Dear Cultural Sector,

It is now the end of the third week of the state legislative session, and we are well on our way to securing some big wins for science, heritage, and arts programs across Washington! So far, it has been a progressive session overall, and we are excited to continue working on behalf of all of your incredible programs and businesses that bring joy, quality of life, and economic activity to every one of Washington's cities and towns.

Here are a few of our top objectives, bills and budget requests:

• HB 1386: Youth Development Grant Program
• HB 1575/SB 5612: Councilmanic authority for Cultural Access
• SB 5000: Recognizing contributions of Americans of Chinese descent
• SB 5214/HB 1245: Licensing music therapists
• SB 5436: Concerning transfers of firearms to museums and historical societies
• Funding for Creative Therapies for Weather Trauma
• Funding for Tribal Cultural Affairs Program
• Building for the Arts projects
• Heritage Capital projects
• Funding for the broad cultural sector
• ...and so much more!

Last year, advocacy delivered historic support for the cultural sector: $77 million in total appropriations across multiple agencies, including Working WA 5 and COVID relief for large organizations. We all knew 2022 would be a hard act to follow. The state received unprecedented federal funds which are now drying up. Economists predict a possible recession and state tax collections are beginning to falter. Lawmakers want to shift the conversation away from pandemic relief, and yet, your cultural work continues to struggle through the long tail of COVID. The challenges you face are real and we need to find new ways of telling this story.

Inspire Washington is excited to debut a new video showcasing both the community engagement work we did in 2022 as well as what's on the horizon for this legislative session. Check it out HERE:

This is an exciting week-long event that brings together arts, heritage, and science leaders and cultural professionals from across Washington State. AHS Week is hosted by Inspire Washington, Washington Museum Association, Washington State Historical Society, and ArtsWA.

This is a great opportunity for advocates to talk with their legislators about statewide cultural issues and local concerns, thank them for their support, share personal stories, and recount specific highlights from our work in our communities, schools, and venues statewide.



Your presence along with many other cultural advocates from across the state helps legislators know who we are when we talk about the importance of culture in our communities. With newly elected legislators and the reshuffling of legislating positions, this is a particularly important year to join your peers in Olympia or virtually.

Questions? Email advocacy@inspirewashington.org

The Community Accelerator Grant application is now OPEN! Application materials and FAQs are also available in additional languages.

Click here to apply now and learn more!

About the grant: Funded by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the Community Accelerator Grant program will provide unrestricted grants for cultural nonprofit organizations across Washington state in amounts of $2,500 to $25,000. Funding will provide essential capital to Washington’s cultural organizations, including fiscally sponsored and tribal organizations, whose primary mission is to produce or support arts and cultural activities. Awards will be unrestricted, allowing recipient organizations to utilize funding in ways that they determine and prioritize for highest impact.

If you are an organization that has an arts and disability focus or has disabled participants in your programming, please apply to this grant! Elizabeth Ralston, Accessibility Consultant, is doing outreach to those organizations across the state about this grant. You can email her at elizabeth@elizabethralston.com.

Inspire Washington is honored to host Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal for an Arts & Culture Town Hall on Thursday, March 16th at 6pm (doors at 5:30pm) at Seattle Art Museum.

Join us for an inspiring evening with Congresswoman Jayapal. The event will begin with a performance by a local performer, followed by a panel discussion with local arts and cultural leaders and the Congresswoman, led by Manny Cawaling of Inspire Washington. Discussion topics include the effects of the pandemic on cultural businesses, the ongoing need for racial and gender equity, and other issues within Washington’s 7th district.

Congresswoman Jayapal will speak about her work in Congress, share her perspectives, and will speak to potential opportunities for arts and cultural businesses at the local and federal levels. We will finish the presentation with question and answer for the audience, so come prepared with topics to discuss with your congresswoman!

About Tickets:

This is a free, ticketed event open to anyone who works within or supports an arts, heritage, or science business/program. You MUST register prior to the event and bring your ticket and matching ID to enter. Every attendee must have their own ticket that is registered to their name. Tickets close on March 16th at 5pm.