To achieve our mission to serve the citizens of Houston and Harris County, Houston Arts Alliance's activities are grouped in seven major program areas:

Grants for Arts and Culture Organizations
Grants for Artists
Technical Assistance and Services (MODE)
Arts Incubator Program
Civic Art + Design
space125gallery
Community Relations

Grants for Arts and Culture Organizations
Our Arts and Culture Organizations Grant Program represents the investment of public funds in nonprofit organizations that provide opportunities for local residents as well as visitors to enjoy the diverse array of arts and cultural activities presented throughout Houston/Harris County. Funded principally by the City of Houston through the Hotel Occupancy Tax, the Arts and Culture Organizations Grant Program supports organizations whose programs enhance Houston’s reputation as a destination for cultural tourism. We provide general operating support and project support grants through a competitive application and peer review process. >>>


Grants for Artists
Houston Arts Alliance recognizes that a city’s excellence in the arts is enhanced through the encouragement and support for local artists and their engagement in creative endeavors. Our Individual Artist Grants Program seeks to support the development and presentation of new work by local Houston artists and to recognize the significant contributions artists make to the cultural environment of our city. We provide fellowship and project grants opportunities through a competitive application and review process. >>>

Management Assistance and Organizational Development Enterprise (MODE): Technical Assistance and Services
Building on the Management Assistance and Organizational Development Enterprise Program (MODE) initiated in the early 1990s, we continue to provide targeted technical assistance to small and mid-size cultural arts organizations to strengthen their ability to provide artistic and cultural programs to local residents and visitors to Houston. Our efforts in this area have received local and national accolades, including being cited as one of eight model programs across the country in Rethinking Stabilization: Strengthening Arts Organizations during Times of Change, a Ford Foundation research study. Details on current Technical Assistance and Services opportunities are listed in the Grants for Organizations section of the website.


Arts Incubator Program
Seeking to develop the next generation of arts organizations in Houston,  Houston Arts Alliance has operated the Arts Incubator Program since 1995. The program is designed for small and promising arts organizations and offers office space, access to shared meeting space and office equipment, administrative assistance, workshops, consulting and mentoring for up to three years. Among the graduates of the program are Infernal Bridegroom Productions, Buffalo Bayou ArtPark, Sandra Organ Dance Company, Bobbindoctrin Puppet Theatre, Fresh Arts Coalition, Mercury Baroque Ensemble and Nuestra Palabra – Latino Writers Having Their Say.  Current participants include Diaz Music Institute, Illuminations Arts, Musiqa, and Voices Breaking Boundaries.


Civic Art + Design
Almost since its inception, Houston Arts Alliance has been engaged in bringing art to public and private facilities as well as other publicly-accessible spaces. Our Civic Art + Design program, established in June 1994, initiates and manages civic art enhancement projects in Houston and Harris County. The program serves as a community resource and works on a consulting basis with both public and private sector entities. The Civic Art + Design program also maintains a public art resource center and an artist registry. >>>


space125gallery
Inaugurated in December 2003, space125gallery at the Houston Center for the Arts is dedicated to showcasing the work of Houston artists, principally those identified through the competitive Individual Artist Grants Program. In 2004, the exhibitions featured new and recent works by the recipients of the 2003 Individual Artists Fellowship awards. >>>


Community Relations
Through networking, consultations and other communication methods, our community relations efforts aim to increase civic leaders’ understanding of the importance of the arts to Houston. We seek to inform elected officials and other opinion leaders on developments in our field and the challenges and opportunities of the nonprofit arts. Our end-goal is to increase the resources available to support the arts.