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Water for the Desert: How One BANF Awardee is Expanding Arts Access for the Underserved

The Anderson Center for the Arts, UEHC’s first and only arts organization, is dedicated to changing this narrative. They’re on a mission to write a new story for UEHC and, in their words, “bring water to the desert.”

BANF-The-Anderson-Center-for-the-Arts
Unincorporated East Harris County, or UEHC as locals call it, is just 16 minutes east of downtown Houston. However, it feels worlds apart when it comes to access to art and culture. The area features a patchwork of developed and underdeveloped neighborhoods, ranging from well-kept lawns and sidewalks to trailer homes, septic systems, and truck lots. Community engagement is largely confined to local high school football games, and public art is limited to a single mural on the side of a laundromat – a literal cultural desert.

The Anderson Center for the Arts, UEHC’s first and only arts organization, is dedicated to changing this narrative. They’re on a mission to write a new story for UEHC and, in their words, “bring water to the desert.” Anderson’s mission focus is expanding arts access in underserved communities and preserving, sharing, and celebrating Black History and Culture. The center received a BANF organizational award in 2022, which supported the launch of their artist residency program, A.I.R. for Culture. As the name suggests, this flagship program aims to give “air,” to Black creatives and help them transition from surviving to thriving. It is also intended to raise awareness of and change the fact that Black arts professionals represent only a small fraction of those earning income from Houston’s $1.2 billion creative economy.

Each year, Anderson selects up to 11 artists through a juried process to participate in the residency, offering them a year of complimentary studio space, professional development, exhibition support, and, when possible, funds to meet personal needs. The program stands out as Houston’s only residency specifically dedicated to supporting Black creatives across all artistic genres within a single cohort. The work created as part of the residency represents Anderson’s public programming. Since its launch in January 2023, the A.I.R. for Culture Residency has supported 16 artists and engaged with 40 non-resident creatives, reaching an additional 40,000 people with quality, affordable art and culture.

Michelle L. Bonton, Executive Director, emphasizes the significance of the BANF grant: “By harnessing the unifying power of the arts, we’ve built community connectedness, created shared memories, and preserved, shared, and celebrated Black history and culture. Through advocacy, capacity building, community engagement, and education, The Anderson Center for the Arts has become a leading voice in the Houston arts sector, a trusted community partner, and a catalyst for regional economic growth and development. The BANF award helped position us to be able to do all of that,” says Michelle L. Bonton, Anderson Executive Director.”