UH Convenes Its First 'Leadership in the Arts Summit'

Conference to Explore Houston’s Arts Ecology and Future Growth April 4, 5

The University of Houston’s Center for Arts Leadership will present in April a two-day conference exploring the challenges of maintaining a vigorous creative community. “The Leadership in the Arts Summit” will pose the question “What does it take to be a 21st -century arts community?” and showcase the insights of renowned artists and arts professionals. The event will be held April 4 – 5 in UH’s Athletics and Alumni Center (Entrance 15 off Cullen Boulevard).

The Summit’s panel discussion topics include funding, philanthropy, community engagement and advocacy. It also will be the public release of the 2015 Indicator Report on Arts and Cultural Heritage compiled by the Center for Houston’s Future.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Ann Markusen, author of  report “Creative Placemaking,” which planted the seeds for the National Endowment of the Arts’ Out Town grants program and ArtPLace American grant program. Both programs have contributed $50 million to arts projects across the country. UH researcher Carroll Parrott Blue was among the first recipients of an Our Town grant.
  • Maria Rosario Jackson, researcher for the Urban Institute study that led to the “Arts and Culture Indicators Project,” a project aimed at informing policymakers and constituents about the role of art and culture in their respective communities. Jackson also led the report “Investing in Creativity: A Study of the Support Structure for U.S. Artists.”
  • Paul Bonin-Rodriguez is an artist, administrator, educator and researcher. He also served as an artist advisor to Leveraging Investments in Creativity, a 10-year initiative dedicated to creating new opportunities for U.S. artists.

Other presenters include Debbie McNulty, senior program officer for Houston Endowment; Sandra Bernhard, director of Houston Grand Opera Community Outreach; Ann Graham, executive director of Texans for the Arts; Glenn Taylor, chief marketing officer of the Houston Symphony Orchestra; Ryan Dennis, public programs director at Project Row Houses; Ashley Clemmer-Hoffman, community engagement director at Rothko Chapel; and Gwendolyn Goffe, retired associate director of investment and finance at Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

For updates on “The Leadership in the Arts Summit” and a schedule of panels and presentations, visit the event’s website.

Directed by Sixto Wagan, UH’s Center for Arts Leadership connects the University with artists and creative professionals and facilitates dialogue on the management and direction of the arts in Houston and beyond. The University offers a master’s degree in arts leadership through the School of Art. For more details on the Center for Arts Leadership, visit its website.

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation’s best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation’s fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 39,500 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country. For more information about UH, visit the University’s newsroom at http://www.uh.edu/news-events/.