Dallas Neo-Classical Ballet. Photo: Alisa Eykilis.

This was the ninth straight year The Arts Community Alliance (TACA) distributed more than $1 million to arts organizations from Echo Theatre ($12,000) to the Dallas Opera ($100,000). Tonight at the Wyly Theatre, where the awards were announced, the big groups were the big winners, as might be expected: $100,000 each to the Dallas Opera, Dallas Symphony, Dallas Theater Center. But the money was also spread wide — fifteen groups received $10,000 or less — and there were two brand-new recipients this year: Dallas Neo-Classical Ballet (above)and Vox Humana, each getting $5,000

The full release:

TACA Distributes $1.3 Million to Local Performing Arts Community at 2016 Grant Awards

Parisa Khobdeh, Nationally-Renowned Dancer with Local Roots, Served
as Grant Awards Guest Speaker

Dallas, TX – On Monday, January 25, 2016, TACA (The Arts Community Alliance) distributed grants ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 to forty-eight local performing arts organizations and programs at the annual TACA Grant Awards Presentation. The event, sponsored by Bank of Texas, took place at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre with more than 250 local arts managers, patrons, and volunteers in attendance. In total, TACA provided $1.3 million to organizations representing various budget sizes and artistic genres, including theater, music, dance, and spoken word.

Parisa Khobdeh, Plano-native and Dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Company in New York, served as the 2016 Grant Awards Guest Artist-Speaker. Ms. Khobdeh is a graduate of SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts. Over the course of her career, she has worked with many notable choreographers and has lent her talents to benefit human rights organizations.

“For the ninth consecutive year, we are proud to provide more than $1 million in grants to the arts community,” said Becky Young, Carlson President and Executive Director of TACA. “We are so fortunate to have such a vibrant local arts community. The Grant Awards Presentation is our opportunity to celebrate what local arts leaders and supporters accomplish each year.”

TACA’s distinct granting process is driven by community volunteers, including local business and civic leaders and performing arts experts and enthusiasts. Each year, approximately forty volunteers of varying ages and backgrounds attend performances, review grant applications, and allocate funding based on artistic merit, community impact, and organizational health.

In additional to general operating support, TACA provides grants through two Artistic Excellence Funds. The TACA Donna Wilhelm Family New Works Fund supports the creation and performance of new works in Dallas, and the TACA Bowdon and Embrey Family Foundations Artist Residency Fund supports for the development of local artistic residency programs.
2016 TACA Grant Award Recipients

Musical Ensembles

Chamber Music International – $5,000
Dallas Bach Society – $8,000
Dallas Chamber Music Society – $5,000
Fine Arts Chamber Players – $29,000
Orchestra of New Spain – $15,000
Sammons Center for the Arts – $11,000
Texas Winds Musical Outreach – $12,000
Tuesday Nite Jazz – $10,000
Voices of Change – $10,000

Symphonic Arts

Dallas Chamber Symphony – $13,000
Dallas Symphony Orchestra – $100,000
Dallas Winds – $35,000
Lone Star Wind Orchestra – $13,000
Plano Symphony Orchestra – $10,000

Operatic Arts

The Dallas Opera – $100,000

Choral Arts

Arts District Chorale – $5,000
Orpheus Chamber Singers – $15,000
Plano Civic Chorus – $6,000
Vox Humana – $5,000 *

Dance

Avant Chamber Ballet – $12,500
Bruce Wood Dance Project – $15,000
Dallas Black Dance Theatre – $85,000
Dallas Neo-Classical Ballet – $5,000 *
Texas Ballet Theater – $70,000
TITAS – $65,000

Theater Arts

African American Repertory Theater – $12,500
Cara Mía Theatre Company – $15,000
Dallas Theater Center – $100,000
Echo Theatre – $12,000
Kitchen Dog Theater – $35,000
Lyric Stage – $30,000
Second Thought Theatre – $18,000
Shakespeare Dallas – $35,000
Teatro Dallas – $10,000
Theatre Three – $30,000
Undermain Theatre – $25,000
Uptown Players – $33,000
WaterTower Theatre – $40,000

Spoken Word

WordSpace – $5,000

Youth Arts

Big Thought – $15,000
Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas – $37,000
Dallas Children’s Theater – $75,000
Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra – $45,000
Junior Players – $38,000
Lone Star Circus Arts Center – $5,000

Collaborative Partners

AT&T Performing Arts Center – $5,000
Nasher Sculpture Center – $10,000
SMU Meadows School of the Arts – $10,000

* Denotes a first-time recipient of TACA funding