Mission: The Dallas Arts District is a coalition of artistic, educational, and commercial neighbors that work together to elevate the city’s creative and economic life through the support of a vibrant, diverse, and sustainable Arts District through advocacy, programs and events, and sustainable design.

Vision: The Dallas Arts District is a world-renowned urban destination that showcases how artists, arts and culture organizations, and the business community collaborate to create an inviting experience for locals and tourists alike.

Values and Equity Statement:

Dallas Arts District Land Acknowledgment:
The Dallas Arts District acknowledges that the land we occupy and our work for the public lives and thrives on is the ancestral homelands of the Caddo, Wichita, Tawakoni, and Kiikaapoi. This land also had nomadic stewards that greatly contributed to its upkeep such as the Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, and other Indigenous Peoples that we may have lost the language to speak their names or their stories to share today.

The Dallas Arts District is situated in a city rich in histories that oftentimes are unknown or uplifted. We acknowledge that Dallas is a Relocation Site and how that fact directly shapes the uniqueness of the Indigenous makeup of our city. We acknowledge that our Indigenous relatives are a living and vibrant community that actively contribute to the arts, culture, and heritage of the city we serve.

The Dallas Arts District also acknowledges that this land we occupy was built with stolen labor by a stolen people indigenous to Africa. We acknowledge that our work lives in a neighborhood that was once one of the original Freedman’s Towns (North Dallas, St. Paul UMC) not only of the City of Dallas but this country. As well our core work happens closely to the neighborhood of “Little Mexico” and we acknowledge the contributions of not only this neighborhood and what it birthed in our city but the ancestral contributions of the Indigenous Peoples of Mexico as what we know as Texas was once was Mexico.

Knowing this history, we strive to stay committed to bringing these voices into our work and spaces to maintain a safe and equitable arts district for all to practice all forms of art, culture, and creativity.

About the Dallas Arts District:
Located in the northeast corner of downtown Dallas, the Dallas Arts District (DAD), a nonprofit organization, is the primary steward and representative for the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation, spanning 118 acres since 1984. This iconic neighborhood has more buildings designed by Pritzker award-winning architects than any location in the world. DAD 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.

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.

Its programmatic highlight is the Signature Block Party Series comprised of two free public events featuring local, state, and national artists drawing more than 50,000 visitors from over 144 zip codes. The meticulously designed Arts District Block Parties provide visitors with free, accessible, and family-friendly art experiences, redefining the space, and fostering a unique sense of place. The estimated economic impact of these events will significantly benefit the arts community and the City of Dallas, while fostering collaboration with both small and large businesses.

Highlights for the Dallas Arts District are:

• Leading the expanded Arts CEO weekly and now monthly meetings to discuss best practices, issues, solutions, shared media releases prioritizing collaboration, innovation, and unity
• Providing free and accessible programming to the community by producing the Changing Perspectives Block Party: A Cultural Festival in April and the PRIDE Block Party in June that features over 100 local, regional, and national artists
• Awarding nine grants to local arts organizations to create innovative programs in the neighborhood and attract new audiences to the district in 2024, investing $1.3 million to date
• Developing a new 3-year strategic plan
• Expanding the Dallas Arts District as a Designated State Cultural District adding 5 approved organizations
• Collaborating with Patron Magazine to produce the Dallas Arts District’s Official Visitor Guide on August 1, 2023, featuring the 2023-24 arts seasons reaching 35,000 and 200,000+ online
• Achieving unanimous approval of the CONNECT Master Plan and Updated Zoning by the Dallas City Council on January 27, 2021, expanding the district from 68 acres to 118 acres
• Restructuring marketing efforts to help support cultural organizations’ relevant virtual programming attracting 15.1+ million attendees with 2.8+ million attending in-person events
• Collaborating with the City of Dallas on public realm projects to improve connectivity, safety, and ADA compliance
• Creating wayfinding with kiosks and inspired pole banners
• Receiving 3rd in USA Today’s 10 Best Arts Districts in the nation in 2021, 2022, and 2023 and nominated again in 2024.

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.

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