The Youth Arts Collective at the Seattle Art Museum Launched in the 2025-26 school year, the Seattle Public Schools’ (SPS) Youth Arts Collective (YAC) was created to celebrate the creativity of youth across the district and to center student voices as part of a high-quality arts education. Students on the Youth Arts Collective build community with artists and creatives from other schools, give feedback on curriculum and course offerings, engage in public speaking opportunities, explore careers in the arts with Seattle professionals, and work with others on projects about arts education. The cohort is facilitated by Grey Ellis and SPS Visual and Performing Arts and Creative Advantage leaders. This school year, YAC met monthly online, and had in-person work session field trips to Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, Seattle Art Museum, The Vera Project, The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, and On the Boards.
Written by Lily Miles, YAC member and Chief Sealth International High School student
The pilot year of the Youth Arts Collective (YAC) was very celebratory of youth art and artists and gave youth the opportunity to give feedback on arts education. Being a part of the YAC gave me experiences I’d usually never get — I got to make art at the Seattle Art Museum, learn about careers surrounding the arts and the people who have them, learn about The Creative Advantage, and meet with youth across the state.
My name is Lily Miles, I am in the YAC and I am in music class. I initially wanted to join the YAC because I’ve noticed not all students have access to art like me. I was lucky enough to have concert band as an option in middle school, and that was the only way I could participate in band in high school. People who didn’t have that opportunity in middle school could not have the art path I did. I joined YAC because I wanted to make art opportunities more easily accessible by providing feedback on curriculum and schools. After being in the first year of YAC, I’m continuing for a second year because I saw how the YAC makes the art community stronger. We were able to present ideas that hold the perspectives of kids from different schools in five different regions with different art disciplines, creating a diverse future for art in school and opportunities for youth.
A highlight for me this year was the YAC collaborated with the Washington Youth Arts Leadership (WAYAL) Program at a youth leader summit held at The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. I got to meet students from all over Washington and watch their poetry and dance performances. That same day, we saw a performance by Totem Star and The Rhapsody Project. It was super cool for me to see kids around my age singing or playing instruments because my art discipline is music and what I’ve always liked about playing for other people is seeing their reaction. For example, in marching band I enjoy seeing people’s faces when the band walks by in the parade, or when I make eye contact with someone from the crowd and they start waving and cheering. And this time, I got to be the person who felt excitement from the music.
