The Trust can often acts as a bridge between the Texas business community and the arts. Our generous corporate sponsors realize the value the arts play in both our everyday lives and the future of our state.

John Montford, V.P. External Affairs for our major sponsor AT&T put it best when he said, “I have a passion for the arts,” Montford explained. “I think a city that reaches international maturity for business recruitment has to show that sophistication.”

The Texas Cultural Trust believes in the importance of creating value for our donors. A unique advantage we provide is the connection of our donors to the Texas Legislators through the arts, not only through the Texas Medal of Arts program, co-chaired by the Governor, Lt. Governor and the Speaker of the House, but also through the recognition of the Young Masters in a Capitol press conference with legislators in attendance and recognition on the floor.

It is through the generous support of our donors that we are able to provide the funding for administering the many arts in education initiates performed by The Texas Commission on the Arts for the entire state of Texas. The arts instill values in our youth and our society. It strengthens our communities and enhances the educational experience for all disciplines of study. Research has proven that art participation by our youth lowers the dropout rates, increases academic performance, including higher SAT scores, and involvement in our communities. Art is an economic generator for our state. The cultural arts are responsible for approximately 19.8% of the total tourism in the state. For every $1 spent on cultural activities, more than $298 of cultural impact on the economy occurs, as well as $9.20 in state revenues. Access to arts is often a deciding factor in relocation decisions across the United States.