Investing in Texas Children’s Future through the Arts
Texas Women for the Arts, a program of the Texas Cultural Trust, has announced that it will be awarding over $320,000 in grant funding to support arts education programs across the state. This funding will help expand access to creative learning experiences for children through local museums, community groups, summer camps, and other organizations.
Grant Recipients
Several Houston-based organizations were among the recipients, including Alley Theatre, Houston Ballet, Houston Repertoire Ballet, and Houston Youth Symphony. In total, TWA is distributing $323,333 to selected programs for the 2024-2025 cycle. The group, a philanthropic collective of more than 200 women leaders and advocates, is marking its 20th anniversary in 2025.
The Impact of Texas Women for the Arts
Since its founding, TWA has awarded 425 grants totaling over $4.7 million, reaching more than 3.7 million Texas children. The organization’s efforts have had a significant impact on the state’s arts education landscape. According to Heidi Marquez Smith, CEO of the Texas Cultural Trust, "The arts offer countless benefits for children, from supporting neurodevelopment and emotional growth to boosting academic achievement. Through these grants, we aim to create meaningful creative learning experiences for Texas children and remove barriers to quality arts education."
The Grant Program
The grant program supports a wide range of arts education opportunities, including music, dance, visual arts, theater, creative writing, and performing arts. Isha Rogers Santamaria, the 2025 Texas Women for the Arts Chair, reflected on the program’s two-decade impact, stating, "Fostering creativity in children across our state is essential. For 20 years, TWA has championed access to arts education, reflecting our members’ deep commitment to preserving and celebrating Texas’s rich cultural heritage. We’re proud to support these incredible programs that inspire young minds, and we look forward to continuing our impact across the state."
List of Grantees
The 2024-2025 Texas Women for the Arts grantees include:
- Alley Theatre, Houston
- Art Guild of Fayetteville DBA Arts for Rural Texas, Fayetteville
- Austin Film Festival, Austin
- Bee Cave Arts Foundation, Austin
- Creative Kids, El Paso
- East Lubbock Art House, Lubbock
- East Texas Symphony Orchestra, Tyler
- Houston Ballet, Houston
- Houston Repertoire Ballet, Houston
- Houston Youth Symphony, Houston
- North Texas Performing Arts, Plano
- Rockport Art Association, Inc. DBA Rockport Center for the Arts, Rockport
- SAY Sí, San Antonio
- South Texas Institute for the Arts DBA Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi
- South Texas Symphony Association, Inc DBA Valley Symphony Orchestra, McAllen
- Stage West Theatre, Fort Worth
- The Center for Child Protection, Austin
- The MacMillan Institute, Duncanville
- The Marfa Studio of the Arts, Marfa
- The Opera Co. DBA The El Paso Opera, El Paso
- Tom Lea Institute, El Paso
- Young Audiences of Northeast Texas, Tyler
The 2024-2025 Texas Women for the Arts Executive Committee
The committee includes:
- Isha Rogers Santamaria, Chair and 2025 Annual Meeting Chair, El Paso
- Nancy Seliger, Vice-Chair, Austin
- Linda LaMantia, Immediate Past Chair, Laredo
- Muffin Lemak, Membership Co-Chair, Dallas
- Ana Montoya, Membership Co-Chair, San Antonio
- Lisa Jimenez, Membership Vice Co-Chair, El Paso
- Sarah Laucirica, Membership Vice Co-Chair, El Paso
- Dawn Leatherwood, Membership Vice Co-Chair, Tyler
- Lesa Rossick, Membership Vice Co-Chair, Austin
- Nina Seely, Nominating Vice-Chair, Austin
- Lisa Ivie Miller, Grants Chair, Austin
- Madison Peterson, Grants Vice-Chair, Austin
- Nancy Murray, Governance Chair, Longview
- Leslie Blanton, Governance Vice-Chair, Houston
- Jan McKee, Legacy Chair, Fort Worth
- Nancy Hiles, Legacy Vice-Chair, Grand Prairie
- Marielle Lamy Quaid, Travel Chair, Austin
- Christy Berry, Travel Vice Co-Chair, Dallas
- Eliza Duncan, Travel Vice Co-Chair, Houston
Conclusion
The Texas Women for the Arts grant program is making a significant impact on the lives of Texas children by providing access to arts education. With over $4.7 million in grants awarded since its founding, the organization is helping to foster creativity, support neurodevelopment, and boost academic achievement. As the program continues to grow and expand, it is likely to have an even greater impact on the state’s arts education landscape, inspiring young minds and preserving Texas’s rich cultural heritage.
