County creates arts committee, pilot program in each precinct
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso County Commissioners Court approved during its meeting on Monday, May 5 the formation of an arts committe and pilot arts program for each precinct.
The County is also taking steps to move forward with creating an arts master plan.
County Commissioner David Stout's office made the announcement.
'Arts are critical for a healthy community. We have amazing creative talent in El Paso. The County is here to engage with them and support their efforts,' Stout said in a news release. 'Especially in a community that doesn't have a lot of capital investment from outside, public art is an efficient, cost-effective way to invest in ourselves.'
Stout's office said there are several benefits to having a public art program — improving local sentiment and supporting tourism and travel to the area.
A 2017 study by America for the Arts said that El Paso sees an annual $103.4 million economic impact from the arts and the arts supports the equivalent of 4,000 jobs. The impact produces millions of dollars in combined revenue for restaurants, bars, hotels and motels, transportation and government, Stout's office said.
The El Paso County Arts Advisory Committee is being established as a pilot committee to provide advice to the County Commissioners Court and the County's chief Administrator to advance and enrich the arts and cultural activities and policies within El Paso County.
This includes developing and implementing an arts master plan, Stout's office said.
El Paso County was put aside at least $100,000 for the arts master plan and $55,000 for each precinct and $55,000 countywide for arts programming, Stout's office said.
Monday, the County contracted with the El Paso Community Foundation to manage the arts programming.
Further, the County is procuring an agreement for an arts master plan, which the arts committee will have a role in developing, Stout's office said.
'This action today is the result of discussions that began during Covid, when the arts became essential for people who were staying home and staying safe, but artists themselves were not able to work publicly,' Stout said. 'I am proud of our administration for developing policy to address both the economic and community development aspect of public art, and grateful to the Court for ongoing support and for the vote today.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
33 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
UFL Best Defensive Plays of Week 10 United Football League
Lesley Garrett will play Heidi Schiller in Follies (Yui Mok/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Classical singer Lesley Garrett has joined the Northern Ireland Opera's revival of Follies, after her cancer surgery. Garrett will play Heidi Schiller in Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's musical about a group of former showgirls, at the Grand Opera House in Belfast in the autumn, The British soprano said on ITV's This Morning earlier this month that she had cancer surgery after being diagnosed with thymoma, a rare cancer of the thymus gland, which could have affected her singing. Lesley Garrett had cancer surgery (Ian West/PA) Since the surgery to remove the tumour, she has made a successful recovery and will now be joining the Follies cast. Garrett said: 'I'm so excited to be coming back to Belfast and especially to be making my debut with Northern Ireland Opera at the age of 70. 'Sondheim's Follies is a masterpiece and I'm delighted to have been given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform the iconic role of Heidi Schiller.' The production marks the singer's 45th anniversary in the industry and her debut with the Northern Ireland Opera, where she will play the 'opera diva' of the Weismann's Follies. Set in 1971, the musical follows the group as they return to their former Broadway stage at Weisman Theatre, for a final reunion show before its scheduled demolition. Lesley Garrett performs during a ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic, at the National Memorial Arboretum (Danny Lawson/PA) Jazz singer Jacqueline Dankworth, who was in the original cast of the West End debut for Sondheim's Into The Woods in 1990, will join the cast as Carlotta Campion. West End stars Anna-Jane Casey and Annette McLaughlin will play former room mates Sally Plummer and Phyllis Stone. The production is directed by Cameron Menzies, with Greg Arrowsmith as the musical director. The musical scored seven Tony awards at the 1972 ceremony and is best known for its songs Broadway Baby, I'm Still Here and Losing My Mind. Follies will run from September 13-20.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tariff-fueled surge in container shipping rates shows signs of peaking
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Container shipping rates continued their climb this week, fueled by the temporary tariff pause between the U.S. and China, but there are signs that demand underpinning the surge is moderating, financial analysts and maritime consultants said. Ocean vessels transport more than 80% of goods traded globally. Hulking container vessels operated by companies like MSC and Maersk ferry toys and apparel to Walmart stores and parts to factories run by major manufacturers such as Ford Motor Co. Off-contract spot rates for moving container cargo are seen as a gauge of economic conditions. Maritime consultancy Drewry on Thursday said its World Container Index jumped 41% week-over-week to $3,527 per 40-foot container (FEU). The index was up 70% in the last four weeks, spurred by the May 12 U.S.-China trade truce that cut China tariffs to 30% from the 145% rate that collapsed trade between the world's two largest economies. Freight rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles, home to the busiest U.S. seaport, surged 57% to $5,876 per FEU in the past week and 117% since May 8, Drewry said. That rate is down 2% from a year ago and well below the $10,000-plus rates seen during the height of the COVID supply chain crunch. The closely watched Shanghai Containerized Freight Index, which tracks spot rates from the world's busiest container port in Shanghai, is on track to report another gain this week, Jefferies shipping analyst Omar Nokta said in a client note. The underlying SCFI route to the U.S. West coast was $5,172 per FEU last week and the latest spot rates are closer to $6,000, Nokta said. Still, those rates may be peaking as quotes for the second half of June are closer to the $5,000 to $5,500 per FEU range, he said. Drewry's Container Forecaster expects demand to weaken again in the second half of this year, which would cause rates to fall again. The volatility and timing of rate changes will depend on the outcome of legal challenges to Trump's tariffs and on capacity changes related to the introduction of port fees on Chinese ships, Drewry said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Map of States Trump Won in 2024 Where Unemployment Claims Are Increasing
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Unemployment claims rose by about 8,000 nationally for the last week in May, including in states President Donald Trump won in 2024. Why It Matters Trump successfully ran last election cycle predominantly on issues including the economy and illegal immigration and has said that inflation during President Joe Biden's tenure turned the economy "to hell." Currently, Americans and business owners are bracing for the uncertainty tied to the Trump administration's tariffs on countries like China, and industries including steel and aluminum. What To Know New data published Thursday by the Department of Labor shows a weekly increase of about 8,000 new applications for jobless benefits for the week ending May 31, bringing the total to 247,000. The increase was the highest since October. Weekly applications have typically ranged between 200,000 and 250,000 since layoffs and firings became more routine during the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic turmoil, according to the Associated Press. The biggest changes in week-to-week claims came from Kentucky (3,976), Minnesota (2,377), Tennessee (1,765) and Ohio (1,146). A report from payroll company ADP issued on Wednesday showed 37,000 jobs were added by private employers in May, which was less than expected. Trump has called on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell repeatedly to cut interest rates, as higher rates place pressure on employment by increasing borrowing costs for businesses, potentially limiting investment. But the central bank is tasked with keeping prices stable, and it is wary of the inflationary impact of Trump's tariffs and those imposed on the U.S. in retaliation. Powell has critiqued the tariffs for the potential negative ramifications on inflation and unemployment. In May, the Federal Reserve held its benchmark lending rate at 4.3 percent for the third straight meeting, following three cuts last year. The newest job numbers arrive as Republicans try to push Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" through the Senate. Issues like Medicare and the turbulence of general consumer sentiment because of tariffs have been heavily debated by lawmakers. Job seekers stand in line at the Wyndham Destinations booth during the Mega JobNewsUSA South Florida Job Fair in the Amerant Bank Arena on April 30, 2025, in Sunrise, Florida. Job seekers stand in line at the Wyndham Destinations booth during the Mega JobNewsUSA South Florida Job Fair in the Amerant Bank Arena on April 30, 2025, in Sunrise, Holzer, a public policy professor at Georgetown University and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told Newsweek via phone that a country with "enormous uncertainty" economically could result in a reluctance to invest. It can also make more companies than not hesitant to hire new workers. If it looks like there's going to be an economic slowdown, individuals will likely postpone any plans they might have had to open new businesses or to expand existing ones," Holzer said. "It's so hard to answer any questions because we don't know where the tariffs are going to end up. Every day, Trump changes his mind. He pulled way back on those huge China tariffs but then topped the tariffs on aluminum and steel. "Some people say, 'Well, he's just going to use them as leverage to try to cut deals with these different countries.' Other people say, 'No, they should be real and they should last.' It depends where you land and where they land. Personally, I think in the meantime everybody's in a wait-and-see mode." That mode of patience will affect individuals and business owners differently based on sectors and industries, Holzer added. People in the service industry, for example, may not be directly affected by tariffs but might be indirectly affected. What People Are Saying Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, on CBS' Face the Nation: "When we were here in March, you said there was going to be big inflation. There hasn't been any inflation. Actually, the inflation numbers are the best in four years. So why don't we stop trying to say this could happen—wait and see what does happen." Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, a Republican, on MSNBC's Morning Joe on June 5: "We're in uncharted waters here with the tariffs. I think the markets are telling us that. We don't know what impact they're going to have on the economy. But if we don't extend those tax cuts, we're going into a recession, and our economy's going to be on a journey to the center of the Earth." What Happens Next The Federal Open Market Committee is scheduled to meet June 17-18 to set monetary policy.
