It was all smiles for The Arts Community Alliance at the annual grant awards presentation at the Wyly Theatre, as the organization announced the distribution of $1.3 million to 46 diverse North Texas performing arts organizations.
TACA was thrilled to reveal to guests — including Lynn McBee, Deborah Nugent, James Shackelford, Gillian Breidenbach, Mary Stamm, Caroline Rose Hunt, Judith Kauffman, Marnie and Kern Wildenthal, and Barbara Daseke — that this was largest grants distribution in its history.
“We are elated to have surpassed our fundraising goal for TACA’s 2014 distribution,” said Nancy Carlson, chairman of TACA’s board of directors. “Distributing the largest dollar amount in TACA history is a meaningful accomplishment and speaks to the commitment and support of so many individuals, companies and foundations that make it possible.”
Just how far is the reach of TACA’s fundraising efforts? The group estimates that this cycle of funding will help support more than 5,000 performances that approximately 1.2 million people will attend. The grants range from $5,000 to $110,000, supporting both established and emerging groups.
Some top grant winners include the following:
- Texas Ballet Theater: $65,000
- Dallas Children's Theater: $75,000
- Dallas Black Dance Theatre: $80,000
- Dallas Symphony Orchestra: $100,000
- The Dallas Opera, Dallas Theater Center: $110,000
Guests also got a chance to hear from social activist Rha Goddess. The artist, writer and poet brings more than two decades of transformational “crowd rocking’” in the name of social change. Her latest venture, Move the Crowd, is the nation’s first entrepreneurial training company dedicated to helping the next generation “stay true, get paid and do good.”
In its history, TACA has distributed more than $23 million to local performing arts organizations.
Nancy Carlson, Ken Travis, Rha Goddess
