Cultural

Make no mistake: there are rich cultural offerings throughout Spokane. From the annual Gathering at the Falls Powwow to the South East Asia Cultural Association’s events featuring internationally-renowned musicians and dancers, to Fiesta Spokane (the Hispanic Heritage Festival), Unity in the Community, and so much more. These events and gatherings weave together music, food, dancing, art, storytelling, and more, creating celebrations of heritage while welcoming people of all cultural backgrounds.  

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News
In the Neighborhood poetry film

Celebrating National Poetry Month through poetry from local community members! In honor of National Poetry Month (happening now), Spokane Arts commissioned a short video featuring eight community members reading their poems from the “In the Neighborhood” project. “In the Neighborhood” is a community-based project created by Spokane Poet Laureate Chris Cook and Spokane Arts to collect and share poetry exploring Spokane neighborhoods. Written by area residents past and present, of all ages and experience levels, the poems here each showcase unique perspectives on our city. Together they do one magical thing: share the many stories of our neighborhoods! All the poems shared by community members to date can be found at www.spokanepoetry.com, and for those who haven’t had a chance to participate yet, there’s a link on the website to share a poem.
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Spokane Arts grants Operational Support Grants to local cultural organizations

Spokane Arts was able to fund five cultural organizations with a dispensation from the City of Spokane earmarked for the support of cultural groups. This set of grants was awarded by a separate selection panel, composed of Spokane Arts Commissioners, who made their choices independently from the SAGA process. These five organizations have received grants to support their general operations and events in 2021-22.
Film
Artist
Shaun Springer

Who is this Shaun guy, and why is he so awesome? Director, writer, ninja, editor, part-time lover, part-time fighter, and Astronaut Enthusiast.Shaun Springer is a pretty cool guy that you should know. His work includes Directing films, commercials, documentaries and music videos. He was also worked professionally as a screenwriter, and script doctor. His feature film, “The Garageland Chronicles” was shot entirely in Spokane and has played at film festivals all over the US, as well as throughout the UK & Europe. He is the author of the children’s book “Nobody Cares About Jimmy,” and his favorite Batman is Kevin Conroy. As for being so awesome… You’ll just have to find out for yourself.
Words
Artist
Tiana Hennings

Hello! My name is Tiana and I’m a slam poet in Spokane, where I’ve been involved with the Spokane Poetry Slam organization as a competitor and organizer. I’m also a podcaster and co-host for the podcast Next Door Villain. The Next Door Villain podcast aims to discuss well-known fictional villains in an effort to improve our empathy skills that we can use in our day-to-day lives. We also feature and seek out literary art from the perspective of fictional villains; we showcase the literary art on our website, podcast episodes, and social media. You can listen to our podcast on our website https://www.nextdoorvillain.com/episodes and learn more about submitting your work at https://www.nextdoorvillain.com/submit. You can also listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher. You can also find us on Instagram at @nextdoorvillain or https://www.instagram.com/nextdoorvillain/.
Dance
Artist
Natasha R Hart

I am very excited to be engaged in Irish dance. I found this form of expression at a later age, but it has stuck with me and has become a lifelong adventure. My dedication to this performing art has taken me from studying under mentors in Germany, with family in Ireland, to studying with masters though zoom in my living room. I work closely with local Irish bands to add excitement to their local performances. Whether on tour or at a local nursing home, I focus on authenticity and inclusion. I take this passion with me into classrooms and workshops, where I share my Irish dance experiences. My projects focus on creating hope in the community through the expression of Irish dance.