Art Chowder September | October, Issue 23 | Page 65

REGIONAL REPORT
SPOKANE ARTS
Save the Date: 2019 Arts Awards
Creatives often work in solitude or in
small groups, relying on self-motivation
to keep pushing their work forward,
while external encouragement or
recognition can be harder to come by.
Since every artist is familiar with the
perpetual roller coaster of keeping
faith in one’s own work, it’s hard to
overstate the impact of a kind word
or positive review — how a small
but meaningful experience, like
being nominated by your peers for
recognition in your creative field —
can boost self-confidence, re-energize,
and motivate an artist. In that vein,
Spokane Arts encourages all creatives
to nominate worthy individuals, groups,
or organizations for recognition in
their field. The categories include
Imagination, Collaboration, Leadership,
and Inclusion. Nomination forms can
be found at http://www.spokanearts.
submittable.com.
The annual Arts Awards event is a celebration of Spokane’s artistic and
cultural communities as a whole. Rather than solely focusing on the awards
portion of the program, the event features performances by a range of local
artists and cultural groups, including live music, poetry, comedy, and more.
Each year’s program features different artists and groups, and the 2019 slate of
performers can viewed at http://www.spokanearts.org/artsawards.
The Arts Awards event will feature the announcement of the next City of
Spokane poet laureate; a live blacksmithing demonstration by Columbia Fire
& Iron; an interactive art experience provided by Laboratory; live music by
local bands; culinary treats; themed cocktails or mocktails and the presentation
of the 2019 Arts Awards.
This year’s organizing committee — comprised of Spokane Arts staff, arts
commissioners, and community members — aim to provide a gathering space
for creatives to connect, relax, and let loose a little, while meeting artists from
other disciplines and experiencing live art in various forms.
“So many artists told us after last year’s event how much they loved having an
excuse to dress up and spend a night celebrating creativity,” said Spokane Arts
program manager Mika Maloney. “It felt re-energizing and inspiring to have
artists of all types in the same room, in conversation with one another.”
Thanks to sponsorship and donations solicited by the organizers, a limited
number of free tickets are available for individual artists who otherwise
wouldn’t be able to attend the event.
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