Odessa, TX – Odessa Arts (formerly The Odessa Council for the Arts & Humanities) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Cultural Tourism Grants. 16 agencies were awarded more than $200,000 in Hotel Occupancy Tax allocated by the City of Odessa for the promotion of Arts programming which encourages Cultural Tourism. The awards were presented during the Annual Meeting on September 19, 2017 at 6:30pm at The Rose Building, 415 N. Grant Ave.

‘The grants being awarded tonight represent 16 amazing projects, Each one beautiful and remarkable on it’s own merit. Each enriches our community in a different way that brings theater, music, visual arts, literary arts, and culture to the forefront. These projects not only improve the quality of life for our citizens, but offer a showcase to present the best of Odessa to the thousands of people who visit our community each year, said Executive Director Randy Ham during his remarks.

Recipients included:
Midland-Odessa Symphony & Chorale – $27,000.00
West Texas Talent – $8,000.00
UTPB Arts – $27,000.00
West Texas Harp Society – $6,000.00
Live on Stage! – $4,000.00
West Texas Education Project – $8,000.00
Keep Odessa Beautiful – $4,000.00
Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center – $22,000.00
West Texas Film Festival – $7,000.00
Cassatt in the Basin – $11,000.00
Permian Basin Opera – $16,000.00
Ellen Noel Art Museum – $27,000.00
West Texas Public Radio – $10,000.00
Allegro – $10,000.00
Midland Festival Ballet – $15,000.00
Parker House Ranching Museum – $9,000.00

The annual meeting also included introduction of the 2017-18 board of directors and officers, and the official unveiling of the organization’s new name.

Unveiling the new logo, Ham said, ‘Since 1978, the Odessa Council for the Arts & Humanities has been privileged to be a part of the Arts & Cultural community here in Odessa. Tonight, as we begin our 40th year as your partner in the Arts, we celebrate with our new name, and our continued commitment to bringing our agencies together to support and promote the arts in Odessa and Ector County through Cultural Tourism, Arts Education, and Arts Advocacy.

Odessa Arts: 40 years of connecting the dots.’

Founded in 1978, Odessa Arts exists to support and promote the Arts & Humanities in Odessa and Ector County though Cultural Tourism, Arts Education, and Arts Advocacy.