Western Arts Alliance (WAA)

☃️ This week, we hosted our very first WAAliday Party / Portland Member Meetup—and it was a fantastic success! 🌟 Highlights from the event included the super-fun 360-photo booth, our first-ever recorded WAA podcast, and, of course, so many wonderful conversations. It was a WAAnderful gathering!  🎥 We hope you enjoy this silly WAA staff video we captured in the 360-photo booth! 🎊

📣 Nominations are now open for passionate people seeking to shape the future of our field and WAA! Your voice matters, and we invite you to serve on our esteemed Board of Directors. WAA is looking for candidates that demonstrate a passion for our mission and a commitment to serving the needs of our members.    🙌 As a member of the WAA board, you will have the unique opportunity to impact WAA and help steward its evolution. All employees of member organizations and individual membership holders are eligible to nominate and sit on the WAA Board. Whether you’re a presenter at a rural university, an agent in the big city, or an artist somewhere in-between, there’s room on the board and the need for your voice in the room.   👉 Learn more about this year’s board rotation and where to submit your nomination here: https://loom.ly/ZG8QGnE ⏰ Deadline: Jan 31 at 11:59pm PT #westernartsalliance #performingarts #communitystrong #boardservice

Since 1985, the annual WAA Awards have celebrated and recognized colleagues and organizations who have advanced the performing arts field and strengthened the WAA community — those who enrich, inspire, and energize our work and our industry. 🎉 The WAA Awards will be presented at the 2025 WAA Annual Conference in Los Angeles, CA.   This year’s categories are:   🌟 Leadership Award: Honoring extraordinary vision, distinguished leadership, and artistic achievement.  🌟 Service Award: Recognizing exceptional volunteer service to Western Arts Alliance, its members, and the field   🌟 Mentoring Award: Recognizing excellence in mentoring and a commitment to the professional advancement of the Western performing arts community    🌟 Emeritus Award: Given to honor members upon their retirement for exemplary and extensive service both to WAA and the field   🌟 Tim Wilson Distinguished Service Award: Honoring members who have made an outstanding impact on the performing arts touring and presenting field in the West   You can nominate your colleagues in the new WAA Member Portal from now until Jan 31! Learn more here: https://loom.ly/9izEwYM #westernartsalliance #performingarts #celebratecolleagues

We're thrilled to share the application information for CIPA's 2025 Fellowship Program! This opportunity is open to all current CIPA members. Not a member? You can join from the CIPA link below. Prepare to elevate your skills, broaden your horizons, and make a lasting impact in our organization. This fellowship program is designed to provide a unique opportunity for passionate early career independent producers (up to 5 years of experience) in the live arts to participate in six months (January-June 2025) of weekly online classes to develop foundational producing skills. Select fellows from the first half of the program will go on to participate in paid apprenticeships with established producers for the second half of the year (July-December 2025). Check out this opportunity here: https://loom.ly/leJol8c Become a member of CIPA here: https://loom.ly/DqhA2Ik

🌟 2025 PAD SHOWCASE APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN! Don't miss this great opportunity for US-based performing artists who are ready to tour internationally!  🙌 🎹 Artists selected for the program will work with our expert video 🎥 production team to create a live performance video to be promoted via an online showcase platform. PAD Showcase artists also receive a one-year complimentary WAA membership, year-round professional development offerings, and support to attend the 2025 WAA Annual Conference in Los Angeles, CA.  Applications open: November 13, 2024 ⏰ Deadline: January 17, 2025 👀 Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply here: https://loom.ly/9rgTxLI

⭐ WOMEX 24, here we come! 🙌 We are thrilled to introduce our 2024 PADX delegation of five exceptional performers whose repertoire spans Americana, Folk, Jazz, and Flamenco. 🔺 PADX is an initiative of the Performing Arts Discovery (PAD) program, developed to expand international markets and generate overseas touring opportunities for U.S. performing artists. 🔹 WOMEX is the most international and culturally diverse music meeting in the world and the biggest conference of the global music scene, featuring a trade fair, talks, films and showcase concerts. 🥁 MEET THE 2024 DELEGATION 🎺 Jennifer Grimm | American Jazz Vocalist | @jennifergrimmofficial Jesús Muñoz | Choreographer & Musical Arranger | @jesusmunozflamenco Queen Esther | Black Americana & Jazz | @queenesthereverything Staci Griesbach | Singer-Songwriter | Jazz & Americana | @stacigriesbach Thea Hopkins | Red Roots Americana | @theahopkinssongs Learn more about the PADX Delegation from this link: https://ow.ly/BS4v50TOHF1 #waa_2024womex #WOMEX #womex2024 #worldwidemusicexpo

Jazz Road is an artist-centric touring and residency grants program to spread jazz throughout the country, strengthen work opportunities and compensation for jazz artists, and bolster deeper engagement between jazz musicians, presenters, and communities. Jazz Road Tours will operate on regularly recurring application cycles through 2026. Initial dates and deadlines are below. Additional cycles will be added in the future. For Tours Taking Place: April 1, 2025 - October 1, 2025 Applications open: October 15, 2024 Deadline: December 1, 2024 Applicants Notified: February 15, 2025 Find more details and apply here: https://ow.ly/mY7l50TN2Gf Jazz Road and WAA: westarts.org/jazz-road

🙌 CONGRATULATIONS to the newest and renewed WAA Board Members! Thank you for your commitment to service. 👏👏 WAA’s Board of Directors plays a vital role in our capacity to serve you — our members. Our board supports us in fulfilling our mission to advance excellence in the performing arts, through innovative thinking and ground-breaking initiatives, by anticipating the future needs of the field, and through sound governance and stewardship. ⭐ Joseph Copley-Venturo Díaz | ODC/Dance | WAA Board President (2026) ⭐ Rob Tocalino | Mondavi Center, UC Davis | WAA Vice President (2026) ⭐ Rafael Gonzalez | Grand Performances | Secretary/Treasurer (2026) ⭐ Christopher Nicholas | Hip Hop Orchestra Experience | Director (2027) ⭐ Meghan Bush | UCSB Arts & Lectures | Director (2027) ⭐ Rebecca Carson | Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts | Director (2027) ⭐ Nadhi Thekkek | Nava Dance Theatre | Director (2027)

WAA 2024 ONLINE: Sept 24 & 25 If you attended WAA in San Diego, your conference registration gives you access to the Online Conference for FREE! You can continue the conversations and connections you made in San Diego online, participate in new interactive workshops, and get a first look at new Performing Arts Discovery (PAD) online showcases which will premiere during the online conference. Check Out the Online Conference Schedule & Register Here: https://ow.ly/fI5M50ToJqM #WAA2024 #westernartsalliance #onlineperformingartsconference

Feeling overwhelmed with gratitude. We are so humbled by this beautiful community. 🫶 🥹 🖋️ This note in particular was one we needed to share. Thanks Michelle Shabtai for your kind words and your edit/upgrade to the Town and Country Resort front desk sign. (Much needed!) "I really don't know how... but somehow... I have to leave this magical place and these incredible people. Thank you WAA 2024, I am so grateful! Also, the sign in the hotel lobby needed a little tweak. 😊" 2024 WAA Summer Camp was the best! See you next year in LA! #2024waa #westernartsalliance #waasummercamp2024