Fresh Perspectives program participants pose with Dawn Lindell, General Manager and CEO, in August 2024 while touring City Light offices and viewing public art.

By Kate Clark 
Seattle City Light Artist in Residence 

Public art collections breathe life into our shared spaces. A group of young curators brought fresh perspectives to the process of selecting 50 works by 30 artists for the City of Seattle’s Civic Art Collection.

Purchased with Seattle City Light 1% for Art funds, the artworks are the subject of an exhibition, “Fresh Perspectives,” at ARTS at King Street Station Gallery. The exhibition, which features works in a range of media, including painting, textiles, and 3D printed nylon, opens on First Thursday, February 6, 5 to 8 p.m., with live jazz by Jahnvi Madan. The exhibition will run through April 5. Admission is free.

As an artist committed to community engagement through public art, I am inspired by the exhibition’s dynamism and the variety of creations and creators it highlights. These works were brought to the fore by young curators who participated last summer in Fresh Perspectives, a curatorial program that seeks to support young creatives of color and incorporate youth voice and perspective into the City’s Portable Works Collection. 

Coordinated by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) and funded by City Light’s 1% for Art Fund, the summer intensive offers a deep dive into the world of art curation and administration and provides participants with a stipend equivalent to a summer job.

The young curators chose artists from the City’s public art roster, a pool of pre-approved visual artists, for consideration in the City’s Portable Works Collection. A panel of City Light employees then chose artworks to purchase for the collection, which includes more than 3,500 pieces rotating through City offices and buildings.

Empowering young creatives

The program cohort of 10 young adults (ages 17-20) joined teaching artist Hasaan Kirkland on visits to artist studios, museum tours led by curatorial staff, and a trip to City Light offices to gain an understanding of artwork in City spaces.

Kirkland, a Black artist and educator, developed the curatorial program to address the lack of diversity in art curation and public art, which has historically been dominated by white artists, curators, and administrators. The program aims to support young Black, Indigenous, and people of color pursuing careers in the art industry, while honoring and celebrating their culture, creativity, intelligence, and expression.

“Throughout my 12 years of public schooling, I’ve never had an arts teacher of color, and I’ve rarely been able to take arts classes in general due to low funding,” explained participant Naima Joseph at the program’s closing ceremony last August. “Learning about the very secretive world of art curating was incredible, and having a teacher and guest speakers who were honest about the difficulties they faced due to a bias in the arts was like a breath of fresh air.” 

In addition to the artwork purchase recommendation, the cohort culminated the program in August with the opening of “FRESSSSSH!,” an exhibition featuring works by five local artists of color at ARTS at King Street Station Gallery.

“I actually really enjoy curation because it combines my love of art and storytelling,” remarked youth curator Dream Bernard.

Fellow participant Othello Smith shared, “To do this work you really have to put your opinions and ego to the side. If someone shared another opinion that I liked more, I would tell myself, ‘I should lean into that.’”

Curatorial intensive part of City Light’s Public Art Plan

The youth curatorial program is one of 51 project proposals outlined in City Light’s Public Art Plan, which I developed as artist-in-residence at City Light in collaboration with City Light employees, community, and artists. The plan serves as a guide to inspire meaningful, accessible, and community-driven public art projects funded by City Light’s 1% for Art Fund through 2033. A key goal of the plan is to provide support through training opportunities and commissions—both small and large—for artists of color and emerging artists who face barriers to public art funding and opportunities.

Seattle was one of the first cities in the United States to adopt a percent-for-art ordinance in 1973. The program specifies that 1% of eligible City capital improvement project funds be set aside for the commission, purchase, and installation of artworks in a variety of public settings, from libraries to substations to parks. City Light was the first City department to take part in the program and has played a significant role in contributing to the City’s art collection.

Finally, I’d like to recognize City Light’s Energy in Arts Committee, an employee group co-chaired by Julianna Ross, Senior Community Program Developer, and Hillary Winchester, Customer Experience Manager. Previously led by interim Chief of Staff Leigh Barreca, this committee collaborates with ARTS to oversee and advise on the utility’s public art investments.