PILLAR: Vibrant
AGENDA DATE: November 12, 2025
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): Citywide
DEPARTMENT: Office of Arts and Culture
PRIORITY: Targeted Economic Growth
______________________________________________________________________
SUBJECT
Title
Authorize contracts with cultural organizations for the provision of artist services to the City through the Cultural Organizations Program for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026 (list attached to Agenda Information Sheet) - Not to exceed $7,164,665.00 - Financing: General Fund
*In alignment with 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 (OAC) reviewed proposals from cultural organizations and applied objective administrative scoring per the revised program guidelines, which were approved by the City Council in February 2025.
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.
This summer, the scoring guidelines for the Cultural Organizations Program were revised to meet federal requirements, following the City Council resolution 25-1081, approved on June 25, 2025. This resulted in two changes: (1) the original 20 points scored by panel for the Access and Impact section of the application were replaced with a ten-question survey which addressed similar topics but were federally compliant. Applicants could receive up to 20 points based on survey answers; and (2) ten points typically awarded for diversity of board and staff were removed from consideration.
Considering the results of this survey, panel scores, administrative scoring, and organization budget size, the Allocations Committee met three times over the summer and developed a funding recommendation unanimously approved by this standing committee. This recommendation was subsequently approved by the full Arts and Culture Advisory Commission in October 2025.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (COUNCIL, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS)
On February 26, 2025, the City Council approved a resolution which authorized and established the FY 2025-2026 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. 25-0355.
On October 2, 2025, the Allocations Committee of the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission approved a recommendation in support of the FY 2025-26 Cultural Organizations Program funding allocations.
On October 16, 2025, the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission approved a recommendation in support of the FY 2025-26 Cultural Organizations Program funding allocations.
The Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee of the City Council was briefed by memorandum on the recommended FY 2025-26 Cultural Organizations Program funding allocations on October 20, 2025. <https://dallascityhall.com/government/citymanager/Documents/Council%20Materials/2025-10-20%20QOLAC%20Memo%20-%20FY%202025-26%20COP%20Allocation.pdf>
FISCAL INFORMATION
|
Fund |
FY 2026 |
FY 2027 |
Future Years |
|
General Fund |
$7,164,665.00 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
CHAIRS/EXECUTIVES
Agape Broadcasting Foundation, Inc. (KNON Radio)
Walter Herring, President of the Board of Directors
Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico, Inc.
Kenrick Toussaint, Board President
Art House Dallas
Brad Reeves, Board Chairman
Artist Outreach, Inc.
Sean Hogan, Board Chair
Arts Mission Oak Cliff
Todd Lott, Board Chair
Artstillery, Nonprofit
Mark Sorenson, Board Chair
Avant Chamber Ballet, Inc.
Christy Trang, Board Chair
Ballet North Texas
Marcella Weibke, Board Chair
Big Thought
Dennis Palmer, Board Chair
Cara Mia Theatre Co.
Carmen Guzman, Board President
Color Me Empowered
Bri Wunderli, Board President
Creative Arts Center of Dallas
Jimmy Galbraith, Board President
Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Incorporated
Georgia Scaife, Board President
Dallas Chamber Symphony
Jennie Widell, Board President
Dallas Children’s Theater
Leah Mora, Board President
Dallas Contemporary
Rod Sager, Board Co-President
Dallas Historical Society
Charles Lipscomb, Board Chair
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
Ike Brown, Board Chair
Dallas Museum of Art
Gowri Sharma, President of the Board of Trustees
Dallas Symphony Association, Inc.
Roger Gault, Chair of the Board of Governors
Dallas Theater Center
Lynn P. Richardson, Board Chair
Dallas Wind Symphony (Dallas Winds)
Audrey Andrews, Board President
Deep Vellum Publishing, Inc.
Cullen Schaar, Board President
Fine Arts Chamber Players (Basically Beethoven)
Cynthia G. Karm, Board President
Flamenco Fever
Charles Johnson, Board Chair
Forest Forward
Matrice Ellis-Kirk, Board Chair
Foundation for African American Art (African American Museum)
Levi Davis, Board Chair
Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra
Ronnie Jessie, Board Chair
Junior Players Guild
Greg Franklin, President
Kitchen Dog Theater Company
Alexander Albritton, President
Nasher Sculpture Center
David Haemisegger, Board Chairman
Orpheus Chamber Singers
Trevor Carolan, Board President
OutLoud Dallas
Sonya Radtke, Board Chair
Pegasus Contemporary Ballet
Patricia Baldwin, Board Treasurer
Pegasus Media Project
Melissa James, Interim Board Chair
Pegasus Musical Society (Orchestra of New Spain)
Fran Maples, Board President
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Nancy Best, Board Chair
Premier Lone Star Wind Orchestra
Todd Watson, Board Chair and Acting Executive Director
Sammons Center for the Arts
Joshua Black, Board President
Second Thought Theatre
Greg A. Odegaard, Board President
Shakespeare Festival of Dallas
Kathryn Betts, Board Chair
Soul Rep Theatre Company
Errika Flood-Moultrie, Board Chair
SPARK! Dallas
Senay Redda, Board Chair
Swan Strings
Zach Galindo, Board Chair
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)
Lee Cobb, Board President
Texas Winds Musical Outreach, Inc.
Catherine Tunks, Board President
The Bandan Koro Experience: Education and Inspiration
Timothy Patterson, Director of Programs
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Inc.
Robert Thomas, Chairman of the Board
The Bruce Wood Dance Co., Inc.
Phil Clemmons, Board President
The Dallas County Historical Foundation (The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza)
Victor Elmore, Board President
The Dallas Opera
Quincy Roberts, Executive Committee Chair, Board of Directors
The Flame Foundation
Kimberly Magill, Board Secretary
The Texas Supremacy of Music & Arts Conservatory
Derrick Walker, Board Chair
The Verdigris Ensemble, Inc., a Texas Nonprofit Corporation
Teresa Bond, Board President
The Women’s Chorus of Dallas
Tami Moar, Board President
The Writer’s Garret
Lola Vinson, Board President
Theatre Three, Inc.
Jessica Turner Waugh, Board Chair
Turtle Creek Chorale, Inc.
Dr. Whitney Strauss, Board Chair
Undermain Theatre
Lin Medlin, Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Uptown Players, Inc.
Brian Jansen, Board President
Urban Arts Collective
Branon Gilbert, Board Chair
USA Film Festival
Laura Fox, Board Chair
Young Leaders Strong City
Sharon Gooding, Board President