Support the Arts in Whatcom County
Hello All,
As 2025 draws to a close, I find myself thinking not about buildings or milestones, but about the faces in the rooms we’ve been welcomed into—classrooms, community centers, regional and neighborhood festivals. Allied Arts has always believed that creativity is strongest when it grows from local culture outward, and this year our Cultural Outreach work made that belief feel more urgent, and more possible, than ever.
Across Whatcom County, families are eager for arts experiences that reflect who they are. Teachers are asking for creative learning grounded in local Indigenous knowledge. Neighborhoods are looking for gatherings where many languages, identities, and artistic traditions can sit side by side. Our response has been simple: go to them, listen deeply, and build programs that honor the cultures already here.
Here are a few glimpses of what that looks like in practice:
Indigenous Teaching Artist Residencies:
With your support, we’ve expanded partnerships with Lummi, Nooksack, and other tribal artists who bring carving, weaving, storytelling, and traditional arts into local schools. Their presence doesn’t just fill a gap; it restores something essential.
Social Justice Arts Curriculum:
This year we began piloting a new curriculum co-created with educators, culture bearers, and youth that uses the arts to explore identity, belonging, and creative civic engagement. These lessons give students tools to connect cultural history with contemporary issues and to see themselves reflected in the learning.
Culturally Rooted Festivals & Events:
From the Whatcom Cultural Arts Festival and Bellingham SeaFeast to small neighborhood pop-ups, we’ve created spaces where immigrant, refugee, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented community members can share their traditions and stories on their own terms. These events now draw thousands each year and serve as bridges between communities who might not otherwise meet.
Removing Barriers to Creative Access:
Through our Art Supply Thrift Store and “pay-what-you-can” model, we’ve ensured that cost never stands between a family and the tools to create. Our store now supports hundreds of local artists, students, and educators annually with low-cost materials and donated supplies.
All of this has moved us toward a simple truth: cultural outreach isn’t a program—it’s a promise. A promise that the arts in Whatcom County belong to everyone, and that Allied Arts will keep showing up where creativity is needed most.
But to sustain and grow this work in the coming year, we need your help.
Arts education in our public schools is still uneven. Many classrooms see no teaching artists at all. Families from immigrant and historically marginalized communities continue to face barriers to participation. And as our outreach efforts deepen, so does the need for fair compensation for local artists—especially culture bearers whose knowledge is often requested but not always funded.
Your contribution this season will:
Place more teaching artists—especially Indigenous and culturally diverse artists—into local schools.
Expand community-led festivals, cultural partnerships, and inclusive exhibits across the county.
Keep creative access equitable through free and low-cost programs and supplies.
Support the continued development of our arts-based social justice curriculum.
A gift of any size becomes part of a larger movement toward cultural connection, creative expression, and shared belonging.
If you’re able, please consider making a year-end donation to support this work. Together, we can ensure that every child, family, and neighborhood in Whatcom County has access to the arts traditions that sustain them.
Thank you for standing with us, and with the communities we serve.
Warmly,
Kelly Hart
Executive Director
Allied Arts of Whatcom County
We look forward to continuing our shared mission to enrich the arts in Whatcom County.
WAYS TO GIVE
Allied Arts appreciates the generous support of our local communities to help keep our programs and events going. Your support enables us to provide the festivals, visual arts exhibitions, events, big idea projects and arts education that make Whatcom County such a special place to live and visit. No matter how you choose to show your support, your gift helps us provide everyone in our community access to art and arts education.
Below are some of the support opportunities available. Remember, all donations are tax deductible.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to everyone, whether you are an artist or an art supporter.
Your support helps fund our local arts programs. Become a member, participate in our events, and visit us at the Gallery and explore the local art community. Memberships are annual and good for one year from the date you sign up.
How do you sign up? You’ve got options!
- Use the button below to sign up online using your credit card
- Download, print, fill out and mail in this form with your payment
- Come into our office at 1213 Cornwall Ave, Downtown Bellingham and pay with cash, check, Visa or Mastercard
- Call us with your credit card payment at 360-676-8548
Annual Community & Member Meeting
Every year we hold a meeting for New, Current, and Potential members of the Allied Arts community. To learn more or attend, please CLICK HERE.
MAKE A DONATION
Your gift is above and beyond annual membership and will be used where it is most needed. Allied Arts of Whatcom County is dedicated to enriching and sustaining our community through the arts. We do this through our arts education project, our gallery exhibits, our festivals and our community development projects. Your tax deductible donation to Allied Arts helps us to continue quality programs and events that not only sustain the arts in our community but also make the arts accessible to residents and visitors of Whatcom County.
Sponsorships and Donations do not include Membership benefits.
You can give to the organization as a whole or for a specific program.
There are many ways to sponsor Allied Arts of Whatcom County throughout the year. We welcome collaborations with local businesses to support the arts in Whatcom County!
Sponsorship provides a variety of ways for you to combine your support of Allied Arts with marketing benefits. From our exhibits to programs to annual festivals: find the option that best suits how you would like to lend support as a sponsor.
Sponsorships and Donations do not include Membership benefits.
Some of the annual events you can support throughout the year as a sponsor include:
Allied Arts Season Sponsorship
Support all that Allied Arts has to offer from our award winning educational programs to our community focused exhibits and festivals.
Option 1: Friend of the Arts – $1,500
Your logo will be included on the support page of the Allied Arts Website and special recognition in the Report and Social Media
Option 2: Gold Supporter – $2,500
Same as above and logo will be included on all event posters
Option 3: Platinum Supporter – $5,000
Same as above with additional social media recognition, and web presence
Sponsor: Allied Arts Education Program
Our Teaching Artists take to the schools to share arts related programs with Whatcom elementary schools to inspire their creativity.
Option 1: Art session for class of 30 students – $250
Your logo will be included on the support page of the Allied Arts Education webpage and special recognition in the Report and Social Media
Option 2: Free youth art sessions at a festival – $500
Your logo will be included on the support page of the Allied Arts Website and special recognition in the Report and Social Media
Option 3: All grade arts related field trip and art project – $1,500
Your logo will be included on the support page of the Allied Arts Website and special recognition in the Report and Social Media
Option 4: Sponsor a teacher – $1,800
Sponsor a teacher in the year-long arts professional development program
Option 5: All school art project – $4,500
Same as above with additional social media recognition, and web presence
Sponsor: Children’s Art Walk
Each May downtown becomes vibrant with children’s art from our local schools throughout Whatcom County.
Option 1: Program Signature Sponsorship – $250
Your business logo will be printed on:
- Promotional posters on display throughout the community for Allied Arts events
- Allied Arts of Whatcom County Children’s Art Walk exhibition/entertainment maps.
- The Allied Arts website
Sponsor Details: high resolution pdf or 2” x 2” file of logo (and up to 2” x 3 ½” ad pdf if ordered)
Option 2: Event Map Advertisement – $75 per space
Your message or special offer printed on the back of 2000+ event/entertainment maps for this year’s Allied Arts of Whatcom County – Children’s Art Walk. Ad placement based upon availability and content subject to AAWC’s approval
Ad Details: high resolution pdf file of up to 2” x 3 ½” ad
Sponsor: Holiday Festival of the Arts
A high visibility festive event, to maximize your sponsorship, runs from just before Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. With over 100 vendors bringing the vibrant local art, wares and live music.
Option 1: Receipt Sponsor – $150 per week
A message or coupon from your business would be included on each festival receipt of sale (average over 1,000 sales per week). This is an especially ideal way to sponsor during the Holiday Festival for the Arts when there is abundant shopping from shortly before Thanksgiving December 24.
Option 2: Program Ad/Coupon Supporter – $150
Your business card-sized message or special offer printed on the 2000+ Posters printed for the Allied Arts of Whatcom County Holiday Festival. $150 or $100 with AAWC Business level Membership.
Option 3: Program Signature Sponsorship – $4,000
This opportunity gives you long-term sponsorship visibility from your logo in a prominent location on the promotional posters and special prominent placement on all promotional materials.
Option 4: Supporting Sponsor – $1,500
Special placement on promotional materials.
Option 5: Performance Stage Sponsor – $1,000
Placement on all promotional materials. Business banner site available at stage. Host one of the five weekends of performing arts for $200 per weekend (promoted only on our website and publicity released for that specific week).
Option 6: Family Arts Activity Sponsor – $1,000
Placement on all promotional materials. Business banner site available at Family Arts Activity Booth.
Sponsor: RARE
A thoroughly creative exhibit featuring all recycled and sustainable art. All sponsorship pledges receive logo placement on Allied Arts website, promotional posters and events programs when available.
Option 1: $150 – includes option for a 3’x3’ info table at the RARE exhibit
Option 2: $250 – includes all above plus: VIP guided tour for up to 6 people through Allied Arts Exhibit and RARE workshops
Option 3: $500 – includes all above plus: you make available 1 Scholarship Membership for a Green Artist who can’t otherwise afford it
Option 3: $1,000 or more – includes all above plus: 2 more scholarship memberships for Green Artists in need
SUPPORTED ORGANIZATIONS DONATION
Allied Arts of Whatcom County provides fiscal and program sponsorship to arts related charitable projects throughout the county that further the purposes of Allied Arts. Sponsorship services include the provision of non-profit status to projects or organizations that do not have non-profit status (thus making contributions tax-deductible).
Allied Arts of Whatcom County is addressing the needs of our community and is offering more opportunities through education, tourism, community and economic development. Internship and volunteer opportunities vary based on current needs and availability. Specific tasks will be based on the applicant’s skills, interests and available time.
Gain Experience In
- Fundraising
- Marketing
- Social Networking (Facebook, etc.)
- Website Maintenance
- Membership
- Grant Writing
- Graphic Design
- Art Education
- Programs & Events
Here are some Volunteer Opportunities at Allied Arts:
For more information about volunteer and internship opportunities please email us at info@alliedarts.org.
MORE WAYS YOU CAN HELP
Spring cleaning? Donate unwanted items to our art supply thrift store.
Allied Arts is on the list of suggested organizations in the passing of a loved one through the Whatcom Community Foundation
Support local artists by using your Whatcom County’s Think Local First eGift Card at the Allied Arts Gallery, Thrift Store or Holiday Festival of the Arts. There is truly something for everyone!
Link your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to Allied Arts! Just log in to your online account to set it up. Whenever you use your Rewards Card when shopping at Freddy’s, you’ll be helping us earn donations from Fred Meyer!