Announcing Our Newest Pop-Up Grant Recipients
We proudly announce three standout Pop-Up Grants programs for November and December. These productions included diverse artistic endeavors, challenging us to see complexity in familiar stories and immerse ourselves in the creativity of the Dallas arts community.
Aurora
Biennial 2024
Unrestricted Grant: $2,500 Pop-Up Grant
Artist Bonus Funds: $5,000 Artist Bonus Funding
Photo by Alejandro Almanza Pereda
AURORA’s sixth biennial, FuturePresentPast, transformed Dallas City Hall and surrounding areas into an expansive exhibition of technology-based public art curated by Kendal Henry and Leslie Moody Castro. Featuring diverse regional and international artists, the event explored themes like environmental sustainability, urban transformation, and community connection through multi-sensory, interactive installations that bridged past experiences with visions for the future.
AURORA's mission is to inspire a more accessible future of art and technology by supporting the voices of today’s artists and connecting diverse communities through transformative public art experiences.
A cornerstone of contemporary culture in North Texas, AURORA is a Dallas-based public arts organization working at the intersection of art, technology, and community. Through the AURORA Biennial exhibition and the year-round AURORA Expanded programming, the organization successfully engages with regional and international audiences, aiming to establish Dallas as a global cultural center for art and technology. Keep in touch with AURORA at Facebook, Instagram, X, and Youtube.
TITAS Dance Unbound
Õkāreka Dance Company in Mana Wahine
Unrestricted Grant: $2,500 Pop-Up Grant
Photo by Alex Efimoff
New Zealand's Okareka Dance Company made its Texas debut performing Mana Wahine (Powerful Women) on November 1-2 as part of the TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND 2024-25 season. Mana Wahine draws on Maori (the Indigenous people of New Zealand) cultural traditions and history to celebrate the power of women. The all-female dancers perform choreography that weaves Ancient Maori practices of karakia/prayer, song/waiata, and mythology with innovative audiovisual effects, including bold projections and original soundscapes.
One of only a handful of presenting organizations in the nation dedicated exclusively to dance, TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND has earned national and international recognition for innovative and boundary-breaking programming, artistic excellence, and collaborative cultural partnerships. Its mission is to entertain, educate, and inspire by curating and commissioning extraordinary dance and performance art from around the world. Keep in touch with TITAS / Dance Unbound at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
WaterTower Theatre
The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe
Unrestricted Grant: $2,500 Pop-Up Grant
Artist Bonus Funds: $5,000 Artist Bonus Funding
Photo by Paris Marie Productions
Jane Wagner’s ever-timely, iconic, one-woman show, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, examines American society, art, and human connectivity and explores the feminist movement. As one actor transforms into a series of other archetypal characters, they become the play’s guiding conscience for the audience—a comical, quirky, and outlandish conveyor of the nuances of American society.
Founded in 1996, WaterTower Theatre (WTT) is one of Texas' leading professional theatre companies and a flagship arts institution in North Texas, having played an important role as a leader in developing new talent, new work, and encouraging the growth of the DFW artistic community through its commitment to hiring local artists. WaterTower Theatre’s mission is to create innovative, diverse theatre that builds community by fostering empathy and dialogue. Keep in touch with WaterTower Theatre on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
WHAT’S A POP-UP GRANT?
We started our Pop-Up Grant program to shine a light on arts organizations creating programming that demonstrates exceptional quality, innovation, and accessibility safely, without skimping on the creative impact.
HOW DO YOU PICK THE RECIPIENTS?
Grant recipients are meticulously selected via a nomination process that incorporates 60+ anonymous volunteers. Nominations are made each month and a selection committee meets afterward to determine grantees based on our criteria above.
To learn more about Pop-Up Grants, please click here.
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