SPOKANE, WA
SPOKANE ARTS COMMISSION
Across the state line in downtown Spokane, Washington, the
governance is different. The city of Spokane has a City Arts
Commission appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the
City Council. This commission, originally chartered in 1976,
partners with the restructured 501(c)(3) nonprofit Spokane Arts
Commission. Confused yet?
Spokane eliminated its arts department and contracted projects to
a (then) underutilized nonprofit, now known as the Spokane Arts
Commission - not to be confused with the City Arts Commission.
Essentially, there is a collaborative partnership between the
city’s (volunteer) appointed board and the nonprofit’s (volunteer)
governing board, because they share the same mission and the
same name. By pooling these resources of staff, volunteers, and
funding, Spokane has adopted a system which streamlines and
amplifies support for artists.
Like Coeur d’Alene, there is 1% set aside for public arts in
Spokane, and unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know
the Spokane Arts Grant Awards (SAGA) gave $85,000 of those
funds to local artists in 2017. The maximum award per individual
is $10,000.
May | June 2018
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