A total of $375,000 was awarded to 22 local arts organizations by Richardson City Council during the Sept. 23 meeting. Cultural Arts Commission Vice Chairperson Elizabeth Gonzalez said a total of $656,000 in funding requests was received for the annual application.
“We can’t fund everybody fully, but we feel that we made a good choice in having everybody represented financially,” Gonzalez said. “Everybody is getting a good piece of the pie.”
Two-minute impact
The arts grants awarded are funded through the city’s hotel and motel occupancy tax revenues, according to Gonzalez’s presentation. For the 2024-25 fiscal year budget, revenues for the hotel and motel tax fund are expected to be over $9.8 million, while expenditures, which include the arts grants, are just below $9.8 million.
Recommendations for the $375,000 in grant funding come from the Richardson Cultural Arts Commission, Gonzalez said. Grant awards varied between $1,000 and $82,000, per the presentation.
Last year, the city awarded $348,500 in arts grants to 24 organizations.
The details
According to city documents, grants were awarded to:
- DTX Dandiya: $1,000
- VM Music Company: $4,000
- Classics Theatre Project: $5,000
- Accolade Community Theatre and Lone Star Wind Orchestra: $6,000 each
- Texins Jazz Band: $7,000
- Dallas Asian American Youth Orchestra and Richardson Community Chorale: $7,500 each
- Richardson Reads One Book and Rich-Tones Chorus: $10,000 each
- Dallas Chinese Community Center and Tuzer Ballet: $12,000 each
- Texas Winds Musical Outreach: $13,000
- OutLoud Dallas and Richardson Civic Art Society: $14,000 each
- Core Theatre: $16,000
- Chamberlain Ballet and Richardson Community Band: $18,000 each
- Chamber Music International and Richardson Theatre Centre: $35,000 each
- Repertory Company Theatre: $42,000
- Richardson Symphony: $82,000
“There are amazing arts happening in the city, and I’m so grateful for what you do for these organizations,” Justice said.
What happens next?
Gonzalez said financial reports from the funded organizations are due to the city by Sept. 30. Funds are expected to be given to organizations in October, she added.
