The Arts & Culture Advisory Commission on Oct. 23 voted to recommend $7,100,000 in one‑year operational grants through the Cultural Organizations Program (COP) to 65 Dallas arts and cultural organizations, a funding package that will go to City Council on Nov. 12 for final approval.

The funding recommendation came from the Allocations Committee and was read and presented by Vicky Bragelone, chair of the Allocations Committee. "This year, Allocations has unanimously voted to support 65 artistic and cultural organizations with $7,100,000 in funding, including 8 first time COP awardees," Bragelone said, describing the program as support for established organizations' day‑to‑day operations.

The COP awards are chosen through an application that opened in February and was reviewed in May; allocations reviewed applications over the summer and fall before the commission vote, staff said. The committee noted that federal executive orders required changes this year to the access and impact portion of the application, and applicants were asked to complete a yes/no survey in that category to ensure federal compliance.

Commissioners approved the package in a series of votes so members with conflicts could recuse themselves from specific items. The commission split the list into multiple batches and removed two organizations from the initial omnibus motion so those items could be voted on separately. Commissioners recorded no opposition to the votes that were taken in public session; several individual votes were handled with recorded recusals or requests that commissioners mute/leave the room during particular ballots.

After the vote, staff said they will work with commissioners on liaison assignments between commissioners and funded organizations and urged commissioners to attend COP orientation sessions scheduled for Nov. 13, 14, 18 and 19. Staff also noted that the funding package will proceed to the Quality of Life Council committee and then to full City Council on Nov. 12.

The commission emphasized the city’s recent hotel occupancy tax ("hot tax") revenue as a factor that allowed an expanded COP budget this year. Commissioners and staff thanked Office of Arts and Culture staff for budget work enabling the higher funding level and highlighted the program’s role in providing operational support that organizations often cannot otherwise secure.

Votes at a glance

- Recommendation to City Council: approve Cultural Organizations Program awards totaling $7,100,000 to 65 organizations (includes 8 first‑time awardees). Outcome: approved by the Arts & Culture Advisory Commission in multiple batches; sent to City Council for final action on Nov. 12. Notes: votes taken in grouped ballots to allow recusals; commission recorded no opposition during the public votes. Specific organizations called out during the meeting included Kitchen Dog Theater and Shakespeare Festival of Dallas (removed from an initial omnibus vote and approved separately), Pegasus Media Project, Dallas Historical Society, Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Turtle Creek Chorale, Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Children’s Theater and the Foundation for African Art (doing business as the African American Museum). See provenance below for transcript evidence.

What this means locally

Commissioners said the program supports flagship artistic and cultural organizations that serve Dallas residents and visitors, and they urged colleagues and community members to thank City Council members for the hotel occupancy tax revenue that expanded the available COP dollars this year. Staff will distribute orientation and liaison information to commissioners and to the funded organizations ahead of the council review.

Ending

The commission’s recommendation is advisory; City Council review and final appropriation are required before funds are contracted. The commission’s packet lists award amounts by organization; commissioners asked staff to reissue an updated chart when a printed chart in the meeting packet proved to be an older version.