July 16, 2019

Contact: Victoria Winkelman       SMU Meadows School of the Arts    214.768.3785; vwinkelm@smu.edu


Six Dallas Artistic Enterprises Receive Support for  Projects Focused on Community Development

SMU Meadows’ Ignite/Arts Dallas, in collaboration with YBCA/CultureBank and TACA,  will fund and assist with each project’s development for six months

DALLAS (SMU) --- SMU Meadows School of the Arts’ Ignite/Arts Dallas initiative, in partnership with San Francisco-based YBCA (Yerba Buena Center for the Arts) and its CultureBank initiative, and Dallas’ TACA – The Arts Community Alliance, announced that six artistic enterprises with the potential to create lasting change in the Dallas community have been selected to participate in a “co-learning” process and to receive $5,000 each for project development over the next six months.

The artistic enterprises include “Artcycle TX,” led by VET, an artist who creates art out of found objects and discarded, recycled materials; “Break Bread, Break Borders,” led by Jin-Ya Huang, a catering business of refugee and immigrant women who share both food and stories of their culture with diners; Teatro Dallas’ new “Co-Lab/Theater for Healing in West Dallas,” led by Sara Cardona; Ash Studios’ “Outdoor Painting Program,” led by Fred Villanueva, near Fair Park; the “Semillitas Literary Initiative,” led by Ofelia Faz-Garza, which brings pop-up reading nooks and free books to community events; and “Recipe Oak Cliff,” under the leadership of Tisha Crear, which will produce a new series of community dinners introducing healthy food and discourse on what makes a healthy community. “The goal of Ignite/Arts Dallas is to integrate artistic practices with community engagement and to work with students and residents of Dallas to envision more just and vibrant communities,” said Clyde Valentín, director of Ignite/Arts Dallas. “All six grant recipients do that through visual art, social practice, food, performance and entrepreneurship.” One of YBCA and CultureBank’s goals is to foster the idea that artists are social entrepreneurs and early investors in their own communities, people who can bring meaningful change to their neighborhoods. “To ensure the success of this project, we are committed to supporting the artists throughout the process,” said CultureBank co-founder Penelope Douglas. “This isn’t a situation where they receive money, go away, then come back six months later with a report. This is an ongoing relationship where our efforts will focus on setting the artists up to be successful in achieving impact.” The investment is not just monetary, according to Valentín. “We will be working closely with the recipients over the next six months,” he said. “The Ignite/Arts Dallas, CultureBank and TACA team will hold regular group meetings with the artists. Participants will share skills with each other and hear from guest experts on such topics as accounting and development of longterm plans.”