Fundraiser Update

Hi everyone, I hope you’re staying cool and healthy these days now that Summer has arrived in the Pacific Northwest. 

I wanted to provide an update on some organizational, policy, and structural improvements that Deaf Spotlight has in progress. These changes are the result of our commitment we made to the community with our letter in support of Black Lives Matter, in June 2020. As part of our ongoing learning and discussions with various community members, concerns were brought to our attention regarding the annual awards selection process and the lack of community representation in the nominee pool. For context, Deaf Spotlight honors individuals and organizations for their positive impact in the Pacific Northwest Deaf Arts Community at the annual fundraiser (Celebrate Deaf Arts: Awards Ceremony and Benefit).  

These conversations with the BIPOC community are to get a better understanding of the gaps in our process and historical/present candidate pool. We acknowledge there is much work to do within the organization to improve representation on our Board and committees, as well as confronting systemic racism within society that prevents our nominee pool from being diverse. We are in the process of updating and incorporating policies to ensure that we consider all members of the arts community for future awards. The current committee has been hard at work since last year searching for the current nominees for the awards and we thank them for all their work to date. From our conversations with the community, we now have a better understanding of the systemic barriers various BIPOC Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (DDBHH) communities face, and as a values-driven organization, it is our duty to step back and re-evaluate our nominees and process for future awards.   

As a result, the Deaf Spotlight board has decided to forgo granting awards this year that we typically give out at the fundraiser. Instead, we will be using the fundraiser as a stepping stone towards better inclusion and spotlighting of BIPOC DDBHH artists within the community. Fifty percent of the funds raised during the Call to Action portion will help establish a grant to support BIPOC and other under-represented communities in their artistic journeys. We will establish a committee with proper representation to determine the criteria and process that we will use in selecting applicants. Further details to be shared with the community soon. 

In other areas, Deaf Spotlight is currently reevaluating all programming, collaborations, and activities to cultivate growth and recognition of BIPOC DDBHH artists and their work in the Pacific Northwest. By taking these steps, we hope to become a more inclusive space – expanding and diversifying the potential nominee pool for future awards. 

For those of you interested in being part of our committees, or have suggestions on ways we can improve, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@deafspotlight.org. We are looking for more community members to join us and provide  diverse perspectives that we need during these crucial times. We hope engagement with our organization leads to opportunities for individual growth and more exposure to the beauty of Deaf Arts.  

Thank you, 

Michael Anthony, Board Chair