In 2019, a Capstone team of University of Washington Evans School of Policy and Governance graduate students undertook a study of the region’s creative economy under the direction of the Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) and Office of Economic Development.
The report, Assessing the Creative Economy of Seattle through a Race and Equity Lens” (2019) is an intentional, qualitative, and quantitative creative workforce study with a race and social justice lens.
ARTS and the UW students were interested in identifying barriers at the entry, middle, and established tiers of creative economy work. Then, the independent research team designed recommendations for how to increase access for those who historically have been left out.
- Executive summary
- Assessing the Creative Economy of Seattle through a Race and Equity Lens (2019).
- Powerpoint presentation slides can be found here.
The original data collection included a survey that generated 255
responses from the public, a majority of responses came from artists of color.
About the researchers
The University of Washington Evans School of Policy and Governance research team was comprised of MPA graduate students Aline Moch Islas, Casey Moser, Shomya Tripathy, and Louie Tan Vital. This effort was led by Mytoan Nguyen-Akbar, PhD, Impact and Assessment Manager and Mellon/ACLS Public Fellow at ARTS with on-going research partnerships between ARTS and UW Prof. Joaquin Herranz, Jr., PhD, the faculty member who advised the students on this capstone project.
