Arts Connect Houston is a collective impact organization committed to ensuring all students have access to arts education as part of a complete education. We know that the arts connect to students, the arts connect communities, and the arts connect us to our future. Our collaborative is guided by substantial research which demonstrates that students who receive an education rich in the arts do better in school, gain key social-emotional competencies, and go on to thrive as innovate thinkers in college and beyond.
As a collective impact organization, Arts Connect brings together a variety of stakeholders who share this common goal. We unite many partners in our work including 100+ local arts and culture organizations (whom we call our Arts & Culture Partners), Houston ISD, and other state and national partners. To learn more about our partners, please visit our website.
Every year, Arts Connect invites Houston-area arts and culture organizations to apply to join our collective as an Arts & Culture Partner. This application serves as an introduction to your organization's work and goals and will help us determine if your organization joining the Arts Connect collective would be mutually beneficial.
Guidelines for Becoming an Arts & Culture Partner
To be eligible to join our collective, organizations must:
- Be based in the Greater Houston area
- Have a fine arts focus (all disciplines welcome)
- Provide arts education programs for students or be committed to bolstering K-12 arts education in Houston through other means
- Commit to upholding the collective's vision, mission, values, and guiding principles
- Attend Partner Convenings and Learning Series sessions as able (Attending the August Partner Convening is required to be considered an active Arts & Culture Partner)
- Complete annual Partner Survey (Survey completion required to be considered an active Arts & Culture Partner)
- Engage with the Arts Connect collective a minimum of five times between August 1st and July 31st. (An activity that counts towards the engagement quota might be attending a Partner Convening, attending a working group meeting, volunteering at the State of the Arts in Education Symposium, and more).
Benefits of Becoming an Arts & Culture Partner
By joining the collective, your organization:
- Has access to data and information on school districts we work with and arts education in Houston
- Can connect with schools, educators, and arts leaders, learning from one another and aligning efforts
- Can join working groups and key conversations to help shape Houston’s arts education path
- Gains and shares knowledge through professional learning opportunities
- Has access to the Arts Action Fund to support programs at campuses within districts with work in
- Has access to other funding opportunities throughout the year
- Is a part of a community of like-minded professionals who are committed to reciprocal support and collective action
Please carefully review the New Partner Toolkit to learn more about Arts Connect Houston and what participation in our collective looks like. You must submit your application to become a partner by Wednesday, July 22th, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. You will receive notification about the status of your application no later than EOD Wednesday, July 29th.
All new partners should be prepared to attend our 2026-2027 Partner kick-off and orientation on Friday, August 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
If you have any questions, please email Mandy Whited, our Programs & Partnerships Manager, at mandy@artsconnecthouston.org.