Mission Statement:
“The Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture exists to strengthen and distinguish arts and culture in North Central Texas; build enduring bonds among diverse communities; position the City of Wichita Falls as a regional center for arts activity; and to make the arts more accessible throughout our community.”
Vision Statement:
“The Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture will strengthen and distinguish arts and culture in Wichita Falls, sparking individual ingenuity, building enduring bonds among diverse communities, and positioning the city as a regional leader.”
The purposes of the Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture are to:
- Strengthen and elevate arts and culture including, but not limited to, visual and performing arts, literature, culinary arts, architecture, and horticulture;
- Inspire participation, support, appreciation, and leadership of quality arts and arts programs;
- Make the arts more accessible for every person in the region, from children and adults to arts professionals;
- Build bridges to connect neighborhoods, organizations, businesses, and educational and governmental entities to promote and celebrate artistic and cultural diversity through shared experiences;
- Nurture the arts through ongoing education and creative development;
- Promote the arts through advocacy, publicity, funding, and policy development for area arts and cultural organizations; and
- Strengthen skills and infrastructure for arts organizations and artists to support high-quality artistic and cultural experiences.
Equity Statement:
“The Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture is committed to providing open spaces where every resident in our community can express their creative voices to make meaningful and long-term contributions to the positive growth of our city. We do this by centering inclusion and respect for diversity throughout our programs and experiences.”
Our History:
The Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture is an outgrowth of a yearlong series of conversations that included the voices of a broad range of stakeholders. Artists, leadership of arts organizations, educators, elected officials, and the public at large were engaged in exploring the value and role of the arts in our city. A grant from The Priddy Foundation supported the development of an Arts and Culture Master Plan for Wichita Falls that confirmed that the arts are highly valued as a basic and core part of everyday life. Other areas of the plan focused on the potential for growth within the arts community with an eye toward preserving the unique history and heritage of Wichita Falls and suggested that the arts have an important role to play in educating young people, stimulating the economy, and attracting visitors to the city.
Taking stock of the recommendations from the Arts and Culture Plan, the critical next step was clear – create a local arts agency to help galvanize the arts community and create a shared vision toward achieving five civic priorities:
- Inspire Participation, Support and Leadership
- Build Bridges
- Nurture the Arts through Education and Creative Development
- Promote the Arts through Policy Development, Advocacy and Publicity
- Expand Capacity to Advance Excellence
With this mandate in mind, in 2014 a Board of Directors was formed to frame and officially incorporate the Wichita Falls Arts Alliance for Art and Culture (The Alliance) as a 501(c) 3 public non-profit organization. In January 2016, the Board of the new organization hired its first Executive Director to lead the agency. Funded initially by a consortium of local foundations, the work is well underway. The Alliance is committed to taking the Arts and Culture Master Plan off the pages and bringing the community’s ideas to life.
Service Area:
The Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture currently serves organizations and entities in Archer, Baylor, Clay, Hardeman, Jack, Montague, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young counties.