AUSTIN—Texas Women for the Arts, a program of the Texas Cultural Trust, has selected 27 arts programs across the state to receive more than $247,000 in grants at their 14th Annual Meeting which took place April 29-May 1 in Houston.
Among the recipients was The Citadelle Art Museum, whose director, Wendie Cook, was on hand to accept a check for $30,000.
“Inclusion in the Texas Women for the Arts organization is something that I cherish both professionally and personally,” said Cook. “Professionally, it has allowed The Citadelle to expand our education efforts to enhance arts and creativity both in the classroom and on our campus. Our impact numbers continue to grow because our programs are in such demand. 
“Personally, I have built friendships with women from across the state who have made big things happen with the arts and education. The organization allows me the opportunity to deepen my knowledge of art and artists, bounce around creative ideas, and gain workable perspective to broaden cultural happenings in our community.
“To be the top grant recipient of this statewide organization, beating out the likes of the Houston Opera and Austin Ballet is just icing on the cake. Any time an arts organization west of I-35 can get major grant money for arts education is a win!”
A giving circle of women united in supporting arts and arts-education programs across the state, Texas Women for the Arts’ mission is to awaken and nurture the artist in every Texas child. Each year, Texas Women for the Arts members meet in a different Texas city for exclusive arts experiences and to grant much needed funds to select arts-education programs.
“Texas Women for the Arts was formed in 2005 to be a champion for the arts and arts education. Since then, the organization has awarded more than $2.4 million to more than 200 arts organizations across Texas. We are proud to have more than 300 dynamic women from across the state dedicated to this cause, and are honored to continue the legacy this year in
Houston, and look forward to 2020,” said Heidi Marquez Smith, executive director of Texas Cultural Trust.
The 2019 Texas Women for the Arts Impact Grantees are: Austin Community Foundation, Austin – $2,014; Austin Lyric Opera (Austin Opera), Austin – $10,000; Ballet Austin, Austin – $2,014
Ballet Lubbock, Austin – $2,500; Casa Mañana, Fort Worth – $2,014; Children’s Discovery Museum of the Golden Crescent, Victoria – $2,014; Dallas Symphony Association, Inc., Dallas – $12,500; El Paso Museum of History Foundation, El Paso – $2,014
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Association., Inc., Fort Worth – $5,000; Homemade Hope, Houston – $30,000; Hope Stone Inc., Houston – $2,014; Houston Center for Photography, Houston – $5,000; Kids Excel El Paso, Inc., El Paso – $2,014
LHUCA (Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts), Lubbock – $7,790; Marfa Live Arts (Marfa Theatre), Marfa – $23,750; Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon – $9,500
Rockport Center for the Arts, Rockport – $27,000; San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio – $2,014; South Texas Institute for the Arts (Art Museum of South Texas), Corpus Christi – $23,750; Texas Ballet Theater, Fort Worth – $7,500
The Citadelle Art Museum, Canadian – $30,000; The Dallas Opera, Dallas – $2,014; The Periwinkle Foundation, Houston – $2,014; The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, Houston – $2,014; Victoria Ballet Theatre, Victoria – $9,384; Young Audiences, Arts for Learning of Northeast Texas, Tyler – $2,014
Members of the Texas Women for the Arts 2019 Executive Committee are: Chair, Eliza Duncan, Houston; Chair-Elect, Leslie Blanton, Houston; Immediate Past Chair, Tania Schwartz, El Paso; Membership Co-Chairs, Mary Lynn Painton, Rockport and Alice Foultz, San Antonio; Nominating Chair, Laura Street, Amarillo; Nominating Vice Chair, Janis Brous, Ft. Worth; Annual Meeting Chairs, Beverly Bentley, Leslie Blanton, Eliza Duncan, and Mary Lou Pringle, Houston; Grants Chair, Isha Rogers, El Paso; Grants Vice Chair, Chrissy Kleberg, Austin; Governance Chair, Linda Davis, Fredericksburg; Governance Vice Chair, Alyce Jones, Fort Worth; Board Liaison, Judy Robison, El Paso; Legacy Chair, Dru Pipkin, San Antonio; Legacy Vice Chair, Tania Schwartz, El Paso; Travel Chairs, Marie Wise, Houston; Travel Vice Chair, Patty Dedman Nail.