McAllen highlights arts funding boost, unveils expanded fall events calendar

At a public program recognizing National Arts and Humanities Month at the McAllen Convention Center, city officials, state arts leaders and local cultural organizations announced historic increases in state arts funding for the Rio Grande Valley and laid out an expanded fall events calendar for McAllen's convention and performing arts venues.

The announcements focused on recent state-level funding gains and the local economic role of arts and cultural programming. City Manager Isaac Tawil said cultural tourism generates significant economic activity for McAllen: "Our cultural tourism now represents more than a $100,000,000 in annual impact." Dr. Diane Milliken Garza, commissioner with the Texas Commission on the Arts, said the recent legislative session produced a statewide funding increase for the commission: "This session resulted in a $7,900,000 funding increase for the Texas Commission on the Arts." Yahaira Flores, director of convention and performing arts…