TACA Launches Initiatives to Transform Lives Through the Arts April 10, 2017

Programs to Provide Social Impact Funding, Funding for Visual Arts Organizations and Increased Vibrancy for the Arts

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

DALLAS, Texas — April 10, 2017 — Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, TACA has announced three new initiatives as part of its five-year strategic plan (2017-2021), including funding the visual arts for the first time ever. Led by TACA Board Chair Donna Wilhelm, the TACA Board of Directors voted and approved these initiatives so that it can broaden the types of arts organizations served and the number of lives impacted.

TACA will fund these new initiatives:

• An innovative fund to address Social Impact through the Arts
• Unrestricted grant support inclusive of All of the Arts in Dallas
• Guided initiatives to increase the Vibrancy of the Arts in the community

Wilhelm said, “For 50 years, TACA has funded the performing arts. However our current Board of Directors has expansive vision—we will now add support of the visual arts. And we will foster arts experience that impacts social change in our North Texas community.”

Social Impact through the Arts

TACA has established funds to foster the creation of new performing arts works and innovative performing arts residency programs. TACA’s board believes that it is important to establish a fund to support arts-based approaches targeting social change and impact in Dallas. Focus areas may include:

• Cultural and racial equity
• Cross-sector partnerships
• Arts education focusing on under-resourced communities
• Cross-cultural community collaboration
• Social change capacity building

TACA funding will support ALL of the arts in Dallas

For 50 years, TACA has exclusively funded performing arts programming. Beginning in 2018, TACA funding will include non-profit visual arts organizations. The TACA Board of Directors believes that TACA’s support and advocacy for all of the arts in Dallas will have dramatic impact on transforming lives and enhancing culture in our community. Criteria will be developed over the next several months and published at the end of 2017. At that time, visual arts organizations that meet the criteria can send a letter of intent to apply by February 1, 2018. The first grants for visual arts programs will be awarded in January 2019.

Increased Vibrancy of the Arts

Data from SMU’s National Center for Arts Research (NCAR) indicates that the vibrancy of the arts in the Dallas area, like other cities studied, could be strengthened by increasing the number of artists and arts organizations. Therefore, TACA will lead a multi-year effort to empower and expand these elements of the arts community. Specifically, such efforts intend:

• To make the Dallas area a destination for performers, visual artists, musicians, writers, directors, backstage professionals, etc.
• To create an environment that encourages the launch and nurturing of new arts organizations.

TACA plans to study the success of cities where nurturing environments have enabled artists and arts organizations to thrive. TACA will develop a blueprint to learn and adapt strategies from these models of success, recreate the best of the best in Dallas, and enhance the impact through collaborative partnerships. Working together, TACA can achieve extraordinary arts vibrancy that benefits the entire community.

Wilhelm added, “TACA is deeply committed to an expansive arts vibrancy in North Texas. We assure our donors, prospective donors and arts organizations that, for over half a century, we have established a grants review process that evaluates, selects and supports the very best organizations. Every contributed dollar invested in TACA will indeed transform lives through the arts.”