Celebrating International Arts Leaders!

December 10th, 2023

IVLP participants with WAC team and community members, at the Folio: Seattle Athenaeum in Pike Place Market.

To ring in the holiday season, the GLX team had the honor of welcoming sixteen remarkable individuals participating in a multi-regional program focused on the topic of “Promoting

Social Change Through the Arts” in early December. These professionals traveled to Seattle as participants in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. IVLP brings current and emerging leaders from around the world to the United States for three weeks of programming meant to cultivate enduring, global relationships with their American counterparts.

This impressive IVLP group, representing 16 countries from A to Z, visited Seattle to learn more about local government support of the arts and cultural policymaking, meeting with Inspire Washington, ArtsFund, the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA), the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, LANGSTON Seattle, and the Central District Forum.

IVLP visitors and WAC community guests interacting at the mixer.

To celebrate their efforts and talents, the World Affairs Council hosted a community mixer as an opportunity for the IVLP group to meet even more of Seattle’s residents and make local connections. This delightful evening featured videos and special performances from some of the visitors. The list of IVLP participants, along with details about the content they shared and how to learn more about their work, can be found below.

Thank you to our international visitors for sharing their beautiful stories and performances with us, our local community members for engaging in this global exchange, our partners at Meridian International Center for supporting the event, and the beautiful venue, Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum, for hosting us.

Ms. Sitara IBRAHIMBAYLI | Azerbaijan