Northwest Art Alliance

Northwest Art Alliance is dedicated to connecting the power of art, fine craft, and community.

OUR VISION:

Northwest Art Alliance is a multi-reach organization; developing a network of connections that foster the power of art and community. Our goals are to:

• Produce successful markets that showcase regional artists, their art and fine crafts in quality venues.
• Celebrate diversity through member artists and marketplaces by a specific focus on the arts of our diverse cultures, as well attention to our under-served communities. 
• Create value by connecting artists with opportunities for education and career advancement. Provide support to artists in the form of scholarships, a volunteer network, and the fostering of community with other artists and supporters.
• Create opportunities for supporting community service organizations that expand awareness and communicate the value and power of art. 
• Model a healthy, sustainable non-profit organization with defined goals, positive leadership and solid financial foundation.

OUR GOALS:

1. Our Events
1. Financially sustainable models and locations. 
2. Diverse in audience, as well as participating artists.
3. Creative designs with fresh, high quality artists and venues. 
2. Our Connections with Community
1. Initiate relationships with more diverse communities of artists and patrons.
2. Network with other organizations that support NWAA artists.
3. Network with other organizations that support public visibility of art & craft. 
4. Explore opportunities to bring awareness of the arts to underserved communities. This may include workshops, scholarships, videos or other action as part of “Global Village” initiative. 
5. Donate space at markets to community organizations that support creativity.
3. Deepen the connection with our Artist Community by providing services and supporting development as career artists including:
1. Volunteer network for artists that need help.
2. Scholarship opportunities for professional development.
3. Connection with other artists to create a supportive network.  

OUR IMMEDIATE INITIATIVES:

1. Produce profitable and sustainable Best of The Northwest shows and other events.
2. Expand show reach – first with South Seattle, and possibly with themed shows or parts of shows that introduce ethnically diverse arts, and artisans including development of new show planning for February 2021. 
3. Recruit a board of directors that believe in the mission and will further the progress of Northwest Art Alliance. 
4. Implementation of 2020 reorganization and restructuring plan for the organization to include the documentation of institutional processes, history, and elimination of the Executive Director position. 
5. Provide fundraising support of select community service organizations including Preston Kuppe Guild.
6. Develop alternatives to “live shows” and seek to minimize the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

OUR STRATEGY:

Change can be good for an organization. In 2018 and 2020, NWAA updated the Vision, Goals and Initiatives statement above to expand the role we play within the community, to expand our connections, to celebrate changes in art, to reach a different demographic profile and more.  

As part of this introspection, we began to take meaning steps toward cultural understanding and shared cultural experiences. We want art to be available to a greater number of people, we hope to bring visibility to the wonderful ethnic diversity in art and artists, and we are striving for an expanded outreach. Art is an essential component in a healthy community. 

Northwest Art Alliance represents 996 artists in various shows, events, and activities. This is a three-year total number, unduplicated, and shows the importance of our organization in the effort to connect the community with artists. Most of the effort to move the organization forward is with the utilization of volunteers. This is a very challenging time and the future of the organization is in jeopardy. Many of our new efforts planned for 2020 and for 2021 are on hold… but we are also working to shift to virtual shows and other distancing ideas. Your support of NWAA is essential in this time of pandemic uncertainty.

Our one year-round employee is the Event Director who is very much the hub of the wheel. The artists, our programs, our projects, our sponsors, and our community are the spokes of this wheel. The hub connects all of these parts and pieces and keeps us moving forward.  

We want artists to thrive with economic vitality. We want art to be in your homes and bring happiness into your daily life. The purchase of art from NWAA represented artists keeps them in business and creating new art!  

Thank you in advance for your donations and patronage. 

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