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WESTAF News

Sep 02
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WESTAF SRI Team Joint Announcement

WESTAF Expands its Social Responsibility and Inclusion Team

By Social Responsibility & Inclusion, WESTAF News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 2, 2021 Contact: Leah Horn 720.664.2239 leah.horn@westaf.org DENVER, CO—The Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) is thrilled to welcome two new team members to its Social Responsibility and Inclusion (SRI) division: Ashanti McGee, grants and access manager, and Jade Elyssa Cariaga, grants and equity manager. With more than a decade of experience in the field, McGee is both an artist and arts advocate who began her arts administrative work assisting local grassroots and nonprofits with grant writing and management. She most recently served as a district representative for Nevada Congresswoman Susie Lee, focusing on outreach for Black,…

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Jul 22
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Artist Adri Norris

Denver Artist Adri Norris To Create a Mural for the Women’s Suffrage Mural Project

By PAA, Social Responsibility & Inclusion, WESTAF News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2021 Contact: Leah Horn 720.664.2239 leah.horn@westaf.org DENVER, CO—The Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) is excited to announce that local artist Adri Norris will paint a mural or series of murals highlighting the Women’s Suffrage movement in a highly trafficked site in Denver’s Montbello neighborhood. Norris will be painting the mural(s) near the Montbello Student Campus, a place that is central to many who reside and work in the district. WESTAF commissioned the creation of the mural related to Women’s Suffrage to mark the centennial of the decades-long journey, resulting in the landmark legislation that granted…

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Jul 14
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M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

WESTAF Receives Multiyear Grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

By Grants, WESTAF News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Leah Horn 303.629.1166 leah.horn@westaf.org DENVER, CO—The Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) has been awarded a multiyear grant by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. This funding allows for the creation of a new position in WESTAF’s Alliances, Advocacy, and Public Policy (AAP) division and will enable WESTAF to continue program expansion related to addressing the pressing needs of the field. As WESTAF continues to innovate and evolve, the organization will retool existing and initiate new programs and services that will be further enhanced with the support of the new manager of public policy and advocacy, including ambitious...
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Jun 29
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2021 Creative Vitality™ Summit-old

By WESTAF News
Thank you to everyone who joined us virtually on Monday, September 20 and Tuesday, September 21, 2021 for the 2021 Creative Vitality™ Summit! We had a successful series of discussions from today's creative economy experts, arts and culture leaders, and equity champions. Presented by WESTAF in partnership with the National Creative Economy Coalition, ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Grantmakers in the Arts, and more, this year’s Creative Vitality™ Summit featured a series of speakers, panels, and community-led discussions around how the creative economy intersects with the solidarity economy and other alternative economic models. These discussions delved into trends...
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Jun 22
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Mackenzie Scott Quote

WESTAF Receives Transformational Gift from MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett

By WESTAF News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Leah Horn 303.629.1166 leah.horn@westaf.org DENVER, CO—The Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) is the recipient of a one-time, unrestricted gift of $8 Million from MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett. The gift is part of a new round of 286 grants from the philanthropists, totaling $2.74 billion.   In her most recent post, Mackenzie Scott writes: “Arts and cultural institutions can strengthen communities by transforming spaces, fostering empathy, reflecting community identity, advancing economic mobility, improving academic outcomes, lowering crime rates, and improving mental health, so we evaluated smaller arts organizations creating these benefits with artists and audiences from culturally...
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Jun 15
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NEA Big Read Grant

14 Western Organizations Receive National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Grants

By Grants, WESTAF News
Fourteen organizations in the WESTAF region are part of a group of 61 organizations nationwide selected to receive a 2021-2022 NEA Big Read grant. An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Read the Full Release
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May 07
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6 Can't Miss Public Art Stops of the Southwest

WESTAF’s CVSuite™ and Public Art Archive™ Announce 6 Can’t-Miss Public Art Stops of the Southwest

By Special Projects, WESTAF News
New Creative Vitality™ List showcases creative cities with full public art collections  DENVER, CO, May 7, 2021—Following up on its Top 10 Music Cities and 30 Most Creative Small Cities lists, Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), a nonprofit arts service organization and leading provider of innovative web services for the arts, is excited to announce the newest Creative Vitality List: 6 Can’t-Miss Public Art Stops of the Southwest.  The third in a series of data-driven lists that profile and celebrate the arts, culture, and creativity of America's most vital and vibrant places and spaces, 6 Can’t-Miss Public Art Stops of...
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Mar 24
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Anika Kiwinana

WESTAF Welcomes New Director of Social Responsibility and Inclusion Anika Tené

By Staff, WESTAF News
Anika Tené will join WESTAF in early April 2021 as director of social responsibility and inclusion, to inform and develop a range of equity-centered learning experiences that connect and inspire leaders and communities to build a more inclusive arts and culture sector. Anika joins WESTAF from her position as manager of national education initiatives at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where she has worked since 2018. There, Anika ensured that arts professionals were equipped with relevant professional learning and support as they sought to provide equitable access to the arts among public school students. This work...
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