Spokane Arts Grant Awards (SAGA) funds multiple programs and projects three times every year through a competitive application process. Grant winners carry out arts related activities in the Spokane area during the twelve months following their award date. Awards can be for any amount up to $10,000.
SAGA defines the term “arts” by observing our community’s creative activity. We live in a region populated by many cultures, talented in varied crafts and trades, and curious about learning and engaging in technique, expression, and artistic community. SAGA has funded blacksmithing and glassblowing, cultural art forms such as canoe making, performance, exhibition, education, therapy, and individual artistic development. We have also funded arts-based businesses and new collaborations.
SAGA stands on the principle that creatives should be paid for the work they do and we educate both the broader community and the artistic sector that creative work has value.
2023 was SAGA’s seventh year serving the Spokane region. At the end of its seventh year, SAGA had funded 171 proposals providing a total of more than $800,000 dollars to local artists, organizations, and businesses. Below we provide a complete list of each of our awardees since our first year of funding in 2017.
View just the most recent year’s winners here.
Founded in 2022, Radio Play Co-Lab is a collaboration between Spokane Public Radio’s E.J. Iannelli, Juan Mas of Purple Crayon Pictures, and Scott Doughty and Dahveed Bullis of Spokane Playwrights Laboratory. This new alliance aims to produce high-quality, audio-centric, story-driven broadcast radio which involves and showcases local talent in every step of creation and presentation.
Founded in 1987, the Spokane Area Youth Choirs (SAYChoirs) has had an impact on the artistic culture of Spokane for many years. In August 2022, the SAYChoirs held a summer choir camp for grades 2nd through 6th. This three day experience was attended by 40 students, recruited primarily through social media, and was free to all who registered. As the first camp since COVID-19, the experience gave the organization confidence that not only is this experience needed and valued, but hinted at the need to expand the offerings to serve more students.
The Spokane Sisters’ Art Group is a collective of 13 Muslim women formed in January 2022 around a shared interest for the arts, humanities, and social service. The collective represents refugees from Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan and immigrants from Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Russia. Some of these women have not had the opportunity to explore their artistic side for a myriad of reasons, including a lack of access to an art teacher, lack of childcare, financial limitations to obtaining art supplies, and lack of support. Moreover, some members of the group do not have an adequate opportunity to connect with the Spokane community at large and vice versa due to cultural and linguistic barriers.
A two-day festival will bring the community together, inspire, uplift/ showcase the BIPOC peoples of Spokane in music and the arts and a film score residency exploring Colville stories will be hosted by Panoramic Dreams.
Spokane Aerial Performance Arts will purchase 10 sets of stilts and begin a permanent stilt walking program for young performers.
With SAGA support, the Manito Park Art Festival will ensure that emerging artists are given the opportunity to share their work with Spokane without significant financial barriers.
With SAGA support, local artist Tami Hennessey will execute an intricate multimedia art exhibit exploring her experience with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
Art Salvage is working towards taking steps to grow the organization in order to meet community demand for more creative reuse services, with the goal of expanding to a larger brick and mortar store location.
Chase Ogden returns to his roots on the Spokane River to make a film highlighting the need to protect the water for future generations.
After dealing with the setbacks of Covid-19, the Chinese Association Board has made a decision to “go big” for the Lunar New Year in 2023.
Bright Comet Theatre will stage their first production, Lord of the Flies. Featuring an entirely femme presenting cast, and involving a multitude of diverse and queer artists.
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