TACA Announces 2026 Silver Cup Award Honorees: Nancy Carlson and Andy Smith
48th Annual Luncheon Scheduled for May 8, 2026 at the Omni Dallas Hotel
DALLAS (Oct. 15, 2025) — TACA has named two luminaries of the North Texas arts community, Nancy Carlson and Andy Smith, as the 2026 TACA Silver Cup Award honorees. The organization will present the awards at the 48th Annual TACA Silver Cup Luncheon on Friday, May 8, 2026, at the Omni Dallas Hotel.
Since its inception in 1979, the TACA Silver Cup Award has honored individuals for their exceptional volunteerism, advocacy and leadership in the arts. The award celebrates those who have made a lasting impact on North Texas’s cultural vitality and have shown an unwavering commitment to elevating the arts in our community.
Lynn McBee and Terri West, two longtime champions of arts and civic engagement, will co-chair the 2026 luncheon.
Nancy Carlson, a dedicated philanthropist and arts advocate, has devoted decades to supporting Dallas’s visual and performing arts organizations. Her thoughtful leadership and generous spirit have helped strengthen the arts ecosystem and ensure its growth for future generations.
Andy Smith, a respected civic leader and passionate arts advocate, has been a driving force in making Dallas’ cultural institutions more inclusive, accessible and innovative. Through his dedicated work, he has forged deeper, more meaningful connections between the arts and the entire community.
“Nancy and Andy represent the very best of what the Silver Cup Award honors,” said Maura Sheffler, the Donna Wilhelm Family President and Executive Director of TACA. “They lead with heart, vision and a deep belief in the power of the arts to transform lives. We are thrilled to recognize their tremendous impact on the cultural life of North Texas.”
Proceeds from the TACA Silver Cup Luncheon support TACA’s mission to invest in the vibrancy and resilience of a diverse Dallas arts community through transformative grantmaking and professional development programs.
Ticket, table and sponsorship information will be available in early 2026.
ABOUT THE HONOREES
Nancy Carlson
Nancy Carlson has been involved in the arts in Dallas since moving to Dallas with her family in 2000. Currently, she is a trustee of the Dallas Museum of Art and also serves on the Program Advisory Committee of the Nasher Sculpture Center. She is a board member of the Perot
Museum of Nature and Science and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Dallas Children’s Theater.
Nancy is a trustee emerita of Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law Foundation, as well as a former board chair of TACA and a former board member of the Dallas Theater Center, Texas Ballet Theater and SMU Meadows School for the Arts. She is also a former trustee of St. Mark’s School of Texas and Greenhill School.
She received the Business Champion of the Arts Award from the Business Council for the Arts in 2017.
Nancy is a partner in Carlson Capital, LP, an investment firm. She attended Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law. She is married to Clint Carlson and has three sons.
Andy Smith
Andy Smith is the Director of Giving and Volunteering for Texas Instruments and is the Executive Director of the TI Foundation.
Andy serves on the boards of the All Angels Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, Dallas Theater Center (president), TACA, The Dallas Assembly and the SMU Dedman College Executive Board. He also served on the Dallas Black Dance Theatre Advisory Stakeholder Task Force.
Additionally, Andy and his husband, Paul von Wupperfeld, are co-chairing, along with Meagan LeBoissiere, a $12M comprehensive campaign for Resource Center’s new health campus.
Andy was a recipient of a 2021 Obelisk Award, Business Champion of the Arts category, and is a Leadership Dallas alumnus. He and Paul co-chaired the 2024 Art Ball benefitting the Dallas Museum of Art, and galas for the Dallas Symphony, the Dallas Theater Center and Dallas Summer Musicals (now Broadway Dallas). Furthermore, Andy co-chaired the 2023 TACA Silver Cup Awards Luncheon.
A fifth-generation Texan, Andy received an associate degree from Tyler Junior College and a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University, cum laude.
About TACA
TACA invests in the vibrancy and resilience of a diverse Dallas arts community.
For over 50 years, TACA has been dedicated to making North Texas’ arts community one of the strongest in the nation. We invest in (60+) arts organizations of all shapes and sizes to support an arts community brimming with cultures and stories, that cares about the health and well-being of Dallas citizens and is building a sustainable future for our creative community – all to ensure that North Texas remains a vibrant place to live, work, and play.
For more information about TACA, call 214-520-3930 or visit taca-arts.org. Connect with TACA on Facebook at facebook.com/tacadallas, LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/tacadallas or on Instagram at instagram.com/TACADallas.