WESTAF is now Creative West.  Read all about it.

Document Library

Welcome to Creative West’s document library. Here, you will find an extensive collection of our past papers, reports, and archival materials that capture both our history and ongoing contributions to the arts.

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Photo-by-Drummond,-Dave,-provided-courtesy-of-Washington-Filmworks,-2023–Coulee,-WA

Creative Washington: Growing and Strengthening the Creative Economy

A Strategic Plan for Washington, December 2023

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2021

2021 Creative Vitality™ Summit Report

The Summit brought together thought leaders and creative economy experts to discuss opportunities and challenges for creative workers and entrepreneurs, as well as building a more community-centered creative economy.

2021

Creative Economies and Economic Recovery: Case Studies of Arts-Led Recovery and Resilience

Our study, developed in partnership with the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, examines the role of creative industries in economic recovery post-crisis, offering insights and strategies for resilience.

2020

Arts + the Rural West Session Report

The Arts + the Rural West convening brought together funding and policy organizations with practitioners to consider future directions for rural arts as a policy priority and practice of the field.

2017

A Future History of Public Art

Convened in Honolulu, Hawai​’​i in 2017 in collaboration with Forecast Public Art and the Hawai’i State Foundation on the Culture and the Arts, this symposium provided a significant platform for high-level discourse to explore existing challenges alongside emerging strategies for the successful growth of the ​public art ​field.

2016

The Status and Future of State Arts Advocacy

Convened in Denver in 2016, this gathering of arts and policy experts focused on the subject of the status and future of state art advocacy.

2016

Communication and Information Management in the Nonprofit Arts

This report contains findings from a survey of arts organizations and arts administrators on the behaviors, protocols, preferences, and perceptions of communication and information use and management.

2014

Creativity and Innovation in Public Education: Areas of Need, Mechanism for Change

This symposium was co-hosted by the California Arts Council and Frank Gehry Partners and convened in Los Angeles in 2014.

2013

Portland: How to Pass an Arts Tax

This report examines the Portland art tax that was passed, overwhelmingly, by voters in 2012 and offers ways Portland may be used as a model for other communities.

2010

Creative Vitality Index: Washington State Arts Commission

In 2005 we teamed with WESTAF and the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs to establish the Creative Vitality Index (CVI) to help us to understand the context of artistic and creative enterprises, educate the community at large about the creative economy, and inform public policy decision-making about trends and related issues.

2009

Engaging the Now: Arguments, Research, and New Environments for the Arts

Convened in Aspen in 2009, this symposium’s topics included: Developing a new generation of arguments in support of public arts funding and rethinking the structure and scope of state arts agencies, and more!

2009

Listen Local: Research on Music in Denver

WESTAF commissioned and completed an in-depth study of music in Denver as part of a report it prepared for the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs to assess the economic vitality of Denver’s music community.

2008

Perspectives on Cultural Tax Districts

Convened in Seattle in 2008 and sponsored by the Washington State Arts Commission, this symposium featured discussions about the history and formation of cultural tax districts. It focused on the benefits, drawbacks, structure, and impact of cultural tax districts.

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CaFÉ is an online application submission system that strives to make art opportunities available to all by offering arts organizations an affordable submission platform and artists an easy way to apply.

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GO Smart is an affordable grants management software that offers pre- and post-application forms, panel reviewing, and data reporting for grantmakers.

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The Public Art Archive (PAA) is a free, searchable, and continually growing online database of completed public artworks throughout the U.S. and abroad, with a suite of resources and tools built for managing public art collections.

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ZAPP provides art fair and festival administrators with a suite of tools to digitally collect and jury applications, manage booth payments, and communicate with applicants all in one easy-to-use digital platform. Artists can apply to hundreds of shows nationwide through a central website.