About

Texans for the Arts Foundation supports the work of Texans for the Arts, the non-partisan statewide nonprofit 501(c)(4) arts advocacy and lobbying organization.

Texans for the Arts (TFA) is a highly effective, non-partisan, statewide nonprofit 501(c)(4) arts advocacy and lobbying organization that organizes advocacy efforts in order to protect and increase public funding for the arts at the state, national and local levels and provides coordinated information about legislative activity related to arts issues. Texans for the Arts’ legislative agenda advocates for the development and implementation of public policy that supports a strong and vibrant arts and cultural industry. Together, Texans for the Arts Foundation and Texans for the Arts bring together voices of arts leaders, board members from arts organizations, and committed supporters from across the state to amplify the collective voice for increasing public funding for the arts.

Texans for the Arts Foundation extends a very special thank you to Houston Endowment. Support for the creation of this HOT Toolkit was provided by Houston Endowment.  Their investment recognizes that providing public support for the arts helps create vibrant communities where all have the opportunity to thrive. 

The Houston Endowment is a private foundation that partners with others in the nonprofit, public and private sectors to improve quality of life for the residents of Greater Houston. 

Texas Hotel & Lodging Association (THLA) is a nonprofit hotel trade association representing every aspect of the lodging industry across Texas.

Texas Hotel & Lodging Association and Texans for the Arts share the goal of growing and advancing tourism and the convention and hotel industry through the collective promotion of the arts and the encouragement of tourists, convention and hotel guests to attend artistic and cultural events. Together, Texans for the Arts and Texas Hotel & Lodging Association work to encourage creative strategies and long term partnerships between local artistic and cultural event hosts and local hotels and convention and visitor bureaus to enhance the potential impact of local hotel tax-funded arts programs on tourism and area hotel and convention activity.

In addition to the leading partners thanked above, Texans for the Arts Foundation would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their critical role in developing the HOT Toolkit: Good Idea Company, Alisa Weldon and Tina Schweiger for their partnership from start to finish; TXP, Inc., Travis James, for his assistance with all things data; Cookie Ruiz, President of the Board of Texans for the Arts/Foundation for her critical and thoughtful leadership throughout; Felix Padron, Past President of Texans for the Arts/Foundation for being the first ‘beta tester’ and providing important insights that helped shape the site, and to all of the members of the Board of Directors for their support; Becka Oliver, Executive Director, Writers’ League of Texas, for her smart writing and editorial skills that brought the site to life; Lutie Gonzalez, Texans for the Arts Intern, Summer 2020, whose technology skills brought the site closer to the finish line; interns Zoe Settle, Shawn Ward and Emily Spahrmann, for their support on social media and community outreach events; Christopher Kiley, Associate Director of Texans for the Arts, for his ongoing partnership; Katy Poe, Membership and Accounting Manager, who kept our finances in order; to Texans for the Arts’ members whose beta testing improved the impact of the site - Wesley Copeland, Clute; Deby Childress, Bee Cave; Rosalie Gilbert, Mansfield; Annette Spikes, Conroe; Maureen M. Patton, Galveston; Aman Johnson with Johnson Media Company for masterminding the supporting video; and to all of the Texans for the Arts’ members who contributed “Case Studies, and photographs that help tell the important story about why the HOT is so vital to our communities across Texas. Lastly, thank you to Ann S. Graham, Executive Director of Texans for the Arts/Foundation, who learned about the need for a HOT Toolkit on the first day of her job in 2013 and is excited to have corralled the resources - financial and human - to bring this important effort to fruition.