City launches Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment; director outlines budget process and community engagement

The City of Austin has established a new Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment, city staff told the Arts Commission on Feb. 24, saying the office is intended to coordinate city arts programs, services and planning.

City staff announced the office last week and celebrated its official start this week; Angela Means was named inaugural director. Matthew Schmidt, acting cultural arts division manager, told commissioners the office will consolidate units now spread across multiple departments and will move through the city’s budget process this year to become a fully formed department.

The office will initially include staff and programs currently in Aviation (music and events), Austin Public Library, the African American Cultural Heritage Facility, Economic Development’s cultural arts division and Arts in Public Places, Parks and Recreation cultural centers, the Office of Special Events and Heritage Tourism, and portions of Development Services that support events and entertainment services, Schmidt said. Staff noted the organization and internal reporting structure will be refined over the next several months.

“Through the announcement … the inaugural director is Angela Means,” Schmidt said. “We are celebrating its official inaugural birthday, I guess you could say.”

Means, who introduced herself to commissioners at the meeting, said budgets that currently sit in the sponsoring departments will move with those staff into ACME. She said the city is working through logistics with the budget office and Mayor and Council; the office will submit its FY2026 budget through the regular budget process this summer.

“We will be working with the budget office, and Mayor and Council through the budget process this year,” Means said. “As we develop what that fiscal year 2026 budget looks like, we will go through that formal process.”

Commissioners asked about the size and resourcing of the new office. Commissioner Muck asked whether staff have a sense of how much the city manager will request; Means replied that budgeting is underway and that the division budgets currently housing the staff will move with the new office.

Commissioners and community members also pressed staff to make the office’s priorities and objectives explicit. Commissioner Houston asked whether the city has a statement or vision that explains its position toward arts and culture; Means said a top priority will be a new strategic plan and stronger planning documents to guide funding and program decisions.

“One of the first priorities that I have is to take a look at our strategic plan for this area,” Means said. “Austin has changed tremendously, and we have a lot of opportunities here.”

Commissioners urged that the office make community engagement central to planning and funding choices. Means and Schmidt said community engagement will be a major focus and that staff are preparing more robust outreach plans tied to cultural funding and to Create Austin recommendations. Jesus Pantel, cultural funding supervisor, later described expanded public input opportunities tied to grant timelines.

Commissioners raised specific funding questions. Schmidt and Means reiterated that some Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) support that previously paid cultural arts staff is being reviewed; commissioners said they want clarity about whether HOT-funded staff costs will stay in HOT or shift to general fund. Commissioner Mok reminded the commission that approximately $550,000 of HOT funds currently pays cultural arts division staff, and commissioners asked staff to examine whether that should be reallocated into cultural contracts.

Means said the city is committed to community engagement and to giving the public a seat at the table as the new office develops. She asked commissioners to continue offering feedback as staff draft the office’s organization and budget.

Staff said the office will continue to report to the Arts Commission and will return with community engagement plans and a draft strategic framework for arts funding and programming.