We Are Now Accepting Nominations for Our 2016 Masterminds

Artists in Dallas are always complaining about the limited spread of funds. This is why one of my favorite things about my job is the annual announcement, "Hey, Dallas artists, we're giving away dolla dolla bills." Well, we're writing checks at least. Annually, we give away $6,000 to artists working...

By Lauren Smart

November 16, 2015

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Artists in Dallas are always complaining about the limited spread of funds. This is why one of my favorite things about my job is the annual announcement, "Hey, Dallas artists, we're giving away dolla dolla bills." Well, we're writing checks at least. Annually, we give away $6,000 to artists working in the visual, literary or performing arts. The winners are nominated by someone who knows and loves their work, which could even be themselves, then a committee of previous winners and a handful of the culturally inclined debate the nominees, slowly whittling it down to finalists. Those finalists are the focus of both a story and a photoshoot for the Observer, and awarded their checks at the Artopia event in January. The money is no-strings-attached cash, which you can use for rent, tools or a really large bar tab. See? It all sounds pretty great, right?

Last year we gave away six $1,000 prizes. This year, we've decided to divide up the money into three $2,000 awards, because if you haven't noticed, rent has gone up in Dallas.

Wanna see someone you know win it? Here's the skinny:

Nominate a worthy MasterMind by emailing us at [email protected] OR mail or drop off a printed nomination, along with CD-ROMs, DVDs, digital media or links to work samples. Do not send original work. Submissions will not be returned.

You'll find us, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, at:

2501 Oak Lawn Avenue, Suite 355
Dallas, TX 75219

Deadline for Nominations: Friday, November 20, 2015.

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