Drumming in the Park, photo by Jenny Crooks The King County Council passed the Doors Open Levy 9-0 on December 5, 2023. What is Doors Open? Good question! Doors Open is an arts and culture levy (a levy is basically a tax) literally decades in the making. The levy, funded by a 0.1% sales tax, will provide nearly $800 million in funding through spring of 2031. This influx of financial support holds immense promise for King County’s well-being, economic growth, and most importantly, artists and arts organizations.
Arts and culture organizations are still reeling from the blows dealt by COVID-19. This influx of money and support will help get organizations, workers, and artists back on their feet, help organizations keep their doors open, support artists economically, and more. A quarter of the funding is targeted to foster new cultural centers and organizations outside of Seattle, which is wonderful news for King County as a whole. We can’t wait to work with 4Culture, the designated funding agency for Doors Open. None of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of our friends at Inspire Washington. Thank you for your work on this project!
We strongly believe that arts and culture (and the people who create art and embody culture) are an essential part of creating a new, more livable city where art and artists can survive and thrive. Thank you for all of your work, and we look forward to supporting you.
This is an important step towards equity, economic development, and expanding access to more corners of King County.
Learn more about Doors Open via the links below:
- Doors Open King County
- The Doors Are Open to a New Era of Public Investment in Arts and Culture for King County – The Stranger
- King County OKs sales tax increase for ‘transformative’ cultural funding | The Seattle Times
