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Ben Casalino

Jun 14
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2022 Arts Leadership and Advocacy Seminar image

WESTAF Announces 2022 Arts Leadership and Advocacy Seminar

By Advocacy, News, Policy, WESTAF News
WESTAF is happy to announce that registration is open for the 2022 Arts Leadership and Advocacy Seminar (ALAS)! This year's virtual event will be taking place on Monday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 24, 2022. Held annually between 2011 and 2017, ALAS brought arts leaders from the West to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress and their staff, engage in briefings regarding the status of and future prospects for federal arts support, and to discuss with the WESTAF trustees ways to generate more state government support for the work of state arts agencies. This year’s ALAS will expand...
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Jun 14
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TourWest Impact Survey image of a person playing the saxophone

WESTAF Announces Plans for a More Accessible TourWest Program

By News, Social Responsibility & Inclusion, WESTAF News

TourWest is WESTAF’s competitive grant program that has historically provided subsidies to arts and community organizations for the presentation of touring performers and literary artists within the 13-state WESTAF region. Since its inaugural year, TourWest has allocated approximately $500,000 a year in small amounts throughout the region. Through its longstanding efforts, TourWest has brought touring to a region covering nearly a quarter of the continent but holding only about 3% of the population in the 1960s. Cultural leaders in the Western states pursued a way of making tours more affordable for rural communities in addition to making them more attractive…

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Jun 12
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Creative Vitality Summit 2021 Report Image of a camera with pink and blue lighting

WESTAF Announces 2021 Creative Vitality™ Summit Report

By Advocacy, News, Policy, WESTAF News
The 2021 Creative Vitality™ Summit report is here! The Summit brought together thought leaders and creative economy experts to discuss opportunities and challenges for creative workers and entrepreneurs, as well as building a more community-centered creative economy. Topics ranged from opportunities for, and threats to, creative workers and entrepreneurs, in addition to impact investing and building creative economy infrastructure through networks and policy. We recently compiled all of the resources and recommendations generated during the Creative Vitality™ Summit into a single report to share with you. To learn more about the convening, as well as how we hope to build...
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Jun 09
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WESTAF alliances, advocacy, and policy team headshots

WESTAF Expands its Alliances, Advocacy, and Policy Team

By Advocacy, News, Policy, WESTAF News
WESTAF is excited to announce a newly expanded and reimagined Alliances, Advocacy, and Policy (AAP) team. Led by WESTAF Deputy Director David Holland, the expanded team will allow for a deeper investment in year-round state and federal arts advocacy and support of the 13 state arts agencies in the West, as well as increased capacity to facilitate regional and national dialogue on contemporary policy issues that affect the arts. The Alliances, Advocacy, and Policy (AAP) division leads a variety of efforts, including conducting arts policy research, delivering professional development programs for state arts agencies, advancing and supporting the work of arts...
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Apr 29
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Bi-Weekly Recap: April 20, 2020

By Board of Trustees Bi-Weekly Recap
Hello WESTAF Trustees: Really hope that all of you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. Like me, you may have whiplash thinking how quickly priorities have shifted in just weeks. I hope you are finding ways to maintain your physical, mental and emotional resilience. That can be especially hard when life consists of juggling uncertainties and letting go of the things that can’t be controlled. It’s a lot! At WESTAF, our work community has moved to Slack — conversation threads, topic channels, daily check-ins, video calls, music playlists, snack tips, recipes and pet photos. Everyone on the WESTAF...
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Feb 10
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Update Notes #90 | January 2017

By Advocacy, Convenings, Events, News, Newsletter, Policy, SAAs, Updates, ZAPP
WESTAF Update Notes #90 | January 2017 From Anthony Radich, Executive Director This is the 90th in a continuing series of updates about the work of WESTAF Sixth Arts Leadership and Advocacy Seminar For the sixth consecutive year, WESTAF will bring 60 arts advocates from the West to Washington, DC. During the January 30 through February 1 meeting, participants will learn more about the current and planned future work of the NEA, hear updates on federal-level advocacy efforts, and meet with their members of Congress. The speaker for the Seminar’s opening dinner is Sam Stein, senior politics editor at the...
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Apr 18
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Update Notes #87 | April 2016

By Advocacy, Articles, CaFE, Convenings, CVSuite, Events, Newsletter, Policy, SAAs, Tech, Updates, ZAPP
WESTAF Update Notes #87 | April 2016 From Anthony Radich, Executive Director This is the 87th in a continuing series of updates about the work of WESTAF Hessenius Report on Nonprofit-Arts Communications Released Last year, Barry Hessenius, the editor ofBarry’s Blog, surveyed the nonprofit arts field to obtain information about how administrators in the nonprofit arts use communications within the sector. The inquiry explored a variety of subjects, including: a) which communications tools are currently used by arts-organization personnel; b) which sources of information are most valued and trusted by arts-organization personnel;  c) how arts administrators are managing the high...
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Jan 02
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Update Notes #86 | January 2016

By Advocacy, Convenings, Events, Newsletter, Updates, Videos
WESTAF Update Notes #86 | January 2016 From Anthony Radich, Executive Director This is the 86th in a continuing series of updates about the work of WESTAF. Speaker Announced for 2016 Arts Leadership and Advocacy Seminar In early February, WESTAF will bring 60 arts advocates from the West to Washington, DC for the fifth consecutive year. During the meeting February 2-4, the participants in WESTAF's Arts Leadership and Advocacy Seminar will learn more about the current and planned future work of the NEA, update themselves on federal level advocacy efforts, and meet with their members of Congress. The speaker for...
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Oct 14
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Update Notes #85 | October 2015

By Advocacy, Convenings, Newsletter, Policy, Social Responsibility & Inclusion, Tech, Updates
WESTAF Update Notes #85 | October 2015 From Anthony Radich, Executive Director 
This is the 85th in a continuing series of updates about the work of WESTAF Performing Arts Discovery Advisory Committee Formed The NEA-initiated and funded Performing Arts Discovery project is moving forward. WESTAF has partnered with the Western Arts Alliance (WAA), the region's stand-alone presenter service organization, to realize the project's goals. One of the first action steps is convening an advisory committee in Denver October 29-30. The committee, composed of experts from the United States and abroad, will advise WESTAF and WAA on the most productive methods...
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Jul 31
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Update Notes #84 | July 2015

By CaFE, Convenings, Events, Newsletter, PAA, Social Responsibility & Inclusion, Tech, Updates
WESTAF Update Notes #84 | July 2015 From Anthony Radich, Executive Director This is the 84th in a continuing series of updates about the work of WESTAF Applicants Sought for 2015 Emerging Leaders of Color Program Applicants are currently being invited to apply to participate in the WESTAF seminar for emerging leaders of color. The seminar will be held October 26-28, 2015, in Denver. Selected participants are invited to attend the seminar at no cost, and travel and lodging expenses are paid by WESTAF. Organized by Chrissy Deal, WESTAF's program associate for multicultural initiatives, participants work with a core faculty...
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