TACA Announces $200,000 in Grants for Four New Works, Three Artist Residencies in 2018 September 26, 2018

Media Contact: Maura Sheffler, maura.sheffler@taca-arts.org, 214.520.3930

DALLAS – TACA (The Arts Community Alliance) has announced the 2018 recipients of the TACA New Works Fund and the TACA Bowdon Family Foundation Artist Residency Fund. Six arts organizations will receive seven grants totaling $200,000 to create new works or to support artist residencies in North Texas.

“TACA is thrilled to provide an unprecedented $200,000 to support the creation of new works and fund artist residencies in North Texas,” said Wolford McCue, TACA Carlson president and executive director. “We offer our sincere gratitude to the Hersh Foundation, Sapphire Foundation, and Donna Wilhelm Family Fund for their support of the New Works Fund and the Bowdon Family Foundation for their support of the Artist Residency Fund. For the first time our New Works funding has increased because of the generosity of two new supporters – the Hersh Foundation and the Sapphire Foundation. Thanks to our visionary donors, we are cultivating compelling new works that add to the vibrancy and richness of North Texas’ arts and culture scene.”

Everest, The Dallas Opera – Photo by Karen Almond

Launched in 2012, the TACA New Works Fund was established to support the development and performance of innovate new works of music, dance, and theater in Dallas County. To date, the New Works Fund has provided $750,000 in grants to support 21 new works including Everest by Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer at The Dallas Opera and Homeschooled by Jonathan Norton at African-American Repertory Theatre.  This year the New Works Fund is awarding an unprecedented $150,000 – an increase of $50,000 from previous years.

The four 2018 New Works Fund grantees are:

Cara Mía Theatre Company – $37,500
Don’t Eat the Mangos, by Ricardo Perez Gonzalez

Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas – $25,000
This is the Key and Song to the Moon, by Alan Bullard

Dallas Symphony Orchestra – $37,500
Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family SOLUNA International Music & Arts Festival
Caravan: A Revolution on the Road, by Terence Blanchard, Rennie Harris and Andrew Scott

The Dallas Opera – $50,000
Support for a not-yet-announced world premiere production

“Commissions like these are not just expanding the repertoire for young voices but are playing a dynamic role in the ever-evolving world of music. Next April, CCGD’s youngest singers – more than 130 4th and 5th graders from diverse backgrounds and communities – will give life to these two new works on the Meyerson Symphony Center stage. We are so thankful to TACA and its generous donors for recognizing the importance of commissioning pieces for young artists. These two new works will give further credibility to child’s voices as serious instruments capable of performing the highest quality music and will allow our singers to participate in the creative process of art-making.” said Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas Executive director, Megan Heber.

“SOLUNA has always been a festival in which the Dallas Symphony pushes beyond its traditional genres and performances to engage and connect with audiences in new ways,” said Kim Noltemy, Dallas Symphony Orchestra President & CEO. “Caravan is an extension of that and directly discusses important and tragic events from Dallas’s recent history. We are grateful to TACA for their generosity and support in demonstrating how music and art can be the catalyst for positive and meaningful social change.”

Both Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra are first-time recipients of support from the TACA New Works Fund in 2018.

In 2015, TACA developed the TACA Artist Residency Fund in response to the 2014 Perforum symposium when the local arts community expressed a need for greater support of unique artist-community engagement opportunities. To date, the fund has distributed $300,000 to 13 residencies including the Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera and Dr. Sandra Snow’s residency at the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas. The fund awards up to $50,000 annually to support the development of innovative artistic residency programs in Dallas County while fostering meaningful interaction among arts organizations, artists, and the greater community.

Jonathan Norton, Playwright

The three 2018 Artist Residency Fund grantees are:

Cara Mía Theatre Company – $23,000
Residency of playwright KJ Sanchez

Dallas Theater Center – $20,000
Residency of playwright Jonathan Norton

Fine Arts Chamber Players – $7,000
Residency of the Baumer String Quartet

“We are honored to receive this grant award from the TACA Bowdon Family Foundation Artist Residency Fund for our work with the nationally renowned KJ Sanchez,” said Cara Mía Theatre Company Executive artistic director, David Lozano. “KJ specializes in writing plays based on the words of people from grassroots communities while exploring innovative theatrical possibilities. I can’t think of a better match for Cara Mía Theatre to further expand our aesthetic and continue deepening our relationships with neighborhoods throughout Dallas.” Cara Mía Theatre Company has been involved in five TACA New Works and Artist Residency Fund grants – more than any other organization to date.

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 innovativeness and merit of their project, the inclusion of artistic collaborations, and the quality of engagement of target audiences.

In addition to these two funds, TACA provides general operating and project-related grants to nearly 50 performing arts organizations each January. Since its founding, TACA has distributed more than $28 million to over 160 arts organizations.

About the Jurors:
Matt Albert – Chair of Chamber Music, School of Music, Theatre & Dance at the University of Michigan*
Sarah Allen – Associate Professor, Music Education, Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University^
Laura Barbee – Adjunct Faculty, Dance, College of Fine Arts, Texas Christian University^
Steven Birch – Managing Partner, Flying Crown Land Group^
Stefany Cambra – Artistic Director, Proper Hijinx Productions*
Nikki Cloer – Actor; Account Manager, The Marketing Arm*
Melinda Cotton – Children’s Choir Master, The Dallas Opera^
Emily Ernst – Director, Lincoln Community Playhouse*
Sheyna Ferraro – Director, Texas Dance Conservatory*
Anne Marie Gan – Operations Research Analyst, City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs^
Anna Wittstruck Gottlieb – Director of Orchestra, University of Pudget Sound^
David Grogan – Associate Professor, Music, University of Texas at Arlington^
Zac Hammer – Dance faculty, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts^
Sam Holland – Dean, Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University*
Emily Hunter – Dance faculty, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts*
Lauren D. Kelley – Director and Chief Curator, Sugar Hill Museum of Art & Storytelling^
Parisa Khobdeh – Dancer, Paul Taylor Dance Company*
Peter Kupfer – Associate Professor, Musicology, Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University*
Emily Lyon – Director and Dramaturg*
Carmen Menza – Artist, Menza Art Studio*
Shlynn Sims – Dancer; Financial Associate, Thrivent Financial^
Bridget L. Moore – Founder and Artistic Director, B. Moore Dance^
Kristy Morrell – Associate Professor of Music, Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California*
Boski Sharma – Consumer Adoption and Marketing Strategies, ARTSonepass^
Suzanne Smith – Founder and CEO, Social Impact Architects^
Brandon Tijerina – Theatre Director, Rowlett High School^
Christopher Treviño – Assistant Technical Director, University of Texas at Dallas*
Rachel Wade – Dancer and Choreographer; Director, Dance Department, Arlington Heights High School*
Katie Whitton – Actor; Director of Marketing and Communications, Southwest Transplant Alliance^
Lily Cabatu Weiss – Executive Director, Dallas Arts District^

On the listing above, (*) denotes New Works Fund jurors and (^) denotes Artist Residency Fund jurors.

About TACA
TACA (The Arts Community Alliance) supports excellence and impact in the arts through grant-making, capacity building, and thought leadership. TACA envisions an innovative, inclusive, sustainable cultural sector recognized for its essential contribution to a vibrant, prosperous community. Since its founding in 1967, TACA has worked to establish North Texas’ cultural community as one of the strongest in the nation. TACA’s growing investment in the arts translates to new premieres and productions, impactful residencies and community initiatives, and more opportunities for artists and audiences to connect – all striving to make Dallas a dynamic city and a great place to live and work.  For more information about TACA, call 214-520-3930 or visit taca-arts.org. Connect with TACA on Facebook at facebook.com/tacadallas, Twitter at @TACADallas or on Instagram at @TACADallas.