Editor's note: This story is part of an ongoing series for Arts Access examining the health and well-being of our North Texas arts economy.
Last December, Martine Elyse Philippe moved to Dallas from Atlanta to become thenew director of the city’s Office of Arts and Culture. Her arrival coincided with a complicated moment in the arts in Dallas, revolving around the question, “How does one cope with the aftereffects of a pandemic?”
April 5 will mark Philippe’s four-month anniversary on the job formerly held by Jennifer Scripps, who served as director for six years before becoming the CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc.
Scripps oversaw the implementation of the $600,000 Cultural Plan from 2018 until the pandemic interrupted her efforts. Getting it back is now Philippe’s mandate, as is adjusting to a place she’s never lived before.
What are your most striking impressions of the Dallas arts scene since taking the job?
What’s been most striking for me is Dallas’ diverse audience base. I’m charged with attending many events and in getting to know artists and arts organizations across the city. I’m impressed most of all with the numbers, the folks who are coming and engaging with this range of experience. It pleases me so much to see such a diverse audience base — families, folks of all ages. … Another striking impression is what I’m seeing in the neighborhoods, these pockets of art experiences all over the city. Most recently, I visited West Dallas. Just to see how bustling and busy our artists are in these neighborhoods has made a great impression on me.
The pandemic put the Cultural Plan on hold. Where does the Cultural Plan stand at this moment?
We’re making strides in addressing the six priorities that emerged from the plan, including communication, support and maintaining all the activity that takes place in the city’s arts ecosystem. We continue to be focused on making sure to maintain our creative economy as we emerge from the pandemic. Other priorities, of course, relate to space and support. We are also very focused on equity and diversity.
What do you see as the biggest challenges of your job?
I want to be aggressive as we move forward to spread the wealth, to ensure that folks who have been marginalized or left out in the past have the opportunity to receive their fair share as we move forward.
How do you feel about attendance at arts groups, now that the worst of the pandemic appears to be over. Have all the city’s arts groups fully recovered from the worst of the pandemic?
I have to say, no — we have not fully recovered. As it relates to attendance, our office is now fully committed to reducing what I call the barriers to accessibility. We have to do everything we can to restore attendance. So, we are fully involved in mitigating external factors — such as the current cost-of-living increases that make it difficult for people to reengage with the arts.
What was the worst effect the pandemic had on the arts community?
The answer is twofold: for one, the negative impact on the audience. Several organizations suffered a decrease in memberships, meaning some were not able to retain the number of season subscribers that they’d enjoyed in the past. That decline also extended to ticket sales. Several of our [nonprofit arts] companies have noted that the pandemic affected their donor base in a negative way. In turn, that affected operating funds in a negative way. And in turn, that affected the number of staff members that they could employ. And on and on. These were really, really tough times that showed how truly fragile our cultural arts sector can be. So, now, we need to do the all the work we can to ensure that folks can and will bounce back, that they have the resources to bounce back, to once again enjoy the arts.
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