Wenatchee Valley, Lake Chelan arts groups receive $192,500 in flexible grants

WENATCHEE — Fourteen arts and culture organizations in the Wenatchee Valley, Leavenworth and Lake Chelan area will share $192,500 in grants they can use for programming, staffing or other operating needs.

The awards are part of $10 million distributed to 745 Washington organizations through the 2026 Community Accelerator Grant, ArtsFund and Allen Family Philanthropies announced Nov. 10. The funders also committed another $10 million to renew the program in 2027.

Local awards range from $5,000 to $25,000. Two Rivers Gallery in Wenatchee received $25,000, while Grunewald Guild in Leavenworth and the Indigenous Roots & Reparation Foundation in Wenatchee each received $22,500.

Unlike grants restricted to a particular production or purchase, the awards let recipients decide where to put the money. The funders said organizations most often prioritized programming, salaries and labor, and rent, mortgage payments or facility improvements.

The local recipients and their awards are:

• Dangerous Women, Leavenworth: $20,000.
• Fiestas Mexicanas, East Wenatchee: $20,000.
• Grunewald Guild, Leavenworth: $22,500.
• Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, Leavenworth: $7,500.
• Indigenous Roots & Reparation Foundation, Wenatchee: $22,500.
• Lake Chelan Bach Fest, Chelan: $5,000.
• Leavenworth Summer Theater: $15,000.
• Mariachi Northwest Festival, Wenatchee: $17,500.
• North Central Washington Arts Alliance, Wenatchee: $5,000.
• Stage Kids, Wenatchee: $7,500.
• Two Rivers Gallery, Wenatchee: $25,000.
• Wenatchee High School Band Boosters: $15,000.
• Wenatchee Jazz Workshop: $5,000.
• Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra: $5,000.

Other North Central Washington recipients include the Douglas County Museum in Waterville, $5,000; Cascadia Music in Twisp, $5,000; Methow Arts Alliance, $15,000; Methow Valley Interpretive Center, $17,500; Omak Performing Arts Center Foundation, $12,500; and The Confluence: Art in Twisp, $12,500.

This year's program focused on organizations with annual budgets below $1 million. ArtsFund said the average award rose from $10,753 in 2025 to $13,423 in 2026.

"This program continues to reflect the value of flexible funding in catalyzing organizational health, experimentation, and investment in communities," said Michael Greer, ArtsFund president and CEO.

ArtsFund plans an informational webinar in the spring for prospective 2027 applicants. Program information and the full recipient list are available at artsfund.org/accelerator/.