AUSTIN, Texas — Allison Orr, the artistic director of Forklift Danceworks, has been named a 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award recipient, organizers announced, granting her an unrestricted $525,000 prize.
The Doris Duke Foundation annually selects six artists working in contemporary dance, jazz and theater for the award. Recipients may use the funds at their discretion, including a $25,000 incentive designated for retirement savings. The foundation distributes the award over seven years and has awarded more than $40 million to artists since the program began.
Ashley Ferro-Murray, the foundation’s program director for the arts, said in a press release that providing unrestricted funding allows artists to create and experiment without financial constraints.
Orr founded Forklift Danceworks in 2001. The company collaborates with communities and partners with local agencies to develop performances that highlight workers and their roles. In one production, “The Trash Project,” sanitation workers performed and shared their experiences.
Orr is the third Austin-based artist to receive the award since its establishment in 1996. Previous recipients include choreographer Deborah Hay in 2012 and Shawn Sides of the Rude Mechs in 2015.
Orr said she has not decided how she will use the award funds but plans to conduct financial planning for the future.
