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...