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City of Odessa considering new 'Percentage for the Arts' ordinance

The city is suggesting that 1 percent of any public project that's $250,000 and above be used for public art.

ODESSA, Texas — The newest buildings and projects that the City of Odessa takes on could start having more artistic elements if the city and Odessa Arts Council move forward with their partnership. 

The partnership will be created by a new ordinance that would require a percentage of each project's budget to be applied to art. 

"Every capital project that the City of Odessa undertakes that's over 250 thousand dollars one percent of the budget will go to site-specific art for that project," said Odessa Art Council Executive Director Randy Hamm. 

"So that's like new buildings roadways, median work, dog parks, its all of the things that the city builds in terms of infrastructure for the community."

Artistic elements will be added to the town's new additions if the ordinance passes. 

Both the City of Odessa and the Odessa Arts Council agrees that having more artwork throughout the city could be the key to attracting a new demographic to our area. 

"It attracts people. Half of millennials and Gen X wants to move to a city that has art in it. That's the kind of workforce we want to attract," said Hamm. 

The ordinance will have its final reading next Tuesday during the city council meeting. 

The Odessa Council for the Arts & Humanities, a 501(c)(3) organization, represents all the member museums, theatres, musical groups, ethnic organizations and individual artists in Odessa and Ector County.

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