Mission: The Arts Commission is a catalyst for the arts, advancing the role of the arts in the lives of individuals and communities throughout the state.
Vision: The arts thrive and are celebrated throughout Washington State, and are woven into the fabric of vital and vibrant communities.
Who We Are
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.
ArtsWA values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe in diverse forms of artistic expression. The arts amplify voices across all populations. Access to arts and arts education should be available for everyone. The arts can and should address inequities, model inclusion, and teach empathy.
What We Do
ArtsWA promotes and documents the public value of the arts. We are dedicated to accountability and accessibility. Our commissioners and staff work together to support the following main programs:
Public Art. We manage and protect the State Art Collection, a shared cultural resource.
Grants. We provide grant opportunities to expand art participation statewide.
Creative Districts. We support communities that connect arts and culture to economic development.
Arts in Education. We support high quality, standards-based arts education as a part of PreK-12 basic education.
View our most current Annual Report.
See how our agency is organized.
View our current Strategic Plan.
Read the state laws for the State Arts Commission (RCWs).
Read the state statutes for the State Arts Commission (WACs).
View an interactive map of our program activities (2018).
Land Acknowledgment
As ArtsWA serves the state of Washington, we recognize we exist within the borders and homelands that Indigenous peoples have lived on, cared for, and loved from time immemorial. Our organization understands the complexities of the histories of Indigenous communities. Indigenous peoples remain strong, resilient, and contribute to communities across Washington. We offer this land acknowledgement as one step toward true allyship, and commit to uplifting the arts, cultures, voices, and histories of the state’s Indigenous population.
