Artists called to help us defy despair

Seattle, WA – The Office of Arts & Culture is combining two of its calls for art under the unifying theme We Still Dream a Future. Proposals that ignite the collective imagination for our flourishing despite these dark days are being considered for 2026 activations and installations in parts of Downtown Seattle, as well as exhibitions at ARTS at King Street Station. Grant awards of $10,000-$50,000 are available.

“Regarding the unifying theme: this is the power of art. When we see what could be, hear it, touch it, experience it, then what we imagine becomes something more,” said James Coley, ARTS at King Street Station Program Lead. “Through art, all that is possible takes a step toward becoming real. In this spirit, we proudly declare our many rich identities; we boldly imagine our future together, even now. Especially now. It is in times when it is hardest to see what is possible that such dreams are needed most.”

There is no Downtown recovery without arts recovery. Part of Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Downtown Activation Plan, this artist call addresses key civic priorities by empowering creative workers to build community and spark new arts experiences downtown. It builds upon our ongoing artist- and community-led programming via ARTS at King Street Station and expands on the Hope Corps framework, which incubates economic opportunity for Seattle’s creative workforce. The geographic focus for 2026 is Chinatown-International District, Pioneer Square, Stadium District, the plazas at Union Station and King Street Station, and the ARTS at King Street Station gallery.

“We will invest nearly $900,000 to provide free programming downtown, at King Street Station and nearby neighborhoods, throughout 2026 with this call,” said Kate Fernandez, Downtown Activations Supervisor. “With an emphasis on summer programming, the Hope Corps portion of the call will offer a diverse array of artist- and community-led outdoor experiences for residents and visitors during peak visitation months.”

Apply for this call before it closes June 3 at 5 p.m. Pacific. The guidelines are also available in Amharic, Chinese (Traditional), Korean, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Video tutorials and information workshops are available to help you turn in your best application. Artists, show us what is possible.

What People Are Saying

Art is a big part of what we can do to move forward. And supporting our artists—the energy vectors—the things that inspire us come from them. If they are not here, and they are not supporting the cultural climate and fabric of Seattle, then we end up in a city that nobody wants to live in.

– Aaron Asis, Belltown United, 2023-2024 Hope Corps grantee

I have been to many arts and/or community events, and what made Longest Night different and better is that there was an aliveness to the evening, a sense of a space that could hold not only all of us, but all of the many emotions we have been carrying since November 2024. It is one of the best truly community-centered and community-inspired events I have attended in the past decade.

– Putsata Reang, ARTS at King Street Station activation attendee

[ARTS at King Street Station] has allowed me to fulfill one of my dreams, not only to continue On the Edge, but to begin to create a community of Latine/Latinx performance artists in Seattle, something that Seattle has not had before.

– Xavier Lopez, Curator, On the Edge International Latinx Performance Festival

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About the Hope Corps Grant

The Office of Arts & Culture launched Hope Corps in 2021 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread loss of work and income in the creative sector.

While its focus has shifted each year, one thing has remained the same: Hope Corps supports Seattle’s creative workforce by funding and incubating career advancement opportunities that contribute to the well-being of Seattle.

In addition, Hope Corps awardees benefit from being part of a Community of Practice, with regular convenings offering workshops, networking, and ways to share their work.

About ARTS at King Street Station

ARTS at King Street Station is a dynamic space for arts and culture in the heart of the city, dedicated to increasing opportunities for people of color to generate and present their work.

Exhibitions and public programs come to the gallery through an open application and are selected by a cohort of King Street Station Advisors who represent a range of Seattle’s communities and artistic disciplines.

Housed above Seattle’s historic King Street Station, this 7,500-square-foot gallery and cultural space includes a studio for artists-in-residence and offices for the Office of Arts & Culture.

About the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

Formed in 1971 with a mission to activate and sustain Seattle through arts and culture, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture manages the City’s public art program, cultural partnerships grant programs, The Creative Advantage arts education initiative, and cultural facilities such as the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute and ARTS at King Street Station.

In alignment with the City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative, we seek new solutions that use arts as a strategy to drive not only our office, but the City as a whole toward racial equity and social justice. We will continue to break barriers and build arts-integrated tools that challenge the status quo and push us toward the inclusive society we envision.

We are supported by the 16-member Seattle Arts Commission, citizen volunteers appointed by the Mayor and City Council.