Profiles in Government: Texas Commission on the Arts

The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) provides support and resources that enhance the state’s economic development through art and culture. Funding and guidance from the commission help to enhance economic development, arts education, cultural tourism and artist sustainability initiatives, according to its mission statement.

Arts and culture grants are made across the state, with portions to support rural and minority communities, to support health-related projects and also take arts to at-risk youth and into the criminal justice system.

Technology is used to manage grants and be transparent in how TCA does so, and the agency would like to increase its social media presence, according to its latest strategic plan. (Its Facebook page is regularly updated.) TCA uses data gathered from its grant management database to calculate and report on agency metrics.

FAST FACTS

Budget: The agency’s overall budget is $17.9 million for FY 2024; funding comes from general revenue, federal funds, appropriated receipts and the state’s license plate trust fund. There is also national funding, gifts and donations. Most of the budget goes toward arts and cultural grants, according to the agency website.

IT spending: According to the posted 2024 budget, there is $32,560,000 allotted for Fluxx Grantmaker software, $20,000 for computer hardware and software, $7,000 for voice and data services, $6,000 for data and wireless, $1,000 for webinars, and $3,000 for Amazon Web Services and CloudBerry cloud solutions.

Leadership: Gary Gibbs has served as executive director since 2007, according to Arts and Culture Texas. Laura Wiegand is director of programs and technology. There are 13 additional full-time employees in the small agency.

The commission chair is Karen Partee, who has served since 2018; there are nine commissioners from across Texas.