Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF)
/OVERVIEW: WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation) creates and promotes arts opportunities in the western region of the U.S. Its grantmaking supports presenting organizations by financially incentivizing them to bring visiting artists into the area. Its TourWest program is a grantmaking program that supports local arts and community organizations for the presentation of touring performers and literary artists.
IP TAKE: WESTAF funding supports organizations in Western states that present the work of performing artists who also reside in those states. Within this geographic confine, a range of opportunities is available. This is an accessible and responsive funder for artists and arts organizations in the western part of the U.S., Alaska and Hawaii.
PROFILE: Established in 1974, Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) is a regional arts nonprofit that services the western part of the United States, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai’i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The organization seeks to assist “state arts agencies, arts organizations, and artists in their quest to serve diverse audiences, enrich lives of local communities, and provide access to the arts and arts education for all.” It is one of six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations created and largely funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Its signature grantmaking program is TourWest which supports presenting organizations within WESTAF’s 13-state region looking to host touring performers.
Grants for Arts Education, Music, Theater, Dance, Creative Writing
WESTAF currently offers three grant programs, all of which operate “through an equity lens.” They support underrepresented and rural communities, and strive “to connect and inspire artists, leaders, and communities, strengthening the arts field by catalyzing change and building a more inclusive arts and culture sector.”
TourWest is WESTAF’s most prominent grantmaking program. It supports community and arts organizations within the 13-state WESTAF region which feature out-of-state touring performers and literary artists. Funded projects must include an educational component in addition to the public performance. Grant amounts are the lesser of $2,500 or 50% of the overall project expenses, and require a 1-1 cash match by the presenting organization. Projects that reach underserved and/or culturally diverse audiences will likely receive priority in funding considerations.
WESTAF newest funding program is its BIPOC Artist Fund, which supports the region’s BIPOC artists with their “artistic practice and goals.” WESTAF first round of 18 awardees each received an average of $10,000 in unrestricted support plus four virtual group coaching sessions.
Finally, during the COVID-19 crisis, WESTAF awarded Relief and Recovery grants to arts organizations in the region it serves, with grant sizes reaching up to $74,000.
Important Grant Details:
This funder made about $2.8 million in grants in a recent year. Its average grant size is about $10,000, and it has given to organizations of all sizes in the geographic areas it serves. This funder appears to prioritize organizations and programs by and for BIPOC artist and audiences, as well as those with broad public outreach. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the organizations news page and its tax filings.
The organization is open to all sorts of presenting organizations—performance halls, community centers, museums, parks, college campuses, high school theaters, and more—as long as they are a nonprofit and in one of these 13 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. TourWest applications are an online process, and due at the beginning of April each year for performances starting the following September.
PEOPLE:
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