Tough times call for tough measures. For Houston’s art scene, the sluggish economy has presented an opportunity to be creative and figure out ways to do more with less.

Yes, it would seem rather obvious to expect an arts organization to use its innate innovative resources to do so. At its core, art breathes creativity. But the business of the arts isn’t always willing to step out of convention, especially when bottom line and cash flow concerns start infiltrating programming and artistic decisions.

Michael Kaiser, in The Art of the Turnaround, preaches that great art combined with strong marketing strategy is key to economic solvency. In 2010, the Houston art scene added one more element to the formula: Do it with a little help from your friends, collaborate and be prosperous.

Perhaps Young Audiences of Houston headed the most impressive and large-scale collaboration. Todd Frazier, executive director, and friends were able bring to the table 16 of the major professional art organizations and eight school districts to create an unprecedented resource for the educational community. Houston Arts Partners: Arts 4 All became a website indexing all art program offerings enabling teachers to quickly search and find the resource best suited for their students' learning goals.

A task not for the weak, getting everyone to buy in was possible due to a strict focus on the mission. Frazier attributes the success to leaving money aside and concentrating on the effect of the final product.

In similar spirit, American Festival for the Arts (AFA) launched the Houston Girls Chorus in collaboration with Houston Grand Opera’s education arm, HGOco. Focused on creating a new offering targeting the local community, care was placed on not reproducing or competing with existing programs. If their first appearance at the Tree Lighting Ceremony at City Hall is an indication of things to come, the Chorus’ first full-length debut concert on Jan 21 is something not to be missed.

Executive director Michael Remson laid out educational goals that extend beyond the musical experience into lifelong learning while providing positive role models for the participants.

Houston Grand Opera already has a unique place in the operatic world as a major leader in new commissions. In collaboration with Talento Bilingüe de Houston, HGO presented its 41st premiere, To Cross the Face of the Moon / Cruzar la Cara de la Luna , which broke through all sorts of artistic and operatic conventions to produce the first mariachi opera. With music by José “Pepe” Martínez, music director of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, the universal story of global travels and cross-cultural identity, immigration and assimilation sold-out performances at a concert version at the Wortham Theater Center and at a full- staged production at Talento Bilingüe de Houston.

A part of the Song of Houston project, the series of commissions celebrates the unique cultural diversity of the city. Mariachi songs tell human stories, so the juxtaposition with operatic conventions was a rather natural fit. The result? Continued exposure of HGO’s visibility and scope.

Spacetaker and Fresh Arts also joined resources in an unprecedented event. Bringing 17 arts organizations and nine individual artists to Sugar Land, the ARTernative Festival presented a jam-packed scheduled of back-to-back performances, workshops, interactive art stations and a visual art exhibition appropriate for families.

Culture Pilot’s own Javier Fadul was the driving force behind bringing the first TEDx conference to Houston. Although not an arts non-profit in the traditional sense, TED (technology, entertainment and design) is an organization dedicated to “Ideas Worth Spreading,” putting and licensing conferences worldwide.

A packed audience at University of Houston Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre in the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Building heard 16 dynamic speakers share a wide range of thought-provoking topics from dance and music to architecture and health and their respective intersections. Most notably, neuroscientist and author David Eagleman presented his theory of possibilianism, the concept that allows freedom of thought amidst science’s inability to fully explain certain phenomena and concepts.

If we are optimistic about an economic recovery in 2011, Houston's art scene has already set a high expectation for the creative consumer. And it had better deliver.

Hear Dr. David Eagleman's TEDx Houston talk:

Editor's note: This is the 23rd in a series of articles CultureMap will be running this transition week (the end of '10 and the beginning of '11) on The Year in Culture. The stories in this series will focus on a key point or two, something that struck our reporting team about the year rather than rote Top 10 lists or bests of.

Other The Year In Culture stories:

Organic, sustainable, local: The words that now dominate food

Demolishing the doldrums: Office towers somehow keep rising in Houston

Less blockbuster, more indie surprises: A call for fewer Texas-sized art exhibits in 2011

Forget The Social Network, it's all about keeping mom off Twitter

On the store front: H-E-B's final plan for Montrose market has a neighborly attitude

Houston chefs turn into celebrity spouses and I find a new partner

It's the year of the "gaybie:" Elton John is the latest proud parent

One thing I learned in 2010: Not even the BP oil spill could rub out Louisiana's soul

Ka-ching! The return of million dollar fundraisers made for a bountiful year

Rick Perry, socialite spaniels & Speedos: Things that touched me in 2010. Literally.

From Black Swan & Dancing with the Stars to Houston Ballet & other troupes, it was The Year Of Dance

Yes, I hate New Year's Eve and you should too

Burgers take over Houston: All hail the unstoppable food force

Yes He Did: Obama had a great year in 2010 that's gone unrecognized

The best Internet comments ever: It's not a world for chickens or Hitler

Houstonian becomes a Chilean miners offshoot celebrity, gets Perry love

Houston's best dressed moments of 2010

Kanye West tries to deliver a Swift kick to Arcade Fire: Who wins

The movies you should have seen, but didn't & The Inception exception

Expect theater's Flu Season wonder to last: Houston full of new art venues

Food trucks revolutionize Houston dining & there's no stopping this roll

Metrosexuals are out & homeless fashion is in: Flash those hairy ankles