[Diagram Description automatically generated with medium confidence]24 Artists Funded by the Tacoma Arts Commission The Tacoma Arts Commission recently awarded $96,000 in Tacoma Artists Initiative Program (TAIP) funding to 24 Tacoma-based artists working in artistic disciplines including dance, film, interdisciplinary, literary, music, performance, and visual arts. Tacoma Artists Initiative Program awards are $4,000 each. "The quality and diversity of the 2023-2024 TAIP applications were outstanding, and we're proud to support artists working throughout Tacoma's many neighborhoods," said Tacoma Arts Commission Chair Michael Kula. "These fundees represent artists working across all stages in their careers, and we're excited by how many of them are new to this funding program." The 2023-2024 TAIP funded artists are: Anida Yoeu Ali, Luna Malia Azzouni, Kristina Batiste, Burl Battersby, Jaziré Ché, Hadiya Finley, Antonio Gomez, Mary Mann, Hugo Moro, Roxann Murray, Yoshi Nakagawa, Vernon Ng, Yixuan Pan, Melinda Raebyne, RickyLovesPainting, Addy Sandoval, Sophie Marie Schatz, Daniella Shepherd, Masahiro Sugano, Merilee Tanbara, Nicole Turner, Kris Vermeer, Cassio Vianna, and Donovan Wilson. Funded projects include: an interactive outdoor sculpture; a poetry anthology and accompanying workshops; painted and ceramic public murals; a series of salons focused on ceramics; a literary and visual arts journal and accompanying workshops; an illustrated children's book; a multimedia exploration of Tacoma history; an interactive culinary arts performance piece; produced and screened films; new music, including an extended play (EP) album and series of concerts; a choreographed dance piece; a published historical fiction novel; a series of exhibitions of visual art including painting, photography, printmaking, 3-D ceramic printing, textiles, and sculpture; and hands-on art classes for the community. The TAIP was established in 1999 to encourage the contributions made by individual artists within the city of Tacoma. The goals of the program are to recognize creative expression of the artists in our community, financially assist artists in generating new work and growing their skills, and engage the broader community through free public components presented by the funded artists. The TAIP is one of two funding programs administered by the Tacoma Arts Commission. For more information, visit cityoftacoma.org/funding<http://www.cityoftacoma.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=1660>. NAOMI STROM-AVILA (she/her) Funding & Cultural Programs Manager Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality 253.591.5191 Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality<http://www.cityoftacoma.org/arts> | Tacoma Creates<http://www.tacomacreates.org/>