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How Creative Strategies Can Build Relationships and Awareness within Racial Equity Learning Cohorts Focused on Environmental Justice

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By Diana Dvora Falchuk

How can individuals use arts, culture, mindfulness, and embodiment to help transform systems and institutions toward racial and environmental justice? One potential approach is through learning cohort models.

Our office (ARTS) partnered with the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment, and Seattle Public Utilities to offer the racial equity learning program, Turning Commitment into Action for Environmental Justice (TCA for EJ), for 29 policy influencers, a third of whom were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) working in historically white-led organizations and municipal agencies.

Those involved included:

  • City of Seattle
  • King County
  • University of Washington
  • Washington State University
  • The Nature Consortium
  • Stewardship Partners
  • Delridge Neighborhood Development Association
  • Earth Corps
  • Seattle Urban Forestry Commission
  • Northwest Harvest

The cohort culminated in final project presentations in 2019 and the qualitative impacts are documented in this final report. Guided by artist-facilitators, these individual policy influencers learned frameworks and developed practices to build and sustain environmental justice. The project revealed critical lessons for supporting such a learning community in the context of a mainstream environmental movement that still lacks consistent leadership from BIPOC communities and others who are most impacted by environmental injustices.

Three circles in a Venn diagram labeled: Racial Equity and Social Justice, Creative Strategies, Environmental Justice.
Venn diagram from the report,
illustrated by Otts Bolisay

TCA for EJ infused racial equity learning with arts, culture, mindfulness, and embodiment. This helped participants develop the relational, emergent, and adaptive decision-making processes and ways of being that the work of equity and justice requires. By normalizing vulnerability, interconnection, bravery and belonging as fundamental components of strategic, outcomes-focused work, participants were able to see themselves and each other in more holistic and humanizing ways. The program deliberately created environments that were radically different from the typical policy conference room or office environment (spaces which often are normalized to keep the broader system of white supremacy in place).

A large group of people kneel around a long sheet of paper, drawing and writing on it. Someone hands a crayon to a woman who stands nearby.
Photo by Zorn B. Taylor

TCA for EJ is one of the first projects of the Creative Strategies Initiative (CSI), launched in 2017 as a partnership between ARTS and the Office for Civil Rights. CSI uses arts, culture, mindfulness, and embodiment to build transformational, anti-racist practices throughout City government and our work with community. CSI projects position artists, cultural organizers and healers as designers and leaders of strategies that interrupt structural racism and move the needle toward racial justice. CSI is a component of the Race and Social Justice Initiative’s culture shift strategy and an outgrowth of nearly eight years of partnership between ARTS and the Office for Civil Rights.

We are grateful to artist-facilitators Sonali Sangeeta Balajee, Alan Wong, and Jéhan Òsanyìn, program co-designers Sudha Nandagopal and Sara Cubillos (also a curriculum designer and facilitator), and program partners Steve Hamai, Sharon Lerman, Pam Emerson, Lylianna Ayala, and Ximena Fonseca-Morales for their many contributions the program and report beginning in 2017. Diana Dvora Falchuk was the ARTS and Office for Civil Rights staff lead on this project. Additional gratitude to Mytoan Nguyen-Akbar, PhD, ARTS Impact and Assessment Manager, for designing and leading the evaluation and report.

A Look Back at Created Common’s Lowrider Block Party

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On August 7, Created Commons partnered with Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery for the Lowrider Block Party in the Westwood/Delridge neighborhood. All day long, the block between Roxbury St. and Delridge Way SW came to life with a showcase of lowriders, live art, performances, and local vendors.

Take a look at some highlights from the festivities:

Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery brought together local collectives, food vendors, artists, and performance groups to fill the block with music, dance, art, and community. Participating groups included Easy Duz It Car Clu, La Sala, Emerald City Soul Club, DJ Bugzy Beatdown, 206 Zulu, 40Low, and Joyas Mestizas.

Lined up along the block, Easy Duz It Car Club showcased a variety of their lowriders for the community to admire.

Founded in 1988, Joyas Mestizas is Seattle’s first folklórico youth group. They brought the beauty of traditional Mexican dances to the streets of White Center.

Artists Jose Rodriguez III, Desmond Hansen, and Angelina Villalobos showcased live artmaking.

Guests were also welcomed into Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery to experience the Lowrider Art Show, featuring a variety of work from local artists.

“The Lowrider Block Party was a dream come true. It was amazing to see so many in the community in such great spirits. The high attendance of the event proved that the community was eager for the opportunity to express our cultura.”

Jake Prendez, founder and co-director of Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery
Judy Avitia-Gonzalez and Jake Prendez, co-directors of Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery

The Lowrider Block Party is a part of Created Commons: Neighborhood Edition, a new ARTS initiative that transforms outdoor spaces across Seattle into venues for spectacular temporary arts and cultural extravaganzas. This program is created by the Seattle Office of Arts &  Culture (ARTS) in partnership with the Department of Transportation (SDOT), and Seattle Parks and Recreation, and community curators. 

All photos courtesy of Lupe Carlos III, Sergio Avitia, and Diego Hurtado.

$27 Million in Federally-Funded Pandemic Relief Coming for King County Cultural Organizations

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Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and 4Culture partner to streamline process for the sector 

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) and 4Culture are working with our partners at King County to build new COVID-19 relief programs for the cultural sector, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Our shared goal is to put these federal dollars to work supporting as many King County cultural organizations and producers as possible.    

For organizations with 2019 revenue over $1 million 

Today, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the opening of Revive and Thrive Together. It will provide $20 million in disaster relief and business interruption funds to arts, heritage, or historic preservation organizations with 2019 revenue of more than $1 million. The application opens at KingCountyCreative.com on September 13.  

For organizations with 2019 revenue of $1 million and under 

Using a single application, these organizations can apply for both ARPA disaster relief grants and 4Culture 2022 Sustained Support funds. ARTS has partnered with 4Culture to share this application process to better serve cultural organizations within Seattle and King County. This will allow eligible organizations to submit one application to be considered for funding by both agencies. ARTS and 4Culture will distribute $7 million in federal relief funding.  

Later this month, 4Culture will open the first phase of our Recovery Fund. Cultural organizations with 2019 revenue of $1 million and below that experienced revenue loss between 2019 and 2020 will be eligible for this program. 

Full details about eligibility, federal grant contracting requirements, and more will be released when this grant opens on September 23. 

The 4Culture Recovery Fund will also offer support for individual artists and cultural producers in the coming months; we will provide more information as we develop the program.   

Determining where to apply 

Organizations are eligible for either King County’s Revive and Thrive Together program or ARTS and 4Culture’s Recovery Fund, not both. They can answer this short series of questions to figure out where to apply. 

Public Art Boot Camp Class ’20-21 Culmination and Artwork Celebration

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In mid-2020, 11 emerging artists were welcomed into Public Art Boot Camp and for the past year participated in a series of trainings and planning, which has culminated in temporary art installations. The Office of Arts & Culture is pleased to celebrate their hard work by showcasing the artwork at both Seattle’s Lake City and Seattle Center!

Artists Amanda Lee, Baso Fibonacci, Damon Brown, Fumi Amano, Jacques Trautman, Jovita Mercado, Kamla Kakaria, Lynn Yarne, Micah Lawton McCarty, Nate Clark, and Sabina Haque currently have work on view and invite you to explore the two neighborhoods:

Seattle Center Art Walk and “Meet the Artists”
Saturday, October 2, 12 pm 
Tour will meet and start at the Fisher Pavilion Rooftop 

Lake City Art Walk and “Meet the Artists”
Saturday, October 9, 2 pm   
Walking map and information available at the Lake City Library Plaza 

Download a PDF of Printable Postcards

On View as Part of Art Interruptions in Lake City 

Our Excellent Ingredients, Amanda Lee 

Our Excellent Ingredients celebrates the culinary knowledge and shared ingredients of the diverse cultures of the Lake City neighborhood. Start at the mural on 30th Ave and then walk to 27th between 125th and 130th to find five augmented reality (AR) pieces.  

Illusionary Planters, Baso Fibonacci

Illusionary Planters are three painted steel planters planted with native northwest plants installed in front of the Lake City library. Throughout the year they are there the plants will grow and change and the planters will rust. 

Here Before Me, Damon Brown   

This public art piece represents the history and neighborhoods that currently make up Seattle’s Lake City area — at the same time, honoring Seattle’s host tribe and our area’s only indigenous tribe, the Duwamish Tribe.

Namaste, Kamla Kakaria

Lake City has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in Seattle.  Embracing and celebrating that diversity I made this piece Namaste which is a Hindi greeting.  Welcome to Lake City! 

Scan to See A Story of This Place: Lake City, Lynn Yarne

Places hold histories we sometimes cannot see. This project is comprised of Augmented Reality (AR) collage interpretations of six Lake City stories accessible through scanning signage throughout the neighborhood or by visiting www.astoryofthisplace.com.  

Orca – Wolf Transformation, Micah McCarty

Orca – Wolf Transformation, mounted the Traditional style Box that represents the wealth of the royal families of the Lake. In a tribute to the hereditary legacy and Living memory of the Lake “Lake Washington” and presented to the diverse community of Lake City with respect to indigenous relatives.

Windows on Lake City, Sabina Haque

Sabina Haque created two metal lattice sculptures that incorporate her 54 painted portraits of Lake City residents. The work celebrates this largely new immigrant community and crafts a beautiful artistic tribute to the neighborhood.

On View at Seattle Center: 

Resilience, Fumi Amano

The world is in the process of adapting well after facing crises such as COVID-19. Resilience not only helps us get through difficult circumstances, but it also empowers us to grow and even improve our life along the way.

Might be Going to Have Imagined This Place, Jac Oliver Trautman

The world is in the process of adapting well after I have heard the Duwamish are the Indigenous people of this land. It is written that the Duwamish do not exist. Look-

Los Trabajadores, Sus Apoyos, Y La Comunidad (The Workers, Their Advocators, And The Community), Jovita Mercado

These Loteria-style prints are centered on Washington state’s laborers and community organizers. This piece specifically commemorates Latinx field workers, Filipino cannery workers, and community activists that fought for workers’ rights and the security of BIPOC communities like Dulce Gutiérrez from Yakima and the Gang of Four from Seattle. 

Inverted Pyramid, Nate Clark

Inverted Pyramid is a hand-tied net made of a 2-ply strand combining bonded nylon twine and hand-spun wool. The handbell suspended in the center of the piece rings as wind interacts with the installation.

Art Interruptions annual program (funded through SDOT % for Art) or Seattle Center temporary art projects (funded through Seattle Center % for Art). Many of the scheduled trainings throughout this past year focused on topics specific to public art such as “how to develop a concept proposal” or “how to work with a fabricator.” Most of the content was recorded and is available online.

Boot Camp artists created and installed artwork through both Art Interruptions, an annual program that places temporary artworks in and around Neighborhood Greenways, and the Seattle Center.   

Public Art Boot Camp was initiated in 2003 (known as the Emerging Public Artists Roster Program) to introduce artists to the idea and practice of public art and transformed in 2015 modified with the added goal to advance racial equity by centering artists of color and providing them the information and experience they needed to enter the niche world of public art.   

‘Two Different Somali Perspectives: Hawo Ali and Abdi Ibrahim’ Now On View at ARTS at King Street Station

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Soomaali

ARTS at King Street Station is proud to present, Two Different Somali Perspectives: Hawo Ali and Abdi Ibrahim. On view from September 7 – October 23, 2021.  

Join us on Tuesday, September 7 for the launch of Two Different Somali Perspectives: Hawo Ali and Abdi Ibrahim with a special opportunity for guided tours with the artists! Guided tours are free and open to the public with registration. Tours will be approximately 30 minutes long and take place at the top of each hour from 2 – 6pm.

Register for Free

MEET THE ARTISTS

HAWO ALI

Hawo Ali is a Seattle-based Somali-American artist and community activist. Centering on the flowers and scenery of her home country Somalia, her art is inspired by her arrival to the United States and the new flora of the land. 

Hawo’s paintings often include abstraction and strong colors to accentuate her portrayal of traditional Somali practices, artifacts, and narratives on Somali culture. These diverse narratives represent vivid depictions ranging from the resourcefulness of the native nomadic people to the native lions, tigers, and hyenas that make up the land.   

Spring Flower in Somalia, Hawo Ali, Acrylic, 2019
  • Purple Roses, Hawo Ali, Acrylic, 2018
  • Inside of the Somali Indian Ocean, Hawo Ali, Acrylic, 2019

ABDI IBRAHIM

Abdi Ibrahim is a Somali-American photographer based in Los Angeles. Raised in Seattle, Abdi is the son of two immigrants. Since his start in film photography at the age of 17, his work has been featured in numerous publications including New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Billboard Magazine. 

Abdi also works as a film and commercial director, where he has worked on campaigns for Apple Music, REI, Subaru, and The Fader. Abdi shoots his subjects in what feels like abstract worlds — creating an image that tells a story and a surreal aesthetic that is meant to be imaginative but rooted in reality; a cross between documentary and conceptual. 

Happy Sad, Abdi Ibrahim, Digital Photograph; Inkjet on Epson Premium Luster, 2019
  • Band Practice, Abdi Ibrahim, Digital Photograph; Inkjet on Epson Premium Luster, 2020
  • Workout, Abdi Ibrahim, Digital Photograph; Inkjet on Epson Premium Luster, 2020

ARTS at King Street Station is free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm. In accordance with the statewide indoor mask mandate, all visitors — regardless of vaccination status — are required to wear masks while in the gallery space.

Two Different Somali Perspectives: Hawo Ali and Abdi Ibrahim is organized and presented by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) and is curated by Ricky Reyes and S Surface in partnership with ARTS at King Street Station Advisors. Support for the installation is provided by Benjamin Gale-Schreck and Blake Haygood.    

Soomaali

Noogu imow kulankeena “Labo Ra’yi ee kala duwan oo Soomaali ah: Hawo Ali iyo Abdi Ibrahim,” Kulanku wuxuu dhaciyaa September 7 ilaa October 23, 2021 Waxaana lagu qabaiyaa ARTS at King Street Station.

laga bilaabo 2 duhurnimo ilaa 5 galabnimo markay tahay Talaado, Sebtember 7.Labaduba waxay qaban donaan kulamo 30-daqiiqo ah ee loogu talagalay in dadka la tuso shaqada ay qabtaan. Halkan iska diwaangeli.

Xaawo Cali waa farshaxanley Somali-American ah oo joogta Seattle, bulshadana way u doodaa. Farshaxankeedu wuxuu u badanyahay ubaxyada iyo muuqaalka dalkeeda hooyo, Imaanashaha maraykankana iyo dhirta cusub ee dhulka ayaa dhiirrigeliyay inay sii wado. Sawirada Xaawo inta u badan waxaa ka muuqdo midab xoog iyo tayo leh. Midabkaas ayaa ka caawiyay inay xoojiso sawirkeeda, dhaqanka Soomaalida, farshaxan -yahannada, iyo sheekooyinka dhaqanka ee Soomaalida.

Cabdi Ibraahim waa sawir qaade Soomaali-Mareykan ah oo deggan Los Angeles. Wuxuu ku soo barbaaray magaalada Seattle waxaana dhalay labo somaali ee soo -galooti ahaa. Cabdi wuxuu dadka ku sawiraa adduunyo qurxoon – wuxuu qaadaa sawiro ka sheekeynaya sheeko iyo bilicsanaan dhab ah oo loola jeedo inay noqoto riyo ku jirta xaqiiqda hada; Tani waa talaabo u dhaxaysa dokumenteriga iyo fikirka guud.

ARTS -ka ee ku yaal Saldhigga Tareenka ee wadada King waa lacag la’aan wuxuuna u furan yahay dadweynaha, Talaadada ilaa Sabtida, 10ka subaxnimo ilaa 6 da fiidnimo. Waxaan tixraacaynaa waajibaadka gobolka ee waji xirka gudaha, iyadoon loo eegin heerka tallaalka dhammaan booqdayaasha waxaa laga rabaa inay wajiga xirtaan inta ay ku jiraan goobta dhexdeeda.

Estelita’s Library Opens Its New Tiny Cultural Space in the Central District

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Estelita’s Tiny Cultural Space is up and running! In 2018, ARTS in partnership with Sawhorse Revolution invited local cultural and community organizations to submit proposals for a new tiny cultural space. Estelita’s Library was chosen as the first recipient of our Tiny Cultural Space Program because of its mission to create accessibility to literature on justice, ethnic studies, and liberation movements.  

Photo by Rafael Soldi

Founded by Edwin Lindo, Estelita’s Library was first homed inside The Wine Station on Beacon Hill, which opened its doors in May 2018. Named after his daughter, Estella, Lindo created this library with a vision for it to be home to conversations you may not usually have in other communal spaces – conversations about race, poverty, and social justice. In its first year of business, Estelita’s Library hosted over 350 members and a catalog of over 1,500 books. This library’s catalog features books from notable authors like Malcolm X and Audre Lorde to Lindo’s personal collection of Black Panther Party newspapers. 

Photo by Rafael Soldi

However, with the landlord of their Beacon Hill space planning to build high-rise apartments in place of the current building, Lindo felt it was the perfect time to apply for the Tiny Cultural Space Program. 

“What Estelita’s tries to do is give us space to think critically and to think with freedom.”

Edwin Lindo, founder of Estelita’s Library (quoted from his interview with Dwell)

Sawhorse Revolution’s all-womxn design/build program for youth was integral in the entire process of building Estelita’s Tiny Cultural Space, from the selection of Estelita’s Library as the recipient to the design (with mentorship from Olson Kundig) to the actual build (with mentorship from Sawhorse Revolution’s builders).  

  • Photos by Rafael Soldi

After almost two years of collaborative work, Estelita’s Tiny Cultural Space has its new home on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South in the Central District where it continues to serve the community. This new space stands at 225 square feet with a 330-square-foot outdoor deck. It will be home to many community gatherings, book readings, and more. 

“The City of Seattle currently owns over three million square feet of buildings and land that it considers to be ‘excess to its current needs.’ These surplus properties, which could be enormous assets in community hands, are often considered to be liabilities to the City, which needs to mow, and maintain, and insure them.

Tiny Cultural Space is an exploration of what can happen if the City returns some of these surplus assets to the community-based arts and cultural organizations who could transform them. The program takes invisible and overlooked municipal liabilities and turns them into living, thriving, community assets.” 

Matthew Richter, Cultural Space Liaison for the City of Seattle
Photos by Rafael Soldi

While the library is still closed to the public due to COVID-19, you can show your support by shopping on their online bookstore. You can also stay up-to-date on their hours and future public openings on their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The Tiny Cultural Space Program is made possible in partnership with Finance and Administrative Services and the Department of Construction and Inspections. 

Kate Clark Selected as Seattle City Light Artist-in-Residence

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The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) in partnership with Seattle City Light (City Light) has commissioned Kate Clark to be the utility’s Artist-in-Residence for approximately one year, starting in September 2021. Clark will work closely with City Light staff to learn about the utility’s operations and facilities, enabling her to create an art master plan that will guide and inform City Light’s future public art programming. This plan will be a robust, cohesive long-range vision for how City Light can leverage their 1% for art funding to connect with community members, provide support to the arts community, and reflect the mission, vision, values, and Race and Social Justice goals of City Light and the City.

Artist-in-Residence Kate Clark has extensive experience navigating and shaping one-on-one experiences, meaningful community collaborations, and the ebb and flow of city energy and resources. Clark is the creator and director of the art program Parkeology, a collection of multimedia, permanent and temporary public artworks that explore shared and sometimes hidden public stories and knowledge throughout public spaces and museums internationally. Most Parkeology projects include live programming, permanent installation, and documentary texts/videos/podcasts and Clark plans to integrate these working methods in designing the Seattle City Light Art Master Plan. 

Photo by Katie Benz

Kate Clark studied as a Parson’s Urbanisms of Inclusion fellow at Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia and received an MFA in interdisciplinary public art at the University of California, San Diego. Clark has taught about the intersections between public art, public history, and urban studies with the Bauhaus Institute Weimar, San Diego State University, and Georgetown University. She has also served as a research fellow at Provisions Library for Arts and Social Change and co-founded Knowledge Commons DC —  a nomadic free school that since 2011 has served over 8,000 students throughout Washington D.C. — through the Hirshhorn Museum. In addition to serving as City Light’s Artist-in-Residence, Clark is also currently developing two large-scale permanent public art commissions with the City of San Diego, the Washington State Convention Center, and 4Culture. She lives and works as an uninvited guest on the traditional territory of the Samish Indian Nation, now known as Anacortes, WA.

Photo by Mar Mathioudakis

Seattle City Light’s mission is to provide customers with affordable, reliable, and environmentally responsible energy services. The values of customers first, environmental stewardship, equitable community connections, operational and financial excellence, and safe and engaged employees guide the utility’s work and will serve as the foundation for developing the Art Master Plan. The plan that Clark creates over the next year will outline potential public art enhancements for future City Light projects, sites, and initiatives with a cohesive vision that is inclusive of and celebrates the broad diversity of Seattle’s neighborhoods and communities.

Clark was selected by a panel of artists, community members, and City Light staff. The project is commissioned with Seattle City Light 1% for Art funds.

City of Music Career Day Returns Virtually on August 27

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Registration now is open for this free virtual event for teens and young adults ages 13-26 interested in turning their passion for music into a career.

City of Music Career Day connects teens and young adults ages 13-26 to music industry professionals through networking opportunities, experiential learning, engaging workshops, a special performance by local artist NËSTRÄ, and a virtual table fair with internship opportunities. This year, City of Music Career Day is returning virtually on Friday, August 27, from 3-5:30 p.m. 

Now in its ninth year, City of Music Career Day is created in partnership with the Seattle Music Commission, the Office of Economic Development, and the Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) to support and grow the creative economy by promoting workforce development in the music industry. This event is also supported by Connors & Co., KEXP, the Museum of Pop Culture, and The Vera Project to foster opportunities in the creative community.  

Our goal is to encourage students and non-students who have demonstrated a passion for music to follow their dreams, expand their understanding of career paths in the music industry, and network with industry leaders and peers to facilitate possible career opportunities.    

“Music is one of very few human endeavors that can be shared across generations. For me, being able to impart musical information and wisdom to younger musicians is a constant source of inspiration, furthering my own personal growth while helping others on the path to achieve their musical goals.” 

Jovino Santos Neto, three-time Latin Grammy nominated artist and City of Music Career Day mentor

Participants will be exposed to a wide range of music-related careers, including performance, management, production, licensing, broadcasting, composition, concert production, and more. Alongside engaging panels, attendees will be able to network with industry mentors in small groups. The virtual table fair will also feature a wide variety of internship and volunteer opportunities with organizations including the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) and Climate Pledge Arena.  

City of Music Career Day Featured Panels:

  • Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Hear from Seattle-area rapper Travis Thompson and members of his team — Shelton Harris (manager), Elan Wright and Nima Skeemz (producers, Ruby Room) — on how collaboration can take talent to new heights. 
  • Finding Community While Developing Your Craft: Alumni from local music programs — Joshua Limanjaya Lim (More Music @ The Moore), Frankie Barker (The Vera Project) and Sharmaine Tillmon (The Residency) — discuss key lessons learned, connections made and other ways these programs have helped them launch their careers in music. Moderated by Daniel Pak (Totem Star). 
  • Music on Screen: Find out who is behind the music that is composed and curated for film, TV, video games and other media. Featuring composer Andrew Joslyn and music licensing pro Sarah Hunt (Audiosocket). 
  • Putting on the Show: Go behind the scenes of venues, festivals and event production. Learn about the various roles, how talent gets booked and what has changed due to COVID-19. Led by Jazmyn Scott (LANGSTON), in conversation with Evan Johnson (Neumos, Capitol Hill Block Party), JJ Johnson (The Vera Project) and Janice Jimenez (Climate Pledge Arena). 

The virtual table fair will feature a wide variety of internship and volunteer opportunities that offer participants direct access to the music industry.

Register now for City of Music Career Day, taking place virtually on Friday, August 27, from 3-5:30 p.m. Early registration is encouraged.

Register
Facebook Event Page

A Look Back at the Created Commons Launch During The City’s Welcome Back Weeks

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ARTS’ new program, Created Commons, recently launched as a part of the City of Seattle’s Welcome Back Weeks. Spanning two weekends from July 12 – 26, the Welcome Back Weeks celebrated the return of our community to downtown Seattle with large-scale Created Commons events in three neighborhoods — the Chinatown-International District, Pioneer Square, and Westlake. Welcome Back Weeks are a key element of the City’s  Road to Downtown Recovery plan, which works to bring workers, small businesses, and visitors back downtown.

Take a look at some of the highlights from the festivities:

Welcome Back to the Chinatown-International District

On July 17 and 18, Hing Hay Park came to life with vibrant arts and culture celebrating the beauty of the Chinatown-International District.

  • Photo by Sheri Foreman for Ballard Vox
  • Photo by Sheri Foreman for Ballard Vox
  • Photo by Chloe Collyer
  • Photo by Chloe Collyer

Featured programming included:

  • The Chinese Association presenting a drill team, martial arts demo, and lion dance
  • Chrysalis Circus
  • Massive Monkees
  • Daniel Pak
  • Totem Star artists FRESA, Kiddus Fecto; Grae Violett, Lily Indigo, and Yung Fuego
  • Guma’ Gela’
  • Chong the Nomad
  • Bleachbear; Guma’ Gela’
  • Evan Flory Barnes
  • Hollis

Plus all-day activities and pop-ups such as Party Hat Gallery’s screen printing station featuring artwork by Stevie Shao, a self-defense class, and a vaccine pop-up with the Seattle Fire Department.

  • Daniel Pak by Sunny Martini

“I personally didn’t realize how much the Welcome Back Week shows would impact me as an artist until I was on stage at Hing Hay Park looking out into the crowd as I started my first song, realizing I would be singing songs for my family and my community. [It was my] first time onstage since the pandemic shut everything down in 2020.

Special thanks to Jenny Ku at ARTS for championing youth voice and culture, as she advocated strongly to get youth artists on the stages at Hing Hay, Occidental, and Westlake. Witnessing Totem Star artists bring so much love and joy to the community shows us how far we’ve come and also where we need to go to ensure that young people have a platform to share their stories and perspectives as the future cultural leaders of Seattle.” 

Daniel Pak, artist and Executive Director of Totem Star
  • Bleachbear by Sheri Foreman for Ballard Vox

“The Created Commons event was amazing! Hing Hay Park was full of people excited to be back together enjoying shows and we were one of them. It felt wonderful to be up on the stage again. In fact, after such a long hiatus from playing live shows during the pandemic, we were probably more pumped to be playing a show than any time we could remember! While it felt new in ways, it was also comfortable and familiar, and it just felt awesome to see familiar faces from past shows singing along with us. Pulling together events in City parks with local performers was a brilliant way to get the community connected again, and we were so glad to be a part of it.” 

Bleachbear, artist
  • Photo by Sunny Martini
  • Photo by Sunny Martini

Welcome Back to Pioneer Square

Photo by Jenny Crooks

On Saturday, July 24, we spent the afternoon in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood, Pioneer Square. Occidental Square was buzzing with live music, local art, and community. Welcome Back to Pioneer Square featured performances by Totem Star artists Sharmaine and Haley Graves, Shenandoah Davis, Shaina Shepherd, and The Black Tones.  

  • Photo by Jenny Crooks
  • Photo by Jenny Crooks

Plus, activities and pop-ups such as:

  • Live busking
  • Path With Art’s “Found Fashion Show” courtesy of Path With Art
  • Party Hat Party’s free screen printing booth highlighting artwork by Tariqa Waters
  • Seattle Fire Department’s Vaccine Pop-Up
  • Photo by Jenny Crooks
  • Photo by Jenny Crooks
  • Photo by Jenny Crooks
  • Photo by Jenny Crooks

Welcome Back to Westlake

  • Photo by Sunny Martini
  • Photo by Sunny Martini

Welcome Back Weeks came to a successful end at our last event in the heart of downtown Seattle, Westlake Park. Centering on the theme “Halloween in July,” Westlake was full of people in costumes, downtown businesses offering candy for trick-or-treating, and much more.

Program highlights included:

  • UP UP UP Inc.
  • Fraggle Rock Crew
  • SANCA Seattle Cirrus Circus
  • Taqueet$ Thriller Dance Class
  • El Vez, The Mexican Elvis
  • Teatro ZinZanni
  • Totem Star Artists Zoser, Mirabai Kukathas, and Delphine Elliott
  • Digable Planets
  • Photo by Chloe Collyer
  • Photo by Chloe Collyer

All day, audiences could also enjoy activities and pop-ups such as Lelavision, Party Hat Party’s free screen printing station with artist Brandon Vosika, a pop-up with Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery, carnival games, a costume contest, food trucks, and a Seattle Fire Department vaccine pop-up.

Thaddeus Turner (Thaddillac) performing with Digable Planets by Sunny Martini

“What a way to give the communities hope through art — lots going on and changing faster. It was a nice break  thanks to you and all the people that got down! It was fun, most importantly.”

Thaddeus Turner (Thaddillac), Co-Founder of Totem Star and Music Director for Digable Planets

We were thrilled to close out the Welcome Back Weeks festivities with the iconic hip-hop trio, Digable Planets! Westlake Park was filled to the brim with audiences anticipating their closing performance.

  • Photo by Chloe Collyer
  • Photo by Sunny Martini
  • Photo by Chloe Collyer
  • Photo by Sunny Martini

Over the two weeks, over 15,000 people visited downtown Seattle to participate in the three events. Highlights from the festivities include:

  • An estimated 5,700 people attended our three events: 2,000 at Hing Hay, 700 at Occidental Square, and 3,000 at Westlake Park
  • 200 creative workers were hired with 90% of the City-hired creative workers identifying as women, LGBTQ+ and/or people of color
  • Vaccination were given to 52 new people, courtesy of the SFD vaccine pop-up
  • 500 downtown small businesses were supported and involved, with 80% being owned by women and/or people of color

You can see more outcomes from the Welcome Back Weeks on the Downtown Recovery website.

Stay tuned as Created Commons partners with the Seattle Department of Transportation to bring you more unique arts experiences in neighborhoods such as Othello, Rainier Beach, Westwood, Pioneer Square, and the Chinatown-International District!

ARTS at King Street Station Reopens with ‘Close to Home’ Exhibit

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ARTS at King Street Station is proud to announce its official reopening with the exhibit, Close to Home, on view from July 22 through August 14, 2021. 

Created by 14 BIPOC artists, this exhibit showcases artworks that explore definitions of “home” using abstract and literal representations of their experiences of home and place. 

About the Exhibit:

Close to Home challenges audiences to think intentionally about the idea of “home” through the use of paint, sculpture, quilting, and textural arts. The representations of “home” also span depictions of historical artifacts, to abstract illustrations, to what home might look like in the future.  

While being some of the most vulnerable to forced migration and displacement, the 14 artists in Close to Home actively celebrate the resilience of people of color using nuanced understandings of place.   

Close to Home asks viewers to actively engage with questions of what makes our homes distinct. Who gets to define what makes places important or meaningful? Where do we individually fit into community definitions of belonging? What does it look like to keep records and pay respect to our community members who have stewarded the land for generations? The 14 exhibiting artists’ practices grapple with these questions using ideas and physical objects that represent meaningful parts of their own homes and communities. 

The exhibition also displays the range and growth of the City of Seattle’s Civic Art Collection, which includes pieces by instrumental Pacific Northwest artists. This exhibition consists of portable artworks in the City of Seattle’s Civic Art Collection, purchased between 2020 and 2021 in partnership with Seattle Together and Seattle City Light. Close to Home is organized and presented by ARTS (Office of Arts & Culture). The exhibition is curated by Ricky Reyes in partnership with the King Street Station Advisors. Support for the installation is provided by Benjamin Gale-Schreck and Blake Haygood. 

  • Metaphor of my mother, missTANGQ, Mixed Media, 2018
  • Salmon Spirit, Crystal Worl, Gouache Paint, 2017
  • My Jazzed Mountains, Gwen Maxwell Williams, 100% Cotton, 1998

Featured Artists:  

  • Romson Regrade Bustillo 
  • Ka’ila Farrell-Smith  
  • Jonathan Wakuda Fischer 
  • Hongzhe Liang /名媛  
  • Micah Mccarty  
  • missTANGQ  
  • Miya Sukune  
  • Earnest Swanson  
  • Robert Running Fisher Upham  
  • Markel Uriu  
  • Gwen Maxwell Williams  
  • Jennifer Angaiak Wood 
  • Crystal Worl  
  • Junko Yamamoto 

Close to Home is on view at ARTS at King Street Station, Thursday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm, from July 22 through August 14, 2021.  For your safety, and that of our staff, visitors must wear a face covering while inside ARTS at King Street Station.