The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL), located in the heart of Downtown Dallas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Theater complex is an iconic centerpiece of Dallas' artistic and cultural diversity offerings to its citizens and tourists around the world. Preparing to undergo its construction renovation, TBAAL has temporarily re-located to the Women's Museum, 3800 Parry Avenue, at Dallas Fair Park.
Each January, TBAAL hosts a culturally commemorative concert that honors the works and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The concert, "Black Music and the Civil Rights Movement" is held at Dallas' Meyerson Symphony Center and to-date has won five Emmy awards in the "Special Event Coverage Other Than News" category.
In June, TBAAL hosts it annual Summer Youth Arts Institute, in which students 10-18 years of age enroll in crash courses in Music, Dance, Theatre, Costume Design, Make-up, Lighting, Stage Management, Photography or Film/Video. This enrichment program culminates with a full-scale musical (written and directed by Curtis King, TBAAL founder/president) and performed by Youth Summer Arts students. One of the bright young stars from that program SKYE DAKOTA TURNER, played young Aretha in the popular film biopic "RESPECT" and the young Anna Mae on Broadway in "TINA: The Tina Turner Musical."
BRYCE HOLMES another of TBAAL's summer arts students toured with Broadway's "MJ THE MUSICAL," while RACHEL WEBB a long-standing summer arts alum and exquisite talent, starred-in and toured with the Broadway production of "AND JULIET."
Every Labor Day weekend, TBAAL hosts its annual Riverfront Jazz Festival in downtown Dallas. The festival has three stages: Jazz, Blues & Soul, and a Promising Young Artists showcase. For three captivating days, patrons experience a musical array of jazz, blues, R&B, soul, pop, and Neo-soul. TBAAL's 2026 Jazz Festival was held at the Centennial, Automobile and Women's buildings at TBAAL's temporary Fair Park location. This year's guests included: the legendary Ms. Gladys Knight, Samara Joy, American Idol winner and undeniable talent, Jamal Roberts, Kim Waters, Kiko Matsui, Rose Royce, Marion Meadows, Alex Bugnon, Spyro Gyra, Bilal, Lao Tizer, King George and more.
During its regular program season, September 1 - August 31 of each year, TBAAL offers programs and performances in theatre, comedy, literature, poetry, and jazz. All proceeds benefit TBAAL's long-term sustainability and Youth Arts-and-Education programs.
We invite you to step into our VIRTUAL GALLERY and view the award-winning legendary artists/guests TBAAL has hosted over the years.
Thank you TBAAL supporters and donors for investing in THE ARTS!
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) is a multi-discipline arts organization whose mission is to create and enhance an awareness and understanding of artistic, cultural and aesthetic differences utilizing the framework of African, African-American and Caribbean Arts and Letters.
Additionally, its purpose is to promote, cultivate, foster, preserve and perpetuate the African, African American and Caribbean Arts and letters in the Fine, Literary, Visual, Performing and Cinematic Arts.
Our goal for the "North Texas Giving Day" campaign is $25,000. Your donation helps us carry out our mission to promote, cultivate, foster, preserve, and perpetuate the African, African American and Caribbean Arts and letters in the Fine, Literary, Visual, Performing and Cinematic Arts and it helps the continuation of TBAAL's youth, cultural and artistic programs, and most importantly, it helps ensure the perpetuity of TBAAL's legacy!
TBAAL seeks operational support to assist in retaining full and part-time staff and contract laborers, while simultaneously seeking to sustain two of its major programs during the season: its three-week long Summer Youth Arts Institute which serves 400+ youth from predominately under-served and economically challenged communities, in addition to suburban students, whose artistic desires bring them to the academy year after year; along with the costs that accompany TBAAL's three-day annual Riverfront Jazz Festival which thrives in the heart of Dallas each Labor Day weekend.
Thank you for your generous donation!
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) is a cultural arts institution, offering an excellent cultural arts experience to TBAAL members, patrons and visitors regardless of ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, ability or national origin. Additionally, TBAAL does not sanction or condone bias, harassment or discrimination to any one, in any form.
Organization name
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Inc.
Tax id (EIN)
75-1609410
Causes
Arts & Humanities
Operating Budget
$1,000,000 - $2,999,999
Counties Served
Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Rockwall, Tarrant
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx
BIPOC Leadership
Both the Executive Director/CEO and Board Chair
Address
650 S. Griffin St