PILLAR: Vibrant
AGENDA DATE: October 28, 2026
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): Citywide
DEPARTMENT: Office of Arts and Culture
PRIORITY: N/A
______________________________________________________________________
SUBJECT
Title
Authorize service contracts with cultural organizations for the provision of artist services to the City through the Cultural Organizations Program for the period October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027 (list attached to the Agenda Information Sheet) - Not to exceed $7,526,255.00 - Financing: General Fund
*In alignment with Dallas Cultural Plan.
Body
BACKGROUND
The Cultural Organizations Program (COP) provides funding for cultural services with established Dallas-based non-profit cultural organizations to support an array of programs, including concerts, plays, exhibitions, performances, workshops, and other cultural services, including virtual cultural services, over a twelve-month period. The Office of Arts and Culture reviewed proposals from cultural organizations and applied objective administrative scoring per the revised program guidelines, which were approved by City Council on February 25, 2026, by Resolution No. 26-0394.
Proposals were analyzed by a volunteer panel approved by the Allocations Committee of the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission. Proposals and all scores were analyzed by the Allocations Committee of the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission.
Last year, based on feedback from the Dallas artistic community, the COP shifted to become a three-year program, with the fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 as Year 1 of the program and FY 2026-27 as Year 2. All applicants are required to resubmit annual applications for funding in every year of the program, but Year 2 and 3 applications focus more on compliance with Cultural Organizations Program’s guidelines and best practices of the organization rather than a narrative of services required for Year 1. Therefore, candidates for the FY 2026-27 completed a shorter application. New applicants who were not funded in the FY 2025-26 year still completed the full narrative application and appeared before a review panel of peers.
Considering the results of administrative scoring, panel scores (for new organizations), funding in the FY 2025-26 year, and organization budget size, the Allocations Committee met three times over the summer of 2026 and developed a funding recommendation unanimously approved by this standing committee. This recommendation was subsequently unanimously approved by the full Arts and Culture Advisory Commission on September 17, 2026.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (COUNCIL, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS)
On February 25, 2026, the City Council approved a resolution which authorized and established the FY 2026-27 Cultural Organizations Program within the Office of Arts and Culture to support cultural services in the City of Dallas and approved the program guidelines by Resolution No. 26-0394.
On September 10, 2026, the Allocations Committee of the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission approved a recommendation in support of the FY 2026-27 Cultural Organizations Program funding allocations.
On September 17, 2026, the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission approved a recommendation in support of the FY 2026-27 Cultural Organizations Program funding allocations.
The Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee was briefed by memorandum on the recommended FY 2026-27 Cultural Organizations Program funding allocations on October 19, 2026.
FISCAL INFORMATION
|
Fund |
FY 2027 |
FY 2028 |
Future Years |
|
General Fund |
$ 7,526,255.00 |
$ 0.00 |
$0.00 |
OWNERS/EXECUTIVES
Agape’ Broadcasting Foundation, Inc.
Walter Herring, President
AHA Art House Dallas
Brad Reeves, Board Chairman
Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico, Inc.
Kenrick Toussaint, President
Arts Mission Oak Cliff
Buddy Apple, Board Chair
Artstillery, Nonprofit
Mark Sorenson, Board President
Avant Chamber Ballet, Inc.
Caitlin Rhodes, Board Chair
Ballet North Texas
Marcella Wiebke, Board Chair
Big Thought
Anthony Begon, Board President
Cara Mia Theatre Co.
Carmen C. Guzman, Interim Board President
Color Me Empowered
Bri Wunderli, Board President
Creative Arts Center of Dallas
Jimmy Galbraith, Board President
Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Incorporated
Jack Skinner, President
Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation Inc. (AT&T Performing Arts Center)
Jill B. Louis, Chair
Dallas Chamber Symphony
Jennie Widell, President (Chair)
Dallas Children’s Theater
Leah Mora, President
Dallas Contemporary
Ann McReynolds, President
Dallas Historical Society
Charles Lipscomb II, Board Chair
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
Ike Brown, Board Chair
Dallas Film Society, Inc. (DIFF Dallas)
Michael Mayberry, Chair
Dallas Museum of Art
Gowri Sharma, President of the Board of Trustees
Dallas Spark!
Wendy Bateman, Chair
Dallas Symphony Association, Inc.
Roger Gault, Chair of the Board of Governors
Dallas Theater Center
Lynn Pride Richardson, Board Chair
Dallas Wind Symphony (Dallas Winds)
Audrey Andrews, Chairman
Deep Vellum Publishing, Inc.
Cullen Schaar, Board President
Fine Arts Chamber Players (Basically Beethoven)
Cynthia G. Karm, Board President
Flamenco Fever
Charles Johnson, Chairman
Forest Forward
Matrice Ellis-Kirk, Board Chair
Foundation for African American Art (African American Museum)
Levi H. Davis, Board of Trustees Chair
Greater Dallas Choral Society
David Krause, Chair
Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra
Ronnie Jessie, Chair
Junior Players Guild
Greg Franklin, President
Kitchen Dog Theater Company
Alexander Albritton, President
Oak Lawn Band
Susan Elbedeiwy, President
Orpheus Chamber Singers, Inc.
Trevor Carolan, Board President
OutLoud Dallas
Sonya Radtke, Board President
Pegasus Contemporary Ballet
Patricia Baldwin, Treasurer and Secretary
Pegasus Media Project
Melissa James, Board Chair
Pegasus Musical Society (Orchestra of New Spain)
Richard Stevenson, Board Treasurer
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Nancy Best, Board Chair
Premier Lone Star Wind Orchestra (Lone Star Wind Orchestra)
Todd Watson, Board Chair
Sammons Center for the Arts
Joshua Black, President
Second Thought Theatre
Clayton Ellis, Board President
Soul Rep Theatre Company
Errika Flood-Moultrie, President
Swan Strings
Zach Galindo, Treasurer
Teatro Hispano de Dallas (Teatro Dallas)
Cynthia Miller, Board President
TeCo Theatrical Productions, Inc. (Bishop Arts Theatre Center)
Frances Broadus, Board and Executive Committee Chair
Texas International Theatrical Arts Society (TITAS/Dance Unbound)
Lee Cobb, Board Chair
Texas Winds Musical Outreach, Inc.
Catherine Tunks, Board President
The Artist Outreach, Inc.
Sean Hogan, Board Chair
The Bandan Koro Experience: Education and Inspiration
Tim Patterson, Board Business Management Chair
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Inc.
Robert (Bob) Thomas, Chairman
The Bruce Wood Dance Co., Inc.
Philip Clemmons, President
The Dallas County Historical Foundation (The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza)
Victor Elmore, Chair of the Board of Directors
The Dallas Opera
Quincy Roberts, Executive Committee Chair and Board of Directors
The Flame Foundation
Kimberly Magill, Board Secretary
The Nasher Sculpture Center
David Haemisegger, Board Chairman
The Shakespeare Festival of Dallas
Kathryn Betts, Board Chair
The Texas Supremacy of Music & Arts Conservatory
Dr. Derrick Walker, Board Treasurer
The Verdigris Ensemble, Inc., a Texas Nonprofit Corporation (Verdigris Ensemble)
Keith Mankin, Board President
The Women’s Chorus of Dallas
Lydia Miller, President
The Writer’s Garret
Lola Vinson, Board President
Theatre Three, Inc.
Jessica Turner, Board Chair
Turtle Creek Chorale, Inc.
Whitney Strauss, Board Chair
Undermain Theatre
Lin Medlin, President of the Board of Trustees
Uptown Players, Inc.
Brian Jansen, Board President
Urban Arts Collective
Branon Gilbert, Board Chair
USA Film Festival
Laura Fox, President and Chairman
Young Leaders, Strong City
Sharon Gooding, President