Artist Trust Racial Equity Framework

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In our continuing efforts to strive toward being open, transparent, responsive, and forward-thinking, we are unveiling an update to the Artist Trust Racial Equity Framework.

As a nonprofit organization that supports Washington State artists of all disciplines, Artist Trust strongly believes a fair and just society ensures that artists of all background and identities are included in its cultural narratives. First implemented with our 2016-2019 Strategic Plan, the Artist Trust Racial Equity Framework cemented our commitment to support the work and livelihood of all artists based in Washington State.

Over the last year, we carefully reviewed feedback from our Annual Artist Surveys, conducted informal conversations with artists and professionals in the fields of art and equity, participated in extensive Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) trainings held by the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, and completed an anti-racist workshop with Moral Choice.

A team of Artist Trust staff representing our program, development, operations, and communication activities met to review and revise the language and tone used within our previous Racial Equity Framework. Moreover, realizable goals set at all levels of the organization were established to work toward in the coming year. After incorporating feedback from staff and the strategic vision committee, the updated Racial Equity Framework was presented to the board in November 2017.

We recognize that our approach of turning our commitment to racial equity into action is always evolving, therefore, we will evaluate and review the Racial Equity Framework throughout the year. While growing our own understanding of how our efforts impact and help Washington State artists of all disciplines thrive, we also aim to set new goals that will eliminate barriers to access and bring us closer to a fair and just society.

View Artist Trust’s Racial Equity Framework on the Equity page of our website. We also invite everyone to read over and share these equity-related resources listed here.

If you have feedback or would like to discuss our racial equity work, please contact us at 206.467.8734.

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