Cultural Affairs Office

Press and Communications

January 10, 2023 -- The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) is awarding $11,520,344.70 in grants to 57 individuals, 131 arts and culture nonprofit organizations and fiscally sponsored projects offering public exhibitions, presentations, and performances in 2023.

See the full list of grantees here. The funds are awarded via the Support for Organizations, Festival, and Support for Artists and Creative Individuals grant programs, which support individuals, nonprofit organizations, and fiscally sponsored projects with annual arts and cultural programming that is available to Houston residents and visitors.

Nia's Daughters Collective, a Support for Organizations grantee.

“This massive investment into the arts sector highlights how important the arts are to the City of Houston,” says The Mayor. “The arts help shape our city’s identity and we foster the creativity of our residents for the benefit of every Houstonian. I want this support for the arts to be a part of my legacy as Houston’s mayor.”

These competitive grant programs are managed and administered annually by the Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) and are funded by a portion of the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT). More information about HOT funding is available here.

All applications received by the published deadline are reviewed through a two-step process and reviewed by 50-120 panelists. To learn more about the process, visit HAA’s website or MOCA’s website.

An installation by artist JD Pluecker, a Support for Artists and Creative Individuals grantee.

About The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA)
The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs guides the city’s cultural investments with policies and initiatives that expand access to arts and cultural programs in the community, attract visitors and leverage private investment. Learn more at www.houstontx.gov/culturalaffairs and follow us on Facebook & Instagram @HoustonMOCA.

About Houston Arts Alliance
Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a local arts and culture organization whose principal work is to implement the City of Houston’s vision, values, and goals for its arts grantmaking and civic art investments. HAA’s work is conducted through contracts with the City of Houston, overseen by The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. HAA also executes privately funded special projects to meet the needs of the arts community, such as disaster preparation, research on the state of the arts in Houston, and temporary public art projects that energize neighborhoods. In short, HAA helps artists and nonprofits be bold, productive, and strong. To learn more about HAA, visit www.houstonartsalliance.com and follow us on Facebook & Instagram @HoustonArtsAlliance.