Veteran arts executive Lily Cabatu Weiss, who has led the Dallas Arts District since 2016, announced she will step down from her role as executive director on January 30, 2026, marking the end of a nearly decade-long tenure that transformed the nation’s largest urban cultural district.
In a statement, Weiss — a former dancer, educator, and arts advocate — says that leading the district has been a career highlight.
“To be able to spend so much time supporting and promoting our city’s artists, this district, its premier arts and cultural institutions, parks, commercial and retail interests, historic churches, residents, an award-winning high school, and all of the neighborhood stakeholders — being this community’s champion has been a blessing and an honor,” Weiss says.
During her nine years at the helm, Weiss guided the Dallas Arts District through major milestones and challenges. She helped elevate it as a premier tourism destination, was a contributor to the 2018 Dallas Cultural Plan, and oversaw creation of the Connect Master Plan — the district’s first comprehensive plan in nearly 40 years — which included infrastructure improvements such as currently ongoing sidewalk replacements and public art installations.
She also enhanced the district’s branding and created the popular Signature Block Party Series, a set of free, family-friendly events featuring regional and international artists that now draw more than 50,000 visitors.
Weiss led the community through the financial difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic and celebrated national recognition when USA Today readers ranked the Dallas Arts District the No. 1 arts district in the United States in both 2024 and 2025.
“Lily Weiss has led the Dallas Arts District through transformational change over the past nine years,” says Jill Magnuson, Dallas Arts District board chair. “By rolling up her sleeves and deeply engaging the neighborhood’s many diverse interests, we’ve been able to weather crises, enjoy dynamic growth and position the district for success in the future.”
Beyond her local leadership, Weiss has been an active advocate for the arts at city, state, and national levels.
She serves on the steering committee for the Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition, helping secure and expand City of Dallas funding for the arts and arts bond programs. At the state level, she serves on the board of Texans for the Arts, where she has pushed for increased funding for the Texas Commission on the Arts, including Cultural District Grants that benefit smaller resident organizations.
Weiss has represented the Dallas Arts District globally through the Global Cultural District Network, of which Dallas is a founding member.
Her career in the district began in 1978, when she joined the faculty of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, eventually becoming chair of its dance department and artistic director. She retired from teaching in 2016 to lead the Dallas Arts District organization.
Looking ahead, Magnuson will step in as interim executive director on January 30, 2026, after concluding her term as board chair. AT&T Performing Arts Center president and CEO Warren Tranquada will become the new board chair on November 1 and will oversee the search for Weiss’s permanent successor early next year.