FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 18, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT

Linda Robson, Media & Communications, LRobson@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 219-7083

28 Community Art Projects Funded by the Tacoma Arts Commission

TACOMA, Wash. -- The Tacoma Arts Commission recently awarded $156,000 in Community Arts Projects funding to 28 Tacoma organizations, groups, and businesses in support of 2024 public outreach projects in the fields of culture, dance, literary, music, theatre, visual, and cross-disciplinary arts.

"We're heartened to fund arts and culture projects that highlight the arts as sites for vulnerability, nourishment, and rejuvenation,” said Tacoma Arts Commission Chair Kenya Shakoor. “As we increase our investment in art made by and for historically underfunded communities, we invite you to experience new truths, histories, and ways of being that humanize us all."

Funded projects include the production of eight cultural and arts festivals, one artist market with performing arts programming, three music festivals and concerts, two series of dance performances and workshops, one theatre production, one series of literary and performing arts events, one cross-disciplinary cultural education event, three cross-disciplinary programs exploring arts and healing/self-care, three series of hands-on visual art workshops, one visual art exhibit with programming, one public art installation, one mural, one community engagement project, and one youth education program.

Funding was awarded as follows:

- Asia Pacific Cultural Center / 26th Annual Asia Pacific New Year Celebration featuring Taiwan / $6,000

- Barefoot Collective / Dancing in the Park Performances / $6,000

- Black Night Market LLC / Black Night Market Events and Performances / $6,000

- Building Youth Through Music / Juneteenth: A Road to Economic Freedom Festival / $6,000

- Central Neighborhood Council / Tacoma Porchfest / $6,000

- Community and Veteran Events / Resilient Rhymes: Empowering BIPOC and Veterans Through Art and Poetry / $6,000

- Das Biest Performance Project / Disabled Dance and Embodiment Workshops / $6,000

- Foss Waterway Seaport / Tacoma Ocean Fest / $3,000

- Hilltop Artists / Community Arts Events / $6,000

- Imperio Tattoos LLC / Exploring Airbrushing Workshops / $6,000

- Krownless Kings / Krownless Showcase: Highlighting Youth and Young Adults of Tacoma / $6,000

- Lincoln International Business Association / Lincoln District Lunar New Year Festival / $6,000

- Making A Difference Foundation / “No Tears Wasted” Public Artwork / $6,000

- Mattice Beauty Supply / Series of Bi-Monthly Arts Workshops / $6,000

- Mi Centro / Euforia: Gender Affirming Self-Care Evening / $6,000

- Museum of Glass / Glass Fest Northwest / $6,000

- South End Neighborhood Council / 56th Street Mural and Greenspace Project / $6,000

- Sui Productions / “Together We Grow” Community Healing Event / $6,000

- Tacoma Community College / 2nd Annual “Black Art and Black Artists” Exhibition and Programming / $3,000

- Tacoma Farmers Market / Community Art Programming at Tacoma Farmers Markets / $3,000

- Tacoma Light Trail / Tacoma Light Trail / $6,000

- Tacoma Refugee Choir / Spring Concert with Tacoma Public School Students / $6,000

- Tacomarama Community Street Band / Tacoma HONK! Fest / $3,000

- The Bajan Station LLC / “An Evening in New Orleans” Event / $6,000

- Trini Plate, LLC / Caribbean Queens Festival / $6,000

- University of Puget Sound / Production of Fairview and Theatrical Antiracism / $6,000

- Vision Step Team / Read Across Tacoma Events and Performances / $6,000

- Write253 / Tacoma Wayzgoose / $6,000

The Community Arts Projects funding program financially supports organizations and groups producing arts-focused community projects that are inclusive, accessible, and/or address equity issues. Community Arts Projects is one of two funding programs administered by the Tacoma Arts Commission. For a complete list of funding programs and information about the Tacoma Arts Commission, visit cityoftacoma.org/funding.

###