Cultural Affairs office brings Commerce together

The Commerce Office of Cultural Affairs (COCA) is a non-profit organization designed to facilitate communication between community residents and Texas A&M University-Commerce through cultural projects.

Former interim head of the department of art and senior lecturer Michael Odom began organizing COCA about one-and-a-half years ago.

In January 2009, Odom made a proposal to the city council that his group organize an office of cultural affairs for Commerce. COCA was granted non-profit status in November and is independent of Commerce's city government.

Odom said COCA had its origin in a group of community and university members who gathered at his home to discuss ways to "improve the interaction of the community and the university," which he said has "historically" been a missed opportunity.

"There are plenty of people who work at the university who are individually involved with the operations of various departments in the city," Odom said. "But we were looking at things we could do to improve the quality of life in this town."

Odom said many A&M-Commerce faculty members choose to live outside of Commerce because of its lack of social and community events.

"I know that many new hires among faculty have determined that they would rather live in a town that has something more going on in it than what Commerce does," he said.

The founding of the Commerce Community Garden is an already successful community project that materialized through cooperative efforts between COCA's founders and other community members. According to Odom, the Commerce Community Garden Association (CCGA) is being organized as a separate non-profit entity under COCA.

COCA has a standing committee on music, which includes local singer and songwriter Brad Davis, whom Odom described as a "local treasure."

Davis organized Songwriter's Showcase, a monthly music event held downtown every third Thursday at Cowhill Express Coffee Company. Odom said performers are required to write their own songs and are welcome to perform two or three selections.

The event draws singers, songwriters and musicians from among A&M-Commerce students, faculty and staff, Commerce residents, and visiting artists from as far as Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky.

Odom said although Davis organized Songwriter's Showcase prior to COCA's founding, it is exactly the kind of event COCA is interested in fostering.

"I think Commerce is missing out on young talent, both among students and faculty," he said. "Brad and I are talking about maybe offering cash prizes at least once a year to the best original song or the best performers, to use that as a springboard to beef up and enrich those evenings."

Sign-ups begin at 7 p.m., immediately followed by performances at 7:30. Space is limited to 15 performers. Further information can be found at cowhillexpress.com/explore/articles/songwriters-night.

In addition to music, COCA also has a standing committee on visual arts comprised of community and university members who have "overlapping interests."

Odom said COCA began displaying works by various artists in the windows of the former J.C. Penny's building located on the corner of Main Street and Washington Street last November.

Looking forward to a more permanent arrangement, COCA has plans to set up an art gallery and performance space downtown.

According to Odom, Commerce mayor Quay Throgmorton has offered COCA a building he owns on the square as a location for the gallery, on the condition that COCA fund any necessary repairs.

Odom said, ideally, such an art gallery would serve as a "home base" for COCA, while still remaining on the local tax roles.

"We're in negotiations and we're working towards developing a budget that will show us what we need to pull together," he said. "These things are very attractive and very alluring, but it might not be in the current financial situation to make it possible. So we're trying to figure out the best way to go with it."

Junior art major Val Curry is enthusiastic about the opportunities a dedicated off-campus art gallery would offer students and the community at large.

"If it could happen, I definitely think it would be a good idea," he said. "I think it's something that would be almost imperative for the [art] program, and it would even be good for downtown Commerce."

Odom said during his career at A&M-Commerce, he knew many senior students who had never ventured downtown.

Vice President for Student Access and Success Dr. Mary Hendrix is a COCA committee member. Hendrix said the need to improve Commerce by increasing city resources both to retain current residents and students and to attract new ones, motivated her to get involved in COCA.

"We have to make Commerce a destination," she said. "In all aspects, it will be an improvement for our university and for our students."

Odom recognizes the need for COCA to expand its outreach in order to thrive.

"We're expanding our board to include more local businesspeople and more people within the university community as well," he said.

There is plenty of room for expansion according to Odom.

"Right now, what COCA is, is a whole bunch of possibilities," he said. "There's a lot of potential, but there's not a lot of communication and we want to be able to facilitate communication working with the Chamber of Commerce, the city government and with the university."

Odom said although COCA does not yet have a fully organized financial system, several people have expressed a desire to make donations.

Anyone interested in further information on COCA projects, meetings, or making donations may contact Odom at michael@michaelodom.net.