Submitted by South Beach Arts Association
South Beach Arts Association (SBAA) is the grateful recipient of a 2024 Community Accelerator Grant in the amount of $12,500. This generous Grant, funded by the Paul G Allen Family Foundation and administered by the ArtsFund, is awarded to cultural nonprofit organizations as an investment in Washington’s arts and culture sector.
The Grant has enabled SBAA to expand its arts instruction, offering new classes and paying instructors for their time. SBAA has expanded its offerings into different arts media, including watercolor, fiber art, jewelry making, traditional clay arts, and specialty pottery classes. SBAA has also added intensive, one-day pottery skills workshops to its existing lineup of 6-week beginner and intermediate pottery classes.
Most notably, Grant funds made it possible to purchase a glass kiln to expand class and studio offerings into fused glass art. This responds to years of requests from artists and community members for access to this popular art form. Grant funds will also cover installation expenses and supplies.
The 2024 Community Accelerator Grant has allowed SBAA to invest in its mission and essential role serving the community. SBAA is a volunteer-run, nonprofit arts organization serving Westport, the greater South Beach area, and southwestern Grays Harbor County. This economically distressed area offers few community-gathering spaces or cultural or creative outlets. SBAA seeks to provide a welcoming space for creativity, community, and arts instruction, practice, and display. SBAA’s gallery is popular with locals and visitors alike, and provides local artists an opportunity to display and sell their art.
SBAA again thanks the ArtsFund and the Paul G. Allen Foundation for this generous Grant.
