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Image: Film still from Waterway by Britta Johnson, a stop-animation film about naturally filtering and cleaning water. The film is part of several temporary artworks that address environmental sustainability for The Next Fifty, the 50th anniversary of the 1962 World’s Fair. The performances run May 4 through May 27 at Seattle Center.

Among the local recipients: 826 Seattle ($36,000 to support Creating a Community of Young Authors, a free writing program); Arts Corps ($35,000 to support year-long arts education residencies in Madrona Elementary School in Seattle); Book-It Repertory Theatre ($10,000 to support Book-It All Over, a touring educational program); 4Culture ($35,000 to support 4Culture’s Site Specific program, producing an annual series of innovative events in non-traditional settings throughout King County); Pratt Fine Arts Center ($15,000 to support the Master Artist and Artist-in-Residence programs); Seattle Arts and Lectures ($35,000 to support Writers in the Schools, a residency and professional development program for students and their teachers); and Shunpike ($20,000 to support the Partner Artists program, which provides fiscal sponsorship and back-office services to art groups across the state).

In all, the NEA invested more than $77 million awarded through 928 grants to not-for-profit, national, regional, state and local organizations nationwide. Washington state art organizations received more than $1.6 million, with $804,000 going to the Washington State Arts Commission through the NEA’s partnership grants, which supports state and regional arts organizations. See the full list of funded Washington state arts organizations on the NEA’s website.

NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said, “The arts should be a part of everyday life. Whether it’s seeing a performance, visiting a gallery, participating in an art class, or simply taking a walk around a neighborhood enhanced by public art, these grants are ensuring that across the nation, the public is able to experience how art works.”

The internship is paid. Applicants must be undergraduate college students and have strong written and verbal communications skills. Experience in planning, promoting and executing performing arts events is a plus.

Application deadline is 4 p.m., Tuesday, May 1. Go here to learn more and apply.

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Image: Adam Frank’s CURRENT is a living map of Seattle’s hydro-electric generation and electricity use. One of six temporary artworks and performances that celebrate The Next Fifty, the 50th anniversary of the 1962 World’s Fair at Seattle Center. Photo by the artist.

Before the World’s Fair, when people thought of Seattle it was as a point of entry to the 19th-century gold rush. The fair branded Seattle as a timely place celebrating science and technology and opening the door to the future. Dusting off the ways of the Old West, the fair took on a space-age name: Century 21 Exposition.

In 1962, nearly 10 million people enjoyed a broad range of attractions, including more than 2,500 performing arts events with acts from around the world. The futuristically themed fair gave the city a 74-acre park devoted to history, science, arts and culture, and the Space Age. It also gave us the Seattle Repertory Theatre, the cultural fundraising organization Poncho, and the Horiuchi Mural, all celebrating 50th anniversaries this year. It gave us Seattle Opera and its home McCaw Hall (Mercer Arts Arena in 1962), KeyArena (formerly the Washington State Pavilion), the Intiman Theatre (then the World’s Fair Playhouse), and a “modern art pavilion” for the Seattle Art Museum.

The fair led us to cultural festivals, the Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle Children’s Theatre, the Experience Music Project, Bumbershoot, the Northwest Folklife Festival and Pacific Northwest Ballet and so much more!

The cultural legacy the fair left to the city was profound. Today, Seattle’s creative vitality is nearly three times the national average—among the highest in the nation—according to the recent Creative Vitality Index released by the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF). The measure is based on arts participation and employment. Nonprofit arts and arts-active organizations in Seattle earned $415 million in revenue in 2010. Ticket sales at Seattle’s live performing arts venues generated $193 million in revenues. That’s $235.17 per capita—nearly four-and-a-half times the national average.

Despite a down economy, we are a region of arts consumers. Overall participation in arts and culture activities in King County is 71 percent higher than the national average, according to a recent Local Arts Index report released by Americans for the Arts. County nonprofit arts organizations inject $254 per capita into the local economy compared to a national average of $58 per capita. And nonprofit arts revenues in King County are 248 percent higher than the national average.

And here’s more good news. We’re pleased to report that the governor signed Senate Bill 6574 last week, protecting up to $900,000 in estimated admission tax revenue to the city. The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs receives 75 percent of admission tax revenues, which support our funding programs for Seattle’s arts and cultural organizations and artists.

Here’s to the future!

Sincerely,
Vincent E. Kitch
Director

Here’s Mayor Mike McGinn’s statement: “This is a great day for arts in our city. Governor Chris Gregoire’s signature on SB 6574 today preserves hundreds of thousands of local dollars for Seattle arts organizations this year to help support our city’s diverse communities. Fighting for the ability to continue to collect these funds at Husky football games was a priority in our legislative agenda this year. I would like to thank Councilmember Nick Licata for his leadership on the City Council on this effort, Senator Kohl-Welles for prime-sponsoring the bill, and the entire Seattle delegation for their work and support.”

The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs receives 75 percent of city admission tax revenues. Our 2012 allocation is just over $5 million.

SB 6574 addressed an unintended consequence triggered by the UW Husky football team’s temporary move this year to CenturyLink Field. The team’s move could have resulted in a potential loss of up to $900,000 in estimated admission tax revenue to the city, jeopardizing a projected $675,000 designated for the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs’ funding programs.

Check out our March eNews, with information about upcoming arts education community meetings, funded CityArtists, opportunties to join our team, a new exhibition documenting family homelessness,  and more.

Check it out here.

Applications are due to ArtsEd Washington by March 30. Go here for more information, including eligibility and application requirements and a link to the nomination form.

For more information, contact info@artsedwashington.org or (206) 441-4501.