{"id":34473,"date":"2025-07-03T05:21:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T05:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/34473\/"},"modified":"2025-07-03T05:21:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T05:21:18","slug":"texas-art-agency-gets-7-9m-boost-what-does-that-mean-for-fort-worth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/34473\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas art agency gets $7.9M boost. What does that mean for Fort Worth?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Weeks after national grants were cut from cultural institutions in Fort Worth<\/a>, a jump in Texas arts funding could provide some relief for local organizations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

State lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott ended the legislative session in June with a $7.9 million increase<\/a> to the Texas Commission on the Arts over the next two years. Of that amount, $2 million will be added to the state art agency\u2019s cultural tourism grants and the remainder will be added to general arts organization grants, according to the state agency.<\/p>\n

The Texas Commission on the Arts initially requested an $11 million budget increase from lawmakers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

State funding is now over $39 million for the 2026-27 biennium, said Gary Gibbs, executive director of the Texas Commission on the Arts. The art agency had a $31.6 million budget for the 2024-25 biennium.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis increase will go directly into our grants budget,\u201d Gibbs told the Report. \u201cPeople will see, if they do well in the process, they\u2019ll see a larger grant from us than they have in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

More funding means more opportunities for Fort Worth arts groups to receive financial support for operating costs and creative projects, said Wesley Gentle, executive director of Arts Fort Worth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2025, over 60 Fort Worth-based arts organizations<\/a> received nearly $1.2 million in grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts. Over $263,000 of the funds were invested in an art group\u2019s operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt inspires hope,\u201d Gentle said. \u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of concern and fear in our industry. To see our state really do the opposite, to invest more and recognize the economic impacts, the cultural impacts and how much of this resource gets into rural places. To me, that signals that our advocates are doing a great job telling the stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are you a Fort Worth arts organization in need of financial support?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Texas Commission on the Arts opens its grant applications at various times throughout the year. You can stay up to date with deadlines here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fort Worth arts groups show gratitude for state support<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth received a $200,000 grant from the state commission to support its \u201cAlex Da Corte: The Whale<\/a>\u201d exhibition on view until Sept. 7. The grant enabled the museum to realize a \u201cbold and immersive\u201d exhibition that connects with audiences in meaningful ways, said Laurie McCoy, grant writer for the Modern.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTCA\u2019s support expands access to the arts, strengthens our programming and helps attract additional investment,\u201d she said in a statement. \u201cWe\u2019re deeply grateful to Texas lawmakers for recognizing the arts as a vital part of our state\u2019s identity and for increasing resources that benefit organizations of all sizes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown Girls Do Ballet<\/a>, a Fort Worth nonprofit that promotes diversity in the arts, was awarded $2,500 to support its Ballerina Story Time designed for kindergarten to second-grade students in North Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

TaKiyah Wallace-McMillian, founder of Brown Girls Do Ballet, was surprised by the state\u2019s increased support but grateful, as it helps organizations like hers to expand access to underserved communities in Fort Worth, she said. Her organization primarily serves the 76104 ZIP code, which faces significant access challenges, including health care and transportation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the lack of care that the country has given to arts programs and arts funding programs like (the National Endowment for the Arts), I\u2019m shocked that the state of Texas has decided to increase funding,\u201d Wallace-McMillian said. \u201cIt is a great thing, because the arts are crucial \u2014 especially to a young person\u2019s development \u2014 and exposure to it is what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Need for more state funding<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the increase in state arts funding provides some assurance, Gibbs said, a need still exists for more assistance to ensure a sustainable future. The state art agency receives between 1,500 to 2,000 statewide grant applications annually and 95% are met, if not always with the full amounts requested, he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The commission would like to be able to award grants to all arts groups that apply, said Gibbs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many communities throughout Texas that have no philanthropic resources,\u201d he said. \u201cIn rural communities in Texas, many smaller towns and diverse geographical areas of the state, there are no private family foundations. They don\u2019t have arts councils. So we are the source of funding for many of those.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gentle, Arts Fort Worth and the advocacy group Texans for the Arts<\/a> will continue work to \u201cmove public opinion in the right direction\u201d to ensure more funding for the arts. The arts have a significant economic impact across the state, Gentle added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The arts and culture sector generated about $7.3 billion in taxable sales and $459 million in state sales tax revenue in 2025, according to the Texas Cultural Trust\u2019s State of the Arts Report<\/a>. Nearly 960,000 people are employed in creative careers across the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we invest more, we actually get more back, and we produce great things for our communities,\u201d Gentle said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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