Moody Fund For The Arts Distributes A Record $475,000 To Small Dallas Arts Organizations

(DALLAS) – The Moody Fund for the Arts (MFA) today announced it is awarding a total $475,000 across 70 small Dallas arts organizations, a record for both the total award and the total number of recipients. This brings the MFA award total to $3.3M over its nine years of grantmaking.  

“We set out to create a unique endowment that would support the growing, diverse and vibrant small arts community in Dallas,” says Francie Moody-Dahlberg, Moody Foundation Chairman. “We wanted to help these organizations realize their creative vision with projects and programs across our city. We are beyond pleased by the results, and excited at what’s ahead.”  

Moody Fund for the Arts was created a decade ago with a $10M gift from the Galveston-based Moody Foundation to annually provide flexible grants to small Dallas arts organizations with budgets under $1M.  

Since 2018, MFA has supported 498 grants to 114 unique organizations, including seven new organizations in 2026. MFA recipients must be based in Dallas and be supported by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture (OAC). 

“The MFA grants amplify the work of Dallas artists and boost the impact of the funding investment we provide these groups through the Office of Arts and Culture,” says Martine Elyse Philippe, Office of Arts and Culture Director. “It is exciting to see so much vibrancy in our cultural ecosystem. It really sets Dallas apart.”  

This year, the fund increased the maximum grant per organization to $15,000, up from $12,000 in the previous 4 grant cycles. This year’s portfolio of small and emerging organizations covers a broad swath of art forms including theater, music, dance, visual arts, film, literature and multimedia. These also include organizations and projects giving voice to historically underrepresented themes in Black communities, Hispanic, LGBTQ+, women and more.  

Since its inception, the AT&T Performing Arts Center has administered the MFA and its application, review and funding process. The Center also staffs the endowment board, which oversees the endowment’s investments.  

“Supporting the MFA grant program is a point of pride for the Center,” says Warren Tranquada, President & CEO of the Center. “Our consistent stewardship of this fund and its endowment reflects our dedication to providing essential resources and services to the Dallas arts community for continued growth and engagement.” 

2026 MFA recipients:

• 2 Inspire Peace  

• A.rt Experience  

• Agora Artists 

• AHA Art House Dallas  

• Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico  

• Arga Nova Dance/Beckles Dancing Company 

• Artists Sans Frontiéres  

• Arts Mission Oak Cliff  

• Artstillery  

• Avant Chamber Ballet  

• Badge Of Pride  

• Ballet North Texas 

• Bombshell Dance Project  

• Color Me Empowered  

• Dallas Arts District Foundation  

• Dallas Chamber Symphony  

• Dallas Film Society  

• Dallas Metroplex Musicians Association 

• Dance Council of North Texas  

• DFW Play  

• Echo Theatre  

• Emerge Coalition  

• Fine Arts Chamber Players/Basically Beethoven  

• Flamenco Fever  

• Greater Dallas Choral Society  

• Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra  

• Herrera Dance Project  

• Indian Cultural Heritage Foundation 

• Kitchen Dog Theater Company  

• kNOw BOX Dance  

• Lone Star Circus Arts Center  

• Lone Star Wind Orchestra  

• Make Art with Purpose  

• New Texas Symphony Orchestra  

• No Limits Arts Theatre  

• Oak Cliff Film Festival 

• Oak Lawn Band  

• OK2BX Foundation  

• Ollimpaxqui Ballet Company  

• Orchestra of New Spain 

• Orpheus Chamber Singers  

• OutLoud Dallas  

• Over the Bridge Arts  

• Pasos for Oak Cliff  

• Pegasus Contemporary Ballet  

• Pegasus Media Project  

• Prism Movement Theater  

• Representa Foundation  

• Second Thought Theatre  

• Soul Rep Theatre Company  

• South Dallas Concert Choir  

• SPARK! Dallas  

• Swan Strings  

• Teatro Dallas 

• Teatro Flor Candela  

• Texas Latino Pride  

• Texas Supremacy of Music & Arts Conservatory  

• Texas Winds Musical Outreach  

• The Artist Outreach  

• The Flame Foundation  

• The HighArt Foundation  

• The Smart Project  

• The Women’s Chorus of Dallas  

• The Writer’s Garret  

• Top Ten Records 

• Undermain Theatre  

• Uptown Players 

• Urban Arts Collective  

• USA Film Festival
  
• Verdigris Ensemble  

MFA grants are awarded based on five categories in 2026: 

• General program & operating support – 41 grants 

• New works, commissions, and unique presentations – 12 grants 

• Community performances/Artist-in-residency programs – 9 grants 

• Capacity Building – 6 grants 

• Cultural Equity/New initiatives (non-performance) – 2 grants 

The granting process has two review levels:  

Level One: MFA Advisory Review Panel (Peer review) 

• Rev. Mara Richards Bim – Pastor of Justice and Advocacy, Royal Lane Baptist Church; Founder and former Artistic Director of Cry Havoc Theater Company (9 years) 

• J. Damany Daniel – Arts and Culture Advisory Commission Member, District 6; Entrepreneur – The Event Nerd, cultural event production  

• Dr. Lane Harder – SMU Meadows School of the Arts, Chair of Music Composition; Freelance percussionist 

• Hunter Lewis, JD – Actor, Singer; board member of The Firehouse Theatre; former board of WaterTower Theatre; Partner at Duffee + Eitzen, LLP – Board Certified Family Law Specialist 

• Ani C. Vera – Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher, Gymnast, Competition Coach 

Level Two: 2026 MFA Executive Review Committee 

• Tracey Nash-Huntley – Arts patron, advocate, philanthropist  

• Debi Pena – Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Chief Administrative Officer (retired) 

• Martine Elyse Phillipe – Director, City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture 

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