Tacoma Creates, the first cultural access program of its kind in Washington state, has released its 2024-2025 Annual Report following the completion of its fifth funding cycle. During this period, Tacoma Creates distributed $6 million to 69 local non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing arts, culture, heritage, and science. This competitive funding program enabled these organizations to offer nearly 1,500 cultural programs and events for the Tacoma community.
“Tacoma Creates funding helps cultural organizations build long-term sustainability and increase access to their programs,” said Mayor Victoria Woodards. “Throughout the 2024-2025 program year, organizations utilized Tacoma Creates funding to invest in staffing, forge collaborations both within and outside the cultural sector, and strengthen their infrastructure. Tacoma Creates has also enabled many organizations to increase paid work opportunities for artists and other cultural workers, who are vital contributors to the local creative economy.”
“Tacoma Creates continues to support our largest cultural institutions alongside a growing number of smaller and newer community-based organizations, and all of these organizations are essential to the creative ecosystem and creative economy in Tacoma,” said Tacoma Creates Advisory Board Chair Katie Mattran. “These organizations provide such a tremendous array of programming that enriches our community – from early learning settings to senior centers, and at schools and library branches throughout our city.”
More than one third of all programs supported were youth education programs, including programs offered in partnership with Tacoma Public Schools. Tacoma Creates-funded organizations provided programming for all of Tacoma Public Schools’ elementary and middle schools, and nearly all of its high schools. Tacoma Creates funding also supported bus transportation for 280 cultural field trips for Tacoma Public Schools’ students, including district-wide field trips for all 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th graders.
Tacoma Creates organizations provided a combined total of nearly 250 presentations and workshops at Tacoma Public Library branches, bringing in people of all ages to experience free arts, culture, heritage, and science opportunities.
Nearly 70 percent of the programs and events produced with Tacoma Creates funding support were offered free of charge to the community, and there were over 300,000 attendees at free, in-person cultural events. In addition to programming that brings people to cultural facilities downtown, more than 60 percent of organizations’ funds were allocated towards producing programs and events in neighborhoods across the city. An interactive map is available here.
Tacoma Creates’ 2024-2025 Annual Report is available in English and Spanish at tacomacreates.org.
About Tacoma Creates
Tacoma Creates is the City of Tacoma’s Cultural Access Program. The Tacoma City Council voted unanimously on October 7, 2025 to reinstate a local 1/10th of 1 percent sales and use tax to continue funding the Tacoma Creates program for an additional seven years. This community-supported initiative increases access to arts, culture, heritage, and science experiences throughout Tacoma by expanding offerings and reducing barriers to participation, including for underserved youth. Tacoma Creates is part of the Arts & Cultural Vitality Division of the City of Tacoma’s Community and Economic Development Department.