Irving Arts Center
The Arts Center in Irving, Texas was built 20 years ago to support a range of local, community arts organizations. It has two performance spaces — a 700-seat hall and a 250-seat hall — as well as extensive visual art galleries and space for classes. The facility is owned and operated by the City, and receives significant support through the City’s share of the state hotel occupancy tax. Because of changes in state law governing the uses of these tax funds, the Arts Center was at risk of losing a funding source that provides a significant percentage of its annual budget.
Taking a pro-active stance, WolfBrown consultants were brought in to conduct an assessment of current operations and develop alternative operating scenarios based on different levels of public funding. The consultants conducted a battery of interviews with representatives of local arts groups, developed a web-based “cultural census,” and conducted a financial review of Arts Center operations. Based on this information, the consultants developed three different scenarios for the Center and presented them to the Arts Center’s governing body. Ultimately a fourth scenario was established that incorporated elements from several of the original ones.