enriched by fine arts do better than other students. There is something about the warp and woof of our brains that, with a musical tempo or a swirl of color and shape, our minds conceive quantum mechanics and relativity, unlock genetic codes and can solve Fermat’s Theorem or twist a Rubik’s cube so that each side has a single-color. It is always foolish to cut-back on the arts to penny-pinch a budget to balance. Any municipality that does this, does so with an atavist’s nostalgia for the good old days before the Great Leap Forward. It does so with total disregard of what makes a City vibrant and worth living in and worth visiting.

Yet, the City of El Paso is on the verge tomorrow of de-funding the arts. Item 5A on tomorrow’s agenda introduces an ordinance to cut funding for the arts for (they claim) six years. The public hearing for this ordinance is scheduled for June 26^th but it would be great to contact your representative now and nip this one in the bud.  There are many good reasons for City Council members to say “NO” now and Arts Advocate, Katherine Brennand (who is also a member of the PSB), makes the case. Please read her powerful argument to deep six this new ordinance at its introduction.  Then, please contact your City representative. (Just click on the image of your rep and follow the links to contact.)

Also in regard to our sustainability as a people and culture, we need to be mindful of the education we provide our children and all citizens. We are all familiar with the sickening scandals that have rocked the El Paso Independent School District. Thanks to real public heroes such as former Senator Eliot Shapleigh and diligent journalists such as those at the El Paso Times, we know the story. Yesterday the Times took the unprecedented but necessary step of publishing an editorial on its front page.  That piece written by the editorial board of the paper called for the immediate resignation of five of the EPISD board members. The El Paso Times is right. They also published the names of the five board members who should resign now and gave their email addresses. They urged readers to email these persons and demand their resignation. The Times editorial board wrote: "It will take a strong public outcry to get these board members to finally do the right thing."


Here are the names and email addresses:

David Dodge, jaddodge@earthlink.net  

Patricia Hughes, phughes@episd.org  

Isela Castañon-Williams, miselacw@yahoo.com  

Russell Wiggs, russell.wiggs.b4mc@statefarm.com  

Joel Barrios, jbarrios@episd.org

Please email them if you agree that they should go. 

Don't De-Fund the Arts

El Paso Arts Advocate, Katherine Brennand (who is also a member of the PSB) fought for a 2% for the Arts ordinance for years.  Cities all over the country were already funding arts in this manner - some at 1%, some at 2%. In fact, the federal government passed a law (as did the State) years ago that required that any construction paid for with state or federal funds had to set aside a certain portion for public art.  Beginning in the 90's, Katherine began efforts to see El Paso take similar action. Such an ordinance eventually passed although, under Mayor Joe Wardy, it skipped and jumped around, and the ordinance changed from including revenue bonds to not including Certificates of Obligation. But in 2006 City Council finalized the 2% ordinance to include ALL bonds. Therefore, any municipal construction would include 2% for Public Art. Now Council is being asked to consider waiving that source of funding from the Street Infrastructure Capital Plan. An ordinance will be introduced tomorrow (Item 5A on the Agenda) with public hearing tentatively scheduled for June 26th. One hopes Council will deep six this matter now. The introduction to the ordinance suggests that in lieu of the 2% requirement, "street construction projects will incorporate a public art component as part of the design." (See attachment to the agenda item.)

Ms. Brennand writes:

"The commitment has been made that, if the 2% is waived for 6 years, then, in lieu of that requirement, the City would incorporate art into each of the reconstruction projects.  The rationale is that when the larger Quality of Life bond issue is presented in the Fall, Public Art will be adequately funded.

An alternative, suggested by the mayor, is to reduce the 2% to 1%, given the size of the obligations.

Any responsible, committed arts advocate will question these proposals for the following reasons:

• Without a doubt, having a 2% for the Arts Ordinance is quite enviable, although many, many cities across the country have this same ordinance.  In El Paso’s case, it took about 20 years of hard and consistent work to achieve this goal.  Once the 2% is suspended for any reason, and for such a lengthy time, it will be extremely difficult to get it reinstated….no matter the promises.

• How can the City be promoting a Quality of Life bond issue, and, at the same time, want to cut a fundamental funding base of Public Art?

• This sends a message to our artists, to our community, and, most importantly, to our children, that the arts can be funded whimsically….or not.

• It sets a precedent.  Even if the 2% for the Arts is reinstated in 2019 (!) what is to keep this from happening again?

• If the City is making the commitment to incorporate art into the road construction projects, which will cost money, why not leave the 2% in place and let those monies pay the expense?

• 2% of these bond issues is a minuscule amount compared to the city’s needs.  Is it being said that with the 2% going to the arts that it’s too much??  If that is the case, why aren’t we intelligently discussing  alternatives that will keep the 2% ordinance, but will augment/enhance  how we are using it?  Perhaps the amendment  should  include salaries and/or administrative costs for the Public Art program.  Why has there not been an opportunity to discuss proposals that could greatly benefit the community and the City?

• The 2% for the Arts from bond issues is the ONLY source of funding for this program.  As we know, bond elections happen every few years, not once a month.  Budgeting for the Public Art Program is difficult.  Administrative costs for the program cannot be taken from the 2%.  That means  cash flow for the program can be compared to a roller coaster ride. Without bond elections, the monies from the 2% for the Arts diminish quickly.

• El Pasoans seem to be very excited about a Quality of Life bond issue. The economic impact  from it should be impressive  This city is on the move….things are happening….we are “growing up”… young people are excited!  Suspending the 2% for the Arts for any reason at this point is completely regressive and will not be well received.  Reducing it from 2% to 1%  is even worse.

The arts are NOT the icing on the cake . . . they are more like the flour and butter.  They hold us together, soothe our souls, lift our spirits, give us hope.  It is a known fact that some children stay in school and do not drop out because of their interest in an art form - theatre, dance, painting.   It is also documented that children who are exposed to the arts score significantly higher on the ACT and SAT.  It is the creative output from the arts that we leave to future generations: the terra cotta warriors and horses from Xian, China, rock art paintings and murals that have endured for thousands of years, the renown works of Renaissance painters, the output of great literary artists, the great architectural edifices.  The list is endless.

 So, why do we EVER diminish the importance of artistic endeavor???  But we do!  We are doing it right now with the proposal to suspend the 2% from the streets infrastructure bond issue.  And, here’s a question.  Can we afford to make this cut?  The answer is simply: 'NO, WE CANNOT!'"