PILLAR: Vibrant
AGENDA DATE: November 12, 2025
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): Citywide
DEPARTMENT: Office of Arts and Culture
PRIORITY: Targeted Economic Growth
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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.
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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.[JH1]
Conside...
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