SPOKANE, Wash. — The City of Spokane is creating a brand-new Office of Arts and Culture.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown and leadership from Spokane Arts agreed to a six-month contract extension starting January 1, 2025. During that time, both sides will determine which parts of the Spokane Arts portfolio will come into the City office.

Skyler Oberst, the executive director of Spokane Arts, will be named director of the Office of Arts and Culture once it is established.

“Arts and Culture are the lifeblood of our community, and this move gives us an opportunity to double down on our support for creatives in all sectors,” Brown said in a press release Tuesday afternoon. “By bringing the arts back into the city, we can identify new funding opportunities, give added stability to existing arts infrastructure, and find new and innovative ways to blend the arts into everything we do. In Spokane, We All Belong, and arts and culture create the fabric of that belonging.” 

“We are thrilled to be a part of this historic moment,” Oberst said in a press release Tuesday afternoon. “We believe that this is what’s best for our creative sector, and are confident that we can create a smooth, effective transition to the new city Office of Arts and Culture. This move opens new channels of opportunity and imagination.” 

In 2012, Spokane eliminated the arts department from the city’s budget, replacing the office with the Spokane Arts Fund.