Arts builds culture and economies, fueling individual and community transformation. A recent creative vitality study shows incredible creative activity in Spokane County. Like any sector, the arts need big picture leadership and industry support to be successful, and to be central to our region’s prosperity. Spokane Arts embraces this arts sector leadership mission, supporting and advocating for the arts. Spokane Arts is guided by a strategic plan. Spokane Arts has major support from City of Spokane, Spokane Public Facilities District, Downtown Spokane, Visit Spokane, and many private contributors and volunteers. Thank you for encouraging the arts to thrive.

Our Mission

Spokane Arts supports arts and culture in the region through grantmaking, programming, advocacy, and professional development. We foster creativity by providing direct support to individuals, groups, and organizations in the creative sector, and we promote local arts and culture to the wider community.

Spokane Arts Team

Our small but mighty staff loves supporting creatives, beautifying our city for all who live here, and creating opportunities for community members to engage with arts and culture. Every day, we support creatives by providing funding, resources, and training. We shine the spotlight on what’s happening in arts and culture so that everyone in the region has an opportunity to see, make, learn, play and engage.

Melissa Huggins

Executive Director

Melissa@SpokaneArts.org

Shantell Jackson

Program Director

Shantell@SpokaneArts.org

Shelly Wynecoop

Grants Administrator

Shelly@SpokaneArts.org

Shelby Allison

Street Art Program Manager

Shelby@SpokaneArts.org

Kerri Danowski

Operations & Marketing Manager

Kerri@SpokaneArts.org

Bethany LaVoie

Graphic Design Intern

artshelper@spokanearts.org

Karen Mobley

Public Art Consultant

karen@karenmobley.com

Governing Board

Spokane Arts is guided by a board of directors who provide fiscal oversight and governance in support of the organization’s mission. The board of directors is comprised of community volunteers who join with representatives sent by each of Spokane Arts’ founding partners: the City of Spokane, the Spokane Public Facilities District, Visit Spokane, and the Downtown Spokane Partnership.

Brooke Kiener

Spokane Arts Board Chair Whitworth University

Steven MacDonald

City of Spokane Economic Development Director

Karen Stratton

Spokane City Council

Garret Daggett

Engie

Stephanie Curran

Spokane Public Facilities District

Melody Heaton

Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center

Bethany Letcher

Visit Spokane

Elisabeth Hooker

Downtown Spokane Partnership

Arts Commission

The Spokane Arts Commission is a 16-member, all-volunteer board that promotes and enhances the quality, accessibility and presence of arts and culture. The Arts Commission serves a dual role as an advisory board to Spokane Arts (which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) while also advising the city of Spokane on arts policy. The activities of art commissioners vary widely, but include serving on public art juries alongside community members, planning the annual Arts Awards, developing new events or programs to engage the wider community in the arts, advocating for the arts at the city or state level, and much, much more.

Are you interested in becoming a Spokane Arts commissioner, volunteering for the organization, or serving on juries for public art? Email us to find out more at artshelper@spokanearts.org.