About this Survey

Tacoma-based arts, culture, heritage and science organizations that provide public programming in Tacoma are invited to complete the Tacoma Creates Pre-Application Survey. This survey is intended to help the City of Tacoma’s Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality understand the field of organizations who may be eligible to apply for Tacoma Creates funding.  It will also help in planning appropriate Tacoma Creates funding programs and capacity building opportunities.

Only one person per organization should complete the survey.

Fill out the Survey

Visit https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit

Survey Deadline-May 20, 2019

Organizations are strongly encouraged to complete the survey by Monday, May 20, 2019 in order to help build the most informed funding programs possible. Surveys will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis after this date. All organizations that intend to apply for Tacoma Creates funding will be required to complete this survey first. 

About Tacoma Creates

Tacoma Creates is a voter-approved initiative to increase access to arts, culture, heritage, and science experiences throughout Tacoma by reducing barriers to access and expanding offerings, particularly for underserved youth. Tacoma Creates was established to expand equity and access to Tacoma’s arts, culture, science and heritage programs. Examples of public benefits include:

• Increased opportunities for children and youth through before and after school, and summer programs

• Financial and technical support for community programs, events, and activities

• Free and reduced-price tickets, admission, and memberships to arts, culture, heritage, and science experiences, with a focus on lower income families and public school students

Under state law, eligibility for Tacoma Creates funding extends to any 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural organization in Tacoma, whose primary purpose is the advancement and preservation of science or technology, the visual or performing arts, zoology, botany, anthropology, heritage, or natural history. These organizations must also have at least a two-year track record of directly providing programming or experiences available to the general public. Programs and projects can be fiscally sponsored by eligible organizations. 

Excluded from eligibility is any agency of the state or any of its political subdivisions; any municipal corporation; any organization that raises funds for redistribution to multiple cultural organizations; and any radio or television broadcasting network or station, cable communications system, internet-based communications venture or service, newspaper, or magazine. 

Questions?

Email contact@tacomacreates.com.

Deadline

August 4, 2019, 11:59 PM

Request for Proposals

To see complete details about the project and related requirements, download the Request for Proposals.

Opportunity

Tacoma Creates is seeking 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations in Tacoma that have the existing capacity to develop and deliver high quality education programs in arts, culture, heritage or science during after-school hours, also known as Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO). Programming will begin Fall term, starting on September 23, 2019.

The purpose of this pilot is to increase Tacoma Public Schools’ students’ access to arts, culture, heritage, and science programs. We are using this Request for Proposals (RFP) to support programming for Fall 2019 sessions, with the intent to continue successful programs through the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. Interested organizations must be willing and able to work within pre-defined parameters of the schedules and requirements of our three ELO partners: the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Metro Parks Tacoma, and the YMCA.

Eligibility

In order to submit a proposal for this pilot project, organizations must complete the Tacoma Creates Pre-Application Survey. Organizations who have not yet completed the Pre-Application Survey can do so at https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit.

Those that meet the Organizational Eligibility requirements (listed below) will be sent an invitation to respond to this RFP.

Organizational Eligibility

• Organizations must be located in the City of Tacoma. (The organization’s business address and majority of operations must take place in Tacoma.)
• Organizations must have a primary purpose to advance and preserve arts, culture, heritage, or science activities, and directly provide programming and experiences to the general public.
• Organizations must have a two-year track record of providing public programming in Tacoma.
• Organizations must have 501(c)(3) status, OR, they may have a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) organization

  Fiscal sponsors must have a primary purpose advance and preserve arts, culture, heritage, or science activities, and directly provide programming and experiences to the general public. For the purposes of this pilot project, the fiscal sponsor is not required to be located in Tacoma, but must be in Washington State.

Excluded from eligibility is any agency of the state or any of its political subdivisions; any municipal corporation; any organization that raises funds for redistribution to multiple cultural organizations; and any radio or television broadcasting network or station, cable communications system, internet-based communications venture or service, newspaper, or magazine. 

Education Program Eligibility

• Organizations must have prior experience overseeing after-school programming for students in grades K-8.

• Organizations must hire or contract with educators who have both subject matter expertise and extra-curricular teaching experience.

Please Note

This pilot program is just one element of Tacoma Creates’ approach to supporting access to cultural education programs for young people, and the education focus is just one aspect of the whole Tacoma Creates program. The early focus on ELO programs is in response to Tacoma Public Schools’ priorities, and alignment with the Whole Child Initiative. There will be additional funding opportunities announced in the coming months. Participating in this ELO pilot does not preclude or limit participation in other funding opportunities.

Questions

Contact Lisa Jaret at (253) 591-5161 or ljaret@cityoftacoma.org. 

Deadline

July 29, 2019, 11:59 PM

Request for Qualifications

To see the full prospectus, download the Call to Creatives.

Optional Workshop

An informational workshop will be offered Monday, July 15, 5:30-6:30 PM, at 747 Market Street, Room 248. Staff will give a brief overview of the opportunity and application system, and be available to answer questions. This workshop is completely optional. Child care will not be provided, but supervised children are welcome.   

Opportunity

The City of Tacoma’s Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality (OACV) is developing a Creative Communications Roster for commercial design and media services that the City, Tacoma Creates, neighborhood and community groups, partners, and the public can select from for direct-hire opportunities. This roster is an effort to support independent creatives and small firms, in alignment with Strategy 1.C of the OACV’s five-year plan, ArtFull Tacoma: Grow and sustain the creative economy by identifying and developing creative growth sectors (page 40). 

The Creative Communications Roster is meant to be inclusive of different styles and experience levels. If accepted, creatives will have their information included on the roster, which will be publicly available. This roster is meant for commercial, client-based work, rather than original artistic creations. The needs for each opportunity will vary. Applicants may apply as an individual or team/firm of up to five people.

Creatives may apply under one or more of the following categories:

• Print – brochures, flyers, banners, wraps, signage, packaging, etc.
• Digital – websites, social media assets, etc.
• Illustration – hand illustration, digital illustration, posters, painted signs, etc.
• Branding – logos, brand creation, etc.
• Video – filmmaking, event documentation, social media and website assets, etc.
• Photography – products, event documentation, etc.

In addition, creatives may indicate that they are skilled in one of the following categories:

• Project Management – project ideation, scoping, planning, management of contributors, implementation
• Community Engagement – ability to engage community to inform content creation

Eligibility

• Applicant(s) must reside within the official city limits of Tacoma, WA. If applicants are applying as a firm, the firm’s address should be in Tacoma. To check if you reside within the official City of Tacoma limits, please use this map: http://bit.ly/2ftLUaM.
• Applicant(s) can apply as an individual or as a team/firm of up to five people. Firms that employ more than five people are not eligible.
• Applicant(s) cannot be a member of the Tacoma Arts Commission or employee of the City of Tacoma.
• Applicant(s) must be 18 or older.
• Successful applicant(s) must have a City of Tacoma business license while they are on the roster.
• People who are members of underrepresented racial, ethnic, cultural, and other identity groups are especially encouraged to apply.

Apply

Questions

Contact Rebecca Solverson at (253) 591-5564 or rebecca.solverson@cityoftacoma.org.

Nomination Deadline

Sunday, August 4, 2019, 11:59 PM

Summary

The Tacoma Arts Commission is accepting nominations for the 2019 AMOCAT Arts Awards, which recognize the people and organizations that positively impact Tacoma with their passion, innovation and commitment to the arts. 

The Tacoma Arts Commission will review all nominations and select one finalist in each award category based on the breadth and depth of the nominee’s community impact as well as the quality of the work being done by the nominee. Mayor Victoria Woodards will present the 2019 AMOCAT Arts Awards at Kaleidoscope, the Tacoma Arts Month opening party on October 2, 2019.

Award Categories:

1. Community Outreach by an Individual – Community outreach, engagement and involvement in the arts in Tacoma by an individual
2. Community Outreach by an Organization – Community outreach, engagement and involvement in the arts in Tacoma by an organization
3. Arts Patron – A community partner who significantly supports or contributes to the arts in Tacoma

Make a Nomination

Fill out the online nomination form via Submittable: https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit You must create a Submittable account in order to complete the form.

Past Award Winners

In the category of Community Outreach by an Individual, past winners include: Jackie Fender, Michael Haeflinger, Christopher Paul Jordan, Connie K. Walle, Jessica Spring, David Domkoski, Katy Evans, Stella Haioulani, Oliver Doriss, William Kupinse, Linda Danforth, Lance Kagey & Tom Llewellyn, Laura and Matt Eklund, Jared Pappas-Kelley & Michael S. Lent, and Lynn Di Nino.

In the category of Community Outreach by an Organization, past winners include: Tacoma Little Theatre, Monkeyshines, Tacoma Youth Symphony Association, Tacoma Public Library, Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Puget Sound Book Artists, The Grand Cinema, D.A.S.H. Center for the Arts, Fab-5, Hilltop Artists, King's Books, Victory Music, Barefoot Studios, Tacoma School of the Arts, Tacoma Art Museum & Museum of Glass Education Programs, and Arts Impact.

In the category of Arts Patron, past winners include: MultiCare Health System, Tacoma Housing Authority, Metro Parks Tacoma, University of Washington Tacoma, ArtsFund, Erivan and Helga Haub and Family, Key Bank, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Urban Grace Church, City Arts, Hotel Murano, The Weekly Volcano, 6th Avenue Business District, Pierce Transit, and Sound Transit Art Program.

More Information

Additional information about the AMOCAT Arts Awards is available at cityoftacoma.org/amocat.

Questions?

Contact Naomi Strom-Avila at (253) 591-5191 or nstrom-avila@cityoftacoma.org or Chevi Chung at (253) 591-5171 or cchung1@cityoftacoma.org.

Preferred deadline: August 5, 2019 – Late submissions accepted on a rolling basis
 
Opportunity

The Tacoma Arts Commission is seeking submissions of arts and culture activities happening during our 18th annual Tacoma Arts Month this October. We are looking for a variety of activities spanning all categories of art and culture including but not limited to music, visual art, literary art, dance, theater, and film.

If you will be hosting an exhibition, performance, class, workshop, reception, lecture, tour, artists’ market, celebration, meeting, presentation, or any other art programming in Tacoma, we will list your event on the Tacoma Arts Month online calendar. There is no cost to you. We will be promoting the many events going on throughout the month through newspaper and magazine advertisements and articles, e-newsletters, television ads, radio ads, and a variety of social media outlets.

This month would not be possible without the participation of local businesses, organizations, and community members. We encourage you to participate by hosting your own arts activity or event.

The deadline for the first round of submissions is August 5, 2019. We will accept activities on a rolling basis after that but submitting your information by August 5th will ensure that your activity is included in the first round of information that will go out.

To Qualify
Your arts activity must be located within the City of Tacoma limits and occur during the month of October. 

To Participate
Fill out the online submission form via Submittable: https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit. Please note: If you are submitting multiple events, please fill out an individual form for each event.

Questions?

Contact Naomi Strom-Avila at (253) 591-5191 or nstrom-avila@cityoftacoma.org or Chevi Chung at (253) 591-5171 or cchung1@cityoftacoma.org.