Texans for the Arts will host its 2025 Texas Arts Advocacy Day (TAAD) on Wednesday, February 5, at the State Capitol.
TAAD brings together hundreds of art advocates from across the state to engage in the legislative process. Attendees will learn how to effectively advocate for public support of the arts and policies that bolster the creative sector. The event will include orientation sessions, advocacy training, and access to data and supporting materials that highlight the impact of the arts.
The program will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature industry leaders. Presenters include Fiona Bond, the Executive Director of Creative Waco and President of the Board of Texans for the Arts; Chris Kiley, Executive Director of Texans for the Arts; Amber Scanlan, the Senior Vice President and Director of Client and Community Relations at PNC Bank; Dr. Gary Gibbs, the Executive Director of the Texas Commission on the Arts; and others. Following the day-long event, the organization will host a closing reception and happy hour from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Austin.
In a press release, Mr. Kiley explained, “As 2025 begins and we are on the cusp of the 89th Texas Legislative Session, we have reached yet another pivotal moment. The many months of work we have been doing are all coming to fruition, and we are poised to use our collective power to champion one of the largest increases to the Texas Commission on the Arts in the agency’s history. We all know the economic power and civic pride our industry fosters here in Texas, and now we are asking the state to make an $11 million investment to ensure that we have the resources we need to reach our full potential as an industry.”
Register for the event before Friday, January 24 to ensure a scheduled meeting with your legislative office and an attendee packet. Learn more about the event and register via the Texans for the Arts website.
