All photos by Jo Cosme
On Thursday, December 1, community members, artists, and creatives came together at ARTS at King Street Station to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Artists Up program.
Created in 2012, Artists Up is a collaboration between the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), 4Culture, and ArtsWA with a goal to better serve all artists in the state. This program was formed to address a common need at the time: to increase the number of artists of color applying for funding. This robust programming was based on conversations with Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, and Indigenous artists about their needs, concerns, and barriers.
Since its formation, Artists Up has served over 350 artists through programs such as Mentorly scholarships, which connect emerging artists with professional creatives from around the world.
Individuals from Hope Corps, Public Art Boot Camp, The Change Leader Institute, Public Art Roster, CityArtists, and TAT LAB Teaching Artists program gathered alongside 4Culture, ArtsWA, and ARTS staff to celebrate this milestone. Attendees also had an opportunity to explore the current exhibition at ARTS at King Street Station, IMMINENT MODE: US.
One of the original founding partners at ARTS, Project Manager, Irene Gómez, received a standing ovation for conceptualizing and piloting AU and her skillful dedication and generosity in curating the body of work that has impacted so many underrepresented (LGBTQ+, elder, immigrants, and refugee) artists.
“I applaud mentors, mentees, sponsors, and partners for continuing this important peer support to advance careers and networks.”
Irene Gómez, ARTS Project Manager and Co-Founder of Artists Up
We celebrate this milestone of Artists Up and look forward to many more years of supporting and elevating artists in our region.