Washington State Arts Commission

Executive Director’s Message

Art In Public Places

Grants To Organizations

Arts In Education

Creative Districts

Wellness, Arts and the Military

Tribal Cultural Affairs

Washington State Poet Laureate

WACultures

Agency Initiatives and Outreach

ArtsWA Financial Report

Art in Public Places

AIPP is uniquely positioned to advance and support art and artists across Washington.

Our goal is to build and care for a State Art Collection that is impactful, accessible, and valued. We seek lasting artworks that reflect Washington’s diverse communities. 

The State Art Collection includes more than 5,000 artworks, located where people study, work, and live. The public selects and owns the Collection.

Acquisitions

AIPP acquires artwork for Washington’s K-12 public schools, state agencies, universities, and the community and technical college system. AIPP’s project managers work with local committees to select artists and the artworks that will activate their campuses and buildings. 

As AIPP enters its sixth decade, the acquisitions team focuses on making and strengthening connections to be more attentive, intentional, and proactive in our projects. We expanded our project management staff, including adding a new position based in Eastern Washington, that has increased our capacity and ability to be hands-on with artists and communities. Through workshops and outreach events across the state and online, we connected with emerging public artists, rural artists, Native artists and other communities of artists who are underrepresented in the State Art Collection. Our recent Public Artist Roster Call garnered the largest and most diverse applicant pool in AIPP’s history.  

Our team worked closely to strengthen connections with underserved communities, working to plan for and realize meaningful public art projects in mental health facilities like Western State Hospital, in youth-offender facilities like Green Hill School, and with deaf and hard of hearing populations at the Washington School for the Deaf in Vancouver. These connections have expanded our thinking about arts access and the process to best serve our communities equitably. 

New public art in the State Art Collection uplifts meaningful connections amongst diverse cultures and communities: Nico Inzerella’s multi-panel mural Futuras Mariposas celebrates Hispanic students’ bright futures at Pioneer Elementary in Auburn, Erin Shigaki’s installation The Cloud Pavilion built on stories and pictures shared by Kimball Elementary students while referencing Japanese art history, and Native Artist Lillian Pitt collaborated with artist Juno Lachman to celebrate the Camas plant native to Washington as an important food source and symbol to Native American Tribes with their sculpture garden Honoring Wak’amu. 

“At Clover Creek Elementary, the mural above the main staircase became more than just a piece of art.  It was an experience. Students and staff alike paused throughout the day to play ‘eye spy,’ searching for hidden items within the mural. The mural fostered curiosity and attentiveness to details.  It sparked connections within the school community.”

—Sophie Bannon, Principal, Naches Trail Elementary

Collections

The AIPP Collections team takes care of the State Art Collection’s 5,200 artworks. We maintain and repair them, hire outside experts when needed, and track their locations, conditions, and historic records. 

Partnerships 

Relationships are at the core of our work. Our conservation staff routinely collaborates to maintain and repair artworks. They combine expertise and contribute extra hands. They learn from and with each other. Our partner agencies—the K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and state agencies that host the State Art Collection—are also essential to this work. They let us know how artworks are faring, provide lifts, access to water, and even additional helping hands. Our work is immeasurably easier when our partnerships are strong. Even our databas 

Since 2019, ArtsWA has grown our conservation staff from one position to five. This effective team—supplemented by specialized contractors—fanned out across the state to repair or maintain nearly 400 artworks. 

Our goal is a well-cared for State Art Collection. To achieve this, we must get every artwork into a routine maintenance cycle. The expertise of our staff, their ability to travel statewide, and the tools we have at our disposal—including our database and work vans—are essential to this goal. 

My Public Art Portal

My Public Art Portal strengthens connections between Washington’s communities and the State Art Collection, which includes over 5,200 artworks in public spaces statewide. The portal allows the public to explore artworks in schools, colleges, and state buildings, and learn about the artists and their stories. It supports field staff and partners in managing and caring for the Collection, offering access to detailed location data and records. It also connects viewers to underrepresented artists from earlier decades. At times, these connections are personal and meaningful, reflecting the lasting impact of public art across the state.

Web exhibitions further engage diverse perspectives. This year’s new web exhibitions include:

• Scablands, selections by Aaron Semer, ArtsWA Creative Districts Program Manager, highlights landscape paintings that pay tribute to the vast and strange beauty of the Washington lands formed by the Ice Age floods. 
• Protanopia: Focusing on Yellow and Blue, curated by Sunni Baker, explores red-green colorblindness. Sunni is a part of the 2025 ArtsWA Washington Youth Arts Leadership (WAYAL) cohort who explores arts and cultural fields, creative careers, and related policy.
• With Latinos, everything is possible!, curated by the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs, celebrates Latino economic power, cultural values, and population growth.

Grants to Organizations (GTO) grants advance cultural equity, cultivate an inclusive creative economy, and increase arts participation statewide.

The Grants to Organizations (GTO) program connects communities with art, heritage, and culture. Through our grants, we strive to support organizations that help their communities experience the world in new and meaningful ways, fostering connections among individuals and promoting community cohesion. Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) was no exception. The GTO program awarded grants, including both operating support and project support, to 156 organizations across the state: an investment of $568,800. These grants supported programs and events that connected communities to their local art, heritage, and cultural organizations, as well as to ideas, inspiration, and innovation. Through the display of the ArtsWA logo, they also connected to their state arts commission. 

As is common for the GTO program, we did not have enough funds to support all the organizations that applied during FY25, resulting in a decline of hundreds of applications. While these declines are regrettably a challenge to the organizations’ ability to deliver art, heritage, and cultural programming, they do not diminish our commitment to supporting and maintaining connections with them, even when we are unable to provide financial assistance. 

During fiscal year 2025, the GTO program, in partnership with SilverKite—a unique organization that offers arts programs for older adults, dementia-friendly arts programs, and intergenerational arts experiences—provided training to Teaching Artists to expand their skills into the field of working with older adults. Additionally, during FY25, Grants to Organizations assumed management of the Change Leader Institute, an ArtsWA professional development program for individuals in the arts and culture sector. GTO will engage new cohorts and looks forward to connecting with arts administrators across the state for this valuable training. 

“This year an ArtsWA member came to our Festival, and it was a special moment shared to be able to show the person in real life what Pride has been working towards and our growth.”

—Capital City Pride 

Arts In Education

The Arts in Education (AIE) program supports accessible and culturally relevant arts learning as a fundamental part of basic education for every student in Washington State.

In FY25, AIE efforts increased arts education access through partnerships, grants, professional development, youth leadership opportunities, and ongoing research. 

Arts in Education partnerships

In FY25, the AIE program connected with communities in every region of Washington State. Partnership work included refining best practices alongside AIE grantees, collaborating with early learning educators, collaborative development of learning resources, and collective impact initiatives. The AIE team hosted its annual grantee convening focused on sharing community-based expertise. Community organizations shared best practices centered on arts education in rural communities, creative early learning classrooms, the power of storytelling, and arts integration with science curriculum. Building connections between schools, community organizations, artists, and families keep AIE efforts rooted in community interest and strengths.  

“At the end of our program year, we planned an art show to showcase all the work that the children had done throughout the year and the children were so proud and excited to talk about and show their families their artwork. For the children in our program, it was the first time for them sharing their creations in such a public and celebratory way. That sense of accomplishment—and the confidence it builds—is truly priceless.”

—Okanogan County Child Development Association (OCCDA)

Grants: The AIE program offered two grants that invested in statewide partnerships between schools, community organizations, and teaching artists.  The Creative Start Project Grant funded 21 projects that integrate the arts to support learning for preschool to 3rd grade students. AIE Project Grants funded 51 arts learning projects in Washington’s schools, nonprofits, Tribal communities, and other community settings.  

Early Learning: ArtsWA focused on expanding arts, culture, and joyful learning in early learning classrooms. FY25 programs included project grants, professional learning for educators, and artist residencies in early learning classrooms. Washington State Wolf Trap Residencies served 20 preschool classrooms across Eastern Washington, reaching 317 children ages 3–5.  

Poetry Out Loud (POL): The Washington State POL program partnered with five arts organizations covering four geographic regions and one statewide virtual region, ensuring students across Washington had access to opportunities. ArtsWA also collaborated with a Teacher Liaison to bring classroom perspectives into the program. The addition of Poetry Forward further broadened opportunities for student achievement.  

Washington Youth Arts Leadership (WAYAL): The FY25 WAYAL cohort marked the fourth year of this innovative program. 13 WAYAL youth leaders worked with the Arts in Education (AIE) team to explore and amplify the role of arts engagement in their communities. This year’s cohort gathered in person in Seattle for a weekend to learn more about civic engagement, the role of arts and culture, and the importance of fighting for arts education.  

Explore Creative Careers:  The AIE program worked with artists and educators from North Central Washington to develop a suite of resources about the creative economy and career pathways in the arts. The resources are designed to increase youth knowledge and creative careers, expand access to culturally specific creative career resources, and to increase educators’ ability to guide students towards a variety of creative careers.  

Teaching Artist Training Lab (TAT Lab): The TAT Lab program had 23 participants complete TAT Lab’s FY25 Core Program, a 6-month professional development course with an in-person weekend at the Seattle Opera Center. More than 219 teaching artists participated in TAT Lab events and workshops, including networking opportunities, workshops focused on culturally responsive teaching, and collaboration with Tacoma Creates.   

Arts Education Research: ArtsWA collaborated with the Arts for All (A4A) Coalition to renew research efforts to gather data on arts education in K-12 public schools across the state, and to use this data to strengthen opportunities for student learning in the arts. Previous surveys were conducted in 2005 and 2009. In 2025, a total of 273 valid surveys were completed, representing 277 schools. Overall, 47.9% of districts had at least one school respond to the survey. Survey results will be shared with the public in FY26.  

Creative Districts

Creative Districts help communities turn arts and culture into economic opportunities and experiences for residents and visitors.

Washington’s Creative Districts program entered its 6th year of operation in FY25. Five Districts reached their five-year anniversaries and were recertified: Issaquah, Langley, Port Townsend, Tenino, and Twisp. Coupeville and Soap Lake were both newly certified, bringing the total number of Creative Districts to 20. 

The program continues to see strong interest year over year. At least another ten communities are actively working on certification: Pioneer Square (Seattle), Prosser, Long Beach, Yelm, Ione, Tieton, La Conner, Everett, Garland (Spokane), and Shelton, among others. Five new Districts are expected to be certified in FY26. Communities both urban and rural recognize the creative sector’s importance to their quality of life and economic health. 

All the districts worked diligently to bring new opportunities and activities to their communities. Eight districts finished capital projects funded by ArtsWA in FY25, with ten more projects in progress. $416,000 in additional funds will be available for new capital projects launching in FY26. Program visibility was significantly increased with the installation of new WSDOT highway signs in seven districts, and five more in progress, as well the distribution of Creative District window stickers for local businesses to display. 

The program held its annual convening in Tenino in June. Representatives from each district gathered for two days of networking, presentations, panels, and strategic planning activities. Representatives from districts that are actively planning also joined the conference. More than 60 representatives from 29 communities across the state attended.   

Wellness, Arts and the Military

The Wellness, Arts, and the Military (WAM) program supports the well-being of Veterans, active military members, and their families through arts-based initiatives.

By offering grants, workshops, and cohort programs, WAM fosters creativity, healing, and community within Washington’s military population.

Culture and art are fundamental for the health and wellbeing of Tribal communities. A thriving Tribal community benefits all Washingtonians. 

Tribal Cultural Affairs

Tribal Cultural Affairs works to support Washington Tribal communities, Native artists, and culture-bearers, as they preserve and carry forward their traditional practices creating space for art and culture to thrive for generations to come.

In the program’s second year, the Tribal Cultural Affairs program continues to be responsive to the needs of Tribes, as well as Native artists and communities. Grants and applications remain accessible and flexible to each Tribe’s project or program. Like the first year of funding, all Tribes that applied to the Tribal Cultural Grant were funded in fiscal year 2025. Watch the video on the work Tribal Cultural Affairs does and projects supported by the Tribal Cultural Grant.  

Every Tribe that applied for the TCA grant individualized their grant application to ensure the funding supported their Tribe’s specific cultural projects. Projects included:  

• Cultural teachings (regalia making, weaving, carving, and other projects) 

• Language revitalization (including dictionary development, children’s books, language camps, and signage) 

• Cultural artifact preservation 

• Potlatch preparation  

• Culture & art therapy 

• Youth-led, Artist-facilitated community art project 

Over the next fiscal year, the program will provide professional development workshops for Native artists, an illustrated map highlighting Tribal museums and cultural centers across the state, and a Native Artist Directory. We are establishing partnerships with the Wellness, Arts, and Military program to better support Native veterans, the Creative Districts program to support Tribal economic development, and with the Department of the Interior on the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. Through Tribal Consultations, listening sessions, and positive feedback from grant recipients, Tribal Cultural Affairs continues to shape our goals in a way that honors sovereignty and responds to the long overdue need for cultural funding for Native communities across the state. 

Washington State Poet Laureate

The Washington State Poet Laureate builds awareness and appreciation of poetry through public readings, workshops, lectures, and presentations. Laureates perform this work in culturally and geographically diverse communities throughout the state.

The Washington State Poet Laureate program is jointly sponsored by ArtsWA and Humanities Washington.

WACultures (formerly Center for Washington Cultural Traditions)

As the designated NEA Traditional Arts partner, WACultures serves as the state folklife program, conducting fieldwork, supporting a master-apprentice program, and maintaining archives of the state traditional arts and cultural traditions. 

Strategic Plan

In June 2022, ArtsWA published its 2022-2027 Strategic Plan. The plan took effect on July 1, 2022. ArtsWA staff and managers identified a suite of goals to serve as Year One priorities and developed new metrics to track progress and performance. ArtsWA completed the first year of its 2022-2027 Strategic Plan at the end of FY23, and identified new and continuing goals to serve as Year Two priorities. 

The five-year plan reflects the needs and ambitions of ArtsWA and its constituents. It builds on the spirit of the last strategic plan while recognizing changes in both the agency and Washington State. 

Billy Frank Jr. National Statuary Hall Committee 

Representative Debra Lekanoff (D-40th) introduced House Bill 1372 to replace the statue of Marcus Whitman in National Statuary Hall with Billy Frank Jr. The legislation notes that “Billy Frank Jr. dedicated his life to advocating for equality, justice, and environmental protections. He fought to protect tribal treaty rights, native cultures and traditions, and the natural resources they are based upon.” 

ArtsWA was named in the legislation to manage the process of artist selection, design development, and final installation. In FY23, the Committee selected artist Haiying Wu to design the statue. ArtsWA began working closely with the Nisqually Indian Tribe in FY23 to conduct outreach and education around the statue and its development. 

In FY25, artist Haiying Wu completed development of the full-scale clay model. Thanks to a partnership between ArtsWA, Nisqually, and South Puget Sound Community College, members of the public could access Haiying Wu’s workspace during the week to observe the artist at work. ArtsWA and Nisqually also collaborated to take the maquette (a roughly half-scale model) to communities around the state.  

The clay model will be cast into two bronze statues in FY26, followed by installation in FY27. 

Funding Sources

Agency Expenses