This summer, ten young artists became curators, collaborators, and storytellers through our 2025 Fresh Perspectives Program. Coordinated by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and funded by Seattle Public Utilities through the 1% for Art Fund, this intensive, paid summer program offers teens a chance to go behind the scenes of the art world and shape it in the process.
The summer’s work culminates in a youth-curated exhibition, You, Me, & Everything Between Us, which opens to the public on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, at ARTS at King Street Station. On view through Oct. 11, the exhibition features work by artists nominated by the youth cohort in response to an invitational call they developed themselves.
The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the systems and institutions that divide us, as well as the deep human experiences that unite us. Through themes like identity, displacement, joy, mental health, and belonging, the selected artworks ask pressing questions about connection, community, and the spaces we share.
This year’s Fresh Perspective cohort immersed themselves in the inner workings of Seattle’s public art landscape. Their first week included a session with Blake Haygood, Curator and Collections Manager for the City of Seattle’s Civic Art Collection. They explored how public art is collected, displayed, and cared for. From there, their summer unfolded into a varied series of workshops, artist studio visits, and cultural site explorations.
“Working with professional artists has given me the opportunity to understand what it’s like to do art for a living. It has influenced my perspective and deepened my passion for creating art, helping me realize how much can be incorporated into daily life.”
Max Santiago, 2025 Cohort
Program lead and teaching artist Janet Nechama Miller ensured participants experienced art from every angle. The cohort learned from a range of local artists, including Monyee Chau, RYAN! Feddersen, and Malia Peoples. They also visited yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creative Collective and engaged in an insightful discussion with José Diaz, Susan Brotman Deputy Director for Art at the Seattle Art Museum. These experiences helped shape their understanding of the many roles artists and institutions play in civic and cultural life.
“It means so much to me, as a young person, to have access to more art resources and artist peers. I really feel like now, more than ever, young people should be making art. It’s such a beautiful way to explore, express, and discover yourself. I think one of the most important things at this age is to experiment and figure out who you are, because knowing yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do. Art has helped me learn how to care for myself, connect with others, and find so much community, love, and support.”
Nico Charbonneau, 2025 Cohort
More than just a learning experience, the Fresh Perspectives program is a reminder of the value of young voices. Artworks in the exhibition will be reviewed by Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) staff for potential purchase into the Civic Art Collection. This unique opportunity, initiated and shaped by the cohort themselves, ensures that the work they’ve selected can live on in public office spaces throughout the City, especially in the newly renovated SPU offices in the Seattle Municipal Tower.
“Something I’d share with the community about how this program has impacted me is the access we’ve had to resources—things like learning how to write press releases or create rubrics—that you don’t usually come across easily. The value of this experience is honestly hard to put into words, and I think it’s something that will keep showing its importance over time.”
Billie Atkins, 2025 Cohort
