Ellensburg Community Cultural Arts Plan

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

The Arts Make Better Communities!

In November of 2021 a group of community organizations recognized the need for a partnership to build an Ellensburg Community Cultural Arts Plan (the Plan) that would strengthen our artist community and add cohesion to our existing work for the arts. The process to develop the Plan spanned 10 months and included community engagement, visioning sessions, and leadership team meetings. Each partnership organization – public, private, and nonprofit - committed funding and resources to hire a professional ‘thought in practice’ consultant. The result of our collective efforts is a solid strategic plan that identified the key goal from the community.

The Opportunity

The Ellensburg Arts & Culture Alliance seeks to work together in the next three to five years to position Ellensburg as the premier arts community in central Washington. In doing so, we will leverage the arts to create a stronger, more resilient community.

We see our opportunity is to have Ellensburg be, by 2032:

  • The place where artists can live, work, and thrive.
  • An art-forward community bringing in new tourism and economic development.
  • Nationally recognized as a destination to experience, create, and participate in every aspect of artistic and cultural expression.
  • Where artist-led innovation is found in government, business, and place making.
  • A hub for providing lifelong arts education.
  • Known for its dedicated affordable space for innovation and creation within our community.
  • Open to everyone (residents, visitors, artists) who seek space and access to different art experiences and participation opportunities.
  • Diverse and inclusive throughout our community.

We recognize that we are blocked from fully achieving this opportunity by:

  • Values and priorities for different groups that are not aligned.
  • Unclear ways of talking about what we’re doing.
  • Fragmented sense of identity that doesn’t include the arts.
  • Entrenched structures that are hard to dislodge.
  • Widespread reluctance to step into (diversify) leadership.
  • Self-reinforcing structures and siloes.
  • Absence of structure to fill and retain our pipeline.

The Plan

Our strategic direction includes four pathways to address our contradictions and advance our vision; they are:

1. Expand partnerships and meaningful connections.

2. Position artists to thrive.

3. Determine and develop resources for the arts.

4. Communicate the vision for a thriving arts community.

The Arts Make Better Communities!

In November of 2021 a group of community organizations recognized the need for a partnership to build an Ellensburg Community Cultural Arts Plan (the Plan) that would strengthen our artist community and add cohesion to our existing work for the arts. The process to develop the Plan spanned 10 months and included community engagement, visioning sessions, and leadership team meetings. Each partnership organization – public, private, and nonprofit - committed funding and resources to hire a professional ‘thought in practice’ consultant. The result of our collective efforts is a solid strategic plan that identified the key goal from the community.

The Opportunity

The Ellensburg Arts & Culture Alliance seeks to work together in the next three to five years to position Ellensburg as the premier arts community in central Washington. In doing so, we will leverage the arts to create a stronger, more resilient community.

We see our opportunity is to have Ellensburg be, by 2032:

  • The place where artists can live, work, and thrive.
  • An art-forward community bringing in new tourism and economic development.
  • Nationally recognized as a destination to experience, create, and participate in every aspect of artistic and cultural expression.
  • Where artist-led innovation is found in government, business, and place making.
  • A hub for providing lifelong arts education.
  • Known for its dedicated affordable space for innovation and creation within our community.
  • Open to everyone (residents, visitors, artists) who seek space and access to different art experiences and participation opportunities.
  • Diverse and inclusive throughout our community.

We recognize that we are blocked from fully achieving this opportunity by:

  • Values and priorities for different groups that are not aligned.
  • Unclear ways of talking about what we’re doing.
  • Fragmented sense of identity that doesn’t include the arts.
  • Entrenched structures that are hard to dislodge.
  • Widespread reluctance to step into (diversify) leadership.
  • Self-reinforcing structures and siloes.
  • Absence of structure to fill and retain our pipeline.

The Plan

Our strategic direction includes four pathways to address our contradictions and advance our vision; they are:

1. Expand partnerships and meaningful connections.

2. Position artists to thrive.

3. Determine and develop resources for the arts.

4. Communicate the vision for a thriving arts community.

  • August 1, 2022 Update

    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    On August 1, 2022 the ECCAP committee presented an update to the Ellensburg City Council during a study session. View the update in the video below.