TACA Arts Accelerator

As a nonprofit arts incubator, The Cedars Union is dedicated to connecting North Texas's brightest creative talent with urgently needed resources such as tools, workspace, training, and community. Our 18-month, juried Cohort Program provides selected artists with studio space, while our monthly Community Membership offers access to shared spaces and resources, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment for all artists.

kNOwBOX dance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts service organization that creates, collaborates, and discusses art with artists and the public. Through its programs, kNOwBOX dance seeks to present and engage dance-related art. Programming includes Dance Behind the Screen Podcast (DBS), kNOwBOX dance Film Festival (NBFF), mixtamotus live performances and workshops, and other presentations/collaborations. As capitalized in our name - we say NO to the BOX. kNOwBOX dance believes that by going outside of any four-cornered box we can empower dancers and creators across the globe. We sustain conversations and connections between artists and the art-curious community by fostering relationships and opportunities for artists, their works, and audiences both on and offline.

Founded in 2006 by Robert Clark, Barry Knezek, and Christopher Tucker, the Lone Star Wind Orchestra (LSWO) is an ensemble of fifty-six professional musicians providing exceptional performances while creating meaningful community outreach opportunities across North Texas. LSWO Founders envisioned creating a world-class organization committed to deep engagement in developing the next generation of artists and arts patrons.  This Life Cycle mentoring model defines our organization—it is Who we are, not part of what we do. 

Over the Bridge Arts is a multi-genre arts nonprofit founded in Oak Cliff in 2017 that provides a platform for inclusive creative expression, connection and community for new and evolving local artists. Founded on the belief that our community needs diversity, inclusion, and unity, Over the Bridge Arts opens its doors to everyone. To date, Over the Bridge Arts has created 19 all-new productions with original material by 125 performing and visual artists.

The mission of Representa Foundation is to promote, disseminate, and inculcate the rich Latin American culture in all its expressions to the next generation. We seek to involve children, individuals, and families in our dance, music, and theater programs. We are the FIRST Colombian foundation in DFW to provide completely free cultural workshops with over 250 members, we have presented our cultural programs at the Latino Cultural Center, WildFlower Festival, Taste of Addison,Latinidad Festival, Plano international Festival, Dallas Holiday Parade, Carnaval de Barranquilla Miami in Coral Gables and even the Hispanic Heritage Parade New York City the largest hispanic parade in the US. During 2024 we represented Dallas in the Carnival of Barranquilla in Barranquilla Colombia. The 2nd largest carnival in the world. We have been doing cultural work since 2017 and became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2019.

The Writer's Garret connects people through the power of language. Operating at the intersection of the literary and educational communities, The Garret is the oldest continually operating literary nonprofit in Dallas, celebrating 30 years in 2025. The organization's three areas of programming include support for the literary community, youth programming, and partnerships with health and human service organizations. In 2023, The Writer's Garret was awarded the Dallas City of Learning Superintendent's Award.

2023 - 2024 Arts Accelerator Pilot Cohort

Arts Mission Oak Cliff [AMOC] is a sanctuary for local artists. Housed in a restored church, the arts center is an intersection for a diverse community to connect, create, and play. The original sanctuary offers a space for full productions and workshops, and the half-basement, nicknamed “The Underground”, is lined with Sunday School classrooms transformed into creative workspaces. AMOC hosts six artists/arts groups in residence annually, offers affordable production and rehearsal space, and partners with local artists to host classes, workshops, concerts, vendor fairs, and more. The organization is run by artists, supported by a work exchange program (AMOCX), and continues to adapt and expand its offerings to support the needs of local creatives.

Created in 2016, Bombshell Dance Project is a contemporary dance company founded by Emily Bernet and Taylor Rodman in their hometown of Dallas, Texas. The company is driven by collaboration and focused on new formats and innovative work that brings audiences closer to dance. Their recent sold-out production “In the Conservatory with the Knife” was part of the Elevator Project in 2022.

Pegasus Contemporary Ballet aspires to be a national leader in its field; contributing world-class performances to the cultural landscape in Dallas and beyond. As innovators and artists, Pegasus Contemporary Ballet continues the legacy of ballet, expressing it as a meaningful and living art form. Their mission is to use the classical foundation of ballet to express contemporary perspectives, engage diverse audiences, and enrich the human experience. Pegasus uses contemporary ballet to create innovative performances, interdisciplinary collaborations, and exciting new works.

Pegasus Media Project’s mission is to empower emerging film, media, and multidisciplinary artists through collaborative creations, hands-on education, mentorship, access, exposure, and job placement. PMP is committed to supporting individuals as a whole person, with a special focus on women, ALAANA, LGBTQIA+, veterans, and those with learning differences. The Pegasus Media Project (PMP), founded in 2012 by Iranian-born artist-educator Niloo Jalilvand, boasts a rich history rooted in the Pegasus Film Society at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas. Jalilvand, who taught at the school for 21 years, launched the student-led Pegasus Film Festival in 2015 to inspire and empower young people to pursue their passion for filmmaking. In 2020, Jalilvand joined forces with artist-educator Glenys Quick and filmmaker and alumnus of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Christian Vasquez to establish the Pegasus Media Project (PMP) as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Their mission was to broaden their outreach to underrepresented communities and empower young people through the art of storytelling.
In 2023, Tamitha Curiel, an artist-educator and alumnus of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, joined the PMP team to bolster program development and community outreach.

Founded in 1995, Soul Rep Theatre Company is Dallas’ longest operating theater company dedicated to the Black and African diasporic experience. The company was co-founded by Dallas natives and Arts Magnet (now BTWHSPVA) alumnae, Guinea Bennett-Price (Artistic Director), Anyika McMillan-Herod (Executive Director) and Fort Worth native, Tonya Holloway (Co-Artistic Director of Film). Over the years, Soul Rep has bloomed into a consistent platform for developing and staging original plays, underperformed gems, and regional premiere works by notable playwrights of color and women. In addition to providing an annual season of 3 – 5 productions, the company has an established arts education program offering in and out of school classes, workshops and summer programs to children, youth, and adults, thus solidifying Soul Rep’s multi-faceted role as both a trusted training ground for future and new artists AND quality season productions and short films.

Verdigris Ensemble is a Dallas vocal band pushing the boundaries of the choral medium through creative concert programming, unconventional use of space, and collaboration. They use choral music to tell our shared stories of the human condition, weaving intricate choral programs into multi-layered and multimedia experiences. Both in concert and in outreach, Verdigris’ mission is to enrich, inspire, and invest in our community through honest choral storytelling, meaningful outreach initiatives, and active collaboration.