Frisco celebrates increased arts tourism grant funding

Music programming in Frisco includes the Music on Main project produced by nonprofit Melody of Hope.
Courtesy of Melody of Hope

Frisco Enterprise
By Audrey Henvey | Star Local Media
​​​​​​​August 18, 2023

Frisco celebrated a milestone for its support of the arts on Tuesday.

On Aug. 15, Frisco’s city council approved a new contract with the Frisco Arts Foundation awarding $298,400 for the arts tourism grant program. The grant, funded by a percentage of the city’s hotel occupancy tax, goes to nonprofit arts organizations that offer programs benefiting Frisco citizens and increasing arts tourism in the city. The Frisco Arts Foundation facilitates the vetting process for the grant program.

“This is indeed a historic occasion with the greatest level of funding ever committed to arts in Frisco,” Foundation Chair Karen White said during Tuesday’s meeting. “This funding allows us to broaden our vision, to cast a wider net and to bring more innovative arts to Frisco and deepen the arts impact within our community.”

The city first entered into the original agreement with the foundation in October 2003. During her Tuesday presentation, White said the program began with a $50,000 allotment and eventually grew to $175,000 in 2018.

In 2020, due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the allotment was reduced to $100,000.

The foundation’s most recent report included a presentation of the $100,000 in funds that were disseminated for the 2022-2023 program. The season saw funds dispersed to 19 grantees for performances, exhibits and events that all took place in Frisco, White said. That included the annual Chabad of Frisco event, the Otsukimi event held by the Japan-American Society of DFW, exhibits by the Visual Arts Guild of Frisco and programs like Music on Main run by Melody of Hope.

The $298,400 approved by the council on Tuesday will go towards the 2023-2024 grant program.

“To all the artists that are here today, the musicians, dancers, actors and watching online as well, thank you for continuing to create even though you had probably the biggest disruption ever in your industry in the last few years,” said Tammy Meinershagen, a current Frisco City Council member and former chair of the Frisco Arts Foundation. “We appreciate that you continued, you didn’t give up, you’re inspiring us, you give us beauty in the storm.”

Applications for the 2023-2024 program opened Aug. 1 and are due Aug. 31. Grantee notification is scheduled for Sept. 30, with grants to be dispersed Oct. 31. Application information is available at friscoarts.org.