The Women’s Chorus of Dallas Artistic Director Melinda Imthurn.

The Women’s Chorus of Dallas has been approved for a $10,000 Challenge America grant to support Voices of Women VI: Travelin’ Voices. This project will be presented on March 5 in conjunction with Women’s History Month, and will be TWCD’s sixth annual celebration of women composers, putting 200+ singers onstage at Moody Performance Hall in Dallas Arts District.

Overall, the National Endowment for the Arts has approved 1,187 grants totaling $27.3 million in the first round of fiscal year 2020 funding to support arts projects across the country. TWCD is one of 145 Challenge America grants included in this announcement. The Challenge America funding category offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to populations that have limited access to the arts due to geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Each grant is for a fixed amount of $10,000 and requires a minimum $10,000 cost share/match.

“The arts are at the heart of our communities, connecting people through shared experiences and artistic expression,” said Arts Endowment chairman Mary Anne Carter. “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support projects like Voices of Women.”

“The Women’s Chorus of Dallas is absolutely thrilled to receive our first NEA grant in support of Voices of Women” said TWCD Artistic Director Melinda Imthurn said. “We look forward to presenting an exciting event celebrating the voices of women in choral music.”

At VOW VI: Travelin’ Voices, which will feature guest artist Moira Smiley and VOCO — an ensemble known for experimental sonic offerings — members of TWCD will sing alongside choirs from Texas Woman’s University, led by Dr. Joni Jensen, and Dallas Independent School District. This multi-generational collaboration will showcase the transformative power of women singing together. TWCD will be providing up to 200 free tickets to partner social service agencies and heavily discounted tickets for Dallas ISD students and families.

Concert information and tickets may be purchased online.

— David Taffet