Texas approved just four new cultural districts. Two are in the Rio Grande Valley
Visitors gather beneath a canopy of colorful umbrellas in Brownsville’s Mitte Cultural District, one of two Rio Grande Valley districts among just four newly approved statewide. Courtesy of | Texas Commission on the Arts

The Rio Grande Valley landed half of Texas’ newest cultural district designations, putting designated areas in Brownsville and Edinburg in a position to compete for state funding aimed at attracting visitors, investment, and economic activity through the arts.

The Texas Commission on the Arts approved four new cultural districts Sept. 3: the Edinburg Arts District, Brownsville’s Mitte Cultural District, the Galveston African American Cultural Heritage District and the Lufkin Cultural District.

The additions bring the number of state-designated cultural districts in Texas to 61.

For Brownsville and Edinburg, the designation is more than recognition of their arts and cultural communities. The state program identifies geographic areas where concentrations of cultural resources can be used to generate business, attract tourists, stimulate cultural development and contribute to the local economy.

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