All Posts By

Natalie Scherlong

Nov 15
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Announcing ArtsHERE: New Initiative Supports Increased Opportunity for Arts Participation

By News, Programs, Social Responsibility & Inclusion, WESTAF News

For immediate release: Wednesday, November 15, 2023, 10:00 a.m. ET Contacts: Liz Auclair (NEA), auclaire@arts.gov, 202-682-5744 Ivan Schustak (South Arts), ischustak@southarts.org, 404-874-7244 x829 Rachel Roberts (Cultural Counsel), rachel@culturalcounsel.com, 501-400-4090 New Initiative from the National Endowment for the Arts Supports Increased Opportunities for Arts Participation ArtsHERE Statement of Interest Deadline: Friday, January 19, 2024   Washington, DC—A new initiative from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced today aims to expand access to arts participation in our country. A partnership with South Arts and in collaboration with the other five U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, ArtsHERE will provide non-matching  grant support…

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Sep 14
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US Regional Arts Organizations Welcome Shannon Daut as National Director

By Articles, News, WESTAF News
The United States Regional Arts Organization (US RAOs) has announced the appointment of Shannon Daut as the US RAO Collective’s first ever National Director. The US RAOs are a national collective of six, place-based, nonprofit arts service organizations that strengthen America’s infrastructure by increasing access to creativity for all. The six RAOs are Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, South Arts, and WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation), with a combined  reach that spans across state, national, and international borders. "We are thrilled to welcome Shannon Daut as the National Director of the...
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Sep 11
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2023-24 National Leaders of Color Fellowship Application Launching Soon

By Articles, News, Social Responsibility & Inclusion, WESTAF News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Leah Horn 720.664.2239 leah.horn@westaf.org   Second Round of National Leaders of Color Fellowship to Launch with Support from United States Regional Arts Organizations Application Opens September 18 for Unique  Eight-Month Leadership Development Experience Denver, CO, September 11, 2023—Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) has partnered with its five United States Regional Arts Organization (USRAO) counterparts in continued support for the National Leaders of Color Fellowship, a transformative leadership development experience curated by WESTAF in order to establish multicultural leadership in the creative and cultural sector. By partnering with the other RAOs (Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid...
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Jul 06
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WESTAF Now Newsletter | June 2023

By Newsletter
Thought Leadership and reach            WESTAF Leadership Visits the Pacific Jurisdictions During the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month of May, a delegation of WESTAF’s leadership undertook a two-week trip to Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and American Samoa to learn about and celebrate the cultures of these vibrant yet isolated Pacific communities that are now a part of the WESTAF region. The trip covered more than 18,000 miles from Los Angeles to Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi to Guam and CNMI, then back to Hawaiʻi to get to American Samoa, with a return...
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Jun 20
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Exciting News: WESTAF Welcomes Expanded Social Responsibility and Inclusion Team

By Social Responsibility & Inclusion, Staff, WESTAF News
WESTAF’s Social Responsibility and Inclusion (SRI) team is growing! Led by Director of Social Responsibility Anika Tené, the expanded team will support existing equity work in the region as well as new initiatives, including new technical assistance grant programs, deeper investment in the Leaders of Color Network, and the development of equity-centered tools and resources to further the work of WESTAF-region states and jurisdictions. In the coming months, the expanded team will unveil new approaches and philosophies around their work and share the different ways for the region to engage with them. Josh Ellis, Grants and Inclusion Manager With a...
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Apr 26
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WESTAF Now Newsletter | April 2023

By Newsletter
Thought Leadership and reach            FestPAC Returning in 2024 Arts The 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC, the world’s largest celebration of Indigenous Pacific Islanders) will convene in Hawaiʻi, June 6–16, 2024. The South Pacific Commission (now The Pacific Community - SPC) launched this dynamic showcase of arts and culture in 1972 to halt the erosion of traditional practices through ongoing cultural exchange. While originally scheduled to take place in 2020, FestPAC was the first major festival in Hawaiʻi to be postponed as the COVID-19 pandemic grew. This decision was made early on in...
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Apr 24
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WESTAF Announces BIPOC Artist Fund Awardees

By Grants, Social Responsibility & Inclusion, Special Projects, WESTAF News
WESTAF is delighted to share the awardees of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Artist Fund! These artists represent a range of disciplines, from visual to performing arts, and we are thrilled to support their creativity and contributions to the cultural landscape of the Western region. Our team of reviewers identified 18 awardees (from a pool of more than 450 applications!), with one awardee per state and jurisdiction receiving an average of $10,000 per artist. Made possible through WESTAF's MacKenzie Scott gift, the fund will include four virtual group coaching sessions to build on the plans awardees shared...
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Mar 06
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WESTAF Now Newsletter | February 2023

By Newsletter
Thought Leadership and reach            2023 Arts Leadership and Advocacy Virtual and In-Person Programs Conclude The 2023 Arts Leadership and Advocacy Seminar programming took place this month featuring an online pre-session on February 7th and a fly-in advocacy day to Washington D.C. February 13-15. Virtual panelists included Michelle Ramos, BIPOC-Led Arts Advocacy Coalition; Claire Rice, Creative States Coalition; Ernesto Balderas, Creative States Coalition; Heather Noonan, Cultural Advocacy Group; and Najean Lee, Cultural Advocacy Group. The fly-in to Washington D.C. welcomed 71 advocates from 13 states and Guam. Advocates spoke to over 50 Congressional offices and highlighted...
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Jan 30
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WESTAF State Arts Agency Innovation Fund Announcement Featured Image

WESTAF Announces the State Arts Agency Innovation Fund

By Advocacy, Policy, Programs, WESTAF News
WESTAF is thrilled to share the launch of WESTAF’s State Arts Agency Innovation Fund. In an ongoing effort to inspire innovative and transformative practices within the 13-member state arts agencies in the West, the Fund aims to support state arts agency efforts to enhance their service to individuals, families, and communities and the arts and cultural industries in their states in ways that were previously difficult to achieve.  WESTAF has committed an initial $500,000 investment from the $8 million MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett gift received in 2021.The Fund has been structured to offer support to the transformative work of...
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