One of our proudest accomplishments in 2025 was the launch of our new strategic plan, published at the beginning of the year and created by and for the people who make this work possible: our staff.

After years of disruption caused by the pandemic across Seattle’s creative sector and multiple leadership transitions within the Office of Arts & Culture (OAC), we created the plan as an internal document to shore up our infrastructure. It also marked a moment of renewal, refresh, and reprioritization. With the arrival of Gülgün Kayim as Director in 2023 and Deputy Director, Kelly Davidson, joining in 2024, we set out to build a shared vision grounded in clarity, collaboration, and care for our staff and community.

Developed in partnership with consultant Urbane DrK and guided by our Impact and Assessment Manager, Ele Watts, the planning process was intentionally staff-centered and healing-focused. Through design camps, all-staff planning sessions, creative activities, story-sharing, and trauma-informed art workshops with Pottery Northwest, staff reconnected, broke down silos, and shaped the goals that will stabilize our work and guide our office functions through 2030.

The result is a living plan that positions OAC to lead in a rapidly evolving cultural and civic landscape. It supports our values, clear decision-making, stronger partnerships, and our continued commitment to racial equity, creativity, and community.

As we reflect on 2025, this strategic plan stands as both a milestone and a promise. It builds a strong foundation for a more sustainable and thriving future for OAC. That foundation will prove invaluable as we set our goals for 2026, including the development of Seattle’s first citywide Cultural Plan to help address serious civic issues that continue to challenge the creative community and our shared creative future.

Read our 2025-2030 strategic plan and learn more about our vision for the future.