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<\/p>\nOver 90 members of the community attended a meeting on Tuesday afternoon hosted by the city of Dallas and its Office of Arts and Culture to ask questions and voice concerns regarding the city\u2019s halting of DEI programs and policies. <\/p>\n
Earlier this month, several artists and arts groups in North Texas received an email stating their funding from the city could be affected by the city\u2019s decision. <\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Glenn Ayars, assistant director of programming and engagement at Dallas\u2019 OAC, said guidelines for funding are still under review and are expected to change but that the city will maintain the same levels of funding to city programs compared to previous years. The city did not specify in the meeting how much funding would be allocated in the coming year. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhile some programs may be delayed, as has been communicated, OAC is not cutting our funding for artistic and cultural services in the coming year,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
News Roundups<\/p>\n
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Glenn Ayars, assistant director of programming and engagement at the Office of Arts and Culture, speaks during a federal compliance community engagement session at latino Cultural Center, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in Dallas. <\/p>\n
Chitose Suzuki \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n
He said he couldn\u2019t provide a timeline for how long funding decisions will be delayed. Programs currently under review include the Culture of Value, Community Artist Program, Cultural Organizations Program and Arts Activate, which have supported cultural programming from diverse communities.<\/p>\n
Arts Access was a recipient of the Arts Activate grant last year and receives funding from the Dallas OAC.<\/p>\n
Related:African American Museum in Dallas gets $3 million to digitize 50-year-old collection <\/a><\/p>\n Meeting attendees expressed concerns about whether they would be allowed to revise submitted applications to adhere to federal guidelines and how funding guidelines might change. <\/p>\n Ayars said the OAC would work individually with each applicant on a case-by-case basis to navigate the new guidelines. He said new funding guidelines will be released at a later date. <\/p>\n Attendees also asked what the changes mean for The Dallas Cultural Plan. Adopted in 2018, the plan outlines the future of arts and culture in the city and is largely focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. <\/p>\n Liz Cedillo-Pereira, assistant city manager, said the city is \u201cnot throwing out the work\u201d of the Cultural Plan and is currently trying to figure out how to move forward with it. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one [question] that we have been weighing back and forth. And it really is the challenge of this moment,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Related:Dallas arts and culture grants in jeopardy as city reviews DEI programs, policies<\/a><\/p>\n Cynthia Anzaldua is a visual artist and arts educator who\u2019s received funding from the Community Artist Program for decades. In the past, she\u2019s received roughly $12,000 a year to teach art classes to seniors, including those with physical and mental disabilities. <\/p>\n \u201cI feel a little bit better but, we\u2019re just in scary times right now. I mean they\u2019re taking all kinds of programs for people like us,\u201d she said. \u201cI just feel like we need to fight and we need to speak out, we need to make our voices heard.\u201d <\/p>\n While some attendees felt reassured, others like Jerry L. Hawkins, former executive director of Dallas Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation, said he still has many questions, but was pleasantly surprised to see the packed room. <\/p>\n \u201cI do think it\u2019s an accountability space where people can ask those questions and where people get heard. I do think that we need to continue to show up.\u201d<\/p>\n Darryl Ratcliff, an artist and arts advocate in Dallas, said he understands why the OAC has made the changes it has though it gives him pause. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a moment of disappointment certainly that was reassured today that there wasn\u2019t going to be substantial funding cuts, at least for this upcoming fiscal year. But the timing is going to affect and disrupt many people\u2019s lives,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Ultimately, Ratcliff said he\u2019s waiting to see who will receive funding in the coming months. <\/p>\n \u201cI think that our arts community will be keeping a watchful eye to see who is going to get awarded in these next rounds and seeing whether or not that continues to reflect the population of our city.\u201d <\/p>\n The city of Dallas will host four more community meetings<\/a> regarding their changes to DEI programs and policies on Aug. 27, Sept. 4, Sept. 6 and Sept. 9. <\/p>\n Members of the Dallas community can also fill out an online survey<\/a> to share their thoughts on changes to city programs. <\/p>\n