On Tuesday, June 27th, the Odessa City Council granted funds from Hotel Occupancy Tax to nearly two dozen agencies, including the Odessa Arts. OA’s funding was greatly reduced, to the tune of 55% over two years. By cutting our funding, our programming and our sub grants will be greatly reduced, some may even be eliminated. OA works tirelessly with our member organizations to provide cultural experiences to our community and our visitors. From Public Art to Hot Summer Nights, our varied programing is geared toward everyone. Our member organizations also provide exhibits and programming at little to no cost to the community. Much of this is due to the financial assistance we provide though our grants. We believe the Arts are for everyone, regardless of where you live, where you work, or your income.
That’s why we are asking YOU, our community, to help us. Write to the City Council and tell them how much you enjoy the Arts here in Odessa, and that City funding is crucial to the success of these programs. It should be noted that the funding from the City of Odessa’s is through Hotel Occupancy Tax, meaning we are funded by a tax on the visitors to Odessa. No municipal taxes are spent on the Arts.
City of Odessa City Council
PO Box 4398
Odessa, TX 79760
432-335-3276
citycouncil@odessa-tx.gov
You can also donate directly to OA using the ‘Donate,’ button on our home page.