SAN ANTONIO – The leading candidates in the race to become San Antonio's next mayor have debated each other more than 30 times over the past few months, covering a variety of issues.
Monday, they'll share the stage again to discuss how they would tap into the local arts community to create an economic engine to drive the city's economy into the future.
The event is the brainchild of Shannon Ivey, founder of Theater for Change, a local nonprofit focused on using theater, film and new media to create social change and awareness.
"I wanted to have this town hall about the arts because I know San Antonio could be known worldwide for its artistic community," Ivey said. "I wanted to invite everyone in the arts community across disciplines to the table to have this discussion and see which one of these candidates is going to be bold in an artistic initiative."
As an active member of the arts community, Ivey wants to see where the candidates stand on supporting the arts and specifically how they will use local artists to fuel the city's growth.
"Our arts community could be that. It could be the driving force of the economy in San Antonio," Ivey said. "We just need a bold leader to lead us in that direction."
Ivey pointed to New Orleans as an example of how art can help a community survive tough times and thrive.
"After Hurricane Katrina hit, that could have destroyed and devastated the city. The reason it didn't devastate that city is because of the music," Ivey said. "If you've ever been to New Orleans, the food and the music is what keeps that city alive. That's how art can be an economic driver to a city. It can be the bones, it can be the soul of a city, and I think that's what we've got, we just need to have it on a bigger scale."
Ivey wants to see the next mayor help local artists build the infrastructure necessary to help artists fuel the city's growth for years to come.
"Having great education programs in both the K-12, university level and beyond, creating artists that stay, giving them opportunity, making sure that the economic development of San Antonio is going after those companies that will employ artists so that our artists that are really talented aren't going to bigger markets to get a bigger paycheck," Ivey said. "I think funding art is a dual responsibility. Yes, the city has to get behind it, but I also think the artists need to steward the money well. But I think creating an infrastructure is really what the city could do and do well."
This year, the city's Department of Culture and Creative Development has budgeted $13.6 million to fund the arts and cultural endeavors.
The competitive funding process often creates a divide in the arts community and Ivey wants to see that change.
"It's going to take a really great leader to do that, because I think the people of San Antonio are ready to be united behind the arts but we all have to come to the table also," Ivey said. "This conversation affects us all because unfortunately the policy and the money, we're all under the same umbrella and so unless we can all get together and have this conversation, the policy and the money is going to be fragmented as long as we are."