FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Leah Horn
303.629.1166
leah.horn@westaf.org
Presenting and touring subsidies for out-of-state performers and literary artists awarded to 236 arts and community organizations in the West
DENVER, CO, July 8, 2020—The Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) awards the 2020-2021 TourWest grants. Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, TourWest is a competitive grant program that provides subsidies to arts and community organizations within the WESTAF region for the presentation of out-of-state touring performers and literary artists. The WESTAF region includes the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
The 2020-2021 TourWest grant application opened on January 19 and the deadline, scheduled April 1, was extended to May 1 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The performance period for 2019-2020 funded projects was also extended due to the widespread prohibition of large community events and mass gatherings that began in early March 2020.
A total of 251 qualifying applications were reviewed by WESTAF’s TourWest Panel of seven arts professionals from across the region, which convened on June 18. The panel’s recommendations were then reviewed by the WESTAF Executive Committee for approval.
WESTAF TourWest panelists
Ally R. Haynes-Hamblen
Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of Las Vegas/Director
Las Vegas, NV
Christopher Nicholas
Ensemble Mik Nawooj/Executive Director
Oakland, CA
Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin
Caged Bird Productions/Artist
Salt Lake City, UT
Erika Moore
Moore Arts Entertainment/Founder, Owner
New York, NY
Marcelo Aviles
Yerba Buena Garden Festival/Director of Programming
San Francisco, CA
Philip Moline
University of Wyoming – UW Presents/Director
Laramie, WY
Stephanie Ortega
Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center/Development Officer
Pueblo, CO
The 2020-2021 TourWest cycle will award a total of $504,330 in touring and presenting subsidies to 236 organizations in the region. Performances funded during this cycle will take place between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021.
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About WESTAF
The Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) is a nonprofit arts service organization dedicated to strengthening the financial, organizational, and policy infrastructure of the arts in the West. WESTAF assists state arts agencies, arts organizations, and artists in their quest to serve diverse audiences, enrich the lives of local communities, and provide access to the arts and arts education for all. Through innovative programming, advocacy, research, technology, and grantmaking, WESTAF encourages the creative advancement and preservation of the arts regionally and through a national network of customers and alliances.
