Happy Holidays from WESTAF As 2022 draws to a close, we are reflecting on the past year with gratitude and want to thank you for your part in making it a rich and memorable one. To give our staff time to recharge and connect with families and friends during the holidays, our office will be closed December 24, 2022 through January 1, 2023. We will resume regular business hours and operations and respond to emails and calls starting January 2, 2023. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we take this much-deserved break. From our WESTAF family to you and...
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The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands American Rescue Plan Fund for Organizations (CNMI ARP) is a relief grant program, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, that provides general operating support to eligible arts and culture organizations and individual artists impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Northern Mariana Islands. The program is delivered in partnership with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Arts Council. We are delighted to announce that WESTAF will be awarding grant funding to 32 individual artists and culture organizations across the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Each of the 28...
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Thought Leadership and reach The Creative Vitality™ Summit Returns! We invite you to register to join us virtually on November 30 and December 1, 2022, for a series of discussions from today's creative economy experts, arts and culture leaders, and equity champions. Check out the Summit site to view session information, learn what to expect from the event, see the schedule, and get to know the Summit speakers. This year’s Creative Vitality™ Summit will feature four panels with community-led discussions around how the creative economy intersects with technology, digital placekeeping, and more. These discussions will...
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Join the Public Art Archive™ (PAA) as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our Have You Seen My Public Art? map with a brand new version! The original map was created in 2013 and quickly became the program’s most recognizable visual. Since that time, the PAA team has continued its mission to make public art more public, archiving over 20,000 public artworks around the U.S. in the process. This new map, illustrated by artist Kara Fellows, highlights a diverse array of public artists and their artworks from across the country. The second edition of the map includes 144 artworks across...
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Leah Horn 720.664.2239 leah.horn@westaf.org National Leaders of Color Fellowship Launches with Support from United States Regional Arts Organizations August 31 Application Deadline for the Program Dedicated to the Advancement of BIPOC Leaders in the Arts Denver, CO, August 22, 2022—Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) has partnered with its five United States Regional Arts Organization (USRAO) counterparts to support the National Leaders of Color Fellowship, a leadership development program for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders committed to the advancement of cultural equity in the arts. An expansion of WESTAF’s Emerging Leaders of Color (ELC)…
Thought Leadership and reach Creative Vitality™ Summit Scheduled for Late November Last year, WESTAF presented its inaugural Creative Vitality™ Summit (CVSummit), which took place virtually. We’re excited to announce that we have confirmed dates for our second convening, a hybrid event that will take place November 30th and December 1st, 2022! A co-design team has been busy planning four dynamic panels who will meet in-person in Denver, featuring timely topics such as Tech and the Creative Economy, Digital Placekeeping, Belonging and Civic Imagination, and Liberatory Investment Models for the Creative Economy. This year’s co-design team...
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To mark the centennial of the landmark legislation that granted women the right to vote, the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) has commissioned the creation of a mural related to Women’s Suffrage in Denver’s Montbello neighborhood. Created by local artist Adrienne “Adri” Norris (www.afrotriangledesigns.com), the mural is located at the Montbello Branch of the Denver Public Library. The artwork centers an overlooked history and aims to expand the narrative of Women’s Suffrage and the passing of the 19th Amendment to include the larger and more inclusive story of the fight for voting rights for Black, Hispanic, and minority communities. This…
We are thrilled to announce the National Leaders of Color Fellowship (LoCF) application is now accepting applications. The LoCF is a strategic leadership development program for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders throughout the western region who are committed to the advancement of cultural equity in the arts. Using a cohort structure, the program emphasizes experiential learning, community building, and service to the field. Since 2010, and in partnership with South Arts for the past two years, the Western States Arts Federation’s (WESTAF) Emerging Leaders of Color (ELC) program has promoted diverse, representative leadership and equity in the...
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Leah Horn 720.664.2239 leah.horn@westaf.org WESTAF Announces Partnership with Pacific Jurisdictions New agreement creates pathway for Pacific jurisdictions to join western Regional Arts Organization Denver, CO, June 30, 2022—To demonstrate its continued focus on equitable grantmaking and diverse arts ecosystems throughout the western region, the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) has partnered with the Pacific Jurisdiction (PJ) region through an unprecedented agreement. Historically, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and Guam (collectively, Pacific Jurisdictions/PJs) have been underrepresented as a region within the U.S. arts sector and in conversations surrounding arts advocacy. With this new…
Thought Leadership and reach WESTAF Launches New Website We are so excited to share a refreshed, more dynamic and accessible WESTAF website! We initiated work on this project before beginning our rebrand process but just couldn't wait to show you all the improvements we have made. Thanks to photo submissions from current and past TourWest grantees, our Leaders of Color network and state arts agencies and arts organizations in the West, the new site better represents and highlights the great work happening across the region. Check out the new site! WESTAF Engages Local Arts Agency...
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