For Immediate Release
June 23, 2008

Contact: Lila Hurwitz, Communications Manager
lila@artisttrust.org, 206/467-8734 x13; toll-free 1/866/218-7878  

Artist Trust Receives $100,000 Award from Washington Women’s Foundation

Artist Trust is proud to be the recipient of the 2008 Washington Women’s Foundation grant of $100,000, the highest amount WWF has ever awarded to an arts and culture organization in its 12-year history. The award will support Artist Trust’s grants programs and enhance its professional development and information services for individual artists of all disciplines throughout Washington State.

“Our members have high regard and deep respect for the work Artist Trust does supporting individual artists and their ability to pursue their craft. Their work benefits us all by enriching our community with painting, poetry, sculpture and more. We are delighted to make a grant of $100,000 to Artist Trust.”
–Carla Lewis, Washington Women’s Foundation President

“We are very honored to have been selected this year and are most grateful to all of the women in the WWF network for making this investment in the artists of Washington State.”
–Fidelma McGinn, Artist Trust Executive Director

The mission of the Washington Women’s Foundation is to educate and expand the number of women engaged in philanthropy and to build and strengthen community through individual and large impact grants. Find out more at www.wawomensfoundation.org.

This generous award caps the end of Artist Trust’s 2008 Fiscal Year; here are some of our other accomplishments for the year:

• Artist Trust conducted free grant writing and resource workshops to over 1,500 artists in counties throughout the state, including Chelan, Clark, Gray's Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Okanogan, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Walla Walla, Whatcom, and Yakima;
• The EDGE Professional Development Program completed its fifth year, equipping 265 visual artists with the knowledge needed to succeed in the business of art;
• 80 Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) awards will be made to artists of all creative disciplines this month;
• 30 artists were served in the first free Health Screening for Artists in partnership with Qliance, a new primary care medical clinic;
• 5,000 copies of How to Access Health Care in Washington -- A Practical Guide for Artists, were distributed throughout the state to help artists navigate the labyrinth of affordable health care options.

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. Since 1987 we have granted more than $3.2 million in direct support to over 1,400 Washington State artists, and have delivered vital information to thousands more each year. Find out more at www.artisttrust.org.

:: :: ::