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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...