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Artist Trust 

Description

Founded in 1987, Artist Trust is celebrating twenty five years of supporting art at its source. Artist Trust provides artists the time and resources necessary to prosper by providing grants, residencies and career training to thousands of artists each year. As a national model, we have invested over $9 million in support to Washington State's most promising and respected musicians, visual artists, writers, dancers, craft artists, filmmakers and cross-disciplinary artists. Our core values are artistic excellence, quality, innovation, freedom of expression; and artistic, cultural and geographic diversity.

Mission Statement
Artist Trust is a not-for-profit organization whose sole mission is to support and encourage individual artists working in all disciplines in order to enrich community life throughout Washington State. Artist Trust envisions a future where artists throughout Washington State have access to the resources they need to express their creative spirit and where artists are held in the highest esteem.
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Artist Trust
1835 12th Ave 
Seattle 
WA
98122-2437 
(206) 467-8734 

Margit Rankin 
Executive Director 

Programs

Artist Trust Programs

Financial Grant Programs
Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) award up to $1,500 for artists to begin, further or complete specific works of art; Artist Trust Fellowships are unrestricted awards of $7,500 that recognize artistic merit and continued dedication to an art-making practice; The Twining Humber Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement is an annual, unrestricted award of $10,000 given to a female visual artist, age 60 or over, who has dedicated a lifetime to her art-making.  The Arts Innovator Award is an unrestricted award of $25,000 given annually to two Washington State generative artists of all disciplines who are originating new work, experimenting with new ideas, taking risks and pushing the boundaries in their respective fields. The award recognizes artists who demonstrate innovation in their art practice.

Creative Career Center
The Creative Career Center is a comprehensive suite of career training, professional-development resources and counseling to help artists achieve their career goals. Artists learn best practices in the business of being an artist, increasing their confidence and entrepreneurship. Programs include workshops, networking events and other career training opportunities, providing artists the necessary support to launch and sustain successful careers.

Professional Resources
Artist Trust offers Professional Resources online, in print and on-site providing information on valuable resources, opportunities and services available to the artists of Washington State.

Recent Successes and Current Challenges

In 2012, Artist Trust awarded over $280,000 to 102 artists through five grant programs and direct support. Artist Trust also provides a comprehensive suite of career training, professional development resources and counseling to help artists achieve their career goals.

In 2009, Artist Trust was awarded the Seattle Mayor's Arts Award in recognition of our stellar programs that support generative artists of all creative disciplines, enabling them to create new works and thrive in our community.

Given the decline in public support of the arts, our Fellowship program suffered a 27% reduction in funds from the state arts commission in 2009. This required us to reduce the number of awards -- which offer $7,500 to exemplary artists to invest time and resources in order that they may create new works & present to new audiences around the state -- for the first time in our 23-year history. The demand for our artist grants exceeds our available resources such that we are only able to fund between 5-8% of applicants.

Evaluation


Artist Trust is a leader in providing high-quality technical assistance to individual artists across the region, playing a key role in fortifying the larger arts community. Artists are actively engaged in all aspects of fundraising at Artist Trust, contributing art for auctions and other events, reaching out to Artist Trust alumni, and donating gallery space for exhibitions of client work.

Use of Best Practices
In addition to its direct support of artists, Artist Trust works to influence public policy at the local and national level, assuming a leadership role in making health care more accessible and affordable for area artists.

Collaboration
Artist Trust’s extensive partnerships with other organizations create opportunities to showcase the work of the Trust’s clients at little or no cost, e.g., a collaboration with Seattle Arts & Lectures enables Artist Trust’s Writing Fellows to be the “opening act” for the main lecture.

Financial Health
Its longstanding commitment to conservative fiscal management helps the organization weather difficult economic times, as does its engagement of board and extensive alumni-artist network in fundraising and outreach.

Grant History with The Seattle Foundation:

Grants Awarded through The Seattle Foundation Grantmaking Program:

DateAmountPurpose
9/10/2012 $7,500.00support general operating expenses.
6/10/2009 $10,000.00support general operating expenses.
12/14/2006 $15,000.00support general operating expenses.
12/16/2004 $12,000.00support general operating expenses.

Financials

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