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Spokane Arts says SAGA grants topped $1 million to community projects
Summary
Spokane Arts presented the 2024 annual grant‑making report for the Spokane Arts Grant Awards (SAGA), reporting that SAGA has distributed more than $1 million in grants since the program began. Staff described priorities for future funding and tools to support artists.
Spokane Arts staff told the Urban Experience Committee that the Spokane Arts Grant Awards program, known as SAGA, has now distributed more than $1 million in grants to community arts projects since the program began.
"SAGA has now put out, more than a million dollars to the community for projects in cultural arts and arts and, supporting kids and mental health and programming, arts businesses," said Shelly Winecoop, grant‑making director for Spokane Arts, during the committee’s October briefing. Skyler Overs, who introduced the presentation, identified himself as representing Spokane Arts Fund.
Why it matters: SAGA is funded by a percentage of the city’s admissions tax revenue and supports a range of cultural projects across Spokane. The program’s cumulative disbursement milestone was presented in the board’s 2024 annual report and a companion look‑book that shows images from funded projects.
Details: Winecoop said SAGA received 188 funded proposals across nine years and that she provided committee members with physical copies of the 2024 report and a look‑book image set. The program is supported, she said, by 16.5% of the city’s annual admissions tax income "at least in 2024," language staff used to describe the funding mechanism for that year.
Forward priorities: When asked about next steps, Winecoop said Spokane Arts would like to see programs that support artists’ health and sustainability, and more shared facilities such as ceramics and printmaking spaces to make costly equipment accessible to artists who otherwise could not afford it.
Committee response: Council members thanked Spokane Arts for the update and asked for follow‑up information on the published look‑book when the Downtown Spokane Partnership makes it available.
Looking ahead: Spokane Arts staff said the annual report contains detailed program data and that the Downtown Spokane Partnership will help publish the look‑book for broader community distribution.
