Meet office staff and learn about funding opportunities at the first session. Writer Felicia Gonzalez will facilitate the second session with presentations by multidisciplinary artist Michelle de la Vega, photographer Rodrigo Valenzuela and composer/musician Jovino Santos Neto. Other featured artists will include Monica Rojas Stewart and Juan Alonso. Interpreters and translated materials will be available with light refreshments provided by El Quetzal restaurant.

Suggested donation at the door: $8/two sessions or $5/one session. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Attend both sessions and receive a consultation with office staff Heather Dwyer, Irene Gómez or Miguel Guillén.

Plan to attend? Register here.
For more information, contact Irene Gómez, (206) 684-7310.

Artistas Latinas/os Invitadas/os: Sesiones Bilingües Informativas

¡Reserva la fecha! ARTISTS UP—un esfuerzo colaborativo de nuestra oficina, 4Culture y Artist Trust para aumentar el acceso y mejor servicio a todos los artistas en Seattle, King County y el estado de Washington—da la bienvenida a artistas Latinas/os para una serie de sesiones informativas. Se llevarán a cabo dos sesiones: Lunes, julio 8 y julio 15 desde las 6:30 hasta las 8:30 p.m., en Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Ave. S.

En la primera sesión podrás conocer el personal y aprender sobre oportunidades. La segunda sesión será facilitada por la escritora Felicia González con la presentación de la artista multidisciplinaria Michelle de la Vega, el fotógrafo Rodrigo Valenzuela y el compositor/músico Jovino Santos Neto. También están invitados los artistas Mónica Rojas Stewart y Juan Alonso. Tendremos disponible intérpretes, material traducido y refrigerios facilitados por Quetzal Restaurant.

Donación: $8/dos sesiones o $5/una sesión. Nadie será rechazado por falta de dinero. Asiste a ambas sesiones y recibe una consulta con Heather Dwyer, Irene Gómez o Miguel Guillén.

Piensas asistir? Regístrate aquí.

Para más información, contactar a Irene Gómez a irene.gomez@seattle.gov o al (206) 684-7310.

IMAGE: Fulgencio Lazo, Vientos cálidos (Warm Winds), 2013, acrylic on canvas.

All applicants are required to attend a mandatory information session to learn more about this new program and what makes a strong application and project. Workshop dates and times are TBD. Contact Jenny Crooks to be notified when the details are confirmed.

Proposals are due Friday, June 28.

Go here for more information on the program, details on eligibility, and to start your application.

The application deadline is 11 p.m., Wednesday, July 17, 2013 (Pacific Daylight Time). Go here for the online application.

CityArtists is an annual funding program that provides support to individual Seattle artists to research, develop and present new, in-progress or remounted work that is taken to the next level. Projects must include a public presentation within the city limits of Seattle. The program encourages a broad range of artistic and cultural expression that reflects Seattle’s diversity. Funding is offered to artists in clusters of disciplines in the visual, media and literary arts and performing arts in alternate years.

For more information, contact Irene Gómez at irene.gomez@seattle.gov or (206) 684-7310.

All applicants, particularly new ones, are encouraged to attend a workshop overview session plus a draft review. Reservations are not required for the workshop; the draft review session is by appointment only.

Workshop: Program Overview
Monday, June 3
5 to 7 p.m.
Seattle Public Library-Douglass Truth Branch, 2300 East Yesler Way
Past award recipients present tips at 6 p.m.

Draft Review (by reservation only)

Monday, June 24
5 to 7 p.m.
Pratt Fine Arts Center, 1902 South Main Street

Call 206 684-7310 for appointment.

In 2013, the last funding cycle for the performing arts, 31 artists working in dance, music and theater received $160,000 to support the development and presentation of original works. Thirty percent of the artists funded were first-time recipients.

While CityArtist Projects gives priority to projects by independent artists, lead artists of nonprofit organizations may submit project proposals. However, artists affiliated with an organization must distinguish their proposals from the seasonal work of their organizations.

Fernando Argosino creates caricature map of Seattle 

Artist Fernando Argosino, with his dedication to the comics and community, will engage members of the Filipino community to create a large geographically correct cartoon map of Seattle that will commemorate relevant historical, contemporary, social and personal Filipino-American sites.

Dates and Location: May 6-July 31, 14605 16th Ave. W.

Interstitial Theatre’s Mobile Screen Tour

A six-month long event bringing contemporary video art to eight different neighborhoods across Seattle and featuring the work of 11 individual video artists.

Interstitial Theatre is a curatorial team of three female artists living and working in Seattle who believe that video art has significant value. They develop impactful exhibitions that address important issues relevant to the video and new media arts community within Seattle. The Mobile Screen Tour is a six-month long event from April through September providing free public access to contemporary video art within eight different neighborhoods across Seattle via Interstitial Theatre’s Mobile Screen.

Dates and Locations:

- April 4, TK Building, Pioneer Square
- April 11, Vermillion, Capitol Hill
- May 10, Urban Light Studios, PhinneyWood
- June 14, ArtsWest, West Seattle
- August 10, Location TBD, Ballard
- September 5, Location TBD, International District
- September 20, Location TBD, Columbia City

Meet artists and funders. Learn how to apply for grants, develop a project (whether solo or collaborative), and find resources to complete a project. Artists in all disciplines (dance, literary, media, music, theater, visual and public art) are welcome.  Interpreters and translated materials will be available, and light refreshments provided.

Suggested donation at the door of $10. Plan to attend?  Register here. For more information, contact Irene Gómez,  (206) 684-7310.

Sesiones Informativas y Bilingües para Artistas Latinos/as

¡Reserva la fecha! Artists Up - un esfuerzo colaborativo de nuestras oficinas 4Culture y Artist Trust para aumentar el acceso y servir mejor a todos/as los/as artistas en Seattle, King County y el estado de Washington – invita a artistas Latinos/as a una serie de reuniones informativas. Las sesiones serán el lunes, 8 de julio, de 6 a 8 p.m. y lunes, 15 de julio, de 6 a 8:30 p.m. en el Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Ave. S.

Ven a conocer nuestros/as artistas y patrocinadores/as. Aprende a solicitar propuestas, desarrollar un proyecto (ya sea individual o colaborativo) y encontrar recursos para completar un proyecto. Artistas de todas las disciplinas (danza, literatura, comunicaciones, música, teatro, artes visuales, y arte público) serán bienvenidos/as. Habrán intérpretes y traductores/as disponibles, y tendremos aperitivos.

Donación sugerida en la entrada: $10. Piensas asistir? Regístrate Aquí. Para más información, contactar a Irene Gómez,  (206) 684-7310.

The online application is available here. The deadline to apply is 11 p.m. Wednesday, June 12.

Seattle-based arts, cultural and heritage organizations of all sizes and disciplines with a minimum three-year history of continuous operation and programming and a not-for-profit business structure (does not have to have­­­­ 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status) are eligible to apply.

Two Information Workshops

Get an overview on how to apply to Civic Partners including information on eligibility, criteria and tips for putting together an effective proposal. We especially encourage first-time applicants to attend. Register for either session by contacting Kathy Hsieh, grants program manager at kathy.hsieh@seattle.gov or (206) 733-9926.

• 6 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 8, at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17^th Ave S.
• 1 to 2:30 p.m., Monday, May 20, at Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5^th Ave.

Randy Engstrom

As our office begins the new year, we are excited about our work plan for 2013. In October we launched a survey for all of our constituents. With more than 600 responses, our areas of focus were clearly defined. One of the top issues was a desire for an increased concentration on arts education. We have been working with Seattle Public Schools and dozens of community partners on an arts plan funded by the Wallace Foundation. Building on our partnership of more than five years with the district, the K-12 Arts Plan seeks to ensure two hours of arts education instruction for every student in every school—all 48,000 of them. We’ll begin implementing part of the plan in 2013, with our office acting as the connector between schools and community-based organizations, making partnerships more streamlined for both. We’re excited to be expanding our work in arts education, an area so crucial to the future of our industry.

Another area of focus that emerged was the issue of affordable cultural space. From the sale of the Oddfellows building in 2008 to loss of 619 Western last winter, Seattle’s cultural community has long sought a program that could help to preserve affordable spaces for artists and arts organizations. In 2013 we will be hiring a cultural space liaison, and working with the Seattle Arts Commission and 4Culture, will develop a cultural facilities program that can meet the needs of our community. Two specific areas of focus will be on match-making between available spaces and those who need it and technical assistance around land use, code, zoning and incentive polices. Stay tuned for the job opening coming this spring.

A third area of focus will be on professional development and capacity building for the arts and culture community. While our funding programs will continue (check out our 2013 funding deadlines here), we are also seeking new ways to support our community beyond grant-making. This could include supporting emerging leadership, finding ways to help mid-sized organizations, reaching out to rising public artists, and offering workshops on race and social justice, among other things. We will focus on technical assistance in 2013. Do you have ideas on what would be most useful? We’d love to hear it. Please drop me a line.

We are also excited to welcome a new branch of our office—the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (LHPAI). This new name (formerly the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center) and new home are the beginning of a new movement. We look forward to supporting and amplifying LHPAI’s important programming, and also look forward to partnering with Langston Hughes staff, Seattle Arts Commissioners, and community stakeholders to develop an action plan that will ensure long-term sustainability. In the near-term, look for LHPAI’s new website to launch later this month.

It is sure to be a busy and exciting 2013, and we look forward to working with all of you! Thank you for your continued support and please stay in touch.

Best,

Randy Engstrom
Interim Director

“Seattle’s neighborhoods are home to a wealth of cultural events that forge connections and create community,” said Randy Engstrom, interim director of the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. “We’re pleased to support creativity at a grassroots level and help build community through arts and cultural participation.”

The varied slate of neighborhood events includes the 9^th Anniversary of 206 Zulu, a national hip hop/urban arts summit celebrating Latino, Asian and African American visual arts, musicians and dancers; Word Play, an LGBT-targeted spoken word poetry festival; Beacon Rocks!, a half-day celebration with concerts, dance performances, haiku competition and more; and the Filipino American History Month celebration, featuring new chorale music and a traditional Filipino string orchestra.

A number of the supported programs are festivals that take place through Festal at Seattle Center including the Tet Festival, Pagdiriwang – Phillippine Festival, Festival Sundiata Black Arts Fest, Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival, Hmong New Year, 7^th Annual Evening of Sevdah, Spirit of West Africa and the Piestas Patrias Community Celebration.

NCA supports neighborhood groups that produce recurring festivals or events that promote arts and cultural participation, build community and enhance the visibility of neighborhoods through arts and culture.

Go here for a complete listing of events and festivals funded for 2013.

Image: Pista sa Nayon Festival, funded through Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs’ Neighborhood & Community Arts program, 2012. Photo by Jenny Crooks.

Go here for a link to the Youth Arts online application.

Individual teaching artists, artist teams, arts and cultural organizations, and youth-service agencies with nonprofit status or fiscal sponsorship are eligible to apply. Youth Arts prioritizes youth or communities with limited or no access to the arts. Funding opportunities range up to $10,000 for projects that will take place between September 2013 and September 2014.

“We know that many students do not receive arts education and training during the school day, which is what makes this program so vital,” said Randy Engstrom, interim director of the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. “All students deserve access to the arts – through Youth Arts funding we are helping to close that gap.”

In the most recent funding cycle, spanning September 2012 to September 2013, the Youth Arts program awarded $175,000 to 34 artists, cultural organizations and community organizations serving youth. It’s estimated the funded projects engaged more than 5,400 youth in about 42,400 hours of arts training throughout the city. The funded projects were chosen from a pool of 62 eligible applicants. The average award was $5,175.

Information Sessions

Applicants can learn about the Youth Arts program at an upcoming informational workshop. Staff will also offer feedback on draft applications at a review session.

Program Overview
Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, 2 to 4 p.m.
Beacon Hill Branch, The Seattle Public Library, 2821 Beacon Ave. S.
Learn about the program and online application, plus meet and get advice from past award recipients. First-time applicants are strongly encouraged to attend. No registration required.

Application Draft Review
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Filipino Community Center, 5740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (Rainier Valley)

Schedule a 15-minute appointment to receive feedback on your draft application. Advance registration is required. Contact Irene Gomez at irene.gomez@seattle.gov or (206) 684-7310. Space is limited.

For information or assistance in applying, contact Irene Gómez at (206) 684-7310 or irene.gomez@seattle.gov.

“We are hopeful that by funding these projects in the short term, organizations will be able to develop long-term revenue solutions,” said Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs interim director Randy Engstrom. “I’m encouraged by the diversity in the funded partners – from established organizations to up-and-coming groups – there’s a real range that showcases Seattle’s cultural vibrancy.”

“This is a life-changer for me. This means that I get to be our first paid employee and actually make a living at this organization instead of volunteering my time 30 to 40 hours per week,” said Betty Jean Williamson, who will become the new director for ROCKiT Community Arts, an organization dedicated to providing opportunities to create and experience art and music in the Beacon Hill area.

Funded positions range in focus and strategic level. Arts Corp will receive $10,000 to create a position for a program and social justice training coordinator to institute a development series focused on the arts and social justice, while Gage Academy of Art will receive $24,950 to develop art curricula for students of all ages and a summer educator workshop program through a new education specialist position.  Sanctuary Art Center (a first-time funded partner) will receive $10,000 to manage their print shop and retail space through a new print manager position, and Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra will develop and implement a new jazz composition contest with their grant of $4,600. 

Realizing that their current programs are not at capacity, a number of organizations are funding outreach and marketing positions to promote existing programs to greater audiences. These groups include Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Theatre Off Jackson, Ripple Productions, and Center on Contemporary Art.

Organizations were selected based on their application’s mission-based impact, organizational soundness and feasibility, innovation and entrepreneurship. Five of the 20 grant recipients are first-time funded partners. The organizations are dispersed across the city.

See a complete list of Arts Mean Business funded organizations here.