Amanda Sullins, Chief of Staff, and Kate Temple, Communications Manager of Texas Cultural Trust spoke to us on June 26th. Texas Cultural Trust is a statewide nonprofit that puts the spotlight on the arts in Texas. It is a 501(c)(3) that was established in 1995 and partners with the Texas Commission on the Arts. They advocate for public funding of the arts and have the following programs:
Art Can: Through this program, they conduct research and publish data quantifying the economic and educational impact of the arts in Texas. They have found that highlighting the arts in schools is vital to the development of students’ minds and also for a strong economy.
Arts Access: This program looks at the opportunities for increasing access to the arts for all Texans.
Partners in the Arts: This program is a consortium of arts groups around Texas and provides a platform for information sharing and collaboration.
Texas Medal of Arts Awards: This program, which is also a fundraising event, spotlights Texans who have achieved greatness through their creative talents or have opened doors to artistic opportunities for Texans through their generosity.
Texas Women for the Arts: Established in 2005, this is a group of women who have awarded 362 grants totaling more than $4 million for arts related organizations and projects.
Texas Young Masters: A joint program between the Texas Cultural Trust and the Texas Commission on the Arts, this program awards $10,000 scholarship grants biennially to deserving young artists from the 8th through 12th grades.
The Texas Cultural Trust is working to share the arts with all Texans of all ages! They also put together an annual report showing the impact of arts in Texas. For more information and to learn about volunteer opportunities go to: www.txculturaltrust.org