Dallas-area arts and cultural organizations have lost nearly $68 million and more than 1,200 jobs since businesses were forced to close in March due to COVID-19.
So says the latest survey conducted by The Arts Community Alliance, Dallas Arts District and the Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition.
Ninety-one organizations in Dallas’ nonprofit arts sector participated in the survey. It showed a total financial loss of $67,771,172 from March 13, when the shutdown began, through July 31. That more than doubles the losses reported in the first survey released in May.
“All of these organizations are just struggling to hold on,” Terry Loftis, president and executive director of The Arts Community Alliance, said in a statement. “The philanthropic community is certainly working to step up and help, but these losses are staggering. And given the rate they are growing, we’ve got a huge challenge to overcome.”
Part of the increased loss is due to more groups participating in the survey. Only 52 groups took part in the first report. Still, 86% of the latest losses come from that initial group.
The survey shows arts businesses have logged more than 2,155,000 in lost or deferred attendance. The 91 groups surveyed have also lost about 25% of their budgets since March 13. That’s despite some venues and institutions having reopened at a limited capacity. The six major museums in the Dallas Arts District announced a joint reopening schedule earlier this month.
The survey found that 1,219 people have been furloughed or laid off through July 31. That’s up from 649 at the end of May. 189 of these were full-time staff members and 1,030 were part-time. Many groups said cuts began after fund from the forgivable Payroll Protection Program loans began running out in June and July.
Remaining staff saw their pay cut. At least 1/3 of the groups cut salaries to reduce expenses.
- 15 reduced salaries up to 20%
- 7 reduced pay from 20% to 40%
- 7 reduced salaries by 40% or higher
- 51 said they have kept their salaries stable.
“It’s really pretty simple,” said Joanna St. Angelo, president of DACAC, in a statement. “Everyone is trying to find enough cash so we can live to fight another day. We are turning to donors, patrons, foundations and corporations. Perhaps the federal government will include the arts in another stimulus package, or maybe the City can find just a little bit more. We are checking under every couch cushion to see what we can find.”
Here’s a list of all the survey participants:
Academy of Bangla Arts and Culture
African American Repertory Theater
Allegro Guitar Society
American Baroque Opera Company
Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico
Artstillery
Art House Dallas
AT&T Performing Arts Center
Avant Chamber Ballet
B. MOORE DANCE
Beckles Dancing Company
Big Thought
Bishop Arts Theatre Center
Blue Candlelight Music Series
Bombshell Dance Project
Bruce Wood Dance
Cara Mía Theatre Company
Chamber Music International
Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas
Creative Arts Center of Dallas
Credo Community Choir
Crow Museum of Asian Art at the University of Texas at Dallas
Cry Havoc Theater Company
Dallas Arts District Foundation
Dallas Bach Society
Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Dallas Center for Photography
Dallas Chamber Symphony
Dallas Children’s Theater Dallas Contemporary
Dallas Heritage Village Dallas Historical Society
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas SPARK!
Dallas Summer Musicals
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Theater Center
Dark Circles Contemporary Dance
Deep Vellum Publishing
Echo Theatre
Fine Arts Chamber Players
Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra
Indian Cultural Heritage Foundation
Indique Dance Company
Junior Players
Kitchen Dog Theater
Lone Star Circus Arts Center
Lone Star Wind Orchestra
Lumedia Musicworks
Lyric Stage
Make Art with Purpose
Nasher Sculpture Center
Ochre House Theater
Ollimpaxqui Ballet
Orchestra of New Spain
Orpheus Chamber Singers
Over the Bridge Arts
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Prism Movement Theater
Sammons Center for the Arts
Second Thought Theatre
Shakespeare Dallas
Soul Rep Theatre Company
South Dallas Concert Choir
TACA – The Arts Community Alliance
Teatro Dallas
Teatro Flor Candela
Texas Ballet Theater The Artist Outreach
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters
The Cedars Union
The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
The Dallas Opera
The Dallas Winds
The Mexico Institute
The Museum of Geometric and MADI Art
The No Limit Arts Theatre, Inc.
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
The Women’s Chorus of Dallas The Writer’s Garret
Theatre Three
TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND
Turtle Creek Chorale
Undermain Theatre
Uptown Players
USA Film Festival
Verdigris Ensemble
Video Association of Dallas
Women Texas Film Festival
WordSpace
Got a tip? Email Miguel Perez at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter @quillindie.
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