Grants, Awards & Programs
Co-Designed and Artist-Centered Creative West’s Grants, Awards, and Programs (GAP) department redefines cultural funding by partnering with artists and communities to co-design every aspect of its initiatives. From eligibility criteria to review processes, artists and cultural leaders lead the way, ensuring programs reflect their needs and values. GAP prioritizes trust-based, unrestricted funding, empowering artists to use resources as they see fit, while offering coaching, culturally grounded review panels, and restorative retreats that honor the rhythms of creative life. By building feedback loops, adapting in real time, and fostering trust, Creative West ensures its programs nourish rather than deplete. This work reflects the heart of the organization, where strategy meets spirit, and artists are supported.
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The Cultural Sustainability Program
The Cultural Sustainability Program, powered by Creative West and supported by The Wallace Foundation, is a transformative two-year initiative designed to uplift small arts and culture organizations of color across the Creative West region. It prioritizes equity, collective care, and long-term sustainability, co-designed with community voices to reflect their needs for funding stability, mentorship, and cultural expression.
From over 200 applicants, 32 organizations were selected to receive unrestricted grants of up to $34,000, distributed over two years. Beyond funding, grantees benefit from monthly coaching, quarterly cohort learning sessions, in-person retreats focused on healing and leadership, and peer learning through learning communities.
Rooted in cultural identity and collective care, the program is shaping a new model of arts support—one that is joyful, resilient, and rooted in belonging.
ArtsHERE
ArtsHERE, a national regranting initiative in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the six Regional Arts Organizations (RAOs) was designed to deepen equity, expand access, and foster belonging in the arts.
Finalists included organizations rooted in Native Hawaiian, Chamoru, Alaska Native, Afro-Latinx, LGBTQ+, and disability-led communities, each advancing justice and belonging through culture.
Who We Reached
A Sudden Halt, But Not an End
Although shifts at the National Endowment for the Arts brought the program to an end, the work was rooted in cultural identity and collective care. The program’s legacy is shaping a new model of arts support—one that is joyful, resilient, and rooted in belonging.
Creative West Artist Fund
The 2024 Creative West Artist Fund supported 20 exceptional artists from 16 states and jurisdictions across the region. These artists, representing a wide range of disciplines, play a vital role in enriching the creative landscape of their communities. Creative West is dedicated to standing in solidarity with artists by prioritizing funding for the needs they identify within their practices, demonstrating our commitment to their well-being and the importance of their work.
We greatly appreciated the work of our panel of reviewers—artists, curators, and arts professionals—whose dedication ensured a fair and thoughtful selection process.
By uplifting artists, this initiative celebrated different perspectives in enriching communities across the region. Creative West remains committed to supporting artists and nurturing creativity.
Celebrating its 30th year in 2024, TourWest awarded a total of $799,041 in touring and presenting funds to 240 organizations across the western region.
The 2024-25 Leaders of Color Fellowship awardees from the western region are recognized as outstanding individuals who are shaping the future of the arts through their innovative leadership and vision. This fellowship, administered in collaboration with five other US Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs), seeks to empower and connect leaders of color across the nation.
The national fellowship aims to cultivate connections that transcend regional boundaries, building a supportive network of leaders committed to advancing the cultural landscape of arts and culture.
FY24 Grant Funding Totals
(not including ArtsHERE)
$4,708,232 Grant Dollars Awarded
Totals by Program including ArtsHERE
