Inspire Washington is the state-wide advocacy organization for the cultural sector, promoting the value of science, heritage, and arts programming within every city, town, and hamlet. Washington just concluded the State Legislative Session in Olympia with new funding and opportunities for the cultural sector. Inspire Washington is excited to visit communities across the state for a share and listening tour, providing a thorough legislative overview and directions for accessing funding. From May 4 – June 26, 26 in-person and 3 virtual events will be held from San Juan Island to Wall Walla. To register for your free event, visit www.inspirewashington.org. Inspire Washington is grateful to its headlining sponsor, Allen Family Philanthropies and the King County regional sponsor, 4Culture. Additional support provided by ArtsWA and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The program includes:
A summary of 2026 state legislative session; including legislative wins and ongoing challenges, bills, agency budget requests, state resources, changes to retail sales tax laws, and more.
A summary of federal appropriations and legislative issues.
An overview of new legislation and funding opportunities including Building for the Arts, Heritage Capital, Local & Community Projects, grants, etc.
Resources for voter education events.
Overview of the state’s Cultural Access program and its opportunity for cities and counties.
Community conversations to understand current industry challenges, interests, and opportunities. The information collected will shape our state’s cultural 2027 State Biennium Agenda.
More information about the Inspire WA coalition including how to engage in policy development, advocacy, and how to engage with lawmakers and establish meaningful relationships with them.