Mission

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts enriches lives by creating powerful shared experiences in the arts.

Vision

To bring art to the heart of our community. To inspire, expand, and deepen our shared humanity and sense of belonging.

Core Values

Artistic Excellence

We believe great art can be life-changing. We constantly seek new ways to stay responsive to our artists and audience.

Community

The Whidbey Island Center for the Arts is here as a community resource for all. We dedicate resources to protecting the arts in all their forms and with all organizations.

A.B.I.D.E

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts affirms its commitment to the principles of Access, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity. These values guide our decisions, shape our programming, and inform the way we engage with our community. We work to ensure that every person feels welcomed, represented, and respected in our spaces.

Fiscal Responsibility

Expert financial management produces long-term sustainability. Today, WICA is financially strong and is putting into place the systems to remain strong.

Strategic Objectives

  • Increase partnerships, outreach, and community engagement

  • Improve facilities to enhance WICA’s physical presence and utility for our community

  • Tell our story

  • Ensure long-term financial stability

  • We ABIDE. We recognize that artistic expression thrives when many voices and experiences are present. We strive to remove barriers that limit participation, broaden opportunities for creative involvement, and cultivate an environment where differences are valued. Our staff, board, artists, and volunteers share responsibility for upholding these principles in daily practice and long term planning.

    Our dedication to ABIDE reflects our belief that the arts have the power to strengthen community. We continue to learn, listen, and act so that Whidbey Island Center for the Arts remains a place where all people can gather, create, and feel at home.

Who We Are

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts is the culmination of a ten-year, grassroots effort to bring arts, education, and cultural events to our region. We opened our doors in May 1996.

Our volunteer Board of Directors is composed of professionals from a wide array of business sectors including arts and entertainment, communications, healthcare, marketing, media, legal, science, and technology.

The WICA staff is made up of a passionate team of full- and part-time employees with expertise in nonprofit leadership, arts programming, stagecraft and technology, communications and marketing, and hospitality.

Each year, we provide 120 days of arts, educational, and cultural programming for 15,000 patrons who call Whidbey Island home and from around the world.

What We Do

We produce, present, and support artistic endeavors, educational initiatives, community conversations, and cultural events that celebrate and enrich the lives of people in our region.

Our typical seasons include art, dance, film, humanities, music, and theatre programming and events; DjangoFest NW, a five-day internationally acclaimed gypsy jazz festival; and Whidbey Island Film Festival, a celebration of classic film that includes lectures, a Shorts Fest competition, guest speakers, and special events.

250 volunteers contribute over 15,000 hours annually to support our work.

Our Impact

As Island County’s largest arts organization and employer, we play a vital role in our region’s cultural and economic health and well-being.

In addition to providing over 120 days of arts, educational, and cultural programming for patrons, we provide access and opportunities for community members to engage more deeply in the arts and employ over 600 regional and international artists annually.

DjangoFest NW and Whidbey Island Film Festival add over $325,000 to the local economy by patrons eating at restaurants, shopping in stores, and booking accommodations during the festivals.

In a typical season, youth under 18 have free access to programs and events that we produce, and our Family Series Student Matinees provide bespoke artist engagements and educational exchanges for our local school districts.

We co-authored Washington State’s “Theaters and Performing Arts Sector Reopening Plan.”