Opportunities

Current Opportunities

2026 AMOCAT Arts Awards

Overview

The Tacoma Arts Commission is accepting nominations for the 2026 AMOCAT Arts Awards, which recognize the people, organizations, and groups that positively impact Tacoma with their passion, innovation, and commitment to the arts.
The Tacoma Arts Commission will review all nominations and select finalist(s) in each award category based on:

• Community Impact and Engagement – the reach, consistency, and significance of the nominee’s impact on Tacoma’s arts community, including how they connect with, support, and build relationships across diverse communities.
• Contribution to Tacoma’s Arts and Cultural Life – the quality, purpose, and integrity of the nominee’s work or support — whether through artistic practice, organizational leadership, patronage, or community building. What do they contribute, and how well do they do it?

The number of times a nominee is nominated will not be considered in the selection process. The Tacoma Arts Commission has full discretion in the selection of recipients.

The 2026 AMOCAT Arts Awards will be presented by the Tacoma City Council on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market Street. Recipients will also be recognized at the opening celebration of Tacoma Arts Month on Saturday, October 3, 2026 and shared publicly on the Tacoma Arts Month website.

Award Categories

• Community Outreach by an Individual – Community outreach, engagement, and involvement in the arts in Tacoma by an individual
• Community Outreach by an Organization – Community outreach, engagement, and involvement in the arts in Tacoma by an organization or group
• Arts Patron – A community partner who significantly supports or contributes to the arts in Tacoma

Make a Nomination

Fill out the nomination form at https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit.

When writing your nomination, consider addressing the following:

• What has the nominee contributed to Tacoma’s arts community, and who has been impacted?
• What makes the nominee’s approach or work distinctive?
• How has the nominee demonstrated commitment or sustained involvement in the arts?

Nomination Deadline

Monday, July 13, 2026, 11:59pm

Eligibility

Nominees must be based in Tacoma or make significant contributions to Tacoma’s arts community. The Tacoma Arts Commission is committed to recognizing nominees who reflect the diversity of Tacoma’s communities, including across disciplines, neighborhoods, cultural backgrounds, and career stages. Self-nominations are accepted and held to the same standards as any nomination.

Individuals, organizations, and patrons previously selected as award recipients are eligible to be nominated again after 5 years have passed since their last award.

Past AMOCAT Arts Award Recipients

Community Outreach by an Individual

2025 Saiyare Refaei, Irina Rasputnis
2024 Lourdes Jackson, Anida Yoeu Ali
2023 Reid Ozaki and Kristina Batiste
2022 Tamiko Nimura
2021 Honoring the collective community
2019 Aya Hashiguchi Clark and Randy Clark
2018 Jackie Casella
2017 Michael Haeflinger
2016 Christopher Paul Jordan
2015 Connie K Walle
2014 Jessica Spring
2013 David Domkoski
2012 Katy Evans
2011 Stella Haioulani
2010 Oliver Doriss
2009 William Kupinse
2008 Linda Danforth
2007 Lance Kagey and Tom Llewellyn
2006 Laura and Matt Eklund
2005 Jared Pappas-Kelley and Michael S. Lent
2004 Lynn Di Nino

Community Outreach by an Organization

2025 Remakery, Mi Centro
2024 Black Night Market
2023 Southeast Asian Comedy Collective
2022 Real Art Tacoma
2021 Honoring the collective community
2019 Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center (T.U.P.A.C.)
2018 Tacoma Little Theatre
2017 Monkeyshines
2016 Tacoma Youth Symphony Association
2015 Tacoma Public Library
2014 Asia Pacific Cultural Center
2013 Puget Sound Book Artists
2012 The Grand Cinema
2011 D.A.S.H. Center for the Arts
2010 Fab-5
2009 Hilltop Artists
2008 King’s Books
2007 Victory Music
2006 Barefoot Studios
2005 Tacoma School of the Arts
2004 Tacoma Art Museum and Museum of Glass Education Programs, Arts Impact

Arts Patron

2025 Tacoma Public Library
2024 Mattice Hoyt of Mattice Beauty Supply
2023 Foster’s Creative
2022 Grit City Magazine
2021 Honoring the collective community
2019 Tacoma Creates Campaign
2018 MultiCare Health System
2017 Tacoma Housing Authority
2016 Metro Parks Tacoma
2015 University of Washington Tacoma
2014 ArtsFund
2013 Erivan and Helga Haub and family
2012 Key Bank
2011 The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
2010 Urban Grace Church
2009 City Arts
2008 Hotel Murano
2007 The Weekly Volcano
2006 6th Avenue Business District
2005 Pierce Transit
2004 Sound Transit Art Program

Tacoma Creates – Organizational Eligibility Review Form

Is your organization interested in applying for Tacoma Creates funding?

If your organization has not previously been funded by Tacoma Creates, but you’d like to apply in the next funding cycle, we encourage you to go through the Eligibility Review process.

This process will determine whether your organization is eligible for Tacoma Creates funding and can move on to completing the full funding application, which will be released in late January 2027.

Tacoma Creates has two funding categories, and organizations can only apply in ONE of the categories. Start by reviewing the organizational eligibility requirements, which are explained on the Tacoma Creates website:

• Eligibility for Impact Funding (this funding category is generally for organizations with annual budgets under $400K)
• Eligibility for Comprehensive Organizational Support (this funding category is generally for organizations with annual budgets over $400K and with year-round work in both general public programs and youth education programs)

Organizations are NOT eligible if they are:

• Any agency of the state or political subdivisions
• A municipal corporation
• An organization that raises funds for redistribution to multiple cultural organizations
• Radio or television broadcasting network or stations, cable communications systems, internet-based communications venture or services, newspapers, or magazines

Eligibility for Tacoma Creates funding programs is based on Washington State and City of Tacoma legislation.

How to Apply

Before applying, please read through the Organizational Eligibility criteria, listed above.

The Organizational Eligibility Review Form can be found at tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit, and will be open until 11:59pm on Sunday, January 31, 2027. Within a week after you submit your form, you will receive an update from Tacoma Creates staff on next steps. Eligibility determinations will be made within 2-4 weeks, depending on when you submit.

Questions?

Email Lisa Jaret, Program Manager at ljaret@tacoma.gov. For more information about Tacoma Creates, visit www.tacomacreates.org.

Panel Interest Form

What is a Panel?

A panel is a group of individuals pulled together by staff to review applications or nominations for Arts & Cultural Vitality managed programs or opportunities. Panel members use published review criteria to evaluate applications and make recommendations about who gets grant funding, public art projects, roster appointments, etc.

Panelists are selected for a variety of reasons which can include: their connection to community, knowledge of relevant subject matter, and the diversity of perspectives and experiences they bring to the group overall. For each opportunity, we assemble a unique panel of three to nine people to make collective recommendations about which applicants should receive funding or commissions through our division. Those recommendations generally go to the Tacoma Arts Commission or the Tacoma Creates Advisory Board for final approval.

Why be a Panelist?

The Arts & Cultural Vitality Division (ACV) is deeply appreciative of the time and expertise community members invest in serving on panels. Serving on a panel is a proactive way to impact how public funds are spent in Tacoma, and panelists receive valuable professional development as well as insight into how the application review process works from the inside.

ACV provides panelists with free parking and food during meetings, in addition to offering a monetary honorarium.

The length and number of meetings needed for a selection process vary based on the project. Depending on the application, some panels will require a small amount of prep work in advance, one to two hours, and some panels may require extensive reading and evaluation work in advance of the in-person panel meeting, anywhere from 10-50 hours. Community members will be offered an honorarium for their service as follows:

• Panel Meetings: panelists will receive between $25 – $225 for attending a panel meeting; staff will determine the exact rate, depending on the length of the meeting.
• Pre-Meeting Preparation: panelists will receive between $100 – $500 for pre‐meeting work to digitally read and score applications (only when requested); staff will determine the exact rate, depending on the estimated time this work will take.

Members of a City‐appointed commission or board are volunteers and are not eligible to receive an honorarium for their service on a panel. City of Tacoma employees and project staff are not eligible to receive an honorarium for their service on a panel.

Submit a Panel Interest Form

Please complete the online form to be considered for a position on an upcoming ACV panel: www.surveymonkey.com/r/tacomapanels

Staff will take into account many factors when putting together panels and may not be able to use the services of all qualified individuals who submit. If an individual is offered a position on a panel but is unable to participate because of scheduling or conflict of interest, ACV will continue to consider them for future panels. Panel Interest Forms will be saved and reviewed periodically for up to three years from the submission date.

Questions?

If you have questions, please contact Naomi Strom-Avila or (253) 591-5191.