All Posts By

Natalie Scherlong

Aug 22
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leaders of color network logo

National Leaders of Color Fellowship Launches with Support from United States Regional Arts Organizations

By Programs, Social Responsibility & Inclusion, WESTAF News

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)…

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Aug 19
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WESTAF Now Newsletter | August 2022

By Newsletter
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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Aug 16
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various photos of westaf's completed women's suffrage mural

WESTAF Announces Completion of Women’s Suffrage Mural

By PAA, Programs, Special Projects, WESTAF News

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…

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Aug 01
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Multiple shapes of orange, pink and green float in front of a beige background. Text reads that the six United States Regional Arts Organizations (RAOs) are currently seeking fellows

Leaders of Color Fellowship Application Now Open

By News, Programs, Social Responsibility & Inclusion, WESTAF News
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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Jul 06
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WESTAF blue and green Graphing Announcing Pacific Jurisdictions Partnership

WESTAF Announces Partnership with Pacific Jurisdictions

By Advocacy, Policy, Programs, WESTAF News

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…

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Jun 17
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WESTAF Now Newsletter | June 2022

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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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Jun 15
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WESTAF Now Newsletter | April 2022

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Thought Leadership and reach            The 2021 Creative Vitality™ Summit Report is Here! The inaugural Creative Vitality Summit took place in September 2021 and brought together over 40 creative economy experts, arts and culture leaders, and equity champions across the field to discuss the future of the creative sector and to formulate a more concrete vision of equitable possibilities and realities for the arts field and beyond. The recently released conference report examines opportunities and challenges for creative workers and creative entrepreneurs; the mechanics of building a creative economy that supports community leadership, social capital, and...
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Jun 15
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WESTAF Now Newsletter | February 2022

By Newsletter
Social Responsibility & inclusion            State of Colorado Taps WESTAF Trustee Brandy Reitter as New State Broadband Director WESTAF Trustee and Emerging Leaders of Color (ELC) alumna Brandy Reitter will serve as the next executive director of the Colorado Broadband Office. As the state prepares for significant increases in funding to expand high-speed broadband connectivity efforts in Colorado, Reitter will lead the state’s broadband strategy during a time of robust advancement and development of Internet connectivity—particularly for rural areas. “Working in municipal government has given me a window into how challenging broadband expansion can be for...
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Jun 15
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WESTAF Now Newsletter | December 2021

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Social Responsibility & inclusion            ELC Alum Featured in Grammy Interview Delbert Anderson (Emerging Leaders of Color alumnus, 2021) was recently interviewed by journalist Morgan Enos about the difficulties of being a Native American musician in today’s music industry. Anderson’s interview is accompanied by other Indigenous artists who share their thoughts and experiences in going through similar situations. Check out the interview and learn more about what’s next for Anderson. Read the full article ALLIANCES, ADVOCACY & Policy              WESTAF to Create Bay Area Arts Policy Seminar with Funding from Hewlett...
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Jan 26
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Public Art Archive RFQ

Public Art Archive RFQ

By PAA, Special Projects, Updates, WESTAF News
PAA-Business: Technical RFQ for External Development 2022 SECTION ONE Introduction The Public Art Archive™ (PAA), a technology service powered by the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), requests vendor qualifications for a two-fold expansion project to include: A technical audit that can identify issues in current systems, workflows, and functionality, and identify solutions to reduce time-consumptive and manual processes that accompany system growth; and The creation of a product roadmap, and subsequent development and launch, of new features and system changes based on the established PAA goals and the recommendations from the technical audit. Organizational Overview WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation)...
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