Uniquely American Artists

Meet the WAA Delegation in Hong Kong and Busan, Korea

The delegation will travel to the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX), October 9 - 13 and also attend the Busan Performing Arts Market (BPAM) in South Korea, September 29 – October 7.

Meet This Year’s Presenter Development Program Cohort!

• Daniel Bondi, The Faight

• Gus Denard, Early Music Seattle

• Stacy Horne, Stern Grove Music Festival

• Carolyn Jackson, Lesher Center

• Roger Menell, Denver Botanic Gardens

• David Siegel, Ent Center for the Arts

• Clayton Shelvin, The Freight

Congratulations to the 2026 Marcelo Aviles Scholars!

• Amalyah Muñoz, Jesús Muñoz Flamenco

• Tenessa Ripple, Artown

• Nina Seul, Delirium Musicum

• Eric Shiring, Invertigo Dance Theatre

• Anna Stewart, Green Box

• Purna Venugopalan, UMass Amherst

Congratulations to the 2026 Inaugural Intersections Fellows!

• Bernard Brown, bbmoves

• Dóri Bosnyák, The Grand 1894 Opera House

• Antonio M. Gomez, Early Music Seattle

• Achinta McDaniel, Blue13 Dance Company

• Socks Whitmore, CIPA & 8TPS

Keeping Up with Inflation
Information about the proposed dues increase to maintain WAA’s current level of services in the face of ~10% cumulative inflation over three years.

WAA’s Board of Directors plays a vital role in our capacity to serve you — our members. Our board supports us in fulfilling our mission to advance excellence in the performing arts, through innovative thinking and ground-breaking initiatives, by anticipating the future needs of the field, and through sound governance and stewardship.

WAA OAK 2026: The First Round(s)

Connect on a personal level with other conference attendees on August 11 and August 13.

Registration available in Conference Time Email Newsletters as well as in your WAA OAK 2026 Registration Confirmation email!

Congratulations to the recipients of the Emeritus, Leadership, Mentoring, and Vanguard Award Nominees, who will be honored at the WAA Annual Conference!

WAA OAK 2026: Performing Arts Challenge
Wednesday, September 9 | 12pm - 1:30pm

With WAA OAK’s call to Circle Up, this new event calls us to come together to attack, address, and overcome challenges facing our sector. The Performing Arts Challenge is an interactive arts salon featuring multiple roundtables with a host that facilitates discussions around a question that gets to the heart of an issue they face.

WAA OAK 2026: Excursions
Tuesday, September 8

Field Trips in the Bay! Find out the scope of all the ways to connect in-person on Day One of WAA OAK!

WAA OAK 2026: Venue Vino Vici
Monday, September 7

Sign up for the Venue Vino Vici in the Bay Area will open the week of July 20! Tour venues, connect with colleagues, before getting to work at WAA OAK 2026.

WAA OAK 2026: Music and Migration with Del Sol Quartet

Saturday, September 12

Conclude your stay in the Bay Area with 2026 Juried Showcase ensemble, Del Sol Quartet with a performance part of their Music and Migration series at Angel Island and drinks with colleagues at The Battery SF!

WAA OAK 2026: Before The Circle

Connect with your colleagues before the Conference kicks off around our three thematic circles all at 11am PT:

• Beyond the Circle | Tuesday, July 7

• Youth & Family | Wednesday, July 8

• Arts & Entertainment | Thursday, July 9

WAA OAK 2026: Programming Reveal

Find out all about the 12 showcases, 9 pitches, and the full professional development program at this year’s conference!

Ready to tour Asia? Apply by May 29!

Join WAA in Hong Kong and Busan, Korea

The delegation will travel to the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX), October 9 - 13. With an optional extension, delegates can also attend the Busan Performing Arts Market (BPAM) in South Korea, September 29 – October 7.

Online RSVP recommended
May 21, 2026 & May 22, 2026

Member meetups in the San Francisco Bay Area with WAA member organizations and our gracious host neighbothood for this year’s conference!

Register to be accounted for now

Early Bird registration is now open!

Kicking off the Conference is renowned Oakland native W. Kamau Bell. With his mantra, “Who’s With Me?”, and celebrated work across stages, screens, and streets advocating for justice and lifting up connection and community, we can’t think of a better way to root the week.

Join us in Oakland, September 8 - 11, 2026!

Online registration required
June 5, 2026
12:00pm - 1:00pm PT

A brief webinar for those exhibiting at this year's conference. This specialized webinar is about the timeline for utilizing decorator services, WAA exhibitor restrictions and guidelines, as well as information on drayage and materials handling.
Register for the Zoom now!

Earlier this year, we lost a dear friend and colleague in Marcelo Avilés. In his memory, WAA has established the Marcelo Avilés Scholarship Fund to support talented young arts professionals in attending the WAA Annual Conference. It is a fitting tribute because Marcelo’s career was shaped in part by this community. He was also a WAA scholarship recipient, which helped bring him to our 2022 conference in Calgary. Afterward, he wrote to us:

“Thank you for creating an event that brings the industry together in a thoughtful way that leaves us inspired to go out and make a better world.”

— Marcelo Avilés