Pushing Boundaries: Bringing the Arts to Everyone

Photography as noted
When you think of “the arts,” you might recall a single static object like a painting in a museum. But the arts don’t exist in a vacuum. They are broad, impactful, diverse, and of utmost value to communities across the nation, enriching our lives and representing segments of American culture. Thankfully, organizations like the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) work hard to bolster artists and arts institutions, making these works available to all.

A mission for creativity
Founded in 1974, WESTAF is one of six major regional arts organizations in the country. It covers the largest area, operating in the western states and various US territories. As its mission statement indicates, “WESTAF weaves technology, diverse thought leadership, and innovation to energize, network, and fund public sector arts agencies and communities.”
In other words, the organization encourages broad artist success and arts preservation. It conducts this work via three main departments: Web Services for the Arts (WSA), Equity, Social Responsibility, and Inclusion (SRI), and Alliances, Advocacy, and Policy (AAP). Each of the members and services within these realms helps advance particular creative interests.
Web Services for the Arts
This division connects artists and art enthusiasts with work opportunities and provides helpful tools that arts organizations across the country can utilize to manage industry tasks. These include mobile-optimized websites that offer low-cost or free solutions for hosting and accessing art submission requests, grants, and public art collections. WESTAF’s paid web services are fundraising tools that help the organization as a whole reinvest in other art programs. These platforms also provide digital social networks for nationwide arts opportunities outreach. With the organization’s help, artists, galleries, and other arts organizations can market their work to a much broader audience.
Equity, Social Responsibility, and Inclusion
WESTAF began its “equity journey” as a formal initiative in 2000 and has since become an advocate for cultural equity, focusing heavily on arts leadership development. To achieve these efforts, it has created a diverse network of leaders aspiring to advance underrepresented artist demographics within their communities. Its SRI division aims to provide equity-centered creative learning experiences and funding opportunities, connecting and inspiring artists, leaders, and communities to build a wholly inclusive arts and culture sector. It works with a wide variety of communities, including active-duty military personnel, veterans, people of color, low-income individuals, and aging adults. Recently, SRI launched the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Artist Fund to advance the careers of BIPOC artists living and working in WESTAF’s region. The program helps provide generous funding and project support, prioritizing lifting up communities in need across the western region. This involves improving diversity in artist grants, which assists artists of color in accessing the necessary funds to fuel their creative projects.
Alliances, Advocacy, and Policy
According to Leah Horn, director of marketing and communications for WESTAF, “the AAP division connects, coordinates, and mobilizes a nationwide network of artists, Read More