LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Once a month, for the last two decades, Lubbock’s First Friday Art Trail has transformed the few downtown blocks it spans into a bustling scene filled with people enjoying live music, food from local businesses and admiring art.

It has become a cornerstone for the city’s creative community and a mecca for art lovers and tourists alike.

And before the free event became the latest political flashpoint in a statewide debate over LGBTQ+ expression, it was one of the few opportunities artists have to showcase their work to the public and to experience diversity in Lubbock, a conservative city of 240,000 on Texas’ South Plains, said Dametria Williams, a local artist.

Williams’ collection of work largely consists of bold and colorful semi-realistic portraits, with careful attention to detail on hair, lighting and texture. Her paintings often depict the beauty and uniqueness of Black people because they aren’t represented as much, she said.

“It’s hard in Lubbock, it’s a struggle to try and make a sale,” Williams said. “That’s why the art trail is such a big deal.”

So when a local reporter shared on social media that the City Council last month stripped $25,600 from the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, the nonprofit that puts on the art walk, it sent shockwaves through the city. The news was plastered all over social media, acting as a distress signal.

The council’s majority — made up of several newly elected members — was motivated by what others have called misinformation. David Glasheen, a first-time council member, accused the art center of using the money to promote drag shows and other LGBTQ+ programs as family-friendly. Mayor Mark McBrayer agreed with Glasheen’s sentiments, saying they couldn’t spend taxpayer money on “sexualized performances.”

The art center was not responsible for the drag show and it was not held on its property, nonprofit officials said.

Since the council’s surprise decision, the arts community mobilized. Leaders have written letters informing the public and to the council, and organized fundraising events to make up for the loss ahead of the 20th anniversary celebration in September. Earlier this week, dozens of residents packed the council chambers and pleaded — for hours — with the seven-member board to reverse its decision.

It didn’t.

Art, diversity on display in Lubbock

The City Council’s July decision is an example of ongoing efforts by Texas elected officials seeking to limit the role of LGBTQ+ people in their communities. Local and state conservative leaders have sought to ban certain books, shut down public drag performances, and limit access to public restrooms.

Ten days after the first vote, thousands of supporters endured sweltering heat at the art walk. People wrote why they love the art trail in chalk on brick walls, and the art studios were full. Many attendees wore shirts that said “I support LHUCA and the First Friday Art Trail” while they laughed with friends or listened to live music.

“That felt like one of our largest crowds, especially with the hot weather,” said Lindsey Maestri, executive director for the art center.

Since its creation 20 years ago, the art trail has rarely — if ever — been a source of tension or disagreement in Lubbock.

Jane Underwood Henry, daughter of the art center’s founder and namesake, Louise Hopkins Underwood, said her mother envisioned a place to bring people together from each corner of the city to see art in all forms.

“When I go to First Fridays, I see hundreds of people from all over town,” said Henry. “All ages, kids, and dogs, not so many of them that I know.”

The art trail has made that a reality. It’s one of the few free events in the city, highlights local and regional artists, and adds culture to Lubbock, which is mostly known for the city’s music scene and Texas Tech University.

“The art trail shows the true melting pot Lubbock actually is,” said Simone See, a Lubbock resident. “Even though people don’t think it is.”

See is the owner of Taste Buds Food Co., a food truck that frequents the art trail. While the funding doesn’t directly affect the vendors, See said it is the biggest event for small businesses every month. According to representatives with the Charles Adams Studio Project, another venue that’s next to the art center, there are 24 food trucks every month. There’s also more than 30 vendors displaying arts and crafts.

Three hours of public comment

The council’s first vote to defund the art center was a surprise. The city’s creative community would not let that happen again.

In fact, Tuesday’s council meeting only added to tensions between residents and the council members who voted to take away the funds, which comes from the Hotel Occupancy Tax.

Council member Christy Martinez-Garcia, whose district includes downtown where the art walk is held, placed a potential compromise on this week’s agenda.

The proposal restored funding on certain conditions. These include not using the grant fund for various art trail programming, whether it’s for or against a political party, position or candidate, or promoting events with exclusive audiences that do not allow participation of the general public, so programming geared toward youth or 21 and older audiences. Another term prohibited the promotion of activity depicting “sexual acts” or activities of a sexual nature that could be interpreted as sexual conduct.

At the council meeting, the room was almost as crowded as the art trail itself — every seat was filled, while some chose to stand or sit on the floor. Charles Adams, CASP’s founder, recalled how, in the past, the city was excited to invest in an “unsellable” area. It’s since become a popular attraction and an economic driver.

“We get more people on a First Friday than anything besides football and the county fair,” Adams told the council.

The council sat through three hours of public comments, the majority of which were people expressing their displeasure over the vote and love for Lubbock’s arts scene. Tempers flared throughout — one speaker wished the ghost of Louise Hopkins Underwood would haunt disapproving members until they made “the right decision.” The council’s chambers erupted, and Mayor McBrayer reminded everyone that cheering and applauding was not allowed. From then on, the audience snapped their fingers to show approval.

Another resident, Andy Seger, described a double standard for city-sponsored venues — the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center regularly has a knife and gun show on the property. Seger said he has seen memorabilia from hate groups on display, as well as books linked to domestic terrorism. The Civic Center, he argued, operates the same way as the art center, by providing a space for vendors.

“If we’re going to talk about regulating the content of individual exhibitors for a planned event with city dollars, we’re going to have to ban the civic center too,” Seger said, wishing the council good luck.

“You’ve all won a pie eating contest where the prize is more pie.”

More than 60 people spoke at the meeting, less than a handful of them voiced support for the council’s initial decision to end funding for the art center, saying there needed to be accountability for taxpayer money.

Martinez-Garcia, the council member, said the art center was held to a different set of standards. And while she had pitched the compromise, she later said that she wanted the money returned without any conditions, citing the misinformation leading to the vote. Martinez-Garcia was one of the two votes against cutting the money in the July vote.

“We made a mistake, and we need to correct it,” said Martinez-Garcia. “How we’re going to correct it is by granting these folks their money. If we can’t do that, it sends a wrong message.”

Glasheen held his stance from the last meeting, saying that awarding the grant money without restrictions is worse than the first time it was proposed to the council.

“It’s more than an LGBT issue,” Glasheen said. “It’s a broader question on what are the common sense restrictions on the type of expression that should be promoted or supported by tax dollars.”

McBrayer agreed, saying it’s still their responsibility to oversee the tax money, and it’s not a censorship issue. Without the money, McBrayer said the art center would be able to do what they want.

“Artists are free to express themselves however they want,” McBrayer said. “They do not have a right to expect taxpayer money to do that.”

McBrayer emphasized the council is not “anti-art.” He referenced the late musician Buddy Holly — a beloved icon in Lubbock where he was born and raised — who many audience members brought up in their comments to the council. McBrayer said he’s sure Holly didn’t get all the support he wanted but “it didn’t keep him from being one of the greatest artists ever.”

McBrayer offered a compromise — provide $5K for security at the art trail. Glasheen was also against this. The resolution eventually passed 4-3.

In a statement, the art center said they were disappointed the funding wasn’t fully reinstated but grateful that security will be funded.

Maestri, the art center’s executive director, told the Tribune before the meeting that the art trail has grown so much, she hadn’t stopped to reflect on how much the event does for the community.

“Sometimes it’s hard to, until there’s moments where you feel like something might be taken away or in jeopardy,” Maestri said.

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This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.