The Root Experience

As members of our Root Experience team have been impacted by the fires, we know the strength, humility, & optimism it takes to get up & repeat the next day.

Reminding ourselves — to give grace, we are still here & our PNW communities still need safe, healing spaces among vital necessities for their spirits, families, and livelihood.

Acknowledging the fires have been going, not just in Spokane, but on the lands of our Relatives on & off reservations — across the state, nation, & world.

Spokane Community & Beyond — We see you, we hear you & we love you. Please stay safe and check in on your people. 💗🪶🥺

Root Experience Festival 2026 — Update 💫

Our team has been busy bees going through submissions, and we have to say: each year gets harder as so many folks are creating phenomenal & truly impactful work through various mediums.

We are blessed to be able to read your applications and learn more about your journeys and your endeavors—individually and in your communities. Let’s just say we have some surprises that’ll knock you off your feet, but it’s all good relatives — we got you! 🫶🏽

Reach out if you have any questions! As always, we do our best to get through email, social, and personal messages promptly. If you’ve reached out and haven’t heard back yet, be a fly in our ear — it’s okay! 🪰

📍 Festival Locations:
👉🏽 Main Venue - Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino
👉🏽 Gallery Venue - CLTREGALLERY

💫 Sponsor the Festival:
Do you nurture creativity and advocate to sustain the lives of artists in the PNW? We’d love to have you as a sponsor and build this future together!

Reach out directly to Olivia at: [email protected]

ℹ️ Learn more:
🔗 therootexperience.org
🔗 linktr.ee/therootexperiencefestival
🔗 spokanetribecasino.com

Stay tuned! Our announcement on socials is right around the corner on August 13th, and participants (including volunteers!) will be notified on August 12th. 🛸

👉🏽 Graphic Design: Olivia Evans
👉🏽 Background Image: R.E.F. 2025 Official Selection // Son Dulce Live Salsa Orchestra // Spokane Public Library

It’s Official — The R.E.F. 2026 Call for Submissions are Closed!! 💫

“Our team here at The Root Experience are humbled by the love, support, and energy that circulates the Festival and its message. We see the festival as an equal platform and sanctuary for BIPOC Peoples to present their art and ideas, as well as make meaningful longterm connections.

Creativity & storytelling are already imbedded within you, created or envisioned, it is taking the courageous steps to find what mediums you vibe with and carve space in this world to share them with others. Art is a process always. Like anything, it takes time, patience, open mindedness, technique, and your authentic spirit (all unique to you and learned) — as artists we know this. We are here to say we appreciate you. 🫶🏽 This is our largest pool of applicants by far, and we are excited to review them all!!

📍Locations:
👉🏽 Main Venue Partner - Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino
👉🏽 Gallery Venue Partner - CLTREGALLERY

🫡 Want to volunteer and didn’t submit an application, reach out here:
[email protected]

💫 Want to sponsor the festival?! Help shape & sustain the lives of creatives in the PNW. Reach out directly to Olivia at:
[email protected]

ℹ️ Learn more:
https://www.therootexperience.org/
linktr.ee/therootexperiencefestival

👉🏽 Graphic Design: Olivia Evans
👉🏽 Background image: “One Way or Another” film; Official R.E.F. 2025 Selection // Benny

The time has arrived — Today marks the last day to apply to this year’s Root Experience Festival!! 💫

If you are still looking to apply, get your app in — we’d love to see what you’ve been cookin’ up and what makes your heart soar!! 🎤🪩🎨

🎬 Films - Read the full criteria & apply on Film Freeway:
https://filmfreeway.com/TheRootExperience

🎶 All other categories - Performer, Gallery Artist, Model, Volunteers:
https://bit.ly/REF-APPLY

ℹ️ Learn more:
https://www.therootexperience.org/
linktr.ee/therootexperiencefestival

📍Locations:
👉🏽 Main Venue Partner - Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino
👉🏽 Gallery Venue Partner - CLTREGALLERY

💫 Want to sponsor the festival?! Your donations fuel not only the festival logistics — primarily in bulk they pay participant honorariums. Help shape & sustain the lives of creatives in the PNW. Reach out directly to Olivia at:
[email protected]

Let’s gather around meaningful conversations, art, food, and present in beautiful, healing spaces that raise us up with good intentions, and see how we can shape our city & PNW so underrepresented creatives & innovators have space to be who they are! 🌱🪷

👉🏽 Graphic Design: Olivia Evans
👉🏽 “Unexception(al)” film; Official R.E.F. 2025 Selection // Michelle Bossy // Molly Powers Gallagher //

Root Experience 2026 Partner Spotlight — CLTRE Gallery 🎨✨

🌹Message from The Root Experience Collective:
“When artists create spaces for change, resilience, healing, creativity, culture, and community, it’s more than vital it’s a blessing and should be treated as sacred. Sonny & Lisa Moeckel have been avid supporters of The Root Experience’s endeavors for years — from being a vendor in REF 2023, gallery artists in REF 2025, and now our gallery exhibit host for 2026, we are honored to bring the festival to their doorstep.

We are excited to collaborate with Sonny, Lisa, and the other amazing creatives at CLTRE Gallery, and the monumental steps to secure & nurture the arts in Spokane, as well as accurately represent and create opportunities for underrepresented communities. The Root Experience resonates with this heavily, and is building an ecosystem where all walks of life can share their voices in any format.

Help us support this phenomenal gallery, and spread the word on their endeavors!!”

👉🏽More about CLTRE Gallery:
At CLTRE Gallery, community is the canvas. A place to gather, connect and celebrate the voices, cultures, and creativity that bring us together. Founded by award-winning married artist duo Sonny and Lisa Moeckel of Moeckel Studio, Denny Carman of Chrysalis Gallery, and musician Bambii.

💫Follow their work:
👉🏽https://www.cltregallery.com/
👉🏽IG: CLTREGALLERY

⏳Festival Dates: November 12-14, 2026
📍Main Venue: Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino // Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino
📍Gallery Exhibit: CLTRE Gallery// CLTREGALLERY

👩🏾‍💻Apply at the link in our bio — or go to:
https://linktr.ee/therootexperiencefestival

🖖🏽Direct link to Apply:
https://bit.ly/REF-APPLY

👉🏽 Graphic Design: Olivia Evans

Stay tuned for more highlights, and thank you to our partners and sponsors for joining us on this year’s journey!! 🚀

Hold Up, is it that time already?!?

The Root Experience Festival 2026 deadline is 10 days away, and we’d love to hear your voice in the mix!! ✨🎨

🎬 Films - Read the full criteria & apply on Film Freeway:
https://filmfreeway.com/TheRootExperience

🎶 All other categories - Performer, Gallery Artist, Model, Volunteers:
https://linktr.ee/therootexperiencefestival

ℹ️ Learn more:
https://www.therootexperience.org/

💫 Want to support this festival?! Reach out directly:
[email protected]

Let’s gather around conversation and art in beautiful spaces that highlight all you are intentionally, and see how we can shape our city & region for the better! 🌱🫶🏽

👉🏽 Graphic Design: Olivia Evans
👉🏽 “Picture” by Sade Sellers; Official R.E.F. 2025 Selection // Sadé Sellers // PICTURE

The Root Experience 2026 Partnership — Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino 🪶✨

🌹Message from The Root Experience Collective:
“There is a current beneath everything we create. A pulse that has been beating long before we arrived, sustained by the Spokane people. True acknowledgment isn’t a static statement; it is an active relationship and shared space. We step into this work in deep gratitude to the Spokane Tribe, honoring them not only as the original stewards of this land but as the intentional hosts holding space for our communities. The Root Experience is a space to listen to that pulse together.

We are humbled by this new partnership, and can’t wait to be in community with you all.”

👉🏽More about STRC:
Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino & Spokane LiVE is owned and operated by the Spokane Tribe of Indians and is part of our gaming family along with Mistequa Casino Hotel. For the Spokane Tribe, Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino represents our culture, our commitment, and our community. We commit to the Spokane Tribe’s vision of attaining self-sufficiency by promising generational sustainability, honoring our past and protecting our future. This year, they will also be unleashing a new endeavor to tell the stories of Spokane Tribe Peoples, called Uniquely Spokane!

💫Follow their work:
👉🏽https://spokanetribecasino.com/
👉🏽IG: Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino
👉🏽FB: Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino

⏳Festival Dates: November 12-14, 2026
📍Main Venue: Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino // Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino
📍Gallery Exhibit: CLTRE Gallery// CLTREGALLERY

👩🏾‍💻Apply at the link in our bio — or go to:
https://linktr.ee/therootexperiencefestival

👉🏽 Graphic Design: Olivia Evans
👉🏽 Background Image: Film Still of “Picture” by Sade Sellers; Official R.E.F. 2025 Selection // PICTURE // Sadé Sellers

Stay tuned for more highlights, and thank you to our partners and sponsors for joining us on this year’s journey!! 🛸

The Root Experience Festival 2026 — Nov. 12-14, 2026 🎶

The Root Experience is looking for vendors from all walks of life to join us in the Spokane LIVE space! Vendors from various disciplines and fields are welcome to apply —

✨Limited spots, get your app in!✨

🎨 Art
🎵 Music
🪷 Health & Wellness
📚 Education
🍪 Bake shops, cookie masters, etc
🫶🏽 Prevention services
👗 Fashion
🪶 Cultural-focused
✊🏽 Environmental-Social-Racial Justice services
💲 Financial services
👉🏽 Intergenerational
🌱 Folks fresh on the block with their business & seasoned vendors
🫶🏽 And more!

📍 Location — // Spokane LIVE

👉🏽 Have something you’d like to share? Apply at this link:
https://bit.ly/REF-APPLY

👉🏽 Learn how to apply to other categories, &/ or watch our Documentary:
https://linktr.ee/therootexperiencefestival

👉🏽 Learn more about The Root Experience & How to Support:
https://www.therootexperience.org/

We cannot wait to learn more about what you’re passionate about and brings you joy! 🤩

👉🏽 Graphic Design:
👉🏽 Background Image: Image from The Root Experience 2023

The Root Experience Festival 2026 — Nov. 12-14, 2026 🎶

When thinking about performance in BIPOC communities, it takes many forms — music, dance, poetry, theater, drag, ceremonial, traditional tales, experimental, you name it, the list goes on. This is a platform for all styles to breathe together, offer insight, their stories, history, and the anew.

The Root Experience is looking for performers from diverse backgrounds, cultures, generations, and styles to come to the gorgeous Spokane LIVE space!

📍Location — // Spokane LIVE

👉🏽 Ready to Apply? Follow this link:
https://bit.ly/REF-APPLY

👉🏽 Learn how to apply to other categories, &/ or watch our Documentary:
https://linktr.ee/therootexperiencefestival

👉🏽 Learn more about The Root Experience & How to Support:
https://www.therootexperience.org/

👉🏽 Youth & students also apply!

👉🏽 Graphic Design:
👉🏽 Background Image: Image from The Root Experience 2023 // .dara.rayne (2023 & 2025)

The Root Experience Festival 2026 — Nov. 12-14, 2026 🎶

As humans, we communicate through art, storytelling, and the way we carry ourselves and treat others on this planet.
If we take a trip back, our deepest connections were cultivated while gathering and weaving baskets for foraging, dyeing handwoven string to make blankets for our loved ones, painting rocks to share our journeys, and enjoying each other’s company around a campfire with many stories of our day to be told. That is the energy we seek for our audience—the beauty in the making, where tradition, contemporary expression, and holistic practices live in harmony and are preserved.

The Root Experience Art Gallery Exhibition invites all walks of life and mediums (video, 2-D, 3-D, installation, etc) to join us. Through this gallery, we hope to nurture a sanctuary where BIPOC creativity has the space to breathe, resonate, and surround community with another layer of comfort food for the soul.

📍Location — Coming soon!

👉🏽 Ready to Apply? Follow this link:
https://bit.ly/REF-APPLY

👉🏽 Learn how to apply to other categories, &/ or watch our Documentary:
https://linktr.ee/therootexperiencefestival

👉🏽 Learn more about The Root Experience & How to Support:
https://www.therootexperience.org/

Youth and students can also apply! ☀️🌺

👉🏽 Graphic Design:
👉🏽 Background Image: The Root Experience 2025 // First Gallery Exhibit// In partnership with, // Spokane, WA ❤️