Houston creative community has been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic as music venues and art spaces have closed. To help combat some of the financial strain impacting local artists and cultural organizations, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) distributed $5 million to artists, cultural organizations, music venues and musicians.
MOCA, in collaboration with Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) and Mid-America Arts Alliance (MAAA), successfully distributed federal CARES funds to 691 recipients. A total of 226 artists, 308 musicians, 36 music venues, and 121 arts and cultural organizations received support. The MOCA CARES relief grant programs were offered twice in 2020, in August and in November. All funds have been distributed.
“We want to thank musicians and artists for their role in community as we, as a city, work together during this global pandemic,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “While we see positive signs regarding vaccines, we know that we must continue to protect ourselves and each other. The City’s commitment to music venues, musicians, cultural institutions and artists is a part of a variety of supports like broadband access, rental assistance, and small business relief.”
Recipients of funding represented the entire city across all eleven City Council districts, and represented a variety of musical genres and artistic expressions. A majority of recipients reported that their artistic practice makes up their primary source of income, making these funds critical. There were a total of 1,736 applicants reporting losses of $165.6 million.
These grants provide direct support to individuals and businesses that generate economic activity and support the community’s wellbeing. The organizations and music venues that received awards are listed below. We encourage everyone to continue to #MaskUp, stay safe, and support the arts.
To learn more about the City’s cultural programs visit www.houstontx.gov/culturalaffairs. You can also follow MOCA on Facebook and Instagram @HoustonMOCA.
Awards are as follows:
$20,000 – $100,000
A.D. Players
Alley Kat Bar & Lounge
Arena Theatre
Art Colony Association, Inc.
Asia Society Texas Center
Avantgarden
Barrett’s Bar & Music
Cafeza
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
Cullen Performance Hall
Dan Electro’s Bar
Dynamic Sound Houston
Emmits Place
Gus S. Wortham Theater Center
Heights Theater
Holocaust Museum Houston
Houston Center For Contemporary Craft
Houston Center For Photography
Houston Metropolitan Dance Center Inc
Houston Symphony Society
Houston Youth Symphony
Inprint Inc
Italian Cultural & Community Center Of Houston
John P McGovern Museum Of Health & Medical Science
Jones Hall For The Performing Arts
Khon’s
Last Concert Cafe
Le Chateau Bistro & Lounge
Main Street Theater
Mcgonigel’s Mucky Duck
Menil Foundation Inc
Mercury Chamber Orchestra
Multicultural Education And Counseling Through The Arts
Museum Of Fine Arts Houston
Numbers
Orange Show Center For Visionary Art
Red Dwarf
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra
Rockefellers
Society For The Performing Arts
Stages
Stereo Live
The Bayou Theater
The Big Easy
The Continental Club
The Dive
The Hobby Center
The Music Box Theater, Houston
The Rustic
The Secret Group
Theatre Under The Stars Inc
Warehouse Live
Westwind Club
White Oak Music Hall
Writers In The Schools
Young Audiences Inc Of Houston
$5,001 – $19,999
14 Pews
1810 Ojeman Bar
4th Wall Theatre Company
Aperio
Apollo Chamber Players
Ars Lyrica Houston
Art League Of Houston
Aurora Picture Show
Axiom Quartet Inc
Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre
Bechdel Films
Box13 Artspace
Buffalo Soldier National Museum
Children’s Prison Art Project
City Ballet Of Houston
Classical Theatre Company
Coalition Of Hispanics For Excellence In International Techno
Community Artists Collective
Community Music Center Of Houston
Czech Center Museum Houston
Da Camera Society Of Texas
Dance Houston
Dance Of Asian America
Dance Source Houston
Diaz Music Institute
Discovery Green Conservancy
Diverse Works Inc
Ensemble Theatre
Express Children’s Theatre
Ez Kids Creativity Shell
Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment
Fotofest Inc
Foundation For Modern Music Inc
Franklins Tower
Freneticore
Fresh Arts
Glasstire
Greater Houston Chorus
Gulf Coast-a Journal Of Literature & Fine Arts
Hope Stone Inc
Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society Inc
Houston Ballet
Houston Boychoir Inc
Houston Children’s Chorus Inc
Houston Choral Society
Houston Cinema Arts Society
Houston Contemporary Dance
Houston Early Music
Houston International Dance Coalition
Houston Latin American Philharmonic Orchestra
Houston Masterworks Chorus Inc
Houston Museum Of African American Culture
India House Inc
Indian Music Society Of Houston
Indo-American Association
Jazz Education Inc
Jazz Houston
Lawndale Art And Performance Center
Mildred’s Umbrella Theater Company
Musiqa
Nameless Sound
Nigerian American Multicultural Center
Open Dance Project
Partnership For The Advancement & Immersion Of Refugees
Project Row Houses
Public Poetry
Rec Room Arts
Russian Cultural Center-our Texas
SHAPE Community Center
Silambam Houston
South Asian Folk Arts Council
Stages
Texan-French Alliance For The Arts
Texas New Music Ensemble
The Catastrophic Theatre Inc
The Heritage Society
The Positive Project
Theatre Suburbia Inc
Uptown Dance Company
Vietnamese Culture And Science Association
Virtuosi Of Houston
Windsync
Workshop Houston
World Voices Houston
Writespace
$5,000 or Less
Community Development Corporation Of Freedmens Town
Cone Man Running Productions
Dance Afrikana
Diversity In The Arts And Entertainment
Dynamism Fine Arts Of Texas
Exalted Arts Corporation
Flamart
Gordon Education Initiatives For The Performing Arts
Houston Brass Quintet Inc
Houston Latino Film Festival
IV God’s Glory
La Speranza
Landing Theatre Company
Luciole International Theatre Co
Super Happy Fun Land
Welead
A total of $1,206,950 distributed to 534 individual creatives in music, visual arts, writing, film/media, theater, dance, and design.