Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Brownsville’s Mitte Cultural District has been designated a Texas Cultural District by the Texas Commission on the Arts, recognizing the city’s arts organizations, cultural heritage and efforts to use the arts to support tourism and economic development.
The Texas Commission on the Arts designated four new cultural districts in 2026: Brownsville’s Mitte Cultural District, the Edinburg Arts District, the Galveston African American Cultural Heritage District and the Lufkin Cultural District. The additions bring the statewide total to 61.
The Mitte Cultural District includes more than 20 collaborating arts and cultural organizations covering visual and performing arts, dance, music, film, literature, public art, culinary arts and heritage traditions.
Cultural institutions within the district include The Mitte Arts and Cultural Center, Children’s Museum of Brownsville, Camille Playhouse, Brownsville Historical Association and George Ramirez Performing Arts Center, along with galleries, historic spaces, businesses and other creative organizations.
Brownsville has previously identified cultural districts as a way to attract artists and cultural enterprises, encourage business and job development, establish tourism destinations and preserve historic buildings.
The district also includes Murals in the Mitte, a collection of 20 murals connected through a bilingual GPS-guided audio experience.
“This designation belongs to Brownsville,” Mitte Cultural District Executive Director Daniella Lopez Valdez said. “It belongs to the artists who tell our stories, the organizations that preserve our history, the performers who bring our stages to life, our local businesses, our families and every person who has worked to make arts and culture part of the identity of this community.”
Mitte Cultural District Board Chair Reba Cardenas McNair said the designation reflects decades of work that began with efforts to renovate Dean Porter Park in 1995 and later expanded with support from the Mitte Foundation and the city.
Brownsville Mayor John Cowen Jr. said the designation gives the city another way to present its arts and heritage as Brownsville develops its role in business, tourism and international trade.
“Becoming a Texas Cultural District positions Brownsville to showcase the unique arts, culture and heritage that define who we are and to attract new visitors, investment and opportunities for generations to come,” Cowen said.
R.J. Mitte, actor and president of the Mitte Foundation, called the state recognition a longtime goal for the district.
The designation follows continued investment in Brownsville’s cultural infrastructure. The city and Mitte Cultural District previously entered a 40-year agreement to transform the former Brownsville Museum of Fine Art into The Mitte Arts and Cultural Center, with the district committing at least $2.5 million for improvements.
Texas Commission on the Arts Executive Director Gary Gibbs said applications underwent a rigorous review process and that the commission recognized the district’s efforts to attract visitors and improve quality of life.
