$625 raised by 7 donors
4% complete
$15,000 Goal
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL), located in the heart of Downtown Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center Theater complex is an iconic centerpiece of Dallas' artistic and cultural diversity offerings to its citizens and to tourists around the world. Preparing to undergo its $250 million construction renovation, TBAAL will temporarily re-locate to the Women's Museum building at Dallas Fair Park.
Each January, TBAAL hosts a culturally commemorative concert that honors the works and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The concert, "Black Music and the Civil Rights Movement" is held at Dallas' Meyerson Symphony Center and to date has won four Emmy awards in the category of "Special Event Coverage Other Than News."
In June, TBAAL hosts it annual Summer Youth Arts Institute, in which students ages 10-18 enroll in crash courses in Music, Dance, Theatre, Costume Design, Make-up, Lighting, Stage Management, Photography or Film/Video. This enrichment program culminates with a full-scale musical (written and directed by Curtis King, TBAAL founder/president), performed by Summer Arts students. One of the bright young stars from that program SKYE DAKOTA TURNER, played young Aretha in the film biopic "RESPECT" and the young Anna Mae on Broadway in "TINA: The Tina Turner Musical." Currently, BRYCE HOLMES another of TBAAL's summer arts students is touring with Broadway's "MJ THE MUSICAL," while RACHEL WEBB a long-standing summer arts alum and exquisite talent is starring in and touring with Broadway's production of "AND JULIET."
Every Labor Day weekend, TBAAL hosts its annual Riverfront Jazz Festival in downtown Dallas. The festival has three stages: Jazz, Blues & Soul, and a Promising Young Artists showcase. For three captivating days, patrons experience a musical array of jazz, blues, R&B, soul, pop, and Neo-soul. TBAAL's 2025 Jazz Festival will be held at the temporary Fair Park location.
During its regular program season, September 1 - August 31, each year, TBAAL offers programs and performances in theatre, comedy, literature, poetry, and jazz. All proceeds benefit TBAAL's long-term sustainability and youth Arts-and-Education programs.
We invite you to step into our new VIRTUAL GALLERY and view the award-winning artists/guests TBAAL has hosted over the years.
Special thanks to all TBAAL donors for investing in THE ARTS!
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) is a multi-discipline arts organization whose mission is to create and enhance an awareness and understanding of artistic, cultural and aesthetic differences utilizing the framework of African, African-American and Caribbean Arts and Letters.
Additionally, its purpose is to promote, cultivate, foster, preserve and perpetuate the African, African American and Caribbean Arts and letters in the Fine, Literary, Visual, Performing and Cinematic Arts.
Our goal for the "North Texas Gives to the Arts" campaign is $15,000. Your donation helps us carry out our mission to promote, cultivate, foster, preserve, and perpetuate the African, African American and Caribbean Arts and letters in the Fine, Literary, Visual, Performing and Cinematic Arts and it helps the continuation of TBAAL's youth, cultural and artistic programs, and most importantly, it helps ensure the perpetuity of TBAAL's legacy!
TBAAL seeks operational and administrative support to assist in retaining full and part-time staff and contract laborers, while simultaneously seeking to sustain two of its major programs during the season: its three-week long Summer Youth Arts Institute which serves 400+ youth from predominately under-served and economically challenged communities, in addition to suburban students, whose artistic desires bring them to the academy year after year. TBAAL's three-day annual Riverfront Jazz Festival which thrives in the heart of downtown Dallas each Labor Day weekend.
Thank you for your generous donation!
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) is a cultural arts institution, offering an excellent cultural arts experience to TBAAL members, patrons and visitors regardless of ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, ability or national origin. Additionally, TBAAL does not sanction or condone bias, harassment or discrimination to any one, in any form.
Organization name
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Inc.
Causes
Arts & Humanities
Operating Budget
$1,000,000 - $2,999,999
Counties Served
Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Rockwall, Tarrant
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Other
BIPOC Leadership
Both the Executive Director/CEO and Board Chair
Address
650 S. Griffin St