The Dallas Museum of Art has announced the recipients of its 2026 Awards to Artists program, awarding nearly $42,000 to 21 Texas artists through the Clare Hart DeGolyer Memorial Fund, the Arch and Anne Giles Kimbrough Fund, and the Otis and Velma Davis Dozier Travel Grant. This year’s cycle drew 160 applicants, the largest pool in the program’s history.
All selected artists currently reside in Texas, with 16 based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Since its founding in 1980, Awards to Artists has distributed more than $1 million in grants supporting emerging and established artists throughout the Southwest. This year’s guest juror was Dr. Valerie Bennett Gillespie, arts educator and founder of Pencil on Paper Gallery.
“Nearly double the amount seen in recent years, this unprecedented number of applicants underscores the abundance of talent burgeoning from the Southwest,” said Ade Omotosho, The Nancy and Tim Hanley Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the DMA. “As the Awards to Artists program continues to expand, we look forward to devoting more resources to the living artists that help our region flourish with creativity and vitality.”
The awarded projects reflect a wide range of research-based and community-centered practices. Supported initiatives include archival research at the ONE Archives at USC Libraries examining the legacy of the AIDS crisis, community art classes designed around accessibility, explorations of biochemistry-based photographic processes, and portfolio development for artists pursuing higher education opportunities. Travel grant recipients will conduct research in locations including Japan, the U.S.-Mexico border, and American cities impacted by environmental injustice.
Recipients of the 2026 Clare Hart DeGolyer Memorial Fund include Bao Nghi Ngo, Tommy Lee Stidham, Fathima Farha, Sarah Gutierrez, Marcy Davis, Felipe Tascon, Edith Juanah, Jennifer Godinez, Zoe Fanning, and Tyson Shepherd. The Arch and Anne Giles Kimbrough Fund recipients are Saj Baldwin, Phoebe Heng, Cree Agent, Israel Covarrubias, Jennifer Ramos, Karla Ramirez-Santin, Javier Robelo, and Crystal Coulter. The Otis and Velma Davis Dozier Travel Grant recipients are Veronica Ibargüengoitia Tena, Nitashia Johnson, and Tamara Johnson.
“Being a part of this year’s jury was a true reminder of the incredible talent that comes from Texas, particularly in Dallas-Fort Worth,” said Dr. Valerie Bennett Gillespie. “The process was refreshing and genuinely difficult as there were so many ambitious and thoughtful practices to consider.”
The DMA will host a public celebration honoring the award recipients on May 19 from 6–8 p.m. at the Dallas Museum of Art. The evening will include remarks and presentations in the Horchow Auditorium followed by a reception in the Hamon Atrium.