TACA Announces $125,000 in New Works 2.0 Grants

The Arts Community Alliance announced the 2022 recipients of its re-envisioned New Works Fund that focuses support on new works of performing, literary and visual art in varying stages of development by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), LGBTQ+, and female artists. 

A diverse group of five arts organizations representing multidisciplinary new works will share the $125,000 distribution made possible by Anne Davidson, The Texas Instruments Foundation, and The Sapphire Foundation.

“I am overjoyed to support these exciting new works as the Presenting Sponsor of the 2022 TACA New Works Fund,” Anne Davidson said. “New artistic work is the lifeblood of our community and I look forward to seeing these five projects come to life.”

The five 2022 TACA New Works Fund grantees are:

• Dallas Black Dance Theatre – $30,000 / T A B E R N A C L E, by Chanel DaSilva
• Soul Rep Theatre Company – $20,000 / A new play by Erin Malone Turner
• Dallas Children’s Theater – $25,000 / “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me,” by Paige Hernandez / In collaboration with Children’s Theatre of Charlotte (Charlotte, NC), Children’s Theater of Madison (Madison, WI), and The Rose Theater (Omaha, NE)
• Arts Mission Oak Cliff – $20,000 / “No Strings,” by Seth Magill, Anastasia Muñoz, and Kirschen Wolford
• Cara Mía Theatre – $20,000 / “Orígenes/Origins,” by Sorany Gutiérrez, Frida Espinosa Müller, David Lozano, and Alicia Martínez Álvarez / In collaboration with the Laboratorio de la Máscara (Mexico City)

“We are humbled to provide support to such an exciting slate of new work projects being developed by organizations and artist of diverse backgrounds,” said Terry D. Loftis, Donna Wilhelm Family president and executive director of TACA. “We are also excited that this year’s fund is supporting new works in varying stages of development. New works often come to life through the sheer will and passion of artists until their final stages. We look forward to supporting these projects in their infancy and see what their creativity yields without the weight of financial worry.  Providing funding access to BIPOC, LGBTA+ and female artist ensures that our impact reaches across all sectors of our creative community.”

Launched in 2012, the TACA New Works Fund was established to support the development and performance of innovative new works of art in Dallas County.

The 2022 TACA New Works Fund received a record-breaking number of applications – 27 applicants with funding requests totaling over $1 million.

“We believe the arts help make Dallas a vibrant place to live and work and should reflect the diverse cultural richness of our community, in all its forms,” said Andy Smith, executive director of the TI Foundation. “We are proud that our support for TACA’s New Works Fund will help give artistic voice to groups who are historically unequal and unheard, and it’s our hope that these performances will lead to deeper understanding and appreciation of the complex experiences lived by those who are too often marginalized or dismissed.”

Since its inception in 2012, TACA’s New Works Fund has provided $1,025,000 in grants to support 33 new works of art in North Texas.

“This is such a gift to an artist- to truly focus on the process and not just the product,” said Anastasia Muñoz, executive artistic director of Arts Mission Oak Cliff and co-creator/director of No Strings. “We get to dream big and lay the foundation with TACA’s support to make that big dream a reality in its due time.”

“Dallas Black Dance Theatre is proud to provide artists from diverse backgrounds and experiences with an open platform to share their voices. Female choreographers of color often face major obstacles in their careers,” said Melissa M. Young, artistic director of Dallas Black Dance Theatre. “Thanks to this grant from the TACA New Works Fund, the organization is thrilled to support Chanel DaSilva in changing that mindset.” Choreographer Chanel DaSilva added, “So much of what I want to say today as a choreographer is rooted in my experience as a Black Woman in this world, and I want to begin to honor that in my work. Creating T A B E R N A C L E with Dallas Black Dance Theatre will give me the opportunity to create with artists who are incredibly virtuosic and multi-faceted as dancers, who have lived and navigated the same experiences that I have and have the capability to bring this piece forth with authenticity and truth.”

A panel of local and national artists and arts managers narrowed applicant organizations through a competitive application and review process followed by interviews by local nonprofit and arts experts. Panelists selected the recipients based on the artistic merit and integrity, impact, and feasibility of their projects.

Since its founding in 1967, TACA has distributed more than $32 million to 190 arts organizations that produce artistic programming in Dallas County.

For more information about TACA, call 214-520-3930 or visit taca-arts.org.