2023 Moody Fund for the Arts Grants Announced

In 6th year of MFA granting, $400,000 total goes to 65 small organizations

(DALLAS) – Today, the Moody Fund for the Arts (MFA) announced it is awarding grants to 65 qualified Dallas arts organizations, the highest number to date. The grants, totaling $400,000 this year, range from $3,250 to $12,000. This will support groups representing a broad cross-section of small Dallas arts organizations across numerous genres including theatre, music, dance, visual arts, film, multimedia, and more. Many programs support commissions and new works. 12 of the recipients are first time applicants.

“This groundbreaking fund was established to help support and grow new and small arts organizations, a vital part of the Dallas cultural ecosystem,” said Francie Moody Dahlberg, Chairman and Executive Director of the Galveston-based Moody Foundation, which established the fund’s endowment in 2017. “To see these grants go to a record number of groups certainly speaks to the vibrancy and resiliency of the city’s arts community, especially after such a challenging few years.”

This marks the 6th year of MFA grantmaking. Since its first grant awards in 2018, MFA has awarded a total of $1,930,000 through 303 unique grants to 92 organizations.

“These arts organizations and their work provide arts and cultural experiences across Dallas, many in historically under-served communities,” said Warren Tranquada, president and CEO of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, which administers the application, review and grant-making process. “Since its inception, this fund has provided important support to our vibrant arts community, and we’re thrilled to see so many organizations included this year, especially the twelve new applicants.”

The fund awards flexible grants within five categories. This year saw entries in each category: General Program and Operating Cost Support (39); New Works, Commissions, and Unique Presentations (13); Community Focus Performances/Artist-in-Residency Programs (8); Cultural Equity, New Initiatives (3); Capacity Building (2).

2023 Grant Recipients:
• 2 Inspire Peace
• 6 O’clock Dance Theatre
• Agora Artists
• American Baroque Opera Company
• Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico
• ARGA NOVA DANCE
• Arts Mission Oak Cliff
• Artstillery
• Avant Chamber Ballet
• B. MOORE DANCE
• Ballet North Texas
• Bombshell Dance Project
• Bruce Wood Dance
• Color Me Empowered
• Creative Arts Center of Dallas
• Credo Choir
• Dallas Arts District
• Dallas Bach Society
• Dallas Chamber Symphony
• Dallas Metroplex Musicians’ Association
• Dallas SPARK
• Dance Council of North Texas
• DFW Play
• Echo Theatre
• Emerge Coalition, Inc.
• Fine Arts Chamber Players
• Flamenco Fever
• Flexible Grey Theatre Company
• Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra
• Indian Cultural Heritage Foundation
• Infinite Arts Movement, Inc.
• Kitchen Dog Theater Company
• kNOw BOX dance
• Lone Star Wind Orchestra
• Make Art with Purpose
• Meat Market Productions
• New Texas Symphony Orchestra
• Oak Cliff Film Society
• Oak Cliff Records Library
• Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts
• Ollimpaxqui Ballet Co.
• Orchestra of New Spain
• Over the Bridge Arts
• Pegasus Contemporary Ballet
• Pegasus Media Project
• Prism Movement Theater
• Sammons Center for the Arts
• Second Thought Theatre
• Soul Rep Theatre Company
• South Dallas Concert Choir
• Swan Strings
• Teatro Dallas
• Teatro Flor Candela
• Texas Winds Musical Outreach
• The African Film Festival
• The Artist Outreach
• The Flame Foundation
• The No Limits Arts Theatre
• The Women’s Chorus of Dallas
• The Writer’s Garret
• Theatre Three
• Undermain Theatre
• Uptown Players
• USA Film Festival
• Verdigris Ensemble

Award decisions are made through a two-level review process. The first level, the MFA Advisory Review Panel is a peer-review judging process. The second level of review is provided by the MFA Executive Committee.

2023 MFA Advisory Review Panel

• Allyn Carrell – Actress and singer
• Brad Spellicy – Arts and Culture Advisory Commission member (Place 8), musician, Director of Fine Arts at Alcuin School
• Ashanti Williams – Nonprofit consultant, dancer, formerly staff with Texas Ballet Theater
• Kevin Wortley – Dallas College Dean of Academic Affairs, actor, dancer, director
• Joaquin Zihuatanejo – Dallas Poet Laureate (2022-2023), artist, poet, performer

2023 Executive Committee

• Gwen Echols – Arts patron, advocate, philanthropist
• Tracey Nash-Huntley – Arts patron, advocate, philanthropist
• Martine Elyse Phillipe – City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, Director

For more information on the Moody Fund for the Arts please visit: www.moodyartsfund.org.