The 2025-2026 proposed budget adjustments for the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) are available for public viewing. The Seattle Arts Commission, a group of citizen volunteers appointed by the Mayor and City Council to support and advocate for the ARTS office, issued a response to these budget proposals,… [ Keep reading ]
With more than 30 murals spanning from SODO to Belltown, The Hope Corps Downtown Seattle Mural Project is a partnership between Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) and six downtown neighborhood organizations. In 2023, ARTS gave a total of $700,000 to Belltown United, Downtown Seattle Association (DSA), Seattle Chinatown International… [ Keep reading ]
Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell is releasing the 2025-2026 Proposed Budget. In this budget, Mayor Harrell is continuing to make needed investments and take bold action to address the urgent needs of our communities and advance our One Seattle priorities. Mayor Harrell’s budget proposal remains focused on strengthening public safety, creating… [ Keep reading ]
On July 27, 2024, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), Seattle Parks and Recreation, and Friends of Little Saigon hosted a community ribbon cutting celebration for the new Hoa Mai Park in Little Saigon. The celebration included music, food, neighbors, lion dance performance by Mak Fai Kung Fu, and children’s activities. ARTS… [ Keep reading ]
What is art curation? That’s the question that ten young adults (ages 17-20), led by teaching artist Hasaan Kirkland, are working to understand during this summer’s Fresh Perspectives program. Coordinated by The Office of Arts & Culture and funded by Seattle City Light’s 1% for Art Fund, this intensive summer… [ Keep reading ]
In nearly every profession, there is a chicken and egg problem: experience helps applicants get a job, but without the first job, how does one acquire experience? Public art is no different in that regard. Public art, and the art world overall, are predominately White in terms of administration, policy,… [ Keep reading ]
May 28, 2024 Re: Written comments required by Seattle Municipal Code 3.14.830G, as amended by Ordinance No. 123460 (2010) Dear Mayor Harrell, As our city continues to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, we appreciate that you are working to navigate civic challenges that range from economic stability to… [ Keep reading ]
In 2021, we selected Kate Clark as Seattle City Light’s Artist-in-Residence. She was tasked with learning about the utility to develop a Seattle City Light Art Plan (16.9MB PDF) that would guide and inform public art projects into the future. The goal of the project was to create a long-term… [ Keep reading ]
Atmospheric River By Bryan Wilson (In a city where rivers float in the sky) braiding through cedars & buildings like a sentence in a poem, rivers rise as raindrops. A city, Heron-still — staring into Sound stones polishing words — storm-galoshing songs. Before long, river-rain makes watercolors of us, gathers… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle’s Little Sài Gòn by Bryna Antonia (Á Thanh) Cortes Fresh bánh baking, refrigerator hums. Red stripes through yellow, old and proud, the iconic nón lá. Jackson and 12th street trails, swinging doors gift savory winds. Bowls of soup warming you with just a scent. Markets of clamor, of every… [ Keep reading ]
