WHAT'S NEW IN ARTS AND CULTURE

22nd Annual Margaret K Williams Arts Awards
On Thursday, November 5, 2009, five individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of the arts in Pierce County were honored at a reception at the Tacoma Art Museum. More>

Art Bank 2009 New Additions: Portable Works in Mixed Media
Artworks created by 15 Pierce County artists have been selected for the Pierce County Art Bank collection of portable works. The works were chosen from respondents to a public call to artists (open to professional artists living/working in Pierce County) whose artwork combines traditionally distinct media in the same piece. The chosen artwork ranges widely from collage and altered found objects, to porcelain and resin relief. More>

OUR MISSION

It is the mission of the Pierce County Arts & Cultural Services Division and the Pierce County Arts Commission to deliver programs and services to stimulate participation and growth in the Arts throughout Pierce County by:

• Increasing access to the Arts for all Pierce County residents;
• Developing the Arts industry as a viable and significant tool for community and economic development;
• Developing and implementing educational programs and activities in the Arts as an integral part of basic education, and;
• Celebrating the cultural diversity in Pierce County.

COMMUNITY GRANTS

The Community Grants Program, begun in 1986, has provided over 400 grants to Pierce County organizations for a wide variety of arts projects. Currently the program offers two types of grants.

• Community Organization Grants: Monetary grants are provided to community-based arts organizations to ensure that art reaches the diverse citizens and communities throughout Pierce County. This program provides support for arts festivals, public performances, exhibitions and arts services.
• Arts Education Grants: Through this program, the Commission seeks to encourage collaborative efforts between arts organizations and Pierce County schools that serve students in grades K-12. These grants support both classroom-based and events-based programs.
• Over the past 22 years, the program has made 468 grants totaling $915,492 to support a wide variety of projects in diverse art forms and styles for audiences of many cultures, ethnicities, ages, genders and communities.
• Recent Accomplishments: In just the past five years, the program has served 122 organizations which have employed 4,868 artists and served over 500,000 members of the Pierce County community. Of the total funds granted, 40% was directed to Arts Education projects.

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

The Artist in Residence program places professional artists in local public schools for two- to six-week programs working directly with students, instructing teachers on the integration of the arts into the curriculum, and culminating in a community outreach event.

• In the twenty years since it began, the Artist in Residence Program has provided 255 residencies in 100 schools in 15 school districts in Pierce County. these residencies have served over 34,000 students, providing them opportunities to explore the visual, literary, and performing arts, as well as the cultures of many nations.
• Over the most recent five-year period, the program has funded 81 projects, serving 11,948 students, 1,233 teachers, employing 90 artists, and serving 10,675 community members.
• In May 2008, a pilot residency took place at University Place Primary School, where staff from Public Works presented recycling education for for first graders which was followed by an Artist in Residence project utilizing recycled materials. In October, an expanded version of this residency was presented at Firgrove Elementary School in Puyallup.

Pierce County Arts & Cultural Services Division, and its advisory body the Pierce County Arts Commission, seeks to fulfill its mission through its major programs and activities, including:

• Community and Art Education Grants
• Artist in Residence Program
• One Percent for Art; Public Art and the Art Bank Collection
• Margaret K. Williams Arts Awards

For more information about any of these programs, select from the list on the left.

Pierce County Arts & Cultural Services Division
3602 Pacific Avenue, Suite 200
Tacoma, WA 98418
(253) 798-6902
(353) 798-6604 FAX
(800) 833-6388 TDD/VOICE