Houston creative community has been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic as music venues and art spaces have closed. To help combat some of the financial strain impacting local artists and cultural organizations, the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) distributed $5 million to artists, cultural organizations, music venues and musicians.

MOCA, in collaboration with Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) and Mid-America Arts Alliance (MAAA), successfully distributed federal CARES funds to 691 recipients. A total of 226 artists, 308 musicians, 36 music venues, and 121 arts and cultural organizations received support. The MOCA CARES relief grant programs were offered twice in 2020, in August and in November. All funds have been distributed.

“We want to thank musicians and artists for their role in community as we, as a city, work together during this global pandemic,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “While we see positive signs regarding vaccines, we know that we must continue to protect ourselves and each other. The City’s commitment to music venues, musicians, cultural institutions and artists is a part of a variety of supports like broadband access, rental assistance, and small business relief.”

Recipients of funding represented the entire city across all eleven City Council districts, and represented a variety of musical genres and artistic expressions. A majority of recipients reported that their artistic practice makes up their primary source of income, making these funds critical. There were a total of 1,736 applicants reporting losses of $165.6 million.

These grants provide direct support to individuals and businesses that generate economic activity and support the community's wellbeing. The organizations and music venues that received awards are listed below. We encourage everyone to continue to #MaskUp, stay safe, and support the arts.

To learn more about the City’s cultural programs visit www.houstontx.gov/culturalaffairs. You can also follow MOCA on Facebook and Instagram @HoustonMOCA.

Awards are as follows:

$20,000 - $100,000

A.D. Players

Alley Kat Bar & Lounge

Arena Theatre

Art Colony Association, Inc.

Asia Society Texas Center

Avantgarden

Barrett's Bar & Music

Cafeza

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

Cullen Performance Hall

Dan Electro's Bar

Dynamic Sound Houston

Emmits Place

Gus S. Wortham Theater Center

Heights Theater

Holocaust Museum Houston

Houston Center For Contemporary Craft

Houston Center For Photography

Houston Metropolitan Dance Center Inc

Houston Symphony Society

Houston Youth Symphony

Inprint Inc

Italian Cultural & Community Center Of Houston

John P McGovern Museum Of Health & Medical Science

Jones Hall For The Performing Arts

Khon's

Last Concert Cafe

Le Chateau Bistro & Lounge

Main Street Theater

Mcgonigel's Mucky Duck

Menil Foundation Inc

Mercury Chamber Orchestra

Multicultural Education And Counseling Through The Arts

Museum Of Fine Arts Houston

Numbers

Orange Show Center For Visionary Art

Red Dwarf

River Oaks Chamber Orchestra

Rockefellers

Society For The Performing Arts

Stages

Stereo Live

The Bayou Theater

The Big Easy

The Continental Club

The Dive

The Hobby Center

The Music Box Theater, Houston

The Rustic

The Secret Group

Theatre Under The Stars Inc

Warehouse Live

Westwind Club

White Oak Music Hall

Writers In The Schools

Young Audiences Inc Of Houston

$5,001 - $19,999

14 Pews

1810 Ojeman Bar

4th Wall Theatre Company

Aperio

Apollo Chamber Players

Ars Lyrica Houston

Art League Of Houston

Aurora Picture Show

Axiom Quartet Inc

Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre

Bechdel Films

Box13 Artspace

Buffalo Soldier National Museum

Children's Prison Art Project

City Ballet Of Houston

Classical Theatre Company

Coalition Of Hispanics For Excellence In International Techno

Community Artists Collective

Community Music Center Of Houston

Czech Center Museum Houston

Da Camera Society Of Texas

Dance Houston

Dance Of Asian America

Dance Source Houston

Diaz Music Institute

Discovery Green Conservancy

Diverse Works Inc

Ensemble Theatre

Express Children's Theatre

Ez Kids Creativity Shell

Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment

Fotofest Inc

Foundation For Modern Music Inc

Franklins Tower

Freneticore

Fresh Arts

Glasstire

Greater Houston Chorus

Gulf Coast-a Journal Of Literature & Fine Arts

Hope Stone Inc

Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society Inc

Houston Ballet

Houston Boychoir Inc

Houston Children's Chorus Inc

Houston Choral Society

Houston Cinema Arts Society

Houston Contemporary Dance

Houston Early Music

Houston International Dance Coalition

Houston Latin American Philharmonic Orchestra

Houston Masterworks Chorus Inc

Houston Museum Of African American Culture

India House Inc

Indian Music Society Of Houston

Indo-American Association

Jazz Education Inc

Jazz Houston

Lawndale Art And Performance Center

Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company

Musiqa

Nameless Sound

Nigerian American Multicultural Center

Open Dance Project

Partnership For The Advancement & Immersion Of Refugees

Project Row Houses

Public Poetry

Rec Room Arts

Russian Cultural Center-our Texas

SHAPE Community Center

Silambam Houston

South Asian Folk Arts Council

Stages

Texan-French Alliance For The Arts

Texas New Music Ensemble

The Catastrophic Theatre Inc

The Heritage Society

The Positive Project

Theatre Suburbia Inc

Uptown Dance Company

Vietnamese Culture And Science Association

Virtuosi Of Houston

Windsync

Workshop Houston

World Voices Houston

Writespace

$5,000 or Less

Community Development Corporation Of Freedmens Town

Cone Man Running Productions

Dance Afrikana

Diversity In The Arts And Entertainment

Dynamism Fine Arts Of Texas

Exalted Arts Corporation

Flamart

Gordon Education Initiatives For The Performing Arts

Houston Brass Quintet Inc

Houston Latino Film Festival

IV God's Glory

La Speranza

Landing Theatre Company

Luciole International Theatre Co

Super Happy Fun Land

Welead

A total of $1,206,950 distributed to 534 individual creatives in music, visual arts, writing, film/media, theater, dance, and design.