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 includes the art.coop team; Cezanne Charles, rootoftwo; Koven Smith, Knight Foundation; Randy Engstrom, Third Way Creative; Abdiel Lopez, Roanhorse Consulting; Lauren Ruffin, Crux; Moana Palelei HoChing, WESTAF; Cameron Green, WESTAF; and David Holland, WESTAF. More information about this year’s event will be released at the end of the month but don’t wait to save your spot: RSVP now to participate virtually by filling out this form!

alliances, advocacy & policy            

Pacific Jurisdictions Partnerships
To demonstrate its continued focus on equitable grantmaking and diverse arts ecosystems throughout the western region, 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 partnership, WESTAF seeks to service this vast and previously underrepresented region of the United States. The PJs were recently welcomed at WESTAF’s annual Executive Director (ED) Forum, held in Spokane, Washington, where Pacific Jurisdiction EDs participated both in person and virtually through Zoom—marking the start of the three Pacific Jurisdictions officially joining the western region network. WESTAF looks forward to folding these partnerships into even more networks and services such as its Western Arts Advocacy Network (WAAN).
Read the full press release
WESTAF Endorses Advancing Equity Through the Arts and Humanities Act and Co-Hosts Webinar with Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Californians for the Arts
Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California introduced Advancing Equity Through the Arts and Humanities Act in May 2022. To date, Representative Lee’s office has circulated a dear colleague letter in the House of Representatives to solicit bill cosponsors and continues to seek endorsements from organizations across the country. The Congresswoman’s office, Californians for the Arts, and WESTAF partnered to organize a webinar on July 26th to learn how this bill uplifts the role the arts and humanities have in addressing and dismantling systemic racism in the United States and meet artists, cultural workers, and social justice leaders in the field advancing racial equity and supporting the bill. Talking points for advocates were shared with the group.
Send a letter to support H.R.7627
WESTAF Invited to Join the Native Arts & Culture Council Working Group as a Thought Partner and Potential Presenter
WESTAF recently joined the Native Arts & Culture Council Working Group, a Ford Foundation funded project under the direction of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM). A goal of the project is to strengthen ties between Native communities and State and Regional arts agencies, using the seven cohort communities as an example of how beneficial relationships can be built and sustained. The working group launched on July 26th with John Haworth, Project Director, welcoming participants from the seven Cohort Communities, members of the Native Arts & Culture Councils Advisory Committee, presenters, and other guest mentors to the first meeting of the Native Arts and Culture Councils Cohort project. The session has been led by Ruby Lopez Harper, who has created an Indigenized version of the “Seven Ways” document written by Americans for the Arts and based on feedback from a community survey.

social responsibility & inclusion      
Leaders of Color Fellowship Now Accepting Applications
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) has partnered with its five Regional Arts Organization (RAO) counterparts to support the National Leaders of Color Fellowship, an eight-month leadership development program for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders who are committed to the advancement of cultural equity in the arts. The fellowship will be held virtually from October 2022–May 2023 and uses a cohort structure emphasizing experiential learning, community building, and service to the field. An expansion of WESTAF’s Emerging Leaders of Color (ELC) program (started in 2010 and in partnership with South Arts since 2020), this collective support and commitment from the collaborative of six RAOs aims to invest in diverse arts leadership in each respective region and across the nation. Since its inception, the program has been intentionally led by BIPOC faculty and leaders, and has not been institutionally driven — a facet that is precious and will remain intact as the program expands nationally.
Learn more about the program
New Date for Folklife/Traditional Arts Network Gathering
The Folklife/Traditional Arts Network gathering has a new date and will now be held on September 29, 2022, from 2-5 p.m. MDT. The Folk/Traditional Arts Network gathering’s purpose is to connect and share folk arts practices and presentations by folklorists in the field. All folk traditional arts stakeholders, state and local folklorists and administrators, and supporters interested in folk arts and culture are welcome. Download the most recent event schedule below to make sure you have the most up to date information on future events!
TourWest 2022 Funding Recommendation Approved
TourWest’s 2022-23 funding recommendation has been approved by WESTAF’s Executive Committee. Over 760K in grants ranging from $1,500 – $5,000 will be awarded to 198 organizations in the West promoting a variety of regional touring events. Applicants have been notified and are in the process of executing signed grant agreements. All applicants who complete signed agreements will be funded. Agreements are due September 12, 2022.
WESTAF in Attendance at LEAD Conference
WESTAF Grants and Access Manager Ashanti McGee recently attended the Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hosted by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kennedy Center, the LEAD Conference introduces those new to the field of cultural accessibility solutions and offers ongoing learning support, camaraderie, and motivation. The LEAD conference also provides professional development for leadership, mid-career, and new professionals working in accessibility, DEI, and more. One session included a website consultation in which the WESTAF website was audited for accessibility. The information received by this consultation and the additional workshops included at the conference will offer insight and necessary tools to continue to develop WESTAF’s commitment to identifying and amplifying accessibility within the organization and to arts organizations and agencies in which we support and partner.

LEADERS OF COLOR NETWORK UPDATES   

In this new section, we are thrilled to highlight and share the work of our Emerging Leaders of Color (ELC) alumni!
New Arts and Culture Economic Recovery Strategy
Joshua Heim, 2014 ELC Alumnus and member of the Arts and Culture Recovery Strategy Advisory Committee, stood with PSRC in creation of this regional recovery strategy. This report builds off data from ArtsFund’s COVID Cultural Impact Study and reflects the work of many arts leaders across the region.
Wyoming Arts Council Vaccine Confidence Project
Through a generous grant from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Foundation, the Wyoming Arts Council recently partnered with four Wyoming-based artists to create original artwork with the theme of encouraging COVID-19 vaccine confidence across the state. Artists applied to an open call and were selected by a review committee Original works created by the artists explore their personal pandemic stories, with the goal of encouraging others to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Artists and their featured stories—which include autobiographical writing, music video, Hoop Dance/Honor Song, and an illustrated children’s book—are available at https://wyoartsvaccineconfidence.com. Janissa Martinez, 2012 ELC Alumna and selected Wyoming-based artist, generated a multi-genre autobiographical fiction piece that acts as a letter to families in Wyoming that have been torn apart by vaccine hesitancy.
“We are excited to provide paid art-making opportunities for Wyoming artists, as well as to recognize ways in which art is directly connected to overall health and wellness for both individuals and communities,” said Michael Lange, Executive Director of the Wyoming Arts Council.
Funding for this effort is made possible through a sub-award from the CDC Foundation and is part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) financial assistance award totaling $75,000 with 100 percent funding from CDC/HHS*.
*The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government.
WESTAF and NASAA Planning Hybrid Session for the People of Color Affinity Group (PoCAG) at NASAA Assembly 2022
WESTAF is partnering with NASAA for an affinity-based gathering for people of color to take place during NASAA Assembly 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. The meeting will be hybrid and is currently scheduled for 5-6pm CT on Friday, September 23.
The PoCAG, launched and is supported by NASAA, is a NASAA members-led group open to all state and regional arts agency staff and council members who identify as persons of color. Its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is articulated within its policy statement, which affirms the importance of ongoing reflection, dialogue, and learning to accomplish this work authentically and alongside state arts agencies.

WESTAF WEB SERVICES                                 
ZAPP Launches Publish Events Button for Administrators
After collecting valuable feedback from event administrators on ZAPP, the team is excited to announce the new publish event button! With the click of a button, administrators can notify the ZAPP team that their event is ready to be published. To learn more about how ZAPP continues to improve user experience, read the latest blog!
Learn more
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