[SPOKANE, Wash.] An artist-in-residency proposal by Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC) is among nine new proposals supported by the Spokane Arts Grant Awards (SAGA) announced on Monday.
The Ska-hét (sƛ̓x̣etkʷ) Artist-in Residence Program at SFCC is an annual three-month residency which provides state of the art studio space within the Fine and Applied Arts building to an Indigenous artist. The selected resident artist will explore creative expression through educational and professional development opportunities that connect them with students and the wider Spokane community.
With generous support from the Spokane Arts SAGA Grant, Community Colleges of Spokane, and private donors, the fully funded residency will provide an impressive level of support and will ensure that the resident artists selected each year are not financially burdened through their participation.
“In this pilot year of the program, we are committed to supporting an Indigenous artist in a way that provides opportunities for contemporary artistic expression and a shared space for professional development and economic growth through education,” said Cozette Phillips, SFCC Fine Arts faculty member. “Later, the Fine Arts Department is committed to building the future of this program as we eventually expand to welcome applications from the wider community of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) / Global Majority artists.”
SFCC sees the newly constructed Fine and Applied Arts Building (planned to open in the Fall of 2024) as a shared place of empowerment that can provide all people with opportunities to explore, express, and celebrate their cultural identities and heritages in an affirming space.
The SAGA grant winners will carry out arts projects and programs that will take place in the Spokane region over the next twelve months. The successful applicants received a total of $51,000 for projects in comedy, fashion, film, writing, education, arts resources and residency, and festival experiences with including themes related to the 50-year anniversary of Expo ‘74. SAGA will grant a total of $153,000 to the arts and culture communities in the Spokane region in 2024.