Lindsey Maestri speaks during public comment at the Lubbock City Council meeting, August 13
A compromise proposal that may have passed the Lubbock City Council Tuesday to restore $25,600 of public funding for the First Friday Art Trail was never fully discussed because it was pulled.
Failed votes followed to restore the full funding, then a smaller amount, before a divided Council approved $5,000 for security.
This took place during a nine-hour Council meeting featuring almost three hours of public comments – mostly about First Friday – in a packed Council chambers with chairs set up outside to hold an over-flow crowd.
The proposal Mayor Pro-tem Christy Martinez-Garcia planned to present said:
- The money could not be used to promote “any activity that depicts sexual acts or activities of a sexual nature … youth specific programming or gender specific programming.”
- It could not be used for a political candidate or political party.
- The money could be used only for security, a trolley and general marketing.
“Censorship was the first thing that came to mind,” Martinez-Garcia told LubbockLights.com the day after after she pulled her proposal. “Either way, I didn’t feel like that resolution was gonna pass.”
Councilmember Brayden Rose said, “We just removed part of the resolution that I was kind of okay with.”
The issue started in July, when Councilman David Glasheen raised concerns about “Queering West Texas,” a drag show, which was called off at the last minute and other LGBTQ exhibits. Glasheen also clarified he had issues with using taxpayer funds for sexual content in general, the promotion of a candidate for local office and the lobbying for a political issue at FFAT.
Other major issues during the Council meeting
- Folks wanted assurance Godeke Library would stay open. (It will.)
- They also wanted the Council to retain historic bricks on Broadway between Avenue Q and Avenue E (which Council was not willing to do).
- A handful of speakers wanted the Council to cut the city budget and lower the tax rate (which Council was not prepared to do, at least not yet.)
FFAT explained
FFAT is the First Friday Art Trail. It started in 2004 as a way for local artists to get in front of an audience. The first one had an audience of 13 people. Five years into it, the attendance ranged from 75 to 200. Now, it has crowds of 5,000 or more per month.
The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts (LHUCA) serves as the manager of the event. Different businesses or art galleries in Downtown Lubbock act as venues. LHUCA coordinates the marketing, but each venue independently hosts exhibits with only one catch. Admission must be free.
LHUCA benefits when Civic Lubbock Inc., a non-profit, accepts hotel tax money from Lubbock and disburses arts and cultural grants. The most recent grant came up for approval before the City Council in July.
Why not compromise?
Martinez-Garcia told LubbockLights.com she withdrew the compromise because she felt LHUCA was unfairly targeted.
“I felt like we singled them out,” she said of LHUCA. “They applied with no type of special requirements other than what was already placed by Civic Lubbock. We posed a different set of standards for one organization and one event.”
During the meeting, Martinez-Garcia said, “We made a mistake and we need to correct it … how we’re going to correct it is by granting these folks their money.”
Not everyone on the Council agreed it’s “their money.” But Martinez-Garcia said LHUCA brings in visitors from out-of-town and that’s what the hotel tax promotes.
“It does entitle them a little bit to that funding. … And if we can’t do that, then I think it sends a wrong message. We need to correct this,” she said.
How they voted
Here is how the Council voted on an August 13 resolution to fully restore $25,600 of FFAT funding without strings attached, and a resolution to restore only $20,000 for security and free trolley service:
In favor of funding (both times)
- Christy Martinez-Garcia, District 1
- Gordon Harris, District 2
- Tim Collins, District 6
Against the funding (both times)
- David Glasheen, District 3
- Brayden Rose, District 4
- Jennifer Wilson, District 5
- Mark McBrayer, Mayor
Cutting the strings
Rose was not 100 percent sure he was going to vote yes for the compromise. But he was leaning in that direction.
“I would have definitely been more inclined to vote for it. But like I said, it was pulled off before we got to the vote,” Rose said to LubbockLights.com the day after.
Martinez-Garcia also lost the support of Mayor Mark McBrayer.
His statement from late last month said, “I’m hopeful we will come to an arrangement.”
“I simply ask that you give the City Council an opportunity to work through this in a way that provides support for the arts in Lubbock in a manner that is beneficial for our entire community,” McBrayer’s statement continued.
He confirmed for LubbockLights.com, he was willing to support the compromise. But his support was conditional.
After the non-compromise proposal with no “strings” failed on the 4-3 vote, an effort by Councilman Tim Collins to fund both security and a free trolley service failed by the same margin.
In the end, McBrayer was able to cobble together four votes to support $5,000 for extra police presence.
People supporting First Friday
Among the speakers was Lindsey Maestri, LHUCA’s executive director.
“Please consider restoring First Friday Art Trail funding as applied for,” Maestri said.
Maestri used the phrase “as applied for” to mean no new restrictions.
“In September, First Friday Art Trail will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Each month, this free community-driven art event showcases not only the incredible talent of our West Texas artists, dancers and musicians but it brings international artists to Lubbock,” Maestri said.
Maestri has board positions with Texans for the Arts and the Texas Association of Museums.
“Through these roles I can attest to the statewide recognition First Friday Art Trail has garnered for Lubbock as an art destination,” she said.
A recent survey, she said, showed vendors make on average $1,277 monthly. She quoted some of the survey responses.
- “It impacts my business significantly … helps me pay my monthly bills at the beginning of the month.”
- “The Art Trail helps me pay my rent.”
- “It is the most influential thing that not only provides a steady income for us but is a great promotional opportunity for our business. Without it, we would be homeless.”
“First Friday is clearly an economic driver for our community,” Maestri said.
The grant money helped LHUCA advertise the event to the region – bringing in visitors from out of town, she added.
After the vote, she released a written statement.
“While the Lubbock City Council’s decision not to fully reinstate funding was disappointing, LHUCA will continue its mission of serving our community,” Maestri said.
More reaction
Two people spoke in favor of Council’s previous decision to cut the funding. The rest – some more graciously, some less – were in no mood for middle ground.
“Hate is not a Lubbock value,” one person said during public comments.
Another said, “This cut is nothing but an uninformed, cynical, bigoted political stunt.”
Councilman Rose said the Council does not hate art or LHUCA. Rose pointed to more than $500,000 of grant money recently approved for the arts.
Several said the LGBTQ community was targeted for censorship.
“I am a bisexual mother of two. And yes, I exist,” one woman said.
Glasheen said it’s not about LGBTQ.
“It’s about a broader question of what are some common-sense restrictions on the types of expression that should be supported or promoted by tax dollars,” Glasheen said.
McBrayer said it’s not censorship.
“Artists are free to express themselves wherever they want to. They don’t have a right to expect taxpayer money to support everything and anything they do,” McBrayer said.
Public money ‘always’ has restrictions
Rose said, “Public money always has restrictions on it.”
During the public comment period, one man said, “You have to have accountability. There have been discussions today about, ‘I need your money, but I don’t want any strings attached.’”
Rose agreed. So did McBrayer.
“This isn’t really a partisan issue. It’s not a political issue. We have to make policy. This is about policy,” McBrayer said.
McBrayer and Rose both think the city needs to reexamine the issue as a whole and consider new restrictions. Rose thinks maybe the Council could appoint a committee to recommend specifics.
Glasheen said, “There are broad categories of sexual, political, violent and other controversial expression that doesn’t need to be supported or amplified by tax dollars.”
“LHUCA has the right to continue this programing without public tax dollars, and it may give them the freedom that they would prefer to have – a full range of what they consider to be appropriate expression. I’m also going to be in favor of new regulations and new resolutions going forward on these commitments of money,” Glasheen said.
Martinez-Garcia disagreed, saying, “Policy is already in place … they followed the policy. They did what they were supposed to do. They applied. They followed the process, and they deserve that money. … But we’re now creating terms for them.”
One of the public commenters, Andy Seger, said First Friday is not the only event using public benefits to express controversial ideas. He mentioned recent knife and gun shows at the Civic Center.
“I can buy a swastika armband. I can buy a Confederate flag. I can sign up for the sons of the Confederate Veterans and I can buy a book called The Turner Diaries which was a book that inspired Timothy McVey.” Seger said.
Singling out LHUCA, he said, is a “slippery slope.” He warned against regulating the content of individual exhibitors.
Martinez-Garcia agreed, saying, “I too go to the gun show and I have seen stuff that to me was inappropriate. But I’m not going to censor when people are expressing what they believe.”
Rose said the people of his district largely support the position he took.
“There’s people on the other side of this that are upset that their tax dollars are being used for this,” Rose said.
The show will go on
Rose said of First Friday, “It really is a great Lubbock tradition.”
McBrayer, “I have been to the first Friday Art Trail many times. I’ve enjoyed it. … What we give to this program is just a small amount of their total budget.”
Both are convinced the event will be just fine without city money.
Maestri’s written statement spoke of moving forward and gratitude for the money Council set aside for security at the Art Trail.
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