The needs of arts organizations in The Woodlands are growing as the community matures. Several local nonprofits, including The Woodlands Art League and The Woodlands Arts Council, are in need of a permanent space to host classes and workshops or house administrative space.
“The challenge has been to find classroom spaces for our teachers to offer classes,” said Jill Behrens, The Woodlands Art League member. “We’ve been able to put together a patchwork of classes but not nearly the amount that we could offer the community if we had the space.”
In part to address these challenges, the township’s board of directors allocated $250,000 in the 2015-16 fiscal year budget for a cultural arts feasibility study to better develop a community vision for such a facility.
The Woodlands Township has been considering the development of some type of cultural arts facility since 2006, township Director Ed Robb said.
“Cultural arts facilities can be a draw for tourism dollars as well as serve to build identity and pride within the community,” he said. “Depending on the type of facility, there can be many opportunities for development and expression of the arts, both locally and regionally.”
Cultural arts facility
Although there are a number of art-related events held in The Woodlands annually, several nonprofit organizations and more than 30 pieces of public art in the community, there is no central performing or cultural arts facility.
Since its inception, The Woodlands was envisioned as a place where art could be appreciated, said Amy Lecocq, The Woodlands Arts Council president.
“For many of us who live here, it was self-selected for that reason,” she said. “When I came here in 1994, one of the things my husband and I noticed was all the public art. That was different from other communities in the Houston area.”
In February, the township board approved a request for proposals for consulting services, and the township is in the process of receiving RFPs from interested consulting firms, Robb said. Once the RFPs are in, staff will review them with the township’s ad hoc Economic Development Committee this June before making a recommendation to the board of directors.
“There are no concrete plans—or funding in place—to build such a facility,” Robb said. “The consultant study will determine the level of community interest in different types of cultural arts facilities and examine how capital funding could be raised to fund the construction of a facility.”
There are several facilities across the Greater Houston area that could be used as an example for a future center in The Woodlands. Last fall, the Midtown Arts and Theater Center opened near downtown Houston and has a number of attributes that could work well in The Woodlands, Lecocq said.
“One of the things I think that would be beneficial for us would be space that is flexible so it can be used for multiple purposes,” she said. “[The MATCH] also has rehearsal areas for performers and dancers, and it has administrative office space for nonprofits. The nonprofits aren’t looking for free space, but they are looking for affordable space.”
The Conroe Art League also has a partnership with the city to operate a downtown gallery with various artist shows throughout the year.
“It’s a dream collaboration, which is what we would like to see here,” said Jackie Impey, The Woodlands Art League member.
Keith Brumfield, founder and artistic director for Class Act Productions, said he has served on three committees to talk about the formation of some type of performing arts center in The Woodlands.
“We’ve been crossing our fingers and hoping at some point people would begin to think about this fine arts facility,” he said. “There are many groups here in The Woodlands that would benefit from it, so I hope it’s something that finally comes to pass.”
Local group needs
Several nonprofit art groups host classes, workshops and events at schools and county facilities like the South County Community Center, which was built 25 years ago.
“There are 120,000 people in the community today versus maybe half that when it was built,” Behrens said. “The needs in this community are very large. For a lot of nonprofits, there is no space to go and do our work.”
Although the Woodlands Art League has previously operated galleries in the community, it has not been able to sustain a permanent space, recently closing its art gallery.
“It was like a white elephant,” President Lauren Combs said. “Our members were just not interested in it enough to justify keeping it. Hopefully, it will free us up into working with the board to get this [cultural arts] center.”
[polldaddy poll=9414602]
Furthermore, it has been difficult to offer longer workshops because there is usually not a community space where the nonprofit can go and lock the door at night and leave everything as is, Behrens said.
“That’s the biggest challenge: finding workshop spaces that aren’t carpeted and have more of an industrial space where we can paint,” she said.
Class Act Productions does have a studio location at a warehouse facility off Budde Road, but it does not have a theater for performances. Instead, Class Act rents stage space from various Conroe ISD schools.
“Each time we perform, generally our costs per show are about $8,000-$10,000 per week to use the school facilities,” Brumfield said. “We’re glad to be there, but it’s quite expensive.”
Although Class Act Productions can use its warehouse space for rehearsals and to build props, Brumfield said the nonprofit is in favor of a performing arts center.
The Woodlands Art Council is also in favor of such a facility, Lecocq said.
“We do have staff who work out of their homes, Starbucks and other places, and we are not the only nonprofit in that situation,” she said. “I think we do need some kind of performing, cultural arts center where people can perform, but also where there is a place for administrative offices for the nonprofits and support for the arts community in The Woodlands.”
Brumfield said he believes the arts do provide a boost to the local economy.
“There’s already a big push here in The Woodlands to come shop and spend the night and participate in different entertainment venues, but it seems like performing arts isn’t part of that,” he said. “I think The Woodlands should realize it’s something that would be a balance to other activities they have here.”