Artists at the Center is a multi-year collaboration between Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Seattle Center, with support from Uptown Arts & Culture Coalition and the communities surrounding the Seattle Center campus. This program is made possible by a 10-year community benefit grant from Climate Pledge Arena and Seattle Kraken, starting in 2021.
Artists at the Center funds individual artists, artist-led collectives, community groups, and organizations to develop and present pop-ups throughout the year at Seattle Center. Artistic genres may include music, dance, theater, demonstrations, and multi-disciplinary work. Pop-ups will be scheduled between November 2025 and September 2026. Awarded participants will receive either $2,000, $4,000, or $6,000 in funding based on the artist/group size and complexity of scope. Awardees from the current season (2024-2025) are not eligible to apply for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.
For more details, please read the full guidelines. They are also available in these languages:
Due Date
Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 5 p.m. (Pacific)
Please allow ample time to complete and submit your application; applications submitted after the 5 p.m. (Pacific) deadline will not be accepted.
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply for this grant if you meet the following criteria:
- You are an individual artist, artist-led collective, organization, or community-based group presenting work regularly in Seattle.
- You are located in King County or unincorporated King County within Washington State.
- Organizations and individual artists representing communities most impacted by systemic oppression including low-income, people with disabilities, immigrant and refugee communities, and communities of color are encouraged to apply.
- You have a Federal Tax ID number (Social Security Number, ITIN, or Employee Identification Number) and are based in, or have current and active programming within, the City of Seattle.
- Groups applying are not required to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nor are they required to use a fiscal sponsor or fiscal agent.
- You may submit only one application per cycle to this program.
- Multiple applicants cannot submit separate applications for the same pop-up.
- Awardees from the current season (2024-2025) are not eligible to apply for the 2025-2026 season.
Your pop-up is eligible to be funded by this grant if it meets the following criteria:
- Your pop-up will be free and open to the public at one of the eligible Seattle Center locations.
- Your pop-up will be between 40-90 minutes.
Funding
You may use the award funds for pop-up-related expenses, such as: artist fees, marketing and promotional fees, project management, personnel costs, supplies, equipment rentals or other production-related costs, required insurance, and up to 10% for food-related costs. Additional expenses may be allowed upon advance approval by the grant project manager.
Funds from this grant cannot be combined with other City funding sources nor with funds supporting another Seattle Center event (e.g. Festál, Folklife, etc.). Applicants are not allowed to be funded for the same project/pop-up twice by the City of Seattle.
Applicants can apply for the following levels of funding:
- $2,000 award (typically 1-2 performers), plus $750 in-kind production support from Seattle Center
- $4,000 award (typically 3-5 performers), plus $1,360 in-kind production support from Seattle Center
- $6,000 award (typically 6+ performers), plus $1,800 in-kind production support from Seattle Center
Information Sessions
Learn more about the program and how to submit your best application. We highly encourage first-time applicants to attend one of these workshops:
Information Session 1 (Hybrid)
Thursday, May 22, 4:00 – 5:20 p.m. (Pacific)
In-Person: Seattle Center Armory, Room 301
Virtual: Webex
RSVP for 5/22
Information Session 2 (Hybrid)
Thursday, June 3, 10:00 – 11:20 a.m. (Pacific)
In-Person: Seattle Center Armory, Room 301
Virtual: Webex
RSVP for 6/3
Contact
For information and assistance with the application, please refer to these Frequently Asked Questions, or contact Zach Frimmel, Project Manager for Artists at the Center, at (206) 963-9226 or Zach.Frimmel@seattle.gov.
We have interpreters who can speak to you in your language, including American Sign Language (via video). Just call us and tell us what language you speak. Expect a short pause while we find an interpreter to join the call.
