Item 10 - Draft- COA Arts Commission Letter to City Council.docx — original pdf

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Draft: Art Commission Letter to City Council [Date] Mayor Kirk Watson and Members of the Austin City Council City of Austin Austin, Texas Dear Mayor Watson and Council Members, On behalf of the City of Austin’s Arts Commission, we respectfully submit this letter in support of a recommended FY2027 budget increase of $515,000 for the Latino Artist Access Program (LAAP) at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB- MACC). LAAP has played an important role in expanding access to ESB-MACC facilities for Latino and Spanish-language performing artists. The program supports artists through space access, technical assistance, professional development opportunities, and connections to broader City cultural resources. As demand for performance-based programming continues to grow, the Arts Commission recognizes the opportunity to strengthen LAAP’s capacity to deliver more consistent, sustainable, and equitable outcomes for participating artists. • The recommended funding increase would support: • Additional dedicated technical capacity to support rehearsals and performances without overextending existing sta(cid:431) • Essential lighting and sound infrastructure upgrades to the Auditorium and Black Box spaces • Centralized marketing and audience development support for LAAP programming • A modest expansion of the LAAP program budget to serve additional artists and groups These investments would allow ESB-MACC to build on existing strengths and further align LAAP with an incubator-style model that supports artist development, production readiness, and long-term sustainability—particularly for Spanish-language performing arts. As the City’s designated body for arts and cultural policy and funding recommendations, the Arts Commission views this investment as a strategic opportunity to advance cultural equity, strengthen Austin’s creative ecosystem, and support the continued growth of Latino performing arts in our community. This recommendation is also aligned with broader e(cid:431)orts to ensure that City-supported cultural programs are adequately resourced to meet community demand. We respectfully recommend that City Council consider this funding as part of the FY2027 budget process. Thank you for your continued support of arts, culture, and the diverse communities served by ESB-MACC. Sincerely, Chair City of Austin’s Arts Commission On behalf of the City of Austin Arts Commission