CATEGORIES AND JUDGING

Proposals must be entered in one of five categories:

  1. NEW WORKS, COMMISSIONS, UNIQUE PRESENTATIONS

  2. GENERAL PROGRAM & OPERATING COST SUPPORT

  3. COMMUNITY FOCUS PERFORMANCES/ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY PROGRAMS

  4. CAPACITY BUILDING

  5. CULTURAL EQUITY/NEW INITIATIVES (Non-performance)

Applicants should define and articulate - clearly and briefly - their proposal, the artistic relevance of the project, their capacity and access to resources to execute, the impact on their organization and/or the community, the metrics they propose and their intended audience.

The panelists will be asked to consider each project factoring in the three areas weighted below. After selecting the best projects, they will consider the genre and the venue to curate a diverse balance in art form and location. A rubric created for the panelists’ considerations may be downloaded here.

1.     NEW WORKS, COMMISSIONS, UNIQUE PRESENTATIONS

MFA Grants may support the production of new artistic works and premieres, commissions and unique presentations of existing works. Works for Moody Performance Hall are encouraged, but grants are open to all Dallas cultural venues and artistic spaces in the community.

  • ARTISTIC MERIT AND SIGNIFICANCE (60%)

  • ORGANIZATION/CAPABILITY (25%)

  • METRICS/AUDIENCE (15%)

  • GENRE (Curatorial)

  • VENUE (Curatorial)

2.   GENERAL PROGRAM & OPERATING COST SUPPORT

MFA Grants may support general production and operating costs of small and mid-sized arts organizations. They may help produce individual performances or a season, provide rent support for Moody Performance Hall or other venues, or fund marketing or operational support. Programs supplying free or affordable access to cultural performances or experiences are encouraged.  Groups with projects proposed for Moody Performance Hall are encouraged to apply, but grants are open to groups using other cultural venues in the community as well.

  • ARTISTIC MERIT AND SIGNIFICANCE (60%)

  • ORGANIZATION/CAPABILITY (25%)

  • METRICS/AUDIENCE (15%)

  • GENRE (Curatorial)

  • VENUE (Curatorial)

3.   COMMUNITY FOCUS PERFORMANCES/ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY PROGRAMS

MFA Grants may support the costs of impactful programs which take cultural experiences into the community. These may include a single performance or series in one space, or in different spaces in different parts of the city. It may be an artist-in residency program providing an extended experience (3-day or more) including performances, workshops, master classes and/or seminars with educational materials. Art in unexpected places is encouraged. (Note: MFA will fund an organization creating an artist-in-residency program, but is not able to fund individual artists.)

  • ARTISTIC MERIT AND SIGNIFICANCE (60%)

  • ORGANIZATION/CAPABILITY (25)

  • METRICS/AUDIENCE (15%)

  • GENRE (Curatorial)

  • VENUE (Curatorial)

4.   CAPACITY BUILDING

MFA Grants may support capacity building projects or proposals that significantly impact an organization’s ability to grow audiences, production and/or artistic quality. It may be skill building (accounting, marketing, etc.), professional development conference fees, or tools to build stronger boards. It may be a (non-capital) piece of equipment or technology that allows the group to artistically achieve what it could not without it. Proposals sharing the impact/benefit beyond the individual, and even the organizations, are encouraged. (Note: MFA does not fund individual travel expenses or capital projects.)

  • MERIT AND SIGNIFICANCE (60%)

  • ORGANIZATION/CAPABILITY (25%)

  • METRICS (15%)

5.    CULTURAL EQUITY/NEW CULTURAL INITIATIVES (Non-performance)

MFA Grants may support non-performance accessible programs to enhance and improve the Dallas cultural ecosystem. These programs might help address important issues such as cultural equity, harassment, access to the arts, arts funding and more. These programs might also address recommendations arising from the Dallas Cultural Plan and the City of Dallas Cultural Policy (2018). Programs based on best practices, or those that seek to establish best practices, are encouraged to apply.

  • PROGRAM GOALS AND SCOPE (60%)

  • ORGANIZATION/CAPABILITY (25%)

  • METRICS/AUDIENCE (15%)