Spokane Arts has been supporting artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy within the Spokane region for many years , with programming , events , and opportunities for artists . Now Spokane Arts has a new way to support the arts through grant funding : SAGA , which is an acronym for Spokane Arts Grant Awards .

SAGA was launched in January 2017 to foster a robust and healthy arts community . The program was initially made possible by community members and arts advocates , who spoke passionately in public forums and city council meetings about the need to increase the capacity of our region ’ s arts economy . Jennifer Knickerbocker is the Grants Administrator hired by the Spokane Arts Board , to design , implement , and oversee the new grants program .

“ What is unique about Spokane and its funding in the arts , is that over the past ten years or so , we have seen a great deal of attrition in the financial support of the arts . Foundations , individuals , and corporate sponsorships have dwindled , or are expecting artists to do one-off projects beyond their core work . Furthermore , our municipal investment in the arts in Spokane has been far below that of other regions of our size .” said Jennifer Knickerbocker .

The arts in Spokane are supported by a complex mix of funds , including individual contributions , corporate and foundation support , earned revenues , and some government grants . Having a consistent , local funding source for the arts will not only act as a stabilizer for the people who work in the arts , it will also provide a model for other long-term funders in our region . Jennifer worked closely with the Spokane Arts staff , board , and commission to create the SAGA program that best reflects the values of our unique arts scene . She held two public forums to gather feedback from the community on what they wanted in their grants program . The result is a program that we can all be proud of .

Who ’ s eligible ?

Funding is available for individual artists , large nonprofit organizations , mid-size organizations , small collectives , and community groups .

20 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE