How Lubbock artists pushed back after the city ended funding for its popular art walk

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