Creative State

Special Episode - Olga Loktev and Dhaya Sarathy on Dance

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -0700

In this Creative State podcast, dancers and WAYAL alumni Dhaya Sarathy and Olga Loktev speak with Carina A. del Rosario, WAYAL Program Specialist. They share about their experiences with dance and arts education, how what they learned has shaped other aspects of their life and their career plans. They also reflect on the impact the WAYAL program had on their views about the creative economy and the need for arts advocacy.

Special Episode - Vet Corps Navigator Gabriella Smith

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Join ArtsWA Wellness, Arts, and the Military Program Manager Bryan Bales for a conversation with our Vet Corps Navigator Gabriella Smith about her work serving Veterans and their communities.

Special Episode - Vet Corps: Eric Ballentine

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0700

In this special episode, we sit down with Eric Ballentine, regional coordinator for the Washington Department of Veteran's Affairs (WDVA) Vet Corps. Eric sheds light on how the Vet Corps works, what makes Veterans such powerful storytellers, the Minority Veterans organization, and his plans for a podcast of his own.

Special Episode - Creating community: Gabi's Olympic Cards and Comics

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0700

In this special episode, we sit down with Gabrielle Trautmann of Gabi's Olympic Cards and Comics to learn about how her shop - which she bought at 18 years old - creates community in Olympia, Washington. Gabi, whose father served in the military, holds regular events for Veterans to gather and build human connections (she even lifts the "no swearing" rule).

Learn more about Gabi's Olympic Cards and Comics here.

Governor's Arts & Heritage Awards

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0700

Jeremy Whittington: Jeremy is a 2021 Governor’s Arts & Heritage Luminary Award honoree based in Spokane, Washington. He is the Artistic and Managing Director of Stage Left Theater. Click below to:

Learn more about Stage Left Theatre
Explore Jeremy Whittington's work
Listen to the full interview

The 2022 Governor's Arts & Heritage Awards: The 2022 Governor's Arts & Heritage Awards were held on November 1, 2022. Click below to:

Learn more about the awards
Watch the 2022 virtual presentation

Geoffrey Bowton: Geoffrey is a Veteran artist who works in “Pate de Verre”, a French term meaning “Paste of Glass”. Click here to learn more about Geoffrey.

Music: Icelandic Arpeggios – DivKid / Beyond – Patrick Patrikios

Circle of Light

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0700

Faaluaina (Lua) Pritchard, Executive Director of Asia Pacific Cultural Center: Asia Pacific Cultural Center is a 2021 Governor’s Arts & Heritage Luminary Award honoree based in Tacoma. Click here to learn more about Asia Pacific Cultural Center.

Janae Huber: Janae is the Collections Manager for the Art in Public Places program at ArtsWA. Click here to learn more about Art in Public Places, and click here to learn more about Circle of Light. Watch a video:

Field Report: Dick Elliott's 'Circle of Light'

Jane Orleman: Jane is an artist and the widow of Circle of Light artist Dick Elliott. Click here to learn more about Jane.

Xavier Cavazos: Xavier is a poet and educator. Click here to learn more about Xavier.

Dru Holley: Dru the documentary filmmaker behind Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts. Click here to learn more about the film.

Music: Icelandic Arpeggios – DivKid / Beyond – Patrick Patrikios

Back to School

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0700

Holly Jacobson, CEO of Path With Art: Path With Art is a 2021 Governor’s Arts & Heritage Luminary Award honoree based in Seattle. Click here to learn more about Path With Art.

Tamar Krames: Tamar is the Program Manager for Arts in Education at ArtsWA. Click here to learn more about Arts in Education. Watch their videos:

Carina Del Rosario: Carina is a Teaching Artist, visual artist, and cultural worker. Click here to learn more about Carina.

Bryan Bales: Bryan is the Program Manager for Wellness, Arts, and the Military at ArtsWA. Click here to learn more about Wellness, Arts, and the Military.

Music: Icelandic Arpeggios – DivKid / Beyond – Patrick Patrikios

Special Episode - Working Washington Grants: Round 5

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 09:00:00 -0700

The Working Washington Grants: Round 5 and Convention Center Grants programs bring $75 million in pandemic relief to small businesses and nonprofits across the state. In this episode, we sit down with Shannon Halberstadt to discuss both programs - and why it's important for everyone who is eligible to apply. Shannon is the Creative Economy Sector Lead for the Department of Commerce.

Learn more about both grants and apply by September 9 at commercegrants.com!

Arts, Community, and Wellbeing

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 09:00:00 -0700

In this episode, we look at community from three different perspectives: keeping communities strong during the pandemic, forging healthy communities by preserving cultural traditions, and creating community for Veterans through music-making. We speak with Governor's Arts & Heritage Award honoree Akuyea Karen Vargas and incoming Center for Washington Cultural Traditions Director Thomas Richardson. For the final segment, you’ll hear Gabriella Smith, our Vet Corps Navigator for the Wellness, Arts, and the Military Program, speak with John Selzler, founder of MusicWorks4Veterans.

Note on content: in our conversation with Akuyea, she shares a story in which she quotes a racial slur that was directed at a member of her family.

Akuyea Karen Vargas: Akuyea Karen Vargas is a 2021 Governor's Arts & Heritage Luminary Award honoree based on Bainbridge Island. Click here to learn about ERACE (and here to learn about the Kitsap ERACE Coalition) and click here to learn about the Living Arts Cultural Heritage project. Contact Kitsap ERACE at KitsapERACEcoalition@gmail.com.

Thomas Richardson: Thomas is the incoming director of the Center for Washington Cultural Traditions (CWCT). Click here to learn more about the CWCT.

John Selzler: John is an Army and Air Force Veteran, a musician and songwriter, and the founder of MusicWorks4Veterans. Click here to learn more about MusicWorks4Veterans.

Music: Icelandic Arpeggios – DivKid / Beyond – Patrick Patrikios

Community Development in the Arts

Wed, 25 May 2022 09:00:00 -0700

Episode 2: Community Development in the Arts | How can the arts support communities and the economy? We speak with Spokane Valley Summer Theatre Director of Development Marnie Rorholm, ArtsWA Community Development Manager Annette Roth, and Tenino Mayor Wayne Fournier. For the final segment, you’ll hear Gabriella Smith, our Vet Corps Navigator for the Wellness, Arts, and the Military Program, speak with author and U.S. Army Veteran Michelle Murray.

Spokane Valley Summer Theatre: Spokane Valley Summer Theatre is a nonprofit theatre in Spokane Valley, Washington, producing musical theatre and an educational summer camp program. Learn more about their work at their website.

Spokane Valley Summer Theatre received a Governor’s Arts & Heritage Award in 2021. Click here to watch the 2021 Governor’s Arts & Heritage presentation.

Annette Roth: Annette is the Community Development Manager for ArtsWA, where she manages the award-winning Creative Districts program. Click here to learn more.

Mayor Wayne Fournier: Wayne Fournier is the Mayor of Tenino, Washington. Tenino became a Certified Creative District in May, 2020. Click here to learn more about Tenino.

Michelle Murray: Michelle is a published author, spoken word poet, and U.S. Army Veteran. Michelle speaks at length about her work with Path With Art. Learn more about Path With Art at pathwithart.org.

Music: Icelandic Arpeggios – DivKid / Beyond – Patrick Patrikios

National Poetry Month

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 09:00:00 -0700

Episode 1: National Poetry Month | In the inaugural Creative State, we speak with Gallery One Executive Director Monica Miller, ArtsWA’s Poetry Out Loud Manager Judy Cullen, and Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest. For the final segment, you’ll hear Gabriella Smith, our Vet Corps Navigator for the Wellness, Arts, and the Military Program, speak with Olympia Poet Laureate Ashly McBunch.

Gallery One: Gallery One Visual Arts Center is a nonprofit organization in Ellensburg, Washington. They offer a variety of quarterly classes, an art after school program, a gift store featuring regional artisans, a full ceramics studio available for rent and classes, inexpensive studio spaces for artists, and facility rentals for the community. Click here to visit Gallery One's website.

Gallery One received a Governor's Arts & Heritage Award in 2021. Click here to watch the 2021 Governor's Arts & Heritage presentation.

Judy Cullen: Judy is the Program Manager for Washington's Poetry Out Loud program. Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students. Click here to watch the 2022 Washington State Poetry Out Loud Final Competition.

Rena Priest: Rena became the sixth Washington State Poet Laureate on April 14, 2021, and her term will run until March 31, 2023. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, Priest will be the first Indigenous poet to be the state’s Poet Laureate.

Ashly McBunch: Ashly is Olympia, Washington's current Poet Laureate. Click here to read a profile of Ashly.

Music: Icelandic Arpeggios - DivKid / Beyond - Patrick Patrikios