Located in the northeast corner of downtown Dallas, the Dallas Arts District is the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation, spanning 118 acres. This iconic neighborhood has more buildings designed by Pritzker award-winning architects than any location in the world. Dallas Arts District unifies culture and commerce into a dynamic destination for locals and tourists alike while creating a fulfilling urban experience. The District is powered by the imagination of artists globally, while seamlessly integrating exemplary artistic, residential, cultural, and commercial life and was awarded a maximum 3-star rating by the prestigious Le Guide Vert – Michelin Green Guide. Its programmatic highlight is the Signature Block Party Series comprised of two free public events that support events at the cultural venues, featuring local, state, and national artists drawing more than 50,000 visitors from over 144 zip codes.
Since 1984, Dallas Arts District Foundation (DADF), a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, serves as the primary steward and representative for the institutions and properties within this distinctive neighborhood. In 2007, Fregonese Associates collaborated with arts district leaders to create the Dallas Arts Strategic Assessment and Action Plan. “With the district maturing and growing, property owners see a need for an umbrella management association to provide broad and consistent management direction, promote the Arts District as a cohesive unit, coordinate activities and take a leadership role in guiding the form and maintenance of the district in the next critical years.” As a result of this plan, the organization was reconstituted in 2009, operating with its first Executive Director, Veletta Lill. Downtown Dallas, Inc., a nonprofit organization representing downtown Dallas served as an incubator for Dallas Arts District for ten years. Currently, Dallas Arts District Foundation is operating as an independent non-profit cultural district management organization unifying culture and commerce.
Dallas Arts District currently provides operational and marketing support in numerous ways, touching 4.1 million visitors including 500,000 students annually:
General Information:
info@DallasArtsDistrict.org
Lily Cabatu Weiss, Executive Director
Address: 750 N. St. Paul Street, Suite #1630, Dallas, TX 75201
Phone: (214) 744-6639
Rhiannon R. Martin, Consultant
Address: 750 N. St. Paul Street, Suite #1630, Dallas, TX 75201
Phone: (214) 744-6642
Board of Directors
History
Starting in the 1970s the city of Dallas hired a series of consultants to determine how the city could best house its arts and cultural institutions. In 1978 the consultants recommended that Dallas take the scattered major arts institutions from across the city and move them all together. The northeast end of downtown presented itself as the best location for this new conglomerate of institutions. Soon a lively mix of cultural and commercial destinations popped up, effortlessly blending contemporary and historic architecture.
In 1984 the Dallas Museum of Art, designed by Edward Larabee Barnes, opened as the first institution in the newly made District. Through the next 20 years, the development of the Arts District continued with the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect I.M. Pei (1989); the Crow Collection of Asian Art in the existing Trammell Crow Center (1998); the Nasher Sculpture Center, designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Renzo Piano (2003) and the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, recently opening a new addition designed by Brad Cloepfil (2008). The relocation of the major art institutions was complete In 2009, with the opening of the AT&T Performing Arts Center. With the openings of Moody Performance Hall (formerly Dallas City Performance Hall), Klyde Warren Park and The Perot Museum of Nature and Science in 2012, the District continues to meet its goals of being a hive for artistic and educational life by encouraging each visitor to explore their creative side.
Foundation Grants
Dallas Arts District Foundation Grants
APPLICATION LINK: https://webportalapp.com/sp/dallasartsdisctrictfoundation
A PDF version of the 2024 DADF Grant Application is available to view here.
Information from our 2024 Dallas Arts District Foundation Grants Townhall is available to view here.
ABOUT: The first donation given to the foundation was by the Crow Family Foundation. Over the past 30 years the Dallas Arts District Foundation has awarded over 450 grants totaling $1.2 million to Dallas arts and culture organizations. In 2018, Dallas Arts District (DAD) took a year’s hiatus to review, revise, and develop the application and grants process to promote access, collaborations, and new audiences in the neighborhood. DAD partnered with HALL Group and created Through the Lens: Dallas Arts District, a coffee table photobook with 91 incredible photos by 56 talented photographers. All sales of the book will go toward growing the foundation Grants Fund. This project marks the first effort to grow funding to support local artists through the grants program for the Dallas Arts District Foundation since the first donation by the Crow Family Foundation. The revised application is now ready to launch online, and the book will be available in Fall 2019 with the opening of the HALL Arts Hotel.
Dallas Arts District is excited about the partnership with HALL Group and Through the Lens: Dallas Arts District with 91 incredible photos by 56 talented photographers. This is the first fundraiser that will support the grants program for the Dallas Arts District Foundation since the first donation in 1984 by the Crow family. With this opportunity, Dallas Arts District is taking the next six months to review, revise, and develop the application and grants process to create access, collaborations, and new audiences in the Dallas Arts District. The revised application will be ready in the summer of 2019; the book will be available in Fall 2019 with the opening of the HALL Arts Hotel, and the grant recipients will be announced in December 2019 for projects in 2020. Over the past 34 years the Dallas Arts District Foundation has awarded over 420 grants totaling $1.1 million to Dallas arts and culture organizations since 1984.
Dallas Arts District Foundation is excited to continue this program with new grant recipients in 2024.
Lily Weiss: “I am honored to be partners with HALL Group, corporate sponsors, and most importantly the participating local photographers for Through the Lens: Dallas Arts District,” said Lily Weiss, Executive Director of the Dallas Arts District. “There is no greater gift than to reinvest in the performing and visual arts in Dallas; the funds raised will enable the Foundation to expand its grants program for years to come, showcasing the vibrant, dynamic and innovative arts scene that Dallas has to offer!”
Mayor Rawlings: “The Dallas Arts District is the center of our city’s arts and culture, and this initiative will create new opportunities for growth that will shape this celebrated district into a neighborhood for the future,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. “This is a glowing example of the difference local businesses and individuals can make when they invest in the future of our city’s public art, and I am proud to be a part of it.”
Craig Hall: “We decided to launch ‘Through the Lens’ to take steps towards ensuring the future of the Dallas Arts District, one of our city’s greatest treasures. Private investment in the arts is more important now than ever, and we are optimistic that the proceeds from the project will bring new and varied programming to the community and will support the endeavors of our existing arts venues,” said Craig Hall, chairman and founder of HALL Group
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FAQ
What Does Dallas Arts District Do?
Dallas Arts District Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves as an advocate for the venues and organizations in the Dallas Arts District and as a representative of the Dallas Arts District as a whole, both internally and externally. For more information about us, please visit our about page.
What are the hours of the Arts District?
There are no “hours” of the Dallas Arts District. Each venue has its own hours of operation, depending on special programming and performances. For specific venue hours, please contact the individual venues.
How much is admission?
There is no admission to the Dallas Arts District itself, however, admission is typically charged at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Nasher Sculpture Center and performing arts venues, unless there is a special event. Admission to the Crow Collection of Asian Art, Klyde Warren Park and Sammons Park is always free, as well as general admission for the Dallas Museum of Art. For specific admission prices and other ticket prices, please contact the individual venues and organizations.
What is there to do?
Almost every day of the week, there is something to do in the Dallas Arts District.
How do I get to the Dallas Arts District?
For directions to the Dallas Arts District, click here.
Where do I park?
There are several parking options in the Dallas Arts District. For a listing of parking options in the Dallas Arts District, click here.
I want to take a tour of the Arts District, who do I talk to?
You can register for a public tour of the district on our Tours page. For a private tour of the Dallas Arts District, please call 214.744.6642 or email LilyWeiss@DallasArtsDistrict.org. Reservations are required for both public and private tours.
I have a media request for the Dallas Arts District, who do I talk to?
Please email Lily Weiss at LilyWeiss@DallasArtsDistrict.org.
Are there museums in the district?
There are several museums in the Dallas Arts District: The Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Crow Museum of Asian Art, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and the Green Family Art Foundation Gallery (GFAF).
Are there performances in the district?
There are many performances in the Dallas Arts District. For a full listing of performances and other events, click here.
Where do I eat?
There are many dining options in the Dallas Arts District. For a full list of dining options in the Dallas Arts District, click here.
What hotels are in the area?
There are many hotels near the Dallas Arts District. For a full listing of hotels, click here.
I want to organize a private event in the Arts District, who do I talk to?
To organize a private event in one of the venues in the Dallas Arts District, you must contact the individual venue.
Can I sell artwork to the museums in the district?
Unfortunately, you cannot sell artwork to the museums in the district. The museums primarily feature their permanent collections and traveling exhibitions.
I am a teacher planning field trips for my students. Who do I talk to organize that?
For field trips, you must contact the venue you are planning on visiting.
How do I find a job in the Arts District?
Unfortunately, there is no job bank for the Dallas Arts District as a whole. You can look at the individual venue and organization websites, or you can the Texas Non-Profit Job Bank.
What happened to the Arts District Alliance/Arts District Friends?
The Arts District Alliance/Friends was an organization that preceded Dallas Arts District. The Alliance/Friends were primarily membership based, and prior to the opening of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, stakeholders in the Dallas Arts District felt it was best to form a new organization that would perform broad marketing and planning functions as well. Dallas Arts District still continues the memberships previously offered by the Alliance/Friends, offering all the same benefits and much more. The Alliance/Friends organization is no longer in existence.
Dallas Arts District CONNECT Masterplan
The
Dallas Arts District selected global architecture, planning and design firm
NBBJ to create a new Master Plan for the dynamic downtown neighborhood. The Sasaki Plan (1983) is the current planning guide for the District, but is more than 30 years old. In the last decade, the Arts District has seen dramatic investment, growth and changes and has become a diverse magnet for businesses, development, residents and tourists.
With NBBJ, the Dallas Arts District restructured the Sasaki Plan, determining where modifications are necessary and recommending specific new design standards for future development. To get involved, visit www.dallasartsdistrictconnect.org. The Connect Masterplan was passed by city council in January 2021.
Dallas Cultural Plan
What is a Cultural Plan?
A cultural plan is an inclusive process that engages residents, artists, arts organizations, and other sectors to identify cultural needs, opportunities, and resources. It allows a city to think strategically about how to use its resources to help communities achieve their goals.
Why a Cultural Plan for Dallas?
Dallas already has an amazing arts scene and community. The Dallas Cultural Plan 2018 will:
Analyze the city’s cultural priorities
Determine how Dallas residents experience culture in their daily lives
Plan how the city can continue to stay arts-friendly
How Was the Dallas Cultural Plan Developed?
What’s In the Plan?
Nearly 9,000 Dallas residents have engaged in this process to develop over a hundred initiatives and strategies under these six priorities:
–Equity: Support the broadest range of art forms and creative producers, considering inclusivity, diversity and neighborhood impact to direct resources equitably to artists and organizations.
–Diversity: Celebrate and promote the diversity of Dallas, while striving to improve diversity of programming, staff and organizational leadership across the cultural sector.
–Space: Provide, create and incentivize the creation of spaces and places to encourage and allow arts and culture in Dallas to thrive and grow citywide.
–Support for Artists: Establish a supportive arts ecosystem that nourishes the creative and innovative energy of Dallas artists.
–Sustainable arts ecosystem: Model sustainability to the arts and culture community through OCA’s facilities and encourage and support the development of future sustainability in the broader arts and cultural sector.
–Communications: Promote culture as a fundamental driver of the city of Dallas. Ensure awareness at local, national and international levels of Dallas’ cultural offerings through enhanced communication.
Click HERE to read more.
License to be Creative
License to be Creative: for State of the Arts License Plate:
A portion of TCA’s grants budget is earned through sales of the State of the Arts license plate. A State of the Arts license plate costs $30 in addition to your regular registration fee. TCA receives $22 for each State of the Arts license plate sold or renewed. All of the revenue generated from the sale of State of the Arts license plates is distributed through grants, so the more we raise through the license plate, the more we give through grants.
ORDER YOUR PLATE TODAY!
