TACA — The Arts Community Alliance — announced today (Tuesday, Oc. 26) that 50 Dallas County grantees are recipients of its first round of Catalyst grants, previously known as the Arts General Operating grant program.

Catalyst grants are distributed without restrictions, and will be made twice yearly in the fall and spring.

TACA’s 50 Catalyst grantees are sharing $276,500, with grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.  The grants are designed to be a catalyst in strengthening Dallas’ arts community and to support art that promotes positive impact and transformation. Grantees may use the funds as they wish on a range of expenses, such as program costs, salaries, administration, office expenses, technology or other operational needs, explained Terry D. Loftis, TACA’s president and executive director.

This year, TACA has distributed $959,000 in grants to 58 organizations, including two rounds of TACA Resiliency grants ($553,000), Pop-Up grants ($129,500, of which $78,000 was given to individual artists), and today’s Catalyst grants ($276,500).

“TACA is thrilled to announce = 50 Catalyst grantees who’ve inspired us in this first round of funding,” Loftis said. “We’ve witnessed the tremendous impact the arts and artists have had on our community’s healing and resurgence.  These individuals and organizations are powerful catalysts who are leading the way to a revitalized arts scene, and deserve our unwavering support.”

Applicants were scored on how they demonstrated artistic quality and impact, community access and inclusion, and fiscal and organizational health. Applications were evaluated by 23 volunteer grant reviewers with backgrounds ranging from artists to arts administrators to civic and community leaders.

TACA’s Fall Catalyst grantees include the following, listed in alphabetical order:

  • American Baroque Opera Company
  • AT&T Performing Arts Center
  • Avant Chamber Ballet
  • B. Moore Dance*
  • Ballet North Texas*
  • Bishop Arts Theatre Center
  • Blue Candlelight Music Series
  • Bruce Wood Dance
  • Cara Mía Theatre Co.
  • Chamber Music International
  • Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas
  • Cry Havoc Theater Company
  • Dallas Bach Society
  • Dallas Black Dance Theatre
  • Dallas Center for Photography*
  • Dallas Chamber Symphony
  • Dallas Children’s Theater
  • Dallas Contemporary
  • Dallas Museum of Art
  • Dallas Summer Musicals*
  • Dallas Symphony Orchestra
  • Dallas Theater Center
  • Dallas Winds
  • Deep Vellum Publishing*
  • Fine Arts Chamber Players
  • Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra
  • IMPRINT Theatreworks
  • Junior Players
  • Kitchen Dog Theater Company
  • Lone Star Wind Orchestra
  • Lumedia Musicworks
  • Make Art with Purpose*
  • Nasher Sculpture Center
  • Orchestra of New Spain
  • Plano Symphony Orchestra
  • Sammons Center for the Arts
  • Second Thought Theatre
  • Shakespeare Festival of Dallas
  • Soul Rep Theatre Company
  • Teatro Dallas
  • Texas Ballet Theater
  • The Cedars Union
  • The Dallas Opera
  • The Women’s Chorus of Dallas
  • Theatre Three
  • TITAS/Dance Unbound
  • Turtle Creek Chorale
  • Undermain Theatre
  • Uptown Players
  • Verdigris Ensemble

* Indicates new TACA Grant Recipient