Longhouse Educational and Cultural Center

As one of five public service centers at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, the Longhouse or “House of Welcome,” has a mission to promote indigenous arts and cultures. Originally focused exclusively on Pacific Northwest tribal artists, the Longhouse Education and Cultural Center now works on a national and international level with indigenous artists from the Pacific Rim.

They maintain a Native artist marketing service, art sales, art exhibitions, artist gatherings, artist-in-residence workshops as well as a grants program for individual artists and for communities to bring master artists to teach.

Funding for the Longhouse supported critical programming including an annual event for Native youth artists, “Generations Rising”, where over 200 elders, adults, and youth participated in workshops with artists in residence. Funding also supported an artist in residence program with Maori artists Henare and Tawera Tahuri, which included two public presentations with audiences of 250 and 600 people, and a workshop for Native youth at the Skokomish tribe. All told the projects served 265 artists and in a challenging economic climate, funding allowed for the Longhouse to maintain its presence in the community.