How Lubbock artists pushed back after the city ended funding for its popular art walk
BY JAYME LOZANO CARVER
AUG. 15, 2024
LUBBOCK — Once a month, for the last two decades, Lubbock’s First Friday Art Trail has transformed the few downtown blocks it spans into a bustling scene filled with people enjoying live music, food from local businesses and admiring art.
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So when a local reporter shared on social media that the City Council last month stripped $25,600 from the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, the nonprofit that puts on the art walk, it sent shockwaves through the city. The news was plastered all over social media, acting as a distress signal.
The council’s majority — made up of several newly elected members — was motivated by what others have called misinformation. David Glasheen, a first-time council member, accused the art center of using the money to promote drag shows and other LGBTQ+ programs as family-friendly. Mayor Mark McBrayer agreed with Glasheen’s sentiments, saying they couldn’t spend taxpayer money on “sexualized performances.”
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The council sat through three hours of public comments, the majority of which were people expressing their displeasure over the vote and love for Lubbock’s arts scene. Tempers flared throughout — one speaker wished the ghost of Louise Hopkins Underwood would haunt disapproving members until they made “the right decision.” The council’s chambers erupted, and Mayor McBrayer reminded everyone that cheering and applauding was not allowed. From then on, the audience snapped their fingers to show approval.
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Good for these folks.
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