DALLAS CITY COUNCIL CHANGES VENUE NAME TO MOODY PERFORMANCE HALL
Today, the Dallas City Council voted to officially change the name of Dallas City Performance Hall to Moody Performance Hall in recognition of a generous $22 million gift to the arts in Dallas from The Moody Foundation. It is one of the largest gifts the Galveston-based foundation has made in the city of Dallas.
The gift includes the creation of a $10 million endowment, the Moody Fund for the Arts. MFA will provide annual grants to small and emerging arts groups with budgets of $1 million or less and are supported by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs
“The Moody Fund for the Arts will provide important resources, in perpetuity, to the talented organizations that are bringing inspiring cultural experiences to Moody Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District, and to every corner of the city,” said Frances Moody-Dahlberg, chairman and executive director of The Moody Foundation. “We are honored to have the Moody name associated with such a wonderful venue and to support this diverse and dynamic cultural community.”
These grants could be used for:
▪ Commissions of original works and artistic collaborations.
▪ Support for new works, innovative programs and offsetting rent and production costs at the Moody Performance Hall.
▪ Programs, projects and exhibitions that address important issues of cultural equity and community access to the arts.
▪ Programs that create and deliver cultural experiences to all parts of Dallas.
▪ Operating, staff and marketing support for new initiatives.
▪ Support of production costs and capacity building.
▪ Hosting artist in residency programs.
▪ Other projects deemed important to the vibrancy of the arts in the city.
Following today’s 14-1 vote at Dallas City Hall, Mayor Mike Rawlings had praise for creation of the endowment and for The Moody Foundation, which since 2014, has given more than $39 million in grants to nonprofit organizations based in Dallas.
“They have been a remarkable partner in the city of Dallas for years,” said Mayor Rawlings. “And I think everybody around this Council supports small arts and this is a creative way to be able to support those arts organizations for years to come.”
In addition to the support from the Council, the proposal had unanimous support from the Council’s Arts, Culture and Libraries Committee and the City’s Cultural Affairs Commission. More than two dozen arts organizations of all sizes sent letters encouraging the City Council members to vote for the proposal.
The Moody Foundation gift also includes $12 million to the nonprofit AT&T Performing Arts Center to support the Center’s capital campaign, as well as to offset the costs of new signage for Moody Performance Hall.
“This is a significant step forward in fulfilling the Center’s promise to raise the final $27 million in capital commitments by the end of 2018,” said Matrice Ellis-Kirk, chair of the Center’s Board of Directors. ”Doing this will allow the Center to focus more of its resources toward supporting our resident companies and engaging even more with our diverse community. Our thanks go out to the Moody Foundation for this generous gift."
Both the MFA endowment and the Center’s gift will be paid out over a ten-year period. MFA's first year will start with $100,000 in grants, but when fully endowed, the MFA could distribute about $400K a year in grants to small arts groups.
Submissions for MFA grants will begin early next year. Submissions will be reviewed through a two-tiered panel selection process which will include arts educators, managers, advocates, philanthropists, a Cultural Affairs Commissioner and the director of the Office of Cultural Affairs. Grants will be distributed by the end of August 2018.
The Dallas City Performance Hall opened in September 2012. It was the most recent performance venue to be built in the Dallas Arts District and was created to ensure performance space was available in the district for emerging and midsize performing arts groups. The 750-seat venue with its strong acoustics and intimate feel is used for dance, music, film, lectures, theater and more. The spacious lobby can be used for performances or receptions. It also includes a
small art exhibition space and a fused glass public art display in the lobby created by Dallas-artist Octavio Medellin. The City’s Office of Cultural Affairs will continue to operate, program and maintain the venue.
###
About The Moody Foundation:
The Moody Foundation is a charitable organization that makes grants in Texas, with an emphasis on education, social services, children's needs, medical programs, the arts and community development. The Moody Foundation was created in 1942 by Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Moody Jr. to benefit in perpetuity present and future generations of Texans.
About the AT&T Performing Arts Center:
The AT&T Performing Arts Center is a nonprofit foundation that operates and programs a 10-acre campus comprised of three premier performance venues and a park in downtown Dallas. Opening in October 2009, the Center has helped complete the 30-year vision of the Dallas Arts District.
Audiences enjoy the best and most recent from Broadway and off-Broadway; the finest dance companies from across the globe co-presented with TITAS Presents; top concerts and performers with Center Presents; cutting-edge speakers from the #hearhere series; and a five-year initiative to present The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Thousands of students explore and more deeply experience the arts through the Center’s education program, Open Stages. Working with local service agencies, the Center provides free tickets to underserved individuals and families through Community Partners. These programs are made possible by the ongoing support of donors and members.
The Center’s five resident companies are among the city’s leading arts institutions: Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, The Dallas Opera, Dallas Theater Center and Texas Ballet Theater.
Designed by internationally acclaimed architects, the Center’s performance spaces are some of the finest venues in the world:
Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, designed by Foster + Partners of London, is a stunning 2,200-seat venue wrapped in red glass with outstanding acoustic performance halls.
Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre is a 575-seat theatre with one of the most versatile stages in the world and a distinctive aluminum exterior. It was designed by REX/OMA, Joshua Prince-Ramus (partner in charge) and Rem Koolhaas.
Annette Strauss Square, designed by Foster + Partners, is an open-air entertainment venue