ArtsWA is the Washington State Arts Commission. We are a state agency, formed by the Washington State Legislature in 1961. Our mission is to nurture and support the role of the arts in the lives of all Washingtonians.
Header image credit: “Nature Provides” (2020, detail) by Amy Cheng, located at Western State Hospital, Tacoma, WA. Artwork copyright Amy Cheng. Photo courtesy of the artist, by Dale Lang. www.arts.wa.gov/artwork/?request=record;id=13444;type=101
I can't describe my feelings. I'm thankful to live in the PNW and for seeing the fruition of the hard work of this man, Billie Frank, Jr. As a white kid growing up south of Buffalo, NY, my great uncle took my brother and I to fish on the Cattaraugus Reservation. Uncle Ralph made friends of a Seneca Nation family, and they allowed us access to the river to fish. But a leery eye was cast on us. One time, we were afraid of two burly Seneca men on the river. But they opened their trunk to show us the enormous Rainbows they caught, each literally the length of the trunk. Now, I have a granddaughter who is part Seneca. She is incredibly intuitive. I'm grateful that her schools teach about the salmon, and the tribes continue to grow and teach us all about our connection to the land and its inhabitants. One day, I hope to give her the opportunity to visit Western New York.
I was 'disqualified' from the 2022 Veterans Grant ($3000) because I stated that one of my dreams is to start a small vinyl decal business out of my apt - serving local small businesses with signage like logos, window lettering, etc. For my 3 photos, I used examples of art created from my $200 vinyl cutter. One of which is your logo on my window. It's still there. Anyway, I talked to the guy, and he was really friendly, but gave me the bad news in early 2023. He said the council disqualified me because 'I was would be using it for a small business'. Well.. to this day, I still haven't had the funds to start. For closure, I later asked the same gentleman, 'If I had simply finger-painted three canvases, turned in photos of those, and never mentioned using the funds to, 'pay it forward', would I have received the Grant?' Gentleman: "More than likely"
What a profound message to deliver in that house. Ms. Priest brings such quiet contradiction to business as usual. She is using her platform for the most original of challenges. She is a wonderful Laureate to represent our state and the Original People.
Hi Judy! You don't need to pre-register. The presentation will go live at 7:00 p.m. tonight (Thursday, January 13). We look forward to seeing you at the show!
