Creative and cultural groups begin to craft joint bond ask

The working group formed to bring together creative and cultural groups asking for more than $120 million in November’s bond election has scheduled its first meeting for Saturday, and it is expected to decide on a statement of support for the wide-ranging requests made in recent months. Music Commission members Oren Rosenthal and Paul Pinon have joined Arts Commission members Brett Barnes and Alissa McCain, along with representatives from the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, and the Asian American Resource Center in the working group that was formed out of concerns that City Council could receive mixed messages about the assortment of bond requests and decide to ask voters for a lesser amount. To date, the city’s Bond Election Advisory Task Force has recommended $67.5 million for the city’s three ethnic cultural centers, Dougherty Arts Center and Mexic-Arte Museum, but the Music Commission has asked for $15 million to fund a music hub, the Arts Commission is seeking $25 million for an arts/creative campus, and the MACC Advisory Board has requested an extra $25 million on top of the $15 million it was recommended to receive. The working group will present its decision at Monday’s Music Commission meeting and is attempting to make presentations to the advisory boards and quality-of-life commissions associated with the various ethnic cultural centers to gather support ahead of Council’s expected vote in August on the size and composition of the bond package.