Second time for TACA to distribute $1 million
To emphasize TACA’s mission of striving to enhance artistic excellence Grigsby shared her experiences collaborating with actors, composers and musicians in the pursuit of excellence. A graduate of Southern Methodist University and Manhattan School of Music, Grigsby is a pianist and musical director with music directing/conducting credits on and off Broadway.
Andrew Teller, senior managing director of RBC Wealth Management and sponsor of the TACA Grant Awards Presentation, described what it means to partner with TACA. “Our firm has been supporting TACA for five years now, and in that time the grants distribution have increased 46 percent. We are privileged to be a part of bringing the performing arts to every sector of our community.”
Becky Young, president and executive director of TACA, said, “This year it’s especially gratifying to distribute $1 million to the performing arts in
In 2009, TACA grants will help support more than 15,000 performances, which approximately 1.8 million people will see. TACA is funding 34 organizations this year, of which six were fully funded. The six fully funded organizations are Project X, Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas, Dallas Wind Symphony, Fine Arts Chamber Players, Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
The TACA grants program is comprehensive. Each organization’s application is thoroughly vetted by volunteer grant panels. This most recent cycle involved 39 volunteers. Grant applications are evaluated by the following criteria: artistic merit, managerial ability, service to the community and community support and participation. The 34 award recipients were chosen from 58 applicants.
Beneficiary and Grant Highlights:
Arts District Chorale, a first-time TACA grant recipient, is an 80-member vocal ensemble. They have built successful collaborative partnerships with the Dallas Arts District Alliance, Cathedral Guadalupe and the
Big Thought’s Thriving Minds program represents a groundbreaking partnership between the City of Dallas, Dallas Independent School District and more than 70 arts and cultural agencies with Big Thought as managing partner.
Chamber Music International (CMI) has garnered international recognition. Their Mozart Outreach Program provides direct contact between CMI artists and students in area middle and high schools.
Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas has begun three 25-voice Neighborhood Choirs and
The Dallas Bach Society seeks to provide the City of
Dallas Black Dance Theatre will use their grant to underwrite costs for two concert performances to be held for the general public at the Majestic before it moves to its new home at the Wyly Theater in the
Dallas Children’s Theater provides professional theater enrichment to nearly 70,000
Each year, more than 8,000 students and 250 teachers benefit from the
Last season, Dallas Symphony Orchestra musicians performed for more than 14,000 students in their own classrooms. The DSO’s youth education programs reach more than 80,000 students each year.
Dallas Theater Center will use its grant to produce Sarah, Plain and Tall, and for educational and community outreach programs such as Project Discovery. Through Project Discovery, more than 2,200 area students and teachers will attend Sarah, Plain and Tall at little or no cost.
The Dallas Wind Symphony has recorded 15 CD’s for international distribution. They host the Wind Symphony of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra in an annual side-by-side concert, tutor more than 250 DISD All-City band students and provide 2,000 tickets annually to the disadvantaged.
It is the mission of Echo Theatre to unearth the power of the female theatrical voice by presenting a wide array of works written by women for the stage. They offer a number of community outreach programs, including high school internships, free ticket readings and many main stage shows.
Fine Arts Chamber Players annually present 15 free classical chamber music concerts. They also have two educational outreach programs and provide free professional coaching to young classical musicians.
Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra provides instruction and unique performance opportunities in their five orchestras, a wind symphony and a flute choir to 425 students.
In its 22nd season, the Irving Chorale continues to offer a variety of musical and cultural experiences for the entire Metroplex audience.
For 24 consecutive years, the Irving Symphony Orchestra has produced free ‘Concerts 4 Kids’ for more than 110,000 students representing about 6,000 Irving ISD students annually.
Junior Players is a primary provider of free after-school and summer arts programs in Dallas and 75 percent of its participants are low-income and could not afford tuition-based programs.
Kitchen Dog Theater was named “Best Theater Company” in The
Lyric Stage is
The Orchestra of New Spain is the primary exponent of the music of the Spanish Baroque and now serves eight lower income and Hispanic schools per year.
Orpheus Chamber Singers, recognized as the premier chamber choral group in the region, is celebrating its 14th season. OCS allocates up to 50 tickets per concert to seniors and public school students.
Founded in 2001, Project X develops diverse and new eclectic new performance works. Their mission is realized through collaboration of artists from different disciplines that devote themselves to work that challenges audiences to actively observe performance art.
Sammons Center for the Arts, Sammons Jazz will use their grant in support of their Sammons Jazz series. The series includes eight regular performances throughout the year. They also produce free jazz concerts with Shakespeare Dallas and a Youth Jazz Outreach program.
Second Thought Theatre strives to reach a younger audience to help cultivate a love of the arts and to ensure a place for theatre in this community for years to come.
Shakespeare Dallas engages more than 50,000 people each year and employs more than 200 local artists and arts educators.
Teatro Dallas is dedicated to the presentation of all styles of theater that reflect the varied cultural experiences of the Latino communities, through works by classical and contemporary Latino playwrights.
Texas Ballet Theater will use their grant in support of five performances of
In October, Theatre Three will produce the regional premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical, The Light in the Piazza and will participate in
Turtle Creek Chorale will use their grant for support of The Healing Project and for production costs associated with the daytime free concert for DISD secondary choral students.
Undermain Theatre’s grant will support their Undermain Apprentice Program will spans 20 years and has produced a large number of artists and administrators who continue to work in the arts community.
Uptown Players offer diverse productions with contemporary and alternative lifestyle themes that explore complex and varied situations.
In its 34th year, Voices of Change fills a niche in the music world by performing small chamber ensemble works by 20th and 21st century composers.
WaterTower Theatre promotes itself as a theatre that provides a platform for dialogue on a variety of complex issues. The grant will be used for production design.
In addition, TACA gave a $5,000 grant to the Southern Methodist University's
TACA is able to give to these organizations largely because of the generosity of its sponsors.
ABOUT TACA: Founded in 1966, TACA’s (The Art’s Community Alliance) mission is to provide financial support and services and to increase public awareness and participation in the performing arts of
More information can be found at www.taca-arts.org or by calling 214.520.3930.