TACA Announces Third Round of Emergency Grants

Seven Dallas arts organizations received $20,000 grants from a third and final round of aid provided by The Arts Community Alliance, the organization announced.

The latest round was thanks in part, TACA said, to a $100,000 grant from the Meadows Foundation to the TACA Emergency Arts Relief Fund. The seven organizations included in this final round are the AT&T Performing Arts Center, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Theater Center, the Nasher Sculpture Center, Texas Ballet Theater, and The Dallas Opera.

These seven organizations were ineligible for the first two rounds of grants, which were reserved for small- and mid-size groups with budgets of $5 million and less.

All in all, more than $700,000 was raised for the fund through gifts from family foundations and individuals. So far, $592,500 has been distributed through 87 grants since the fund was started in March. The remainder of the balance will be used for future arts support and programming, and to cover administrative costs incurred with the fundraising effort.

“As we’ve seen in recent survey results, the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a critical blow to the Dallas arts community, so it’s especially gratifying when donors like the Meadows Foundation step forward to help,” said Terry D. Loftis, Carlson president and executive director of TACA. “It was important to our board, staff and me that the fund conclude with a distribution to our partners in the Arts District. Thanks in part to the Meadows gift, TACA is making a final round of grants to seven deserving organizations to provide much-needed support during these challenging times.”

Grant recipients for both distribution cycles were chosen by a committee of board members, donors and community arts leaders, including Kymberlaine Banks, Matrice Ellis-Kirk, Tara Lewis, Carol March, Jim Nugent, and Andy Smith.

“When we learned COVID-19 was upon us, our team worked swiftly to establish a responsive, need-based fund to support the local arts sector,” Maura Sheffler, TACA’s deputy director of programs and marketing, said in May.  “For TACA, establishing a special fund was a departure from our 50-year history of merit-based grantmaking, but of critical importance during this unprecedented crisis.  We’ll continue to support the arts community as we navigate the months ahead of us.”